EP2761079B1

EP2761079B1 - Condensate type laundry dryer

Info

Publication number: EP2761079B1
Application number: EP12766027.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Levent Cinar; Veysel Ertan Cetinkaya; Umit Gulbay
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2011-09-26
Filing date: 2012-09-14
Publication date: 2015-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 2032-09-14
Also published as: EP2761079A1; WO2013045298A1

Description

The present invention relates to a condensate type laundry dryer comprising a water tank wherein the condensate water is collected (see EP-A-1990 466 ).
In condensate type laundry dryers, the processing air is heated by a heater and directed into the drum, dehumidifies the laundry by contacting the moist laundry and is transferred to a condenser to be dehumidified. The condensate water that forms in the condenser is collected in a mobile water tank disposed in the body of the laundry dryer. The drying process is ended when the water tank is filled with condensate water, the user is warned by an alerter means and the water tank is removed by the user to be emptied. In laundry dryers, in order to determine filling of the water tank, a stationary reservoir is provided wherein water is accumulated before coming to the tank and the level of water filling into this reservoir is detected. Generally a float and a limit switch actuated by the float is used for detecting the level of water in the reservoir. With the effect of the air passed over the condenser during water intake into the reservoir, the water accumulated in the reservoir fluctuates, the water level actuates the float sooner than expected, false alarm is given about the tank being full before the tank is entirely filled and the drying process is ended. Ending the drying process unnecessarily and giving a false alarm results in customer dissatisfaction.
In the United States Patent Application No. US20100236091 , in a laundry dryer, a sensor system is explained that provides the detection of the level of water in the container wherein the condensate water is collected.
In the United States Patent Application No. US20050132593 , a storing apparatus wherein the condensed water is stored during the drying procedure is explained.
European Patent Application No. EP1990466 A1 relates to a household drying machine comprising a rotating drum, an air circulation duct across said drum, a moisture condenser for the drying air, a tray for the collection of the condensed moisture, hydraulic means able of drawing the water contained in said tray, and of conveying it into diffusion means.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a laundry dryer wherein the water tank collecting the condensate water is provided to be emptied after being entirely filled and time losses are prevented.
The laundry dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the guide is L shaped, having a vertical arm and a horizontal arm and extends from the water inlet opening situated on the wall of the reservoir to the base of the reservoir. An outlet opening is arranged at the end of the horizontal arm extending to the base of the reservoir. The water flows from the outlet opening to the base of the reservoir.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the transversal cross-section of the guide is inverted U-shaped, and the legs of the U form are seated on the base of the reservoir and the side wall where the water inlet opening is situated and forms a closed water flow channel.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the U-shaped guide comprises one or more ribs disposed in the section of the water flow channel surrounded by the guide and that slows down the speed of the water moving towards the outlet opening inside the reservoir. The ribs are arranged side by side at the inner surface of the side walls of the horizontal arm and extend towards the base of the reservoir in the vertical direction.
In the laundry dryer of the present invention, the guide, that is disposed inside the reservoir wherein water is collected and the level is detected before flowing into the tank, prevents the water from fluctuating and actuating the level detection unit when the reservoir and hence the tank is not entirely full of water.
The laundry dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the schematic view of a laundry dryer.
Figure 2 - is the perspective view of a guide disposed in the condensate water reservoir of the laundry dryer.
Figure 3 - is the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the guide in Figure 2.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Laundry dryer
2. Drum
3. Condenser
4. Reservoir
5. Inlet opening
6. Tank
7. Level detection unit
8. Guide
9. Vertical arm
10. Horizontal arm
11. Outlet opening
12. Rib
13. Float
14. Limit switch

