WO2018145738A1

WO2018145738A1 - A laundry drying appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2018145738A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/052726
Authority: WO
Inventors: Semih KURULAR; Mutlu IPEK; Fatih KASAP; Furkan BAYAV; Yusuf Koc; Murat Elgun; Mehmet Kaya
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2017-02-08
Filing date: 2017-02-08
Publication date: 2018-08-16
Also published as: TR201801389A2

Abstract

The present invention refers to a laundry drying appliance (1) comprising: a laundry treatment chamber wherein the laundry to be dried is placed; an air circulation duct (4) connected to the treatment chamber for recirculating the process air from and into the treatment chamber; and a water distribution device (5) connected to a water supplying conduit (6) and to the circulation duct (4) for delivering water into the circulation duct (4).

Description

A LAUNDRY DRYING APPLIANCE

The present invention relates to a laundry drying appliance, such as a dryer or a washer/dryer, having an air circulation duct and a water distribution device arranged on it which allows an efficient distribution of water for cleaning and/or cooling and dehumidifying purposes.

Closed cycle laundry drying appliances generally comprise a laundry treatment chamber, wherein the laundry to be dried is placed for instance in a drum arranged in it, and an air circulation duct connected to the laundry treatment chamber for recirculating and recycling the air used to dry the damp laundry in the treatment chamber removing the moisture on it. More in detail, before being reintroduced in the treatment chamber, the exhaust air exiting the treatment chamber is cooled by ambient air or water and the water vapor contained in it is removed by condensation and the dried air is subsequently heated and fed back into the treatment chamber with low relative humidity rate and at high temperature. To this aim a condensing chamber, a heat pump or a heat exchanger and a heater are arranged on the air circulation duct.

One or more water distribution devices are generally arranged on the air circulation duct for cleaning and/or cooling and dehumidifying purposes.

More in detail, in water-cooled drying appliances and particular in combo washer/dryers, a condensing chamber is generally defined on a portion of the air circulation duct, wherein a water distribution device is arranged in order to spray cold water countercurrent to the exhaust air exiting the treatment chamber to cool it down and remove the moisture contained in it by condensation. Such a water-cooled drying appliance is for instance disclosed in the patent application n. US 2015089832 A1. The main drawback of the water-cooled drying appliances resides on the law efficiency, so that a great amount of water is required in order to efficiently remove the moisture from the exhaust air.

In order to increase the dehumidifying efficiency, water-cooled drying appliances have been developed wherein the water distribution device comprises one or more nebulizing nozzles for producing a fine spray of cooling water in the condensing chamber. Despite the increased dehumidifying efficiency, however, these drying appliances suffers from the problem that nebulized water can be easily dragged by the exhaust air toward the laundry treatment chamber and through mechanical components in the air circulation duct, such as fan and heater, possibly damaging them.

More in general water distribution devices are also arranged on the air circulation duct of drying appliances for cleaning purposes.

While the laundry is being dried, in fact, fibers, lint and dust break off from the laundry particularly due to mechanical effects. In conventional laundry dryers, most of these lint are collected by means of one or more filters disposed on the air circulation duct, in order to prevent them from accumulating on the heat exchanger or on other components. More in detail, a removable lint filter is generally arranged at the inlet of the air circulation duct and a further filter is arranged upstream of the heat pump or of the heat exchanger.

The filter, or filters, gets easily clogged and therefore it needs to be cleaned frequently. To this aim the filter can be removable and/or easily accessible so that the cleaning operation can be carried out manually by the user or it can be self-cleaning so that the cleaning operation is carried out automatically by means of a water distribution device which generally applies water or a washing liquid at the face of the filter where the lint accumulates.

The water distribution device usually comprises one or more nozzles for spraying the water or the washing liquid onto the filter.

