Tumble dryer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9567704-B2
Application number	US-201414781846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A tumble dryer ( 100 ) is provided having: a laundry drum ( 102 ) rotatably supported in a casing ( 110 ) and suitable to receive laundry to be dried. A lint filter assembly ( 1 ) can be housed in a housing ( 105 ) provided in the casing ( 110 ) so that, when the lint filter assembly ( 1 ) is placed in the housing ( 105 ), it intercepts a flow of air exiting the laundry drum ( 102 ). A humidity sensor system retrieves information about the actual humidity of the laundry in the drum ( 102 ) and has at least a pair of electrodes ( 20 ) positioned such that the laundry in the drum ( 102 ) can come into contact with the electrodes ( 20 ). A control unit ( 150 ) controls the operations of the tumble dryer; and an electric circuit ( 21, 22, 23 ) transmits a signal obtained from the electrodes ( 20 ) to the control unit ( 150 ). The electric circuit ( 21, 22, 23 ) has at least one electrical connector ( 22, 23 ) arranged in such a way to electrically connect the electrodes ( 20 ) to the control unit ( 150 ) when the filter assembly ( 1 ) is correctly positioned in the housing ( 105 ) and not to connect the electrodes ( 20 ) to the control unit ( 150 ) when the filter assembly ( 1 ) is not positioned or not correctly positioned in the housing ( 105 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tumble dryer comprising:
a laundry drum rotatably supported in a casing and suitable to receive laundry to be dried;
a lint filter assembly which can be housed in a housing provided in said casing so that, when the lint filter assembly is placed in said housing, it intercepts a flow of air exiting said laundry drum;
a humidity sensor system for retrieving information about the actual humidity of the laundry in the drum, said humidity sensor system comprising at least a pair of electrodes positioned such that the laundry in said drum can come into contact with said electrodes;
a control unit for controlling the operations of the tumble drier;
an electric circuit for transmitting a signal obtained from said electrodes to the control unit;
wherein said electric circuit comprises at least one electrical connector arranged in such a way to electrically connect said electrodes to said control unit when said filter assembly is correctly positioned in said housing and not to connect said electrodes to said control unit when said filter assembly is not positioned or not correctly positioned in said housing.

2. The tumble dryer according to claim 1 , wherein said casing comprises a front bulkhead in which a mouth through which the laundry can be loaded/unloaded in/from said laundry drum is defined, said mouth comprising a peripheral surface in which said housing is defined.

3. The tumble dryer according to claim 2 , wherein said lint filter assembly comprises a frame supporting at least one filtering surface, said electrodes being positioned on a supporting surface of said frame facing the internal of said laundry drum when the filter assembly is housed in said housing.

4. The tumble dryer according to claim 3 , wherein said supporting surface is placed above a mouth of said housing defining an outlet for the flow of exhausted air.

5. The tumble dryer according to claim 3 , wherein said supporting surface comprises perforations allowing the passage of the flow of exhausted air towards said at least one filtering surface.

6. The tumble dryer according to claim 5 , wherein said filter assembly comprises a further perforated surface, said supporting surface being tilted to said perforated surface.

7. The tumble dryer according to claim 3 , wherein said supporting surface develops as curved surface, slanting from said mouth of said front bulkhead towards said drum.

8. The tumble dryer according to claim 2 , wherein said electrical connector comprises at least a plug and socket connection.

9. The tumble dryer according to claim 8 , wherein said plug and said socket are provided on said lint filter assembly and on said bulkhead next to said housing, respectively, or vice-versa.

10. The tumble dryer according to claim 8 , wherein said filter assembly comprises a border which is at least partially resting on an edge of said housing.

11. The tumble dryer according to claim 10 , wherein said plug projects from said border.

12. The tumble dryer according to claim 3 , wherein said electrodes are removably housed in a respective seat on said supporting surface.

13. The tumble dryer according to claim 1 , wherein said lint filter assembly is wedge-shaped and has a substantially rectangular cross section, said contact being positioned at the same short side of said rectangle.

14. The tumble dryer according to claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured in such a way to emit a warning signal and/or inhibit operation of the dryer when said electrodes are not connected to said control unit.

15. The tumble dryer according to claim 1 , comprising a first and a second electrical connectors each connected to a respective electrode.

16. The tumble dryer according to claim 1 , wherein said lint filter assembly comprises a frame supporting at least one filtering surface, said electrodes being positioned on a supporting surface of said frame facing the internal of said laundry drum when the filter assembly is housed in said housing.

17. The tumble dryer according to claim 1 , wherein said electrical connector comprises at least a plug and socket connection.

18. The tumble dryer according to claim 1 , wherein said filter assembly comprises a border which is at least partially resting on an edge of said housing.

Assignees

• Electrolux Appliances AB

Inventors

• Ros Paolo
• Dal Ben Diego
• Santarossa Marco

Classifications

• D06F58/50

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

• D06F2058/2858

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F58/28 Primary

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F58/22 Primary

  Lint collecting arrangements · CPC title

• D06F34/18

  Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight · CPC title