The laundry dryer (1) comprises a body, a drum (2) wherein the laundry is placed, a condenser (3) providing the drying cycle air to be dehumidified, a reservoir (4) wherein the condensate water leaving the condenser (3) is collected and the level is detected, an inlet opening (5) disposed on the wall of the reservoir (4), providing the water received from the condenser (3) to be transferred to the reservoir (4) and a tank (6) whereto the water collected in the reservoir (4) is transferred.
The water collected in the reservoir (4) is transferred to the tank (6) by means of a pump or by natural flow. The tank (6) is disposed at the upper side or lower side of the body and the user empties the water collected therein by taking out the tank (6) from the body.
The laundry dryer (1) furthermore comprises a level detection unit (7) disposed in the reservoir (4) which provides the level of condensate water collected in the reservoir (4) to be detected before being transferred to the tank (6) and the user to be warned that the tank (6) connected to the reservoir (4) is filled with water when the water level exceeds a predetermined limit level.
The laundry dryer (1) of the present invention comprises a guide (8), disposed in the reservoir (4), extending from the inlet opening (5) to the interior of the reservoir (4) and forming a barrier between the water entering from the inlet opening (5) into the reservoir (4) and the water already in the reservoir (4) and the level detection unit (7).
The guide (8) prevents the water entering the reservoir (4) through the inlet opening (5) from fluctuating the water already present in the reservoir (4) and from actuating the level detection unit (7) as a result of fluctuation although water has not yet reached the limit level by functioning as a wave-breaker in the reservoir (4) wherein water is collected before the tank (6) and the level is detected.
The condensate water coming from the condenser (3), passing through the inlet opening (5) and filling into the reservoir (4) before reaching the tank (6) is directed by the guide (8). The guide (8) prevents the water entering through the inlet opening (5) from fluctuating the water already present in the reservoir (4) that has not yet reached the limit level. Thus, the guide (8) prevents the water in the reservoir (4) from reaching the level detection unit (7) prematurely and undesirably and hence the level detection unit (7) from giving "false alarm" about "the water in the reservoir (4) reaching the limit level".
In an embodiment of the present invention, the guide (8) is L shaped, having a vertical arm (9) extending from the inlet opening (5) towards the base of the reservoir (4) and bearing against the reservoir (4) side wall where the inlet opening (5) is situated, a horizontal arm (10) at the lower side of the level detection unit (7), extending parallel to the base of the reservoir (4) and an outlet opening (11), located at the end of the horizontal arm (10), opening into the reservoir (4) and providing the water moving in the horizontal arm (10) to flow into the reservoir (4) (Figure 2). The water entering through the inlet opening (5) is directed to the base of the reservoir (4) by means of the vertical arm (9), horizontal arm (10) and the outlet opening (11) of the L shaped guide (8) without contacting the level detection unit (7) in the reservoir (4).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the transversal cross-section of the guide (8) is inverted U-shaped, and the legs of the U form are seated on the base of the reservoir (4) and the side wall of the reservoir (4) where the water inlet opening (5) is situated and forms a closed water flow channel (Figure 2). The condensate water entering the guide (8) from the inlet opening (5) flows inside the closed water flow channel surrounded by the guide (8) and into the reservoir (4) through the outlet opening (11).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide (8) comprises one or more ribs (12), disposed therein, that slows down the speed of the water moving towards the outlet opening (11) in the reservoir (4) (Figure 3). In this embodiment, the ribs (12) are arranged side by side at the inner surface of the side walls of the horizontal arm (10) and extend towards the base of the reservoir (4) in the vertical direction.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the level detection unit (7) comprises a float (13) that ascends and descends depending on the level of condensate water in the reservoir (4) and a limit switch (14) that changes to on-off positions by being actuated by the float (13) depending on the level of water collected in the reservoir (4).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the laundry dryer (1) comprises the tank (6) that is disposed under the body so as to be at the same level with the reservoir (4). Water is transferred from the reservoir (4) into the tank (6) by means of a connection pipe (P) connecting the reservoir (4) and the tank (6) to each other. When the reservoir (4) is filled, the water passes through the connection pipe (P) and the tank (6) is filled with the same level of water as the reservoir (4). When the water in the reservoir (4) exceeds the limit level, the level detection unit (7) detects that the tank (6) is also filled together with the reservoir (4).
In the laundry dyer (1) of the present invention, the guide (8) disposed inside the reservoir (4) prevents water from fluctuating and actuating the level detection unit (7) when the reservoir (4) and hence the tank (6) is not filled with the required amount of water. Consequently, the drying cycle is not ended unnecessarily when the tank (6) is not entirely filled with water. The user is prevented from being warned for emptying the tank (6) although the tank (6) is not filled entirely.
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.

Claims

A laundry dryer (1) comprising a drum (2) wherein the laundry is placed, a condenser (3) providing the drying cycle air to be dehumidified, a reservoir (4) wherein the condensate water leaving the condenser (3) is collected and the level is detected, an inlet opening (5) disposed on the wall of the reservoir (4), providing the water received from the condenser (3) to be transferred to the reservoir (4), a tank (6) whereto the water collected in the reservoir (4) is transferred, a level detection unit (7) disposed in the reservoir (4) which provides the detection of the level of condensate water before transferring to the tank (6), characterized by a guide (8) disposed in the reservoir (4), extending from the inlet opening (5) to the interior of the reservoir (4) and forming a barrier between the water entering from the inlet opening (5) into the reservoir (4) and the level detection unit (7).
A laundry dryer (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the guide (8) having a vertical arm (9) extending from the inlet opening (5) towards the base of the reservoir (4) and bearing against the reservoir (4) side wall where the inlet opening (5) is situated, a horizontal arm (10) extending parallel to the base of the reservoir (4), at the lower side of the level detection unit (7) and an outlet opening (11) located at the end of the horizontal arm (10), opening into the reservoir (4) and providing the water to flow into the reservoir (4).
A laundry dryer (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the guide (8), the transversal cross-section of which is inverted U-shaped, seated on the base of the reservoir (4) and the side wall of the reservoir (4) where the water inlet opening (5) is situated and which forms a closed water flow channel.
A laundry dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the guide (8) having one or more ribs (12) that slow down the speed of the water moving towards the outlet opening (11) in the reservoir (4).
A laundry dryer (1) as in Claim 4, characterized by the guide (8) having ribs (12) at the inner surface of the side walls of the horizontal arm (10) that extend towards the base of the reservoir (4) in the vertical direction.
A laundry dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the level detection unit (7) having a float (13) and a limit switch (14).
A laundry dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the tank (6) disposed under the body so as to be at the same level with the reservoir (4).