EP1788141B1 - Apparatus for drying laundry by means of an air flow - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for drying laundry by means of an air flow, comprising a drum for receiving the laundry and a duct system for guiding the air flow, wherein the duct system has a downstream side of the drum arranged portion in which the air flow is guided in a falling direction and in which a sieve for collecting lint from the air flow is arranged and the screen a squeegee for stripping trapped lint and a memory associated with an opening for receiving stripped lint.

Such a device is apparent from the respective EP 1 050 619 B1 and the DE 44 03 183 C2 , The device according to each of these documents comprises a flat screen which serves to catch fluff which detaches and entrains a heated air stream during the drying of laundry shaken in a rotating drum. The lint collected on the sieve must be removed on a regular basis so that the flow resistance of the sieve, which is set against the flow of air, remains sufficiently low and an impairment of the drying of the linen is avoided. For this purpose, a doctor blade is provided in each device, which is periodically actuated to strip the collected lint from the wire. According to the EP 1 050 619 B1 the screen is designed as part of an endless belt and, driven by a motor, can be moved with its entire effective length past the stationary squeegee. The fluff thereby stripped from the sieve are collected in a reservoir. According to the DE 44 03 183 C2 if the sieve is designed as a fixed surface and is swept over by a movable squeegee to remove collected lint; the squeegee is connected via a corresponding transmission with a closing mechanism of the door of the tumble dryer, so that each time the door is opened, the squeegee is passed over the sieve. The disclosure of both documents is to the full extent attributable to the present disclosure.

The EP 0 997 571 B1 relates to a method for monitoring the drying air flow in a household tumble drier and a correspondingly improved household tumble drier. It is provided, the flow velocity of the Dry air flow to measure and monitor. This is to detect an undesirable high flow resistance for the air flow and be displayed by a suitable alarm. The main cause of such increased flow resistance is lint that is deposited in corresponding components of the tumble dryer. According to the DE 199 24 297 A1 is a household laundry dryer with a self-cleaning lint filter, appropriate sensors and appropriately equipped control device to detect during a drying process, an unfavorable high flow resistance at the lint filter and eliminate by causing a self-cleaning of the lint filter. The disclosure of both documents is to the full extent attributable to the present disclosure.

Each in one of the mentioned writings EP 1 050 619 B1 and DE 44 03 183 C2 described device is characterized by the fact that it has systemized the cleaning of the screen of trapped fluff, so that an impairment of the drying process largely excluded and a reproducible good result of the drying process is secured. However, there still lacks a convenient and easy way to remove and dispose of the collected lint.

Accordingly, the invention to be described below is based on the object to provide a device of the type mentioned, which is equipped with a simpler and convenient to handle means for storing, removing and disposing of the collected lint.

To achieve this object, an apparatus for drying laundry by means of an air flow, comprising a drum for receiving the laundry and a duct system for guiding the air flow, wherein the channel system has a downstream side of the drum section, in which the air flow in a falling direction is guided and in which a sieve arranged to catch fluff from the air flow and the screen a squeegee for stripping trapped lint and a memory associated with an opening for receiving stripped lint, wherein inventively the memory has a handle and two detachably interconnected shell parts wherein the shell parts define a storage volume for receiving the stripped fluff.

The invention introduces a simple and easy to manufacture memory which receives stripped fluff and which can be removed to dispose of the recorded lint on the handle as a whole from the device and easily opened and closed again after disposal of the lint. Direct contact with such fluff by a user of the device can be avoided; Removal of unwanted lint from a device for drying laundry and their easy and handling safe disposal are thus ensured.

Preferably, the shell parts are connected to each other by a hinge and a snap connection corresponding to the hinge.

Also preferably, the device has a bearing plate, which on the one hand forms a supporting structure for a front side of the device and a front support for the drum and on the other hand carries a door for closing the drum, wherein the sieve and the memory are arranged in the bearing plate. This makes the strainer and storage easy and accessible and can be easily accessed for routine disposal of lint and maintenance.

The memory is preferably connected by a latching connection with the screen, whereby it can be easily and reproducibly brought into a predetermined working position and fixed there for any use.

Also preferably, the reservoir has a movable slide which releases the opening when the reservoir is positioned in a working position for receiving the stripped lint, and which closes the opening upon removal of the reservoir from the operative position. Such a loss of lint from the memory is prevented when the memory for disposal of the lint is removed from the working position.

