EP3162948B1

EP3162948B1 - Household appliance adapted to perform at least a drying cycle, such as a washing/drying machine or a drying machine

Info

Publication number: EP3162948B1
Application number: EP15192295.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: William PAOLINI
Original assignee: Whirlpool EMEA SpA
Current assignee: Whirlpool EMEA SpA
Priority date: 2015-10-30
Filing date: 2015-10-30
Publication date: 2018-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-30
Also published as: EP3162948A1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a household appliance adapted to perform at least a drying cycle, such as a washing/drying machine or a drying machine.

PRIOR ART

Drying machines and washing/drying machines comprise a rotating drum in which the items to be dried are placed. The drum is rotatably mounted in a tub. To perform the drying through a recirculation line, the air is extracted from the tub, treated and reintroduced therein. The recirculation line includes:

a condenser that causes the condensation of the moisture contained in the air extracted from the tub (such moisture is transferred to the air by the linen whilst it is drying);
a blowing unit that moves the air along the recirculation line; the blowing unit typically comprises a fan (or impeller) and a casing, in which the fan is rotatably mounted; the fan is driven in rotation by a respective motor, mounted to the casing;
an element that heats the air before reintroducing it into the tub.

The tub is usually made of three structural components: a tub body; a front annular component, mounted at a front section of the tub body; a rear component, mounted at a rear section of the tub body.
Tubs of different capacities are often made available. The different capacities are typically obtained by maintaining the radius of the tub structure, and by increasing the axial length of the tub body or the front annular component.
The recirculation line or drying system has to be modified accordingly, so as to adapt to the new dimension of the tub.
The solutions currently made available by the state of the art include blowing units of increased length. In practical terms, the length of the blowing unit, and in particular of the conduit arranged downstream of the impeller, is increased so as to match the increase of the tub axial dimension.
The Applicant has noted that this solution is often complex from a structural point of view and quite expensive.
Document GB 2 181 222 A discloses a machine for washing and drying domestic laundry according to the preamble of claim 1. This prior art machine comprises a cabinet containing a stationary cylindrical tank for holding washing liquor and a rotatable perforated drum within the tank in which the laundry is washed and subsequently dried. A detergent distributor is arranged above the tank. For drying the laundry a stream of hot air produced by a high-speed fan and a heater is discharged into the drum through the front of the tank from a duct which extends from the heater across the top of the tank through the narrow space between the tank and the detergent distributor and down the front of the tank between the tank and the front wall of the cabinet. The duct has a flattened shape with an elongate cross-section and is made of a heat-resistant elastomeric material, for example, a silicone rubber, so as to be capable of absorbing any shocks caused by vibratory contact between the tank and the duct as the drum accelerates at the beginning of the spinning operation.
Document EP 2 843 099 A1 discloses a laundry washing-drying machine comprising: a casing; a tub suspended in the casing; an elastically deformable bellow having a ring shaped main portion sealingly connected to the casing and to the tub, at a door of the machine; a projection portion, made in one piece with the main portion and radially extending from the main portion to a distal end; a dry air duct, supported in the casing and fixedly connected to an air drying unit, and having a downstream end; a bellow duct formed within the projection portion of the bellow, from an inlet mouth, formed at the distal end of the projection portion and connected to the downstream end of the dry air duct, to an outlet mouth, formed in the main portion of the bellow, at the projection portion, and open into the tub. The projection portion of the bellow has a substantially flat shape, with two major sides and two minor sides, and the bellow duct comprises at least a protrusion, internally formed in one of the major sides.
Document EP 1 353 004 A1 discloses a washing machine provided with a drying circuit which includes a fan made up of an impeller enclosed by a case and driven by a motor to generate an air flow through the machine drum and the circuit, and also a nozzle fed through an electrovalve and arranged in said case to emit a water jet suitable to clean the impeller at the end of the drying cycle. The jet is preferably oriented in the direction opposite with respect to direction of rotation of the impeller which is mounted idle on the motor, so that the jet itself causes the counter-rotation thereof during the cleaning step.
Document US 2014/230270 A1 discloses a drum washing machine that includes a cabinet, a tub arranged within the cabinet, a drum rotatably arranged within the tub, a drying unit which heats and circulates air discharged from the tub so as to dry laundry within the drum, the drying unit including a drying duct equipped with a heater to heat air therein, a circulation passage provided such that air circulates between the tub and the inside of the drying duct, and a suction member which is coupled to one side of the drying duct and introduces air outside the tub onto the circulation passage, and a discharge member which is coupled to one side of the tub and discharges part of the air in the circulation passage to the outside of the cabinet.
Document EP 2 039 819 A1 discloses a washer-drier machine comprising a washing tank, a basket, a washing water delivery system with a plurality of washing flow paths extending from one or more supply, through a detergent tray, to the washing tank, a drying circuit with a first suction unit, an air-to-air heat exchanger and a heating unit, said drying circuit being suitable to convey a drying air flow through said basket, a cooling circuit with a second suction unit suitable to intake a cooling air flow from the environment and blow it through the air-to-air heat exchanger to cool the latter. The washer-drier machine further comprises a fluff-rinse duct that is configured to convey a flow of fluff-rinse liquid to the drying circuit in order to remove the fluff therein.
Document JP 2000/189691 A discloses a drum type washer wherein in a front plate part of a water tank, an opening is formed. The opening and a washing inlet/outlet in a case are communicated with/connected to each other by a connection member. At the connection member, a warm air supply port of a warm air supply device is provided. In a front plate part of a drum disposed inside the water tank, an opening is formed. A balance ring is provided at a circumferential wall part of the drum. A first seal wall part is formed on the front plate part of the drum to be positioned more on the warm air supply port than the balance ring, and a second seal wall part to compose a maze-like seal part with the first seal wall part is formed on the front plate part of the water tank.
Document WO 2009/083396 A1 discloses a washing machine comprising a bellows disposed between the tub and the body, with one end fastened to the loading port and the other end to the tub entry orifice, and having a fold for dampening the oscillations of the tub.
Document US 2010/257902 A1 discloses a washing machine with a drying function, capable of performing a washing program and a drying program, comprising a cabinet, a tub in the cabinet, a water inlet for feeding water to the tub during the washing program, the water inlet being connected to an anti-siphoning device, and a water trap placed in the connection between the water inlet and the anti-siphoning device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a household appliance adapted to perform at least a drying cycle in which the capacity of the tub can be varied without expensive and structurally complex consequences on the remaining parts of the appliance.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a household appliance adapted to perform at least a drying cycle wherein the structure of the drying system is easily adapted to modifications of the axial length of the tub.
These and further objects are substantially achieved by a household appliance as described in the appended claims.
The basic idea of the present invention is, upon modifications of the axial length of the tub, to keep substantially unchanged the length of the blowing unit and modify instead the length of the connection conduit interposed between the blowing unit and the annular gasket mounted on the front annular component of the tub.
According to one aspect, the invention refers to a household appliance adapted to perform at least a drying cycle, said appliance comprising:

