EP3431650B1 - Floor module assembly for a heat pump - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a floor module assembly for a heat pump of a heat pump dryer with a floor module which is designed to form, at least in sections, a process air space for accommodating at least one evaporator of the heat pump, the floor module having at least one condensate collection basin which is designed to accommodate condensate from the evaporator, and with an insert element which is arranged within the condensate collecting basin and is designed to receive at least the evaporator from above and wherein the insert element is designed to supply condensate from the evaporator to the condensate collecting basin via a drain opening.

A floor module according to the preamble of claim 1 is from EP 2 719 819 A1 known. The insert element shown here has a plurality of slot-like openings which are designed to guide the condensate directly into a condensate collecting space arranged below the evaporator. The EP 2 719 819 A1 also discloses a collection space for a cleaning liquid which is collected separately from condensate in a separate collection space. This collecting space is separated from the condensate collecting space by a web-like partition. The insert element rests with its underside on the top of the partition.

The JP S61 217632 A discloses air conditioning for use in a window of a building. A partition plate is arranged inside the air conditioning system, which divides a base into an indoor chamber with the evaporator and an outdoor chamber with the compressor and the condenser. The evaporator is arranged within the indoor chamber on a raised section of a condensate pan. The condensed moisture from the room air inside the indoor chamber is diverted into the outdoor chamber via the condensate pan. The condensate pan has a support for the evaporator which is made of a foamed material and is designed with a raised section. The fins of the evaporator contact the raised section of the support. This prevents warm, moist room air that is not routed via the evaporator from entering the indoor chamber and condensing on the indoor fan.

With many electrical devices nowadays, the user pays great attention to energy efficiency, so that the energy efficiency of an electrical device in operation can be a significant factor in the purchase decision of the user as the end customer. This also applies Household appliances in general and especially household appliances such as tumble dryers, which can have a comparatively high energy requirement during operation.

In order to achieve the highest possible energy efficiency in operation, especially with tumble dryers, these are usually designed as heat pump dryers, since heat pumps can basically be operated in a comparatively energy-efficient manner. Heat pump tumble dryers are therefore widespread on the market.

A heat pump basically consists of a closed heat pump circuit with a compressor (also called compressor), a condenser (also called condenser), a throttle such as an expansion valve or a capillary and an evaporator. These elements can also be referred to as a refrigeration cycle or a heat pump cycle. The moisture that was previously removed from the laundry can be removed from the dryer process air via this heat pump circuit.

From the point of view of the drying process or the laundry drum, the process air previously dehumidified and heated by the heat pump circuit, i.e. dried and heated, is fed via a rear air duct of a fan of the heat pump circuit through an air supply channel into a laundry drum of the tumble dryer. In the laundry drum, the laundry to be dried is usually moved by rotation by means of a drum drive so that the process air can reach the laundry as completely and evenly as possible. The process air absorbs moisture from the laundry and thereby dries it. The moist process air then returns to a front air duct of the heat pump circuit via an air return duct.

Inside the heat pump, the moisture extracted from the laundry is condensed from the process air in the evaporator and discharged to the outside in liquid form. The energy withdrawn from the process air is then fed back into the process air through the condenser, so that the process air, dehumidified and heated, can leave the heat pump circuit in the direction of the laundry drum. The process air cycle is closed in this way.

The heat pump circuit as a central functional unit of the heat pump usually has fins, which are provided both on the evaporator as an evaporator heat exchanger and on the condenser as a condenser heat exchanger. With both heat exchangers, which can also be referred to as heat exchangers, the process air can usually only flow through them parallel to the alignment of the lamellae and no exchange can take place perpendicular to the lamellae planes due to the design.

The heat pump circuit, together with other components such as the drum drive or a condenser pump, is usually arranged on a floor module of the tumble dryer, the base for this assembly usually being formed by a large plastic component with an associated cover. The floor module usually has a floor module lower part and a floor module upper part, which are usually manufactured separately as injection molded parts and then welded to form the floor module. The upper area of the floor module or the upper part of the floor module, together with the cover, forms the process air duct, which connects the air return duct or the front air duct of the heat pump circuit and the air supply duct or the rear air duct of the heat pump circuit with one another in a process air-conducting manner, as well as the two heat exchangers, i.e. the evaporator and the condenser, so that the process air can flow through them.

The two heat exchangers are thus located in the process air duct or in the process air space and are enclosed by the base module upper part and the cover in such a way that a sealed process air space is created. This is to ensure that almost no process air can escape into the environment, so that a minimal loss of moisture from the heat pump tumble dryer can be achieved. Furthermore, a fixed positioning of the heat exchangers should be ensured so that no vibrations can be transmitted from the oscillating pipeline and compressor system. Furthermore, the almost form-fitting arrangement of the components is intended to prevent process air from flowing above, below and / or laterally past the heat exchangers without participating in the heat exchange; this would reduce energy efficiency.

When the warm process air, saturated with moisture, flows from the laundry drum through the evaporator heat exchanger and cools down in it, water condenses from the process air. Due to the force of gravity, the condensed water usually reaches the surface of the upper part of the floor module on which the evaporator heat exchanger rests. From there, the condensed water usually reaches an opening via a drain geometry with a predetermined gradient located below the evaporator heat exchanger and drains into a collecting basin below, which is formed by the bottom module part below the bottom module top part and can also be referred to as a condensate sump. The condensed water can pass from the collecting basin into a removable container, which can be removed from the heat pump dryer and emptied by the user if necessary.

