Patent Grant
12071721
This application is a U.S. National Phase application of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2018/086787, filed Dec. 21, 2018, which is incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a laundry dryer including a heat pump system having an improved process air conduit within the basement of the laundry dryer.
The heat pump technology in a laundry dryer is at present the most efficient way to dry clothes in terms of energy consumption. In a heat pump system of the laundry dryer an air stream flows in a closed air stream circuit. Further, the heat pump system includes a closed refrigerant circuit, a condenser and an evaporator. The air stream is moved by a fan, passes through a laundry chamber, which is preferably formed as a rotatable laundry drum, and removes there water from wet clothes. Then, the air stream is cooled down and dehumidified in the evaporator, heated up in the condenser and re-inserted into the laundry drum again.
The refrigerant is compressed by a compressor, condensed in the condenser, expanded in an expansion device and then vaporized in the evaporator.
Thus, the condenser and the evaporator are components of the air stream circuit as well as of the refrigerant circuit. The condenser and the evaporator are heat exchangers between the air stream circuit and the refrigerant circuit.
Usually, the components of the heat pump system (described above) are placed in a basement of the laundry dryer. The basement of a laundry dryer is part of a casing, which includes—in addition to the basement—also walls, substantially vertically supported from the basement, such as a front wall and a rear wall, and lateral walls. In the casing, the laundry drum is rotatably supported. In particular, the compressor, the evaporator and the condenser are arranged in said basement below the laundry drum. An air conduit of the air stream circuit has to pass the basement of the dryer, bringing the humid air to the evaporator and reintroducing the dry air from the condenser in the drum.
The basement therefore includes an inlet and an outlet for the air: from the inlet, the humid air is arriving from the drum entering the basement conduit, and from the outlet the dry hot air leaves the basement, for example re-entering the drum. A fan is generally positioned in proximity of such an outlet in order to blow the process air dried by the heat pump back to the drum.
The various components of the heat pump, with particular reference to the heat exchangers and the compressor, as well as the motor of the dryer and/or of the laundry drum, are rather “bulky” and the positioning of the same in the confined volume present in the basement of the dryer is not always simple. However, their positioning affects the flow of process air in the basement itself because the process air needs to flow from the inlet to the outlet to the basement and at the same time to exchange heat in the heat pump.
The efficiency of the air flow within the basement is important for the overall efficiency of the dryer. From a fluid dynamic point of view, the flow of air is preferably “as straight as possible” to minimize vortexes and turbulences in the same. Therefore, the presence of curves in the basement air conduit is hindering the efficiency of the dryer. However, most of prior art dryers include bends or curves in the basement conduit for the process air.
EP 2549008 of the same Applicant relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, in particular to a dryer or washing machine having drying function, comprising: a laundry storing chamber for treating laundry using process air, a process air loop for circulating the process air through the laundry storing chamber, a motor for driving the rotatably supported laundry storing chamber and/or for driving a process air blower arranged in the process air loop, and a heat pump system for dehumidifying and heating the process air, the heat pump system having a refrigerant loop comprising: a first heat exchanger for heating a refrigerant and cooling the process air, a second heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant and heating the process air, a refrigerant expansion device arranged in the refrigerant loop, and a compressor arranged in the refrigerant loop, wherein the first and second heat exchangers are arranged in a process air conduit section of the process air loop which is located in a base section of the apparatus. According to the invention the process air conduit section is arranged in a middle region of the base section, a first region of the base area of the base section is at a first side of or with respect to the process air conduit section, and a second region of the base area of the base section is at a second side of or with respect to the process air conduit section, such that the process air conduit section is between the first and second region.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a laundry dryer with a heat pump system, wherein the flow of the process air is improved, with particular reference to the process air flow within the basement of the laundry dryer. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laundry dryer with a heat pump system, wherein the overall efficiency is improved.
According to an aspect, the invention relates to a laundry dryer including:
In the following, with the term “dryer” machines, which are capable of performing drying cycles are meant.
The dryer of the invention includes a drying chamber, such as a drum, in which the load, e.g. clothes or laundry, to be dried is placed. The drum is part of an air process circuit which includes an air conduit for channeling a stream of air to dry the load. The process air circuit is connected with its two opposite ends to the drum. More specifically, hot dry air is fed into the drum, flowing over the laundry, and the resulting humid (and cooler) air exits the same.
The dryer furthermore includes a casing or bearing structure, comprising preferably a basement, a front wall and a rear wall. Preferably, the front wall and rear wall are mounted on the basement. The front wall is advantageously provided with a through opening, at which a loading/unloading door is mounted to access the drum in order to locate or remove the laundry. Preferably, a part of the rear end of the drum abuts against the rear wall of the cabinet and even more preferably a gasket is interposed therebetween; as well as a part of the front end of the drum abuts against the front wall with also preferably a gasket there between. Preferably, the casing includes further walls, e.g. lateral walls and a top wall.
