EP2659044A1

EP2659044A1 - A washer/dryer

Info

Publication number: EP2659044A1
Application number: EP11810843.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Onur Hartoka; Gokhan Ozgurel; Emre Ozturk; Hakan Tatar; Basak Arslan
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2010-12-31
Filing date: 2011-12-26
Publication date: 2013-11-06
Also published as: TR201011270A1; CN103392035A; CN103392035B; WO2012089715A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washer/dryer (1) comprising a body (2) having an upper table (3) that covers the top surface thereof, a drum (4) rotating in the horizontal axis, placed in the body (2) and wherein the laundry to be washed and/or dried are placed, a tub (5) wherein the drum (4) is placed, a condenser (6) providing the dehumidification of the process air used in the drying process by condensing it.

Description

A WASHER/DRYER

The present invention relates to a washer/dryer comprising an air cooled condenser.
In washer/dryer machines, the drying process is performed by using two different types of condenser, being the water cooled type and the air cooled type. In the water cooled condensers, the process air is contacted with the cold mains water in the condenser for once more condensing the moisture removed from the laundry by the hot process air. In the air cooled condensers, the condensing of the moisture in the process air is provided by the interaction of the cooling air and the process air that do not directly contact.
In the washer/dryers having water cooled condenser, the condenser can be cleaned by itself since the condensation process is performed with water and thus the condenser is not required to be cleaned by the user. However, since the washer/dryers having water cooled condenser increase the water consumption, they are not much preferred. On the other hand, the washer/dryers comprising the condenser that uses air rather than water for cooling the process air in the drying step are quire advantageous in terms of utilization costs. However, for preventing the heat transfer performance of the condenser in the washer/dryers that comprise air cooled condenser from decreasing in due course, the lints that adhere on the process pitches by coming off from the laundry are required to be cleaned at certain periods. The place of the condenser in the washer/dryer is critical in terms of the cleaning.
In the state of the art European Patent Application No. EP2110473, a washer/dryer is described wherein the lints that accumulate in the process pitches are cleaned by means of a water channel that opens to the process pitches of the condenser.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washer/dryer comprising an air cooled condenser wherein the lints that adhere thereon are easily cleaned.
The washer/dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a body having an upper table, a drum wherein the laundry to be washed and/or dried are loaded, a tub wherein the drum is placed, a condenser providing the dehumidification of the process air used in the drying process by condensing it and at least one housing disposed between the tub and the upper table and whereinto the condenser is placed. The placement of the condenser in the body so as to be disposed on the tub provides ease in terms of cleaning.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the condenser is detachably placed into the housing. Thus, the condenser can be easily cleaned by being taken out of the housing and mounted into the housing again. Thus the decreasing of the heat transfer performance of the condenser due to the lints that adhere on the pitches of the condenser is prevented.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the washer/dryer comprises a dispenser placed into the housing and wherein the cleaning agents used in the washing process are loaded.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the condenser and the dispenser are placed into the same housing to be one in front of the other. The dispenser is located at the front side of the housing and the condenser at the rear side. The dispenser is placed into the housing so as to move forwards and backwards. By the placement of the condenser into the same housing with the dispenser, the need for forming a separate housing in the body for the condenser is eliminated.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the condenser is connected to the dispenser. Thus, the condenser is provided to move together with the dispenser. Thus, it becomes possible to take out the condenser out of the housing together with the dispenser and to clean them together.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser and the condenser are placed into independent housings such that the dispenser is disposed at the right side of the body and the condenser is disposed at the right side of the body.
By means of the present invention, the lints that adhere on the pitches of the condenser are provided to be easily cleaned. Thus the heat transfer effectiveness of the condenser is prevented from decreasing.
The washer/dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 – is the sideways schematic view of a washer/dryer.
Figure 2 – is the front schematic view of the washer/dryer related to an embodiment of the present invention.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Washer/dryer
Body
Upper table
Drum
Tub
Condenser
Housing
Dispenser
Filter
Storage tank

