Operating a clothes dryer with a lint filter and a lint trap

By detecting lint filter and trap issues and omitting rinsing processes, the dryer ensures dry and easy lint handling, addressing user-unfriendliness and enhancing cleaning efficiency.

DE102015223192B4Active Publication Date: 2025-12-04BOSCH SIEMENS HAUSGERATE GMBH
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Patent Information

Application Number
DE102015223192
Authority / Receiving Office
DE · DE
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2015-11-24
Publication Date
2025-12-04
Estimated Expiration
2035-11-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing clothes dryers require unpleasant and cumbersome cleaning of lint filters and traps, which is not user-friendly.

Method used

The clothes dryer detects cleaning issues with the lint filter and/or trap and issues a user notification, omitting regular rinsing processes to keep the lint dry and easier to handle, with a design that allows direct condensate collection into a divided lint trap and optional user-controlled cleaning.

Benefits of technology

This approach makes lint trap cleaning more pleasant and efficient by minimizing moisture, ensuring lint is dry and easy to handle, without significantly reducing drying performance, and providing user flexibility in cleaning timing.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) for operating a laundry drying appliance (1) which - a washing drum which is connected to a process air duct (2) on the inlet and outlet sides, - a condenser (5) located in the process air duct (2) for cooling the process air flowing through it, - a lint filter (7) located in the process air duct (2) between the washing drum and the condenser (5) and - a removable lint trap (13) for receiving at least water (W) originating from a region of the condenser (5), wherein - a cleaning issue concerning the lint filter (7) and / or the lint trap (13) is detected by the clothes drying machine (1) (S2 to S4) and thereupon - at least one user notification is issued (S6) and - at least one normally performed cleaning process (S3, S5) is not carried out.
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Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a clothes dryer with a lint screen and a lint trap, in which the clothes dryer detects a cleaning condition affecting the lint screen and / or the lint trap and then issues at least one user notification. The invention also relates to a clothes dryer comprising a washing drum connected at its inlet and outlet to a process air duct, a condenser located in the process air duct for cooling the process air flowing through it, a cleaning device for the condenser, a lint screen located in the process air duct between the washing drum and the condenser, and a removable lint trap for collecting at least some water originating from a region of the condenser, wherein the clothes dryer is configured to carry out the method.The invention is particularly advantageously applicable to washer-dryers or tumble dryers with a self-cleaning function.

[0002] Clothes dryers are known that have a washing drum and a process air duct connected to it at the inlet and outlet. A lint filter and, further downstream, a heat exchanger for cooling the circulating process air are located in the process air duct. The clothes dryers may have a cleaning device for the lint filter, by means of which water is passed over the lint filter to remove foreign matter or contaminants (such as hair, lint, etc.) adhering to it. The clothes dryers also have a removable lint trap to collect foreign matter (such as hair, lint, etc.) generated during the drying process. The lint trap collects both water that has previously been used to clean the lint filter and condensate that has condensed on the heat exchanger and then dripped down. The water can escape from the lint trap, while the lint, etc., are retained.

[0003] Tumble dryers are known in which the lint trap is divided into two parts: a first receiving area intended for receiving water originating from the heat exchanger, and a separate second receiving area intended for receiving water previously used to clean the lint filter.

[0004] The water from the heat exchanger can also be water from a heat exchanger cleaning system that has been sprayed onto the heat exchanger under pressure to rinse away accumulated lint. This may involve an elevated water tank filled with pumped, filtered condensate, which can release its water suddenly into a downpipe by opening a valve. The water falling in the downpipe is sprayed or injected onto the first heat exchanger via a water distributor (also called a "diffuser") located at the lower end of the downpipe, such as a Venturi nozzle. The water distributor can be integrated into the wall of the process air duct located above the first heat exchanger.

[0005] A cleaning cycle is triggered when the lint filter is noticeably blocked or clogged and / or when the lint trap is full, i.e., filled with lint, etc. A user is notified of a cleaning cycle and can remove the lint trap and clean the lint filter after a normal drying cycle. The lint filter can be removed from the dryer for this purpose.

