Method for the wet treatment of laundry

Abstract

In tunnel-type washing machines (10) for commercial laundries, the main-wash liquid is heated by steam in particular. This means a steam-generating system is required in the laundry. The invention makes provision for the main-wash liquid to be heated up by means of a flow heater, preferably a heating device (26) which has a gas burner (28). As a result, the tunnel-type washing machine (10) can also be used in laundries which do not have a steam generating system. The invention also makes provision for the gas burner (28) of the flow heater to be operated continuously since treatment liquid which is required for other purposes, preferably treatment liquid which is temporarily stored in a storage tank (31), is heated up after the main-wash liquid is heated up. Uninterrupted, economical operation of the gas burner (28) is ensured as a result.

Description

STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent applications is based on and claims the benefit under 35 USC 119 of German Patent Application No. 10 2007 051 083.9 having a filing date of 24 Oct. 2007, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]The invention relates to a method for the wet-treatment of laundry, the laundry being at least washed in a drum which can be driven in rotation using a heated-up treatment liquid, and a method for the wet-treatment of laundry, the laundry being at least washed in a drum which can be driven in rotation using a warmed treatment liquid.[0004]2. Related Art[0005]Various washing machines are used in commercial laundries for the wet-treatment of laundry of any type. In this case, the washing machines are firstly tunnel-type washing machines with a plurality of successive chambers in a single drum which can be driven in rotation. In the tunnel-type washing machine, the l...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The invention is then based on the object of providing methods for the wet-treatment of laundry, which methods permit the treatment liquid to be heated up using simple means and permit economical operation.

[0008]A method for achieving this object is a method for the wet-treatment of laundry, the laundry being at least washed in a drum which can be driven in rotation using a heated-up treatment liquid, characterized in that the treatment liquid is heated up by at least one heating device. According to the said method, provision is made for the treatment liquid to be warmed by at least one heating device. As a result, steam is no longer required to heat the treatment liquid. On account of the method according to the invention, complicated steam generation in the laundry can be dispensed with.

[0009]The heating device is preferably a heating device which is operated with fossil fuels, such as gas or oil in particular. A heating device of this type requires only a gas and / or oil burner which continuously warms the treatment liquid which is conducted through heating coils in the burner in accordance with the heat-exchanger principle. A heating device of this type is very simple. Above all, a heating device of this type can be used as an alternative or in addition to parallel operation for other purposes. In one preferred refinement of the method, the heating device is a flow heater which continuously warms treatment liquid which is pumped in circulation continually through the heating device. The treatment liquid warmed by the heating device can then be circulated through the washing machine. This is performed by continual pumping of the treatment liquid which is warmed by the heating device and is cooled down as the laundry is warmed up as the said treatment liquid is conducted through the washing machine. In particular, treatment liquid which is warmed by the heating device is pumped in circulation through at least one chamber of the tunnel-type washing machine. Circulation of this type can be realized in a simple manner and leads to continuous raising of the temperature of the treatment liquid and the laundry through which the treatment liquid is pumped in circulation.

Problems solved by technology

Secondly, so-called spin dryers are used in commercial laundries, in which spin dryers the laundry is washed, rinsed and spun-dry in a drum which can be driven in rotation and has only one chamber.

This means a steam-generating device is required in the laundry, and this entails high investment costs.

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