In a standard operative position, the basement of the dryer is positioned on a floor or other substrate on which the dryer performs its standard operations (e.g. drying and/or spinning cycles). Such positioning defines a horizontal or at least substantially horizontal plane, which is called the basement plane (X, Y). Planes parallel to the basement plane are therefore substantially horizontal planes. However, basement planes which are not horizontal are considered as well, depending on the positioning of the laundry.
In this standard operative position, also other terms are well defined: “front” or “rear” (or “back”), “top” or “bottom”, “upper” or “lower” are always referred to the normal standard configuration of a dryer with the basement positioned on a floor. The front wall of the dryer is defined by the wall in which the door from which the drum is accessed is positioned. Given the horizontal plane on which the laundry is located, “top” and “bottom”—as their normal common meaning—refer to the position of an object along a vertical axis. In case the basement plane (X, Y) above described is tilted, for example because the dryer is positioned in a non-horizontal floor, the Z axis is tilted as well, however it is still considered the “vertical” axis in a frame of reference where the basement plane represents the horizontality.
The laundry dryer includes a heat pump system. The humid air stream rich in water vapor and exiting the drum is then fed to an evaporator (or second heat exchanger) of the heat pump, where the moist warm process air is cooled and the humidity present therein condenses. The resulting cool dry air is then heated up before entering again in the drying chamber by means a condenser (or first heat exchanger) of the heat pump, and the whole loop is repeated till the end of the drying cycle.
Each heat exchanger defines a width, a height and a length. The length in the following is defined as the “thickness” of the heat exchanger, also defined as the space-interval flown by the process air in order to cross the heat exchanger. The width and height of the heat exchanger form a “heat exchanger surface” which is hit by the process air. Commonly, heat exchangers are formed by tubes: each tube forms a meandering shape so that different layers one on top of or above the others are created. Process air travels through the portions of the same tube which are substantially vertically stacked at the same time, i.e. in parallel. Several tubes may be used, each extra tube increasing for example the thickness of the heat exchanger: the tubes are positioned one adjacent to the other along its thickness, so that the process air travels through the adjacent tubes one after the other, i.e. in series. Connecting ducts fluidly connect the different tubes. These connecting ducts are positioned at the sides of the heat exchanger “increasing” their width. However, in the following as “width” of the heat exchanger, only the width of the heat-exchanging surface is taken into account, and the lateral extension of the connecting ducts is not considered.
The basement of the dryer has also a given width. The width of the basement is generally “standard”, due to the fact that the dryers on the market have often standard dimensions. For example, the width of the basement is of about 600 mm. However, basements having a width of 500 mm or 700 mm can be considered as well. The width of the basement is defined as the distance between a first and a second opposite lateral wall of the casing, taking the distance from the outer surfaces of both lateral walls. The first and second lateral walls are preferably connected to the basement and are connecting the front and rear walls, i.e. the front and rear walls are both connected to the first and second lateral walls. Alternatively, the width of the basement can be defined as the width of the front or of the real wall.
Within the casing, the drum is rotatably mounted for rotating according to a horizontal, or at least substantially horizontal, or tilted rotational axis, called drum axis. Support element(s) for rotatably supporting the drum are provided for within the casing. The drum is rotated preferably by means of a motor which defines a motor axis, for example which corresponds to the axis of a motor shaft.
The basement of the dryer of the invention includes a portion of the process air conduit, called basement process air conduit, which includes substantially a duct formed in the basement (basement air duct). The basement air conduit includes an inlet and an outlet which also corresponds to the process air inlet and outlet of the basement, that is, they correspond to the inlet and outlet of process air in and out the basement. In a preferred embodiment, the inlet of the conduit is located at the front wall of the casing, for example at a rim of the opening closed by the loading/unloading door. In this case the outlet is positioned at the rear wall. However, in a different embodiment, the inlet of the conduit is at the rear wall of the cabinet, and the outlet is positioned at the front wall. The basement air conduit has thus a given length of extension within the basement. The total length of the basement air conduit is defined as the length between the inlet and the outlet of the same.
Within said basement air conduit, in particular in the basement air duct, both heat exchangers of the heat pump system are located. As for the heat exchangers, also a duct width and duct height are defined. The duct width and height define in turn the available cross section of the duct for the process air to flow and, where the heat exchangers are located, also to perform a heat exchange. Therefore, where the heat exchangers are located in the duct, the width of the duct is substantially equal to the width of the heat exchangers (i.e. the space in which the “lateral bends” of the pipes are present is not considered in the width calculation). The height of the duct is its dimension along the vertical direction. Height and width may vary along the duct extension in the basement. Furthermore, the basement air conduit channels the process air entering the basement to the evaporator of the heat pump and then channels the process air exiting the condenser to the outlet of the basement. From the outlet of the basement, the process air—dried by the condenser—is fed, for example via an additional portion of the process air conduit realized preferably in the rear wall of the cabinet, to the drum so as to dry the laundry therein.
The basement air conduit preferably includes one or more lateral walls depending on its geometry. If the geometry of the conduit is substantially cylindrical or of a cylindroid form, the conduit portion includes a single lateral wall having substantially circular cross section, which may change in diameter depending on the position in which the cross section is measured. Alternatively, two opposite lateral walls can be present, for example one substantially parallel to the other at least for a part and defining substantially parallel planes. Alternatively, the lateral walls have a curved shape.
