EP3014013A1

EP3014013A1 - Condensate collecting tank arrangement for a drying apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP3014013A1
Application number: EP14729931.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ralf BÖMMELS
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2013-06-26
Filing date: 2014-06-16
Publication date: 2016-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 2034-06-16
Also published as: EP3014013B1; WO2014206786A1; CN106536815B; PL3014013T3; CN106536815A; DE102013212338A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a condensate collecting tank arrangement 1 for a drying apparatus, having a collecting tank 2 for receiving condensate 4 which is separated out in a drying process, the collecting tank having an inlet opening 5 and having an outlet opening 6 for the condensate 4 and having a filter 20 which removes contaminants 24 from the condensate 8 before the condensate 8 passes to a self-cleaning means 14. To further optimize the efficiency of the condensate cleaning action and the service life of the filter, there is provision for the filter 20 to be arranged in the flow path 9 of the condensate 8 between the outflow opening 6 and the self-cleaning means 14.

Description

Condensate collector arrangement for a drying device

The invention is in the field of drying devices, in which condensate accumulating in the drying process is passed into a collecting container, such as in particular tumble dryer or washer-dryer. It relates to a condensate collecting container arrangement for a drying device with a collecting container for collecting in a drying process deposited condensate with an inlet opening and with a drain opening for the condensate and with a filter that frees the condensate of impurities before the condensate to a self-cleaning device arrives.

Dryer or washer-dryer with a Kondensatsammeieinrichtung are known in various configurations. According to EP 2 317 003 A1, collected condensate is used to produce hot steam, with which laundry is treated. According to EP 2 138 627 A1, the condensate is used for cleaning at least one lint-laden component of the laundry drying apparatus; For this purpose, the condensate is freed of impurities from an upstream lint filter before it enters a condensate collecting tank. A similar embodiment is described in EP 2 134 896 B1 and EP 2 207 930 B1, each of which proposes a sudden emptying of a condensate collecting tank for generating a cleansing water swell.

An arrangement of the aforementioned type is also apparent from DE 10 2009 047 155 A1, which describes a condensate collection container for a laundry dryer, in which separated from the material to be dried in the drying process separated water is collected as condensate and used to at least one component of the laundry dryer to clean. This component may be a heat sink, which extracts heat from a process air stream in the drying process, which is guided past the objects to be dried (in particular laundry) in order to absorb moisture. In addition to the extracted moisture, the process air also transports contaminants, such as fibers and hair, from the material to be dried be replaced. Therefore, the condensate also carries such impurities. In order for the condensate to be used particularly efficiently, it is desirable (as described in detail in the aforementioned references) to remove the contaminants from the contaminants before feeding them to the self-cleaning device. For this purpose, as is known, a filter or filter insert may be arranged in the region of the inlet opening, so as to clean the condensate upon introduction into the collecting container. To make this condensate cleaning particularly trouble-free, DE 10 2009 047 155 A1 provides that the filter constructed as a sieve is arranged between the condensate inlet (inlet opening) and the condensate outlet (drain opening).

However, these embodiments do not appear optimal in every respect, because the cleaning of the filter is relatively complex and also flows through such a condensate filter that may not subsequently (more) needed for a self-cleaning process, but is disposed of, for example, at the end of the drying process.

Against this background, an object of the present invention is to provide a condensate collection container arrangement that is further optimized in terms of the efficiency of the condensate cleaning and the service life of the filter.

This object is achieved by an arrangement with the features of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings and from the dependent claims, the features of which can be used individually and in any combination with each other.

Accordingly, it is provided in an arrangement of the type mentioned that the filter is arranged in the flow path of the condensate between the drain opening and the self-cleaning device.

The arrangement according to the invention allows easier handling, wherein in particular an increased design freedom is given with regard to the filter arrangement and the filter design, which allows improved handling of the filter. In addition, the filter (only) cleans the condensate, which then also used to clean the component, in particular so the self-cleaning device is supplied.

The filter is thus seen in the outflow direction of the condensate fluidly behind the reservoir and before the self-cleaning device or the component to be cleaned. In conventional clothes dryers or washer-dryers with a self-cleaning unit, the filter is preferably in the so-called downpipe or in the so-called diffuser, which optimally aligns or distributes the condensate serving as flushing liquid in a conventional manner to the component to be cleaned.