In terms of design, it should be noted at this point that the drain geometry usually has sufficiently large cross-sections and slopes to ensure reliable condensate drainage to guarantee. On the other hand, however, excessively large free cross-sections below the heat exchangers can in turn lead to the previously described incorrect air flows past the heat exchangers.
From the US 2010/0192397 A1 it is known to form support elements for an insert element on the floor module, on which the evaporator heat exchanger is held at a distance from the floor of the condensate collecting basin. The insert element has a filter section and condensate drainage openings. Since different heat exchangers with different dimensions can be used depending on the device variant, it can be difficult to find a drain geometry that represents the optimal compromise between good condensate drainage and minimal underflow of the heat exchangers for all heat exchanger variants used.

It should also be noted that, depending on the device variant, with different heat exchangers used, the lamella packs can have different lengths in the direction of flow. In addition, depending on the manufacturer of the heat exchanger, different pipe divisions with different distances can be used, which means that the respective lamella packs can also differ in height. The components of the upper part of the floor module, which form the process air space, must therefore be designed for the highest heat exchanger used. When using flatter heat exchangers with the same components for the upper part of the floor module, however, a gap can then arise over the fins of the heat exchanger, which must be compensated for in order to avoid the above-described incorrect air flow at this point, which could impair the efficiency of the system.

As already mentioned, the components of the floor module upper part and the floor module lower part are currently usually welded in order to obtain the floor module as an overall component, which can form a closed space under the heat exchangers in which the condensate can be collected.

The disadvantage here is, on the one hand, the fixed, predetermined installation space height for the heat exchangers, so that corresponding base module upper parts and covers have to be produced for all possible variants of heat exchangers. This requires the appropriate tools for the injection molding process, which cause not inconsiderable costs.

On the other hand, it is disadvantageous that the welding of the base module lower parts and the base module upper parts to form the floor modules can represent a comparatively complex manufacturing process. In other words, the creation of the bottom module as a welded assembly from the upper and lower part requires at least two individually manufactured plastic components, which leads to increased manufacturing and material costs for the plastic components and to an additional manufacturing step for welding. It arise In addition, additional investment costs for the injection molding tools and for the welding device.

It is also disadvantageous that, for the reasons of cost described above, a single type of floor module should be used if possible, so that the different heat exchanger variants used must have the same height and width in order to match the fixed installation space geometry of the one floor module type and the above-described incorrect air flows at the Avoid passing heat exchangers. Since there are heat exchangers in various geometrical shapes as well as different manufacturers of different pipe pitches, which favor different dimensions, maintaining a fixed height and / or width of the heat exchangers can be a difficult undertaking and otherwise lead to incorrect air flows at the heat exchanger.

It is possible to compensate for different heights with a soft foam mat glued into the lid. However, this is only possible with heat exchangers that are smaller than the process air duct in order to close or at least reduce the gap between the heat exchanger and cover. Furthermore, the distance that can be closed or reduced as a result is limited. Furthermore, this measure, which has to be carried out for every heat pump, represents additional expenditure in terms of component and assembly costs.

Depending on the device variant, different heat exchangers can also be used, the fins of which differ in length in the direction of flow. If the contour for the drain geometry is incorporated in the floor module, it is not possible to implement drain contours optimized for the respective heat exchanger.

Another disadvantage is the comparatively low thermal insulation effect of the base module lower parts and the floor module upper parts, which can negatively affect the efficiency of the heat pump process. In the area of the condenser, temperatures of approx. 70 ° C to 90 ° C can occur, which are used to heat the cooled, water-saturated process air flowing out of the evaporator as much as possible so that it can absorb water from the damp laundry again . For high energy efficiency, the condenser should give off all of the heat to the process air, if possible. However, since the bottom module forms the lower limit of the heat pump and the heat pump dryer itself and their relatively thin plastic walls only have a low thermal insulation effect, part of the heat energy from the condenser is lost to the environment.

From the DE 10 2014 211 303 A1 a floor assembly of a clothes dryer having a housing with at least one partition floor which is arranged below a heat pump of the clothes dryer and on which the heat source and the heat sink stand is known. The heat source can also be referred to as a condenser or as a condenser and the heat sink as an evaporator or as an evaporator. The floor pan has a recess which is used to hold the water condensed on the evaporator. The dividing tray is arranged within the tray assembly so that the condensate sump is formed below the separating tray and the two heat exchangers of the evaporator and the condenser are arranged on the separating tray. In order to make the best possible use of the predetermined installation space of the floor pan in terms of height and to be able to use the highest possible condenser with a correspondingly high output, according to the teaching of the DE 10 2014 211 303 A1 the dividing base is designed in two parts. While the area of the separating tray that receives the evaporator and its condensate is connected to the condensate sump arranged below the separating tray in a liquid-carrying manner, the area of the separating tray that accommodates the condenser is designed as a closed trough, so that the condenser is away from the condensate and thus can be kept dry. The two areas of the partition are laterally separated from one another. The area of the partition below the condenser protrudes down into the condensate sump in order to enable the use of a comparatively tall condenser without additional installation space.

Advantageous for the floor pan of the DE 10 2014 211 303 A1 is that the formation of the condenser sump between the recess of the floor assembly and the partition floor means that a two-part floor module can be dispensed with. As a result, the manufacturing expense associated with this, as described above, can be dispensed with.

