FR2654444A1 - TUMBLE DRYER OPEN FROM ABOVE. - Google Patents

Abstract

Tumble dryer with top opening and horizontal laundry drum, characterized in that the laundry drum (5) comprises two flanges (14, 15) which fill, during a laundry drying, several functions, namely that of bearings or supports for the rotation of the shell of this drum, that of passages for the drying air, that of means for guiding and correcting the movement of the laundry in this drum, that of anti-crease means linen, that of protective envelopes for heating and ventilation devices.

Description

The present invention relates to a tumble dryer

opening from above.

  In general in dryers, improvements have usually been sought to reduce the drying time, and the energy consumption, and to minimize the degree of crumpling of the pieces of dried laundry. A short drying time and a low consumption of energy depend in particular on good exposure of laundry items

to a drying air stream.

  Solutions for creating a mixing of the laundry in a horizontal drum during drying are known. Some provide spaced transverse ribs, parallel to the axis of rotation, on the inside surface of the shell of the horizontal laundry drum. drum The others use a formation on the inner surface of the shell of this horizontal drum of spaced transverse ribs, oblique with respect to the axis of rotation of this drum The transverse ribs parallel to the axis of the drum allow during a rotation of the latter to drag pieces of the laundry which are in a low part in this drum, towards a high part, to drop them and start again

  the same operations until the drying stops.

  The linen thus evolves in the drum along substantially vertical planes These transverse ribs practically do not communicate to the linen a movement along the axis of the drum and the stirring of the linen in the drum proves

thus unsatisfactory.

  On the other hand, oblique transverse ribs with respect to the axis of the drum constitute for the laundry, during a rotation of this drum, sliding ramps which bring it back from one end to the other end of this drum and rather create a compaction of the laundry parts at one end of this drum than a uniform stirring of this laundry. These known solutions do not therefore achieve the objective, that of good exposure of

  laundry items to a drying air stream.

  Another known solution aims to overcome the bad effect of packing the laundry at one end of the drum, mentioned in a previous paragraph, by using this end of the drum as the end of the drying air inlet in order to force this drying air to go against this pile of linen, and in addition giving the flange of the opposite end of this drum, a shape substantially of a truncated cone in order to converge at this end, the drying air towards the axial zone of this drum where there are pieces of laundry which are about to be pushed back

  by the oblique transverse ribs.

  The continuous movement of the laundry parts back towards one end of the drum, however, accentuates the compaction of the laundry and prevents a large contact between the air of

drying and laundry items.

  This known solution therefore proves to be ineffective also in achieving good exposure of the laundry to a current.

drying air.

  In known tumble dryers, a reduction in the degree of crumpling of the pieces of dried laundry is usually resolved by stopping the drying, in a final drying phase, as soon as the air stream exiting the laundry drum appears, d '' a corresponding predetermined temperature

  at an air temperature at the end of drying.

  Indeed, prolonged drying at an air temperature higher than the air temperature at the end of drying increases the degree of crumpling of the dried linen This method of reducing the degree of crumpling of the dried linen gives satisfactory results when the linen subjected during drying contains only one type of laundry These results become irregular when the laundry subjected to drying results from a mixture of several types

of linen.

  The present invention aims to avoid these drawbacks, makes it possible to produce an economic, efficient tumble dryer, effecting a good stirring of the laundry and giving a

  laundry dried with a minimum degree of wrinkling.

  According to the invention, a dryer with top opening and horizontal laundry drum is characterized in that the laundry drum comprises two flanges which simultaneously, during drying of a laundry, perform several functions, namely that of bearings or supports for the rotation of the shell of this drum, that of passages for the drying air, that of means for guiding and correcting the movement of the linen in this drum, that of means for smoothing the linen , that of protective envelopes

  heating and ventilating devices.

  To better understand the invention, an exemplary embodiment of it is described below and

  partially illustrated in an attached drawing.

  According to this example, a dryer 1 is a dryer with top opening. The dryer 1 comprises a body 2, having in the top, an opening 3 closed by a door 4, and a laundry drum 5 having a horizontal axis and provided in its cylindrical side wall with an access gate In its high position, the access gate 10 is in alignment with the opening 3 and the door 4, which facilitates the

  loading and / or unloading the drum into linen 5.

  According to the invention, in a tumble dryer the laundry drum comprises two flanges which during drying of a laundry simultaneously fulfill several functions, namely that of bearings or supports for the rotation of the shell of this drum , that of passages for drying air, that of means for guiding and correcting the movement of the linen in the drum, that of means for smoothing the linen, that of protective envelopes for the heating and ventilation devices. In the example illustrated, the horizontal laundry drum of the top-opening dryer 1 comprises on the one hand a movable cylindrical shell 8 mounted to rotate freely along a horizontal axis 6 and provided on its inner surface with at least one transverse rib 12 parallel to this horizontal axis 6, and on the other hand two fixed flanges 14 and 15 which support in rotation the two ends of this ferrule

mobile 8.

  One 14 of these fixed flanges is relatively flat and

  the other 15 is curved, projecting axially in this ferrule 8.

  The fixed flanges 14 and 15 respectively comprise cylindrical bearing surfaces 17 and 18 projecting from their inner surfaces and which serve as bearings or sliding ring supports for the rotation of the movable ferrule 8 The fixed flat flanges 14 and convex 15 are provided in their surfaces with perforations or holes 20,21 serving as passages

  for the entry and exit of the drying air.

