EP3118367B1 - Tumble dryer - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a tumble dryer, in particular heat pump tumble dryer, with a laundry drum for receiving laundry to be dried, and a heat unit, in particular a heat pump unit, for generating heated process air for drying the laundry in the laundry drum, wherein the laundry drum through an air return duct is connected to a process air inlet of the heat unit (23) to supply the process air humidified by the laundry to the heat unit, and wherein the air return passage has a deflection area to supply the process air deflected to the process air inlet and the deflection area is formed by the Process air inlet of the heat unit is arranged spaced from the front of the housing of the dryer, wherein the front of the housing of the clothes dryer has a removable cover which can at least partially close the deflection region, wherein between the laundry drum (15) and the process air inlet at least one filter for filtering the humidified process air is arranged in the deflection region.

Such a tumble dryer is from the WO2015 / 101387 A1 known.

In addition, from the WO 2016/095970 A1 a clothes dryer with a filter unit, consisting of a first and a second filter element known, which are connected to a cover for the air duct and removably disposed in front of the heat exchanger. The removable filter unit is arranged behind a housing door.

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 in liquid form to the outside dissipated. 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.

Due to the drying process of the laundry, lint is also transported by the laundry to be dried in the moist process air. These must be removed from the process air in front of the entrance to the heat pump cycle, so that the lint does not settle there and clog it in the long run. This would severely limit or disable the performance of the heat pump cycle.

For this reason, it is common, especially in the area of the backflow of the moist and lint-containing process air from the laundry drum such. in the air return channel filters such as e.g. To arrange sieves in order to remove the lint as completely as possible from the process air. In this way, the heat pump cycle itself can be protected from the lint. However, since the lint filtered out of the process air instead deposits on the filter, it must be cleaned regularly in order to prevent clogging of the filter and thus also a disturbance of the stream of process air.

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 can eg 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. This means a lot of effort. Furthermore, such measures should only be carried out by qualified personnel, since the removal of the unit of the heat pump cycle is a significant intervention in the heat pump tumble dryer. In this case, safety-related areas of the heat pump tumble dryer could be accessible to the user, which should be avoided. Furthermore, it is due to the direct vertical arrangement of the input and output of the process air into and out of the heat pump cycle and the resulting purely horizontal arrangement of the corresponding seals for sealing the closed process air cycle required, the inserted unit of the heat pump cycle after the horizontal insertion by an additional vertical For example, to press movement against the seals by means of a lever mechanism to be used for this purpose. This represents a considerable additional expense in the production of such a heat pump tumble dryer and in the cleaning of the filter.

The DE 42 12 700 A1 relates to a heat pump tumble dryer, the heat pump cycle is also arranged as a compact unit below the laundry drum, etc. and removable in the horizontal or can be pulled out. The heat pump cycle is designed for this purpose as a drawer, which can be moved horizontally on slides. In this way, the maintenance of the heat pump cycle should be simplified.

Another disadvantage of this heat pump tumble dryer that the assembly of the heat pump cycle for maintenance must be largely removed from the heat pump tumble dryer. For this purpose, according to the DE 42 12 700 A1 at least a few steps required, which require, inter alia, the loosening or disconnecting the electrical connections of the functional components of the heat pump cycle. Thus, some effort is required to get to the filter and to clean it. Furthermore, the maintenance of this assembly by accessing the electrical connections of the heat pump cycle is a significant intervention in the function of the heat pump tumble dryer, which should be performed for safety reasons only by specialized personnel.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer of the type described above, so that filters for removing lint and the like from the process air stream can be easily and reliably cleaned. In particular, this should be done without removing the heat unit and components thereof. In particular, this should be done safely by the user instead of specialist personnel.

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 15. Advantageous developments are described in the subclaims.

Thus, the present invention relates to a clothes dryer, in particular a heat pump tumble dryer, with a laundry drum for receiving laundry to be dried and a heat unit, in particular a heat pump unit, for generating heated process air for drying the laundry in the laundry drum, wherein the laundry drum an air return passage having a process air inlet of the Heat unit is connected to supply the moistened by the laundry process air of the heat unit. At least one filter for filtering the humidified process air is arranged between the laundry drum and the process air inlet.