More preferably, the slider is guided in first guideways, for example, such that on the slider molded noses or cylinders engage in these first guideways. In this case, the first guideways are formed on the memory, for example by means of integrally formed on corresponding surfaces webs, embedded in such surfaces grooves or combinations of such webs with such grooves.

It is even more preferred if such first guideways are aligned at least piecewise parallel to a vertical, so that a movement of the slider can be supported by gravity.

It is also preferred to provide non-positively connected with the screen and thus immovably connected guide rails, each of which engages for positioning of the memory in a first guide track. More preferably, the slide is to contact the opening of the guide rails contacted, and the opening is mediated by the removal of the memory from the working position by a dead weight of the slider. This provides a simple and reliable interaction for releasing and closing the opening without the need for an additional source of force, for example a spring.

Particularly preferred is a device which has a flap which is movable synchronously with the slider and connected thereto via a joint and guided in each case to a first guide track sections parallel and the memory molded second guideways, the flap folded out of the memory is when the slider releases the opening and into the memory folds in when the slide closes the opening. For the design of the second guideways and the leadership of the flap in them, the above statements apply to the first guideways and the slide. The flap helps to close the opening when removing the memory from the working position by doing a directed into the memory movement and thus pushes possibly protruding from the opening lint into the memory. This avoids that lint fall out of the memory when removing the memory, remain in the device and possibly pollute them. More preferably, first and second guideways are designed so that the movement of the slider and the flap is not limited by the first guideways, but by the second guideways. Accordingly, the first guideways are referred to as open, the second guideways as closed, and this each as two-sided. This is of particular importance with an embodiment described above, in which the first guideways serve to engage the memory in the division of labor; correspondingly provided guide rails in the device serve in particular at the same time for Contact and move the slider when the memory is placed in the working position.

Particularly preferred is a development of the invention, in which the doctor blade is driven by a motor. This achieves a complete mechanical removal of lint from the working process in the device, with the possibility of automation. In combination with the easy and convenient disposal of the lint, this results in a device equipped with a particularly high degree of user-friendliness for drying laundry.

Fig. 1

einen schematisierten Querschnitt durch einen Wäschetrockner;

Fig. 2

eine Teilansicht eines Lagerschildes eines Wäschetrockners, versehen mit einem Sieb und einer Rakel sowie einem Speicher zur Aufnahme abgestreifter Flusen;

Fig. 3

eine Teilansicht eines Lagerschildes eines Wäschetrockners wie in Fig. 2, jedoch mit einem aus einer eingerasteten Position entfernten Speicher;

Fig. 4 und Fig. 5

Ansichten der in den Figuren 2 und 3 dargestellten Ausführung eines Speichers;

Fig. 6

eine Ansicht einer anderen Ausführung des Speichers;

Fig. 7

eine teilweise geschnittene Ansicht des Speichers gemäß Fig. 6;

Fig. 8, 9 und 10

Schnitte des Speichers gemäß Fig. 6 mit verschieden positioniertem Schieber;

Fig. 11

einen Schnitt durch einen Speicher gemäß Fig. 6 und 7, eingesetzt in einem Wäschetrockner.

Embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawing. In detail show:

Fig. 1

a schematic cross section through a clothes dryer;

Fig. 2

a partial view of a bearing plate of a clothes dryer, provided with a sieve and a doctor blade and a memory for receiving stripped fluff;

Fig. 3

a partial view of a bearing plate of a tumble dryer as in Fig. 2 but with a memory removed from a locked position;

4 and FIG. 5

Views of the in the Figures 2 and 3 illustrated embodiment of a memory;

Fig. 6

a view of another embodiment of the memory;

Fig. 7

a partially sectioned view of the memory according to Fig. 6 ;

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10

Sections of the memory according to Fig. 6 with differently positioned slide;

Fig. 11

a section through a memory according to Fig. 6 and 7 , used in a tumble dryer.

In all figures of the drawing, corresponding parts of the tumble dryer carry the same reference numerals.

