US20230228030A1

US20230228030A1 - Laundry treating appliance having a condenser assembly

Info

Publication number: US20230228030A1
Application number: US17/578,017
Authority: US
Inventors: Neha S. Patil
Original assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Current assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Priority date: 2022-01-18
Filing date: 2022-01-18
Publication date: 2023-07-20
Also published as: EP4212665A1

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation includes a cabinet defining an interior, a treating chamber located within the interior, and a condenser assembly. The condenser assembly includes a condenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber to receive moisture-laden air from the treating chamber and condense it into a liquid condensate. A condensate container has an inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser to receive the condensate. A housing removably holds the condensate container.

Description

BACKGROUND

Laundry treating appliances, such as washing machines, combination washer/dryers, condensing dryers, refreshers, and non-aqueous systems, can have a configuration based on a rotating laundry basket or drum that defines a drum opening and at least partially defines a treating chamber in which laundry items are placed for treating. The laundry treating appliance can have a controller that implements a number of user-selectable, pre-programmed cycles of operation having one or more operating parameters. Hot air, cold air, or a mixture thereof can be supplied to the treating chamber in accordance with the cycle of operation and via a drying air circuit, an air recirculation circuit, or an air flow assembly.
In laundry treating appliances with drying air or air recirculation circuits, typically a blower is provided in the drying air or air recirculation circuit to supply drying air through the treating chamber to evaporate moisture from a load of laundry. In an open loop circuit, the blower can then move moisture-laden process air exiting the treating chamber to an exterior of the laundry treating appliance, such as outside of the building within which the laundry treating appliance is located. In a closed loop circuit, the moisture-laden process air can pass through a condenser to remove the moisture from the process air and the drying air can then be supplied back into the treating chamber for continued drying.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, the laundry treating appliance comprising a cabinet defining an interior, a treating chamber located within the interior, and a condenser assembly comprising a condenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber to receive moisture-laden air from the treating chamber and condense it into a liquid condensate, a condensate container having an inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser to receive the condensate, and a housing, removably holding the condensate container, with a condensate overflow path to direct condensate overflowing from the inlet, and having spacers on one side of the housing to form a gap between at least a portion of the housing and the condensate container, wherein at least one of the spacers and at least a portion of the gap define a portion of the overflow path.
In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a condenser assembly for use within a condensing laundry treating appliance and fluidly coupled with a treating chamber of the condensing laundry treating appliance, the condenser assembly comprising a condenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber to receive moisture-laden air from the treating chamber and condense it into a liquid condensate, a condensate container having an inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser to receive the condensate, and a housing, removably holding the condensate container, with a condensate overflow path to direct condensate overflowing from the inlet, and having spacers on one side of the housing to form a gap between at least a portion of the housing and the condensate container, wherein at least one of the spacers and at least a portion of the gap define a portion of the overflow path.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry treating appliance including a condenser assembly.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic of a control assembly of the laundry treating appliance of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a top and front perspective view of a condensate collection assembly for use with the condenser assembly of FIG. 1 and including a condensate container and a housing.

