Dryer having a heat pump, method for operating the same, and method for air conditioning a room

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8978267-B2
Application number	US-200913124909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2009
Priority date	Oct 24, 2008
Publication date	Mar 17, 2015
Grant date	Mar 17, 2015

Abstract

A dryer is provided that includes a drying chamber for items to be dried; a supply air duct; a process air duct; an exhaust air duct; and a heat pump having a heat sink and a heat source, wherein the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct can be connected to each other through a recirculating air duct by means of a mechanism in order to adjust a proportion of recirculating and exhaust air in the dryer, and wherein the dryer has a first sensor for determining a process air temperature. A method for operating the dryer and a method for controlling the temperature and/or the humidity of the air of a room using the dryer are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dryer, comprising:
a drying chamber for items to be dried;
a supply air duct;
a process air duct;
an exhaust air duct;
a heat pump with a heat sink and a heat source;
a recirculating air duct to connect the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct by a mechanism in order to adjust a proportion of recirculating air and exhaust air in the dryer;
a first sensor to determine a process air temperature;
a controller to control the mechanism as a function of measured values of the first sensor;
a comparator to compare an installation room temperature and an installation room humidity of air in an installation room to the process air temperature and a process air humidity of the process air in the dryer; and
an assembly to at least partly open or close a first controllable closure facility and a second controllable closure facility of the mechanism as a function of at least one of a prespecified temperature difference between the process air temperature and the installation room temperature and a prespecified humidity of the air in the installation room.

2. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism includes one of a mechanical connection and a pneumatic connection between the first controllable closure facility in the supply air duct and the second controllable closure facility in the exhaust air duct.

3. The dryer of claim 2 , wherein the first controllable closure facility and the second controllable closure facility are arranged in the recirculating air duct.

4. The dryer of claim 2 , wherein the first controllable closure facility and the second controllable closure facility are embodied as flaps.

5. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is arranged between the drying chamber and the heat sink.

6. The dryer of claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor to determine at least one of the installation room temperature and the installation room humidity of the air in the installation room.

7. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism only completely connects the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct to each other.

8. The dryer of claim 1 , further comprising a heater.

9. The dryer of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a supply air subduct and an exhaust air subduct.

10. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the heat pump is a compressor heat pump; wherein the heat pump circulates a coolant; wherein the heat sink of the heat pump is an evaporator, wherein the heat source of the heat pump is a condenser, and wherein the heat pump has a compressor and a choke.

11. A method for operating a dryer having a drying chamber for items to be dried, a supply air duct, a process air duct, and an exhaust air duct and a heat pump with a heat sink and a heat source, the method comprising:
connecting the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct to each other via a recirculating air duct by a mechanism in order to adjust a proportion of recirculating air and exhaust air in the dryer;
determining a process air temperature with a first sensor;

controlling the mechanism with a controller as a function of measured values of the first sensor;
connecting the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct to each other to a prespecified extent in the dryer in order to adjust a desired proportion of the recirculating air and the exhaust air;
comparing, with a comparator in the dryer, an installation room temperature and an installation room humidity of air in an installation room with the process air temperature and a process air humidity of process air in the dryer; and
at least partly opening or closing a first controllable closure facility and a second controllable closure facility with an assembly, as a function of at least one of a prespecified temperature difference between the process air temperature and the installation room temperature and a prespecified humidity of the air in the installation room;
wherein the connection of the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct to each other is undertaken as a function of at least one of the prespecified temperature difference between the process air temperature and the installation room temperature and the prespecified humidity of the air in the installation room.

12. A method for controlling at least one of a temperature and humidity of air of a room in which a dryer is located, the dryer having a drying chamber for items to be dried, a supply air duct, a process air duct, an exhaust air duct and a heat pump with a heat sink and a heat source, the method comprising:
connecting the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct to each other via a recirculating air duct by a mechanism in order to adjust a proportion of recirculating air and exhaust air in the dryer;
determining a process air temperature with a sensor;
controlling the mechanism with a controller as a function of measured values of the first sensor;
connecting the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct to each other to a prespecified extent in the dryer in order to adjust a desired proportion of the recirculating air and the exhaust air;
comparing, with a comparator in the dryer, an installation room temperature and an installation room humidity of air in an installation room with the process air temperature and a process air humidity of process air in the dryer; and
at least partly opening or closing a first controllable closure facility and a second controllable closure facility with an assembly, as a function of at least one of a prespecified temperature difference between the process air temperature and the installation room temperature and a prespecified humidity of the air in the installation room;
wherein the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct are connected to each other as a function of at least one of the prespecified temperature difference between the process air temperature and the installation room temperature and the prespecified humidity of the air in the installation room.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining at least one of the installation room temperature and the installation room humidity of the air in the installation room by way of a second sensor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mechanism only completely connects the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct to each other.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the heat pump circulates a coolant.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining at least one of the installation room temperature and the installation room humidity of the air in the installation room by way of a second sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the mechanism only completely connects the supply air duct and the exhaust air duct to each other.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the heat pump circulates a coolant.

Assignees

• Krausch Uwe-Jens
• Stolze Andreas
• Bsh Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete

Inventors

• Krausch Uwe-Jens
• Stolze Andreas

Classifications

• D06F58/20 Primary

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

• D06F58/24

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/206 Primary

  Heat pump arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/28

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F58/36

  Control of operational steps, e.g. for optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry · CPC title