However, the lack of simple and inexpensive adaptability of the base assembly including the cover to the various heat exchanger variants used remains a disadvantage. This concerns both the adaptation of the process air space to the heat exchangers and the adaptation of the drainage structures to the evaporator. Another disadvantage is the comparatively low thermal insulation effect of the floor pan.

The invention thus poses the problem of providing a base module assembly for a heat pump which can be adapted more easily and / or more cost-effectively to various heat exchangers. Alternatively or additionally, the thermal insulation effect of a floor module assembly for a heat pump should be improved. At least one alternative to known floor module assemblies for a heat pump is to be provided.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a floor module assembly having the features of claim 1. Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention emerge from the following subclaims.

The present invention thus relates to a floor module assembly for a heat pump, preferably for a heat pump of a heat pump dryer, with a floor module which is designed to form, at least in sections, a process air space for accommodating at least one evaporator of the heat pump. This process air space can be formed together with a cover.

The floor module has at least one condensate collection basin, which is designed to receive condensate from the evaporator. Usually, the condensate, which is condensed from the process air by the evaporator, is first taken up in the condensate collecting basin and then discharged into a condensate collecting container. The condensate can then be disposed of by the user via the usually removable condensate collecting tank.

The floor module assembly also has an insert element which is arranged within the condensate collection basin and is designed to receive at least the evaporator from above, the insert element being designed to supply condensate from the evaporator to the condensate collection basin via a drain opening. According to the invention, the base module assembly is characterized in that the insert element is made from a foamed material.

The present invention is based on the knowledge that through the use of an insert element, a more flexible adaptation of the base module assembly can be made both with regard to its dimensions and with regard to the drainage structure for the condensate to the respective evaporator. This is due to the fact that the base module and the cover can be produced in a uniform manner. The inner contour of the base module can then be adapted from below to the evaporator by using different insert elements. This can reduce the manufacturing costs with improved tightness around the evaporator.

However, the advantage of reduced manufacturing costs can only partially be achieved when the insert element is designed as a further plastic injection-molded component, because an injection molding tool is required for each variant of the insert element, which causes considerable costs.

Therefore, the insert element according to the invention is made of foamed material instead of a plastic injection-molded component. In this way, the manufacturing costs can be reduced significantly while at the same time increased flexibility, because molds for components made of foamed material are less massive due to the significantly lower internal tool pressures and can accordingly be manufactured much more cost-effectively than tools for plastic injection-molded parts. This results in comparatively low investment costs in order to implement a specific insert variant for a geometrically different heat exchanger variant, which e.g. compensates for the difference in height and has a drainage geometry for the condensate that is precisely matched to the length of the fins.

It is also advantageous that an insert element made of foamed material has significantly greater wall thicknesses than a plastic injection-molded part. This alone can improve the thermal insulation effect in this area of the floor module assembly. Furthermore, due to the high gas content in the foam structure, a foamed material has a significantly lower thermal conductivity than a compact plastic, so that significantly better thermal insulation can be achieved through these two factors.

According to the invention, the insert element is made from expanded polystyrene or polypropylene. As a result, the advantages described above can be implemented simply, inexpensively and / or effectively.

According to the invention, the insert element has a plurality of molded-on support elements on its underside, which stand on the bottom of the condensate collection basin and keep the underside of the insert element at a distance from the bottom of the condensate collection basin. As a result, a defined and as large a volume as possible can be created below the insert element in order to collect the condensate from the evaporator before it can possibly reach a condensate collecting container. Furthermore, condensate can be stored there if the condensate collecting tank can no longer hold any more condensate.

Making the condensate collection basin as large as possible can represent an additional benefit for the user, since a certain amount of condensate can be stored in the condensate collection basin in addition to the condensate collection container, so that the user does not have to empty the condensate collection container as often.

The support elements are to be designed and arranged in such a way that, on the one hand, the insert element can be securely positioned and can hold the evaporator. On the other hand, as much volume as possible should be created to accommodate the condensate at the same time.

According to the invention, the floor module has at least one projection and the insert element has at least one projection which engages under the projection of the floor module. In this way, the insert element can be easily and securely mounted and held by inserting the projection of the insert element under the projection of the floor module by means of a pivoting movement and, for example, placing or pressing the insert element into the condensate collection basin.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the base module has at least one latching means and the insert element has at least one latching means which cooperates in a holding manner with the latching means of the base module. As a result, the insert element can be held by the floor module in the condensate collection basin. This applies in particular to the case that the insert element was previously inserted with its projection under the corresponding projection of the base module.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the latching means of the base module has a latching hook and the latching means of the insert element has a latching hook receptacle in which the latching hook of the base module is held in a form-fitting manner, or vice versa. In this way, a latching connection can be established between the insert element and the base module in order to achieve a simple, secure and non-destructively separable hold. The connection partners of the latching connection can each be exchanged between the insert element and the base element.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the latching means of the floor module has a clamping area and the latching means of the insert element has an elastic clamping area, the insert element being held positively by elastic deflection of the clamping area of the insert element against the clamping area of the floor module, or vice versa. This variant of holding the insert element in the condensate collecting basin of the floor module benefits from the fact that the insert element consists of a foamed material and is therefore easily deformable. As a result, the insert element can preferably have a slight oversize compared to the contour of the condensate collection basin, so that the insert element can be pressed into the condensate collection basin with resilient deformation of its clamping area and held there with a force fit.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the floor module has at least one condensate collection basin extension below a process air outlet of the process air space, which is connected to the condensate collection basin in a fluid-carrying manner. This allows the volume of the condensate collection basin to be increased so that the user does not have to empty the condensate collection container as often.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the condensate collection basin extension together with the process air outlet forms at least one edge which, as a projection of the base module, is gripped from below by a projection of the insert element. This makes it possible to use the edge of the condensate collection basin extension, which results from the extension of the condensate collection basin extension below the process air outlet, to hold the insert element in the condensate collection basin at the same time.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the condensate collection basin has a condensate drainage channel which is designed to discharge the condensate from the condensate collection basin, preferably in a condensate collection container. In this way, the condensate can be discharged to a condensate collecting tank, for example.

