WO2011154439A1

WO2011154439A1 - A dryer

Info

Publication number: WO2011154439A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/059464
Authority: WO
Inventors: Canyigit Atay; Dogan Demirhan; Sinan Sekban; Alper Batur
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2010-06-08
Filing date: 2011-06-08
Publication date: 2011-12-15
Also published as: EP2580385A1; TR201716639T3; CN102918197A; CN102918197B; EP2580385B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dryer (1) comprising a body (2) having two side walls (3), a front wall and a rear wall (4), a drum (5) disposed in the body (2), into which the laundry to be dried is placed, a condenser (6) providing the dehumidification of the cooling air used in the drying process by condensing it, a base unit (7) disposed under the drum (5), supporting the motor, the fan, the condenser (6) and other elements required for the drying process, a first opening (8) disposed on the base unit (7), providing the cooling air passing through the condenser (6) to be delivered into the body (2), a second opening (9) disposed on the rear wall (4), providing the cooling air delivered into the body (2) to be discharged to the outer environment, and wherein vibration and noise occurring during the discharge of the cooling air passed over the condenser (6) to the outer environment are reduced.

Description

A DRYER

The present invention relates to a dryer wherein the vibration and noise occurring due to the high-speed cooling air leaving the condenser are decreased.

In closed cycle and air-condensation laundry dryers, the drying process is provided with the interaction between the cooling air and the cycle air that do not directly contact each other. The cycle air is heated by a heater and directed into the drum by means of a cycle fan. The cycle air contacting the damp laundry dehumidifies the laundry and transferred to the condenser to leave its moisture. At the same time, the condenser is provided to be cooled and the moisture in the cooling air is provided to be condensed by the air sucked from outer environment being passed over the condenser by means of the cooling fan. The cooling air is discharged to outside by being delivered between the drum and the base unit after passing over the cooling channels of the condenser. During the discharging of the cooling air to the outer environment, the high-flow rate air hits the side panels of the dryer at high speed. Due to this impact, flow-generated, high-level sound and noise occur.

In the state of the art Korean Patent Application No. KR20050017282, a dryer is explained, comprising an air guide mounted to the cooling air outlet of the condenser and guiding the cooling air towards the ceiling in the body.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a dryer wherein vibration and noise are decreased by preventing the high-speed cooling air leaving the condenser from hitting the side walls of the dryer.

The dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof comprises a guide disposed at the base of the body and providing the cooling air discharged from the first opening disposed on the base unit wherein elements such as the motor, the condenser, etc. are disposed to be discharged from the second opening disposed on the rear wall by guiding it thereto. Since the first opening and the second opening are disposed at different planes perpendicular to each other, the guide is shaped as a bend connecting the first opening and the second opening to each other. By means of the guide, the cooling air discharged from the first opening is prevented from spreading into the gap between the drum and the body. The cooling air leaving the first opening is guided towards the second opening by means of the guide shaped as a tube closed all around with both ends open. Thus, the cooling air leaving the first opening is prevented from causing vibration and noise by preventing it from hitting the side walls. Consequently, the dryer is provided to operate more silently.

The guide has an inlet port seating onto the first opening, an outlet port seating onto the second opening and a channel joining the inlet port and the outlet port, through which the cooling air flows. The inlet port and the outlet port leak-proofingly closes the first opening and the second opening, respectively. Thus, all of the cooling air discharged from the condenser is provided to be discharged to the outside environment by flowing through the channel by preventing it from spreading into the body.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the inlet port and the outlet port are almost rectangular. The channel has walls that connect the short edges of the inlet port to the long edges of the outlet port and walls that connect the long edges of the inlet port to the short edges of the outlet port. The cross-sectional area of the channel first narrows then expands towards the second opening in the flow direction of the cooling air. Thus, a guide volume with optimum size that can fit between the drum and the body is obtained.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide is secured onto the base unit. The guide being mounted only onto the base unit provides ease of assembly-disassembly both in production and service operations.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a height difference is present between the inlet port and the outlet port.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide comprises two protrusions, each on one of the two sides extending parallel to the side walls of the outlet port and two slides, each on one of the two sides extending parallel to the side walls of the second opening, into which the protrusions seat. During the assembly of the guide, the guide is provided to be guided onto the base unit by the protrusions being seated into the slides. Thus, ease of assembly is provided.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide is produced as a single piece.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide is produced by joining at least two separate pieces.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide is produced from plastic. Thus, a low-cost and simplification in production is provided.

