Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F58/00—Domestic laundry dryers
  • D06F58/10—Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method and devices for drying moist goods, in particular damp laundry, according to the preamble of claim 1 and claim 13.
• Drying laundry is a problem that has been solved many times by means of various technical devices.
• drum dryers are currently mainly used for this purpose, into which laundry to be dried is inserted after the wash cycle and then subjected to warm air while being heated and simultaneously rotated mechanically.
• the laundry is subject to a high mechanical load at high temperatures, which means that the laundry fibers i. d. Usually be severely damaged. This causes the clothes to become matted and the laundry items to shrink, which can make the laundry unusable overall. Drying the laundry in tumble dryers is therefore problematic and, even if the laundry is properly handled in the tumble dryer, leads to a reduction in the quality of the laundry if it is repeated frequently.
• the object of the present invention is therefore to further develop a drying cabinet or a method for drying such that the laundry is dried as far as possible without subsequent ironing operations and operation of the drying cabinet is also possible without additional exhaust air guidance.
• the invention relating to the method is based on a method for drying moist material, in particular wet laundry, in which the material is treated in a treatment room of a drying cabinet in a mechanically immobile state, air being passed through the treatment room and over a condenser and itself the moisture contained in the air condenses on the condenser and can be removed.
• This generic method is further developed in that the air is passed through the treatment room over the material to be dried in a closed circuit at least during a period of time during which the material is being dried.
• the temperature in the treatment room is exposed to a steam or increased atmospheric humidity that circulates with the air in the circuit and is formed at least partially from the moisture of the goods, and by the steam or the increased atmospheric humidity in relation to creases, wrinkles or the like from previous treatments.
• lungs is relaxed and smoothed, and then with increasing removal of the residual moisture in the air after the condensation on the condenser, the material is freed from creases, folds or the like and is therefore subsequently largely iron-free dried.
• the treatment of the goods which acts like a steam shower, works by relaxing the fibers of the goods, as a result of which wrinkles, folds or the like gradually recede, similar to a steam blast of an iron, and the goods are subsequently dried in a smooth state.
• a first advantageous embodiment of the method provides that the temperature in the treatment room is increased during the formation of the steam or the increased atmospheric humidity.
• the steam or the increased atmospheric humidity is obtained from the residual moisture in the material by evaporating or evaporating the residual moisture and passing into the air circulated in the treatment room.
• the circulated air can absorb different amounts of moisture or steam, so that when the temperature is increased, a significant proportion of the residual moisture in the material already passes into the converted air.
• the associated drying effect of the goods with the simultaneous formation of the steam required to eliminate creases and wrinkles increases the economy of the process by reducing energy costs.
• a further advantageous embodiment of the method provides that the condensation starts with a delay after the start of drying and the formation of the steam or the increased atmospheric humidity. In this way it can be achieved that, especially at the beginning of the drying process, a volume flow which is very saturated with steam or increased atmospheric humidity is circulated through the treatment room and reliably eliminates the creasing and folding of the goods.
• a particularly good ratio of the removal of creases and wrinkles based on the drying time can be achieved if the maximum temperature of air and / or steam or increased air humidity during the phase of transferring the steam or the increased air humidity over the material inside the Treatment room is between 90 and 125 ° C and the air and / or steam or increased humidity after the conduction via the condenser in operation is a maximum of about 60 - 70 ° C.
• the steam or the increased air humidity is at least partially supplied to the treatment room from an external source.
• additional steam or a larger quantity of steam can be supplied to the goods in a shorter time by means of the external source, without the generation of steam or increased atmospheric humidity inside the treatment room being able to damage the goods due to the high temperature supply.
• a further improvement in the use of a drying cabinet according to the invention can be achieved in that, following the phase of the conduction of the steam or the increased atmospheric humidity and during or after the drying, the material in the same treatment room in an open circuit below
• a further treatment such as further drying, disinfection, sterilization, removal of pollutants or the like.
• the goods then no longer have to be reloaded from the treatment room into another device, but can remain directly in the treatment room and be treated further there.