According to Fig. 1 The apparatus for drying laundry 1 by means of an air flow comprises a drum 2 for receiving the laundry 1, wherein the drum 2 is rotatable about an axis 3 in order to shake the laundry 1 in the air stream. The air flow is in a channel system 4, 5, 6 away from the drum 2 and this fed again. The channel system 4, 5, 6 comprises a falling portion 4, which passes partly through a bearing plate 7 for feeding the drum 2, a horizontal portion 5 below the drum 2 and a rising portion 6, through which the air flow back to the drum 2. The falling section 4 contains a sieve 8, which is arranged in the bearing plate 7 and from which the lint 9, which entraises the air flow of the laundry 1, traps. With in the Fig. 1 means not shown can be trapped lint 9 of the sieve 8 to ensure the lowest possible flow resistance of the sieve 8. In the following on the falling section 4 horizontal section 5, a heat exchanger 10 is provided, in which the air flow is cooled to condense entrained water vapor. Condensed water is known per se and in Fig. 1 not shown means separated from the air stream and disposed of. In the following on the horizontal portion 5 rising portion 6 are arranged a fan 22, which drives the air flow through the drum 2 and the channel system 4, 5, 6, and a heater 12, through which the air flow before entering the drum 2 again is heated. The heat exchanger 10 and the heating device 12 may optionally be wholly or partly associated with a recuperative heat transport system, in particular a heat pump. The bearing plate 7 forms on the one hand a support structure for a front side of the device and a front support for the drum 2 and on the other hand carries a door 13 for closing the drum. 2

Fig. 2 shows the embedding of the sieve 8 (of which for the sake of clarity only a portafilter, but not the actually effective fine mesh structure is shown) in the bearing plate 7 of the tumble dryer. The end shield 7 is seen from the drum 2. The leaving the drum 2 having air flow occurs along the arrows in the bearing plate 7 and thus passes to the sieve 8. There, the air flow of entrained lint 9 freed. The collected lint 9 are removed by the squeegee 15 by being moved by a motor 16 and a transmission, not shown, from a first end 17 of the wire 8 to a second end 18. The thus stripped fluff arrive there in the memory 19, 20. The memory 19,20, when filled with lint 9, on a handle 21, which is formed on the first part 19 of the memory 19,20, from the end shield. 7 be removed and emptied.

One from his working position in the bearing plate 7 remote memory 19,20 shows FIG. 3 which else with FIG. 2 matches. In this way, collected fluff 9 can be relatively easily and conveniently removed, it eliminates the hitherto always necessary in a conventional tumble dryer work of scraping a sieve. 8

FIGS. 4 and 5 show views of the in the Figures 2 and 3 already shown memory 19,20. The memory consists of two detachably interconnected switching parts 19, 20, comprising a first shell part 19 and a second shell part 20. On the first shell part 19, a handle 21 is formed, on which it from the end plate 7 (see. Fig. 2 and 3 ) can be pulled out, and the first shell part 19 has an opening 22 through which the memory 19,20 can be filled with lint. The shell parts 19 and 20 are connected on the one hand via a hinge 23 and on the other hand via a snap connection 24 with hook and groove, which snap connection 24 is releasable by exerting pressure by a user's finger.

FIGS. 6 and 7 , which are hereby incorporated by reference, show another embodiment of the memory 19, 20. Again, the memory 19,20 has two shell parts 19 and 20, which are connected to each other via a hinge 23 and a - here not visible - snap connection. Also, a handle 21 formed in the first shell part 19 is provided, and there is also an opening 22 for inserting lint on the first shell part 19. This opening 22 can be closed by means of a slide 25, which is guided on molded-on lugs 26 in first guideways 27, when the reservoir 19, 20 is removed from a working position in the tumble dryer. How the slider 25 is moved, will be described below with reference to FIG. 11 explained.

First, with additional reference to the FIGS. 8 to 10 pointed to the flap 28, which on the one hand with the slider 25 via a joint 29 movably connected and on the other hand is guided with corresponding lugs 26 in second guideways 30. When the slider 25 from the in FIG. 7 moved down position shown, then follows the flap 28 of this movement synchronously. Due to the arrangement of the guideways 27 and 30 to each other, wherein the first guideways 27 piecewise, at least in the region of the opening 22, arranged approximately parallel to a vertical and a second guideway 30 piecewise aligned parallel to a first guideway 27, wherein between two correspondingly parallel aligned portions a curved piece is arranged, the flap 28 is in addition to its linear downward movement a rotational motion communicated, by which it, which is first folded out of the memory 19, 20 out, into the memory 19,20 is folded into. As a result, it can lint, which may project from the opening 22 out, into the memory 19,20 into it, This prevents the slide 25 when closing the opening 22 separates such lint and these fall into the bearing plate 7 and pollute him or otherwise impair. The described process of synchronous movement of the slider 25 and the flap 28 is out of the FIGS. 8 to 10 recognizable.