The first and second heat exchangers are housed in a first portion of the process air conduit. The width of the heat exchangers is preferably as wide as possible to optimize the dimension of the heat exchanging surface which perform a heat exchange with the process air. A wide heat exchanger thus implies a wide conduit. For this reason, the cross section of the basement conduit first portion where the heat exchangers are contained is at least 50% of the basement width. The width of the basement process air conduit is preferably defined as the dimension of the conduit cross section along a direction perpendicular to the two lateral walls of the dryer.
Preferably, the width of the basement conduit which is considered here, is the width of the basement conduit when taken in a cross section perpendicular to an axis of the conduit. For example, a suitable section plane is a plane parallel to the front or rear wall of the casing. Preferably, the section is taken along a plane substantially perpendicular to the process air flow inside the conduit itself. Preferably, the cross section is taken along a plane perpendicular to the basement plane and to a first plane also perpendicular to the basement plane and including the rotational axis of the drum.
When the width of the heat exchangers is considered, only the width of the heat exchanging surface is taken into consideration. The extra width given by the ducts connection different tubing of the same heat exchanger is not taken into consideration because it is not affecting the heat exchange properties of the heat exchanger.
In EP 2549008, the lateral dimension of the heat exchangers is confined by the presence of the motor and the compressor positioned at the sides of the heat exchangers. The only dimension in which the heat exchangers may expand is their thickness, however a thicker heat exchanger (that is, a heat exchangers having more parallel tubes) is not as effective as a “wider” heat exchanger having a larger heat exchanging surface. Indeed, above a given thickness, it is important to have a heat exchanging surface as wide as possible in order to increase the heat exchange efficiency: too high thicknesses increase pressure drops of the process air which meets a high resistance while flowing through the thick heat exchanger. The height of the heat exchangers is always limited by the presence of the drum above the heat exchangers and the fact that the dryer has a substantially fixed standard height. This height of the dryer is in Europe for example fixed at between 80 cm and 85 cm.
Several advantages can be achieved with the present solution.
A wide heat exchanger surface of the heat exchangers, achieved due to the available width they have inside the basement process air conduit improves the efficiency of the dryer. Indeed, of the three dimensions of the heat exchangers, the thickness can be modified in an easier manner. The Applicant has noticed that the height of the heat exchangers is generally confined by the presence of the drum above the heat exchangers themselves, while, above a given thickness of the heat exchangers, the heat exchange does not substantially improve. Applicant has therefore reconsidered the structure of the basement and has developed a conduit the width of which—for at least a first portion—is at least 50% of the width of the basement.
Generally, wide conduits have not been considered in the prior art due to the layout of the basement which has generally been considered “fixed” and thus there was not an available space in the basement to position a wide conduit. However, changing the layout of the elements in the basement, a wide conduit can be positioned as well.
The invention may include in addition or alternatively one or more of the following characteristics.
Preferably, the first portion includes at least 30% of the total extension of the basement air conduit in the basement.
The first portion as mentioned has a width of at least 50% of the width of the whole basement. This large width is present for a given extension of the basement air conduit. For example, if the total length of the basement air conduit is equal to L, the first portion has a length Lfp which is at least 30% of L, or longer. Indeed, the heat exchangers have a certain thickness and thus occupy the basement conduit for a given length. A “thick” heat exchanger improves the heat exchange with the process air. The thickness of the heat exchanger is positioned substantially parallel to the process air flow. The length of the first portion, that is, its extension, in calculated preferably along the axis of the process air conduit. Preferably, this axis is parallel to the process airflow main direction. Preferably, this axis is also parallel to the basement plane. Preferably, this conduit axis lies in a plane passing through the rotational axis of the drum.
Preferably, the basement air conduit also includes a second portion, which is a geometrical extension of the first portion, which has a width equal to less than 50% of a width of the basement. More preferably, it has a width equal to less than 40% of a width of the basement.
Preferably, the basement process air duct has a cross section in a plane perpendicular to the basement plane and to the first plane (where, as defined above, the first plane is a plane perpendicular to the basement plane and containing the rotational axis of the drum) having an area which decreases along the direction of the process air flow. The air duct has preferably a cross section in a plane perpendicular to its axis which becomes smaller and smaller along the direction of air flow. In particular, the widest portion of the basement air duct is where the heat exchangers are located within the duct itself, i.e. the first portion. Here, the width of the basement duct is preferably comprised between 265 mm and 450 mm, more preferably between 320 mm and 370 mm. This width is considered for a standard width of a dryer of about 600 mm.
The smallest cross section width of the basement duct is in the second portion. Preferably, the second portion contains the outlet of the basement duct, where for example a fan is present. The minimum width of the basement duct at the second portion is preferably comprised between 80 mm and 150 mm.