• Treatment in an open circuit is always necessary if, for example, B. volatile constituents are to be removed or a process control in the closed circuit would cause excessive loads on the goods.
• the temperature in the treatment room can be reduced, so that in addition to the possible further treatment of the goods in the open circuit, a shorter cooling from the drying phase can also be achieved.
• the invention further comprises a drying cabinet for carrying out the method according to claim 1, which has a treatment room which can be sealed off from the surroundings, through which air with steam or increased atmospheric humidity can be conducted in a closed circuit and via a condenser, and the Moisture contained in the air precipitates on the condenser and can be discharged into a collecting container, the condenser being able to be cooled via a cooling air flow which is drawn in from the ambient air.
• cooling air flow can be guided along between the outer walls of the treatment room and the outer wall of the drying cabinet in order to cool the outer wall of the drying cabinet against thermal loads from the treatment room.
• the air in the closed circuit through the treatment room and over the condenser with steam or increased air humidity can be arranged laterally in opposite walls of the treatment room Openings can be blown into the treatment room in the form of air flows flowing towards one another and be removable from the treatment room on the underside of the treatment room. This allows thorough mixing of the interior of the treatment room, which leads to a high absorption of the moisture in the material through the air.
• the invention further comprises a drying cabinet for drying moist goods, in particular damp laundry, in particular for carrying out the method according to claim 1, in which the goods are treated in a treatment room in a mechanically immobile state, air being passed through in a closed circuit the treatment room and a condenser and the moisture contained in the air condenses on the condenser and can be removed.
• a drying cabinet has flaps on the drying cabinet for switching over the operation of the drying cabinet between the circulation in the closed circuit and treatment in the open circuit, which flaps allow the supply and removal of outside air to and from the treatment room.
• the flaps can be opened and closed in a time- and / or temperature-controlled manner and / or depending on the state of drying of the goods.
• Such a design of a drying cabinet enables combined and automated operation both in the closed circuit and in the open circuit and therefore offers different uses of the same device. This can avoid the need, for example, to purchase a separate device for disinfection or sterilization, since disinfection or sterilization usually takes place in an open circuit, but the drying according to the invention takes place in a closed circuit.
• the drawing shows a particularly preferred embodiment of the drying cabinet according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 - a front view of the drying cabinet according to the invention in the open state in partial section with air flows indicated therein by means of arrows
• FIG. 2 shows a sectional side view of the drying cabinet according to the invention according to FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a section of the drying cabinet in the region of the base according to FIGS. 1 and 2,
• FIG. 4 shows a front view of a drying cabinet according to the invention according to FIG. 1 with outlet flaps in an open circuit
• FIG 5 - a side view of the drying cabinet according to the invention according to Figure 4 with outlet flaps in an open circuit.
• the drying cabinet 1 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in a first configuration in which the good 2, which is only indicated schematically, is dried inside the treatment room 15 of the drying cabinet 1.
• the basic structure and the air flow of the drying cabinet 1 according to FIG. 1 corresponds to that from the patent specification DE 42 35 560 C2 of the same inventor, which in this context is also made the subject of this application in its entirety.
• a fan 5 for the hot air flow 10, 10 ' is indicated, which as a radial fan introduces the warm air flow 10 into channels 20 via corresponding air ducts, which form an air duct which delimits the treatment room 15 approximately vertically.
• the hot air stream 10 After passing through the treatment room 15, the hot air stream 10 is fed through a perforated lower wall 14 to a condenser 13 and with a brought closer to explained cold air flow in this condenser 13 in thermal connection. After passing through the heat exchanger 13, the cooled hot air stream 10 ′ flows through an air duct 11 on the rear side of the drying cabinet 1 upwards in the direction of the blower 5 and is again blown into the interior of the treatment room 15 there, as already described.
• This air flow of the warm air flow 10, 10 ' which is conducted in a closed circuit, enables the particularly advantageous drying of the material 2 in a manner described in more detail in such a way that post-treatment by ironing can be avoided.