Such clothes dryers are known from the prior art and return the humidified process air directly vertically from above into the heat unit. The process air inlet of such known tumble dryer is thus aligned in the horizontal, i. on top of the heat unit. This applies to a corresponding filter in front of the process air inlet, which is also to be arranged horizontally on top of the heat unit and thus can only be cleaned from above.

The inventive clothes dryer includes an air return passage having a diverting area for supplying the process air diverted to the process air inlet, the filter being disposed in the diverting area. In other words, the process air inlet of a laundry drier according to the invention is not arranged horizontally on top of the heat unit but the process air inlet or the surface of its opening is inclined at an angle to the horizontal, so that the humidified process air from the laundry drum to the process air inlet the rectilinear flow direction is deflected. This deflection is preferably about 90 °. This area of the air return channel is referred to as the deflection area.

The invention is based on the recognition that by this deflection of the process air, a region of the air return channel can be created, which can be made easily accessible to the user, e.g. by opening the housing of the tumble dryer from the front. If at least one filter is arranged in this deflection region, this can also be easy, convenient and quickly accessible and clean for the user.

It is also advantageous here that the filter can be arranged in front of the process air inlet, so that the heat unit neither has to be removed nor changed in order to be able to carry out the cleaning of the filter. This can make cleaning the filter easier than with the known tumble dryers. Furthermore, this is not a specialist required but the cleaning of the filter can be made by the user. Safety risks for the user can also be reduced or avoided because the heat unit can remain untouched when cleaning the filter.

According to the invention, the deflection region is formed in that the process air inlet of the heat unit is arranged at a distance from the housing front side of the tumble dryer. For this purpose, the heat unit to the front of the housing Tumble dryer out shortened. It is created, so to speak, an anteroom in front of the process air inlet within the tumble dryer, which can be made easy, convenient and quickly accessible, for example, by removing a cover of the front of the housing, without having to remove the heat unit.

According to the invention, the housing front side of the tumble dryer has a removable cover which can at least partially close the deflection region. The deflection area can thus be formed by the two side walls and the bottom as fixed surfaces of the tumble dryer housing in combination with the front of the heat unit and the removable cover. Towards the top of the laundry drum, the deflection area can be open. The front of the heat unit has the process air inlet. By opening or removing the cover, the deflection area can be accessed from the front. As a result, the deflection area for cleaning the filter can be made easily, quickly and conveniently.

The inventive laundry dryer comprises at least a first filter, which is arranged at least partially in the deflection region and opposite the process air inlet at an angle α greater than 0 ° and less than 90 °, preferably at an angle α greater than about 30 ° and less than 90 °, more preferably in an angle α of about 60 ° aligned. The angle is measured by the area of the front of the heat unit around its upper edge.

By an angle α greater than 0 °, the first filter may slightly protrude toward the user or protrude from the surface of the front of the heat unit. Since the heat unit is usually arranged below the laundry drum, the first filter is thus arranged very close to the ground before the process air inlet. The angled projection of the first filter towards the user makes the first filter easier to access for the user, which makes it easier, faster and more convenient to clean. Furthermore, the first filter can be better brought into the stream of process air by the angling. Furthermore, there is room for another filter behind the first filter.

By choosing an angle α smaller than 90 °, the first filter can be arranged at least slightly sloping. As a result, the lint trapped from the process air may slip by itself toward the openable cover, making it easier for the user to remove. Also, a certain self-cleaning function may result from the fact that the higher area of the first filter, from which the lint can slip down, remains lint-free longer than with a horizontal orientation of the first filter.

By choosing an angle α between about 30 ° and less than 90 °, the effects described above can be enhanced. At an angle α of about 60 °, an optimal joint effect of accessibility of the lint on the first filter and its automatic sliding down can be achieved by the first filter. Also, then sufficient space can be created below the first filter for another filter. According to the invention, the first filter is at least partially attached to the housing of the tumble dryer. The attachment of the first filter to the housing preferably has a seal to ensure that the lint-containing humidified process air is completely passed through the first filter. The first filter thereby becomes a part of the tumble dryer housing, i. it is not attributable to the heat unit. Therefore, the first filter can also be removed, e.g. for cleaning, repair or replacement without having to change the heat unit. This may be safer for the user, so that the user may e.g. The replacement of a first filter can perform even without specialist staff, which can make this cheaper and easier for the user.