As said, the above is considered for a dryer of a standard width of 600 mm. In case of a dryer of different width, for example of a width of 700 mm or 500 mm, the relevant parameter is the ratio, i.e. preferably the ratio between the width of the basement and the widest portion of the basement duct (i.e. width of the first portion) is comprised between 1.33 and 2.26, more preferably between 1.62 and 1.875.
From a very wide first portion, preferably the basement air conduit converges to a smaller size in order to reach the outlet of the basement, which has a size slightly larger than a fan propeller. For this reason, the width of the conduit decreases in width from a width bigger than ½ of the width of the basement to a width smaller than ½ of the width of the basement.
Further, a “small” conduit allows the positioning of other elements in the basement.
Preferably, the width of the basement air conduit is variable.
Preferably, the basement air conduit needs to be “wide” in order to house the heat exchangers, but at the same time it should leave some room free in the basement so that other elements of the dryer can be located in the basement as well. For example, if the basement were always wider than 50% of the basement width, there would not be a big enough free volume in order to anchor the compressor of the heat pump or the motor of the drum to the basement. For this reason, preferably the basement air conduit changes in size and it is “wide” only where required.
Preferably, the first and/or the second heat exchangers has a heat exchanger width and wherein the heat exchanger width is wider than 50% of the width of the basement. The width of the heat exchangers is preferably substantially identical to the width of the first portion, more preferably the maximum width, of the basement process air conduit.
As mentioned, the first and second heat exchangers are housed in the basement air conduit. The basement air conduit is wider than 50% of the width of the basement in order to allow having “wide” heat exchangers. Therefore, preferably, also the width of the heat exchangers is at least 50% of the width of the basement.
Preferably, the width of the first and/or the second heat exchangers is substantially constant. The width of the heat exchangers therefore is the same for all their thickness.
The heat exchangers preferably have a constant width along their thickness. Preferably, the width of the first heat exchanger is equal to the width of the second heat exchanger. Preferably, the width of the heat exchangers is comprised between 265 mm and 450 mm, more preferably between 320 mm and 370 mm. This width is considered for a standard width of a dryer of about 600 mm. In case of a dryer of different width, for example of a width of 700 mm or 500 mm, the relevant parameter is the ratio, i.e. preferably the ratio between the width of the basement and the width of the heat exchangers is comprised between 1.33 and 2.26, more preferably between 1.62 and 1.875.
Preferably, the width of the basement air conduit along the first portion of its extension in the basement is comprised between 265 mm and 450 mm.
Preferably, the portion in which the width of the basement air conduit is comprised between 265 mm and 450 mm is the first portion where the heat exchangers are located. In this way, a width of the conduit above 50% of the basement width is achieved for “standard” dryers.
Preferably, the minimum width of the basement air conduit along a second portion of its extension in the basement is comprised between 80 mm and 150 mm.
Preferably, the portion in which the minimum width of the basement air conduit is comprised between 80 and 150 mm is the second portion. In this way, a suitable free volume is left in the basement to house other dryer's components.
Preferably, said basement process air conduit formed in said basement includes a first duct wall and a second duct wall converging to a basement process air outlet.
More preferably, in a section along a sectioning plane parallel to said basement plane, said first and second duct walls respectively define a first and second converging curve. Even more preferably, said first and second curve are axially symmetric with respect to a plane passing through a duct axis. Preferably, the duct axis is coplanar to said drum axis. Preferably, each of these converging curves includes a first convex portion and a second concave portion, thus each converging curve includes an inflection point.
As mentioned, the first portion of the basement air conduit is occupied by the heat exchangers. The absence of side obstacles that may limit the expansion of the heat exchangers laterally (e.g. in the direction parallel to the rear and/or front wall) allows the usage of heat exchangers which are as wide as desired, their maximum width being substantially constrained by the width of the front and/or rear wall of the dryer. The basement conduit that contains the heat exchangers is thus in turn at least as wide as the heath exchangers' width, in order to house the same. However, the outlet of the basement conduit portion is preferably not “very big”, that is, its dimensions are substantially equal to the dimension of a propeller of a fan used to blow air in the process air circuit. For these reasons, preferably the width of the basement process air conduit is “very large” where the heat exchangers are housed (i.e. in the first portion), and then it narrows to the outlet dimension (i.e. in the second portion). Thus, the duct walls form converging curves towards the outlet of the basement process air conduit.
Further, preferably the basement process air conduit has a central axis (also called duct axis). A plane passing through this axis and perpendicular to the basement plane preferably divides the basement process air conduit in two halves. Preferably, the two halves are symmetric with respect to the plane passing through the duct axis and perpendicular to the basement plane. This substantially “straight” conduit allows a good flow of the process air.
More preferably, the duct axis of said basement process air circuit portion lies on a plane perpendicular to the basement plane and passing through the drum axis.
Preferably, said casing includes a rear wall and a front wall and in the basement a first, a second, a third and a fourth quarters are identifiable by means of two intersecting first and second planes, the first plane being perpendicular to said basement plane and passing through said drum axis and the second plane being perpendicular to said first plane and passing through a center line of the basement substantially parallel to said rear wall of the casing, the first and third quarters being defined on one side of the first plane and the second and fourth quarters being defined on an opposite side of the first plane; and wherein said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger being arranged in the basement process air conduit portion within said third and fourth quarters of said basement for the majority of their volume.