a. a tub in which a drum is rotatably mounted, said tub comprising at least a tub body and a front annular component mounted at a front section of said tub body;
b. a drying system, having an inlet for receiving wet air from said tub and an outlet for providing dried air to said tub, said drying system comprising a blowing unit mounted on said tub body to promote an air flow inside said drying system;
c. a connection conduit connecting said blowing unit and an annular shaped gasket mounted on said front annular component;

Preferably said connection conduit has a front end connected to said annular gasket and a rear end connected to said blowing unit, wherein said rear end is located over said tub body.
Preferably the front end of said connection conduit faces an opening formed in said annular shaped gasket so that air flowing from said blowing unit is inserted in said tub through said opening.
Preferably said connection conduit and said annular shaped gasket are made in one piece. Preferably said drying system further comprises a condenser adapted to receive a flow of wet air from said tub and to make it condense and obtain dried air, said blowing unit being interposed between said condenser and said connection conduit.
Preferably said blowing unit comprises:

a. a casing made of metallic material;
b. an impeller rotatably mounted in said casing;
c. an electric motor mounted on said casing and adapted to drive said impeller in rotation.

Preferably said casing comprises a first semi-shell and a second semi-shell which are mutually joined to form said casing.
Preferably said metallic material is metal-sheet.
Preferably said household appliance further comprises a heating element mounted inside said casing.
Preferably said casing comprises a scroll surrounding said impeller and a conduit radially extending from said impeller.
Preferably said heating element is mounted in said conduit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some examples of preferred and advantageous embodiments are described for purely illustrative and non limiting purposes, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a block diagram of a household appliance according to the invention;
figure 2 shows a perspective view of a portion of a household appliance to which the invention can be applied;
figure 3 shows a perspective view of a detail of figure 2;
figure 4 shows a perspective exploded view of the portion of figure 2;
figure 5a shows a schematic side view of a household appliance according to the prior art; figure 5b shows a schematic side view of a household appliance according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates a household appliance adapted to perform at least a drying cycle.
The appliance 1 can be a drying machine, adapted to dry linen and/or clothes previously washed by a different machine.
The appliance 1 can also be a washer-drier, namely a machine capable of both washing and drying linen and/or clothes. In this case, the appliance 1 is also adapted to perform at least a washing cycle.
The appliance 1 (figure 1) comprises a drum 2 which can rotate and which is intended to house the items to be dried.
The appliance 1 comprises a tub 3, in which the drum 2 is rotatably mounted. Advantageously the tub 3 comprises a plurality of structural components.
Said structural components comprise at least a front annular component 3A and a tub body 3B.
Preferably the structural components of the tub 3 further comprise a rear component 3C. Preferably the tub body 3B has a substantially cylindrical shape, having a front section 3B' and a rear section 3B".
The front annular component 3A is mounted at the front section 3B' of the tub body 3B. The rear component 3C is mounted at the rear section 3B" of the tub body 3B.
The rear section 3B" is substantially closed by a rear base RB.
Preferably the rear component 3C comprises a plurality of radial structural supports 3C' extending from a central hub 3C".
Advantageously the appliance 1 comprises a drying system 10 which has an inlet 10a for receiving wet air from the tub 3 and an outlet 10b for providing dried air to be inserted back into the tub 3. This allows the air rich in moisture (following contact with the items to be dried contained in the drum 2 placed in the tub 3) to be taken and reintroduced into the same tub 3 after being dried and heated.
The drying system 10 comprises a blowing unit 5, externally mounted on the tub body 3B; the blowing unit 5 is adapted to promote an air flow inside the drying system 10. Preferably the blowing unit 5 (figures 1-3) comprises casing 51 and an impeller 59 rotatably mounted into said casing 51 so as to promote the flow of air.
The casing 51 is made of metal, preferably of sheet metal.
The sheet metal of the casing 51 is preferably steel. In particular it is a type of steel for moulding. By way of non-limiting example the sheet metal can be aluminum- or zinc-coated or electro-galvanized. In a particular embodiment the sheet metal may be aluminum.