According to the invention, the first filter at least in sections on a seal which can act sealingly against the cover. The first filter may protrude freely to the cover in the deflection area, which may have the advantage that the first filter can be easily and conveniently accessible from the top and bottom of the user for cleaning. So that the lint-containing humidified process air is nevertheless guided completely through the first filter, the edge of the first filter projecting toward the cover may have a seal which, in the closed state of the cover, can seal the first filter in this direction. According to the invention, the tumble dryer has at least one second filter, which is arranged at least partially in the deflection region between the first filter and the process air inlet. In this way, a second filtering of the lint-containing moisturized process air can be provided in order to increase the overall filtering effect. Here, the same or different types of filters can be used to achieve the desired filter effect. Preferably, different filter finenesses can be selected so that the first filter can trap the larger lint and the second filter can filter out the finer lint from the process air due to its more dense filter pores that have passed through the first filter. This can keep each individual filter free of deposited fluff for a longer period of time so that even more process air can flow through it, as a result of which the cleaning of the filters must be carried out less frequently.
According to the invention, the second filter is at an angle β greater than 0 ° with respect to the process air inlet and smaller than the angle α of the first filter, preferably at an angle β greater than 0 ° and substantially smaller than the angle α of the first filter, particularly preferably at an angle β of about 10 ° aligned. For the orientation of the angle β of the second filter greater than 0 °, the same reasons and advantages apply as previously described with reference to the angle α of the first filter.

The angle β of the second filter to be selected smaller than the angle α of the first filter can therefore be done to order the second filter between the process air inlet and the first filter can. Choosing the angle β of the second filter substantially smaller than the angle α of the first filter can ensure that sufficient distance can be created between the two filters so that the lint deposited on the second filter can not clog the first filter from the rear side thereof. Also, sufficient space for the user can be created in this way to be able to clean the second filter from the front. This applies in particular to the choice of the angle β of the second filter of about 10 °.

According to the invention, the second filter is fixedly arranged on the heat unit in front of the process air inlet. Thus, the second filter is an integral part of the heat unit. As a result, the second filter can only be cleaned from the front or obliquely from above. At the same time, the process air inlet can be protected from the access of the user by the fixed mounting of the second filter, which can increase the safety of the clothes dryer.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the clothes dryer has at least a third filter disposed within the heat unit between the process air inlet and a heat exchanger. In this way, a further measure can be taken to prevent the ingress of lint into the heat exchanger as best as possible. This third filter, due to its arrangement within the heat unit, can only be cleaned by qualified personnel, because for this purpose the heat unit must be removed from the tumble dryer in order to make the third filter accessible.

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 bottom of the tumble dryer and then easily on the front be raised 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 sheet may optionally be resiliently bent up when inserting the heat unit into the tumble dryer and then behind e.g. engage a locking receptacle in the form of an edge on the housing bottom of the clothes dryer, so that a positive locking can be effected in the longitudinal direction. Preferably, the latch has a fuse holder as a recess, e.g. in the form of a hole. Through the fuse holder, a fuse such as a screw are guided to the latch in the locked state on the housing bottom in a housing-side securing receptacle arranged there, for. screw 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 created by the implementation of the lower frame a space below the laundry drum in which the heat unit can be introduced eg 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 remove heat from the heat unit to the outside, i. to the environment, serve. Therefore, the air of the desuperheater does not constitute process air of the closed circle of the heat unit but is on one side of the tumble dryer such as e.g. the front sucked and elsewhere such. the back of the clothes dryer returned 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.