• the condenser 13 below the treatment room 15 is cooled with a first cold air flow 8 and with a further cold air flow 8 ′ and thereby condenses the moisture content contained in the warm air flow 10.
• One of the cold air streams 8 ' is sucked in from the surroundings via an inlet opening 6 in the vicinity of the condenser 13, a radial fan in the form of a fan 4 causing a corresponding air flow below the condenser 13.
• the fan 4 ejects the cold air stream 8 in the base region of the drying cabinet 1 via an outlet opening 7.
• the other part 8 ′ of the cold air flow is also sucked in from the environment above the treatment room 15 and is guided downward through the air ducts 12 arranged between the side walls 18 and the duct 20 in the direction of the fan 4.
• This air flow serves to cool the surfaces of the drying cabinet 1, which can be touched by operators, at the same time, so that they cannot burn themselves on the otherwise hot surfaces.
• the collecting trough 9 for the condensed liquid which is of correspondingly generous dimensions and is easy to transport the collected liquid into a spout or the like, even without overflowing of the collecting trough 9 allows.
• the liquid which has dried out of the material 2 is collected therein and removed by the operator after the drying cycle has ended.
• two flaps 21, 22 can be seen, of which the flap 22 represents an outlet flap for the warm air flow 10 in the open circuit, which is explained in more detail in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the configuration shown in FIGS.
• this flap 22 is closed, so that the hot air flow 10 is returned to the fan 5 after the passage through the duct 11.
• the flap 21 serves to close the air supply for the cold air flow 8 ′, which can enter the upper section of the drying cabinet 1 between the treatment room 15 and the side walls 18 of the drying cabinet 1 and can be conveyed downwards by the fan 4.
• this flap 21 can be closed just like the flap 23 arranged near the condenser 13, so that the cooling air flow 8, 8 'in the drying cabinet 1 can be switched off completely ,
• the fan 4 is also deactivated, for example.
• the treatment room 15 is only heated by heating elements 24 which are arranged in the upper part of the drying cabinet 1 and are not described in more detail here.
• a very saturated atmosphere is formed in the interior of the treatment room 15 in a closed circuit, which is one of those described in more detail below Advantages with regard to the crease-free and wrinkle-free drying of the goods 2.
• the operation of the drying cabinet 1 using the method according to the invention can be described approximately as follows.
• the laundry 2, which is still moist, for example, from a previous washing cycle, is hung on the hanging devices 3 in the interior of the treatment room 15, the volume occupancy of the drying cabinet 1 being able to be exploited very well by the dense covering of the treatment room 15 with items of laundry 2.
• the volume occupancy of the drying cabinet 1 being able to be exploited very well by the dense covering of the treatment room 15 with items of laundry 2.
• Examples of such goods can be a large number of objects, such as delicate fabrics, pure wool, duvets, pillows, down comforters, wool blankets, leather shoes and any other objects that are used in the household and which are subject to moisture or should be moistened for cleaning purposes.
• the front door 16 of the drying cabinet 1 is closed and the drying cabinet 1 is switched to a first operating state in which the heating elements 24 and the fan 5 for the hot air flow 10, 10 'are started.
• the air flow takes place in the above-described manner in a closed circuit, so that the hot air flow 10, 10 'is conveyed upward inside the drying cabinet 1 after passing through the interior of the treatment room 15 via the condenser 13 and through the channel 11 ,
• the condenser 13 can already be in operation by cooling with the cold air stream 8, 8 'and actuation of the fan 4, so that moisture can be drawn off from the interior of the treatment room 15 immediately when the treatment room 15 is heated.
• the effect of the hot air stream 10, 10 'in this phase of the process is based on the fact that when touched z. B. textile materials with a steam flow, the fibers of these textile materials are relaxed and any wrinkles, folds or the like. Non-smooth spots can be eliminated without mechanical action.
• This effect is basically known from the area of ironing technology, in which so-called steam showers are attached to the iron as an additional function, which the ironer can apply to certain areas to be ironed prior to the mechanical contact of the iron and which pre-wet and thus just that cause relaxation of the tissue described.
