EP3118365A1 - Tumble dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clothes dryer (1), preferably a heat pump tumble dryer (1), with a laundry drum (15) for receiving laundry to be dried and a heat unit (23), preferably a heat pump unit (23) for generating heated process air for drying the laundry in the laundry drum (15), wherein the laundry drum (15) through an air supply passage (17) with a process air outlet (30) of the heat unit (23) is connected to the by the heat unit (23 ) to supply dried process air to the laundry drum (15), wherein between the process air outlet (30) and the air supply channel (17) at least one seal (39) is arranged. The tumble dryer (1) is characterized in that the air supply channel (17) has a lower outer edge (18) which in height (Z) in a recess (38) of the upper side (25) of a housing (24) of the heat unit (23) can engage, wherein the seal (39) on the lower outer edge (18) or on the recess (38) can be arranged.

Description

The invention relates to a tumble dryer according to the preamble of claim 1 and a heat unit for use in such a tumble dryer according to claim 12.

For drying laundry laundry dryers are usually used. These include the heat pump tumble dryer. These have a closed heat pump cycle with a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser and an expansion valve. Through this heat pump cycle the process air moisture is removed, which was previously removed from the laundry.

For this purpose, the previously heated by the heat pump cycle and dehumidified process air is passed through a fan through an air supply duct in a laundry drum of the clothes dryer. In the laundry drum, the laundry to be dried is usually moved by rotation, so that the process air can reach the laundry as completely and uniformly as possible. The process air absorbs moisture from the laundry and dries it. The moist process air then returns via an air return channel to the heat pump cycle. Here, the moisture extracted from the laundry is condensed from the process air and discharged in liquid form to the outside. The energy extracted from the process air is returned to the process air so that the process air, once heated, leaves the heat pump cycle in the direction of the laundry drum. The cycle of process air is closed in this way.

In order to be able to carry out the drying process as energy-efficiently as possible, it is important to prevent losses of the process air to the outside or mixing in of cooler ambient air into the process air flow. For this reason, the components that are involved in the stream of process air are provided with seals. This applies in particular to components such as the heat unit, which can be manufactured separately and installed permanently or removably in the tumble dryer, so that the transitions of the process air from the heat unit or into the heat unit are sealed.

The EP 2 642 018 A2 relates to a heat pump tumble dryer in which the heat pump cycle is arranged as a compact unit in itself removably disposed below the laundry drum, etc. The input and output of the process air into and out of the heat pump circuit is arranged at the top of the unit directly vertically oriented upward. The process air inlet of the heat pump cycle has a horizontally disposed filter to remove the lint from the process air.

The assembly of the heat pump cycle may e.g. be removed in a horizontal direction from the heat pump tumble dryer or introduced into this.

A disadvantage of this heat pump tumble dryer that the assembly of the heat pump cycle must be largely removed from the heat pump tumble dryer completely to get to the filter so that it can be cleaned of the lint. To do this, the seal between the process air inlet and outlet must be removed and restored when re-introducing the heat unit into the tumble dryer. It should be noted that the input and output of the process air in and out of the heat pump cycle are arranged purely vertically, ie point directly upwards. This requires a purely horizontal arrangement of the corresponding seals. Therefore, it is in the heat pump tumble dryer the EP 2 642 018 A2 required to push the horizontally inserted assembly of the heat pump cycle by an additional vertical movement, for example by a specially provided for this purpose lever mechanism vertically against the seals to let them exercise their function.

If, during the insertion of the assembly, even a slight incorrect positioning occurs, it can happen when the assembly is raised vertically that the seals can not function as intended. This can lead to leaks in the heat pump cycle, so that process air can escape or air can penetrate into the process air stream. This can not be recognized by the user or the specialist personnel during installation of the unit, because the seals are not visible at the latest by the vertical lifting. A mispositioning of the seals can thus be recognized neither optically with the eye nor otherwise.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer of the type described above, so that by introducing a modular heat unit, a reliable sealing effect of the process air flow can be achieved.

The object is achieved by a clothes dryer with the features of the characterizing part of claim 1 and by a heat unit with the features of claim 12. Advantageous developments are described in the subclaims.

