Electric washer-dryer

• US 6,282,928 B1
• Filed: 03/11/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takagi, Yasushi, Matsuda, Shinichi, Fukumoto, Masami, Morinaka, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US09/266,599
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 68/192, 68/20
• US Class Current: 68/20
• 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

Abstract

A washer-dryer having an improved efficiency of drying up; namely, the drying time is shortened and the unevenness of drying is alleviated. Furthermore, vibration during operations, especially during spin-drying, is reduced. An inner tub of approximately cylindrical shape rotating around a substantially vertical axis and receives a washing is housed in an outer tub. The inner tub is provided with freely rotatable agitating means at the bottom part for agitating the washing. A motor rotates the inner tub or the agitating means. The air to be supplied through a hot air supply channel into the inner tub is heated by heating means, which air is advanced by a drying air blower into the inner tub. Control means controls each of the washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying processes by controlling respective operations of the motor, the heating means, the drying air blower, etc. During the drying process, a washing is agitated by the agitating means, and exposed to the air heated by the heating means and blown by the drying air blower against the washing staying within the inner tub. The washing is thus deprived of humidity and dried.

Claims

1. A washer-dryer comprising:

an outer tub;

an inner tub housed in said outer tub for receiving a wash load, said inner tub having an approximately cylindrical shape and being rotable around a substantially vertical axis;

agitation means provided in the inside of said inner tub and being freely rotable for agitating the wash load;

a motor for rotating said inner tub or said agitation means;

a hot air supply channel for supplying air into said inner tub;

heating means for heating the air to be supplied from said hot air supply channel into said inner tub;

a drying air blower for delivering the hot air into said inner tub via said hot air supply channel; and

control means for controlling each respective process of washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying, by controlling operation of said motor, said heating means, and said drying air blower, wherein, during the drying process, said agitation means agitates the wash load in said inner tub, said heating means heats the air, and said drying air blower delivers the hot air into said inner tub to dehydrate and dry the wash load; and

wherein said hot air supply channel forms a circulation channel for circulating the hot air heated by said heating means taken from inside of said inner tub, said circulation channel causing the hot air to undergo a heat exchange procedure at at least one of a place within the inside of said outer tub and at least at a part of said circulation channel.

2. The washer-dryer of claim 1, wherein at least one of said outer tub and a part of said circulation channel is cooled by outside air.

3. The washer-dryer of claim 2, further comprising a cooling air blower for introducing outside air, wherein

at least one of said outer tub and the part of said circulation channel is cooled by the outside air introduced by said cooling air blower.

4. The washer-dryer of claim 1, wherein

said agitation means comprises with a pulsator that is freely rotatable and disposed at a bottom part of said inner tub, said pulsator having a sloped surface around an outer circumference and a plurality of ribs extending in radial directions across the sloped surface as far an outer edge.

5. The washer-dryer of claim 1, wherein

said control means controls a number of revolutions of said agitation means to be different for the washing process and the drying process.

6. The washer-dryer of claim 1, further comprising a cabinet in which said outer tub containing said inner tub is supported with a suspension gear, wherein

said circulation channel for circulating the hot air heated by said heating means is disposed at a corner of said cabinet.

7. The washer-dryer of claim 1 wherein

said circulation channel for circulating the hot air heated by said heating means is provided with a heat-radiating fin on an outer wall surface or an inner wall surface.

8. The washer-dryer of claim 1, wherein

said outer tub is provided with a fin-shape guide wall protruding on its outer wall surface for guiding outside air and radiating heat.

9. The washer-dryer of claim 1, wherein

said hot air supply channel comprising a flexible and expandable tube connected to said outer tub to supply the hot air into said inner tub.

10. The washer-dryer of claim 9, wherein

said flexible and expandable tube connects said hot air supply channel and said outer tub in a vertical direction.

11. The washer-dryer of claim 9, wherein

an empty path is provided at an end of said flexible and expandable tube, the empty path extending towards substantially a center of said inner tub.

12. The washer-dryer of claim 9, wherein

said flexible and expandable tube is provided with a non-return valve in its inside.

13. The washer-dryer of claim 9, wherein

said flexible and expandable tube is disposed so as to enclose an entire outer circumference of an opening provided for receiving the wash load into said inner tub.

14. The washer-dryer of claim 13, wherein

said outer tub is provided at its top with a separation board having an entrance for the hot air.

15. The washer-dryer of claim 14, wherein

said entrance for the hot air has a gradually contracting shape.

16. The washer-dryer of claim 1, further comprising a gushing mouth for supplying the hot air from said hot air supply channel into said inner tub, a cross sectional area of said gushing mouth gradually reducing an exit for the hot air in order to deliver the hot air at an increased flow speed into said inner tub.

17. The washer-dryer of claim 16, further comprising

a separation board provided on said outer tub,

a freely openable lid provided in said separation board, and

a flexible and expandable tube connecting a hot air entrance provided on said separation board and said hot air supply channel, wherein

said freely openable lid is disposed in a front forward area of said separation board while the hot air entrance is disposed at a rear area of said separation board.

18. The washer-dryer of claim 1, further comprising

a water drain channel and a water discharge valve provided at a bottom part of said outer tub, and

an overflow inlet and an overflow channel provided on a side wall of said outer tub, wherein

said heating means and said drying air blower are disposed at a place higher than said overflow inlet.

19. The washer-dryer of claim 18, wherein said overflow channel merges to said water drain channel at a place below said water discharge valve, and a trap is provided in said water drain channel after the merge.

20. The washer-dryer of claim 1, further comprising a water drain channel and a water discharge valve provided at a bottom part of said tub, wherein said hot air supply channel is connected via an expandable connection duct with said water drain channel at a point above said water discharge valve.

21. A washer-dryer comprising:

an outer tub;

an inner tub housed in said outer tub for receiving a wash load, said inner tub having an approximately cylindrical shape and being rotable around a substantially vertical axis;

agitation means provided in the inside of said inner tub and being freely rotable for agitating the wash load;

a motor for rotating said inner tub or said agitation means;

a hot air supply channel for supplying air into said inner tub;

heating means for heating the air to be supplied from said hot air supply channel into said inner tub;

a drying air blower for delivering the hot air into said inner tub via said hot air supply channel; and

control means for controlling each respective process of washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying, by controlling operation of said motor, said heating means, and said drying air blower, wherein, during the drying process, said agitation means agitates the wash load in said inner tub, said heating means heats the air, and said drying air blower delivers the hot air into said inner tub to dehydrate and dry the wash load;

wherein said hot air supply channel forms a circulation channel for circulating the hot air heated by said heating means taken from inside of said inner tub, said circulation channel causing the hot air to undergo a heat exchange procedure at at least one of a place within the inside of said outer tub and at least at a part of said circulation channel; and

a drain hole for discharging dehydration water generated as a result of the heat exchange procedure.