In order to pressurize the component or the self-cleaning device with the largest possible rinsing pulse of the rinsing liquid (condensate), it is advantageous if the filter is arranged as far as possible at the beginning of the downpipe. In this regard, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the filter is disposed directly under the drain opening.

In order to make the handling of the collecting container particularly user-friendly, it is provided according to an advantageous development of the invention that the collecting container has a valve which closes the drain opening as required.

In principle, the filter or a filter element could be assigned to the collecting container or arranged thereon. This would have the advantage that the collecting container and the filter can be handled together. With regard to the maintenance or cleaning of the filter but also an embodiment of the invention is advantageous, after which the filter is removed separately from its operating position.

The filter has a flow resistance for the condensate flowing through the downpipe, which reduces the aforementioned flushing pulse. This can be observed in particular when using woven plastic screens as filters, in which so-called bio-effects can lead to clogging of the screen surface. Therefore, the use of a spunbonded fabric is preferred, which offers a very low flow resistance with good separation efficiency. Nevertheless, the clogging and thus a closure of the filter or the filter screen in unfavorable operating conditions are not completely ruled out. For such a case, an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the filter has a forced overflow, from which, when the filter is added, condensate draining out of the discharge opening passes into a container shell receiving the collecting container.

In order to alert the user to such a situation, it is desirable that a successful or a disturbed operation of the self-cleaning device is recognizable for lack of (sufficient) Kondensatzufuhr. In this context, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that in the forced overflow a sensor is arranged, which detects overflowing condensate. Upon detection of a condensate overflow, for example, a corresponding indication signal can be output to the user. Alternatively or additionally, for this purpose, the filter may also be arranged downstream of a sensor which detects the (correct) drainage of the condensate or a successful self-cleaning and which in this case outputs a corresponding indication signal to the user or suppresses an error signal.

To further improve the efficiency is provided according to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention that the filter seen from the collecting container has a concave filter surface. Preferably, the filter in dual function can also realize the seal with respect to the condensate container, in that according to an advantageous development of the invention, the filter has a seal which seals the collecting container in the operating position relative to a container shell receiving the collecting container. The invention will be further explained below with reference to figuratively illustrated embodiments. In the attached drawing:

Figure 1: schematically a condensate collection container arrangement for a

(not shown) drying device and

FIG. 2 shows the arrangement according to FIG. 1 with the collecting container removed. FIG. 1 schematically shows a condensate collecting vessel arrangement 1, as can be used in a drying device with a self-cleaning device (as is generally known, for example, from DE 10 2010 002 661 A1). The arrangement comprises a collecting container 2 which is filled with condensate 3. The condensate is, as shown schematically in Figure 1, fed by a pump, not shown, as a contaminated, contaminated condensate 4 through an inlet opening 5 to the sump. The collecting container has a drain opening 6, which can be closed or opened by a flushing valve 7 as required. When the purge valve 7 is open at least part of the condensate 8 leaves the sump 2 as a surge of condensate. The condensate surge flows in a flow path 9, which is formed by a drop tube 12 in the exemplary embodiment. The downpipe 12 begins as seen in the direction of flow directly on or after the drain opening 6 and ends at a self-cleaning device 14, which is formed by a schematically indicated diffuser. The self-cleaning device 14 is arranged in the vicinity and in suitable alignment with an element to be cleaned or a component 15 of the drying device to be cleaned, which may be, for example, an evaporator of a heat pump. On the component 15, depending on the process, impurities or lint 16 settle, which - as is known per se from the prior art mentioned above - are also swept away by the surge of condensate and thus removed from the component 15. In the direction indicated by the arrowhead flow direction 18 of the condensate 8 is located after the purge valve 7 and directly behind the drain opening 6, a filter 20 having a sieve or filter element 21 in the form of a spunbonded fabric. The filter 20 is inserted into a filter receptacle 22. It effectively retains contaminants 24 entrained by the contaminated condensate 4, so that the condensate 8 emerging from the filter 20 forms a substantially contaminant-free condensate surge in the further flow path 9. Thus, the efficiency of the cleaning is considerably increased because the component 15 to be cleaned is charged with contaminant-free condensate. In comparison to the solutions according to the aforementioned prior art (eg according to DE 10 2009 047 155 A1), the filter 20 or its filter element 21 advantageously retains a reduced amount of contaminants 24, because only the condensate actually used for cleaning purposes Filter 20 or its Filter element 21 passes. If, for example, then the drying process ends and the component 15 is cleaned, in the sump 2 remaining - dirt-loaded - condensate can be disposed of by removing and emptying the sump 2. The service life of the filter 20 thus increases significantly. The filter 20, which is arranged directly under the drainage opening 6 in this exemplary embodiment, has a shell seal 28 with which the filter edge 29 is sealed off from the collecting tank 2. At the same time the shell seal 28 seals the collecting container 2 against a container shell 30 receiving the collecting container. The filter 20 is easily accessible when the collecting container 2 is removed from the container shell 30 and can easily (see also FIG. 2) be shown in FIG Operating position 32 are removed for cleaning and inspection.