Thus, the present invention relates to a clothes dryer, preferably a heat pump tumble dryer, with a laundry drum for receiving laundry to be dried and a heat unit, preferably a heat pump unit, for generating heated process air for drying the laundry in the laundry drum, wherein the laundry drum an air supply duct with a process air outlet of Heat unit is connected to supply the dried by the heat unit process air of the laundry drum. In this case, at least one seal is arranged between the process air outlet and the air supply duct.

Such clothes dryers are known from the prior art. Since the process air outlet is arranged horizontally in these clothes dryers, the gasket is also arranged in the horizontal plane, i. the seal is located on the upper side of the heat unit around the process air outlet. As a result, it is only possible to supply the seal of the process air outlet and the inlet of the air supply channel to each other by a vertical movement, because otherwise the seal could be displaced or deformed, which could affect the sealing effect. It may also lead to incorrect positioning between the seal of the process air outlet and the entrance of the air supply channel, which may also affect the sealing effect.

The tumble dryer according to the invention is characterized in that the air supply duct has a lower outer edge which can engage in height in a recess of the upper side of a housing of the heat unit, wherein the seal can be arranged on the lower outer edge or on the indentation. The intervention may be in the direction in which the heat unit is a compact unit, i. as a self-contained module, is mounted in the tumble dryer. This can be done with a lifting of the heat unit in height, characterized in that a circumferentially formed closed indentation such. a recess of the upper side of the housing accommodates a peripheral edge of the air supply channel which is also closed in the circumference. However, this can also take place when the heat unit is introduced into the horizontal by sliding the indentation, which is open on one side to the rear side of the laundry dryer, against the downwardly outstanding outer edge of the air supply duct.

The invention is based on the finding that in both cases, the outer edge of the air supply duct and the recess of the upper side of the heat unit can overlap, so that the possibility can be created in this way by the specific design of the respective edges, the movement lead the heat unit to the air supply duct. This can lead to a better positioning of the heat unit with respect to the air supply duct when introducing the heat unit in the tumble dryer, which can improve the sealing effect. Also, this can make the intervening gasket more effective by arranging and aligning it on one of the two sides of the connection partners in such a way that the movement of the heat unit can bring the gasket to the intended effect. This can ensure or improve the sealing effect of the seal.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the indentation is open in the longitudinal direction to the lower outer edge. In other words, the indentation of the heat unit in the insertion direction, i. in the longitudinal direction to the lower outer edge of the air supply channel, a recess in order to enclose the outer edge of the air supply channel from the remaining three sides in the fully inserted operating state in the horizontal plane. In this way, the heat unit can be introduced from the front with its rearwardly open indentation against the lower outer edge of the air supply channel in the dryer and make the desired contact with this, without having to be raised. This makes the contact between the process air outlet and the inlet of the air supply duct easier and safer with regard to positioning. In particular, can be dispensed with a lifting of the heat unit, which would be cumbersome to use and would require additional mechanical effort for a corresponding mechanism, which can be omitted in this way. Also, it would be necessary for the lifting of additional space in height, which can now be saved. The seal acts in this case in the horizontal plane, since the contact partners meet horizontally.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the indentation and the lower outer edge are correspondingly trapezoidal in shape. In this way it can be avoided that upon insertion of the heat unit in the longitudinal direction, the seal undergoes a frictional force from the first contact between the indentation and the lower outer edge of the air supply passage through the further insertion, which can lead to abrasion or a shift of the seal, which Could reduce sealing effect. Because of the trapezoidal shape of the indentation, the contact of the gasket with the indentation or the outer edge can take place only at the last moment or very late when the heat unit is introduced into the tumble dryer. As a result, the contact with the indentation or outer edge can occur approximately simultaneously over the entire or the widest region of the seal, so that a secure and uniform sealing effect can be achieved. In particular, the positioning of the seal can thereby be improved or maintained.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the seal is disposed at the lower outer edge of the air supply passage. This is advantageous because the outer edge of the air supply channel protrudes freely into the room and is arranged near the rear side of the clothes dryer. This can make the outer edge easily accessible, so that the seal can be easily and accurately mounted here. Also, the seal can for example be designed as a plug-on seal and simply plugged onto the outer edge, which is also very easy. The orientation of the seal is very easy pretend that the outer edge in the desired direction in which the sealing effect is to be achieved, can be bent. As a result, the seal can be easily and safely aligned to the inside of the indentation of the heat unit out.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the gasket has a cavity. As a result, the seal can be pressed in to a greater extent than with a massively executed seal. This can allow a greater tolerance compensation between the inside of the recess and the lower outer edge.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the heat unit has on its underside at least one roller, preferably at least one roller pair, on which the heat unit can be rolled on the housing bottom of the clothes dryer in the longitudinal direction. This allows the insertion and removal of the heat unit, e.g. be facilitated as a modular and self-contained unit.

