EP2999816A1

EP2999816A1 - Water jet device for eliminating lint accumulation in a laundry treatment machine's air-cooled condenser

Info

Publication number: EP2999816A1
Application number: EP13724589.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Celal Vatansever; Talip Caglar; Dogan Demirhan; Salih YILDIRIM
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2013-05-23
Filing date: 2013-05-23
Publication date: 2016-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2033-05-23
Also published as: EP2999816B1; WO2014187493A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment machine (1) comprising a drum (2), an air circulation duct (4) through which circulation of processing air is effected, a closed cycle fan (5) circulating processing air, an air-cooled condenser (8) and an outer air duct (10) along which an open cycle fan (9) functions. Said air-cooled condenser (8) having a main housing comprising at least a first drying channel (6) extending adjacent to a first side (15) of the main housing in the longitudinal direction of said at least first drying channel (6) and a second drying channel (6) extending adjacent to a second side (16) of the main housing in the longitudinal direction of said at least second drying channel (6). The first drying channel (6) and the second drying channel (6) are disposed in a spaced manner between the first side (15) and second side (16) of the main housing such that at least one cooling channel (7) is sandwiched thereinbetween.

Description

WATER JET DEVICE FOR ELIMINATING LINT ACCUMULATION IN A LAUNDRY TREATMENT MACHINE’S AIR-COOLED CONDENSER

The present invention relates to a laundry washing and drying machine comprising an air-cooled condenser. The present invention more specifically relates to a laundry treatment machine with an air-cooled condenser having a water jet device for lint accumulation elimination.
Laundry treatment machines with air-cooled condensers carry out the condensation process by using the ambient air in the drying process such that the thermal interaction between the cooling air and the closed cycle air having separate cycles is used. The cooling air is passed onto the condenser by means of a fan and thus, the moisture in the cycle air is condensed by the condenser that is being cooled. In sum air laden with moisture that comes from over the laundry passes through a processing air channel and is hereby condensed while the latter is being cooled by means of the outer environment air. Finally, after the closed cycle air is dehumidified on the condenser, it is heated by a heater and applied to the drum by being put again into the drying cycle with low relative humidity rate and at high temperature.
Fluff particles that travel through the air between the components in the closed cycle require particular attention for maintaining sound operation of the laundry treatment machines. During the closed cycle of air, lint particles come off the laundry as a result of mechanical interaction of cloth items with each other and with the drum surfaces and these particles should therefore be filtered before reaching the heater. In order for accomplishing the task of lint elimination in laundry dryers, a filter is conventionally disposed on the air circulation path so that such particles are filtered out. In the absence of appropriate filters, fluff particles generally tend to accumulate around the condenser inlet tube and on the inner surfaces of the main housing thereof, including air ducts. Depending on the severity of the case, these particles may build up to the extent of forming a surface layer and hence lower thermal performance of the condenser, which in turn prolong drying period and cause energy losses. Likewise, fluff layers may block air flow in the condenser’s inlet tube.
Overcoming the above mentioned problems by accommodating a filter in this effect may not prove utile especially if users do not carry out regular maintenance of the filtering means as removing and cleaning the filter off on a regular basis may pose a troublesome burden to some users. It is therefore desirable to reach a solution alternative to the disposition of a filtering means in order for eliminating lint accumulation problem in laundry treatment machines with air-cooled condensers.
A prior art publication in the technical field of the present invention may be referred to as WO2011042345 among others, the document disclosing a filter which is disposed into a circulation channel before the condenser for collecting fluff particles in the cycle air.
The present invention provides an arrangement in relation to the laundry treatment machine with a water jet device eliminating lint accumulation in the condenser of the machine, which is defined by the characterizing features as defined in Claim 1.
Primary object of the present invention is hence to provide a laundry treatment machine having a water jet device eliminating lint accumulation in the condenser of said laundry treatment machine.
The present invention proposes a water jet device disposed within a condenser’s outlet tube in a manner fixed to an internal surface portion thereof. Said water jet device is disposed to be facing the main housing of the condenser whereby its location is advantageously suitable for providing water jets into the condenser’s main housing as well as into the inlet tube thereof.
The water jet device of the invention has a set of nozzles extending in a direction substantially parallel to longitudinal axes of drying channels of the condenser, the latter channels longitudinally extending in the main housing of the condenser. It is therefore ensured that fluff particles are eliminated in the condenser’s main housing as well as in the inlet tube thereof.
The main housing and the inlet tube of the condenser are fixedly connected to each other while a neck portion of the inlet tube has an inner protruding part that narrows down said neck portion so as to have a flush abutting relationship with at least one drying channel in the main housing.
The trajectory of water jets by upper nozzles in the outlet tube of the condenser follows a linear transition surface while passing from the main housing into said inlet tube, hence guided to be flowing down directly into the inlet tube.
Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a laundry treatment machine, whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.
The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.
Fig. 1 demonstrates a general cross-sectional schematic view of the laundry treatment machine according to the present invention.
Fig. 2a demonstrates a general perspective view of the air-cooled condenser according to the present invention. Fig. 2b demonstrates the air-cooled condenser of Fig. 2b in a disassembled manner.
Fig. 3a demonstrates a top perspective view of the air-cooled condenser according to the present invention. Fig. 3b demonstrates the cross-sectional view of the condenser taken along the line A-A as given in Fig. 3a. Fig. 3c demonstrates an enlarged view of the detail C of Fig. 3b.
Fig. 4a demonstrates a top perspective view of the condenser main housing with the inlet tube thereof according to the present invention. Fig. 4b demonstrates the cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A as given in Fig. 4a. Fig. 4c demonstrates an enlarged view of the detail D of Fig. 4b.
The following numerals are used in the detailed description of the invention:

Laundry treatment machine
Drum
Tub
Air circulation duct
Closed cycle fan
Drying channel
Cooling channel
Condenser
Open cycle fan
Outer air duct
Condenser inlet tube
Condenser outlet tube
Tub connection
Water jet device
First side
Second side
First nozzle
Second nozzle
Neck portion

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment machine (1) comprising a drum (2) in a tub (3) and an air circulation duct (4) by means of which circulation of the processing air is effected for drying of the laundry in said drum (2). A closed cycle fan (5) provides the circulation of the processing air such that the processing air is condensed by an air-cooled condenser (8). The cooling air is taken from an outer air duct (10) by means of an open cycle fan (9). The cooling air is passed onto the condenser (8) to cool the same. A heater placed in the air circulation duct (4) provides the dehumidified processing air coming from the condenser (8) to be heated and sent onto the laundry. Along at least one drying channel (6) through the condenser (8), flows the processing air coming from the air circulation duct (4) by means of said closed-cycle fan (5) and at least one cooling channel (7), also passing through the condenser (8) draws heat from said drying channels (6).
Said drying channels (6) and said cooling channels (7) are disposed in the condenser’s (8) main housing in between a condenser inlet tube (11) and a condenser outlet tube (12), said condenser inlet tube (11) communicating with the tub (3) through a tub connection (13). During the closed cycle of air, lint particles come off the laundry as a result of mechanical interaction of cloth items with each other and with the drum’s (2) inner surfaces and these particles build up as a layer on the condenser’s (8) inlet tube (11) and on the internal surfaces thereof. According to the present invention, a water jet device (14), as explained hereinafter, is provided for effectively eliminating fluff particles and individual fibers that travel through the air between the components in the closed air cycle.
According to the present invention, the water jet device (14) is disposed within said condenser’s (8) outlet tube (12) such that it is fixedly secured to an internal surface portion of the condenser outlet tube (12). Said drying channels (6) are designed in the form of a first drying channel (6) longitudinally extending adjacent to a first side (15) of the condenser’s (8) main housing and a second drying channel (6) longitudinally extending adjacent to a second side (16) of the condenser’s (8) main housing.
The first drying channel (6) and the second drying channel (6) are disposed in a spaced manner between said first side (15) and second side (16) of the main housing such that said at least one cooling channel (7) is interposed thereinbetween.
The water jet device (14) is disposed to be facing the main housing of the condenser (8) in the outlet tube (12). It comprises a plurality of water jetting nozzles in the manner that at least a first nozzle (17) is disposed in an orientation such that it extends and provides water jets in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first drying channel (6). Likewise, at least a second nozzle (18) of the water jet device (14) is disposed in an orientation such that it extends and provides water jets in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the second drying channel (6). In this manner, both of the first and second drying channels (6) are directly cleaned with water jets.
The present invention further ensures that the inlet tube (11) of the condenser (8) is provided with a neck portion (19) directly mountable to the main housing of the condenser (8) such that an inner protruding part thereof provides that the first drying channel (6) longitudinally extending adjacent to the first side (15) of the condenser’s (8) main housing has a flush abutting relationship with the neck portion (19). This provides that the trajectory of the water jets produced by the first nozzle (17) as indicated by the dashed lines in Fig. 3b, follow a linear transition surface while passing from the main housing into the inlet tube (11). The inner protruding part of the neck portion (19) is provided on the upper part of the inlet tube (11) to have a flush mating relationship with the main housing at the first side (15) thereof. This helps guiding the water jets from the first nozzle (17) down into the inlet tube (11). The neck portion (19) is not narrowed with a similar inner protruding part at the second side (16), i.e. at the lower part of the inlet tube (11), since water jets from the second nozzle (18) already need to follow a turning trajectory at this point.
It is to be noted that the structural efficiency imparted to the upper part of the neck portion (19) in the inlet tube (11) is presented in detail in Fig. 3c, where the thickness of the upper annular wall at the very end of the inlet tube (11) bearing against the main housing of the condenser (8) is substantially greater than that of the lower annular wall at the same portion.
The water jet device (14) according to the invention can be operated only at the end of the laundry treatment process and the tub (3) water containing lint can accordingly be discharged by means of a discharge pump.
It is to be noted that the water jet device (14) of the invention is aimed at effectively clearing fluff particles and individual fibers out in the condenser’s (8) main housing and the inlet tube (11) thereof at the same time. It therefore constitutes an effective and reliable solution that eliminates the need for using special filters for collecting and trapping lint as such filters are generally not subject to regular maintenance they are meant to receive. The water jetting nozzles (17, 18) of the invention are strategically located at a position such that effective water jets can be produced to thoroughly clean critical regions such as around the condenser’s (8) inlet tube (11) where fluff particles tend to accumulate.