Preferably the sheet metal of the casing 51 has a thickness of less than 1 millimeter, in particular less than 0.8 mm. The reduced thickness of the sheet metal allows a light structure to be created but which can at the same time provide maximum resistance to strain.
Advantageously the casing 51 comprises a scroll 511 which surrounds the impeller 59 and a conduit 512 which extends from said scroll 511. Advantageously the conduit 512 houses a heating element 58, e.g. an electrical element, for heating the air before it is fed back into the tub 3.
Preferably the blowing unit 5 is of the centrifugal type.
The casing 51 preferably comprises, and is in particular can be made of, a first semi-shell 52 and a second semi-shell 53.
Preferably the first semi-shell 52 defines an upper portion of the casing 51 whereas the second semi-shell 53 defines a lower position of the same casing 51.
Preferably, the first and the second semi-shell 52, 53 are connected to each other by a seaming. The seaming allows a fast and cheap connection to be obtained, potentially even without the need to use additional interposed gaskets (which would certainly be necessary if, for example, the two semi-shells were connected through threaded connections).
Preferably the casing 51 is provided with a perimetral flange 54, for example formed by said seaming.
An example of how a two semi-shell casing can be made is disclosed in European patent application EP 2 725 131 A1 , in the name of the same Applicant.
The structure of the casing 51 according of the present invention can be the same as the casing disclosed in said European patent application.
The impeller 59 can be realized as a fan, mounted inside the casing 51.
The impeller 59 is driven in rotation by a respective electric motor 52'.
The appliance 1 further comprises a connection conduit 6 adapted to guide the flow of dried air from the outlet 10b of the drying system 10 to the tub 3.
Preferably, the connection conduit 6 is associated to an annular shaped gasket 7, arranged around the loading opening 7a of the tub 3 and provided with a passage to let the dried air reach the inside of the same tub 3.
In a preferred embodiment, the connection conduit 6 is made of an elastomeric material, e.g. the same material as the annular gasket 7.
In a preferred embodiment, the connection conduit 6 and the annular gasket 7 are made in one piece.
According to the invention, the connection conduit 6 extends at least partly over the tub body 3B.
In particular, the connection conduit 6 has a front end 6A connected to the annular gasket 7 and a rear end 6B connected to the blowing unit 5; advantageously, the rear end 6B is located over the tub body 3B.
In practical terms, in machines according to the state of the art, the junction between the connection conduit 6 and the blowing unit 5 is substantially located over the junction between the front annular component 3A and the tub body 3B. Accordingly, the horizontal part of the connection conduit 6 substantially extends over (i.e. is arranged in a position radially external to) the front annular component 3A, and the blowing unit 5 substantially extends over (i.e. is arranged in a position radially external to) the tub body 3B (figure 5a).
By contrast, in the household appliance 1 according to the present invention, the connection conduit 6 extends also over the tub body 3B, so as to connect with the blowing unit 5 when the axial length of the same tub body 3B is increased (figure 5b).
In this way, appliances having different capacities, obtained by varying the axial length of the tub body, can be easily manufactured.
In particular, a configurable mould for conduits having different lengths can be provided; once the length of the connection conduit 6 has been determined, the mould is properly configured and the suitable conduit is realized.
As said, the annular gasket 7 and the connection conduit 6 are preferably made in one piece. In this case, the mould is so shaped as to manufacture gaskets always having the same dimensions, integral with conduits having variable lengths.
Preferably the front end 6A of the connection conduit 6 faces an opening 7B formed in the annular shaped gasket 7 so that air flowing from the blowing unit 5 is inserted in the tub 3 through said opening 7B.
The drying system 10 comprises a condenser 4 that receives a gaseous fluid containing particles of vapor from said tub 3 and that causes at least partial condensation thereof.
Preferably the inlet 10a of the drying system 10 coincides with the inlet of the condenser 4.
The structure and operation of the condenser 4 are per se known and will not be disclosed in further detail.
In operation, after the items to be dried are arranged into the drum 2, the latter is rotated according to preset program(s) and the drying system 10 is operated so as to withdraw wet air from the tub 3 through inlet 10a and provide dried hot air at the outlet 10b. In particular, the wet air flowing through the inlet 10a is first condensed by condenser 4; then the air passes through the blowing unit 5: the impeller 59 first, and then the conduit 512. In the conduit 512 the air is also heated by heating element 58. The dried and heated air is then fed back into the tub 3 through the connection conduit 6.

