EP4239118A1 - Heat pump dryer with steam generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a laundry treatment appliance (1) with the following features: a treatment chamber, preferably a drum (3) for receiving laundry, which has an air inlet (6) and an air outlet (7); a unit with a heat pump; - an in the process air duct (8, 8a) located additional heating element (23). - The laundry treatment device also includes - a steam generator (20) with - a nozzle (24) for distributing the water emerging from the supply line (21) in the process air duct (8, 8a) , wherein the nozzle (24) is arranged in the direction of flow of the process air behind the heating element (23).

Description

• einer Behandlungskammer, bevorzugt eine Trommel, zum Aufnehmen von Wäsche, die einen Lufteinlass und einen Luftauslass aufweist;
• ein Aggregat mit
  • einer Wärmepumpe mit einem Verflüssiger als Heizeinrichtung und einem Verdampfer als Kondensationseinrichtung;
  • einem Lüfter zum Fördern von Prozessluft durch einen durch die Behandlungskammer und die Heizeinrichtung führenden Kreislauf;
  • einen Prozessluftkanal zur Verbindung des Aggregats mit dem Lufteinlass und dem Luftauslass der Behandlungskammer;
  • ein in dem Prozessluftkanal befindlichen zusätzlichen Heizelement;
  • einer Steuereinrichtung zum Aktivieren und Deaktivieren der Aktoren zur Durchführung eines automatischen Behandlungsablaufs.

The invention relates to a laundry treatment device with the following features:

• a treatment chamber, preferably a drum, for receiving laundry, having an air inlet and an air outlet;
• an aggregate with
  • a heat pump with a condenser as a heating device and an evaporator as a condensation device;
  • a fan for conveying process air through a circuit leading through the treatment chamber and the heating device;
  • a process air duct for connecting the aggregate to the air inlet and the air outlet of the treatment chamber;
  • an additional heating element located in the process air duct;
  • a control device for activating and deactivating the actuators for carrying out an automatic treatment process.

Some of the laundry is not visually dirty but is contaminated with odors and pollutants. As a rule, the laundry is therefore washed after a certain time or after a certain amount of stress and then dried in the dryer or on the line. Washing and subsequent drying requires a lot of time, energy and manual work on the part of the user.

The EP 2 415 926 A2 discloses a clothes dryer with a steam generator for treating clothes. The heating element is used as a steam generator to heat the process air, with a pipe running from the water tank close to the heating element in order to supply water to a partial area. The distribution of the water takes place in that the pipeline is routed in a zigzag fashion over said partial area of the heating element.

The approach presented here sets itself the task of creating an improved laundry treatment device with a steam generator.

According to the invention, this object is achieved, inter alia, by a laundry treatment appliance having the features of claim 1 . Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention result from the dependent claims.

The approach presented here provides a simple way of post-treating the laundry to be treated in a targeted manner, for example smoothing it and/or gently removing odorous substances from the items to be treated and transporting them away and/or adding scents.

• einem Wassertank zur Aufnahme bzw. Bevorratung von Wasser;
• einer Zuführleitung zum Leiten des Wassers aus dem Wassertank in den Kanalabschnitt, in dem das Heizelement angeordnet ist;
• einem Dosierelement welches der Zuführleitung vorgeschaltet ist zum Duschlassen des Wassers oder zum Sperren des Wasserflusses durch die Leitung;
• eine Düse zum Verteilen des aus der Zuführleitung austretenden Wassers im Prozessluftkanal, wobei die Düse in Strömungsrichtung der Prozessluft hinter dem Heizelement angeordnet ist.

The laundry treatment device has a steam generator

• a water tank for receiving or storing water;
• a supply pipe for guiding the water from the water tank into the channel section in which the heating element is arranged;
• a dosing element which is connected upstream of the supply line for letting the water flow or blocking the flow of water through the line;
• a nozzle for distributing the water emerging from the supply line in the process air duct, the nozzle being arranged behind the heating element in the direction of flow of the process air.

This means that the additional heating element, which is already present and is used to quickly heat up the process air, is also used to generate steam. To do this, the heating element is activated, causing it to heat up, with water being fed from the supply line onto the heating element. The end of the supply line does not protrude directly to the heating element, since a distribution element is arranged between the line end and the heating element in order to fan out or atomize the water jet within the process air duct and distribute it on the front surface of the heating element. Because the fanned-out water jet is sprayed against the direction of the process air flow in the direction of the heating element, it swirls intensively and finely before it reaches the heating element or the hot surface of the heating element. Due to the intensive turbulence, it is avoided that droplets, i.e. unevaporated water particles, are transported away from the heating element into the treatment chamber.