[0006] However, it is a disadvantage that cleaning the lint filter is not very pleasant for the user.

[0007] German patent application DE 10 2008 054 832 A1 discloses a device for cleaning a component arranged in a process air circuit of a washing machine or clothes dryer, wherein condensate separated from the process air enters a condensate container, from which it flows to the component as cleaning condensate during a cleaning process, and wherein the condensate flows through at least one lint filter on its way to the condensate container, the lint filter being arranged separately from the condensate container and being removable.

[0008] German patent application DE 10 2009 046 683 A1 discloses a device for cleaning a component of a dryer with liquid rinsing medium, which has a diffuser arranged above the component for distributing the rinsing medium, wherein the diffuser has a distribution channel extending over its width for distributing the rinsing medium introduced into the diffuser and an overflow area coupled to the distribution channel in terms of flow, with which the rinsing medium can be directed downwards in a vertical flow direction to the component.

[0009] Documents DE 10 2009 001 548 A1, DE 10 2007 052 ​​835 A1, DE 10 2007 016 074 A1 and DE 10 2007 049 061 A1 each disclose a laundry drying device equipped with a component to be cleaned arranged within a process air circuit and with a rinsing tank provided above the component to be cleaned, wherein a cleaning fluid can be discharged from the rinsing tank to the component to be cleaned by means of a controllable valve.

[0010] German patent application DE 10 2009 002 540 A1 discloses a filter container comprising: a chamber with an inlet, a first outlet and a second outlet and a filter element which is arranged between the inlet and the first outlet and divides the chamber into an inlet-side first chamber part and a second chamber part, wherein the filter container is oriented such that the inlet is arranged below the filter element and the filter element is arranged below the first outlet and wherein the second outlet opens into the first chamber part.

[0011] German patent application DE 10 2008 055 086 A1 relates to a laundry drying device comprising a sieve for removing particles, in particular lint, from a process air duct of the laundry drying device and comprising a cleaning device for cleaning the sieve, wherein the sieve is arranged at an angle in space. The method serves to clean a sieve of a laundry drying device by means of a cleaning device for cleaning the sieve, wherein the sieve is arranged at an angle in space and a cleaning fluid is passed over the obliquely installed sieve.

[0012] The document DE 10 2008 041 998 A1 relates to a dryer comprising a drying chamber for receiving moist material and a substantially closed process air duct for circulating process air through the drying chamber, which process air duct has a heat source for heating the process air before it enters the drying chamber and a heat sink for cooling the process air after it exits the drying chamber, as well as a first lint filter arranged between the drying chamber and the heat sink for collecting lint from the process air, to which a first cleaning device is assigned.This first cleaning device comprises a collector for a liquid, a first flushing line connected to the collector 1, a first control device located in this first flushing line, and a first distributor connected to the first flushing line for distributing liquid conveyed through the first flushing line to the first lint filter and for receiving collected lint from the first lint filter, and a first drain for draining the liquid with the collected lint from the first lint filter to the collector.

[0013] The object of the present invention is to overcome at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art and, in particular, to provide a particularly user-friendly way of cleaning a lint trap.

[0014] This problem is solved according to the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments can be found in particular in the dependent claims and the following description, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

[0015] The problem is solved by a method for operating a clothes drying machine in which the clothes drying machine detects a cleaning situation involving a lint filter and / or a lint trap, and subsequently issues at least one user notification and omits at least one normally or regularly performed rinsing process (also referred to as a cleaning process).

[0016] In particular, the clothes drying machine has a washing drum which is connected to a process air duct on the inlet and outlet sides, a condenser located in the process air duct for cooling the process air flowing through it, a lint screen located in the process air duct between the washing drum and the condenser and a removable lint trap for collecting at least water originating from one area of ​​the condenser, wherein in the process the clothes drying machine detects a cleaning situation concerning the lint screen and / or the lint trap and at least one user notification is issued and at least one normally performed rinsing or cleaning process is not carried out.