In order to limit the number of nozzles to be used, while ensuring that the whole face of the filter to be cleaned is swept by the washing liquid sprayed by the nozzles, the nozzles should be placed at a minimum distance from the filter to ensure a sufficient spray width of the nozzles to cover the whole surface of the filter. However, due to space limitations inside the laundry dryer, this is not always possible, so that a higher number of nozzles has to be provided, thus increasing the production costs of the dryer.

Moreover in order to ensure that the washing liquid, distributed among the plurality of nozzles, reaches the filter with a sufficient pressure to efficiently remove the lint trapped on it, a higher amount of water needs to be used.

In order to overcome such drawbacks of the known filter cleaning devices, in recent years cleaning devices have been developed which comprise a pluralıty of nozzles and a flow diverter valve arranged upstream of the nozzles and aimed to address the pressurized washing liquid only to one or few of the nozzles at a time so as to ensure a sufficient pressure of the washing liquid that impinges the filter and hence a more efficient removal of the lint therein entrapped.

The installation of this cleaning device is however difficult to be performed and it entails higher production costs.

Primary object of the present invention is to provide a laundry drying appliance comprising a water distribution device which allows an efficient distribution of water into the air circulation duct which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art being operationally secure and efficient for cleaning and/or cooling and dehumidifying purposes without entailing increased production costs or higher water consumption.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a laundry drying appliance which is sturdy and which requires minimum maintenance interventions.

The laundry drying appliance realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a water distribution device having one or more water outlets whereon fluidic oscillators are arranged. The fluidic oscillators allow to distribute the water oscillating on a sweeping area, thus increasing the impinging area of the water emitted by the outlets when compared with traditional nozzles mounted on the same number of outlets. A higher cleaning and/or cooling and dehumidifying efficiency s hence ensured by the water distribution device according to the invention, without however requiring a higher number of outlets or a higher consumption of water.

In an embodiment the laundry drying appliance comprises one or more filters for collecting lint carried by the process air, for instance arranged at the inlet of the circulation duct, provided for recirculating the process air from and into the treatment chamber, or upstream of an heat exchanger or heat pump provided in the circulation duct for dehumidifying the process air flowing through it, and the water distribution device is provided in order to clean one or more of such filters, in particular by distributing water on the face of the filter whereon lint is collected.

In another embodiment, the water distribution device is provided in order to distribute water on the heat exchanger or heat pump arranged in the circulation duct so as to clean it and/or improving its cooling.

In an embodiment, the water distribution device comprises a plurality of outlets arranged on one or more rows, spaced apart from one another so that all the fluidic oscillators arranged on them together can sweep a selected area inside the circulation duct, such as for instance the face to be cleaned of a filter or a selected portion of a heat exchanger or heat pump. In particular the fluidic oscillators can be arranged on the outlets pointing downward or upward in order to release water respectively in a downward or in an upward direction, depending on the specific aim of the water distribution device and/or on the arrangement of the components, such as filter, heat exchanger or heat pump, to be cleaned or cooled, and depending on the available room in the laundry drying appliance.

In another embodiment, the laundry drying appliance, which is in particular a combo washer dryer, comprises a condensing room instead of a heat exchanger or heat pump and the outlet or outlets of the water distribution device is placed in the condensing room to promote cooling and dehumidifying of the process air flowing in the circulation duct, by direct contact between the distributed water and the process air.

In a version of this embodiment, the condensing room is defined by a portion of the circulation duct and the fluidic oscillator is arranged on the outlet so as to spray water countercurrent to the flowing direction of the process air in the circulation duct.

A laundry drying appliance realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is a front perspective view of a laundry drying appliance according to the present invention wherein the external cabinet and some of the inner components of the laundry drying appliance have been removed in order to better show the remaining inner components of the laundry drying appliance.

Figure 2 - is the cross-sectional view of a detail of the water distribution device of the laundry drying appliance of Figure 1 relative to a fluidic oscillator.

Figures 3 and 4 - are front perspective views of a detail of the laundry drying appliance of Figure 1 relative to a heat exchanger and a water distribution device according to two different embodiments.