A general advantage is that the steam is generated in the duct before it enters the treatment chamber and enters the treatment chamber with the flowing process air. In the treatment chamber, the steam unfolds its effect on the laundry items swirling around there, for example smoothing, odor-removing and/or cleaning and/or disinfecting. With the fanning out of the water jet directed at the heating element, an even distribution is achieved, thereby reliably ensuring complete evaporation of the water supplied. Overall, a good steam quality is achieved, with the formation of water droplets in the process air being avoided.

The heating element is preferably designed as a flat component, preferably with cooling ribs, and is attached perpendicularly, that is to say longitudinally to the direction of flow of the process air flow, in the rear air duct. The nozzle protrudes into the air duct section in which the heating element is located, with a distance between the nozzle and the additional heater, preferably in the range of 1 cm to 5 cm, being arranged in order to distribute the water flowing out of the nozzle or fan out the water flow. As a result, the exiting water jet is fanned out, to apply water to a larger area of the front surface of the additional heater.

The laundry treatment appliance can be embodied, for example, as a dryer or washer-dryer or drying cabinet. In the following, the treatment chamber is also referred to as a drum, the drum being used when it is rotated during the treatment of the items to be cleaned in order to mix the items to be cleaned. In a drying cabinet, the treatment chamber is the treatment space into which the items to be cleaned are hung, whereby the treatment space is not moved during the treatment process. The items to be cleaned can be understood, for example, as textiles. The cleaning process can, for example, map a cleaning program that a user of the cleaning device can select and set accordingly. The cleaning process can be performed automatically using facilities of the laundry treatment appliance. The drum can be shaped as a rotatable receptacle. The additional heating element can be an electrical heating device which can be activated independently of the heat pump and which, for example, comprises at least one heating resistor. The supply device can be designed, for example, as a controllable valve or as a pump, so that the amount of water to be supplied can be supplied to the auxiliary heater in a controlled manner.

The laundry treatment appliance can be designed as a household appliance, for example, but also correspondingly in connection with a commercial or professional appliance. Furthermore, it can be designed as a drum dryer, comprising a housing and a drum which is arranged in the housing, can be driven by a motor and is rotatably mounted about a horizontal or inclined axis, which drum forms the treatment chamber.

In an embodiment that is expedient overall, the heating element is arranged in the channel in an at least predominantly vertical section in front of the air inlet of the chamber and the nozzle is arranged above the heating element. The nozzle is preferably arranged at a distance from the top of the additional heating element. As a result, the nozzle protruding into the duct is not exposed to excessive heat when the additional heating is switched on.

In a further embodiment that is advantageous overall, the heating element comprises heating ribs for transferring the heat to the process air flowing past. The cooling fins are preferably also aligned vertically. As a result, the air flow is not or only slightly affected.

In an embodiment that is expedient overall, the dosing element is a pump or valve, which can be activated by means of the control device in order to convey water to the heating element. Especially the version with a valve and the arrangement of the water tank above the The heating element can be designed very simply and reliably, because when the valve is open, the water reaches the nozzle due to gravity and is fanned out and/or atomized there. The use of gravity to provide water flow applies to all designs.

In an embodiment that is expedient overall, the laundry treatment appliance is a condensation dryer, comprising a collection container for condensate that arises during the drying process, with the collection container forming the water tank and the condensate being able to be used to generate steam. Here, the condensate produced during the drying process is used to generate steam, so that the user does not have to refill the tank with any or only a little water. In another embodiment or development, the water tank forming the water source is designed separately and is to be filled with water, demineralized water or conditioned water, for example with care additives, disinfectants or fragrances. This means that different media can be used to generate steam, regardless of the condensate to be collected.

In an overall advantageous embodiment, the nozzle is dimensioned to fan out the water entering the nozzle. The fanned-out water jet emerging from the nozzle outlet has an angle in the range of 90° to 170°, preferably 100 to 160°. This applies water mist to a large area of the heating element for rapid and even vaporization when the heating element is heated. For all versions, the heating element is heated to a temperature in the range of 120°C to 170°C to generate steam. The distance from the nozzle outlet to the end face of the heating element is preferably in the range from 1 cm to 5 cm. This ensures a good distribution of the water and an even distribution of the spray over the cross-sectional area of the heating element and complete evaporation of the water.

In a preferred development, the nozzle is dimensioned to form a flat jet that impinges on the heating element over its entire width. The flat water jet or mist jet is particularly advantageous when the channel section in which the heating element is located is flat. This prevents the water jet from reaching the inside of a wall of the channel section.

