Appliance for drying and/or washing laundry equipped with an autonomous fire extinguishing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331447-B2
Application number	US-202117999040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2021
Priority date	May 20, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

An appliance ( 10 ) for drying and/or washing laundry includes an autonomous fire extinction device ( 20 ). The fire extinction device has pipe ( 26 ) with an elongate shape and closed at both its longitudinal ends ( 26 x ). The pipe includes a fusible thermoplastic wall defining an internal space. The pipe is thermoformed to give it a particular shape in the unconstrained free state corresponding to its mounted position inside the enclosure ( 12 ). An extinguishing fluid ( 29 ) is inside the space, and is configured to be released by fusion of the pipe wall ( 26 ) under the effect of heat produced by a fire or an incipient fire.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An appliance for drying and/or washing laundry, comprising:
an external enclosure of generally parallelepipedic shape and comprising at least one first removable face panel,
a drum located in said enclosure and rotatable about an axis,
the drum comprising an internal cavity configured to receive laundry,
a motor for driving in rotation the drum about the axis, the motor being located in the enclosure under the drum, and
a system for heating and generating a flow of hot air through said cavity, the system being located in said enclosure,
an autonomous fire extinguishing device comprising:
at least one pipe with an elongate shape and closed at both longitudinal ends, the pipe comprising a fusible thermoplastic wall delimiting an internal space, the pipe being thermoformed in order to impose on the pipe a particular shape in an unstressed free state corresponding to a mounting position inside the enclosure, and
a fire-extinguishing fluid within said space, the fire-extinguishing fluid being configured to be released by fusion of the wall of the pipe under an effect of heat provided by a fire or a fire departure,
wherein the device is configured to be mounted in said enclosure by dismounting and removing said first face panel, the device comprising two portions, comprising a first portion in the shape of a cradle which extends between the drum and the motor, from said first face panel to a face panel of the enclosure opposite said first face panel, and a second portion which extends on a side of said first face panel, said first portion being formed by a first segment of the pipe which forms a loop delimiting a periphery of said first portion, and said second portion being formed by a second segment of the pipe.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein said first portion extends in at least two intersecting planes.

3. The appliance according to claim 2 , wherein said first portion extends in three intersecting planes, comprising:
a horizontal intermediate plane in which straight and parallel sectors of the pipe are located,
a first inclined plane located on a side of said opposite face panel and extending upwards from said intermediate plane, and
a second inclined plane located on the side of said first face panel and extending upwards from said intermediate plane.

4. The appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the first inclined plane comprises a horizontal straight sector which is located above the straight sectors of the intermediate plane, and which is parallel to a horizontal straight sector of the second plane.

5. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the second segment of the pipe is generally L-shaped.

6. The appliance according to claim 4 , wherein the second segment of the pipe is generally L-shaped, and wherein the second segment of the pipe comprises a horizontal straight sector running alongside the horizontal straight sector of the second plane.

7. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the second segment of the pipe comprises a vertical straight sector.

8. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein one of the longitudinal ends of the pipe is equipped with at least one sensor which is connected to a control member.

9. The appliance according to claim 8 , wherein said control member is configured to put the appliance into a disable mode when said at least one sensor emits a signal.

10. The appliance according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one sensor is a pressure sensor, temperature sensor, or other parameter sensor.

11. The appliance according to claim 8 , wherein said control member is configured to emit a signal to an electronic device, a computer network, or a computer database.

12. The appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive belt mounted around the drum and a motor shaft, the first portion of the device extending between the belt and a face panel of the enclosure.

13. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said pipe has a length between 1 and 5m, and a diameter between 10 and 30 mm.

14. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said system for heating and generating a flow of hot air is located under the drum or on one side of the drum.

15. A kit for an appliance, comprising:
an external enclosure of generally parallelepipedic shape and comprising at least one first removable face panel,
a drum located in said enclosure and rotatable about an axis, the drum comprising an internal cavity configured to receive laundry,
a motor for driving in rotation the drum about the axis, the motor being located in the enclosure under the drum,
a system for heating and generating a flow of hot air through said cavity, the system being located in said enclosure,
an autonomous fire extinguishing device comprising:
at least one pipe of elongated shape and closed at both longitudinal ends, the pipe comprising a fusible thermoplastic wall delimiting an internal space, the pipe being thermoformed in order to impose on the pipe a particular shape in an unstressed free state corresponding to a mounting position inside the enclosure, and
a fire-extinguishing fluid within said space, the fire-extinguishing fluid being configured to be released by fusion of the wall of the pipe under an effect of heat provided by a fire or a fire departure,
the device being configured to be mounted in the enclosure of the appliance by dismounting and removing said first face panel, the device comprising two portions, comprising a first portion in the shape of a cradle which extends between the drum and the motor, from said first face panel to a face panel of the enclosure opposite said first face panel and a second portion-which extends on a side of said first face panel, said first portion being formed by a first segment of the pipe which forms a loop delimiting the periphery of said cradle, and said second portion being formed by a second segment of the pipe, and
attachments for attaching the device to the appliance.

Assignees

• Hutchinson
• Andre Florence

Inventors

• Andre Maxime
• Bossard Eric
• Hiesse Olivier

Classifications

• A62C3/16

  in electrical installations, e.g. cableways · CPC title

• D06F2105/62

  Stopping or disabling machine operation · CPC title

• D06F58/50

  Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of blowers · CPC title

• D06F2103/00

  Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers · CPC title

• D06F58/20

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