Patent Application
20250003138
The present disclosure relates generally to laundry appliances and more particularly to an evaporator design for a heat pump for a front-load washer and dryer combination.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute as prior art.
Laundry appliances (i.e., laundry machines, washing machines, and dryers) are prolific in both residential and commercial settings. Traditionally, separate washer and dryer machines have been used in tandem to clean and dry laundry. However, there is a growing market for washer and dryer combination appliances where a single machine performs both the washing and drying functions, thereby eliminating the need for two separate machines. There are a number of different names used to describe washer and dryer combination appliances, including without limitation, “washer/dryer combos” and “all-in-one washer dryers.” While these units save space compared to separate washer and dryer machines, combining the washing and drying functions into a single appliance presents a number of engineering challenges.
Many washer and dryer combination appliances have a front-load appliance configuration, where the washer and dryer combination appliance includes a cabinet with a front opening that is accessed by a front-mounted appliance door. A drum is positioned in and is rotatable with respect to the cabinet. During tumbling, a motor housed within the cabinet rotates the drum. The drum typically has a front end with a drum opening that provides access to a laundry compartment inside the drum.
Washer and dryer combination appliances are gaining in popularity because they save space compared to a set of separate washer and dryer appliances and because they do not require the act of transferring laundry between separate appliances between the wash and drying cycles. This allows consumers to simply load laundry into the washer and dryer combination appliance and select the desired wash and drying cycle settings and they do not have to return again until the laundry is washed and dried. However, performing the drying cycle in the same appliance that performed the wash cycle presents a number of engineering challenges due to the presence of water inside the drum during the wash cycle and the resulting levels of humidity that remain inside the appliance during the drying cycle. Solutions that improve the performance and efficiency of the drying cycle in washer and dryer combination appliances in the face of these challenges are needed.
Heat pumps have been proposed to remove moisture from the drying air. A heat pump has an evaporator and a condenser. The air from the drum is passed through an evaporator which removes some of the moisture from the air. The evaporator, however, reduces in efficiency as moisture in the form of condensation droplets builds up on the fins of the evaporator. Likewise, because the air is coming from the drum, lint clings to the moisture droplet on the evaporator. Improving the efficiency of an evaporator reduces the amount of energy used in the system.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a heat pump dryer includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably supported within the cabinet, a heat pump including a condenser and an evaporator that are arranged in fluid communication with each other and a floating base plate that is dynamically supported within the cabinet such that the floating base plate is permitted to oscillate relative to the cabinet. The vibration source and at least one of the evaporator and the condenser are mounted on the floating base plate such that operation of the vibration source causes the at least one of the evaporator and the condenser to vibrate and shake water condensate and debris from the at least one of the evaporator and the condenser for improved heat pump circuit efficiency.
Other features include the vibration source being at least one vibrator motor, the vibration source being a compressor that is connected in fluid communication with the heat pump, the heat pump further comprising an expansion valve, the evaporator, the condenser, the compressor, and the expansion valve form a fluid circuit, the floating base plate being coupled to the cabinet with a damper, the floating base plate being coupled to the cabinet with a plurality of dampers, and the heat pump being disposed beneath a drum within the cabinet. the heat pump dryer. The heat pump dryer may be included in a combination washer and dryer.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a heat pump dryer includes a cabinet, a drum housing positioned within the cabinet, a drum rotatably supported within the drum housing comprising at least one drum wall defining a laundry compartment therein and a drying air circulation path that extends from a drying air inlet positioned in the at least one drum wall to a drying air outlet positioned in fluid communication with the laundry compartment in the drum. A heat pump having an evaporator and a compressor are disposed within the drying air circulation path, said evaporators comprising a plurality of fins. Vibrators coupled fins to cause the evaporator to vibrate and shake water condensate and debris from the evaporator for improved heat pump circuit efficiency.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a condenser dryer includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably supported within the cabinet, a base supported within the cabinet, a condenser coupled to the base plate and a vibration source coupled to the condenser mounted to the base such that operation of the vibration source causes the condenser to vibrate and shake water condensate and debris from the condenser for improved heat pump circuit.