In a top view of the dryer, the basement can be considered as “divided” in two longitudinal halves by the axis of rotation of the drum (or the projection of said axis onto the basement plane). Whether the axis is horizontal (thus parallel to the basement plane (X, Y)) or tilted with respect to the latter, on a top view of the basement, the projection of the drum axis divides the basement in two halves, a first or left longitudinal half and a second or right longitudinal half. In other words, taking a plane which is perpendicular to the basement plane and which passes through the rotational axis of the drum, which generally coincides with the line that divides the basement in two, this plane virtually sections the basement in two longitudinal halves. This plane, called first plane, when sectioned by a plane parallel to the (X, Y) plane defines a line of division of the basement in two in a top view.
The two halves do not need to be identical. In other words with a first and a second half, a “right” and a “left” portion of the basement with respect of the above mentioned plane (first plane) passing through the rotational axis of the drum and perpendicular to the basement plane are meant, regardless of their relative dimensions. Indeed, the projection on the basement of the drum rotational axis can be shifted from the line dividing the basement in two. Preferably, the line dividing the basement in two and the projection on the basement of the rotational axis of the drum coincide.
The basement can be considered to be divided in four “quarters” by the first plane and a second plane perpendicular to it and passing through a center line of the basement parallel to the front (or rear) wall. The four quarters could be indicated as the first quarter, the second quarter, the third quarter and the fourth quarter. The first and third quarters are on one side of the first plane (that is, looking at the dryer on the “right side” or on the “left side”), while the second and fourth quarters are on the opposite side of the first plane (that is, looking at the dryer, on the “left side” or on the “right side”, respectively).
Among all possible configurations of the quarters, two are preferred: a first configuration in which the first and second quarters are both located at the front of the basement, for example, both first and second quarters are in contact to the front wall of the dryer, and a second configuration in which the first and second quarters are both at the back of the basement, for example, both first and second quarters are in contact to the rear wall of the dryer. In these first and second configurations then, the remaining third and fourth quarters are either both at the back of the basement or both at the front, respectively. Preferably, the first configuration is preferred when the inlet of air in the basement is located at the rear wall, while the second configuration is preferred when the inlet of air in the basement is located at the front wall.
The basement conduit is preferably divided in four by the first and the second plane, e.g. each quarter includes a part of the basement conduit. The basement conduit extends through the first and second quarters, and through the third and fourth quarters. In a preferred embodiment, the basement conduit is symmetric with respect to the first plane, thus in the above mentioned preferred first and second configurations, the basement conduit is divided in two by the first plane and thus in the first and second quarters two symmetric part of the basement conduit are present, as well as in the third and fourth quarters. Preferably, the axis of the basement conduit is preferably coplanar to the drum axis. Even more preferably, the main direction of flow of the process air in the basement conduit is parallel to the first plane.
In a preferred embodiment, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are located within the basement air conduit and extend for the majority of their volume within the third and fourth quarters of the basement, e.g. they are substantially located for the majority of their volume either in the front or in the back of the dryer (second or first configuration above described). This is to say that the first portion of the basement air conduit is located in the third and fourth quarter for the majority of its extension. The heat exchangers can be completely contained within the third and fourth quarters of the basement or parts of their volume, the minority, can also extend within the first and second quarters of the basement. Also, preferably the inlet of process air into the basement is located within the third and/or fourth quarters. Preferably, the volumes of the heat exchangers are substantially equally distributed among the third and fourth quarters, that is, both quarters are occupied by the heat exchangers substantially in the same percentage.
On the other end, the compressor and the motor of the drum are preferably located with the majority of their volumes within the first and second quarters of the basement, i.e. on the front or the back of the basement opposite to the position of the heat exchangers. Preferably, in case the basement outlet is realized in the rear part of the basement, i.e. facing the real wall of the cabinet, the first and second quarters are also located at the back of the basement. More preferably, the motor is positioned with the majority of its volume in one of the first or second quarters and the compressor is positioned with the majority of its volume in the other of the first or second quarters. The second portion of the basement air conduit is thus preferably located within the first and second quarter to leave room for the compressor and motor.
Thus, preferably, the heat exchangers are positioned at the front or at the back of the dryer and the motor/compressor are conversely positioned at the back or at the front of the dryer. The configuration in which the heat exchangers are at the front and motor/compressor are at the back of the dryer is the preferred configuration when the inlet of process air in the basement is positioned at the front wall and the outlet at the rear wall.
In the above outline, as clear, the heat exchangers as well as the motor and the compressor do not hinder each other and they can be “as bulky as possible” with the limitation of the size of the basement. In particular, the heat exchangers can be relatively very wide.
Preferably, said first and second quarters of the basement are in contact to said rear wall.
A preferred configuration is thus the one having the heat exchangers “in front” of the dryer, and the compressor and motor “in the back” of the dryer. Preferably, in this configuration, the inlet of the basement conduit is positioned at the front wall, while the outlet of the basement conduit is located at the rear wall.