Claims

Household appliance adapted to perform at least a drying cycle, said appliance (1) comprising:
a. a tub (3) in which a drum (2) is rotatably mounted, said tub comprising at least a tub body (3B) and a front annular component (3A) mounted at a front section (3B') of said tub body (3B);

b. a drying system (10), having an inlet (10a) for receiving wet air from said tub (3) and an outlet (10b) for providing dried air to said tub (3), said drying system (10) comprising a blowing unit (5) mounted on said tub body (3B) to promote an air flow inside said drying system (10);

c. a connection conduit (6) connecting said blowing unit (5) and an annular shaped gasket (7) mounted on said front annular component (3A); whereby said connection conduit (6) extends at least partly over said tub body (3B), characterized in that said connection conduit (6) and said annular shaped gasket (7) are made in one piece.
Household appliance according to claim 1 wherein said connection conduit (6) has a front end (6A) connected to said annular gasket (7) and a rear end (6B) connected to said blowing unit (5), wherein said rear end (6B) is located over said tub body (3B).
Household appliance according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the front end (6A) of said connection conduit (6) faces an opening (7B) formed in said annular shaped gasket (7) so that air flowing from said blowing unit (5) is inserted in said tub (3) through said opening (7B).
Household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said drying system (10) further comprises a condenser (4) adapted to receive a flow of wet air from said tub (3) and to make it condense and obtain dried air, wherein said blowing unit (5) is interposed between said condenser (4) and said connection conduit (6).
Household appliance according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said blowing unit (5) comprises:
a. a casing (51) made of metallic material;

b. an impeller (59) rotatably mounted in said casing (51);

c. an electric motor (52') mounted on said casing and adapted to drive said impeller (59) in rotation.
Household appliance according to claim 5 wherein said casing (51) comprises a first semi-shell (52) and a second semi-shell (53) which are mutually joined to form said casing (51).
Household appliance according to claim 5 or 6 wherein said metallic material is metal-sheet.
Household appliance according to any one of claims 5 to 7 further comprising a heating element (58) mounted inside said casing (51).
Household appliance according to any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein said casing (51) comprises a scroll (511) surrounding said impeller (59) and a casing conduit (512) radially extending from said impeller (511).
Household appliance according to claims 8 and 9 wherein said heating element (58) is mounted in said casing conduit (512).