Figure 5 - is a rear perspective view of a detail of a laundry appliance according to the present invention relative to a tub, an air circulation duct and a water distribution device.

Figure 6 - is an enlarged perspective view only of the water distribution device of Figure 5.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Laundry drying appliance
Body
Tub
Circulation duct
Water distribution device
Water supplying conduit
Outlet
Fluidic oscillator
Tank
10’. Filter
Opening
Heat exchanger
Condensing room
Fan
Heater

The laundry drying appliance 1 of the present invention comprises a body 2 and a laundry treatment chamber (not illustrated), placed in the body 2, wherein the laundry to be dried is placed. More in detail the laundry treatment chamber is defined by a tub 3 suspended in the body and the laundry to be dried is placed in it, preferably into a drum rotatably mounted in it.

The laundry drying appliance 1 further comprises an air circulation duct 4 connected to the treatment chamber for recirculating the process air from and into the treatment chamber and a water distribution device 5 connected to a water supplying conduit 6 and to the circulation duct 4 for delivering water, i.e. plain water or more in general a washing or cooling water solution or liquid, into the circulation duct 4.

In particular, the water distribution device 5 is aimed to deliver water into the circulation duct 4 for cleaning, cooling or dehumidifying purposes as better specified hereunder.

The water supplying conduit 6, that provides water to the water distribution device 5, can be connected to the mains for receiving water from the latter, as for instance in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, or to a tank 9 wherein the condensed water derived from the drying process is stored, as for instance in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1.

According to the present invention, the water distribution device 5 comprises one or more outlets 7 placed in the circulation duct 4 and one or more fluidic oscillator 8 each arranged on a correspondent outlet 7.

A fluidic oscillator is a device having a specially designed flow chamber that produces a sweeping jet of fluid having high exit velocity, as for instance the fluidic oscillator 8 illustrated in the attached Figure 2.

The water distribution device 5 having one or more outlets 7 each with a fluidic oscillator 8, allows to optimally distribute water in the circulation duct 4 covering a relevant sweeping area without requiring, to this aim, the use of a higher amount of water. Therefore the water distribution device 5 has an increased efficiency.

The sweeping jet created by the fluidic oscillator 8, depending on the specific purpose of the water distribution device 5, allows to better clean selected components or filters arranged in the circulation duct 4 from the lint, fluff and more in general debris carried by the process air or to better cool down and dehumidify the process air as better specified hereunder.

According to an embodiment, the laundry drying appliance 1 further comprises one or more filters 10, 10’ placed in the circulation duct 4 for collecting lint, i.e. lint, fluff or debris carried by the process air recirculating in the circulation duct 4 and the one or more outlets 7 of the water distribution device 5 are arranged so that the water emitted by it or them impinges at least one of the filters 10 or 10’. More in detail the outlet or outlets 7 of water distribution device 5 are arranged in the circulation duct 4 so as to clean one or more filters 10, 10’, by means of the water emitted by them that impinges the face of the filter (or filters) where the lint accumulates. Thanks to the presence of the fluidic oscillators 8, in order to sweep the same face area of a filter 10 or 10’, a lower number of outlets 7 are required with respect to the number of outlets required when traditional nozzles are used thus reducing the production costs and the amount of water to be used to clean the filter 10 or 10’. Another advantage is due to the fact that the outlets 7 of the water distribution device 5 can be arranged closer to the correspondent filter 10 or 10’ still ensuring that the whole face of the filter 10 or 10’ is impinged by water and hence cleaned, so that an optimal efficiency of the water distribution device 5 is ensured also in case of a limited space being available inside the laundry appliance.

