Process air vent for laundry appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025027262-A1
Application number	US-202318357049-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 21, 2023
Priority date	Jul 21, 2023
Publication date	Jan 23, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet, a tub positioned within the cabinet, and a basket supported for rotation within the tub. The laundry appliance includes a recirculating air flow system having a fan fluidly coupled to the tub and a vent tube with a first end fluidly coupled to a pressure side of the fan and a second end of the vent tube in fluid communication with an external atmosphere.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A 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; a tub positioned within the cabinet; a basket supported for rotation within the tub and accessible through the opening; a recirculating air flow system comprising a fan fluidly coupled to the tub; and a vent tube having a first end fluidly coupled to a pressure side of the fan; wherein a second end of the vent tube is in fluid communication with an external atmosphere.

2 . The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the front panel comprises a recessed portion and the second end of the vent tube is disposed in the recessed portion.

3 . The laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein the second end of the vent tube terminates in a diffuser.

4 . The laundry appliance of claim 2 , further comprising 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;
wherein, in the closed position, the second end of the vent tube is covered by a portion of the door assembly and the recessed portion of the front panel and the portion of the door assembly covering the vent tube cooperate to form a ventilation gap.

5 . The laundry appliance of claim 4 wherein the ventilation gap facilitates a flow of air from the vent tube into the external atmosphere away from the cabinet.

6 . The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the recirculating air flow system further comprises a heat exchanger having an evaporator and a condenser.

7 . The laundry appliance of claim 6 , wherein the tub and the recirculating air flow system cooperate to provide an air flow path including the basket, the heat exchanger, the fan, and the basket.

8 . The laundry appliance of claim 6 , wherein a flow of recirculating process air follows the air flow path through the evaporator, the condenser, the fan, and the basket.

9 . The laundry appliance of claim 8 , wherein the evaporator extracts heat energy and moisture from the flow of recirculating process air, the condenser adds heat energy to the flow of recirculating process air, and the fan urges the flow of recirculating process air.

10 . The laundry appliance of claim 8 , wherein a portion of the flow of recirculating process air flows through the vent tube to the external atmosphere.

11 . The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the vent tube is fluidly coupled to the pressure side of the fan at a fan housing.

12 . A combination washer/dryer laundry appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the combination laundry appliance comprising:
a cabinet comprising a front panel, the front panel defining an opening; a tub positioned within the cabinet; a basket supported for rotation within the tub and accessible through the opening; a recirculating air flow system comprising a fan fluidly coupled to the tub; and a vent tube having a first end fluidly coupled to a pressure side of the fan; wherein a second end of the vent tube is in fluid communication with an external atmosphere.

13 . The combination washer/dryer laundry appliance of claim 12 , wherein the front panel comprises a recessed portion and the second end of the vent tube is disposed in the recessed portion.

14 . The combination washer/dryer laundry appliance of claim 12 , further comprising 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; wherein, in the closed position, the second end of the vent tube is covered by a portion of the door assembly and the recessed portion of the front panel and the portion of the door assembly covering the vent tube cooperate to form a ventilation gap.

15 . The combination washer/dryer laundry appliance of claim 14 wherein the ventilation gap facilitates a flow of air from the vent tube into the external atmosphere away from the cabinet.

16 . The combination washer/dryer laundry appliance of claim 12 , wherein the recirculating air flow system further comprises a heat exchanger having an evaporator and a condenser.

17 . The combination washer/dryer laundry appliance of claim 16 , wherein the tub and the recirculating air flow system cooperate to provide an air flow path including the basket, the heat exchanger, the fan, and the basket.

18 . The combination washer/dryer laundry appliance of claim 16 , wherein:
a flow of recirculating process air follows the air flow path through the evaporator, the condenser, the fan, and the basket; and wherein the evaporator extracts heat energy and moisture from the flow of recirculating process air, the condenser adds heat energy to the flow of recirculating process air, and the fan urges the flow of recirculating process air.

19 . The combination washer/dryer laundry appliance of claim 18 , wherein a portion of the flow of recirculating process air flows through the vent tube to the external atmosphere.

20 . The combination washer/dryer laundry appliance of claim 12 , wherein the first end of the vent tube is fluidly coupled to the pressure side of the fan at a fan housing.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• James Alexander Daniel
• Lawson Wayne E
• Dunn David Scott
• Djerekarov Jivko Ognianov

Classifications

• D06F58/02

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F58/24 Primary

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• D06F25/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title

• D06F39/14

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• D06F58/20 Primary

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