The condensate drainage channel preferably protrudes deeply into the condensate collection basin and is covered in width by a condensate barrier so that if the floor module group is tilted deeply away from the condensate barrier, the condensate barrier keeps the condensate away from the condensate drainage channel, preferably on the condensate drainage channel drive past, can. In this way, e.g. in the case of transport of the heat exchanger or the heat pump dryer, which has a heat exchanger with a floor module group according to the invention, e.g. by means of a hand truck, remaining condensate in the condensate collecting basin can be prevented from getting into the condensate drainage channel and leaking out at the rear of the heat pump dryer.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the condensate collecting basin has a condensate return channel which is designed to return the condensate from a condensate collecting container to the condensate collecting basin. This allows excess condensate from the condensate collection container to get back into the condensate collection basin, e.g. if the amount of water contained in the laundry exceeds the capacity of the condensate collection container or the user has not emptied the container after the previous drying cycle.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the insert element is also designed to receive the condenser from above. Both heat exchangers can thus be received by the insert element, so that a separate element can be avoided for this purpose. This can save costs and effort in production and assembly.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the top of the insert element is designed to be flush with the bottom of at least the evaporator, preferably and the condenser. In this way, incorrect air flows past the evaporator or the two heat exchangers can be avoided at this point.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the upper side of the insert element has at least one evaporator area which is designed to receive the evaporator from above, the evaporator area of the insert element having at least one drainage channel which is designed to carry condensate from the evaporator via a drain opening to the condensate collection basin to feed. Such a structure of channels can enable or support the discharge of the condensate away from the evaporator.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the drainage channel has at least one transverse drainage channel, preferably a plurality of transverse drainage channels, which is designed to receive condensate essentially across the width, and the drainage channel has at least one central drainage channel, which is designed, the transverse drainage channel to connect fluid-carrying with the drain opening. Such a structure of channels enables or supports a particularly effective discharge of the condensate away from the evaporator.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the transverse drainage channel has an inclined surface and a horizontal surface. As large an area as possible can be created over the inclined surface, which can collect the condensate from above and pass it on to the horizontal surface for discharge. On the one hand, the incline of the inclined surface ensures that the collected condensate is drained away and cannot collect there. On the other hand, the amount of condensate present increases in the direction of the incline of the inclined surface to the horizontal surface, so that the incline also increases the distance to the underside of the evaporator and increasingly more condensate can be collected.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the drainage channel has at least two transverse drainage channels which are spaced apart from one another by a surface flush with the underside of the evaporator on which the evaporator can be received from above. In this way, on the one hand, the condensate can be discharged as flatly and evenly as possible through the transverse drainage channels. On the other hand, the evaporator can be accommodated on the surfaces between the transverse drainage channels and thereby also be kept as flat and uniform as possible. In other words, an underflow of the evaporator can be avoided as a result.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the transverse drainage channel runs obliquely with respect to a direction of flow of the process air of the evaporator educated. This can support the removal of the collected condensate. Furthermore, the evaporator can be held as evenly as possible from below, since its lamellae are aligned in the direction of flow and are thus cut obliquely by the obliquely running transverse drainage channel. This enables a more uniform contact between the fins of the evaporator and the upper side of the insert element than with a parallel or perpendicular alignment to one another.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the central drainage channel has at least one elevation which is designed to receive the evaporator from above. This allows the evaporator to be additionally supported from below. Furthermore, the central drainage channel can be designed with a larger area in order to be able to take up more condensate directly. In addition, the central drainage channel, which is continuous in the direction of flow, is interrupted by the elevation, which minimizes the flow under the evaporator in this area.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the upper side of the insert element also has a condenser area which is designed to receive the condenser from above, the condenser area of the insert element having at least one drainage channel which is designed to carry condensate from the condenser via a drain opening to the condensate collection basin to feed. In this way, condensate can also be removed below the condenser. However, since the condenser itself does not generate any condensate due to its function, this condensate discharge option is used in the event that when the heat exchanger or the heat pump dryer, for example, which has a heat exchanger with a floor module group according to the invention, is transported, condensate from the condensate collection basin reaches the condenser and over it Discharge channel can be discharged again.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the drainage channel has at least one transverse drainage channel, preferably a plurality of transverse drainage channels, which is designed to receive condensate essentially across the width, and the drainage channel has at least one longitudinal drainage channel which is designed, at least one transverse drainage channel to connect fluid-carrying with the drain opening. Such a structure of channels enables or supports a particularly effective discharge of the condensate away from the evaporator.