According to a further embodiment, a filter 10 is arranged at the inlet of the circulation duct 4 for collecting lint carried by the process air at the exit from the treatment chamber and the water distribution device 5 comprises outlets 7 arranged in the circulation duct 4 in order to provide cleaning of such filter 10. The water distribution device 5 allows in this case such filter 10 to be self-cleaning. The filter 10 could be in any case removably arranged in the body 2 so as to be easily reached and extracted by the user for deep cleaning operations, as for instance at the opening 11 of the body 2 through which the user inserts the laundry to be dried in the treatment chamber.

According to an embodiment, illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the laundry drying appliance 1 further comprises a heat exchanger 12 or a heat pump placed in the circulation duct 4 and aimed to remove water vapor contained in the air flowing in the circulation duct 4 by means of condensation.

In a version of this embodiment, a filter 10’ is arranged upstream of the heat exchanger 12 or heat pump with respect to the flowing direction of the process air in the circulation duct 4, in order to block the lint carried by the process air before the latter passes through the heat exchanger 12 or heat pump. The outlets 7 of the water distribution device 5 can be therefore placed in the circulation duct 4 so as to distribute water on the face of such filter 10’ where lint accumulates, in order to clean it. Also in this case the filter 10’ can be removably arranged inside the body 2 of the laundry drying appliance 1 in a position reachable by the user, in order to allow the latter to perform deep cleaning operations. For instance the filter 10’ could be reachable through a door (not illustrated) provided at the bottom of the body 2, as for example on the kick plate.

In another version of this embodiment, one or more outlets 7 of the water distribution device 5 are arranged so as to distribute water directly on the heat exchanger 12 or heat pump, in order to clean it and/or to improve cooling.

Obviously, outlets 7 of the water distribution device 5 could be placed both in correspondence of one or more of the filters 10 or 10’ and on the heat exchanger 12 or heat pump.

According to a further embodiment, the water distribution device 5 comprises a plurality of outlets 7 arranged on at least one row, spaced apart from one another. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the outlets 7 are provided in order to allow cleaning of a filter 10 or 10’, since the outlets 7 arranged on a row in front of the face of the filter 10 or 10’ to be cleaned ensure a substantially homogeneous rinsing of such face and hence an efficient cleaning of it.

In a version of this embodiment, the fluidic oscillators 8 are arranged on the outlets 7 pointing downward, in order to release water in a downward direction. In this manner the emitted water is more easily distributed on the whole face of the filter 10 or 10’ or throughout the whole heat exchanger 12 or heat pump being dragged also by the force of gravity.

In an alternative version of this embodiment, the fluidic oscillators 8 are arranged on the outlets 7 pointing upward in order to release water in an upward direction. In this manner the emitted water sweeps the whole face of the filter 10 or 10’ or the whole heat exchanger 12 or heat pump in two opposite directions, being first forced upward when emitted by the fluidic oscillators and being subsequently dragged downward by the force of gravity.

In an embodiment, illustrated in the attached Figure 5, the laundry drying appliance 1, instead of comprising a heat exchanger 12 or heat pump for dehumidifying the process air flowing through the circulation duct 4, comprises a condensing room 13 and one or more outlets 7 of the water distribution device 5 are placed in the condensing room 13. More in detail the condensing room 13 is arranged on the circulation duct 4 upstream, with respect to the flowing direction of the process air in the circulation duct 4, of the further components provided on the duct 4, such as the fan 14, provided to attract the process air from the treatment room into the circulation duct 4, and the heater 15, provided to reheat the process air before its reintroduction in the treatment chamber.

In the specific embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 and 6 only one outlet 7 is provided in the condensing room 13. The water emitted from the outlet 7 directly contacts the hot and humid air flowing in the condensing room, cooling it down and favoring the condensation of the water vapor contained in it. The condensed water and the water emitted by the outlet 7 and used to dehumidify the process air are collected at the bottom of the condensing chamber 12 and forwarded either to a collection tank in order to be subsequently reutilized or to a drain pipe to be expelled from the laundry appliance 1.