[0017] This method has the advantage that, after a cleaning issue is detected, little or no water is introduced into the lint trap. When a user removes the lint trap from the clothes dryer after receiving the notification to clean it and / or the lint filter, the lint in the trap is drier and therefore easier and noticeably more pleasant to handle. This provides a particularly user-friendly way to clean the lint trap.

[0018] A clothes dryer is advantageously a household appliance, particularly in the sense of "white goods." A clothes dryer can be, for example, a tumble dryer or a washer-dryer. It can be a fan-assisted or vented dryer. The condenser can be a heat exchanger. A clothes dryer can incorporate a heat pump. The condenser can be the evaporator of the heat pump.

[0019] The washing drum can be a rotatable washing drum, in particular a horizontally rotatable washing drum. The washing drum can form a circulating process air circuit with the process air duct.

[0020] As the process air cools at the condenser, water ("condensate") condenses and drips down the condenser. Any lint, hair, etc., adhering to the condenser are at least partially carried away by the condensate. The dripping condensate, now laden with lint, enters the lint trap, through which the water passes, while the lint, etc., is retained.

[0021] To reduce the number of lint etc. reaching the condenser, a lint screen is provided in the process air duct between the washing drum and the condenser, in the direction of flow of the process air.

[0022] The cleaning case concerning the lint screen and / or the lint trap can also be referred to as the "lint cleaning case".

[0023] The at least one user notification can include an audible and / or visual user notification, e.g. a beep, a flashing display, a message, the appearance of a cleaning symbol, etc.

[0024] Issuing at least one user warning and failing to perform or omit at least one normally required rinsing or cleaning process can occur simultaneously or in any order. If the omission affects several normally required rinsing or cleaning processes, the at least one user warning can, in principle, be issued before, after, and / or between the cleaning processes.

[0025] It is a further development that the lint trap is arranged below the condenser and the lint screen. This advantageously allows water from the condenser and the lint screen to drip or flow directly onto or into the lint trap.

[0026] This design eliminates at least one normally required cleaning process for the condenser and / or (if possible) for the lint filter. This is advantageous because these cleaning processes introduce large quantities of water into the lint trap even late in the drying process or program, and therefore avoiding them significantly helps to dry the lint in the lint trap quickly and / or thoroughly. Furthermore, omitting the cleaning processes does not noticeably reduce the effectiveness and / or drying performance, especially with only a few drying cycles.

[0027] Another design feature is that the cleaning requirement is triggered by a noticeably blocked or clogged ("full") lint filter. If an access opening (also known as a service flap) or similar is opened to clean or remove the lint filter from the appliance, the lint trap is also advantageously designed for user-friendly removal and cleaning. This is particularly beneficial if the lint filter and lint trap are accessible through the same access opening, especially if they can be removed together. Furthermore, it is advantageous if, upon detecting a full lint filter, the user can still perform additional drying cycles or programs to allow for some flexibility in deciding when to clean the lint filter.

[0028] The appliance can detect a full lint filter, for example, using the so-called gradient method, which measures the temperature increase of the process air over a period of time. A primary cause of triggering the gradient method is the lint filter becoming clogged with lint, etc., which is carried along from the washing drum by the process air.

[0029] Another design feature is that the need for cleaning is triggered by a full lint trap. It is advantageous if, even after the lint trap is full, further drying cycles can still be carried out without problems or as normal, thus allowing the user some flexibility in deciding when to empty the lint trap.

[0030] The household appliance can detect the fill level of the lint trap using various methods, such as sensor detection using, for example, a water level sensor, a cycle counter, a weighted cycle counter, an hour counter, etc.

[0031] Another feature is that cleaning is triggered when a storage time in the lint trap is exceeded. This easily prevents significant biological decomposition of the lint and / or the formation of biological microfilms, which can be accompanied by the release of unpleasant odors. The storage time can be defined, for example, as the period since the last cleaning or estimated. When a predefined value is reached or exceeded, cleaning is initiated.

[0032] Another design feature allows the drying process to continue normally after a cleaning issue is identified during a drying cycle, and no cleaning cycle is performed in the subsequent drying cycle. This results in the lint in the lint trap being particularly dry when removed at the end or after the next drying cycle, as it has not been moistened with cleaning water for the entire drying process. However, at least some of the lint may still become moistened with condensation dripping from the condenser during the next drying cycle.