The roller or the roller pair is preferably located towards the back of the heat unit, so that when inserting the heat unit in the dryer equal contact with housing bottom can be recorded and the roller (s) can perform their function or can. For this purpose, the heat unit can be placed with the roller or rollers on the housing bottom of the clothes dryer and then slightly raised at its front, so that the heat unit can be pushed into position. This can facilitate the installation or in reverse order the expansion for the specialist, because the front of the dryer can be easily and conveniently accessible. In this case, the roller or the roller pair may preferably be embedded in the underside of the heat unit in order to increase the height of the heat unit as little as possible and thereby reduce the space required within the tumble dryer for the heat unit.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the heat unit has at least one latch, preferably a latching mechanism, with which the heat unit introduced into the heat dryer can be secured at least in the longitudinal direction. The latch is preferably located at the leading edge of the heat unit because it can be easily accessed thereby, in particular for releasing the latch, e.g. to exchange the heat unit.

The latch may preferably be a longitudinally to the front of the housing of the tumble dryer outstanding sheet, which may be resilient in height. Such a metal sheet may optionally be resiliently bent up when inserting the heat unit into the tumble dryer and then grip behind eg a locking receptacle in the form of an edge on the housing bottom of the tumble dryer, so that a positive locking can be effected in the longitudinal direction. Preferably, the lock on a fuse holder as a recess, for example in the form of a hole. Through the fuse holder, a fuse such as a screw can be performed to tighten the lock in the locked state on the housing bottom in a arranged there housing side fuse holder, for example in the form of a threaded hole. This can be done both a backup of the lock in the longitudinal direction and in addition a backup of the positioning of the heat unit in the transverse direction. Preferably, the recess is a slot, which is aligned in the transverse direction, so that a certain compensation of tolerances may be possible.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the clothes dryer has a lower frame through which the heat unit can be inserted in the longitudinal direction, wherein the lower frame at least partially has a front edge at which a corresponding edge of the heat unit during insertion to Concern can be brought. For this purpose, the lower frame of the tumble drier can be U-shaped like a bridge, so that the laundry drum can be carried on the lower frame by means of an upper frame. At the same time a clearance can be created below the laundry drum by the implementation of the lower frame, in which the heat unit, e.g. can be introduced as a modular and self-contained unit.

The front edge of the lower frame acts as a stop against the corresponding counterpart of the heat unit, which can be formed by a corresponding peripheral edge. The leading edge of the lower frame is limited by the abutment of the edge of the heat unit whose insertion through the lower frame therethrough. In this way, the adoption of the desired positioning of the heat unit can be easily and reliably achieved. In this position, a backup can be done by the lock described above. Preferably, at least one seal is provided between the two edges, which preferably adjusts to the edge of the heat unit and is oriented towards the front edge of the lower frame, since the mounting of the seal on the more easily accessible heat unit can be made easier and more convenient within the Housing of the tumble dryer.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the heat unit has an inlet of a desuperheater, through which air can be introduced into the housing of the tumble dryer, the inlet having a filter, which can preferably be held by a receptacle such that The filter is inserted from above into the receptacle. The desuperheater can be used to dissipate heat from the heat unit to the outside, ie to the environment. Therefore, the air of the Enthitzers no process air of the closed circle of the heat unit but it is sucked in on one side of the tumble dryer such as the front and returned elsewhere in such as the back of the tumble dryer to the environment.