Figur 1

einen Querschnitt eines Wärmepumpentrockners mit einer Wärmpumpe mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Bodenmodulbaugruppe;

Figur 2

eine Detailansicht der Wärmepumpe der Figur 1;

Figur 3

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Bodenmoduls der Bodenmodulbaugruppe;

Figur 4

eine Draufsicht auf das Bodenmodul der Figur 3;

Figur 5

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Einlegeelements der Bodenmodulbaugruppe;

Figur 6

eine Draufsicht auf das Bodenmodul der Figur 3 mit eingebautem Einlege-element;

Figur 7

eine Draufsicht auf einen Verdampferbereich des Einlegeelements;

Figur 8

eine schematische seitliche Ansicht des Verdampferbereichs des Einlege-elements mit aufgenommenem Verdampfer;

Figur 9

eine schematische seitliche Ansicht der Montage des Einlegeelements in dem Bodenmodul in einem ersten Schritt;

Figur 10

eine schematische seitliche Ansicht der Montage des Einlegeelements in dem Bodenmodul in einem zweiten Schritt;

Figur 11

ein Ausschnitt der Figur 10 gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel;

Figur 12

ein Ausschnitt der Figur 10 gemäß einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel;

Figur 13

ein Ausschnitt der Figur 10 gemäß einem dritten Ausführungsbeispiel;

Figur 14

eine perspektivische Darstellung der Figur 9; und

Figur 15

eine vergrößerte Darstellung eines Teilbereichs der Figur 14,

Figur 16

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Einlegeelements der Bodenmodulbaugruppe gemäß einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel des Einlegeelements.

Several exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown purely schematically in the drawings and are described in more detail below. It shows

Figure 1

a cross section of a heat pump dryer with a heat pump with a floor module assembly according to the invention;

Figure 2

a detailed view of the heat pump of the Figure 1 ;

Figure 3

a perspective view of a floor module of the floor module assembly;

Figure 4

a top view of the floor module of Figure 3 ;

Figure 5

a perspective view of an insert element of the base module assembly;

Figure 6

a top view of the floor module of Figure 3 with built-in insert element;

Figure 7

a plan view of an evaporator area of the insert element;

Figure 8

a schematic side view of the evaporator area of the insert element with the evaporator incorporated;

Figure 9

a schematic side view of the assembly of the insert element in the floor module in a first step;

Figure 10

a schematic side view of the assembly of the insert element in the floor module in a second step;

Figure 11

a section of the Figure 10 according to a first embodiment;

Figure 12

a section of the Figure 10 according to a second embodiment;

Figure 13

a section of the Figure 10 according to a third embodiment;

Figure 14

a perspective view of the Figure 9 ; and

Figure 15

an enlarged illustration of a portion of the Figure 14 ,

Figure 16

a perspective view of an insert element of the base module assembly according to a further embodiment of the insert element.

The above figures are viewed in Cartesian coordinates. A longitudinal direction X extends, which can also be referred to as depth X. A transverse direction Y, which can also be referred to as width Y, extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. A vertical direction Z, which can also be referred to as the height Z, extends perpendicularly both to the longitudinal direction X and to the transverse direction Y.

In the Figure 1 a heat pump dryer 1 or a heat pump tumble dryer 1 is shown in cross section as an exemplary application of the present invention. The heat pump dryer 1 has a housing 10, in the interior of which there is a laundry drum 11 in the upper region, which is used to receive and dry laundry. A heat pump 12 is arranged below the laundry drum 11, which draws the moist process air from above or from the left in the illustrations in FIG Figures 1 and 2 Receives via a process air inlet 14 in a flow direction A, leads through a process air space 15 and, via a process air outlet 16 in the flow direction A, dehumidifies and heats it again to the right or above the laundry drum 11. The process air is dehumidified via a first heat exchanger 17 as an evaporator 17; the process air is heated via a second heat exchanger 18 as a condenser 18.

The process air space 15, in which the two heat exchangers 17, 18 are arranged, is formed from below by a one-piece floor module 2 and from above by a cover 13. The floor module 2 consists of a floor module body 20, as in FIG Figures 3 and 4 shown. The base module body 20 is designed as a one-piece plastic injection-molded part and shaped in such a way that the lower half of the process air inlet 14, the process air space 15 and the process air outlet 16 are formed. Further elements of the heat pump can also be added (not shown). The process air inlet 14, the process air space 15 and the process air outlet 16 are closed and completed from above by the cover 13.

A condensate collection basin 21, which is arranged below the process air space 15, is also formed by the base module body 20. The condensate collection basin 21 has a bottom 21a which delimits the condensate collection basin 21 towards the bottom and on which the condensate can collect which is condensed out of the process air by the evaporator 17 above the condensate collection basin 21. In order to discharge the condensate from the condensate collection basin 21, it has a condensate drainage channel 22 which opens into a condensate collection space 4 in the area of the condensate pump. From there, the condensate is pumped into a removable condensate collecting container, which can be removed and emptied by a user.

In order to prevent the condensate from the condensate collecting basin 21 from reaching the condensate collecting chamber 4 in the area of the condensate pump and possibly from flowing out of the heat pump dryer 1 to the rear via this when the heat pump dryer 1 is tilted backwards at depth X, the condensate drain channel 22 extends in depth X to the front, so that in the width Y a volume is created laterally next to the condensate drainage channel 22, from which condensate cannot get into the condensate drainage channel 22 when the heat pump dryer 1 is tilted backwards in the depth X. Furthermore, the inlet of the condensate drainage channel 22 has a condensate barrier 23 in the form of a transverse rib 23, so that when the heat pump dryer 1 is tilted backwards at depth X, condensate, which is located further forward in the condensate collection basin 21, deflects past the inlet of the condensate drainage channel 22 can be. The floor module 2 or the floor module body 20 also has a condensate return channel 24, via which excess condensate can return from the condensate collection container 4 back into the condensate collection basin 21.