Preferably, the motor and the compressor are positioned adjacent to the first and second converging duct walls, respectively.
The basement conduit in the first and second quarters has a cross section which is reduced in comparison to its cross section in the third and fourth quarters, where the heat exchangers are located. This reduction in size, and in particular in diameter, means that there is some “free volume” outside the basement conduit portions between the casing and the conduit walls themselves. In this free volume, the compressor and the motor can be easily located.
Preferably, the first portion is upstream the second portion of the basement air conduit in the direction of flow of the process air.
Being the first portion the one housing the heat exchangers and the second portion the one including the outlet of the conduit, preferably the process air first flow through the heat exchangers and then outside the basement. In this embodiment thus preferably the heat exchangers are positioned in front of the dryer, e.g. close to the front wall of the casing.
Preferably, said basement air conduit is axially symmetric with respect to a duct axis parallel to said drum axis.
Preferably, the basement air conduit is “straight” to minimize turbulences of the air.
Preferably, the basement includes a basement process air outlet, the basement process air outlet facing the rear wall.
Preferably, in this configuration, the heat exchangers are in the front part of the dryer. Preferably, the inlet of the basement process air conduit is at the front wall.
Preferably, said casing includes a door and said front wall includes an aperture, said door being hinged on said front wall to open and close said aperture.
More preferably, the inlet of the basement process air conduit is positioned at the aperture. Preferably, at the inlet, a filter is positioned, so that fluff and lint can be removed from the process air before the latter enters in the basement process air conduit. In this way, the heat exchangers are kept substantially fluff and lint free. Eventual fluff and filter that reach the heat exchangers can be blocked by additional filters or removed by an optional cleaning system.
Preferably, said basement includes an upper shell portion and a lower shell portion, said basement process air conduit being formed by the connection between said upper shell portion and said lower shell portion.
The basement air conduit in the basement can be realized for example in an easy and reliable manner joining together the two shell portions so as to form the lateral wall of the conduit portion.
Preferably, said basement is realized in plastic material and said basement air conduit is formed integrally to said basement.
It should also be observed that, in the present description and in the attached claims, the terms “plastic material” and the like, are used to indicate any plastic or synthetic material, or based on plastic or synthetic material, possibly added with fillers suitable to improve the functional and robustness characteristics thereof, such as minerals, textile synthetic fillers and so on and so forth.
The fact that the basement is realized in plastic allows a minimization of the number of elements included in the dryer of the invention. Indeed, with a single producing process, for example with the same molding process, the basement can be realized including a plurality of additional functional elements for the dryer that do not have to be realized separately and then assembled, such as the basement conduit or others for example the seats for the heat exchangers.
Preferably, the height of the process air conduit is variable. Preferably the height of the process air conduit decreases moving from the first portion to the second portion.
As described, in the second portion, the process air conduit's wall define two converging curves in a sectioning plane parallel to the basement plane. However, also in a plane perpendicular to the basement plane, and specifically preferably a sectioning plane passing through the conduit axis, the cross section of the process air conduit's wall defines converging curves, called upper and lower curve. Preferably, in case the basement is formed by two shells, the upper curve belongs to the upper shell and the lower curve belongs to the lower shell. Preferably, the height difference between the first portion and the second portion of the process air conduit is due to the lower curve, i.e. the lower wall of the conduit moves from a vertical coordinate to a higher vertical coordinate, while the upper wall remains substantially at the same vertical level for all its extension.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings that illustrate non-limiting embodiments thereof, wherein:
With initial reference to
Laundry dryer 1 comprises an outer box or casing 2, preferably but not necessarily parallelepiped-shaped, and a drying chamber, such as a drum 3, for example having the shape of a hollow cylinder, for housing the laundry and in general the clothes and garments to be dried. The drum 3 is preferably rotatably fixed to the casing 2, so that it can rotate around a preferably horizontal axis R (in alternative embodiments, rotation axis may be tilted). Access to the drum 3 is achieved for example via a door 4, preferably hinged to cabinet 2, which can open and close an opening 4a realized on the cabinet itself.
More in detail, casing 2 generally includes a front wall 20, a rear wall 21 and two sidewalls 25, all mounted on a basement 24. Preferably, the basement 24 is realized in plastic material. Preferably, basement 24 is molded via an injection molding process. Preferably, on the front wall 20, the door 4 is hinged so as to access the drum. The casing, with its walls, defines the inner volume of the laundry dryer 1. Similarly, the basement defines the basement inner volume delimited by the basement's walls. Advantageously, basement 24 includes an upper and a lower shell portion 24a, 24b (visible in
The dryer 1, and in particular basement 24, defines an horizontal plane (X, Y) which is substantially the plane of the ground on which the dryer 1 is situated, thus it is considered to be substantially horizontal, and a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the plane (X, Y). The plane defined by the basement however can be also tilted from the horizontal one.