FIG. 4 is a top and front perspective view of the housing of FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the housing of FIG. 3 taken along line V-V of FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is a front perspective cross-sectional view of the housing of FIG. 3 taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 4 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry treating appliance 10 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The laundry treating appliance 10 can be any laundry treating appliance 10 which performs a cycle of operation to clean or otherwise treat laundry items placed therein, non-limiting examples of which include a horizontal or vertical axis clothes washer; a horizontal or vertical axis clothes dryer; a combination washing machine and dryer; a tumbling or stationary refreshing/revitalizing machine; an extractor; a non-aqueous washing apparatus; and a revitalizing machine. While the laundry treating appliance 10 is illustrated herein as a horizontal axis, front-load laundry treating appliance 10, the aspects of the present disclosure can have applicability in laundry treating appliances with other configurations. The laundry treating appliance 10 shares many features of a conventional automated clothes washer and/or dryer, which will not be described in detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the exemplary aspects in accordance with the present disclosure.
Laundry treating appliances are typically categorized as either a vertical axis laundry treating appliance or a horizontal axis laundry treating appliance. As used herein, the term “horizontal axis” laundry treating appliance refers to a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum that rotates about a generally horizontal axis relative to a surface that supports the laundry treating appliance. The drum can rotate about the axis inclined relative to the horizontal axis, with fifteen degrees of inclination being one example of the inclination. Similar to the horizontal axis laundry treating appliance, the term “vertical axis” laundry treating appliance refers to a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum that rotates about a generally vertical axis relative to a surface that supports the laundry treating appliance. However, the rotational axis need not be perfectly vertical to the surface. The drum can rotate about an axis inclined relative to the vertical axis, with fifteen degrees of inclination being one example of the inclination.
In another aspect, the terms vertical axis and horizontal axis are often used as shorthand terms for the manner in which the appliance imparts mechanical energy to the laundry, even when the relevant rotational axis is not absolutely vertical or horizontal. As used herein, the “vertical axis” laundry treating appliance refers to a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum, perforate or imperforate, that holds fabric items and, optionally, a clothes mover, such as an agitator, impeller, nutator, and the like within the drum. The clothes mover can move within the drum to impart mechanical energy directly to the clothes or indirectly through wash liquid in the drum. The clothes mover can typically be moved in a reciprocating rotational movement. In some vertical axis laundry treating appliances, the drum rotates about a vertical axis generally perpendicular to a surface that supports the laundry treating appliance. However, the rotational axis need not be vertical. The drum can rotate about an axis inclined relative to the vertical axis.
As used herein, the “horizontal axis” laundry treating appliance refers to a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum, perforated or imperforate, that holds laundry items and washes and/or dries the laundry items. In some horizontal axis laundry treating appliances, the drum rotates about a horizontal axis generally parallel to a surface that supports the laundry treating appliance. However, the rotational axis need not be horizontal. The drum can rotate about an axis inclined or declined relative to the horizontal axis. In horizontal axis laundry treating appliances, the clothes are lifted by the rotating drum and then fall in response to gravity to form a tumbling action. Mechanical energy is imparted to the clothes by the tumbling action formed by the repeated lifting and dropping of the clothes. Vertical axis and horizontal axis machines are best differentiated by the manner in which they impart mechanical energy to the fabric articles.
Regardless of the axis of rotation, a laundry treating appliance can be top-loading or front-loading. In a top-loading laundry treating appliance, laundry items are placed into the drum through an access opening in the top of a cabinet, while in a front-loading laundry treating appliance laundry items are placed into the drum through an access opening in the front of a cabinet. If a laundry treating appliance is a top-loading horizontal axis laundry treating appliance or a front-loading vertical axis laundry treating appliance, an additional access opening is located on the drum.
In more detail, the laundry treating appliance 10 is illustrated as a horizontal axis drying laundry treating appliance 10, though it will be understood that the laundry treating appliance 10 need not be only a drying laundry treating appliance 10, but that any suitable drying laundry treating appliance 10 for drying laundry items can be provided, including a clothes dryer, a condensing laundry dryer, a condensing laundry treating appliance, or a combination washing and drying laundry treating appliance. The laundry treating appliance 10 can include a structural support assembly comprising a cabinet 12 which defines a housing within which a laundry holding assembly resides. The cabinet 12 can be a housing having a chassis and/or a frame, to which decorative panels can or cannot be mounted, defining an interior, enclosing components typically found in a conventional laundry treating appliance, such as motors, pumps, fluid lines, controls, sensors, transducers, and the like. Such components will not be described further herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the present disclosure.
The laundry holding assembly of the illustrated laundry treating appliance 10 can include a tub 14 dynamically suspended within the structural support assembly of the cabinet 12 by a suitable suspension assembly 28, the tub 14 at least partially defining a treating chamber 18 for laundry items. A rotatable drum 16 can be provided within the tub 14 to further define at least a portion of the laundry treating chamber 18. The treating chamber 18 is configured to receive a laundry load comprising articles for treatment, including, but not limited to, a hat, a scarf, a glove, a sweater, a blouse, a shirt, a pair of shorts, a dress, a sock, a pair of pants, a shoe, an undergarment, and a jacket.
The drum 16 can include a plurality of perforations 20 such that liquid can flow between the tub 14 and the drum 16 through the perforations 20. A plurality of baffles 22 can be disposed on an inner surface of the drum 16 to lift the laundry load received in the treating chamber 18 while the drum 16 rotates. It is also within the scope of the present disclosure for the laundry holding assembly to comprise only one receptacle, such as the tub 14 without the drum 16, or the drum 16 without the tub 14, with the single receptacle defining the laundry treating chamber 18 for receiving the load to be treated.