The washer/dryer (1) comprises a body (2) having an upper table (3) that covers the top surface thereof, a drum (4) rotating in the horizontal axis, placed in the body (2) and wherein the laundry to be washed and/or dried is placed, a tub (5) wherein the drum (4) is placed, a condenser (6) providing the dehumidification of the process air used in the drying process by condensing it.
The condenser (6) provides the drying process by the interaction of the cooling air and the process air that do not directly contact each other. The process air is heated by a heater and directed into the drum (4) by means of the process fan. The process air contacting the damp laundry dehumidifies the laundry and is transferred to the condenser (6) to leave its moisture. At the same time, by passing the air sucked from the outer environment by means of the cooling fan over the condenser (6), the condenser (6) is provided to be cooled and the moisture in the process air is provided to be condensed
The washer/dryer (1) of the present invention comprises at least one housing (7) disposed between the tub (5) and the upper table (3) and whereinto the condenser (6) is placed. Thus, the condenser (6) is placed on the tub (5) which is the most suitable position in the body (2) for cleaning. The position of the housing (7) into which the condenser (6) is placed provides the condenser (6) to be easily accessed by the user.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the condenser (6) is detachably placed into the housing (7). Thus, the condenser (6) is taken out of the housing (7) and the lints that adhere on the pitches thereof is cleaned and is mounted into its place again. Thus the problem of the decreasing of the heat transfer performance of the condenser (6) due to the lints that adhere on the pitches of the condenser (6) is prevented and the drying efficiency of the washer/dryer (1) is increased.
In a version of the said embodiment, the washer/dryer (1) comprises a movement mechanism which provides the condenser (6) to be mounted into and dismounted from the housing (7) easily. The movement mechanism comprises two rails disposed on the inner surface of the opposite side walls of the housing (7) and two slides disposed on the two opposite side surfaces of the condenser (6) and which can move forwards and backwards inside the rails. By means of the rail-slide pair, the process of mounting/dismounting the condenser (6) into/from the housing (7) is facilitated.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the washer/dryer (1) comprises a dispenser (8) placed into the housing (7) and wherein the cleaning agents used in the washing process are loaded. While the laundry is washed, the water received from the mains is delivered to the dispenser (8) and the cleaning agents placed in the dispenser (8) are transferred to the drum (4) by being mixed with water.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser (8) is placed into the housing (7) so as to move forwards and backwards such that the condenser (6) remains at the back. The condenser (6) is placed into the same housing (7) together with the dispenser (8). Thus, the need for forming a separate housing (7) on the body (2) for placing the condenser (6) is eliminated. Moreover, the condenser (6) is provided to be easily accessed when the dispenser (8) is taken out of the body (2). The condenser (6) is also pulled outward of the housing (7) and thus it becomes possible to clean the lints that adhere thereon. In addition, the condensations that may occur due to the leaks that may occur through the gaskets of the condenser (6) are provided to be directed into the drum (4) by means of the housing (7) without leaking into the body (2).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the condenser (6) is connected to the dispenser (8). Depending on the movement of the dispenser (8), the condenser (6) also moves forwards and backwards together with the dispenser (8). When the dispenser (8) is taken out of the housing (7), the condenser (6) is also taken out of the housing (7) together with the dispenser (8). Thus, both the dispenser (8) and the condenser (6) can be cleaned together and be mounted into the housing (7) again.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the washer/dryer (1) comprises two housings (7) disposed at the two sides of the vertical axis passing from the center of the body (2) and into one of which the dispenser (8) is placed and into the other of which the condenser (6) is placed. The housing (7) into which the dispenser (8) is placed is located at one side of the body (2) and the housing (7) into which the condenser (6) is placed is located on the other side of the body (2). Thus, a symmetrical structure is obtained on the body (2). Since an independent housing (7), which extends from the front to the rear of the body (2), is formed for the condenser (6), the possibility of increasing the size of the condenser (6) arises. Thus the heat transfer effectiveness of the condenser (6) is increased.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the washer/dryer (1) comprises a filter (9) placed at the inlet port of the process air of the condenser (6) and which prevents the lints carried by the process air from reaching the condenser (6). The filter (9) can also be taken out and cleaned together with the condenser (6) and mounted to its place again. Thus, the condenser (6) is provided to remain clean for a longer period of time and the cleaning period is prolonged.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the washer/dryer (1) comprises a storage tank (10) placed below the condenser (6) and wherein the water that condenses in the condenser (6) is stored. The water stored in the storage tank (10) is used in the washing step and thus water savings is provided. Moreover, the washing performance of the washer/dryer (1) is increased since the hardness degree of the stored water is low.
In the washer/dryer (1) of the present invention, the degradation of the heat transfer performance of the condenser (6) is prevented by providing the lints that adhere on the condenser (6) to be easily cleaned. Thus the drying effectiveness of the washer/dryer (1) is improved.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A washer/dryer (1) comprising a body (2) having an upper table (3) that covers the top surface thereof, a drum (4) rotating in the horizontal axis, placed in the body (2) and wherein the laundry to be washed and/or dried are placed, a tub (5) wherein the drum (4) is placed, a condenser (6) providing the dehumidification of the process air used in the drying process by condensing it, characterized by at least one housing (7) disposed between the tub (5) and the upper table (3) and whereinto the condenser (6) is placed.
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the condenser (6) that is detachably placed into the housing (7).
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the dispenser (8) placed into the housing (7) and wherein the cleaning agents used in the washing process are loaded.
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 3, characterized by the dispenser (8) placed into the housing (7) so as to move forwards and backwards such that the condenser (6) remains at the back.
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of Claim 3 or 4, characterized by the condenser (6) that is connected to the dispenser (8).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized by two housings (7) disposed at the two sides of the vertical axis passing from the center of the body (2) and into one of which the dispenser (8) is placed and into the other of which the condenser (6) is placed.
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a filter (9) placed at the inlet port of the process air of the condenser (6) and which prevents the lints carried by the process air from reaching the condenser (6).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a storage tank (10) placed below the condenser (6) and wherein the water that condenses in the condenser (6) is stored.