Laundry dryer 1 also preferably comprises an electrical motor assembly 50 for rotating, on command, revolving drum 3 along its axis inside cabinet 2. Motor 50 includes a shaft 51, which defines a motor axis of rotation M (see
Further, laundry dryer 1 may include an electronic central control unit (not shown) which controls both the electrical motor assembly 50 and other components of the dryer 1 to perform, on command, one of the user-selectable drying cycles preferably stored in the same central control unit. The programs as well other parameters of the laundry dryer 1, or alarm and warning functions can be set and/or visualized in a control panel 11, preferably realized in a top portion of the dryer 1, such as above door 4.
With reference to
Drum 3 may be an open drum, i.e. both ends 3a and 3b are opened, or it may include a back wall (not shown in the appended drawings) fixedly connected to the mantle and rotating with the latter.
In order to rotate, support elements for the rotation of the drum are provided as well in the laundry of the invention. Such support elements might include rollers at the front and/or at the back of the drum, as well as or alternatively a shaft connected to the rear end of the drum (shaft is not depicted in the appended drawings). For example, rollers connected to the basement 24 via bosses may be used. Any support element for the rotation of the drum around axis R is encompassed by the present invention.
Dryer 1 additionally includes a process air circuit which comprises the drum 3 and an air process conduit 11, depicted as a plurality of arrows showing the path flow of a process air stream through the dryer 1 (see
A filter 103 may be positioned in the conduit 11 to filter process air coming from the drum 3.
The dryer 1 of the invention additionally comprises a heat pump system 30 including a first heat exchanger (called also condenser) 31 and a second heat exchanger (called also evaporator) 32 (see
Each heat exchanger 31, 32 includes a plurality of tubes positioned in parallel, forming different layers. The number of layers defines the thickness of the heat exchanger. The thickness of the condenser is indicated with tc and the thickness of the evaporator with te. Preferably, as shown in
Each heat exchanger defines a heat exchange surface, which is the surface which is hit by the process air. The heat exchange surface has preferably a rectangular shape, given by the width and height of the heat exchangers. The heat exchange surface defines a center, for example the point of intersection of the two diagonals of the rectangle, and each heat exchanger defines therefore a heat exchanger axis EX as the line connecting all the heat exchange surfaces' centers. Preferably, the heat exchanger axis EX of the evaporator coincides with the heat exchanger axis EX of the condenser and therefore in the figure a single axis is visible.
Preferably, in correspondence of evaporator 32, the laundry dryer 1 of the invention may include a condensed-water canister (not visible) which collects the condensed water produced, when the dryer 1 is in operation, inside evaporator 32 by condensation of the surplus moisture in the process air stream arriving from the drum 3. The canister is located at the bottom of the evaporator 32. Preferably, through a connecting pipe and a pump (not shown in the drawings), the collected water is sent in a reservoir located in correspondence of the highest portion of the dryer 1 so as to facilitate a comfortable manual discharge of the water by the user of the dryer 1.
The condenser 31 and the evaporator 32 of the heat pump 30 are located in correspondence of the process air conduit 18 formed in the basement 24 (see
In case of a condense-type dryer—as depicted in the appended figures—where the air process circuit is a closed loop circuit, the condenser 31 is located downstream of the evaporator 32. The air exiting the drum 3 enters the conduit 18 and reaches the evaporator 32 which cools down and dehumidifies the process air. The dry cool process air continues to flow through the conduit 18 till it enters the condenser 31, where it is warmed up by the heat pump 30 before re-entering the drum 3.
It is to be understood that in the dryer 1 of the invention, an air heater, such as an electrical heater, can also be present, in addition to the heat pump 30. In this case, heat pump 30 and heater can also work together to speed up the heating process (and thus reducing the drying cycle time). In the latter case, preferably condenser 31 of heat pump 30 is located upstream the heater. Appropriate measures should be provided to avoid the electric heater to fuse plastic components of the dryer 1.
Further, with now reference to
Further, duct 18 includes a first and a second portion 28 and 29. The first portion 28 starts from the inlet 19in of the duct 18, and terminates in the second portion 29, which includes the outlet 19out of the duct. In the first portion 28 of the duct 18, the first and the second heat exchangers 31, 32 are located. Preferably, first and second heat exchanger 31, 32 are placed one after the other, the first heat exchanger 31 being downstream in the direction of flow of the process air the second heat exchanger 32.
Further, the second portion 29 channels the process air exiting from the first heat exchanger 31 towards the basement outlet 19out. The second portion 29 thus starts at the location of an exit of the first heat exchanger 31, considered as the location of a plane sectioning the duct portion 29 and substantially in contact with a surface of the first heat exchanger 31 from which process air exits.
Considering now a first plane P1 perpendicular to the basement plane (X, Y) and embedding the rotational axis R of the drum 3, this first plane P1 divides the basement 24 in two halves, called, with now reference to
Again with reference to
It can be therefore seen that the heat exchangers 31, 32 and the first duct portion 28 are substantially contained for the majority of their volume within the third and fourth quarter Q3, Q4, the second heat exchanger closer to the front wall 20 than the first heat exchanger 31; preferably compressor 33 is contained for the majority of its volume within the first quarter Q1, while the motor 50 is located for the majority of its volume in the second quarter Q2. The outlet 19out of basement duct 18 is located between the first Q1 and the second quarter Q2, preferably facing rear wall 21 of casing 2. A small portion of the volume of the first heat exchanger is contained in the first and second quarters.