Below the inlet of the process air outlet 16, a condensate collection basin extension 25 is formed in the width Y on both sides of the condensate drainage channel 22, which lengthen the condensate collection basin 21 in the depth X to the rear below the inlet of the process air outlet 16 and thereby enlarge it. In this way, more condensate can be taken up by the condensate collecting basin 21. At the same time, the edges 26 of the condensate collection basin extension 25 each form a projection 26 which serves to hold an insert element 3, as will be described further below. This also applies to two latching means 27, which are formed in the depth X towards the front on the inner contour of the condensate collecting basin 21.

The aforementioned insert element 3, which is already in the Figures 1 and 2 is roughly shown in the installed state, is shown in the Figure 5 individually and in the Figure 6 shown in detail when installed. The insert element 3 is a one-piece insert element body 30 made of a foamed material, which in these exemplary embodiments is expanded polystyrene. In the horizontal plane, which is formed by the width Y and the depth X, the insert element 3 has an essentially rectangular extension which is adapted to the inner contour of the condensate collecting basin 21. The insert element 3 can accommodate the two heat exchangers 17, 18 on itself and position them within the process air space 15. Furthermore, between the insert element 3 and the bottom 21a of the condensate collecting basin 21, a volume for receiving the condensate is formed, which is condensed from the process air by the evaporator 17.

The foamed material ensures that, on the one hand, the insert element 3 can be produced comparatively inexpensively, so that a suitable insert element 3 can be produced and used for each type of heat exchanger 17, 18. As a result, the most precise possible fit of the heat exchangers 17, 18 in the process air space 15 can be achieved in a simple, reliable and cost-effective manner despite the varying dimensions. This can prevent incorrect air flows past the heat exchangers 17, 18. Furthermore, the foamed material can reduce the heat dissipation C downwards and thereby achieve comparatively good thermal insulation, which can improve the efficiency of the heat pump 12.

The upper side 30a of the insert element body 30 or of the insert element 3 has an evaporator region 34 on which the evaporator 17 of the heat pump 12 can be accommodated. Furthermore, the upper side 30a of the insert element body 30 or of the insert element 3 has a condenser area 35 on which the condenser 18 of the heat pump 12 can be accommodated, cf. Figures 1 and 2 .

The evaporator region 34 of the top side 30a has a drainage channel 36 which is created by depressions within the top side 30a of the insert element body 30 or the insert element 3, see, for example Figures 5 to 8 . The drainage channel 36 of the evaporator region 34 has a plurality of transverse drainage channels 36a, which each run approximately from the edge of the insert element 3 in the width Y to its center. The transverse drainage channels 36a run obliquely to the flow direction Ader process air of the heat exchangers 17, 18, so that the condensate can be fed more effectively to a central drainage channel 36b, which feeds the condensate to a drainage opening 36c, via which the condensate enters the condensate collecting space 4, cf. Figure 1 . The transverse drainage channels 36a each have an inclined surface 36d, which essentially serves to collect the condensate from above, and a horizontal surface 36e, which essentially serves to convey the condensate to the central drainage channel 36b. At least one elevation 36f is provided within the central drainage channel 36b, which extends upwards and is flush with the rest of the upper side 30a. By means of this elevation 36f, the evaporator 17 can be picked up and supported from below. The central drainage channel, which is continuous in the direction of flow, is thus interrupted by the elevation, which minimizes the flow under the evaporator in this area.

The condenser area 35 of the upper side 30a is designed in a comparable manner and accordingly has a drainage channel 37 with several transverse drainage channels 37a and two parallel longitudinal drainage channels 37b, which converge and jointly open into a drainage opening 37c. Condensate which has inadvertently got under the condenser 18 can be discharged from there into the condensate collecting basin 21 via the drainage channel 37 of the condenser area 35.

Figure 16 shows a further embodiment of the insert element, which is designed to accommodate narrower evaporators. The evaporator area 34 of the upper side 30a also has a drainage channel 36, which is created by recesses within the upper side 30a of the insert element body 30 or of the insert element 3. The drainage channel 36 of the evaporator region 34 has a transverse drainage channel 36a, which in each case runs approximately from the edge of the insert element 3 in the width Y to its center and compared to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG Figure 5 is formed widened. The transverse drainage channel runs at right angles to the flow direction A of the process air of the heat exchangers 17, 18, so that the condensate can be fed more effectively to a central drainage channel 36b, which feeds the condensate to a drainage opening 36c, via which the condensate enters the condensate collecting space 4. For this purpose, the drainage surface (AF) is inclined in the direction of the drainage opening (36c) and also serves to collect the condensate from above.

The condenser area 35 of the top 30a is similar to FIG Figure 5 shown and accordingly has a drainage channel 37 with a plurality of transverse drainage channels 37a and two parallel longitudinal drainage channels 37b, which converge and jointly open into a drainage opening 37c. Condensate which has inadvertently got under the condenser 18 can be discharged from there into the condensate collecting basin 21 via the drainage channel 37 of the condenser region 35.