[0033] Another design feature is that the user notification is displayed towards the end of the drying process. This ensures that a user does not attempt to remove the lint trap before the end of the drying process if the lint inside is not yet completely dry.

[0034] It is also a further development step that, if a cleaning issue is detected during an ongoing drying process, no further cleaning process, which would normally follow, is carried out during that drying process. This allows for an even higher degree of dryness of the lint in the lint trap. A user notification can also be displayed towards the end of the current drying process.

[0035] Furthermore, one design feature is that, after a cleaning issue is detected during a drying cycle, the detection of this issue is checked in a subsequent drying cycle. If the cleaning issue is no longer detected, no user notification is issued. This avoids unnecessary prompts for the user to empty the lint trap and / or clean the lint filter. This approach takes advantage of the fact that two types of soiling (lint, hair, etc.) can clog the lint filter. On the one hand, there are non-removable contaminants that can no longer be automatically cleaned or rinsed away. Such contaminants might be, for example, textile fibers that have become so entangled and caught in the mesh of the lint filter that they cannot be removed by the rinse or cleaning water flowing through the filter.In this case, customer or user intervention is required by manually cleaning the lint filter. Alternatively, dirt that could be cleaned but was unintentionally left behind (e.g., due to a lack of water) from a previous drying cycle or program may have accumulated on the lint filter. A lack of water can occur, for example, if a small load of laundry was dried with little condensation, if cold airing was carried out, or if the user prematurely emptied a rinse tank that holds cleaning or rinse water. The residual lint from this previous drying cycle then contaminates the subsequent drying cycle, which can lead to the need for cleaning. However, such contamination can generally be removed by a regular rinse at the end of the drying cycle, during which a full lint filter was detected.To prevent a cleaning cycle from being initiated even though the contamination was removed at the end of the previous drying cycle, this design allows the system to confirm or verify the detection of a full lint filter in the following drying cycle: The subsequent drying cycle then starts with the cleaning cycle detection from the previous drying cycle noted. If a full lint filter is also detected in this subsequent drying cycle, it can be assumed that the lint filter is blocked by non-removable contamination. In this case, the system also prepares for a cleaning cycle; otherwise, it does not. This design therefore prevents the unnecessary issuance of a cleaning notification, especially in cases of contamination that could generally be removed.

[0036] Furthermore, one design feature is that if, during a drying cycle following the issuance of at least one user notification, another cleaning issue is detected, the same user notification is issued again. This advantageously ensures that a user is repeatedly alerted to the need for lint cleaning and can empty the lint trap and / or clean the lint filter. Another enhancement is that if, during a drying cycle following the issuance of at least one user notification, another cleaning issue is detected, no cleaning process is performed during that drying cycle.

[0037] The problem is also solved by a laundry drying device comprising a washing drum which is connected on the inlet and outlet sides to a process air duct, a condenser located in the process air duct for cooling the process air flowing through it, a cleaning device for the condenser, a lint screen located in the process air duct between the washing drum and the condenser and a removable lint trap for collecting at least water originating from one area of ​​the condenser, wherein the laundry drying device is configured to carry out the method described above.

[0038] The laundry drying device can be designed analogously to the process and yields the same advantages.

[0039] One design feature of the laundry drying machine is that it also includes a cleaning device for the lint filter.

[0040] Another design feature is that the lint trap is a divided lint trap with at least a first collection area and a second collection area. The first collection area has at least one inlet opening for water from the condenser, and the second collection area has at least one inlet opening for water from the lint screen. This has the advantage that a comparatively large amount of lint in the second collection area, after a lint cleaning event has been detected, is no longer, or only minimally, saturated with water, while only the lint in the first collection area is more frequently moistened by the condensate.

[0041] The properties, features, and advantages of this invention described above, as well as the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more readily understandable in connection with the following schematic description of an exemplary embodiment, which is further explained in relation to the figures in the accompanying drawing. These show: Fig. 1. A sectional view in side view of a section of a clothes dryer; and Fig. 2 a possible drying cycle of the tumble dryer Fig. 1.