Motor 50 is preferably contained within the second quarter Q2 and its shaft 51 extends in such a way that it is parallel to plane P1. Preferably, motor shaft 51 is also the shaft of fan 12, which is located in proximity of outlet 19out, preferably facing the latter. Fan 12 blows the process air exiting the basement 24 through outlet 19 into the drum 3, preferably through a passage, not shown, part of the process air circuit 18, formed within the rear wall 21. Preferably, fan 12 includes a propeller 13 which is positioned in the outlet 19out and defines a propeller or fan axis F.
As visible, the heat exchangers 31, 32 are positioned in front of the basement, that is, close to the front wall 20, while the compressor 33 and the motor 50 are positioned in the rear of the basement, i.e. close to the rear wall 21. However, an opposite configuration, where the heat exchangers are positioned at the rear of the basement and the compressor and motor at the front of the basement is feasible as well.
The air process duct 18 is divided in two by the first plane P1. Preferably, the air process duct 18 has an axis A and the first plane P1 is including axis A. Preferably, the first plane P1 is also an axis of symmetry of the duct 18, which is divided in two halves by the first plane P1. Alternatively, the first plane P1 still divides the duct in two parts that are not identical.
On the third and fourth quarters Q3, Q4, the first portion 28 of the duct is positioned, where also the first and the second heat exchanger 31, 32 of heat pump 30 are located. The heat exchangers can be completely contained within the third and fourth quarters or they can also extend beyond the limit defined by the second plane P2, as in the present case. If a portion of the first and/or second heat exchanger 31, 32 is also located within the rear part of the basement 24 (quarters Q1 and Q2), this portion is the minority of the whole volume occupied by the first and/or second heat exchanger 31, 32. The length of the first portion 28 of the duct is therefore at least equal to the distance between the inlet 19in of the duct 18 to the exit of the first heat exchanger 31.
Duct 18 includes walls which form and delimit the duct itself, and the walls form a closed curve, in other words, when the duct 18 is sectioned on a plane perpendicular to the basement plane (X, Y), the section of the duct walls defines a closed curve. Walls include a first and a second wall 18w1 and 18w2, considered as lateral wall of the duct. The configuration of walls 18w1 and 18w2 can change also along the extension of the duct, for example close to the outlet 19out, the section of the duct 18 becomes substantially circular and thus lateral walls 18w1 and 18w2 become substantially curvilinear or each of them includes an arch of circumference. In the portion of the duct 28 which contains the heat exchangers 31, 32, each wall has substantially a U shape. Any embodiment of the geometrical configuration of walls 18w1 and 18w2 is encompassed in the present invention.
Preferably, first and second walls 18w1 and 18w2 are each formed with the upper or lower shell 24a, 24b. That is to say, the upper shell 24a includes part of first wall 18w1 and part of second wall 18w2, while the lower shell 24b includes part of the first wall 18w1 and part of second wall 18w2.
As shown in
Considering now a further plane, called sectioning plane PT (several sectioning plane are visible in
Sectioning plane PT thus sections first wall 18w1 and second wall 18w2 generating a first curve and a second curve, respectively. The first and second curves are substantially the curves formed by the edges of the first and second walls—respectively—in the location where they have been sectioned.
In this portion, the heat exchangers are located. As shown in
At the same time, as shown in
The exit of the condenser 31 in this embodiment is positioned in the first quarter Q1 close to the second plane P2. Preferably, a plane including the exit of the condenser 31 is parallel to the second plane P2. Further, the exchangers 31, 32 are positioned in the first portion 28 of the duct 18 in such a way that the axis of the heat exchangers EX and the axis A of the duct 18 are parallel and even more preferably they coincide (see
After the exit of the condenser 31, the second portion 29 of the duct 18 extends. This second portion starts at the exit of the condenser and terminates at the outlet 19out of the duct 18.
As visible in
As visible in
Two sections of the second portion 29 of the duct 18 along section planes PT positioned in the first and second quarters Q1, Q2 and specifically along lines B-B and A-A of
The size of the outlet, as shown in
The convergence can be readily seen comparing the width of the duct in
The axis F of the fan 12 is also preferably contained in plane P1, as also depicted in
Outside duct 18, in the first and second quarters Q1, Q2, at the two sides of the second portion 29 of the duct, where walls 18w1 and 18w2 are converging, the compressor 33 and the motor 50 are positioned. The converging shape of the duct allows an easy positioning of these elements.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2018/086787 | 12/21/2018 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/126055 | 6/25/2020 | WO | A |
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| 20240068152 | Welch | Feb 2024 | A1 |
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| 2018454422 | May 2021 | AU |
| 101792967 | Aug 2010 | CN |
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| International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Application No. PCT/EP2018/086787, dated Apr. 1, 2019, 14 pages. |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220056629 A1 | Feb 2022 | US |
