Laundry dryer

• US 5,136,792 A
• Filed: 10/02/1990
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zanker GmbH
• Original Assignee: Zanker GmbH
• Inventors: Janecke, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennet, Henry A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ESQUIVEL, DENISE LYNNE
• Application Number:
  US07/585,108
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 34/76, 34/77, 34/78, 34/73, 34/27, 34/133 J, 165/111
• US Class Current: 34/78
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/24 Condensing arrangements

Abstract

A laundry dryer has an interior for holding laundry that is accessible via a door. Vapor-laden warm air from the interior, on the one hand, and a cooling medium, on the other, can be introduced into a condenser. The air and the cooling medium are brought into thermally conductive contact one with the other in the condenser to cool the air. In order to obtain the smallest possible outside dimensions relative to the usable interior and to be able to easily open the condenser or remove it from the laundry dryer for cleaning purposes, the condenser is arranged on an outer panel, preferably integrated in the door.

Claims

1. A laundry dryer comprising:

a housing having outer panels, said housing having an interior for receiving laundry, said interior being accessible via a door;

a condenser being arranged on one of said outer panels and having a first cavity for advancing vapor-laden warm air, a second cavity for advancing cooling air, and a thermally conductive partition of large surface area separating said cavities, one of said cavities additionally communicating in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area supporting said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive panel; and

means for blowing said vapor-laden warm air from said interior, on the one hand, into one of said cavities, and said cooling air, on the other hand, into another one of said cavities of said condenser for bringing said vapor-laden air and said cooling air into thermally conductive contact one with the other in said condenser for cooling said vapor-laden air;

wherein said partition is of undulating configuration and said blowing means are adapted to blow said vapor-laden warm air and said cooling air in a direction being essentially parallel to valleys of said undulated configuration of said partition within said condenser, and wherein said partition is arranged against said thermally conductive panel in such a manner that protrusions of said undulated configuration are in a contacting relationship therewith.

2. The laundry dryer of claim 1, wherein said partition is of flattened configuration in an area of said protrusions for establishing a contacting relationship of large surface area with said thermally conductive panel.

3. The laundry dryer of claim 1, wherein said partition is manufactured in one piece together with said front panel in an area of said protrusions for establishing a contacting relationship of large surface area with said thermally conductive panel.

4. The laundry dryer of claim 1, wherein said one of said cavities is formed by tubes extending through said other of said cavities.

5. The laundry dryer of claim 1, wherein said one outer panel is a front panel of a door of said laundry door.

6. The laundry dryer of claim 5, wherein said condenser is integrated in said door.

7. The laundry dryer of claim 1, wherein said first cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door.

8. The laundry dryer of claim 1, wherein said second cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door.

9. The laundry dryer of claim 4, wherein air flows radially against said tubes from an exterior.

10. The laundry dryer of claim 9, wherein air flows radially against an area of one end of said tubes from said exterior, wherein said airflow is deflected in an axial direction, flows axially along said tubes, is again radially deflected and flows away from said tubes in said radial direction.

11. The laundry dryer of claim 4, wherein said condenser is formed by a battery of tubes, said tubes being disposed adjacent one to the other with widened ends, while sections thereof extending between said widened ends display interspace one between the other.

12. The laundry dryer of claim 11, comprising means for collecting water having condensed from said cooled vapor-laden air, wherein said collecting means are also integrated in said door.

13. The laundry dryer of claim 1, comprising a lint screen disposed upstream of said condenser, through which said vapor-laden warm air is advanced, wherein said lint screen is also integrated in said door.

14. The laundry dryer of claim 1, wherein said condenser is thermally insulated from said interior by means of an insulating panel.

15. The laundry dryer of claim 14, comprising a lint screen disposed upstream of said condenser, through which said vapor-laden warm air is advanced, wherein said lint screen is also integrated in said door and, wherein said first cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door, wherein, further, said condenser, said lint screen and said insulating panel are arranged essentially parallel to a plane defined by said door.

16. The laundry dryer of claim 4, wherein said second cavity is formed by tubes extending through said first cavity.

17. The laundry dryer of claim 5, comprising a fan for blowing said cooling air, wherein said fan is integrated in said door.

18. The laundry dryer of claim 5, comprising a fan for blowing said cooling air, wherein said fan is integrated in said housing of said laundry dryer above said door.

