Back plate, assembly and drum dryer with back plate

Abstract

The invention relates to a back plate (10) for a drum dryer, comprising: an outer wall (11) of a ventilation duct for guiding an air flow into a treatment area, the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct comprising an inlet area (12) for introducing the air flow and an outlet area (13) for discharging the air flow; wherein the outer wall (11) of the ventilation pipeline and the back plate (10) are integrally formed; the outer wall (11) extends in the direction perpendicular to the back plate (10). Wherein the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct comprises a protruding portion (14), the extending direction of the protruding portion (14) is opposite to the extending direction of the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct, the protruding portion (14) of the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct, especially in the center of the protruding portion (14), comprises a bearing portion (15), and the bearing portion (15) is configured to be capable of holding a bearing of a dryer drum (16).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rear panel for a household appliance, in particular a tumble dryer, which includes an outer wall of a ventilation duct. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a component and a dryer. Background Art

[0002] Tumble dryers use a heated treatment air flow to heat textiles in a drum and absorb moisture from the textiles. The treatment air flow is regularly guided from a fan to the drum through a ventilation duct arranged at the rear panel of the household appliance. The drum is connected to the rear panel. The connection between the drum and the rear panel is crucial because the rear panel bears the weight of the drum and thus must be strong enough to carry the drum and avoid imbalance during the use of the dryer. The shape of the outer wall on which the drum is arranged significantly affects the strength of the drum installation.

[0003] In view of this, it has been found that there is still a need to provide an improved rear panel, in particular an improved rear panel for a tumble dryer. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a rear panel, in particular a rear panel for a tumble dryer. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a component and a dryer having such a rear panel.

[0005] These and other objects, which will become apparent by reading the following description, are solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rear panel for a tumble dryer, the rear panel including: an outer wall of a ventilation duct for guiding an air flow into a treatment area, wherein the outer wall of the ventilation duct includes an inlet area for introducing the air flow and an outlet area for discharging the air flow; wherein the outer wall of the ventilation duct is integrally formed with the rear panel; wherein the outer wall extends in a direction perpendicular to the rear panel; wherein the outer wall of the ventilation duct includes a protruding portion, wherein the extending direction of the protruding portion is opposite to the extending direction of the outer wall of the ventilation duct, and wherein the protruding portion of the outer wall of the ventilation duct particularly includes a bearing portion at the center of the protruding portion, and the bearing portion is configured to be able to hold a bearing of a drum element, in particular a drum element of a tumble dryer.

[0007] The rear panel is designed to form the back of the dryer. In other words, when the rear panel is installed in the dryer, the rear panel is the back of the dryer. Preferably, the rear panel has a rectangular shape. The rear panel can be made of a metal plate. In particular, the rear panel is preferably made by a deep drawing process. Alternatively, other materials and processes are also possible.

[0008] The back plate includes the outer wall of the ventilation duct. More precisely, the outer wall of the ventilation duct is part of the ventilation duct. A ventilation duct is provided to direct the air flow in the processing area. The processing area particularly refers to the interior of the dryer drum. The outer wall of the ventilation duct is configured to be integrally formed with the back plate. This means that the outer wall and the back plate are designed as one component.

[0009] The outer wall extends in a direction perpendicular to the back plate. This means that the outer wall protrudes from the back plate. More precisely, the outer wall projects out from the back plate. When installed, the outer wall extends away from the dryer drum.

[0010] A protruding portion is arranged in the outer wall. The direction in which the protruding portion extends is opposite to the direction in which the outer wall extends. This means that when the back plate is installed, the protruding portion extends in the direction of the dryer drum. The protruding portion can preferably be arranged in the outer wall such that in the installed state of the back plate, the protruding portion is arranged on the axis of rotation of the dryer drum.

[0011] The protruding portion preferably includes a bearing portion. The bearing portion is configured to receive a bearing. The bearing is arranged to rotatably receive the dryer drum relative to it. The function of the protruding portion is that when installed, the bearing portion is positioned closer to the dryer drum. This can reduce the torque acting on the bearing and the back plate. In addition, the protruding portion increases the hardness of the outer wall. This improves the load-bearing capacity of the back plate.

[0012] Compared with the known prior art, the back plate according to the present invention has the following advantages: Since the outer wall and the back plate are of an integrated design, the total number of required components can be reduced. In addition, due to the presence of the protruding portion, the back plate has the necessary stiffness to be connected to the dryer drum. Additionally, a better air flow into the processing area can be provided because no additional elements are required to connect the dryer drum to the back plate. These additional elements are usually arranged in the processing air flow and thus impede the processing air flow.