The laundry holding assembly can further include a closure, illustrated herein as a door assembly 24, which can be movably mounted to or coupled to the cabinet 12 to selectively close both the tub 14 and the drum 16, as well as the treating chamber 18. In one example, the door assembly 24 can be rotatable relative to the cabinet 12. By way of non-limiting example, the door assembly 24 can be hingedly coupled to the cabinet 12 for movement between an opened condition (not shown) and a closed condition as shown.
A bellows 26 can extend between the tub 14 and the cabinet 12 to couple an open face of the tub 14 with the cabinet 12, with the door assembly 24 sealing against the bellows 26 or the cabinet 12, or both, when the door assembly 24 closes the tub 14. In the opened condition, the door assembly 24 can be spaced apart from the bellows 26 and can allow access to the treating chamber 18. The bellows 26 can sealingly couple the open face of the tub 14 with the cabinet 12 such that liquid is not permitted to move from the tub 14 into the interior of the cabinet 12.
The laundry treating appliance 10 can optionally further comprise a washing circuit which can include a liquid supply assembly for supplying liquid, such as water or a combination of water and one or more wash aids, such as detergent, to the laundry treating appliance 10 for use in treating laundry during a cycle of operation. The liquid supply assembly can include a source of water, such as a household water supply 40, which can include separate valves 42 and 44 for controlling the flow of hot and cold water, respectively. The valves 42, 44 can be opened individually or together to provide a mix of hot and cold water at a selected temperature. The valves 42, 44 are selectively openable to provide water, such as from the household water supply 40, to be supplied through an inlet conduit 46 directly to the tub 14 or the drum 16 by controlling first and second diverter mechanisms 48 and 50, respectively. The diverter mechanisms 48, 50 can each be a diverter valve having two outlets such that each of the diverter mechanisms 48, 50 can selectively direct a flow of liquid to one or both of two flow paths. Water from the household water supply 40 can flow through the inlet conduit 46 to the first diverter mechanism 48 which can direct the flow of liquid to a supply conduit 52. The second diverter mechanism 50 on the supply conduit 52 can direct the flow of liquid to a tub outlet conduit 54 which can be provided with a spray nozzle 56 configured to spray the flow of liquid into the tub 14 in a desired pattern and under a desired amount of pressure. For example, the spray nozzle 56 can be configured to dispense a flow or stream of water into the tub 14 by gravity, i.e. a non-pressurized stream. In this manner, water from the household water supply 40 can be supplied directly to the tub 14. While the valves 42, 44 and the conduit 46 are illustrated exteriorly of the cabinet 12, it will be understood that these components can be internal to the cabinet 12.
The laundry treating appliance 10 can also optionally be provided with a dispensing assembly for dispensing treating chemistry to the treating chamber 18 for use in treating the laundry according to a cycle of operation. The dispensing assembly can include a treating chemistry dispenser 62 which can be a single dose dispenser, a bulk dispenser, or an integrated single dose and bulk dispenser and is fluidly coupled to the treating chamber 18. The treating chemistry dispenser 62 can be configured to dispense a treating chemistry directly to the tub 14 or mixed with water from the liquid supply assembly through a dispensing outlet conduit 64. The treating chemistry dispenser 62 can include means for supplying or mixing detergent to or with water from the water supply 40. Alternatively or additionally, water from the water supply 40 can also be supplied to the tub 14 through the treating chemistry dispenser 62 without the addition of a detergent. The dispensing outlet conduit 64 can include a dispensing nozzle 66 configured to dispense the treating chemistry into the tub 14 in a desired pattern and under a desired amount of pressure. For example, the dispensing nozzle 66 can be configured to dispense a flow or stream of treating chemistry into the tub 14 by gravity, i.e. a non-pressurized stream. Water can be supplied to the treating chemistry dispenser 62 from the supply conduit 52 by directing the diverter mechanism 50 to direct the flow of water to a dispensing supply conduit 68.
The treating chemistry dispenser 62 can include multiple chambers or reservoirs for receiving doses of different treating chemistries. The treating chemistry dispenser 62 can be implemented as a dispensing drawer that is slidably received within the cabinet 12, or within a separate dispenser housing which can be provided in the cabinet 12. The treating chemistry dispenser 62 can be moveable between a fill position, where the treating chemistry dispenser 62 is exterior to the cabinet 12 and can be filled with treating chemistry, and a dispense position, where the treating chemistry dispenser 62 are interior of the cabinet 12.
Non-limiting examples of treating chemistries that can be dispensed by the dispensing assembly during a cycle of operation include one or more of the following: water, detergents, surfactants, enzymes, fragrances, stiffness/sizing agents, wrinkle releasers/reducers, softeners, antistatic or electrostatic agents, stain repellents, water repellents, energy reduction/extraction aids, antibacterial agents, medicinal agents, vitamins, moisturizers, shrinkage inhibitors, and color fidelity agents, and combinations thereof. The treating chemistries can be in the form of a liquid, powder, or any other suitable phase or state of matter.
The laundry treating appliance 10 can also optionally include a recirculation and drain assembly for recirculating liquid within the laundry holding assembly and draining liquid from the laundry treating appliance 10. Liquid supplied to the tub 14 through tub outlet conduit 54 and/or the dispensing supply conduit 68 typically enters a space between the tub 14 and the drum 16 and can flow by gravity to a sump 70 formed in part by a lower portion of the tub 14. The sump 70 can also be formed by a sump conduit 72 that can fluidly couple the lower portion of the tub 14 to a pump 74. The pump 74 can have an inlet fluidly coupled with the sump 70 and an outlet configured to fluidly couple and to direct liquid to a drain conduit 76, which can drain the liquid from the laundry treating appliance 10, or to a recirculation conduit 78, which can terminate at a recirculation inlet 80. In this configuration, the pump 74 can be used to drain or recirculate wash water in the sump 70. The recirculation inlet 80 can direct the liquid from the recirculation conduit 78 into the drum 16 by fluidly coupling the recirculation conduit 78 with the drum 16. The recirculation inlet 80 can introduce the liquid into the drum 16 in any suitable manner, such as by spraying, dripping, or providing a steady flow of liquid. In this manner, liquid provided to the tub 14, with or without treating chemistry, can be recirculated into the treating chamber 18 for treating the laundry within. The recirculation and drain assembly can include other types of recirculation systems.