19. The laundry dryer of claim 17, wherein said fan is an extraction fan.

20. The laundry dryer of claim 19, wherein said fan is a radial-flow fan.

21. A laundry dryer comprising:

a housing having outer panels, said housing having an interior for receiving laundry, said interior being accessible via a door;

a condenser being arranged on one of said outer panels and having a first cavity for advancing vapor-laden warm air, a second cavity for advancing cooling air, and a thermally conductive partition of large surface area separating said cavities, wherein said one cavity is formed by tubes extending through said other cavity, said air flowing radially against an area of one end of said tubes from an exterior, wherein said airflow is deflected in an axial direction, flows axially along said tubes, is again radially deflected and flows away from said tubes in said radial direction; and

means for blowing said vapor-laden warm air from said interior, on the one hand, into one of said cavities, and said cooling air, on the other hand, into another one of said cavities of said condenser for brining said vapor-laden air and said cooling air into thermally conductive contact one with the other in said condenser for cooling said vapor-laden air;

wherein said partition is of undulating configuration and said blowing means are adapted to blow said vapor-laden warm air and said cooling air in a direction being essentially parallel to valleys of said undulated configuration of said partition within said condenser, and wherein said partition is arranged against said thermally conductive panel in such a manner that protrusions of said undulated configuration are in a contacting relationship therewith.

22. The laundry dryer of claim 21, wherein said one outer panel is a front panel of a door of said laundry dryer.

23. The laundry dryer of claim 22, wherein said condenser is integrated in said door.

24. The laundry dryer of claim 21, wherein said first cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door.

25. The laundry dryer of claim 21, wherein said second cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door.

26. The laundry dryer of claim 21, wherein said condenser is formed by a battery of tubes, said tubes being disposed adjacent one to the other with widened ends, while sections thereof extending between said widened ends display interspaces one between the other.

27. The laundry dryer of claim 21, comprising means for collecting water having condensed from said cooled vapor-laden air, wherein said collecting means are also integrated in said door.

28. The laundry dryer of claim 21, comprising a lint screen disposed upstream of said condenser, through which said vapor-laden warm air is advanced, wherein said lint screen is also integrated in said door.

29. The laundry dryer of claim 21, wherein said condenser is thermally insulated from said interior by means of an insulating panel.

30. The laundry dryer of claim 29, comprising a lint screen disposed upstream of said condenser, through which said vapor-laden warm air is advanced, wherein said lint screen is also integrated in said door and, wherein said first cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door, wherein, further, said condenser, said lint screen and said insulating panel are arranged essentially parallel to a plane defined by said door.

31. The laundry dryer of claim 21, wherein said second cavity is formed by tubes extending through said first cavity.

32. The laundry dryer of claim 24, wherein said condenser and said door form a single-piece plastic component.

33. The laundry dryer of claim 21, comprising a fan for blowing said cooling air, wherein said fan is integrated in said door.

34. The laundry dryer of claim 21, comprising a fan for blowing said cooling air, wherein said fan is integrated in said housing of said laundry dryer above said door.

35. The laundry dryer of claim 33, wherein said fan is an extraction fan.

36. The laundry dryer of claim 35, wherein said fan is a radial-flow fan.

37. A laundry dryer comprising:

a housing having outer panels, said housing having an interior for receiving laundry, said interior being accessible via a door;

a condenser being arranged on one of said outer panels and having a first cavity for advancing vapor-laden warm air, a second cavity for advancing cooling air, and a thermally conductive partition of large surface area separating said cavities, said condenser being formed by a battery of tubes, said tubes being disposed adjacent one to the other with widened ends, while sections thereof extending between said widened ends display interspaces one between the other, and wherein said tubes form one of said cavities and said interspaces form said other cavity; and

means for blowing said vapor-laden warm air from said interior, on the one handside, into one of said cavities, and said cooling air, on the other handside, into another one of said cavities of said condenser for bringing said vapor-laden air and said cooling air into thermally conductive contact one with the other in said condenser for cooling said vapor-laden air;

wherein said partition is of undulating configuration and said blowing means are adapted to blow said vapor-laden warm air and said cooling air in a direction being essentially parallel to valleys of said undulated configuration of said partition within said condenser, and wherein said partition is arranged against said thermally conductive panel in such a manner that protrusions of said undulated configuration are in a contacting relationship therewith.

38. The laundry dryer of claim 37, wherein said outer panel is a front panel of a door of said laundry dryer.

39. The laundry dryer of claim 38, wherein said condenser is integrated in said door.

40. The laundry dryer of claim 37, wherein said first cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door.

41. The laundry dryer of claim 37, wherein said second cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door.

42. The laundry dryer of claim 37, wherein air flow radially against said tubes from an exterior.

43. The laundry dryer of claim 42, wherein air flow radially against an area of one end of said tubes from said exterior, wherein said airflow is deflected in an axial direction, flow axially along said tubes, is again radially deflected and flows away from said tubes in said radial directions.