[0042] Fig. Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a section of a clothes drying unit in the form of a clothes dryer 1. Process air P flowing from a washing drum (not shown) flows through a process air duct 2 into a section 3 of the process air duct 2, which is closed at the front by a cover 4 and borders a first heat exchanger 5 at the rear. The cover 4 has an actual cover part 6 for closing the process air duct 2 at the front and a lint filter 7 connected to it on the inside. The cover part 6 represents a user-removable wall section of the process air duct 2 and is inserted into a cover seat 8 therein.

[0043] The lint screen 7 is positioned almost vertically in area 3 and is designed as a fine-mesh, single-layer or multi-layer lint screen. The lint screen 7 is installed so tightly all around in the process air duct 2 that no parasitic air bypass currents occur around the lint screen 7.

[0044] Furthermore, a double water discharge module 9 is inserted into a diffuser seat 10 above the first heat exchanger 5 and above the lint screen 7. In plan view, the diffuser seat 10 is located partly above the first heat exchanger 5 and partly in front of the first heat exchanger 5.

[0045] The double water delivery module 9 has a first water delivery opening 11 through which pressurized water can be supplied from above to the first heat exchanger 5. The double water delivery module 9 also has a second water delivery opening 12 through which pressurized water can be supplied from above to the lint screen 7. The water delivery openings 11 and 12 can be selected for water delivery, for example, by means of a valve (not shown). While the first water delivery opening 11 is located downstream of the lint screen 7 from a fluid dynamics perspective, the second water delivery opening 12 is located upstream of the lint screen 7 from a fluid dynamics perspective.

[0046] Below area 3, and thus also below the lint screen 7 and the first heat exchanger 5, is a lint trap 13, which is inserted into a corresponding support seat 14. The lint trap 13 is divided into two sections: a first receiving area 13a and a second receiving area 13b. The first receiving area 13a has several upper inlet openings 15a and several lower outlet openings 16a. The second receiving area 13b has an upper inlet opening in the form of an inlet slot 15b and several lower outlet openings 16b. The inlet slot 15b is located frontally, just in front of a lower edge of the lint screen 7. The lower outlet openings 16a and 16b are covered by a screen layer 17, if present.

[0047] In the process air duct 2 behind the first heat exchanger 5, a second heat exchanger 19 is located at a distance. The first heat exchanger 5 and the second heat exchanger 19 can represent components of a heat pump, e.g. the first heat exchanger 5 an evaporator and the second heat exchanger 19 a condenser.

[0048] During the drying operation of the tumble dryer 1, as described above, lint-laden process air P initially flows into section 3 of the process air duct 2 and passes through the lint filter 7. The process air P that has passed through the lint filter 7 has a significantly lower proportion of lint, hair, etc., which has instead settled on the lint filter 7. The process air P then flows through the first heat exchanger 5, where it condenses on the first heat exchanger 5 along with a considerable portion of the remaining lint, etc. The condensed water W (indicated by the black arrows) drips or flows through the upper inlet openings 15a into the first collection area 13a of the lint trap 13 and from there through the lower outlet openings 16a into a collection tray (not shown).

[0049] The lint carried along by the condensed water W is retained by the sieve layer 17. Another portion of the lint adheres to the first heat exchanger 5. The now largely lint-free process air P flows from the first heat exchanger 5 to the second heat exchanger 19, where it is reheated.

[0050] During cleaning, water can be alternately sprayed and / or sprayed under pressure from the water outlet openings 11 and 12, for example, first onto the first heat exchanger 5 and then onto the lint filter 7 (or possibly in reverse order or simultaneously, or only one of the water outlet openings 11 and 12 may be used). This will remove any adhering lint, etc. The water flowing from the lint filter 7 (see corresponding black arrows), which carries away the adhering lint, enters the lint trap 13 through the inlet slot 15b. The water flowing from the first heat exchanger 5, which carries away the adhering lint, enters the lint trap 13 through the inlet opening 15a (see corresponding black arrows).