The liquid supply and/or recirculation and drain assembly can optionally be provided with a heating assembly which can include one or more devices for heating laundry and/or liquid supplied to the tub 14, such as a steam generator 82 and/or a sump heater 84. Liquid from the household water supply 40 can be provided to the steam generator 82 through the inlet conduit 46 by controlling the first diverter mechanism 48 to direct the flow of liquid to a steam supply conduit 86. Steam generated by the steam generator 82 can be supplied to the tub 14 through a steam outlet conduit 87. The steam generator 82 can be any suitable type of steam generator such as a flow through steam generator or a tank-type steam generator. Alternatively, the sump heater 84 can be used to generate steam in place of or in addition to the steam generator 82. In addition or alternatively to generating steam, the steam generator 82 and/or sump heater 84 can be used to heat the laundry and/or liquid within the tub 14 as part of a cycle of operation. The sump heater 84 can be provided within the sump 70 to heat liquid that collects in the sump 70. Alternatively, the heating assembly can include an in-line heater that heats the liquid as it flows through the liquid supply, dispensing, and/or recirculation assemblies.
It is noted that the illustrated suspension assembly, liquid supply assembly, recirculation and drain assembly, and dispensing assembly are shown for exemplary purposes only and are not limited to the assemblies shown in the drawings and described above. For example, the liquid supply, dispensing, and recirculation and pump assemblies can differ from the configuration shown in FIG. 1 , such as by inclusion of other valves, conduits, treating chemistry dispensers, heaters, sensors (such as water level sensors and temperature sensors), and the like, to control the flow of liquid through the laundry treating appliance 10 and for the introduction of more than one type of treating chemistry, or can be omitted entirely or in part, such as when the laundry treating appliance 10 is provide as only a clothes dryer. For example, the liquid supply assembly can include a single valve for controlling the flow of water from the household water source. In another example, the recirculation and pump assembly can include two separate pumps for recirculation and draining, instead of the single pump as previously described. In yet another example, the liquid supply assembly can be configured to supply liquid into the interior of the drum 16 or into the interior of the tub 14 not occupied by the drum 16, such that liquid can be supplied directly to the tub 14 without having to travel through the drum 16.
The laundry treating appliance 10 also includes a drive assembly for rotating the drum 16 within the tub 14. The drive assembly can include a motor 88, which can be directly coupled with the drum 16 through a drive shaft 90 to rotate the drum 16 about a rotational axis during a cycle of operation. The motor 88 can be a brushless permanent magnet (BPM) motor having a stator 92 and a rotor 94. Alternately, the motor 88 can be coupled to the drum 16 through a belt and a drive shaft to rotate the drum 16, as is known in the art. Other motors, such as an induction motor or a permanent split capacitor (PSC) motor, can also be used.
The motor 88 can rotationally drive the drum 16, including that the motor 88 can rotate the drum 16 at various speeds in either rotational direction. In particular, the motor 88 can rotate the drum 16 at tumbling speeds wherein the laundry items in the drum 16 rotate with the drum 16 from a lowest location of the drum 16 towards a highest location of the drum 16, but fall back to the lowest location of the drum 16 before reaching the highest location of the drum 16. The rotation of the laundry items with the drum 16 can be facilitated by the baffles 22. Typically, the force applied to the laundry items at the tumbling speeds is less than about 1G. Alternatively, the motor 88 can rotate the drum 16 at spin speeds wherein the laundry items rotate with the drum 16 without falling. The spin speeds can also be referred to as satellizing speeds or sticking speeds. Typically, the force applied to the laundry items at the spin speeds is greater than or about equal to 1G. As used herein, “tumbling” of the drum 16 refers to rotating the drum 16 at a tumble speed, “spinning” the drum 16 refers to rotating the drum 16 at a spin speed, and “rotating” of the drum 16 refers to rotating the drum 16 at any speed.
The laundry treating appliance 10 can further comprise an air flow assembly or an air recirculation circuit, illustrated herein as a drying air circuit 60, fluidly coupled to the treating chamber 18 for drying laundry items. The drying air circuit 60 can be a closed loop circuit or an open loop circuit. The drying air circuit 60 can comprise a treating chamber air inlet 58 and a treating chamber air outlet 59, and specifically can be fluidly coupled with the treating chamber air inlet 58 and the treating chamber air outlet 59 and configured to supply drying air through the treating chamber 18 from the treating chamber air inlet 58 to the treating chamber air outlet 59. While the treating chamber air inlet 58 is illustrated herein as being provided on the bellows 26, it will be understood that the treating chamber air inlet 58 can be any provided at any suitable position of the treating chamber 18, including as an opening in at least one of the drum 16 or the tub 14. The treating chamber air outlet 59 is illustrated herein as being provided at a rear wall of the tub 14, the drum 16, and the treating chamber 18, though such a position is not limiting. The treating chamber air inlet 58 and the treating chamber air outlet 59 can be provided at any suitable locations of the treating chamber 18 so long as they are spaced from one another to allow drying air to flow through the treating chamber 18.
In one example, the drying air circuit 60 can be provided as a closed loop, or recirculating, drying air circuit 60, as illustrated herein. The closed loop drying air circuit 60 can define a drying air flow pathway, as indicated by the arrows 30, to recirculate air through the treating chamber 18. The closed loop drying air circuit 60 can include a condenser 32, a blower 34, a heating portion 36, and a drying air conduit 38. The condenser 32 can be provided with a condenser drain conduit (not shown) that fluidly couples the condenser 32 with the pump 74 and the drain conduit 76. Condensed liquid collected within the condenser 32 can flow through the condenser drain conduit to the pump 74, where it can be provided to the recirculation and drain assembly. Alternatively, or additionally, the condenser 32 can be provided with a condensate conduit 152 that fluidly couples the condenser 32 with a condensate collection assembly 150, such that condensed liquid or condensate collected within the condenser 32 can flow through the condensate conduit 152 to the condensate collection assembly 150, where, by way of non-limiting example, the condensate can be removed by a user. The blower 34 is fluidly coupled to the treating chamber 18 such that actuation of the blower 34 supplies or circulates air through the treating chamber 18 by flowing air from the treating chamber air inlet 58 to the treating chamber air outlet 59. The heating portion 36 can enclose at least one heater or heating element (not shown) that is configured to heat recirculating air that flows through the drying air circuit 60. In one example, the drying air circuit 60 can be provided adjacent an upper portion of the tub 14, though it will be understood that the drying air circuit 60 need not be provided adjacent the upper portion of the tub 14, and can be provided at any suitable location adjacent the tub 14 or the treating chamber 18.
