Dryer and operating method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12590404-B2
Application number	US-202017788630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2020
Priority date	Dec 24, 2019
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

A dryer and an operating method therefor are useful in a 5G environment provided for the Internet of Things. The dryer includes a heating device, a tumbler connected to the exit of the heating device, a fan connected to the exit of the tumbler, a heat exchanger disposed in a flow line of a working fluid connected to the exit of the fan, a compressor having an entrance connected to a flow line connected to the exit of the fan and an exit connected to the entrance of the heat exchanger, and a regeneration device having an entrance connected to the exit of the heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A dryer comprising:
a heating device; a tumbler connected to an exit of the heating device and configured to receive one or more objects to be dried; a fan connected to an exit of the tumbler; a heat exchanger connected to an exit of the fan through a first flow line, the first flow line being configured to carry a working fluid; a compressor having (i) an entrance connected to the first flow line and (ii) an exit connected to an entrance of the heat exchanger; and a regeneration device having an entrance connected to an exit of the heat exchanger, wherein the regeneration device is connected to a circulation line configured to carry the working fluid, the circulation line connecting the heating device, the tumbler, the fan, and the heat exchanger, wherein the regeneration device comprises:
a gas-liquid separator that has a gas exit connected to the circulation line,
a decompression device disposed at at least one of (i) a flow line that connects the exit of the heat exchanger to an entrance of the gas-liquid separator or (ii) a flow line that connects the gas exit of the gas-liquid separator to the circulation line,
a first bypass line having two ends that are connected to respective ends of the decompression device, and
a first bypass valve disposed at the first bypass line, and
wherein the decompression device is one of a plurality of decompression devices including (i) a first decompression device disposed between the exit of the heat exchanger and the entrance of the gas-liquid separator and (ii) a second decompression device disposed in the circulation line at the gas exit of the gas-liquid separator.

2 . The dryer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an accommodation duct that accommodates the heat exchanger therein, wherein the accommodation duct is connected to (i) the first flow line, (ii) a second flow line that is connected to an entrance of the heating device, and (ii) a third flow line that is connected to the entrance of the compressor.

3 . The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the gas exit of the gas-liquid separator is connected to a flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and that connects the heating device to the tumbler.

4 . The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the gas exit of the gas-liquid separator is connected to a flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and that connects the tumbler to the fan.

5 . The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the gas exit of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the first flow line that is connected to the exit of the fan.

6 . The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the gas exit of the gas-liquid separator is connected to a flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and that is connected to an entrance of the heating device.

7 . The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the gas-liquid separator further has a condensed water exit, and
wherein the regeneration device further comprises a steam trap that is connected to the condensed water exit of the gas-liquid separator.

8 . The dryer according to claim 7 , wherein the regeneration device further comprises:
a second bypass line having two ends that are connected to respective ends of the steam trap; and a second bypass valve disposed at the second bypass line.

9 . The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the regeneration device comprises:
a preheating device disposed at a flow line that is connected to the exit of the heat exchanger; and an outside air inflow line having (i) an entrance configured to receive air from an outside of the dryer and (ii) an exit connected to the circulation line, the outside air inflow line passing through the preheating device.

10 . The dryer according to claim 9 , wherein the regeneration device further comprises a control valve disposed adjacent to the entrance of the outside air inflow line.

11 . The dryer according to claim 10 , wherein the outside air inflow line is connected to at least one of (i) the first flow line, (ii) a second flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and connected to an entrance of the heating device, (iii) a third flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and connects the heating device to the tumbler, or (iv) a fourth flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and connects the tumbler to the fan.

12 . The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the circulation line comprises (i) the first flow line, (ii) a second flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and connected to an entrance of the heating device, (iii) a third flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and connects the heating device to the tumbler, and (iv) a fourth flow line that is configured to carry the working fluid and connects the tumbler to the fan.

13 . The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the working fluid includes steam.

14 . A method for operating the dryer according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
operating the fan; operating the compressor; operating the heating device; and stopping operation of the heating device based on an elapse of a set time period after operating the heating device.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the gas-liquid separator further has a condensed water exit, the gas exit being connected to the circulation line, and
wherein the regeneration device further comprises a steam trap connected to the condensed water exit of the gas-liquid separator.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the regeneration device further comprises:
a second bypass line that has two ends connected to respective ends of the steam trap; and a second bypass valve disposed at the second bypass line.

17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the regeneration device comprises:
a preheating device disposed at a flow line that is connected to the exit of the heat exchanger; an outside air inflow line having (i) an entrance configured to receive air from an outside of the dryer and (ii) an exit connected to the circulation line, the outside air inflow line passing through the preheating device; and a control valve disposed adjacent to the entrance of the outside air inflow line.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Yang Gyu
• Chun Chan Ho

Classifications

• D06F58/24

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/04

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

• D06F58/32

  Control of operations performed in domestic laundry dryers  (control of operations performed in washer-dryers D06F33/50; details of control systems, e.g. for detecting or measuring specific parameters or for selection or indication of programs D06F34/00) · CPC title

• D06F58/26 Primary

  Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment (D06F58/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F58/30 Primary

  Drying processes  (controlling a series of operations in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32) · CPC title