For this purpose, the desuperheater takes the air from the environment by means of a blower, passing it in the interior of the heat unit to a heat exchanger as the actual desuperheater and then leads them back out of the housing again. The filter of the desuperheater is used to protect against the introduction of lint, dust, small parts, etc. in the dryer and can therefore be arranged completely outwards, preferably directly from the inside to the inside of the front of the housing or the cover, so that in this way a seal the air flow of the desuperheater against the closed process air circuit of the heat unit can be achieved. For this purpose, an additional seal may be provided. This type of mounting of this filter has the advantage that after removing the cover, the front of the filter of the desuperheater can be cleaned directly from the front. Inserting the desuperheater filter from above can make installation and replacement quick and easy. This can be done without user intervention in the heat unit, because the filter of the desuperheater can be placed outside the heat unit, which can increase safety.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the heat unit has a control unit which is arranged outside the housing of the heat unit. The housing of the heat unit is thermally insulating to keep the heat in the process and to minimize the heat losses to the outside. Thus, a control unit would be exposed within the housing of a high thermal load and would have to be designed accordingly, which could make the production more expensive. Otherwise, the process heat would reduce the life of the control unit. Therefore, it is advantageous to arrange the control unit outside the housing, which can increase the life or make the production cheaper.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the clothes dryer has a motor for rotating the laundry drum, wherein the motor is arranged above the laundry drum. As a result, space for receiving the heat unit can be created below the laundry drum.

The present invention also relates to a heat unit for use in a tumble dryer as described above. The heat unit can preferably be designed as a modular and self-contained structural unit, in particular compact. As a result, the heat unit can be manufactured separately or procured. Also, the same heat unit can be used for various embodiments of tumble dryers. Furthermore, the heat unit can be easily mounted and replaced.

• Fig. 1 eine perspektivische schematische Darstellung eines Wäschetrockners mit eingeführter Wärme-Einheit von schräg oben vorne mit weggelassener rechter Gehäuseseite;
• Fig. 2 eine perspektivische schematische Darstellung eines Wäschetrockners von schräg oben vorne mit geschlossenem Gehäuse;
• Fig. 3 eine perspektivische schematische Darstellung eines Wäschetrockners mit eingeführter Wärme-Einheit von schräg oben hinten mit weggelassener Gehäuserückseite und weggelassener rechter Gehäuseseite;
• Fig. 4 eine perspektivische schematische Darstellung einer Wärme-Einheit von schräg oben vorne;
• Fig. 5 eine schematische Draufsicht auf eine Wärme-Einheit;
• Fig. 6 eine schematische seitliche Darstellung einer Wärme-Einheit; und
• Fig. 7 eine perspektivische schematische Darstellung eines Wäschetrockners ohne eingeführte Wärme-Einheit von hinten mit weggelassener Gehäuserückseite.

An embodiment and further advantages of the invention are explained below in connection with the following figures. It shows:

• Fig. 1 a perspective schematic view of a clothes dryer with inserted heat unit from obliquely above in front with the right side of the housing omitted;
• Fig. 2 a perspective schematic view of a tumble dryer from above obliquely with closed housing;
• Fig. 3 a perspective schematic representation of a clothes dryer with inserted heat unit obliquely from above with the back of the housing omitted and omitted right side of the housing;
• Fig. 4 a perspective schematic representation of a heat unit obliquely from above in front;
• Fig. 5 a schematic plan view of a heat unit;
• Fig. 6 a schematic side view of a heat unit; and
• Fig. 7 a perspective schematic view of a tumble dryer without heat unit introduced from behind with omitted housing back.

A clothes dryer 1 has a heat unit 23 in the form of a heat pump unit 23, which generate the heat required for drying the wet laundry or can remove the moisture extracted from the laundry from the process air. The tumble dryer 1 has a housing 10, which in the longitudinal direction X or in the depth X to the front, ie toward the user, a housing front side 11 which is formed at the height Z in the lower region by a removable cover 12. The housing 10 further has a front side of the housing 11 in the longitudinal direction X opposite housing rear side 13, which are both mounted on a housing bottom 14. This also applies to a left side of the housing 52 and a right side of the housing 53, which are arranged opposite one another in the transverse direction Y. The cover 12 is rectangular, can with its lower edge in the height Z, for example by means of a projection behind a corresponding paragraph in the housing base 14 engage (not shown) and then folded up in the closed position, where the cover 12 relative to the front of the housing 11 through a rotatable latch 50 can be securely held (see, eg Fig. 1 and 2 ). Here, a grid 51 is positioned directly in front of the entrance of a desuperheater, so that air from the environment can be supplied to the desuperheater (see, eg Fig. 1 . 2 and 4 ).