By means of the present invention, the cooling air discharge from the condenser is prevented from spreading into the gap between the drum and the body and from hitting the body side walls. The cooling air is directly discharged to the outer environment from the condenser by means of the guide. Thus, problems such as vibration, noise, etc. occurring as a result of the cooling air hitting the side walls are reduced and the dryer is provided to operate more silently.

The dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 – is the partial perspective view of a dryer.

Figure 2 – is the partial perspective view of the base unit and the rear wall.

Figure 3 – is the perspective view of the base unit and the rear wall related to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 – is the partial perspective view of the base unit and the guide with the guide not being mounted to the base unit.

Figure 5 – is the perspective view of detail A in Figure 4.

Figure 6 – is the perspective view of detail B in Figure 4.

Figure 7 – is the partial perspective view of the base unit and the guide with the guide being mounted to the base unit.

Figure 8 – is the perspective view of a guide.

Figure 9 – is the perspective view of a guide from a different angle.

Figure 10 – is the perspective view of a guide from another angle.

Figure 11 – is the perspective view of a guide from another angle.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Dryer
Body
Side wall
Rear wall
Drum
Condenser
Base unit
First opening
Second opening
Inlet port
Outlet port
Channel
Guide
Slide
Protrusion

The dryer (1) comprises a body (2) having two side walls (3), a front wall and a rear wall (4), a drum (5) disposed in the body (2), into which the laundry to be dried is placed, a condenser (6) providing the dehumidification of the cooling air used in the drying process by condensing it, a base unit (7) disposed under the drum (5), supporting the motor, the fan, the condenser (6) and other elements required for the drying process, a first opening (8) disposed on the base unit (7), providing the cooling air passing through the condenser (6) to be delivered into the body (2), a second opening (9) disposed on the rear wall (4), providing the cooling air delivered into the body (2) to be discharged to the outer environment.

The dryer (1) operating depending on the closed cycle principle comprises a cooling fan providing air to be sucked from the environment to cool the condenser (6), a heater providing the cycle air dehumidified and leaving the condenser (6) to be heated and at least one cycle fan providing the cycle air to circulate between the drum (5), the condenser (6) and the heater. The cycle air is delivered to the drum (5) after being passed over the heater. The hot air dehumidifies the laundry in the drum (5) and leaves the drum (5). The cycle fan absorbs the air leaving the drum (5) and transmits it to the condenser (6). The cooling fan that provides the cool air in the environment to pass over the condenser (6) by sucking it provides that the moisture stays on the condenser (6) by cooling the humid and hot cycle air passing through the condenser (6) and also provides that the cycle air leaves the condenser (6) in a dry state. The cycle fan completes the drying cycle by transmitting the dry cycle air leaving the condenser (6) to the heater once again and then to the drum (5). The cooling air sucked from the environment by means of the cooling fan is discharged from the condenser (6) by means of the first opening (8) after being passed over the condenser (6).

The dryer (1) of the present invention, furthermore comprises a guide (13) closed all around, extending between the first opening (8) and the second opening (9), providing the cooling air discharged from the condenser (6) to be discharged to the outer environment such that it does not spread between the drum (5) and the body (2). Thus, the rate of hitting the body (2) side walls (3) is reduced by the high-flow rate cooling air passed over the condenser (6) being guided to the second opening (9) by being passed through the guide (13) in closed form. Thus, the dryer (1) is provided to operate more silently by the negative effects such as vibration, noise, etc. that the cooling air causes as the result of hitting being reduced.