In one example, the drying air flow pathway 30 can pass through the components of the closed loop drying air circuit 60 such that air exiting the treating chamber 18 through the treating chamber air outlet 59 flows through the condenser 32, through the blower 34, through the heating portion 36 to be heated to become drying air, and then through the drying air conduit 38 to enter the treating chamber 18 through the treating chamber air inlet 58. However, while the blower 34 is illustrated herein as being provided in between the condenser 32 and the heating portion 36, and specifically downstream of the condenser 32 and upstream of the heating portion 36, it will be understood that the blower 34 can be provided at any suitable location within the drying air circuit 60 so as to drive the supply of air along the drying air flow pathway 30. By way of non-limiting example, the blower 34 can be provided between the treating chamber air outlet 59 and the condenser 32 or between the heating portion 36 and the treating chamber air inlet 58. Further, while the closed loop drying air circuit 60 is illustrated herein as including both the condenser 32 and the heating portion 36, it will be understood that the closed loop drying air circuit 60 could also include the condenser 32, but not the heating portion 36, or could include the heating portion 36, but not the condenser 32.
Alternatively, the blower 34, instead of being fluidly coupled with the condenser 32, can be fluidly coupled with an ambient air source, which can draw ambient air either from within the cabinet 12 or from the exterior of the cabinet 12. The ambient air can be provided from the blower 34 to the heating portion 36 to be heated to be provided through the drying air conduit 38 to enter the treating chamber 18 through the treating chamber air inlet 58. Air that flows through the treating chamber 18 and gathers moisture from the laundry items within the treating chamber 18, and is then exhausted through the treating chamber air outlet 59 and can be exhausted to the exterior of the cabinet 12. As the drying air is not being recirculated to the treating chamber 18, no condensing is necessary. In such an example, while the blower 34 is illustrated as being provided upstream of the heating portion 36, it will also be understood that the blower 34 can be provided between the heating portion 36 and the treating chamber air inlet 58. Additionally or alternatively, the same blower 34 or an additional blower 34 can be provided downstream of the treating chamber air outlet 59 to draw the exhaust air out of the treating chamber 18. Further, in such an example, the condenser 32 can be included such that the blower 34 can be selectively fluidly coupled with the condenser 32 to optionally draw air from the ambient air source or from the condenser 32, as well as to optionally provide the drawn air either to the condenser 32 or to be exhausted to the exterior of the cabinet 12.
The laundry treating appliance 10 also includes a control assembly for controlling the operation of the laundry treating appliance 10 and its various working components to control the operation of the working components and to implement one or more treating cycles of operation. The control assembly can include a controller 96 located within the cabinet 12 and a user interface 98 that is operably coupled with the controller 96. The user interface 98 can provide an input and output function for the controller 96. In one example, the user interface 98 can be provided or integrated with the door assembly 24. In another example, as shown, the user interface 98 can be provided on a front panel of the cabinet 12.
The user interface 98 can include one or more knobs, dials, switches, displays, touch screens and the like for communicating with the user, such as to receive input and provide output. For example, the displays can include any suitable communication technology including that of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) array, or any suitable display that can convey a message to the user. The user can enter different types of information including, without limitation, cycle selection and cycle parameters, such as cycle options. Other communications paths and methods can also be included in the laundry treating appliance 10 and can allow the controller 96 to communicate with the user in a variety of ways. For example, the controller 96 can be configured to send a text message to the user, send an electronic mail to the user, or provide audio information to the user either through the laundry treating appliance 10 or utilizing another device such as a mobile phone.
The controller 96 can include the machine controller and any additional controllers provided for controlling any of the components of the laundry treating appliance 10. For example, the controller 96 can include the machine controller and a motor controller. Many known types of controllers can be used for the controller 96. It is contemplated that the controller is a microprocessor-based controller that implements control software and sends/receives one or more electrical signals to/from each of the various working components to effect the control software. As an example, proportional control (P), proportional integral control (PI), and proportional derivative control (PD), or a combination thereof, a proportional integral derivative control (PID control), can be used to control the various components.
As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the controller 96 can be provided with a memory 100 and a central processing unit (CPU) 102. The memory 100 can be used for storing the control software that is executed by the CPU 102 in completing a cycle of operation using the laundry treating appliance 10 and any additional software. For example, the memory 100 can store a set of executable instructions including at least one user-selectable cycle of operation. Examples, without limitation, of cycles of operation include: wash, heavy duty wash, delicate wash, quick wash, pre-wash, refresh, rinse only, timed wash, dry, heavy duty dry, delicate dry, quick dry, or automatic dry, which can be selected at the user interface 98. The memory 100 can also be used to store information, such as a database or table, and to store data received from one or more components of the laundry treating appliance 10 that can be communicably coupled with the controller 96. The database or table can be used to store the various operating parameters for the one or more cycles of operation, including factory default values for the operating parameters and any adjustments to them by the control assembly or by user input.