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 bottom 14th grab (not shown) and then folded into the closed position, where the cover 12 relative to the front of the housing 11 by a rotatable bolt 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 a top 25, a bottom 26, a right side 27, a left side 28 and a Front 54 on. 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 with respect to the housing front 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 side 54 of the heat Unit 23 is created (cf., 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. Due to the very acute angle, the lint accumulated there can 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 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. The peripheral edge 36 is formed for this reason as the front edge 20 of the frame bridge 19 out bent sheet, so that the seal 37 realized as a plug-on seal 37 and on the bent peripheral edge 36 simply in the longitudinal direction X can be attached from behind (see, eg 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 upper side of the housing bottom 14, a corresponding locking receptacle 47 in the form of two screws 47 is arranged, which are screwed into the housing bottom 14 (cf. 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 channel 17, the heat unit 23 at its upper side 25 has a trapezoidal indentation 38 (see eg 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 condition with the three edges of the trapezoidal indentation 38 in the longitudinal direction X and in the transverse direction Y against the lower outer edge 18 of the air supply channel 17 is present. At the same time, the lower outer edge 18 protrudes in the height Z approximately to 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, attached to the horizontally bent edge of the lower outer edge 18 as a plug-on seal 39, so that by introducing 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 (6)

1. Tumble dryer (1), in particular a heat pump tumble dryer (1), comprising a laundry drum (15) for receiving laundry to be dried, and a heat unit (23), in particular a heat pump unit (23), for generating heated process air for drying the laundry in the laundry drum (15), the laundry drum (15) being connected to a process air inlet (29) of the heat unit (23) by an air return channel (21) in order to supply the process air moistened by the laundry to the heat unit (23), and the air return channel (21) having a deflection region (31) in order to supply the process air to the process air inlet (29) in a deflected manner and the deflection region (31) being formed by the process air inlet (29) of the heat unit (21) being arranged so as to be spaced apart from the front face (11) of the housing of the tumble dryer (1), the front face (11) of the housing of the tumble dryer (1) having a removable cover (12) which can close the deflection region (31) at least in part, at least one filter (32, 34) being arranged between the laundry drum (15) and the process air inlet (29) in order to filter the moistened process air in the deflection region (31),
   a first filter (32) being arranged at least in part in the deflection region (31) and a second filter (34) being arranged at least in part in the deflection region (31) between the first filter (32) and the process air inlet (29),
   characterised in that
   the first filter (32) is oriented with respect to the process air inlet (29) at an angle (a) of greater than 0° and less than 90°, preferably at an angle (a) of greater than 30° and less than 90°, particularly preferably at an angle (a) of approximately 60°, and is fastened at least in part to the housing (10) of the tumble dryer (1), the first filter (32) having a seal (33) at least in portions which can act in a sealing manner with respect to the cover (12),
   the second filter (34) being oriented with respect to the process air inlet (29) at an angle (β) of greater than 0° and less than the angle (a) of the first filter (32), preferably at an angle (β) of greater than 0° and substantially less than the angle (a) of the first filter (32), particularly preferably at an angle (β) of approximately 10°, the second filter (34) being rigidly arranged on the heat unit (23), in front of the process air inlet (29).
2. Tumble dryer (1) according to claim 1, further comprising at least a third filter which is arranged inside the heat unit (23) between the process air inlet (29) and a heat exchanger.
3. Tumble dryer (1) according to either of the preceding claims,
   wherein the heat unit (23) comprises at least one roller (43), in particular at least one roller pair (43), on the lower face (26) thereof, on which roller or roller pair the heat unit (23) can be rolled in the longitudinal direction (X) on the housing base (14) of the tumble dryer (1).
4. Tumble dryer (1) according to any of the preceding claims,
   wherein the heat unit (23) comprises at least one lock (46), in particular a latching mechanism (46), by means of which the heat unit (23) inserted into the tumble dryer (1) can be secured at least in the longitudinal direction (X).
5. Tumble dryer (1) according to any 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) has a front edge (20) at least in portions, against which front edge a corresponding edge (36) of the heat unit (23) can be brought into abutment upon insertion.
6. Tumble dryer (1) according to any of the preceding claims,
   wherein the heat unit (23) comprises an inlet (40) of a desuperheater fan, through which inlet air can be introduced into the housing (10) of the tumble dryer (1),
   wherein the inlet (40) comprises a filter (41) which can be held by a receiving portion (42) such that the filter (41) can be slid into the receiving portion (42) from above.

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