Inside the housing 10, a U-shaped lower frame 19 is arranged on the housing bottom 14, which may also be referred to as a frame bridge 19 due to its shape. On the frame bridge 19, an upper frame 16 is arranged, which carries a laundry drum 15. Further, a motor 49 of the laundry drum 15 is supported by the upper frame 16 (see, for example, FIG Fig. 1 and 3 ). The motor 49 is disposed above the laundry drum 15 to provide space below the laundry drum 15 for the heat unit 23.

Between the front of the housing 11 and the upper frame 16, a coarse filter 22 is arranged, which is formed by a cylindrical cage through whose openings air can pass. The coarse filter 22 is an extension of the laundry drum 15 in the longitudinal direction X and serves to catch the laundry itself and small items such as coins or other objects, so that they can not get into the interior of the clothes dryer 1 (see, eg Fig. 1 ). Radially outside the coarse filter 22 and in particular below the coarse filter 22, an air return passage 21 through the front of the housing 11, the upper frame 16 and the two sides of the housing 52, 53 is formed, which is aligned in the height Z.

In this way, the air return duct 21, the humidified process air from the laundry drum 15 via a process air inlet 29 into the heat unit 23 are performed. There, the humidified process air can be deprived of moisture and the dry process air can be returned to the laundry drum 15 again. This takes place from the heat unit 23 via a process air outlet 30, which supplies the air to an air supply duct 17 of the tumble dryer 1, which in turn ends centrally in the laundry drum 15 from the rear (cf. Fig. 1 and 3 ). The moisture removed from the humidified process air can be removed from the tumble dryer 1 in liquid form via a condensate drain 44 (cf., for example, US Pat Fig. 3 and 5 ).

The heat unit 23 is designed as a modular and self-contained structural unit, which can be installed as a whole in the tumble dryer 1 or removed from it (cf., for example Fig. 1 and 4 ). The heat unit 23 in turn has a housing 24, which is formed thermally insulating in order to keep the heat of the process cycle as well as possible within the heat unit 23 can. The heat unit 23 has an upper side 25, a lower side 26, a right side 27, a left side 28 and a front side 54. In the rear region of the upper side 25 of the process air outlet 30 is arranged, which is in the installed state in contact with the air supply passage 17.

The front side 54 of the heat unit 23 is set back in the longitudinal direction X relative to the front of the housing 11 and the cover 12, whereby an empty vestibule 31 between the housing sides 52, 53, the housing bottom 14, the cover 12 and the Front 54 of the heat unit 23 is formed (see, eg Fig. 1 ). This area 31 is assigned to the air return channel 21, as it extends its straight down-oriented area to the process air inlet 29 of the heat unit 23. At the same time, the process air is deflected by 90 ° through this region, which is why this region 31 is to be designated as the deflection region 31 of the air return duct 17. In this way, the humidified process air from the laundry drum 15 passes through the coarse filter 22 in the air return passage 17 and is the process air inlet 29 of the heat unit 23 is fed via the deflection region 31 in the lower region of the tumble dryer 1 directly above the housing bottom 14 by 90 ° ,

The deflection region 31 offers the advantage that it can be made directly and easily accessible to the user by removing the cover 12 from the front of the housing 11 of the tumble dryer 1. For this reason, a first filter 32 is arranged in the deflection region 31 (cf., for example Fig. 1 and 4 ) to remove lint from the humidified process air and to keep the lint from the heat unit 23 in this way. The first filter 32 is arranged with its rear edge on the upper frame 16 and on the inner sides of the two sides of the housing 52, 53 fixed and sealed. Towards the front, the first filter 32 protrudes into the deflection region 31 and abuts against the inside of the built-in cover 12, against which the first filter 32 is sealed with a seal 33 in order to guide the humidified process air completely through the first filter 32.