[0051] The lint retained at sieve layer 17 remains stored in the respective receiving areas 13a and 13b and is initially moist. This "lint cake" dries out over time, however, so that the lint no longer drips after approximately 2 hours of storage.

[0052] Typically, the first collection area 13a contains a significantly smaller amount of lint than the second collection area 13b. Cleaning can be carried out, for example, with approximately 1.2 liters of water per process and per component 7, 13 to be cleaned. Cleaning can also be performed multiple times.

[0053] The lid 4 is connected to the lint trap 13 by means of a Poka-Yoke connection, so that removing the lid 4 also allows the lint trap 13 to be removed from the tumble dryer 1, e.g., for cleaning and emptying. The lint trap 13 is therefore removable and inserted into the tumble dryer 1.

[0054] Fig.Figure 2 shows a possible drying process T1 of the tumble dryer 1, which could, for example, be a running drying program. In a first step S1, the drying process is started, for example, by a user of the tumble dryer 1 after loading the drum with laundry and setting the drying parameters. In a subsequent (drying) step S2, the laundry in the drum is dried. This is followed by a (cleaning) step S3, in which the heat exchanger 5 is cleaned or rinsed once. Then, in a (drying) step S4, the laundry continues to dry, followed by a second (cleaning) step S5. The second cleaning step S5 includes cleaning the condenser 5 and the lint filter 7 twice each. Once the second cleaning step S5 is complete, the drying process T1 is terminated in a step S6.If the drying process T1 is completed without errors, a user can perform a subsequent drying process T2 analogously.

[0055] However, if the tumble dryer 1 detects, for example, in the first cleaning step S3 and / or in the second cleaning step S5 of the drying process T1, that the lint trap 13 is full (i.e., the first intake area 13a and / or the second intake area 13b are full), the drying process T1 will still be completed as normal, but a corresponding entry for a subsequent drying process T2 will be set. This can be done, for example, by setting a flag or similar.

[0056] When the next drying cycle T2 starts with its step S1, drying steps S2 and S4 are performed, but cleaning steps S3 and S5 are not. This ensures that by the end of drying cycle T2 in step S6, the larger lint cake in the second collection area 13b is practically dry, while the smaller lint cake in the first collection area 13a has only been moistened by the condensation W produced in drying steps S2 and S4. A user can therefore remove the lint cakes more easily and conveniently than if they were dripping wet. In step S6, the user receives a notification to empty the lint trap 13. They can then also clean the filter screen 7, which further simplifies maintenance. This is also possible if the tumble dryer 1 does not have a way to automatically clean the lint filter 7 and it must therefore always be cleaned by the user.

[0057] If the tumble dryer 1 detects in one or both of the drying steps S2 and S4 of the drying process T1 that the lint filter 7 is full or noticeably blocked, the drying process T1 will still be completed as normal and an entry will be made for a next drying process T2.

[0058] The next drying process T2 starts with step S1, followed by drying step S2. If the lint filter 7 is no longer found to be full in drying step S2 (e.g., because the lint filter 7 was successfully cleaned in cleaning step S5 of the previous drying process T1), the following cleaning step S3 can be performed optionally, or the process can proceed directly to the second drying step S4. If the lint filter 7 is no longer found to be full, the second cleaning step S5 is performed as normal, and then the drying process T2 is completed as normal in step S6.

[0059] However, if, during the next drying cycle T2, it is again detected in one or both of the drying steps S2 and S4 that the lint filter 7 is full or noticeably blocked, the second cleaning step S5 is also not carried out, and an entry for the next drying cycle T3 is created or retained. Furthermore, in step S6, the user is notified to clean the lint filter 7. They can then also empty the lint trap 13, which further simplifies maintenance.

[0060] In the next drying cycle T3, drying steps S2 and S4 are performed, but not cleaning steps S3 and S5. At the latest in step S6, the user will again receive a notification to empty the lint trap 13. This can be repeated until it is determined in a drying cycle T3 that the lint screen 7 is no longer blocked, at which point this drying cycle or the subsequent drying cycle can be carried out normally.