The controller 96 can be operably coupled with one or more components of the laundry treating appliance 10 for communicating with and controlling the operation of the component to complete a cycle of operation. For example, the controller 96 can be operably coupled with the valves 42, 44 and the diverter mechanisms 48, 50 for controlling the temperature and flow rate of treating liquid into the treating chamber 18, the motor 88 for controlling the direction and speed of rotation of the drum 16, the pump 74 for controlling the amount of treating liquid in the treating chamber 18 or sump 70, the treating chemistry dispenser 62 for controlling the flow of treating chemistries into the treating chamber 18, the user interface 98 for receiving user selected inputs and communicating information to the user, the steam generator 82, the sump heater 84, the drying air circuit 60, including the blower 34 and the heating portion 36, to control the operation of these and other components to implement one or more of the cycles of operation, and the condensate collection assembly 150 for controlling the flow of condensate to the condensate collection assembly 150 and alerting a user when the condensate should be removed.
The controller 96 can also be coupled with one or more sensors 104 provided in one or more of the assemblies of the laundry treating appliance 10 to receive input from the sensors 104, which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity. Non-limiting examples of sensors 104 that can be communicably coupled with the controller 96 include: a treating chamber temperature sensor, such as a thermistor, which can detect the temperature of the treating liquid in the treating chamber 18 and/or the temperature of the treating liquid being supplied to the treating chamber 18, a moisture sensor, a weight sensor, a chemical sensor, a position sensor, an imbalance sensor, a load size sensor, and a motor torque sensor, which can be used to determine a variety of assembly and laundry characteristics, such as laundry load inertia or mass.
Referring now to FIG. 3 , the condensate collection assembly 150 comprises a condensate container 160 and a housing 200 removably holding the condensate container 160. The condensate container 160 is fluidly coupled with the condenser 32 and is configured to receive the condensed liquid that is collected within the condenser 32 and flows through the condensate conduit 152 to reach the condensate collection assembly 150. In this way, the condenser 32, the condensate conduit 152, and the condensate collection assembly 150, including at least the condensate container 160 and the housing 200 can collectively be thought of as forming a condenser assembly within the laundry treating appliance 10.
The condensate container 160 can be any suitable container for receiving and collecting the condensed liquid from the condenser 32, non-limiting examples of which include a reservoir, bottle, tank, or other liquid container. In one example, the condensate container 160 includes an upper surface 162 that at least partially defines an inlet 164 of the condensate container 160. The inlet 164 is fluidly coupled to the condenser 32 by the condensate conduit 152, such that the condensed liquid from the condenser 32 is provided into the condensate container 160 through the inlet 164. The inlet 164 can be coupled to the condensate conduit 152 by way of an additional nozzle or inlet conduit (not shown), or the condensate conduit 152 can be directly fluidly coupled to the inlet 164. In another non-limiting example, a condensate flow guide, illustrated herein as a baffle 170 can be at least partially received within the inlet 164 to guide the condensed liquid into the condensate container 160.
A handle 180 is coupled with the condensate container 160 for selectively withdrawing the condensate container 160 from the housing 200. In one non-limiting example, the condensate container 160 can be slidably received within the housing 200 for movement between a fully inserted position, as shown, wherein the condensate container 160 is received within the housing 200, and an at least partially withdrawn position (not shown), wherein the condensate container 160 is at least partially withdrawn from the housing 200. The handle 180 is configured such that a user can grasp the handle 180 to withdraw or insert the condensate container 160 from or into the housing 200 as a drawer. It is contemplated that the user can use the handle 180 to fully remove and separate the condensate container 160 from the housing 200 for emptying of the condensate container 160.
The housing 200, which can be coupled to the cabinet 12 and/or can be at least partially formed by the cabinet 12, at least partially defines a housing interior 201, within which the condensate container 160 is removably held. The housing 200 comprises at least a pair of opposing side walls 202 and a rear wall 204 extending between the side walls 202 to at least partially define the housing interior 201.
In an example wherein the volume of condensed liquid supplied to the condensate container 160 exceeds the capacity of the condensate container 160, condensed liquid can overflow from the inlet 164 of the condensate container 160 into the housing 200. If there is no gap between the condensate container 160 and the housing 200, overflowing liquid may go over the side walls 202 or the rear wall 204 of the housing 200 and overflow into other portions of the cabinet 12 or the laundry treating appliance 10. In order to avoid such an overflow from the housing 200, the housing 200 comprises a condensate overflow path to direct condensate overflowing from the inlet 164 and can include the formation of a gap 206 between at least a portion of the condensate container 160 and the housing 200. To achieve this, the housing 200 further comprises spacers 210, 220 provided on at least one side of the housing 200 to form the gap 206 between the condensate container 160 and the housing 200. In the illustrated example, the spacers 210, 220 include a pair of spacers 210 that are provided adjacent the position of the inlet 164 when the condensate container 160 is in the fully inserted position within the housing 200, as shown.
Referring now to FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the housing 200 further comprises at least one container support 208 upon which the condensate container 160 rests and can slide when the condensate container 160 is withdrawn or inserted by the handle 180. The at least one container support 208 maintains the condensate container 160 within the housing interior 201 such that at least a portion of the condensate container 160 is raised above a lower portion of the housing 200. Further, the at least a portion of the condensate container 160 that is raised relative to the lower portion of the housing 200 can be the portion of the condensate container 160 containing the inlet 164.