The guideways 27 and 30 are designed as grooves which are formed in corresponding and mutually parallel surfaces of the first shell part 19. The movement of the slider 25 and the flap 28 is due to the weight of this combination, without the assistance of an additional drive mechanism. It is of course not excluded to add such a drive mechanism given a need, for example in the form of a spring, which loads the slider 25 from above.

Out FIG. 11 is recognizable as the in the FIGS. 6 to 10 shown memory 19,20 is inserted in the bearing plate 7, and how the slider 25 is brought to release the opening 22. In the bearing plate 7, a tubular connecting piece 31 is attached to the second end 18 of the screen 8, which connects the screen 8 and the memory 19, 20 together and through which the doctor 15 (see. FIG. 2 ) pushes stripped fluff into the reservoir 19,20. Molded on this connection piece are guide rails 32 which engage in the first guide tracks 27 when the accumulator 19, 20 Intended to be introduced into the end plate 7. They contact the slider 25 and push it up in the memory 19,20, so that the opening 22 is released. In synchronism with the slider 25, the flap 28 moves upward, thereby rotating out of the memory 19, 20, corresponding to that in the row of FIG FIG. 10 to FIG. 8 recognizable sequence. Thus, the memory 19,20 is prepared for receiving the stripped fluff.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1.

Laundry

Second

drum

Third

axis

4th

Channel system, falling section

5th

Canal system, horizontal section

6th

Canal system, rising section

7th

end shield

8th.

scree

9th

fluff

10th

heat exchangers

11th

fan

12th

heater

13th

door

14th

Opening in the end shield

15th

doctor

16th

engine

17th

First end

18th

Second end

19th

Storage, first shell part

20th

Memory, second shell part

21st

Handle at the store

22nd

Opening at the store

23rd

hinge

24th

snap

25th

pusher

26th

nose

27th

first guideway

28th

flap

29th

joint

30th

second guideway

31st

Connecting piece guide rail

Claims (12)

1. Device for drying laundry (1) by means of an air flow, comprising a drum (2) for receiving the laundry (1) and a channel system (4, 5, 6) for guiding the air flow, wherein the channel system (4, 5, 6) has a section (4), which is arranged downstream of the drum (2) and in which the air flow is guided in a downward direction and a filter (8) for collecting lint (9) from the airflow is arranged and a rake (15) for stripping off collected lint (9) and a store (19, 20) with an opening (22) for receiving stripped off lint (9) are associated with the filter (8) characterised in that the store (19, 20) has a handle (21) as well as two shell parts (19, 20) detachably connected together, wherein the shell parts (19, 20) define a storage volume for receiving the stripped-off lint (9).
2. Device according to claim 1, in which the shell parts (19, 20) are connected together by a hinge (23) as well as a snap connection (24) corresponding with the hinge (23).
3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, which has an end panel (7), which is a support structure for a front side of the device and has a door (13) for closing the drum (2), wherein the filter (8) and the store (19, 20) are arranged in the end panel (7).
4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the store (19, 20) is connected with a filter (8) by a detent connection (27, 32).
5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the store (19, 20) comprises a movable slide (25) which frees the opening (22) when the store (19, 20) is positioned in a working setting for receiving the stripped-off lint (9) and which on removal of the store (19, 20) from the working setting closes the opening (22).
6. Device according to claim 5, in which the slide (25) is guided in first guide tracks (27), wherein the first guide tracks (27) are formed at the store (19, 20).
7. Device according to claim 6, in which the first guide tracks (27) are oriented at least in part approximately parallel to a vertical line.
8. Device according to claim 6 or 7, which has guide strips (32), which are connected by a friction couple with a filter (8) and each of which engages in a first guide track (27) for positioning of the store (19, 20).
9. Device according to claim 8, in which the slide (25) is contacted by the guide strips (32) for freeing the opening (22) and on removal of the store (19, 20) from the working setting closes the opening (22) by its own weight.
10. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, which comprises a flap (28), which is movable synchronously with the slide (25) and is connected therewith by way of a joint (29) and is guided in second guide tracks (30) which are each parallel in a section to a first guide track (127) and which are formed at the store (19, 20), wherein the flap (28) is pivoted out of the store (19, 20) when the slide frees the opening (22) and pivoted into the store (19, 20) when the slide (25) closes the opening (22).
11. Device according to claim 10, in which the first guide tracks (27) are open at two sides and in which the second guide tracks (30) are closed at two sides.
12. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the rake (15) is drivable by way of a motor (16).

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