In a further development, the nozzle is dimensioned in such a way that the flat jet emerges obliquely from the nozzle at an angle in the range from 5° to 45°, preferably 5° to 15°, relative to the vertical. This allows the jet to hit the heating element at an angle, so that part of the water jet or mist hits the front side and the other remaining part hits a longitudinal surface of the heating element, which is in Flow direction extends within the channel section. The nozzle and the heating element can also be positioned in relation to one another in such a way that the entire, fanned-out jet impinges obliquely on the longitudinal surface of the heating element, so that all mist droplets striking the surface evaporate quickly and completely.

The volume flow of the water to be supplied is designed for a value in the range from 100 ml/min to 160 ml/min, preferably 120 ml/min to 150 ml/min, particularly preferably in the range 150 ml/min. The dosing pump is designed or configured accordingly for this purpose.

In an embodiment that is expedient overall, the nozzle is attached to the outward-facing wall of the process air duct section accommodating the heating element, preferably the rear process air duct section. The nozzle preferably penetrates this wall, so that the connection line is connected to the nozzle outside of the process air duct. Sealing means are preferably present in order to receive the nozzle in a sealed manner in the said wall of the process air duct section.

In an overall expedient embodiment, the dosing element and the nozzle are designed to spray the water to the heating element in such a way that the water droplets or spray reaches the surface of the heating element while the process air flows through the channel. As a result, the steam is fed to the process air before it reaches the treatment chamber and thus the laundry to be treated.

Fig. 1:

eine schematische Darstellung der Komponenten der Wärmepumpe und

Fig. 2:

eine detaillierte, perspektivische Ansicht des Kanalabschnitts zur Dampferzeugung und

Fig. 3:

eine perspektivische Schnittansicht des Kanalabschnitts zur Dampferzeugung.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. Show it

Figure 1:

a schematic representation of the components of the heat pump and

Figure 2:

a detailed, perspective view of the duct section for steam generation and

Figure 3:

a perspective sectional view of the channel portion for steam generation.

1 shows the heat pump dryer 1 according to the invention in a schematic sectional view. Here it can be seen that the heat pump device 13 comprises a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates in a line system with an evaporator 15, a compressor 14 for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 16 and a throttle 15a, the heat exchanger circulating the evaporator 15 and the heater the condenser 16 of the heat pump 13 contains. The evaporator 15 and the condenser 16 are arranged in the duct 8 in such a way that the moist process air PL from the outlet 7 of the treatment chamber 3 in the duct 8 first flows through the evaporator 15 so that it is dehumidified due to the cooling and the resulting condensation. It then flows through the downstream condenser 16, which acts as a heater and the process air PL heats up, so that the heated process air PL is admitted through the air inlet 6 into the drum 3 and is thus fed to the textiles to be treated. Any condensate that occurs is collected in the collecting pan 18 and pumped to the collecting container 4 by means of the condensate pump 17 . In another embodiment, the container 4 can also be designed as a tank for fresh water if steam is to be generated with fresh water. To generate steam, the treatment device 1 includes a steam generator 20, to which the tank 4 can also be assigned. A pump is attached to the tank or in the supply line 21 as a dosing element 22, which can be activated and deactivated by the control device 19 in order to convey water through the line 21 to the nozzle 24 and to atomize it from the nozzle 24 and to the additional heating element 23 support financially. In order to generate steam, the auxiliary heating element 23 is activated so that the surface is hot and the water jet or spray mist S impinging on it evaporates. The steam is thus generated in the air duct section 8a in front of the inlet 6 of the air duct 8 which is immediately upstream of the treatment chamber 3 . The nozzle 24 is arranged above the heating element 23 and is designed for the planar distribution of the water flowing in at certain points.

The functional module 5 on the bottom also includes the motor 10 which drives the fan 9 and the drum 3 here. The fan 9 is preferably designed as a radial fan with curved blades, so that it causes a higher volume flow in a preferred direction than in the opposite direction of rotation. The treatment chamber designed as a rotatable drum 3 is mounted in the housing 2 or on a supporting structure by means of a horizontal or inclined axis of rotation 40 .

2 shows a perspective interior view of the channel section 8a upstream of the treatment chamber 3 in the direction of flow, in which the additional heating element 23 is located. The additional heating element 23 comprises a block 23b with an electrically operable resistance heating element. When electrical energy is supplied, this and the surrounding metal block 23b heat up. Cooling fins 23a are attached to the block 23b, preferably along the flow direction of the process air PL in this channel section 8a. Above the additional heating element 23, the nozzle 24 is attached to or in the outer wall 80a (not shown) of the channel section 8a. The outside wall is removed in this view and the nozzle 24 is shown schematically. The nozzle 24 is positioned in such a way that the outlet opening of the nozzle 24 is at a distance from the front surface 23c of the heating element 23 .

