Combination washing and drying laundry treating appliance
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorArun Rajendran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laundry machine washer-dryer combination includes a cabinet, a drum, a heater, an air duct, a container, and a fluid loop. The cabinet defines an internal chamber. The drum is disposed in the internal chamber and is configured to receive clothing articles. The heater is disposed in the internal chamber and is configured to heat air flowing to the drum during a drying cycle. The air duct is disposed in the internal chamber and is configured direct air from the drum to the heater during the drying cycle. The container is disposed in the internal chamber and has an energy storage material disposed therein. The fluid loop is configured to transfer heat from the air flowing through the air duct to the energy storage material during the drying cycle.
Claims20
A laundry machine washer-dryer combination comprising:
- a cabinet defining an internal chamber;
- a drum (i) disposed in the internal chamber and (ii) configured to receive clothing articles;
- a heater (i) disposed in the internal chamber and (ii) configured to heat air flowing to the drum during a drying cycle;
- an air duct (i) disposed in the internal chamber and (ii) configured direct air from the drum to the to the heater during the drying cycle;
- a container (i) disposed in the internal chamber and (ii) having an energy storage material disposed therein;
- a fluid loop configured to transfer heat from the air flowing through the air duct to the energy storage material during the drying cycle;
- a first heat exchanger (i) disposed in the air duct and (ii) configured to transfer heat from the air flowing through the air duct to a fluid disposed within the fluid loop;
- a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the fluid disposed within the fluid loop to the energy storage material;
- a third heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the fluid disposed within the fluid loop to ambient air;
- and
- a valve configured to (i) direct the fluid in the fluid loop to the second heat exchanger in a first position (ii) isolate the fluid in the fluid loop from the third heat exchanger in the first position (iii) direct the fluid in the fluid loop to the third heat exchanger in a second position, and (iv) isolate the fluid in the fluid loop from the second heat exchanger in the second position;
- and
- a controller programmed to,
- in response to a temperature of energy storage material being less than a threshold, maintain or transition the valve in or to the first position, and
- in response to the temperature of energy storage material being greater than the threshold, maintain or transition the valve in or to the second position.
A laundry machine comprising:
- a drum configured to receive clothing articles;
- a heater configured to heat air flowing to the drum;
- an air duct configured direct air from the drum to the heater;
- a storage vessel having an energy storage material disposed therein;
- and
- a fluid circuit having a fluid disposed therein, wherein the fluid circuit (i) is a sealed closed loop, (ii) extends into the air duct, and (iii) extends into the storage vessel, wherein the fluid is configured to (a) circulate through the fluid circuit, (b) receive heat from the air flowing through the air duct, and (c) transfer the heat inside of the storage vessel from the fluid to the energy storage material.
A laundry machine comprising:
- a cabinet defining a laundry treating chamber;
- a heater configured to heat air flowing to the laundry treating chamber;
- an air duct configured direct air from the laundry treating chamber to the heater;
- a storage vessel having a heat storing material disposed therein, wherein the storage vessel is disposed within the cabinet;
- and
- a fluid circuit having a fluid disposed therein, wherein the fluid circuit (i) is a sealed closed loop, (ii) extends into the air duct, and (iii) extends into the storage vessel, wherein the fluid is configured to (a) circulate through the fluid circuit, (b) receive heat from the air flowing through the air duct, and (c) transfer the heat inside of the storage vessel from the fluid to the heat storing material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.