The Figures 9 to 15 show several exemplary embodiments for mounting the insert element 3 in the condensate collecting basin 21. The Figures 11 to 13 each show a section D of the Figure 10 .

In each exemplary embodiment, the first assembly step is carried out in such a way that the insert element 3 with a protrusion 32 of its rear edge in depth X, which can also be referred to as protrusion 32, is inserted obliquely from the front under the two edges 26, which through the condensate collection basin extension 25 and the process air outlet 16 are formed, see Figures 9 , 14 and 15 . The insert element 3 is then pressed into the condensate collecting basin 21 from above by a pivoting movement B and held there, see Figure 10 .

This holding can, for example, according to a first exemplary embodiment of FIG Figure 11 can be achieved in that the front edge of the insert element 30 has an overcut 33 as a clamping area 33 of the insert element 3 with respect to the inner contour 27 of the condensate collecting basin 21 as a clamping area 27 of the floor module 2. Since the foamed material of the insert element 3 is elastically deformable, the overcut 33 of the insert element 3 is pressed in by contact with the inner contour 27 of the condensate collecting basin 21 and the insert element 3 is held in a force-fit manner.

According to the second embodiment of the Figure 12 To mount the insert element 3 in the condensate collecting basin 21, the inner contour 27 of the condensate collecting basin 21 has a latching hook 27 which engages in a corresponding latching hook receptacle 33 of the inserting element 3. In the third embodiment of the Figure 13 this is done the other way around. In any case, the latching hook 27, 33 has an inclined surface which, by pressing the insert element 3 into the condensate collecting basin 21, promotes an increasing depression of the latching hook 27, 33 in the depth X. On the opposite side, the latching hook 27, 33 has a surface which prevents the holder from loosening.

In each of the three exemplary embodiments, the upper edge of the inner contour 27 of the condensate collection basin 21 has a bevel 28 in order to simplify the pressing of the insert element 3 into the condensate collection basin 21.

The insert element 3 or its insert element body 30 has an underside 30b which lies opposite the upper side 30a at height Z. A plurality of support elements 31 are arranged on the underside 30b, see, for example Figure 2 and 5 which create a distance between the underside 30b of the insert element 3 and the bottom 21a of the condensate collection basin 21 in which the condensate can be collected.

According to the invention, as described above, the manufacturing costs for a plastic injection-molded component and the welding process are eliminated. Components made of foamed material (in particular expanded polystyrene) can generally be manufactured significantly more cost-effectively than compact injection-molded components with approximately the same dimensions, so that overall, significant savings in manufacturing costs can be expected.

The same applies to the costs for the creation of the tools. There are no tool production costs for an injection molded component, the additional costs for the insert element 3 made of a foamed material are significantly lower. The production costs for a welding device are also eliminated.

Due to the relatively low tool production costs for the insert element 3, it is economically justifiable to create a separate insert variant for heat exchanger variants with different dimensions. Thus, the optimal flow through the heat exchangers 17, 18 can be realized with coordinated geometries and the best possible energy efficiency can be achieved.

Due to the better thermal insulation effect of the insert element 3 made of a foamed material, the heat losses to the environment are reduced and an improved energy efficiency of the heat pump dryer 1 can be achieved.

The insert element 3 can also be used as packaging material by the supplier. The heat exchanger 17, 18 with the insert element 3 would then be inserted into the floor module 2.

List of reference symbols (part of the description)

A.

Process air flow; Direction of flow through the heat exchangers 17, 18

B.

Pivoting movement for mounting the insert element 3 in the base module 2

C.

Heat dissipation through insert element 3

D.

Section of the Figure 10

X

Longitudinal direction; depth

Y

Transverse direction; width

Z

vertical direction; height

1

Heat pump dryer

10

casing

11

Laundry drum

12th

Heat pump

13th

Heat pump cover 12

14th

Process air inlet

15th

Process air space

16

Process air outlet

17th

first heat exchanger; Evaporator

18th

second heat exchanger; Condenser

2

(one-piece) floor module

20th

Floor module body

21

Condensate collection basin; Condensate collecting basin; Condensate pan; Condensate sump

21a

Bottom of the condensate collection basin 21

22nd

Condensate drainage channel

23

Condensate barrier; rib

24

Condensate return duct

25th

Condensate collection basin expansion; Condensate pocket

26th

Head Start; Edge of the condensate sump extension 25

27

Locking means; Locking hook; Locking hook holder, clamping area; Inner contour

28

chamfer

3

(one-piece) insert element

30th

Insert element body

30a

Top of insert element body 30

30b

Underside of insert element body 30

31

Support element

32

Head Start; Got over

33

Locking means; Locking hook mount; Locking hook; Clamping area; Overcut

34

Evaporator region of the upper side 30a of the insert element body 30

35

Condenser area of the upper side 30a of the insert element body 30

36

Evaporator area drain channel 34

36a

Cross drainage channels of the evaporator area 34

36b

central outlet channel of the evaporator area 34

36c

Evaporator area drain opening 34

36d

inclined surface of the transverse drainage channels 36a of the evaporator region 34

36e

horizontal surface of the transverse drainage channels 36a of the evaporator area 34; Bottom of the transverse drainage channels 36a of the evaporator area 34