[0061] If the tumble dryer 1 detects in step S6 of the drying process T1 that a storage time has been exceeded, a corresponding entry is made for the next drying process T2. When the next drying process T2 is started with its step S1, drying steps S2 and S4 are carried out, analogous to the detection of a full lint trap 13, but no cleaning steps S3 and S5. In step S6, at least one user notification is issued to clean the lint trap 13. The user can then also clean the lint filter 7, which further simplifies maintenance.

[0062] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown.

[0063] In general, “ein”, “eine”, etc. can be understood to mean singular or plural, especially in the sense of “at least one” or “one or more”, etc., unless this is explicitly excluded, e.g. by the expression “exactly one”, etc.

[0064] A numerical specification can also include exactly the specified number as well as a normal tolerance range, unless this is explicitly excluded. Reference symbol list 1 tumble dryer 2 Process air duct 3. Area of ​​the process air duct 4 lids 5 heat exchangers 6 lid part 7 lint filter 8 Lid seat 9 Double water delivery module 10 Diffuser seat 11 First water dispensing opening 12 Second water dispensing opening 13 lint trap 13a First admission area 13b Second recording area 14 Support seat 15a First entrance 15b Inlet slot 16a Outlet opening 16b Outlet opening 17 sieve layer 19 Second heat exchanger P Process air S1 to S6 process steps T1 to T3 drying processes Water

Claims

[1] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) for operating a laundry drying appliance (1) which - a washing drum which is connected to a process air duct (2) on the inlet and outlet sides, - a condenser (5) located in the process air duct (2) for cooling the process air flowing through it, - a lint filter (7) located in the process air duct (2) between the washing drum and the condenser (5) and - a removable lint trap (13) for receiving at least water (W) originating from a region of the condenser (5), wherein - a cleaning issue concerning the lint filter (7) and / or the lint trap (13) is detected by the clothes drying machine (1) (S2 to S4) and thereupon - at least one user notification is issued (S6) and - at least one normally performed cleaning process (S3, S5) is not carried out. [2] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to claim 1, wherein at least one cleaning process (S5) that would normally be carried out for the lint screen (7) is not carried out. [3] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one normally performed cleaning process (S3, S5) for the capacitor (5) is not carried out. [4] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning case is determined due to a blocked lint screen (7) (S2, S4). [5] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning case is determined due to a full lint trap (13) (S3, S5). [6] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning case is determined due to an exceeding of a storage time in the lint trap (13) (S6). [7] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, after detection of a cleaning case (S2, S4) during a drying process (T1), this drying process (T1) is carried out normally and no cleaning process (S3, S5) is carried out in a subsequent drying process (T2). [8] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to claim 7, wherein the user instruction is issued towards the end (S6) of the following drying process (T2). [9] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to one of claims 7 or 8, wherein, after detection of a cleaning case during a drying process, the detection of the cleaning case is checked in a subsequent drying process and, in the event that this cleaning case is no longer detected, no user notification is issued. [10] Method (T1 to T3, S1 to S6) according to one of claims 7 or 8, wherein, when a cleaning case is detected again in a drying process following the output of the at least one user notice, the at least one user notice is output again. [11] Laundry drying appliance (1), comprising - a washing drum which is connected to a process air duct (2) on the inlet and outlet sides, - a condenser (5) located in the process air duct (2) for cooling the process air (P) flowing through it, - a cleaning device (11) for the capacitor (5), - a lint filter (7) located in the process air duct (2) between the washing drum and the condenser (5) and - a removable lint trap (13) for receiving at least water (W) originating from an area of ​​the condenser (5), wherein - the clothes drying machine (1) is configured to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims. [12] Laundry drying device (1) according to claim 11, further comprising a cleaning device (12) for the lint screen (7). [13] Laundry drying device (1) according to claim 12, wherein the lint trap (13) is a divided lint trap (13) with at least a first receiving area and a second receiving area, which first receiving area has at least a first inlet opening for water (W) originating from the condenser (5) and which second receiving area has at least a second inlet opening for water (W) originating from the lint screen (7).

Citation Information

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