Other features of the condenser dryer include a blower motor coupled to the base, the vibration source comprising an unbalanced motor or a vibrator, wherein the vibrator may comprise an unbalanced motor, a plurality of unbalanced motors or an array of unbalanced motors.
Advantageously, the condensing systems described herein improve the drying performance of the washer and dryer combination laundry appliance by reducing the humidity of the air inside the laundry compartment, which is heated and recirculated during a drying cycle. Improved drying performance is realized because warm dry air provides better drying performance than warm moist air. In addition, the evaporator of the heat pump has lint and dirt removed using vibration to make the system more energy efficient.
Other advantages of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, various aspects of a washer and dryer combination laundry appliance 20 are illustrated.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
For purposes of description herein the terms “up,” “down,” “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the assembly as oriented in
With reference to
The front appliance door 26 includes an outer wall 30 that presents an outer door surface 31, which faces out away from the front opening 24 in the cabinet 22 when the front appliance door 26 is in the closed position and an inner wall 32 that faces the front opening 24 in the cabinet 22 when the front appliance door 26 is in the closed position. The front appliance door 26 also includes a door perimeter 33 and a bowl 34. The door perimeter 33 is configured to abut the cabinet 22 when the front appliance door 26 is in the closed position. The bowl 34 is provided on the inner wall 32 of the front appliance door 26 and is spaced radially inward of the door perimeter 33. At least a portion of the bowl 34 is received in the front opening 24 in the cabinet 22 when the front appliance door 26 is in the closed position. Among other functions, the bowl 34 prevents laundry inside the laundry appliance 20 from accumulating in the front opening 24 during tumbling and particularly during the wash cycle of the laundry appliance 20. Although other materials can be used, in the illustrated example, the front appliance door 26 is made of metal, while the bowl 34 is made of a molded plastic material.
The laundry appliance 20 includes a drum housing 36 with a cylindrical shape that is mounted inside the cabinet 22 on dynamic mounts 38, which keep the drum housing 36 from rotating, but permit limited degrees of freedom that allow the drum housing 36 to move/oscillate relative to the cabinet 22 during tumbling. The drum housing 36 includes a front ring 40, a rear drum housing wall 42, and a drum housing sidewall 44 that extends longitudinally from the front ring 40 to the rear drum housing wall 42 to define a drum housing cavity 46 inside the drum housing 36. The front ring 40 of the drum housing 36 includes a drum housing opening 48 positioned in at least partial alignment with the front opening 24 in the cabinet 22.
A drum 50 is positioned in the drum housing cavity 46 and is supported therein such that the drum 50 is rotatably coupled with respect to the drum housing 36 about a longitudinal axis 52. The drum 50 also has a cylindrical shape and extends longitudinally between a front drum end 54 and a rear drum end 56. The drum 50 includes a drum opening 58 at the front drum end 54, a rear drum wall 60 at the rear drum end 56, and a drum sidewall 62 that extends longitudinally between the front drum end 54 and rear drum end 56. The drum sidewall 62 includes an outer surface 64 that faces the drum housing sidewall 44. The front drum end 54, the drum sidewall 62, and the rear drum wall 60 cooperate to define a laundry compartment 66 inside the drum 50. The front opening 24 in the cabinet 22, the drum housing opening 48 in the front ring 40 of the drum housing 36, and the drum opening 58 at the front drum end 54 are at least partially aligned with one another and therefore provide access to the laundry compartment 66 inside the drum 50 when the front appliance door 26 is in the open position. Thus, it should be appreciated that in use, laundry (e.g., clothes, towels, and/or bedding, etc.) is placed inside the laundry compartment 66 where it is first cleaned during the wash cycle and then dried during the drying cycle of the laundry appliance 20.
A drive shaft 68, fixedly coupled to the rear drum end 56, is supported by a bearing pack 70 such that the drive shaft 68 and the drum 50 rotate together as a single unit within the cabinet 22. An electric motor 72, positioned in the cabinet 22, operates to drive rotation of the drive shaft 68, which in turn drives rotation of the drum 50 within the drum housing 36 and the cabinet 22 during operation of the laundry appliance 20, such as during washing and tumbling.