44. The laundry dryer of claim 37, comprising means for collecting water having condensed from said cooled vapor-laden air, wherein said collecting means are also integrated in said door.

45. The laundry dryer of claim 37, comprising a lint screen disposed upstream of said condenser, through which said vapor-laden warm air is advanced, wherein said lint screen is also integrated in said door.

46. The laundry dryer of claim 37, wherein said condenser is thermally insulated from said interior by means of an insulating panel.

47. The laundry dryer of claim 46, comprising a lint screen disposed upstream of said condenser, through which said vapor-laden warm air is advanced, wherein said lint screen is also integrated in said door, and wherein said first cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door, wherein, further, said condenser, said lint screen and said insulating panel are arranged essentially parallel to a plane defined by said door.

48. The laundry dryer of claim 37, wherein said second cavity is formed by tubes extending through said first cavity.

49. The laundry dryer of claim 37, wherein the radial cross-sections of said widened ends are of hexagonal configuration.

50. The laundry dryer of claim 37, comprising a fan for blowing said cooling air, wherein said fan is integrated in said door.

51. The laundry dryer of claim 37, comprising a fan for blowing said cooling air, wherein said fan is integrated in said housing of said laundry dryer above said door.

52. The laundry dryer of claim 50, wherein said fan is an extraction fan.

53. The laundry dryer of claim 52, wherein said fan is a radial-flow fan.

54. A laundry dryer comprising:

a housing having outer panels, said housing having an interior for receiving laundry, said interior being accessible via a door;

a condenser being arranged on an outer front panel of said door, said condenser being integrated in said door, said condenser further having a first cavity for advancing vapor-laden warm air, a second cavity for advancing cooling air and having a thermally conductive partition of large surface area separating said cavities one from the other, wherein one of said cavities is formed by tubes extending through said other cavity; and

means for blowing said vapor-laden warm air from said interior, on the one handside, into one of said cavities, and said cooling air, on the other handside, into another one of said cavities of said condenser for brining said vapor-laden air and said cooling air into thermally conductive contact one with the other in said condenser for cooling said vapor-laden air;

wherein said partition is of undulating configuration and said blowing means are adapted to blow said vapor-laden warm air and said cooling air in a direction being essentially parallel to valleys of said undulated configuration of said partition within said condenser, and wherein said partition is arranged against said thermally conductive panel in such a manner that protrusions of said undulated configuration are in a contacting relationship therewith.

55. The laundry dryer of claim 54, wherein said first cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door.

56. The laundry dryer of claim 54, wherein said second cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door.

57. The laundry dryer of claim 54, wherein air flows radially against said tubes from an exterior.

58. The laundry dryer of claim 57, wherein air flow radially against an area of one end of said tubes from said exterior, wherein said airflow is deflected in an axial direction, flow axially along said tubes, is again radially deflected and flows away from said tubes in said radial direction.

59. The laundry dryer of claim 54, wherein said condenser is formed by a battery of tubes, said tubes being disposed adjacent one to the other with widened ends, while sections thereof extending between said widened ends displayed interspaces one between the other.

60. The laundry dryer of claim 54, comprising means for collecting water having condensed from said cooled vapor-laden air, wherein said collecting means are also integrated in said door.

61. The laundry dryer of claim 54, comprising a lint screen disposed upstream of said condenser, through which said vapor-laden warm air is advanced, wherein said lint screen is also integrated in said door.

62. The laundry dryer of claim 54, wherein said condenser is thermally insulated from said interior by means of an insulating panel.

63. The laundry dryer of claim 62, comprising a lint screen disposed upstream of said condenser, through which said vapor-laden warm air is advanced, wherein said lint screen is also integrated in said door and, wherein said first cavity additionally communicates in a thermally conductive manner and throughout a large surface area with an exterior area surrounding said laundry dryer via a thermally conductive front panel of said door, wherein, further, said condenser, said lint screen and said insulating panel are arranged essentially parallel to a plane defined by said door.

64. The laundry dryer of claim 54, wherein said second cavity is formed by tubes extending through said first cavity.

65. The laundry dryer of claim 54, wherein the radial cross-sections of said widened ends are of hexagonal configuration.

66. The laundry dryer of claim 54, wherein said condenser and said door form a single-piece plastic component.

67. The laundry dryer of claim 54, comprising a fan for blowing said cooling air, wherein said fan is integrated in said door.

68. The laundry dryer of claim 54, comprising a fan for blowing said cooling air, wherein said fan is integrated in said housing of said laundry dryer above said door.

69. The laundry dryer of claim 67, wherein said fan is an extraction fan.

70. The laundry dryer of claim 69, wherein said fan is a radial-flow fan.