3 shows the steam-generating channel section 8a in a perspective sectional view. The outwardly pointing rear wall 80a of said channel section can be seen. This channel section 8a is preferably on the rear side of the drum 3 ( 1 ) attached and designed flat to a sufficient with given housing dimensions provide large cross section. The nozzle 24 is arranged above the upper end face 23c of the heating element 23 and penetrates the rear channel wall 80a. The distance from the outlet 24a to the top 23c of the heating element 23 is in a range of 2 cm to 5 cm. In the situation shown, water S is sprayed out of the outlet 24a in the direction of the heating element 23 in a fanned-out manner. The spray jet S is fanned out and so flat that it impinges obliquely on the area of the heating element 23 extending in the longitudinal direction or on the ribs 23a extending in the longitudinal direction.

All direction and position information relates to the operational set-up position of the treatment device 1.

Claims (13)

Laundry treatment device (1) with the following features: a treatment chamber, preferably a drum (3) for receiving laundry, having an air inlet (6) and an air outlet (7); an aggregate with - A heat pump (13) with a compressor (14), condenser (16) as a heating device and an evaporator (15) as a condensation device; - A fan (9, 10) for conveying process air (PL) through a through the treatment chamber (3) and the heating device (16) leading circuit; - A process air duct (8) for connecting the unit (13) to the air inlet (6) and the air outlet (7) of the treatment chamber (3); - An additional heating element (23) located in the process air duct (8, 8a); - a control device (19) for activating and deactivating the actuators (10, 14, 23) for carrying out an automatic treatment process, also comprehensive - a steam generator (20) with - A water source, preferably a water tank (4) for receiving or storing water; - A supply line (21) for conducting the water from the water tank (4) into the channel section (8a) in which the heating element (23) is arranged; - A dosing element (22) which is connected upstream of the supply line (21) for letting the water through or for blocking the flow of water through the line (21); - A nozzle (24) for distributing the water emerging from the supply line (21) in the process air duct (8, 8a), the nozzle (24) being arranged behind the heating element (23) in the flow direction of the process air. Laundry treatment appliance according to Claim 1, which is designed as a drum dryer, comprising a housing (2) and a drum (3) which is arranged in the housing (2) and can be driven by a motor (10) and is rotatably mounted about a horizontal or inclined axis (5). , which forms the treatment chamber. Laundry treatment appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating element (23) is arranged in the channel (8a) in an at least predominantly vertical section in front of the air inlet (6) of the chamber (3) and the nozzle (24) is arranged above the heating element (23). Laundry treatment appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heating element (23) comprises cooling fins (23a) for transferring the heat to the process air (PL) flowing past. Laundry treatment appliance according to claim 4, wherein the heating element (23) are arranged in the process air duct (8a) in such a way that they extend longitudinally to the direction of the process air (PL) flowing through the duct (8a). Laundry treatment appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 5,
wherein the metering element (22) is a pump or valve which can be activated by the control device (19) in order to convey water to the nozzle (24). Laundry treatment appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 6,
further comprising a collecting tank (4) for condensate, which arises during the drying process, wherein the collecting tank (4) forms the water source or the water tank and the condensate can be used to generate steam. Laundry treatment appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 7,
comprising a collection container for condensate which arises during the drying process, the water tank (4) forming the water source being designed separately and being fillable with water and/or a care product. Laundry treatment appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 8,
the nozzle (24) being dimensioned to fan out the water entering the nozzle (24), the fanned out jet of water (S) having an angle in the range 90° to 170°, preferably 100° to 160°. Laundry treatment device according to claim 9,
the nozzle (24) being dimensioned to form a flat jet (S). Laundry treatment device according to claim 10,
the nozzle (24) being dimensioned in such a way that the flat jet (S) emerges obliquely from the nozzle (24) at an angle in the range from 5° to 45°, preferably 5° to 15°, relative to the vertical. Laundry treatment appliance according to one of Claims 3 to 11,
wherein the nozzle (24) is attached to the outward-facing wall (80a) of the process air duct section (8a) in which the heating element (23) is located, preferably the rear process air duct section (8a). Laundry treatment appliance according to one of Claims 1 to 12,
wherein the dosing element (22) and the nozzle (24) are designed to spray the water to the heating element (23) in such a way that the water droplets or the spray mist reaches the surface of the heating element (23) while the process air (PL) flows through the channel (8a).

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