[0013] In one embodiment, the bearing portion includes a polygonal recess to non-rotatably connect the bearing and / or fastening element to the back plate. In particular, the bearing portion has a generally rectangular recess. The recess can be designed to receive the fastening element of the bearing. The fastening element can also be used to overcome the distance between the dryer drum and the back plate in the installed state of the back plate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the outer wall of the ventilation duct is integrally formed with the back plate as a protrusion. The protrusion can be made by a deep drawing process, for example, by means of a hydraulic press and a corresponding template having the geometry of the outer wall of the ventilation duct.

[0015] In one embodiment, the back plate includes a flange that at least partially extends around the outer wall of the ventilation duct. The flange can also be referred to as a step. The flange increases the stiffness of the outer wall and thus the stiffness of the back plate.

[0016] In one embodiment, the outlet region of the outer wall of the ventilation duct has at least a partially circular geometry. In this way, the outer wall has better stiffness and stability. In addition, as a result, it is easier to manufacture the back plate, in particular the outer wall.

[0017] In one embodiment, the outer wall of the ventilation duct widens from the inlet region to the outlet region at least in the width direction (B) and is substantially funnel-shaped. This means that the outlet region is larger than the inlet region. In this way, the exhaust occurs over a larger area than the intake of the ventilation duct.

[0018] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a component comprising at least a drum (in particular a drum for a tumble dryer) and a back plate according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the back plate is arranged at the axial end side of the drum element.

[0019] In one embodiment, a bearing is arranged in the bearing portion of the back plate, and the drum is rotatably connected to the back plate by means of the bearing. The bearing can be directly arranged in the bearing portion by means of fastening elements.

[0020] In one embodiment, the component further comprises a ventilation unit coupled to the inlet region of the ventilation duct, the inlet region of the ventilation duct being configured to introduce an air flow into the ventilation duct.

[0021] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a dryer, in particular a tumble dryer, comprising a back plate according to one of the foregoing embodiments or a component according to one of the foregoing embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Hereinafter, the present disclosure is described exemplarily with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a back plate according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic view of the back plate according to Figure 1 seen from the opposite angle;

[0025] Figure 3a is a side view of a component according to Figure 1 connected to a dryer drum;

[0026] Figure 3b is a close-up view of a component according to Figure 3a ; and

[0027] Figure 4 is a view according to Figure 3a and Figure 3bSchematic diagram of the air flow in the components. Detailed implementation

[0028] Figure 1 A view of the back panel 10 is shown. More precisely, Figure 1 is a view of one side of the back panel 10, which, in the assembled state, is the side away from the dryer drum 16 (see Figure 3a ). In other words, Figure 1 the side of the back panel 10 shown in Figure 2 is configured to point outwards. Figure 1 Another side of the back panel 10 shown in Figure 2 is shown. In other words, in the assembled state,

[0029] the side of the back panel 10 shown in

[0030] is configured to point inwards. The back panel 10 has a rectangular shape. The back panel 10 is made of a sheet material (such as a metal sheet). In particular, metal sheets are widely available and easy to process.

[0031] The back panel 10 has a protruding portion. The protruding portion forms the outer wall 11 of the ventilation duct. The outer wall 11 extends in a direction perpendicular to the back panel 10. In the assembled state, the outer wall 11 extends outwards away from the back panel.

[0032] A flange 20 is arranged around the outer wall 11. The flange 20 has substantially the same geometry as the outer wall 11. The edges of the flange 20 and the edges of the outer wall 11 are circular.

[0033] The outlet area 13 has a substantially circular geometry. The outer wall 11 has a protruding portion 14 in the outlet area 13. In the assembled state, the protruding portion 14 extends inwards. In other words, the extending direction of the protruding portion 14 is opposite to the extending direction of the outer wall 11 away from the back panel 10. The protruding portion 14 can also be referred to as a recessed portion. The protruding portion 14 tapers in the direction towards the inlet area 12. The protruding portion 14 has a ramp portion extending towards the inlet area. The protruding portion 14 has a substantially elliptical or egg-shaped geometry in the plan view.

[0034] The bearing portion 15 is arranged at the lowest position of the protruding portion 14. The bearing portion 15 includes a recess 17. The recess 17 is substantially rectangular. A fastening element 19 is arranged in the recess 17. The fastening element 19 is used to receive the bearing 18 of the dryer drum 16 (see Figure 3a ).

[0035] The back plate 10 has a generally rectangular projection at one axial end in the longitudinal direction Y. This rectangular projection is intended to accommodate the base module. The projection extends in the transverse direction X and opens in the direction of the axial end in the longitudinal direction Y. A circular opening is arranged in the rectangular projection. The circular opening can be used for the maintenance of a compressor that may be included in the base module.