The guide (13) comprises an inlet port (10) seating onto the first opening (8), an outlet port (11) seating onto the second opening (9) and a channel (12) extending between the inlet port (10) and the outlet port (11), through which the cooling air passes to be discharged to the outer environment. The cooling air passed over the condenser (6) reaches the channel (12) by passing through the inlet port (10) after leaving the first opening (8). The cooling air moving through the channel (12) is discharged to the outer environment from the second opening (9) by passing from the outlet port (11) to the second opening (9). The inlet port (10) and the outlet port (11) completely cover the first opening (8) and the second opening (9) respectively in the flow direction of the cooling air. The cooling air leaving the condenser (6) does not spread into the gap between the drum (5) and the body (2). All of the cooling air discharged from the condenser (6) is discharged to the outer environment by passing through the channel (12).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the inlet port (10) and the outlet port (11) are almost rectangular. The inlet port (10) is disposed on the upper surface of the condenser (6), at a position near the side wall (3). The channel (12) extends through the gap between the base unit (7) and the drum (5). The channel (12) joins the short edges of the inlet port (10) with the long edges of the outlet port (11) and the long edges of the inlet port (10) with the short edges of the outlet port (11). Therefore, the channel (12) is in a form narrowing from the inlet port (10) towards the outlet port (11) from a side view. The channel (12) is in a form widening from the inlet port (10) towards the outlet port (11) from a top view. The speed of the cooling air is reduced by the cooling air discharged from the condenser (6) being discharged from the outlet port (11) having a cross-section as wide as possible. Thus, a more even flow is obtained during the discharge of the cooling air.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the guide (13) is mounted onto the base unit (7). The guide (13) is mounted onto the base unit (7) by a method such as screwing, etc. after the inlet port (10) is guided onto the first opening (8) and the outlet port (11) onto the second opening (9). The guide (13) being mounted only to the base unit (7) provides ease of tolerance during the production. Moreover, the cooling air being discharged over the base unit (7) provides ease of maintenance, assembly and disassembly.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a height difference is present between the inlet port (10) and the outlet port (11). Thus, a guide (13) is obtained having the largest volume that can fill the volume between the base unit (7) and the drum (5). By means of the form of the guide (13), the cooling air interacts less with the drum (5) and the efficiency of the dryer (1) is prevented from decreasing by preventing the drum (5) from cooling.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide (13) comprises more than one protrusion (15) disposed on the edges of the two opposing side walls of the outlet port (11) and more than one slide (14) disposed on the two opposing sides of the second opening (9), into which the protrusions (15) seat. The guide (13) is provided to be guided to the right position by the protrusions (15) being seated into the slides (14) during the assembly of the guide (13). Thus, cost is provided to be decreased by facilitating the labor.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide (13) is produced as a single piece. Thus, operations such as the assembly, disassembly of the guide (13) is facilitated.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide (13) is produced by joining at least two separate pieces. In a version of this embodiment, classic cored mould, open-close mould and injection method are applied during the production of the guide (13).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide (13) is produced from plastic. The guide (13) is produced with blow molding method. Since the base unit (7) is also produced from plastic, the assembly of the guide (13) onto the base unit (7) is easily realized.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide (13) is produced from sheet metal. Thus, the strength of the guide (13) is increased.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the first opening (8) and the second opening (9) are in sieve form. While the cooling air is provided to be directed upwards while passing through the first opening (8) during its discharge from the condenser (6), the air moving through the channel (12) is provided to leave the second opening (9) perpendicularly to the rear wall (4) plane.

In the dryer (1) of the present invention, vibration and noise are prevented from occurring with the effect of hitting by preventing the cooling air discharged from the condenser (6) from hitting the side walls (3) by means of the guide (13). Consequently, the dryer (1) is provided to operate more silently.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A dryer (1) comprising a body (2) having two side walls (3) and a rear wall (4), a drum (5) disposed in the body (2), into which the laundry to be dried is placed, a condenser (6) providing the dehumidification of the cooling air used in the drying process by condensing it, a base unit (7) disposed under the drum (5), supporting the motor, the fan, the condenser (6) and other elements required for the drying process, a first opening (8) disposed on the base unit (7), providing the cooling air passing through the condenser (6) to be delivered into the body (2), a second opening (9) disposed on the rear wall (4), providing the cooling air delivered into the body (2) to be discharged to the outer environment, characterized by a guide (13) closed all around, extending between the first opening (8) and the second opening (9), providing the cooling air discharged from the condenser (6) to be discharged to the outer environment such that it does not spread between the drum (5) and the body (2).
A dryer (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the guide (13) comprising an inlet port (10) seating onto the first opening (8), an outlet port (11) seating onto the second opening (9) and a channel (12) extending between the inlet port (10) and the outlet port (11), through which the cooling air passes to be discharged to the outer environment.
A dryer (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the guide (13) the inlet port (10) and the outlet port (11) of which are almost rectangular.
A dryer (1) as in Claim 3, characterized by the channel (12) joining the short edges of the inlet port (10) with the long edges of the outlet port (11) and the long edges of the inlet port (10) with the short edges of the outlet port (11)
A dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the guide (13) mounted onto the base unit (7).
A dryer (1) as in any one of the Claims 2 to 5, characterized by the guide (13) wherein a height difference is present between the inlet port (10) and the outlet port (11) thereof.
A dryer (1) as in any one of the Claims 2 to 6, characterized by the guide (13) comprising more than one protrusion (15) disposed on the edges of the two opposing side walls of the outlet port (11) and more than one slide (14) disposed on the two opposing sides of the second opening (9), into which the protrusions (15) seat.
A dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the guide (13) produced as a single piece.
A dryer (1) as in any one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized by the guide (13) produced by joining at least two separate pieces.
A dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the guide (13) produced from plastic.
A dryer (1) as in any one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized by the guide (13) produced from metal sheet.
A dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the first opening (8) and the second opening (9) in sieve form.