The pair of spacers 210 that are provided adjacent the position of the inlet 164 are spaced apart from one another so as to be positioned on opposing sides of the inlet 164. The pair of spacers 210 extend between the housing 200 and the condensate container 160 to maintain the gap 206 between the housing 200 and at least the portion of the condensate container 160 that is adjacent the inlet 164. By way of non-limiting example, the pair of spacers 210 can extend at least 2.5 millimeters into the housing interior 201 from the side wall 202 such that the gap 206 between the housing 200 and the at least the portion of the condensate container 160 that is adjacent the inlet 164 is at least 2.5 millimeters in width. Further, the pair of spacers 210 extends along at least a portion of the height of the side wall 202, such as, by way of non-limiting example, by extending along at least half of the height of the side wall 202. Further by way of non-limiting example, the pair of spacers 210 can be generally vertically oriented on the side wall 202. More specifically, as illustrated, the pair of spacers 210 can have at least a portion that tapers toward one another, such as by each of the pair of spacers 210 including an upper portion that taper toward one another moving toward a lower portion of the housing interior 201 and a lower portion extending generally vertically and parallel relative to one another. However, it will be understood that such a configuration of the pair of spacers 210 is not limiting and that other suitable shapes and configurations are also contemplated, non-limiting examples of which include that the pair of spacers 210 are oriented vertically and parallel with one another along their full height, or that the pair of spacers 210 taper toward one another along their entire height, or that the pair of spacers 210 have a shape and configuration that is complementary in shape with the baffle 170 provided within the inlet 164.
At least one additional spacer 220 can be provided at another location of the housing 200 to further maintain the gap 206 between the housing 200 and the condensate container 160. In the illustrated example, the pair of spacers 210 are provided on an inner surface of one of the side walls 202 of the housing 200, with the additional spacer 220 provided on the same side wall 202, laterally spaced from the pair of spacers 210 along the same side wall 202, such as closer to a front portion of the housing 200, while the pair of spacers 210 are positioned closer to the rear wall 204. However, it will be understood that any suitable position can be provided for the spacers 210, 220, including that the additional spacer 220 is provided on the opposite side wall 202 from the pair of spacers 210, or that the pair of spacers 210 can be provided on the rear wall 204 adjacent the inlet 164, with the at least one additional spacer 220 provided on at least one of the side walls 202.
Referring now to FIG. 5 , the spacing between the pair of spacers 210 defines at least a portion of an overflow path 225, as indicated by the arrows 225, such that the pair of spacers 210 guide condensed liquid that may overflow from the inlet 164 downwardly along the side wall 202 between the pair of spacers 210. Specifically, the at least one container support 208 serves to at least partially define at least one overflow channel 207 formed at the lower portion of the housing 200, such that the overflow channel 207 further defines at least a portion of the overflow path 225 to which the condensed liquid is guided by the pair of spacers 210. The housing 200 further comprises at least one overflow outlet 209 that can be provided at a lowermost portion of the housing 200, such that condensed liquid overflowing from the inlet 164 is guided along the overflow path 225 between the pair of spacers 210 to the overflow channel 207 provided below the condensate container 160, then along the overflow channel 207 to the overflow outlet 209. In one example, the overflow channel 207 can be downwardly sloped toward the overflow outlet 209. The overflow outlet 209 can be fluidly coupled to the pump 74 and the drain conduit 76, or additionally or alternatively can be fluidly coupled to a larger reservoir (not shown) provided elsewhere within the laundry treating appliance 10.
Referring now to FIG. 6 , the relative positioning of the overflow channel 207 and the at least one container support 208 can be better seen. By way of non-limiting example, the pair of spacers 210 can extend all the way to the bottom of the overflow channel 207 to ensure that all condensed liquid guided by the pair of spacers 210 is directed into the overflow channel 207, where it can further flow along the overflow path 225 to the overflow outlet 209. Further by way of non-limiting example, the pair of spacers 210 can be thought of as forming a funnel, wider at the top of the pair of spacers 210 than at the bottom of the pair of spacers 210, to direct condensed liquid into the overflow channel 207, with the top of the funnel shape formed by the pair of spacers 210 fluidly coupled with the inlet of the condensate container and the bottom of the funnel shape formed by the pair of spacers 210 fluidly coupled with the downwardly sloped overflow channel 207 formed at the lower portion of the housing 200. Further yet, to facilitate the directing of condensed liquid into the funnel shape formed by the pair of spacers 210, at least the portion of the upper surface 162 of the condensate container 160 that is adjacent the inlet 164 can be sloped downwardly toward the top of the funnel shape or toward the top of the pair of spacers 210. In addition, in the case that more than one container support 208 is included, more than one overflow channel 207 can be defined by the container supports 208 to provide additional space for the accumulation of overflowed condensed liquid beneath the condensate container 160 to ensure that all overflowing condensed liquid eventually exits the housing 200 through the overflow outlet 209, rather than overflowing over the edges of the housing 200.
The aspects of the present disclosure described herein set forth apparatus and methods for managing condensed liquid that can overflow from the condensate container. By providing the housing and condensate container with features to define an overflow path within the housing, overflowing condensed liquid can be more effectively managed and directed to an overflow outlet to be collected at a desired location within the laundry treating appliance, rather than simply overflowing the walls of the housing and flowing to undesirable locations within the cabinet or the laundry treating appliance. The inclusion of the spacers and the supports to define the overflow channel maintain spacing between the housing and the condensate container such that overflowing liquid is directed downwardly into the overflow path instead of being trapped above the condensate container when the condensate container contacts the side walls of the housing. In this way, overflowing condensed liquid can be intentionally collected and delivered to the drain or to another overflow reservoir to be properly contained in a way that avoids the presence of condensate liquid in undesirable leak areas.
To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various aspects can be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature is not illustrated in all of the aspects is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different aspects can be mixed and matched as desired to form new aspects, whether or not the new aspects are expressly described.
This written description uses examples to disclose aspects of the disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice aspects of the disclosure, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. While aspects of the disclosure have been specifically described in connection with certain specific details thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the disclosure, which is defined in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, the laundry treating appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior;

