Patent Application
20220411986
The present disclosure relates to household appliances and, more particularly, to combination washer/dryer units that control the processed air around the drum.
In combination washer/dryer units, it is important to reduce the amount of time required to dry clothes during the drying cycle. In order to reduce the drying time, it is possible to increase the interaction of hot air with wet clothes within the drum. However, without proper air volume, this has a negative impact on the clothes within the drum. Thus, it is desirable to increase the airflow through the drum during the drying cycle and, if desired, increase the interaction of hot air with clothes. Preferably, it is desirable to increase the airflow through the drum.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to increase the airflow through the drum during the drying cycle. The present disclosure provides sealing between the drum and tub to increase the airflow into the drum while decreasing the airflow about the drum. The present disclosure provides a seal between the tub and drum that forces air to enter into the drum, increasing the airflow in the drum, which, in turn, reduces the drying time of the appliance.
According to a first embodiment of the disclosure, a seal for a tub/drum assembly comprises a ring body to secure to the tub/drum assembly. An arm extends from the ring body that reduces the gap between the tub and drum. A mass is at the end of the arm to enable the arm to deflect at high drum speed increasing the gap between the tub and drum during the washing cycle. The arm includes a chamber to retain the mass inside the chamber. The mass can be a fluid, metal or the like. A pocket is positioned on the ring to receive a flange of the drum to enhance securement of the ring to the drum. A composite material may be positioned on the other part of the tub/drum assembly opposing the mass to enable contact of the mass while preventing damage to the seal.
According to a second embodiment of the disclosure, a seal for a tub/drum assembly comprises a ring body for securing to the tub/drum assembly. An arm extends from the ring body to reduce the gap between the tub and drum. The arm is of a material prohibiting substantial deflection of the arm so that the gap is maintained, at all rotational speeds of the drum, between the tub and the drum without the arm contacting the drum. This creates high resistance in an airflow path around the drum. The ring is secured to the tub and the arm may include a seal with a lip or wiper extending towards the drum. An additional seal may be positioned on the drum adjacent to the arm. The seal may include a lip extending towards the arm.
Accordingly to a third aspect of the disclosure, a tub/drum assembly for a combo washer/dryer comprises a tub for receiving a drum rotatable within the tub. A seal for the tub/drum assembly comprises a ring body secured to the drum. An arm extends from the ring body that reduces the gap between the tub and drum. A mass is at the end of the arm to enable the arm to deflect at high drum speed increasing the gap between the tub and drum during the washing cycle. The arm includes a chamber to retain the mass inside the chamber. The mass can be a fluid, metal or the like. A pocket is positioned on the ring to receive a flange of the drum to enhance securement of the ring to the drum. A composite material may be positioned on the other part of the tub/drum assembly opposing the mass to enable contact of the mass while preventing damage to the seal.
Accordingly to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, a tub/drum assembly for a combo washer/dryer comprises a tub for receiving a drum rotatable within the tub. A seal for the tub/drum assembly comprises a ring body to secure to the tub. An arm extends from the ring body that reduces the gap between the tub and drum. The arm is of a material prohibiting substantial deflection of the arm so that the gap is maintained, at all rotational speeds of the drum, between the tub and the drum without the arm contacting the drum. This creates high resistance in an airflow path around the drum. The ring is secured to the tub and the arm may include a seal with a lip or wiper extending towards the drum. An additional seal may be positioned on the drum adjacent to the arm. The seal may include a lip extending towards the arm.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Turning to the figures, a combination washer/dryer tub/drum assembly is illustrated and designated with the reference numeral 10. The tub/drum assembly 10 is positioned inside of a housing unit (not shown) to provide a washer/dryer combo unit. The tub/drum assembly 10 includes a drum 12 and a tub 14. The drum 12 is rotatably positioned within the tub 14. An axial gap 16 is formed between the drum 12 and tub 14. The drum end 18 may include a crimped flange of the like connecting the base 17 of the drum with the cylindrical wall 19.
A seal 20 is positioned onto the end 18 of the drum, around the crimped flange, to close the gap 16 between the tub 14 and drum 12. The seal 20 controls the amount of airflow around the drum 12 to enable the maximum amount of air to enter into the drum 12 during the drying cycle.
The seal 20 includes a ring 22 that is positioned around and secured to the drum 12. Also, a securement portion 24 wraps around the crimped flange end 18 to enhance the retention of the seal 20 onto the drum 12. The retention portion 24 includes a pocket 26 that enables the flange drum end 18 to be positioned inside of the retention portion 24.
An arm 28 extends from the ring 22 to monitor the size of the air passage gap 16 between the drum 12 and tub 14. The arm 28 includes a mass 30 at its terminal end to enable movement of the arm 28 and mass 30 during rotation of the drum 12. During the washing cycle, the drum 12 may rotate at 400 RPM or greater. During this time, the arm 28 unfolds or deflects to enable the gap 16 to become larger between the drum 12 and tub 14. This enables the air and water between the drum 12 and tub 14 to exit.
During the spin cycle and drying cycle, the drum 12 spins at about 50-55 RPM. During this rotation speed, the arm 28 does not unfold or deflect and maintains the axial gap 16 between the drum 12 and the tub 14. Thus, during the drying cycle, the air between the drum 12 and tub 14 is forced into the drum 12 to enhance the drying of the clothes within the drum 12.
Due to the extension, deflection or unfolding of the arm 28 and mass 30, during the washing cycles, the arm 28 or mass 30 may contact the tub 14. Thus, a coating or part 32 is positioned onto the tub 14 to prevent the seal from being damaged or torn during rotation of the drum 12. The coating or part 32 is generally manufactured from a compatible material and is generally locally positioned on the tub 14 so that it is only present where the seal 20 rubs against the tub 14.
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A seal 60 includes a ring portion 62 secured to the tub 14. An arm 64 extends from the ring portion 62 into the radial gap 50. The arm 62 may include a lip 66 that extends transverse to the arm 64, toward the drum 12, to provide an additional member to control the air through the radial gap 50. The seal 60 may be made of a metal or resin material that provides a desired amount of rigidity. The rigidity enables the seal to provide a high resistance in the airflow path while maintaining the distance and the gap between the drum 12 and the arm 62. Thus, a constant gap is created to provide airflow between the drum 12 and tub 14.
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The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