  The curved fixed flange 15 is provided on its inner surface with a coaxial filter with a flock of linen 23 and a coaxial protective grid 24 which contribute to reinforcing the curved shape of this flange The flat fixed flange 14, the curved fixed flange 15 and the movable cylindrical shell 8 which define an internal volume of the drum 5, asymmetrical with respect to a transverse median plane 26, constitute in their combination during rotation of the movable ferrule 8, complementary active surfaces which communicate to the linen a complex movement achieving a careful and uniform stirring of the linen When the movable shell 8 rotates, the transverse rib (s) 12 drive (s) the pieces of linen from bottom to top, in substantially vertical planes up to a certain height in this drum where these laundry items by their weight slide and fall down However, some pieces or parts of these laundry items in motion which evolve in the near the fixed flanges 14,15 are variously braked in their ascent or fall by their contact with these stationary flanges and axially repelled more or less by these flanges depending on whether the shape of the latter is curved or flat. This results in a varied and multiple guide and correction action exerted by these flanges on the substantially vertical ascent and fall movement of the laundry driven by the transverse rib (s) 12 of the movable shell 8 in

rotation.

  In the example illustrated, an electric heating device 28 is mounted in the space between the body 2 and the laundry drum 5, near the flat fixed flange 14 and deployed regularly along the surface of the latter for both heating the drying air, indicated by arrows, 31, before entering the laundry drum 5, and bringing the surface of this fixed flange 14 to a uniform preset temperature which produces an ironing or smoothing effect on the items of laundry in friction against this surface The flat fixed flange 14 forms, with the wall 37 of the adjacent body 2 and the heating device 28, an inlet and heating sheath 38 for drying air. The flat fixed flange 14 thus constitutes at the both an effective means of steaming the laundry and a protective envelope of this electric heating device 28 A reflector 29 is mounted between the body 2 and the heating device 28 to minimize losses

  thermal conduction through the body 2.

  A ventilation device 32 is mounted in the space between the body 2 and the drum 5, near the domed fixed flange 15, coaxially with this flange to create by suction, a current of drying air 34.35 through the washing drum 5 The domed fixed flange 15 forms with a counterflange 39 and the ventilation device 32, a drying air outlet duct 40 and a protective casing

this ventilation device 32.

  In the example illustrated the movable ferrule 8 and the ventilation device 32 are respectively driven through transmission belts 41 and 36 by a motor

electric 33.

  In a known dryer of the top opening type, the horizontal laundry drum rotating around a horizontal axis is generally a cylindrical container whose ferrule and end flanges are normally assembled and fixed by welding or crimping. usual structure of

  laundry drum is simple and easy to perform.

  However in such a drum, the movement of the laundry is that driven by one or more spaced transverse ribs formed on the inner surface of this drum and the flanges which rotate with the shell of the drum have practically no effect on the movement of this laundry in the

  drum nor particular effect on the degree of crumpling of this linen.

  Thanks to a particular and new structure of the laundry drum, provided by the invention, the dryer 1 with opening from above described in the preceding paragraphs achieves, on the other hand, excellent performances in comparison with those of the dryers known of the same type These good performances are reflected in the dryer 1 by a strong reduction in the drying time and in the energy consumption, necessary to obtain a chosen degree of drying of the laundry.

  and by a surprising result of smoothing the dried laundry.

Claims (6)

  1 tumble dryer with top opening and horizontal laundry drum, characterized in that the laundry drum (5) comprises two flanges (14, 15) which, during drying of a laundry, simultaneously fill several functions, namely that of bearings or supports for the rotation of the shell of this drum, that of passages for drying air, that of means for guiding and correcting the movement of the laundry in this drum, that of means of steaming of linen, that of protective covers for heating and ventilation.   2 tumble dryer according to claim 1, characterized in that the laundry drum (5) comprises on the one hand a movable cylindrical shell (8) rotatably mounted freely along a horizontal axis (6) and provided on its inner surface, d '' at least one transverse rib (12) parallel to this horizontal axis (6), and on the other hand two fixed flanges (14,15) which support in rotation the two ends of this movable ferrule (8), one ( 14) of these flanges being relatively flat and the other (15)   being curved projecting axially in this movable ferrule (8).   3 tumble dryer according to one of claims 1 and 2,   characterized in that in the laundry drum (5) the two fixed flat (14) and curved (15) flanges respectively comprise cylindrical bearing surfaces (17,18) projecting from their inner surfaces serving as bearings or ring supports sliding for rotation of the movable shell (8), perforations or holes (20,21) in their surfaces to serve as passages for drying air, a coaxial filter with a flock of linen (23) and a coaxial grid protective (24)   mounted on the inner surface of the fixed curved flange (15).   4 tumble dryer according to one of claims 1 to 3,   characterized in that it comprises an electric heating device (28) which is mounted in the space between a body (2) of the apparatus and the laundry drum (5), near the fixed flat flange (14) and deployed regularly along the surface of this flange, and which during drying, heats the drying air before it enters this laundry drum (5) and brings the surface of this flat fixed flange (14) to a uniform temperature preset producing a laundry ironing effect in friction against this surface.   Dryer according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixed flat flange (14) forms with the wall (37) of the adjacent body (2) and the electric heating device (28), an inlet and heating duct (38) drying air and constitutes a protective envelope from this heating device.   6 tumble dryer according to one of claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that it comprises a ventilation device (32) which is mounted in the space between a body (2) of the apparatus and the laundry drum (5), near the domed fixed flange (15), coaxially with this flange, and which during drying, creates by suction, a current of drying air   (34,35) through this laundry drum (5).   7 dryer according to claim 6, characterized in that the curved fixed flange (15) forms with a counter-flange (39) and the ventilation device (32), a drying air outlet duct (40) and an envelope of   protection of this ventilation device (32).