Textiles: fluid treating apparatus – Machines – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-16
2001-08-28
Coe, Philip R. (Department: 1746)
Textiles: fluid treating apparatus
Machines
Combined
C034S075000, C034S077000, C068S142000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279357
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to washer dryers.
Washer dryers typically comprise a rotatable drum for receiving a load to be washed, inside a non-rotatable tub. When the washing part of the washing/drying cycle has been completed, moist air is repeatedly drawn from the drum in a closed recirculation path, passed through a condensing region to remove some of the moisture, heated and returned to the drum.
It has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,792,640 and in German Patent No. 196 15 823 to provide a condenser disc on the rear of the drum, spraying water onto the condenser disc to promote the condensation of moisture out of the re-cycled air from the drum.
However, in recent years, it has been usual to provide a molding to define the condensing region, constructed as a hollow arm arranged vertically, which communicates at one end with an outlet of the tub and at the other end with an inlet to a box containing a heating element. Water is trickled down the hollow arm while the moist air flows up it. Such an arrangement was adopted because it was felt that the relatively restricted cross-sectional area of the arm promoted heat transfer between the moist air and the water.
A problem with such an arrangement has however been fluff and fibres (lint) carried out of the drying clothes in the stream of moist air became deposited inside the hollow arm. A separate water jet therefore had to be provided to clear any build-ups of lint, and this was done during the wash cycle, but it was not totally successful. Lint could still block to such an extent that drying performance was impaired necessitating the summoning of a service engineer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a washer dryer, comprising a tub containing a rotatable drum for receiving a washing load, a recirculation path for recirculating drying air through the drum in a drying mode, the recirculation path including a condensing region between the rear of the drum and the rear of the tub, wherein the surface of the rear of the tub facing the rear of the drum is contoured.
Because the condensing region is within the tub, any lint deposited in the region is swept clear during the next washing cycle, and the contouring of the inner face of the rear of the tub improves the efficiency of condensation in the drying cycle.
The rear of the tub may be provided with recesses, which may alternate with non-recessed regions in a peripheral direction around the axis of the tub, and projecting ribs may also be provided on the rear of the tub. These parts may all be formed during a molding operation to form the tub.
Advantageously, water is fed onto the rear of the tub, and a water outlet in the rear of the tub may be provided for this purpose, which may be fed with mains water via a solenoid valve during the drying cycle, but which is preferably fed from a reservoir into which water which drains into the bottom of the tub is continuously recirculated. The water inlet may have a deflector to confine as much as possible of the incoming water to the convoluted rear face of the tub.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2724905 (1955-11-01), Zehrbach
patent: 2792640 (1957-05-01), Patterson
patent: 2873537 (1959-02-01), Gray, Jr. et al.
patent: 2892335 (1959-06-01), Gray, Jr.
patent: 2990708 (1961-07-01), Martin et al.
patent: 3111018 (1963-11-01), Bonner
patent: 3121000 (1964-02-01), Hubbard
patent: 3922798 (1975-12-01), McMillan
patent: 5746070 (1998-05-01), Bailey et al.
patent: 786389 (1957-11-01), None
Cupit David
Didlick Laurence P
Coe Philip R.
General Domestic Appliances Limited
Kirschstein et al.
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