Claims

A laundry treatment machine (1) comprising a drum (2), an air circulation duct (4) through which circulation of processing air is effected, a closed cycle fan (5) circulating processing air, an air-cooled condenser (8) and an outer air duct (10) along which an open cycle fan (9) functions, said air-cooled condenser (8) having a main housing comprising at least a first drying channel (6) longitudinally extending adjacent to a first side (15) of the main housing and a second drying channel (6) longitudinally extending adjacent to a second side (16) of said main housing, the first drying channel (6) and the second drying channel (6) being disposed in a spaced manner between said first side (15) and second side (16) of the main housing such that at least one cooling channel (7) is interposed thereinbetween characterized in that;

a water jet device (14) is disposed within an outlet tube (12) of the condenser (8) with a plurality of nozzles (17, 18) facing said main housing thereof,

said water jet device (14) comprises at least a first nozzle (17) disposed in an orientation such that it extends and provides water jets in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said first drying channel (6) and at least a second nozzle (18) disposed in an orientation such that it extends and provides water jets in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said second drying channel (6).
A laundry treatment machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized in that an inlet tube (11) of the condenser (8) is provided with a neck portion (19) directly mountable to the main housing of the condenser (8) such that an inner protruding part thereof provides that the first drying channel (6) extending longitudinally adjacent to the first side (15) of the condenser’s (8) main housing has a flush abutting relationship with said neck portion (19).
A laundry treatment machine (1) as in Claim 2, characterized in that the inner protruding part of the neck portion (19) is disposed on the upper part of the inlet tube (11) to have a flush mating relationship with the first drying channel (6).
A laundry treatment machine (1) as in Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that trajectory of water jets produced by the first nozzle (17) is delimited by a linear transition surface while passing from the main housing into the inlet tube (11).
A laundry treatment machine (1) as in Claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that part of the neck portion (19) in the inlet tube (11) bearing against the first drying channel (6) of the condenser (8) has a wall thickness greater than that of remaining annular neck portion (19) at the same portion.