In this case, the first filter 32 falls significantly forward, so that between the process air inlet 29 and the front 54 of the heat unit 23 and the first filter 32 an angle α of about 60 ° is included (see, eg Fig. 6 ). As a result, lint, which accumulate on the top of the first filter 32, ie on the coarse filter 22 facing side of the first filter 32, to the front edge, ie the cover 12, slide down, so that the first filter 32 in a can clean certain dimensions automatically. The first filter 32 is arranged in the deflection region 31 such that the removal of the cover 12, the top of the first filter 32 is easily accessible to the user so that the lint accumulated there can be easily, quickly and easily removed.

Between the process air inlet 29 and the first filter 32, a second filter 34 is further arranged, which with respect to the process air inlet 29 and the front side 54 of the heat unit 23 has an angle β of about 10 ° (see, for example Fig. 4 and 6 ). As a result, a sufficient distance between the two filters 32, 34 is provided, so that the top of the second filter 34 is easily accessible to the user and easy, quick and easy to clean from lint. Because of the very acute angle can there accumulated lint even largely by their weight from the top of the second filter 34 slide down on the housing bottom 14, whereby the second filter 34 can be cleaned very rarely. The second filter 34 is fixedly mounted on the front side 54 of the heat unit 23, whereby the heat unit 23 is closed and made inaccessible to the user for safety reasons. The second filter 34 is sealed with respect to the heat unit 23 with a seal 35 in order to lead the process air completely through the second filter 34 at this point.

Within the heat unit 23, a third filter (not shown) is arranged between the second filter 34 and a heat exchanger of the heat unit 23, which as a further filter stage previously not filtered from the process air lint and the like can keep away from the heat exchanger. This third filter is accessible only by opening the heat unit 23 for cleaning etc. by qualified personnel.

The frame bridge 19 has in the longitudinal direction X to the front of the housing 11 toward a front edge 20, which is U-shaped. The heat unit 23 has a corresponding peripheral edge 36, which is arranged on the upper side 25, the right side 27 and the left side 28 of the heat unit 23 (cf., for example Fig. 1 and 4 to 6 ). This peripheral edge 36 protrudes in each case in the transverse direction Y and in the height Z so far out that the peripheral edge 36 may rest against the front edge 20 of the frame bridge 19 from the front in a form-fitting manner. In this way, the heat unit 23 can be inserted from the front through the frame bridge 19 into the lower region of the tumble dryer 1 on the housing bottom 14 and be positioned in its final position safely and easily by the heat unit 23 is pushed so far until it rests with its peripheral edge 36 against the front edge 20 of the frame bridge 19 and further insertion in the longitudinal direction X is blocked.

In order to seal the air return passage 21 airtight at this point, the peripheral edge 36 has a seal 37, which is aligned to the front edge 20 of the frame bridge 19 out and pressed together when the edges 20, 36 together so that a secure seal the process air flow can also be achieved at this point. For this reason, the circumferential edge 36 is designed as a sheet bent toward the front edge 20 of the frame bridge 19 so that the seal 37 can be realized as a slip-on seal 37 and can simply be slipped onto the bent peripheral edge 36 in the longitudinal direction X from the rear (cf. Fig. 5 ).

In the fully inserted final operating position, the heat unit 23 can be secured. For this purpose, a lock 46 in the form of an outstanding plate 46 is arranged on the lower edge of the front side 54 of the heat unit 23, which protrudes flat towards the front (cf., for example Fig. 1 and 4 ). On the top of the housing bottom 14 is a corresponding locking receptacle 47 arranged in the form of two screws 47 which are screwed into the housing bottom 14 there (see, eg Fig. 7 ). Now, if the heat unit 23 is inserted into the tumble dryer 1, then at the end of the insertion movement, the plate 46 is guided over the screws 47 and, if necessary, resiliently bent from these upwards. If the edges 20, 36 abut each other and thus the insertion movement is blocked, the plate 46 engages behind the screws 47, so that a movement of the heat unit 23 is blocked to the front. Thus, a locking in the direction of the longitudinal axis X. By bending the sheet 46, this lock can be easily canceled again to remove the heat unit 23 again from the tumble dryer 1 can.

