Low pressure laundry treating appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242646-B2
Application number	US-202017014033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a low pressure laundry treating appliance having a cabinet defining an interior, and a drum provided within the interior, the drum including at least an inner wall and an outer wall. Pressure differentiations and flash evaporation can enable drying without excess use of conventional heating methods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, the laundry treating appliance comprising:
a drum assembly comprising an outer drum defining an outer drum interior, an inner drum located within the outer drum interior, the inner drum at least partially defining a treating chamber having an access opening, and the inner drum spaced from the outer drum to define an interstitial space;
a closure selectively closing the access opening;
a liquid reuse tank fluidly coupled to the interstitial space;
a vent fluidly coupled to the reuse tank; and
a drain system fluidly coupling the interstitial space to the reuse tank, the drain system comprising at least one collection channel within the interstitial space and formed in the outer drum, and a drain channel fluidly coupled to the at least one collection channel.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the drain system further comprises a plurality of collection conduits extending axially within the interstitial space, a plurality of drain conduits extending radially from the drain channel, wherein the drain channel fluidly couples the plurality of collection conduits to the plurality of drain conduits.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a coupling ring circumscribing at least a portion of the outer drum and defining the drain channel.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the inner drum further comprises integral lifts forming at least a portion of circumferentially disposed collection channels.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the outer drum further comprises drain ribs along an interior surface of the outer drum forming at least a portion of the circumferentially disposed collection channels.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the treating chamber is a low pressure treating chamber fluidly sealable from ambient air.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 6 wherein a compressor fluidly couples the low pressure treating chamber to the interstitial space.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 7 further comprising a pump having an inlet and an outlet, with the inlet fluidly coupled to the low pressure treating chamber and the outlet fluidly coupled to ambient air.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 further comprising a tub defining a tub interior where the drum assembly is located within the tub interior and defining an external containment cavity between the tub and outer drum capable of reaching a low pressure state.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the low pressure treating chamber extends between a front and rear wall and the front wall includes perforations fluidly connecting the low pressure treating chamber to the external containment cavity.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 9 further comprising a process tank fluidly coupled to the external containment cavity.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the external containment cavity is fluidly coupled to the pump and compressor.

13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 wherein the compressor is capable of bringing the external containment cavity to a first low pressure and the pump is capable of providing an additional pressure decrease required to reach the low pressure state.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a flash evaporation starter fluidly coupled to the treating chamber.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a heater in heat exchange with the treating chamber.

16. A method of draining fluids in a laundry treating appliance having a drum assembly comprising an outer drum defining an outer drum interior, an inner drum located within the outer drum interior, the inner drum at least partially defining a treating chamber having an access opening, and the inner drum spaced from the outer drum to define an interstitial space; the method comprising:
flowing fluids in a set of collection channels formed in the outer drum and located within the interstitial space;
dispensing the fluids into a set of collection conduits at least partially disposed within the set of collection channels and extending axially from one of a rear or a front of the laundry treating appliance toward the other of the rear or the front of the laundry treating appliance and disposed circumferentially about the outer drum;
draining the fluids into a drain channel circumscribing one of the rear or the front of the laundry treating appliance;
passing the fluids through at least one drain conduit extending radially toward the rotational axis from the drain channel; and
moving the fluids from the at least one drain conduit into a reuse tank disposed within the laundry treating appliance.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein moving the fluids further comprises passing the fluids through a connection conduit extending between the drain conduit and an exit conduit.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein draining the fluids into the drain channel further comprises passing the fluids through at least one notch formed in a wall of the drain channel.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising disposing the fluids into a motor assembly of the laundry treating appliance prior to moving the fluids from the at least one drain conduit into the reuse tank.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the flowing, dispensing, draining, passing and moving of the fluids from the set of collection channels to the reuse tank is facilitated by gravity.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Welch Rodney M

Classifications

• D06F58/206

  Heat pump arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/24

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• F26B11/049

  with provisions for working under increased or reduced pressure, with or without heating · CPC title

• F26B13/16

  perforated {in combination with hot air blowing or suction devices, e.g. sieve drum dryers}(F26B13/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F58/04

  Details  (controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00) · CPC title