• the entire material 2 to be treated is exposed to such a steam shower due to the high proportion of steam in the warm air stream 10, 10 ', so that local application of targeted amounts of steam is not necessary at all.
• the laundry 2 hung on the hangers 3, which are usually hung quite smoothly can lose the corresponding creases and can then be removed from the drying cabinet 1 completely or largely free of creases and wrinkles after subsequent drying. In this way, a complete processing cycle of the goods 2 after drying can be saved, which means that a considerable amount of time can be saved for a housewife, for example.
• the condenser 13 After a period of time, depending on the type of laundry and the respective moisture content, of the action of the air / steam mixture within the treatment room 15 which can be selected in the manner already described, the condenser 13 is put into operation and then gradually withdraws from the hot air stream 10, 10 ' its moisture, so that the laundry 2 is increasingly dried.
• the closed circuit of the drying cabinet 1 according to the invention has the great advantage that no moist exhaust air flow emerges from the drying cabinet 1. This damp exhaust air flow, for example, causes possible moisture damage inside the room when installed in an apartment and must therefore generally be disposed of by an appropriate exhaust air duct.
• the condensate that forms on the condenser 13 is passed from the condenser 13 into a collecting container 9 via appropriate guiding devices and can be collected there after the drying process has ended.
• Another advantage of the operating mode of the drying cabinet 1 according to the invention is that the steam is obtained partly or completely from the moisture of the dry material 2 itself, whereby on the one hand a partial drying of the material 2 is achieved during the extraction of the steam and the drying time is therefore reduced overall.
• a mode of operation is advantageous with regard to the amounts of energy to be used, since an external generation of steam, for example by means of a steam generator, can be avoided and the energy for obtaining the steam at the same time causes a drying effect.
• FIGS. 4 and 5 show an operating state of the drying cabinet 1 corresponding to the structure of the drying cabinet 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3, in which an additional processing step, for example after the drying process has been completed. gang such as disinfection, ventilation or the like.
• the drying cabinet 1 is operated in an open circuit.
• the air duct according to DE 42 35 560 C2 of such a drying cabinet, which is already known in principle for this operating state, is implemented in the same drying cabinet 1 in the inventive manner shown here in that the exhaust air flap 22 for the hot air stream 10 is now opened, as is the case here can be seen in Figure 5.
• the warm air flow 10 ' can be wholly or partly discharged into the surroundings, so that after the interior of the treatment room 15 has passed, the warm air flow 10' is wholly or partly discharged.
• a corresponding cold air flow 8, 8 ′ is conducted into the area of the fan 5 on the upper side of the drying cabinet 1, which can replace the discharged part of the warm air flow 10 ′ after passing through the heating elements 24.
• This mixing of the warm air flow 10 'with the cold air flow 8' results in an exchange of the circulated air flow, which can be used, for example, for ventilation, but also for rapid cooling of the treatment room 15.
• the moisture content of the hot air stream 10 'emerging at the flap 22 is only low, the exposure to moisture from the environment is also only slight, and thus further known treatment stages such as disinfection, sterilization, etc. Ventilate or remove the pollutants by operating the drying cabinet 1 in an open circuit.
• the opening of the flap 22 or the corresponding elements for guiding the incoming cold air flow 8 ′ can of course be time-controlled, temperature-controlled or dependent on other state variables of the material 2 to be dried.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)
• Accessory Of Washing/Drying Machine, Commercial Washing/Drying Machine, Other Washing/Drying Machine (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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• 2000
  • 2000-06-28 DE DE10030531A patent/DE10030531B4/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2001
  • 2001-06-18 EP EP01955214A patent/EP1294975B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-06-18 AT AT01955214T patent/ATE261012T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-06-18 US US10/312,604 patent/US6796055B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-06-18 WO PCT/DE2001/002219 patent/WO2002000990A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2001-06-18 AU AU2001277465A patent/AU2001277465A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-06-18 DE DE50101628T patent/DE50101628D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

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