Method of removing heat from a clothes tumbling system on the outside of the cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12157969-B2
Application number	US-202318501079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2023
Priority date	Nov 7, 2019
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

A drying appliance includes a cabinet. A blower directs process air through a closed-loop airflow path and through a processing chamber and a condensing unit. The condensing unit is attached to an external surface of the cabinet. An open airflow path directs ambient air through the condensing unit and to an area exterior to the cabinet. The ambient air remains separated from the closed-loop airflow path. The condensing unit is configured to exchange heat between the process air within the closed-loop airflow path and the ambient air moved through the open airflow path. The ambient air cools and dehumidifies the process air to form condensate on an interior surface of the condensing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a blower disposed within the cabinet that directs process air through a closed-loop airflow path;
an external heat exchanger, wherein the external heat exchanger is positioned at least partially exterior to the cabinet;
a shroud attached to the cabinet and partially surrounding the external heat exchanger, wherein the shroud directs ambient air through the external heat exchanger; and
an open airflow path that directs the ambient air through the external heat exchanger and to an area exterior to the shroud and the cabinet, wherein:
the open airflow path includes an ambient air inlet that is defined between the shroud and an external surface of the cabinet; and
the ambient air remains separated from the closed-loop airflow path, wherein the external heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the process air within the closed-loop airflow path and the ambient air is moved through the open airflow path.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the open airflow path operates through natural convection.

3. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the open airflow path includes an external fan.

4. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the external fan is attached to the shroud.

5. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the external heat exchanger is attached to the external surface of the cabinet.

6. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the external heat exchanger and the shroud are positioned within a recess defined within the external surface of the cabinet.

7. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the open airflow path includes an ambient air outlet that directs the ambient air from the external heat exchanger to the area exterior to the shroud and the cabinet.

8. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein the ambient air outlet is attached to the shroud and is configured to extend through a wall of a structure adjacent to the cabinet.

9. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the external heat exchanger includes airflow tubes having an interior surface that defines a portion of the closed-loop airflow path.

10. The appliance of claim 9 , wherein the airflow tubes include an exterior surface that defines a portion of the open airflow path.

11. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the external heat exchanger is a condensing unit that cools the process air and separates condensate from the process air.

12. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the exterior surface of the airflow tubes direct captured condensate to a condensate pump.

13. An appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a blower disposed within the cabinet that recirculates internal air through a closed-loop airflow path;
an open airflow path that directs ambient air therethrough;
a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the internal air within the closed-loop airflow path and the ambient air within the open airflow path; and
a shroud that cooperates with the cabinet to at least partially surround the heat exchanger and to define an ambient air inlet, wherein,
the shroud directs the ambient air through the heat exchanger; and
the exchange of the heat between the open airflow path and the closed-loop airflow path operates to modify respective temperatures of the ambient air and the internal air, respectively.

14. The appliance of claim 13 , wherein the open airflow path includes an external fan.

15. The appliance of claim 14 , wherein the external fan is attached to the shroud and operates to draw the ambient air into the ambient air inlet and through the heat exchanger.

16. The appliance of claim 13 , wherein the shroud is attached to the cabinet at a recess defined by an exterior surface of the cabinet, and wherein the heat exchanger is positioned between the cabinet and the shroud.

17. The appliance of claim 13 , wherein the heat exchanger includes airflow tubes having an interior surface that defines a portion of the closed-loop airflow path, and wherein an exterior surface of the airflow tubes defines a portion of the open airflow path.

18. An appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a blower that directs process air through a closed-loop airflow path, the closed-loop airflow path including a processing chamber and a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed within a recess at least partially defined by an external surface of the cabinet;
a shroud attached to the external surface of the cabinet and that at least partially surrounds the heat exchanger; and
an open airflow path that is defined by the shroud and the heat exchanger, wherein the shroud directs ambient air into the open airflow path and through the heat exchanger, and wherein the shroud includes an air outlet that directs the ambient air from the heat exchanger and to an area exterior to the cabinet, and wherein the ambient air remains separated from the closed-loop airflow path.

19. The appliance of claim 18 , wherein the open airflow path includes an external fan that is disposed within the shroud.

20. The appliance of claim 18 , wherein the heat exchanger includes airflow tubes having an interior surface that defines a portion of the closed-loop airflow path, and wherein an exterior surface of the airflow tubes defines a portion of the open airflow path.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Masters Roy E

Classifications

• D06F58/04

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

• D06F58/20

  General details of domestic laundry dryers  (D06F59/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F58/206

  Heat pump arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/24 Primary

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/10 Primary

  Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means · CPC title