The sheet 46 has a securing receptacle 48 in the form of a transverse hole Y aligned in the transverse direction Y. Through the slot 48, a fuse 55 in the form of a screw 55 (see, eg Fig. 4 ) and in a corresponding securing receptacle 56 of the housing bottom 14 in the form of a threaded bore 56 (cf., eg Fig. 7 ) by screwing in and secured. In this way, the sheet 46 can be additionally secured in its locked position in the longitudinal direction X. Furthermore, a securing of the position of the heat unit 23 in the transverse direction Y can take place, whereby through the slot 48 certain tolerances can be compensated.

In order to be able to introduce the heat unit 23 more easily into the tumble dryer 1, the heat unit 23 has on its underside 26 a roller pair 43 which is arranged in the rear area of the heat unit 23, ie the rear side of the housing 13 (cf. eg Fig. 6 ). In this way, the heat unit 23 can be placed with its rear portion with the pair of rollers 43 in the front region, ie the housing front side 11 facing portion of the housing bottom 14 and then rolled into its final position through the frame bridge 19 in the longitudinal direction X. The rollers 43 are embedded in the bottom 26 of the heat unit 23 in order to keep the overall height of the heat unit 23 as flat as possible.

In its rear region, the heat unit 23 has the process air outlet 30 on its upper side 25. In order to connect this also airtight with the air supply duct 17, the heat unit 23 at its upper side 25 has a trapezoidal indentation 38 (cf., for example Fig. 4 and 5 ). The trapezoid extends tapering towards the front, so that the indentation 38 is formed wider towards the rear side of the housing 13. The indentation 38 is furthermore designed to be open toward the rear of the housing 13. The air supply channel 17 has a lower outer edge 18, which in the height Z so far projects downwards, so that the heat unit 23 in the fully inserted operating state with the three edges of the trapezoidal indentation 38 in the longitudinal direction X. and abuts in the transverse direction Y against the lower outer edge 18 of the air supply channel 17. At the same time, the lower outer edge 18 protrudes in height Z approximately as far as the upper side 25 of the heat unit 23 formed by the indentation 38, so that the most dense arrangement between the process air outlet 30 and the air supply duct 17 can be created.

For complete airtight sealing, the lower outer edge 18 of the air supply channel 17 has a horizontal seal 39. This is, comparable to the seal 37 of the peripheral edge 36 of the heat unit 23, plugged onto the horizontally bent edge of the lower outer edge 18 as a plug-on seal 39, so that the insertion of the heat unit 23 in the longitudinal direction X, the flanks of the trapezoidal indentation 38th be pressed perpendicular to the horizontal seal 39 of the lower outer edge 18 as possible.

To dissipate heat from the heat unit 23, this has in its interior a desuperheater (not shown). From the outside air can be sucked through the grid 51 of the housing front side 11 by means of a blower (not shown) parallel to the closed loop of the process air in the tumble dryer 1. This outside air is fed to the grid 51 through a filter 41 to an inlet 40 of the desuperheater. The filter 41 is used to filter dust and the like from the outside air, which could otherwise be deposited in the desuperheater or behind it. The filter 41 is held by a receptacle 42 in front of the entrance 40 of the desuperheater. The receptacle 42 is formed as a sheet open at the top, so that the filter 41 can be removed very easily and quickly by the user for cleaning or replacement and reinserted.

The heat unit 23 has a control unit 45, which is arranged outside the thermally insulating housing 24 of the heat unit 23 (cf., for example Fig. 4 and 5 ). The required electrical connections of the control unit 45 are guided through openings of the housing 24. In this way, the heat of the heat unit 23 can be kept away from the control unit 45, which is why it must be designed less thermally resistant, which can make the production cheaper. Also, this may increase the life of the control unit 45.