Thanks to the presence of the fluidic oscillator 8 arranged at the outlet 7, a larger amount of process air enters directly in contact with the water emitted from the outlet 7 so that the cooling and dehumidifying efficiency is increased.

In a version of this embodiment, the condensing room 13 is defined by a portion of the circulation duct 4, as illustrated in Figure 5, and the fluidic oscillator 8 is arranged on a correspondent outlet 7 so as to spray water countercurrent to the flowing direction of the process air in the circulation duct 4. In this manner the heat exchanging performance of the water emitted by the fluidic oscillator 8 with the process air is improved. Moreover the water is emitted in the circulation duct 4 moving away from the further components arranged in the circulation duct 4, such as the fan 14 and the heater 15, so that possible damages caused by water impinging such components are avoided. In this regard, the use of a fluidic oscillator 8 which ensures that the water is distributed throughout substantially the whole cross section of the circulation duct 4 without however nebulizing it, ensures that no fine spray of water is dragged by the process air toward the further components arranged in the circulation duct 4 while still ensuring an optimal cooling and dehumidifying efficiency.

The laundry drying appliance 1 comprising the condensing room 13 is in particular a combo washer dryer allowing both to wash and dry the laundry placed in the treatment chamber.

By means of the present invention, thanks to the presence of fluidic oscillators 8 arranged on the outlets 7 of a water distribution device 5 a more efficient distribution of water, and hence a more efficient cleaning and/or cooling and dehumidifying performance, is reached by the water distribution device 5 without this requiring the use of a high amount of water nor the use of a high number of outlets 7, thus reducing the production and operational costs. Moreover, the fluidic oscillators 8 do not comprise mechanical and/or electronic components that could incur in damages or malfunctioning over the time, so that also the maintenance costs of the laundry drying appliance 1 are contained.

Claims

A laundry drying appliance (1) comprising:

- a laundry treatment chamber wherein the laundry to be dried is placed;

- an air circulation duct (4) connected to the treatment chamber for recirculating the process air from and into the treatment chamber;

- a water distribution device (5) connected to a water supplying conduit (6) and to the circulation duct (4) for delivering water into the circulation duct (4);

characterized in that the water distribution device (5) comprises at least one outlet (7) placed in the circulation duct (4) and a fluidic oscillator (8) arranged on the at least one outlet (7).
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in Claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one filter (10, 10’) placed in the circulation duct (4) for collecting lint carried by the process air and the at least one outlet (7) of the water distribution device (5) is arranged so that the water emitted by it impinges the at least one filter (10, 10’).
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in Claim 2, characterized in that the at least one filter (10) is arranged at the inlet of the circulation duct (4) for collecting lint carried by the process air at the exit from the treatment chamber.
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that it further comprises a heat exchanger (12) or a heat pump placed in the circulation duct (4) and the at least one filter (10’) is arranged upstream of the heat exchanger (12) or heat pump with respect to the flowing direction of the process air in the circulation duct (4).
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that it further comprises a heat exchanger (12) or a heat pump placed in the circulation duct (4) and the at least one outlet (7) of the water distribution device (5) is arranged so as to distribute water on the heat exchanger (12) or heat pump.
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the water distribution device (5) comprises a plurality of outlets (7) arranged on at least one row, spaced apart from one another.
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in Claim 6, characterized in that the fluidic oscillators (8) are arranged on the outlets (7) pointing downward in order to release water in a downward direction.
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in Claim 6, characterized in that the fluidic oscillators (8) are arranged on the outlets (7) pointing upward in order to release water in an upward direction.
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in any of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises a condensing room (13) and the at least one outlet (7) of the water distribution device (5) is placed in the condensing room (13).
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in Claim 9, characterized in that the condensing room (13) is defined by a portion of the circulation duct (4) and the fluidic oscillator (8) is arranged on the at least one outlet (7) so as to spray water countercurrent to the flowing direction of the process air in the circulation duct (4).
A laundry drying appliance (1) as in Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that it is a combo washer dryer.