As best seen in
Referring now also to
The heat pump 90 also includes a compressor 96 and an expansion valve 98. The flow path 82 through the heat pump 90 and the drum 50 form a continuous loop. Air from the inlet 76 is communicated to the evaporator 92. The evaporator 92 is lower in temperature and therefore moisture from the drum 50 condenses on the evaporator 92 to form water droplets. Debris such as lint also collects on the evaporator 92. The evaporator 92 communicates the air to the condenser 94 through a duct 102. The duct 102 may be a mere path between an evaporator 92 and the condenser 94. Heat from the condenser 94 is absorbed in the air flow path. The air from condenser 94 is communicated through the duct 74 to the heater 84 and the fan 80. The heater 84 and fan 80 may be reversed in order.
The evaporator 92 has an evaporation improvement device such as fins 92A or microchannels extending therefrom or incorporated therein. The evaporation improvement device such as fins 92A increases the surface area of the evaporation coil 92.
The evaporator 92 and the condenser 94 have a fluid circuit 110. The compressor 96 compresses the refrigerant or heat transfer fluid evaporated in the evaporator 92 to create a high temperature and high pressure refrigerant. The condenser 94 moves the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant to the expansion valve 98. Heat from the condenser 94 is imparted into the air passing through the condenser 94. The expansion valve 98 expands the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 94 to make low temperature low pressure refrigerant that is communicated to the evaporator 92. Ultimately, the refrigerant or heat transfer fluid is communicated back to the compressor 96 in the fluid circuit.
Referring now to
The compressor 96 has a motor 96A. The motor 96A of the compressor 96 imparts vibration onto the floating base plate 112 and acts as a vibration source 97. Because the evaporator 92 and the compressor 96 are both fixed to the floating base plate 112, the vibrations from the compressor 96 cause the evaporator to oscillate or vibrate to shake condensate and lint debris from the evaporator 92. The cleaner evaporator 92 exposes more surface area to the airflow and improves the energy efficiency of the heat pump 90. Other vibration sources 97 may include a link 97A coupled to the cabinet 22. through a link 97A to couple vibrations to the evaporator directly or through the base plate 112. A blower fan 97B may also be used as the vibration source 97. The blower fan 97B may be mounted on the plate 112 or coupled thereto by the link 97A as illustrated.
The vibrations from the vibration source 97 may be applied in transverse or longitudinal directions (or as a combination thereof). The amplitude, frequency, phase, and type of the vibration signal may vary based on the performance of the product. The parameters are subject to variability depending on the architecture of the appliance.
Referring now to
In this example, regularly spaced vibrators 132 are coupled to the fins 92A. In this example, the array 130 is a 4×3 array. The vibrators 132 are a vibration source. That is, three rows of four vibrators 132 are provided in the array 130. The vibrators 132 may be disposed against the fins 92A. The vibrators 132 may be affixed to the fins 92A as well. Fasteners 144 shown in 6B, welding or adhesives may be used to fasten the vibrators 232 to the fins 92A.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In
Referring now to
A heater assembly 730 is coupled to the rear panel 722 to provide a heating source for the drum 726. A cover 732 is used to cover the heating assembly. A scroll 734 is also coupled to the rear panel 722.
A base assembly 740 is disposed below the drum 726 within a housing 742 formed by the front panel 714, the side panel 718, the top panel 720 and the rear panel 722.
Referring now to
The cavity 760 may be enclosed by a cooling fan cover 762. A condenser 770 may also be disposed within the base assembly 740. In particular, the condenser 770 may be located in a condenser cavity 772 of the base 750 and have fins. The base 740 may also include a cover 774 to cover the units disposed therein. Further, a sump 776 may be used to pump water from the system. Dampers as illustrated in
Referring now to
Many modifications and variations of the apparatus and assemblies described in the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings and may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described while within the scope of the appended claims. These antecedent recitations should be interpreted to cover any combination in which the inventive novelty exercises its utility.
