Air heater for front load washing machine
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsAlexander B. Leibman, Venkata Chakradhar Rangu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a front load laundry appliance comprises a cabinet having a cabinet inlet vent, a drum positioned within the cabinet and accessible through the opening, and a cabinet duct fluidly coupling the cabinet inlet vent to the drum. The appliance defines an inlet flow path through a door duct, the cabinet inlet vent, and the drum. An induction heater comprising an induction coil and a heat transfer element is located within the inlet flow path such that a flow of inlet air in the inlet flow path passes over the heat transfer element.
Claims20
A front load laundry appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the front load laundry appliance comprising:
- a cabinet comprising a front panel, the front panel defining an opening and a cabinet inlet vent;
- a drum positioned within the cabinet and accessible through the opening;
- a cabinet duct fluidly coupling the cabinet inlet vent to the drum;
- a door assembly mounted to the cabinet and being rotatable between an open position allowing access to the opening and a closed position blocking access to the opening, the door assembly comprising a door duct, wherein an inlet flow path is defined through the door duct, the cabinet inlet vent, and the drum;
- an induction heater comprising an induction coil and a heat transfer element, the induction heater located within the inlet flow path such that a flow of inlet air in the inlet flow path passes over the heat transfer element,
- wherein the door assembly comprises an outer door shell defining a door inlet and an inner door shell defining a door exhaust,
- wherein the door duct fluidly couples the door inlet and the door exhaust,
- wherein the door exhaust and the cabinet inlet vent are in fluid communication when the door assembly is in the closed position;
- and
- a sealing member is disposed on the inner door shell, the sealing member providing a substantially airtight seal around the door exhaust and the cabinet inlet vent.
A front load clothes washer laundry appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the laundry appliance comprising:
- a cabinet comprising a front panel, the front panel defining an opening and a cabinet inlet vent;
- a drum positioned within the cabinet and accessible through the opening;
- a cabinet duct fluidly coupling the cabinet inlet vent to the drum;
- a door assembly rotatably mounted to the cabinet and rotatable between an open position allowing access to the opening and a closed position blocking access to the opening, the door assembly comprising:
- an outer shell defining a door inlet;
- an inner shell defining a door exhaust;
- a door duct fluidly coupling the door inlet and the door exhaust, wherein an inlet flow path is defined through the door inlet, the door duct, the door exhaust, the cabinet inlet vent, the cabinet duct, and the drum;
- and
- a sealing member disposed on the inner shell, the sealing member providing a substantially airtight seal around the door exhaust and the cabinet inlet vent;
- and
- an induction heater comprising an induction coil and a heat transfer element, the induction heater located within the inlet flow path,
- wherein a flow of inlet air in the inlet flow path passes over the induction heater.
A front load laundry appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the front load laundry appliance comprising:
- a cabinet comprising a front panel, the front panel defining an opening and a cabinet inlet vent;
- a drum positioned within the cabinet and accessible through the opening;
- a cabinet duct fluidly coupling the cabinet inlet vent to the drum;
- a door assembly mounted to the cabinet and being rotatable between an open position allowing access to the opening and a closed position blocking access to the opening, the door assembly comprising a door duct, wherein an inlet flow path is defined through the door duct, the cabinet inlet vent, and the drum;
- and
- an induction heater comprising an induction coil and a heat transfer element, the induction heater located within the inlet flow path such that a flow of inlet air in the inlet flow path passes over the heat transfer element,
- wherein the heat transfer element comprises a conductor and one or more plates extending from the conductor, and
- wherein the conductor comprises a ferrous tube defining an internal space and the induction coil is disposed in the internal space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.