[0036] The back plate 10 has a curved linear projection. The linear projection extends around the outer wall 11 on the back plate 10. In the assembled state of the back plate 10, the linear projection extends outward away from the back plate 10 during installation.

[0037] Figure 2 The inner wall 22 of the ventilation duct is shown. The inner wall is a separate component. In other words, the ventilation duct is formed by the inner wall 22 and the outer wall 11 of the back plate 10. The inner wall 22 extends from the inlet region 12 to the outlet region 13. The inner wall 22 includes an inlet in the inlet region 12. Near the inlet, a fan can be arranged to provide a processing air flow to a processing area (such as the dryer drum 16) (see Figure 3a ). Another fan is arranged near the inlet. The said another fan can be used for cooling a heat exchange device, for example. In Figure 2 , the bearing 18 can be seen. The bearing 18 is arranged non-rotatably relative in the fastening element 19.

[0038] Figure 3a And Figure 3b shows an assembly 21 including the dryer drum 16 and the back plate 10 as shown in Figure 1 And Figure 2 . Among them, Figure 3a is a side view of the assembly 21, Figure 3b is a close-up view of the assembly 21. The back plate 10 is arranged at the axial end side of the drum element 16, where the bearing 18 is arranged in the bearing portion 15 of the back plate 10, and the dryer drum is rotatably connected to the back plate 10 through the bearing 18.

[0039] Figure 4 Corresponds to Figure 1 , where the air flow is shown by means of arrows, guiding the air flow from the inlet region 12 to the outlet region 13 and into the interior of the dryer drum 16.

[0040] The present disclosure has also been described in connection with preferred embodiments by way of example. However, those skilled in the art can practice the claimed invention by studying the drawings, the present disclosure, and the claims, and can understand and achieve other variations. In the claims and the description, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit can perform the functions of a plurality of entities or items recited in the claims. The fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used in an advantageous embodiment.

[0041] List of Reference Numerals

[0042] 10 Backplate

[0043] 11 Outer Wall

[0044] 12 Inlet Region

[0045] 13 Outlet Region

[0046] 14 Protrusion

[0047] 15 Bearing Portion

[0048] 16 Dryer Drum

[0049] 17 Polygonal Recess

[0050] 18 Bearing

[0051] 19 Fastening Element

[0052] 20 Flange

[0053] 21 Assembly

[0054] 22 Inner Wall

Claims

1. A back plate (10) for a drum drying machine, comprising: - an outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct, which is used to guide the air flow into the treatment area, wherein - the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct comprises an inlet area (12) and an outlet area (13), wherein the inlet area (12) is used to introduce airflow and the outlet area (13) is used to discharge airflow; - the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct is integrally formed with the back plate (10); the outer wall (11) extends in a direction perpendicular to the back plate (10); - the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct comprises a protruding portion (14), the extension direction of the protruding portion (14) is opposite to the extension direction of the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct, and the protruding portion (14) of the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct comprises a bearing portion (15), in particular at the center of the protruding portion (14), and the bearing portion (15) is configured to hold the bearing of the dryer drum (16).

2. The back plate (10) according to claim 1, wherein: The bearing portion (15) comprises a polygonal recess (17) for connecting a bearing (18) and / or a fastening element (19) to the back plate (10) in a rotationally fixed manner.

3. The back plate (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct is formed as a protrusion integrally with the back plate (10).

4. The backing plate (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The back plate (10) comprises a flange (20) extending at least partially around the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct.

5. The backing plate (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The outlet region (13) of the outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct has an at least partially circular geometry.

6. A backing plate (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The outer wall (11) of the ventilation duct widens from the inlet area (12) to the outlet area (13) at least in the width direction (B) and is substantially funnel-shaped.

7. An assembly (21) comprising at least a dryer drum (16), in particular a dryer drum (16) for a tumble dryer, and a backing plate (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The back plate (10) is arranged at an axial end side of the drum (16).

8. The assembly (21) according to claim 7, wherein A bearing (18) is arranged in the bearing portion (15) of the back plate (10), and the dryer drum is connected to the back plate (10) via the bearing (18) so as to be relatively rotatable.

9. Assembly (21) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: The assembly (21) further comprises a ventilation unit coupled to an inlet region (12) of the ventilation duct, wherein the inlet region (12) of the ventilation duct is configured to introduce an air flow into the ventilation duct.

10. A drying machine, in particular a tumble drying machine, comprising a back plate (10) according to claims 1 to 6 or an assembly according to claims 7 to 9.

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