In the unlikely event that the filter 20 is clogged or so far added that a sufficient swirling outflow of condensate 8 is not guaranteed or no longer possible with the flush valve 7 open, the filter 20 is provided with a forced overflow 34. Of course, the forced overflow 34 can be designed to have the same effect in the filter holder 22. The forced overflow has the effect that, when the filter is added, condensate 36 draining from the discharge opening 6 can drain into the container shell 30.

In order to make such a situation recognizable to the user and to prompt him as soon as possible to clean the filter 20, an overflow sensor 38 is provided in the container shell 30, which generates a corresponding output signal 39 when wetted with overflowing condensate 36, which is used to display a Warning / Maintenance Notice to the user. Alternatively or additionally, the filter 20 may be arranged downstream of a sensor 40, which indicates the proper functioning of the condensate 8 and thus a correctly performed flushing operation on the component 15. In this case, the sensor 40 thus only generates a signal 41 indicating a malfunction if, despite the opening of the purge valve 7, there is no wetting and thus the rinsing process. As Figure 2 further illustrates, the filter 20 is concave as seen from the perspective of the collecting container or the container receptacle 30 and has a concave filter surface 50 on. As further shown in FIG. 2, the filter 20 can be designed as a sieve with a handle 52, whereby a particularly easy removability, indicated by an arrow 53, from the operating position 32 of the filter in the filter holder 22 is ensured. After the filter 20 is removed from the operating position 32 and from the container receptacle 30, impurities 24 retained by the filter can be easily removed by flushing the filter 20.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 condensate collector arrangement

2 storage tanks

3 condensate

4 contaminated condensate

5 inlet opening

6 drain opening

7 flushing valve

8 condensate

9 flow path

12 downpipe

14 self-cleaning device

15 component to be cleaned

16 impurities

18 flow direction

20 filters

21 filter element

22 filter holder

24 impurities

28 shell seal

29 filter edge

30 container cup

32 operating position

34 forced overflow

36 overflowing condensate

38 overflow sensor

39 output signal

40 sensor

41 signal

50 concave filter surface

52 handle

53 arrow

Claims

Condensate collecting container arrangement (1) for a drying device (60)

- With a collecting container (2) for receiving separated in a drying process condensate (4) with an inlet opening (5) and with a drain opening (6) for the condensate (4) and

- With a filter (20), which frees the condensate of impurities (24) before the condensate (8) reaches a self-cleaning device (14),

characterized in that

- The filter (20) in the flow path (9) of the condensate (8) between the drain opening (6) and the self-cleaning device (14) is arranged.

Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the filter (20) is arranged directly below the drain opening (6).

Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

- The collecting container (2) has a drain opening (6), if necessary, closing valve (7).

Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter (20) can be removed separately from an operating position (32).

Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter (20) has a forced overflow (34), from which condensate (36) draining from the outlet opening (6) when the filter (20) is added to the collecting container (2). receiving container shell (30) passes.

6. Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the forced overflow (34), a sensor (38) is arranged, which detects overflowing condensate (36). Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter (20) is followed by a sensor (40) which detects running condensate (8).

Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter (20) seen from the collecting container (2) has a concave filter surface (50).

Arrangement according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter (20) has a seal (28) which seals the collecting container (2) in the operating position (32) against a container shell (2) receiving the container shell (30).