REFERENCE LIST (part of the description)

α

Angle between first filter 32 and process air inlet 29

β

Angle between second filter 34 and process air inlet 29

X

Longitudinal direction, depth

Y

Transverse direction, width

Z

height

1

(Heat pump) tumble

10

Housing of the tumble dryer

11

Housing front

12

cover

13

Case back

14

caseback

15

washing drum

16

upper frame

17

Air supply duct

18

lower outer edge of the air supply channel 17th

19

lower frame, frame bridge

20

Leading edge of the lower frame 21

21

Air return duct of the laundry drum 15

22

Coarse filter of the laundry drum 15

23

Heat unit, heat pump unit

24

Housing of the heat unit 23

25

Top of the heat unit 23

26

Bottom of the heat unit 23

27

right side of the heat unit 23

28

left side of the heat unit 23

29

Process air input

30

Process air output

31

Deflection region of the air return channel 17

32

first filter

33

Seal of the first filter 32

34

second filter

35

Seal of the second filter 34

36

(circumferential) edge of the heat unit 23

37

Seal the edge 36

38

Trapezoidal indentation of the top 25

39

horizontal seal of the lower outer edge 18 of the air supply channel 17th

40

Entrance of the desuperheater

41

Filter of input 40

42

Recording the filter 41

43

Roller, pair of rollers

44

condensate drain

45

control unit

46

Locking the heat unit 23, excellent sheet metal

47

Lock receptacle, screws

48

Fuse holder of lock 46, slot

49

Motor of the laundry drum 15

50

rotatable latch of the cover 12

51

Grid of cover 12 in front of desuperheater

52

left side of the housing

53

right side of the housing

54

Front of the heat unit 23

55

Securing the lock 46, screw

56

Fuse of the housing bottom 14th

Claims (12)

Dryer (1), preferably heat pump tumble dryer (1), with a laundry drum (15) for receiving laundry to be dried, and a heat unit (23), preferably a heat pump unit (23), for generating heated process air for drying the Laundry in the laundry drum (15),
wherein the laundry drum (15) is connected through an air supply passage (17) to a process air outlet (30) of the heat unit (23) for supplying the process air dried by the heat unit (23) to the laundry drum (15), between the laundry drum (15) Process air outlet (30) and the air supply passage (17) at least one seal (39) is arranged,
characterized in that
the air supply channel (17) has a lower outer edge (18) which in height (Z) can engage in a recess (38) of the upper side (25) of a housing (24) of the heat unit (23),
wherein the seal (39) can be arranged on the lower outer edge (18) or on the indentation (38). Clothes dryer (1) according to claim 1,
wherein the indentation (38) is open in the longitudinal direction (X) towards the lower outer edge (18). Clothes dryer (1) according to claim 2,
wherein the indentation (38) and the lower outer edge (18) are correspondingly trapezoidal in shape. Clothes dryer (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the seal (39) is disposed on the lower outer edge (19) of the air supply passage (17). Clothes dryer (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the seal (39) has a cavity. Clothes dryer (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the heat unit (23) on its underside (26) at least one roller (43), preferably at least one pair of rollers (43), on which or the heat unit (23) on the housing bottom (14) of the Tumble dryer (1) in the longitudinal direction (X) can be rolled. Clothes dryer (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the heat unit (23) has at least one latch (46), preferably a latching mechanism (46), with which the heat unit (23) introduced into the heat dryer (1) can be secured at least in the longitudinal direction (X). A clothes dryer (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a lower frame (19) through which the heat unit (23) can be inserted in the longitudinal direction (X),
wherein the lower frame (19) at least in sections, a front edge (20) on which a corresponding edge (36) of the heat unit (23) can be brought into contact during insertion. Clothes dryer (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
the heat unit (23) having an inlet (40) of a desuperheater, through which air can be introduced into the housing (10) of the tumble dryer (1),
wherein the input (40) has a filter (41), which can be preferably held by a receptacle (42) such that the filter (41) from above into the receptacle (42) can be inserted. Clothes dryer (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the heat unit (23) comprises a control unit (45) which is arranged outside the housing (24) of the heat unit (23) Clothes dryer (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a motor (49) for rotating the laundry drum (15),
wherein the motor (49) is disposed above the laundry drum (15). Heat unit (23) for use in a tumble dryer (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

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