36f

Elevation of the central outlet channel 36b of the evaporator area 34

37

Drainage duct of the condenser area 35

37a

Cross drainage channels of the condenser area 35

37b

Longitudinal drainage channels of the condenser area 35

37c

Drain opening of the condenser area 35

4th

Condensate collecting space

Claims (18)

1. Base module assembly (2, 3) for a heat pump (12), preferably a heat pump dryer (1), comprising
   a base module (2) which is designed to form, at least in portions, a process air space (15) to receive at least one evaporator (17) of the heat pump (12),
   the base module (2) having at least one condensate collection basin (21) which is designed to receive condensate from the evaporator (17), and comprising
   an insert element (3) which is arranged within the condensate collection basin (21) and is designed to receive at least the evaporator (17) from above, and the insert element (3) being designed to supply condensate from the evaporator (17) via a discharge opening (36c) to the condensate collection basin (21),
   characterised in that
   the insert element (3) is formed from a foamed material, preferably from expanded polystyrene or polypropylene,
   the insert element (3) having, on the lower face (30b) thereof, a plurality of integrally formed contact elements (31) which stand on the base (21a) of the condensate collection basin (21), and in that
   the base module (2) has at least one projection (26), and in that
   the insert element (3) has at least one projection (32) which underlaps the projection (26) of the base module (2).
2. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to claim 1, characterised in that the base module (2) has at least one catch means (27), and in that
   the insert element (3) has at least one catch means (33) which interacts with the catch means (27) of the base module (2) for retention thereof.
3. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that
   the catch means (27) of the base module (2) has a catch hook (27), and in that
   the catch means (33) of the insert element (3) has a catch hook receptacle (33) in which the catch hook (27) of the base module (2) is retained in a form-fitting manner, or vice versa.
4. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   the catch means (27) of the base module (2) has a clamping region (27), and in that
   the catch means (33) of the insert element (3) has a resilient clamping region (33),
   the insert element (3) being retained in a force-fitting manner by resilient deflection of the clamping region (33) of the insert element (3) relative to the clamping region (27) of the base module (2), or vice versa.
5. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   the base module (2) has at least one condensate collection basin extension (25) below a process air outlet (16) of the process air space (15), which extension is connected to the condensate collection basin (21) so as to convey fluid.
6. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to claim 5, characterised in that
   the condensate collection basin extension (25) together with the process air outlet (16) forms at least one edge (26) which, as the projection (26) of the base module (2), is gripped from below by a projection (33) of the insert element (3).
7. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   the condensate collection basin (21) has a condensate discharge channel (22) which is designed to discharge the condensate from the condensate collection basin (21), preferably into a condensate collection container,
   the condensate discharge channel (22) preferably extending so far in depth (X) into the condensate collection basin (21) and is covered in width (Y) by a condensate barrier (23) such that, if the base module group (2, 3) is tilted in depth (X) away from the condensate barrier (23), the condensate barrier (23) can keep the condensate away from the condensate discharge channel (22), preferably bypassing the condensate discharge channel (22).
8. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   the condensate collection basin (21) has a condensate return channel (24) which is designed to return the condensate from a condensate collection container into the condensate collection basin (21).
9. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that
   the insert element (3) is also designed to receive the condenser (18) from above.
10. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that
    the upper face (30a) of the insert element (3) is designed to be flush with the lower face of at least the evaporator (17), and preferably of the condenser (18).
11. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that
    the upper face (30a) of the insert element (3) has at least one evaporator region (34) which is designed to receive the evaporator (17) from above,
    the evaporator region (34) of the insert element (3) having at least one discharge channel (36) which is designed to supply condensate from the evaporator (17) via a discharge opening (36c) to the condensate collection basin (21).
12. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to claim 11, characterised in that
    the discharge channel (36) has at least one transverse discharge channel (36a), preferably a plurality of transverse discharge channels (36a), which is designed to receive condensate substantially in width (Y), and in that
    the discharge channel (36) has at least one central discharge channel (36b) which is designed to connect the transverse discharge channel (36a) to the discharge opening (36c) so as to convey fluid.
13. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to claim 12, characterised in that
    the transverse discharge channel (36a) has an inclined surface (36d) and a horizontal surface (36e).
14. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to either claim 12 or claim 13, characterised in that
    the discharge channel (36) has at least two transverse discharge channels (36a) which are spaced from one another by a surface which is flush with the lower face of the evaporator (17) and on which the evaporator (17) can be received from above.
15. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of claims 12 to 14, characterised in that
    the transverse discharge channel (36a) is designed to extend obliquely with respect to a flow direction (A) of the process air of the evaporator (17).
16. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of claims 12 to 15, characterised in that
    the central discharge channel (36b) has at least one elevation (36f) which is designed to receive the evaporator (17) from above.
17. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that
    the upper face (30a) of the insert element (3) also has a condenser region (35) which is designed to receive the condenser (18) from above,
    the condenser region (35) of the insert element (3) having at least one discharge channel (37) which is designed to supply condensate from the condenser (18) via a discharge opening (37c) to the condensate collection basin (21).
18. Base module assembly (2, 3) according to claim 17, characterised in that
    the discharge channel (37) has at least one transverse discharge channel (37a), preferably a plurality of transverse discharge channels (37a), which is designed to receive condensate substantially in width (Y), and in that
    the discharge channel (37) has at least one longitudinal discharge channel (37b) which is designed to connect at least one transverse discharge channel (37a) to the discharge opening (37c) so as to convey fluid.

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