LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE LINT FILTER

• US 20190330787A1
• Filed: 06/19/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: KEHL, DENNIS, LEITERT, ANDREW, RICHMAN, LONNIE J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,738,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 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 Class Codes: D06F 33/32 Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/26 Condition of the drying air, e.g. air humidity or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/22 Lint collecting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/36 Control of operational steps, e.g. for optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry

Abstract

A method of removing lint from drying air in a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber for holding clothes for treatment according to a cycle of operation, a treating chemistry dispenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, and an air supply having an inlet and outlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber is disclosed. The method includes a laundry treating phase including supplying treating chemistry from the treating chemistry dispenser to the treating chamber and leaving a portion of the treating chemistry within the treating chamber to form a bath of treating chemistry, a laundry drying phase including supplying air to the treating chamber through the inlet and exhausting the supplied air from the treating chamber.

Claims

1. A method of removing lint from drying air in a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber for holding clothes for treatment according to a cycle of operation, a treating chemistry dispenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, and an air supply having an inlet and outlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, the method comprising:

forming a liquid bath in the treating chemistry dispenser;

supplying air to the treating chamber through the inlet;

exhausting the supplied air from the treating chamber; and

impinging the exhausted air onto the bath in the treating chemistry to remove lint contained within the exhausted air.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein impinging the exhausted air onto the bath comprises impinging the exhausted air onto a free surface of the bath.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein impinging the exhausted air onto the free surface of the bath comprises deflecting the exhausted air onto the free surface of the bath.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the impinging the exhausted air onto the free surface of the bath comprises impinging turbulent exhausted air onto the free surface of the bath.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the impinging the turbulent exhausted air onto the free surface comprises impinging the turbulent exhausted air onto the free surface at along an impingement vector.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the wherein a speed of the turbulent exhausted air between 14 ft/s and 42 ft/s.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the impinging the turbulent exhausted air onto the free surface forms a standing wave on the free surface.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the impinging the exhausted air onto the bath comprises impinging turbulent exhausted air onto the bath.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the impinging the exhausted air onto the bath comprises impinging the turbulent exhausted air onto the bath along an impingement vector.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the wherein a speed of the exhausted air between 14 ft/s and 42 ft/s.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the impinging the exhausted air onto the bath comprises impinging the exhausted air onto the bath along an impingement vector.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the wherein a speed of the exhausted air impinging the bath is between 14 ft/s and 42 ft/s.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the impinging the exhausted air onto the free surface forms a standing wave on the bath.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein directing the exhausted air to the dispenser comprises directing the exhausted air into a housing of the dispenser.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein directing the exhausted air into the housing comprises directing the exhausted air into the housing at a location away from a dispensing drawer slidably received within the housing.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the exhausted air is directed into the housing below the drawer.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the treating chemistry comprises at least water.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein impinging the exhausted air onto the bath comprises deflecting the exhausted air onto the bath.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the impinging the exhausted air onto the bath comprises impinging turbulent exhausted air onto the bath.