Dishwasher drying system with thermal storage heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9907451-B2
Application number	US-201615149823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	May 9, 2016
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A dishwasher drying system includes an air inlet configured to receive hot, humid air from a tub of a dishwasher. The dishwasher drying system also includes an air outlet configured to discharge the air to an ambient environment outside the dishwasher. The dishwasher drying system further includes an air moving device configured to cause the air to move from the air inlet to the air outlet. In addition, the dishwasher drying system includes a thermal storage heat exchanger positioned within an airflow path of the moving air, the thermal storage heat exchanger configured to absorb heat and condense moisture from the moving air as the moving air contacts the thermal storage heat exchanger during a dishwasher drying cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dishwasher drying system comprising:
an air inlet configured to receive hot, humid air from a tub of a dishwasher;
an air outlet configured to discharge the air to an ambient environment outside the dishwasher;
an air moving device configured to cause the air to move from the air inlet to the air outlet; and
a thermal storage heat exchanger positioned within an airflow path of the moving air, the thermal storage heat exchanger configured to absorb heat and condense moisture from the moving air as the moving air contacts the thermal storage heat exchanger during a dishwasher drying cycle.

2. The dishwasher drying system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal storage heat exchanger comprises a plurality of metal fins arranged in the airflow path.

3. The dishwasher drying system of claim 2 , wherein the thermal storage heat exchanger further comprises a tube coupled to the plurality of metal fins, the tube containing a thermal material.

4. The dishwasher drying system of claim 3 , wherein the thermal material is a phase change material that has a melting point around ambient temperature.

5. The dishwasher drying system of claim 4 , wherein the phase change material comprises paraffin.

6. The dishwasher drying system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal storage heat exchanger comprises one or more metal or ceramic materials in a foam, granule, or matrix configuration.

7. The dishwasher drying system of claim 1 , wherein the dishwasher drying system is configured to operate in an off-cycle recharge operation during which the air moving device causes cooled air to move past the thermal storage heat exchanger, wherein the thermal storage heat exchanger is configured to discharge heat to the moving air as the moving air contacts the thermal storage heat exchanger.

8. The dishwasher drying system of claim 7 , wherein the air inlet comprises a first air inlet, the dishwasher drying system further comprising a second air inlet configured to receive ambient air from the ambient environment outside the dishwasher, wherein the first air inlet is closed and the second air inlet is open during the off-cycle recharge operation.

9. The dishwasher drying system of claim 1 , wherein the dishwasher drying system is disposed in a door of the dishwasher.

10. The dishwasher drying system of claim 1 , wherein the dishwasher drying system is disposed above the tub of the dishwasher.

11. A dishwasher comprising:
a tub;
a door; and
a dishwasher drying system comprising:
an air inlet configured to receive hot, humid air from the tub;
an air outlet configured to discharge the air to an ambient environment outside the dishwasher;
an air moving device configured to cause the air to move from the air inlet to the air outlet; and
a thermal storage heat exchanger positioned within an airflow path of the moving air, the thermal storage heat exchanger configured to absorb heat and condense moisture from the moving air as the moving air contacts the thermal storage heat exchanger during a dishwasher drying cycle.

12. The dishwasher of claim 11 , wherein the thermal storage heat exchanger comprises a plurality of metal fins arranged in the airflow path.

13. The dishwasher of claim 12 , wherein the thermal storage heat exchanger further comprises a tube coupled to the plurality of metal fins, the tube containing a thermal material.

14. The dishwasher of claim 13 , wherein the thermal material is a phase change material that has a melting point around ambient temperature.

15. The dishwasher of claim 14 , wherein the phase change material comprises paraffin.

16. The dishwasher of claim 11 , wherein the thermal storage heat exchanger comprises one or more metal or ceramic materials in a foam, granule, or matrix configuration.

17. The dishwasher of claim 11 , wherein the dishwasher drying system is configured to operate in an off-cycle recharge operation during which the air moving device causes cooled air to move past the thermal storage heat exchanger, wherein the thermal storage heat exchanger is configured to discharge heat to the moving air as the moving air contacts the thermal storage heat exchanger.

18. The dishwasher of claim 17 , wherein the air inlet comprises a first air inlet, the dishwasher drying system further comprising a second air inlet configured to receive ambient air from the ambient environment outside the dishwasher, wherein the first air inlet is closed and the second air inlet is open during the off-cycle recharge operation.

19. The dishwasher of claim 11 , wherein the dishwasher drying system is disposed in the door of the dishwasher.

20. The dishwasher of claim 11 , wherein the dishwasher drying system is disposed above the tub of the dishwasher.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Guolian
• Vaidhyanathan Raveendran

Classifications

• F26B21/25

  partly outside the drying enclosure · CPC title

• A47L15/4246

  Details of the tub (A47L15/4272 takes precedence; insulation arrangements A47L15/4209) · CPC title

• F26B5/04

  by evaporation or sublimation of moisture under reduced pressure, e.g. in a vacuum {(F26B11/049 and F26B17/128 take precedence)} · CPC title

• A47L15/4251

  Details of the casing (insulation arrangements A47L15/4209; collecting leaked water in the casing for preventing water damage A47L15/4212) · CPC title

• A47L15/4225

  Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps · CPC title