Dryer or washer dryer and method for this operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9389018-B2
Application number	US-201414258435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2014
Priority date	Apr 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

Example dryers and washer-dryers having a closed process air circuit having a drum, a condenser downstream from the drum for dehumidifying warm moist air, and a thermoelectric device having a cold side arranged in the process air circuit downstream from the drum are disclosed. Example thermoelectric devices have a warm side cooled by a fluid which is circulated in a liquid/air heat exchanger arranged in the process air circuit downstream from the condenser. Using the disclosed architectures, appliance design can be simplified without decreasing overall system performance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dryer having a closed process air circuit comprising:
a drum;
a condenser downstream from the drum for dehumidifying warm air; and
a thermoelectric device having a cold side arranged in the process air circuit downstream from the drum, and a warm side cooled by a fluid circulated in a liquid/air heat exchanger arranged in the process air circuit downstream from the condenser.

2. A dryer as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a heating element upstream from the drum.

3. A dryer as defined in claim 2 , wherein the fluid comprises at least one of water, a mixture of water and an alcohol, and/or a mixture of water and a glycol ether.

4. A dryer as defined in claim 3 , wherein the fluid comprises a phase change material.

5. A dryer as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a pump for circulating the fluid.

6. A dryer as defined in claim 1 , wherein the fluid circulates due to convection.

7. A dryer as defined in claim 1 , wherein the liquid/air heat exchanger comprises a plurality of fins.

8. A dryer as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cold side of the thermoelectric device comprises a plurality of fins.

9. A dryer as defined in claim 1 , wherein the warm side of the thermoelectric device is in heat exchange relationship with a tank that is part of a fluid circulation system.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Paderno Jurij
• Parachini Davide
• Spranzi Paolo

Classifications

• F26B21/333

  by condensing the moisture in the drying medium, which may be recycled, e.g. using a heat pump cycle · CPC title

• D06F58/20

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

• F26B21/086 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• D06F58/24

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/206 Primary

  Heat pump arrangements · CPC title