a treating chamber located within the interior; and

a condenser assembly comprising:

a condenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber to receive moisture-laden air from the treating chamber and condense it into a liquid condensate;

a condensate container having an inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser to receive the condensate; and

a housing, removably holding the condensate container with a condensate overflow path to direct condensate overflowing from the inlet, and having spacers on one side of the housing to form a gap between at least a portion of the housing and the condensate container;

wherein at least one of the spacers and at least a portion of the gap define a portion of the overflow path.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the spacers is adjacent the position of the inlet when the condensate container is fully inserted within the housing.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the inlet is provided within an upper surface of the condensate container.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a pair of opposing side walls, with the at least one of the spacers provided on one of the side walls.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the at least one of the spacers comprises a pair of spacers extending along at least a portion of the height of the one of the side walls.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 wherein the pair of spacers are spaced apart from one another such that the position of the inlet is between the pair of spacers.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 6 wherein the pair of spacers taper toward one another from an upper portion of the one of the side walls to a lower portion of the one of the side walls and are configured to direct water overflowing from the inlet toward a lower portion of the housing.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 7 wherein the housing at least partially defines at least one overflow channel formed at the lower portion of the housing, the at least one overflow channel defining at least a portion of the overflow path.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the at least one overflow channel is downwardly sloped to direct the overflow path toward an overflow outlet in the housing.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 7 further comprising a baffle provided within the inlet to guide condensed liquid into the condensate container.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 10 wherein the tapering of the spacers toward one another is complementary in shape with the baffle.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 6 wherein the housing further comprises an additional spacer extending along at least a portion of the height of the same one of the side walls, the additional spacer laterally spaced from the pair of spacers and the inlet along the side wall.

13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 wherein the additional spacer is provided at a front portion of the side wall.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the condenser assembly further comprises a handle coupled to the condensate container.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 wherein the condensate container is slidably withdrawable from the housing by the handle.

16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the laundry treating appliance is a condensing laundry appliance.

17. The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein the condensate container stores the condensate that is condensed from the treating chamber during the cycle of operation.

18. The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein the laundry treating appliance is a condensing laundry dryer.

19. A condenser assembly for use within a condensing laundry treating appliance and fluidly coupled with a treating chamber of the condensing laundry treating appliance, the condenser assembly comprising:

a housing, removably holding the condensate container, with a condensate overflow path to direct condensate overflowing from the inlet, and having spacers on one side of the housing to form a gap between at least a portion of the housing and the condensate container, wherein at least one of the spacers and at least a portion of the gap define a portion of the overflow path.

20. The condenser assembly of claim 19 wherein the condensing laundry treating appliance is a condensing laundry dryer.