Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device

Abstract

Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1), with at least one fan (2) for removing moist exhaust air from an exhaust air area (3) of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1), characterized in that the at least one fan (2) is connected to a control (4) which is configured to control and / or regulate an extraction power of the at least one fan (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device with at least one fan for removing moist exhaust air from an exhaust air area of ​​the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device.

[0002] In conventional laundry treatment and / or drying equipment of the prior art, the at least one fan is operated without control or regulation at a substantially constant electrical power, resulting in a constant suction capacity. To ensure that this suction capacity is sufficient for all operating conditions of the laundry treatment and / or drying equipment, the fan operates continuously at the highest required suction capacity. This leads to a consistently high energy consumption of the fan, regardless of the specific operating conditions of the laundry treatment and / or drying equipment.

[0003] For a long time, this was acceptable, as the energy consumption of the fan was negligible compared to the total energy consumption of the entire laundry treatment and / or drying system. However, due to the need for maximum energy savings, the desire for particularly energy-efficient operation for environmental protection, and the subsequent energy efficiency improvements in other components of the laundry treatment and / or drying system, it is now increasingly desirable to save as much energy as possible, including in the area of ​​the fan.

[0004] The invention is therefore based on the objective of providing a laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device that can be operated in a particularly energy-efficient manner.

[0005] The object of the invention is achieved by a laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device are specified in the dependent claims.

[0006] According to the invention, the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device has at least one fan for removing moist exhaust air from an exhaust air area of ​​the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device, wherein the at least one fan is connected to a control unit which is configured to control and / or regulate the extraction power of the at least one fan.

[0007] The inventor recognized that, given rising energy costs and the increasing need to reduce energy consumption, it is disadvantageous if the at least one fan is always operated with a constant extraction rate, which is often excessive for the respective operating condition, regardless of the amount of moist exhaust air generated and regardless of other operating parameters of the laundry treatment and / or drying device. A control or even regulation of the fan speed, and thus the extraction rate, according to the invention is therefore an advantageous solution.

[0008] In particular, the inventor has recognized that in a laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device, especially if it is designed as a laundry mangle with several rollers and optionally several troughs, operating the at least one fan with a substantially constant and comparatively high extraction rate results in a very large proportion of the moisture contained in the laundry evaporating and being carried away from the exhaust air area in the area of ​​a first roller seen in the direction of laundry travel, while in subsequent treatment zones and especially in the area of ​​further rollers only comparatively dry exhaust air is present and is extracted from the exhaust air area.This results in the overall inefficient operation of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device, as the subsequent rollers and any associated heated troughs are used in an energy-inefficient manner, while at the same time at least one fan continuously provides a high extraction rate and consumes a correspondingly large amount of energy.

[0009] A laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the present invention is a device designed to treat and / or dry laundry in at least one treatment step. In particular, it is a device in which laundry is treated and, in particular, dried by applying heat, a gas stream (especially air), other additives such as detergents, waxes, or the like, and / or mechanical forces. The laundry treatment and / or drying device can be designed in any configuration and may have any number of treatment elements and / or treatment areas, one of which must be an exhaust air area from which moist exhaust air can be removed by means of a fan.

[0010] The laundry treatment and / or drying equipment can be designed specifically for operation in professional and / or industrial large-scale laundries. Preferably, the laundry treatment and / or drying equipment is used in large-scale laundries where laundry from various customers or locations is processed centrally. Furthermore, the laundry treatment and / or drying equipment can be used, for example, for laundry from hospitals, hotels, retirement homes, nursing homes, and / or restaurants. However, use in semi-professional settings or in so-called "on-premise laundry" (OPL) laundries is also conceivable. These are in-house laundries located at the user's site and / or, for example, directly within hotels, hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, facilities for people with disabilities, or similar establishments.Finally, its use in small laundries or even household appliances is also conceivable.

[0011] Preferably, the laundry treatment and / or drying device is a device for smoothing laundry. A laundry mangle is also preferably used. A laundry mangle is preferably used for drying flat linen, tablecloths, napkins, towels, or the like. Alternatively, the laundry treatment and / or drying device can also be a clothes dryer. In principle, any type of laundry can be dried in such a clothes dryer, for example, fully dried terry cloth, mats, damp mop covers, pillows, blankets, tops and / or underwear, or the like. By applying the suction power control according to the invention in a laundry mangle or a clothes dryer, energy consumption in typical commercial or industrial applications can be significantly reduced, and the thermal utilization of the laundry mangle or clothes dryer can be improved.

[0012] The laundry treatment and / or drying device can also be configured as a finisher, and in particular as a tunnel finisher. A finisher or tunnel finisher is a laundry treatment and / or drying device in which laundry, especially hanging laundry, workwear, surgical gowns, laundry from nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and / or homes for the disabled, or the like, is transported through a treatment chamber and exposed to heat and, optionally, steam, particularly from steam nozzles, and / or air, especially heated air. The extraction rate control according to the invention can also be used in a finisher or tunnel finisher to adapt the exhaust air flow to different load conditions and process conditions, thus achieving improved energy efficiency.A finisher preferably has several drying zones, each of which particularly preferably includes an exhaust air area with a fan, wherein at least some of the fans and in particular all fans are individually and / or independently controlled or regulated.

[0013] The fan according to the invention is a device designed to convey gaseous media, in particular moist exhaust air, and to discharge it, especially from the exhaust air area of ​​the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device. Accordingly, the fan is designed to convey moist exhaust air from the exhaust air area by generating an airflow or a negative pressure. For this purpose, the fan can be arranged completely or partially within the exhaust air area, or in the area of ​​an outlet or on an outer wall of the exhaust air area. Furthermore, the fan can be of any design and can be, for example, a radial fan, an axial fan, or in another suitable configuration. In addition, the fan can have any drive mechanism, preferably comprising at least one, and particularly preferably exactly one, electric motor.

[0014] The exhaust air area according to the invention is essentially an area within the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device in which moist exhaust air is generated and / or collected during operation, and from which this exhaust air can be discharged. The exhaust air area can comprise a continuous and / or uninterrupted interior space or several spatially separated sections, preferably connected by exhaust air ducts. Preferably, the exhaust air area is completely separated from the external environment of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device, although a partially open design is also conceivable. Furthermore, and preferably, in addition to an exhaust air extraction area by means of a fan, the exhaust air area also includes at least one area for supplying fresh air to replace the extracted air.

[0015] For the purposes of the present invention, a controller is understood to be a technical system designed to enable controlled or regulated operation of at least one fan. The controller can output signals to the fan or to an associated drive unit and can be implemented in hardware-based, software-based, or a combination of both. In particular, it can be a standalone controller or a component of a higher-level control system.

[0016] Essential to the present invention is that the control system is designed and physically and / or functionally connected to the fan in such a way that the extraction capacity of at least one fan, preferably all fans for exhaust air, and in particular all corresponding fans, can be individually adjusted, especially controllable or regulated. In the context of the present invention, this means that the operation of the fan is not fixed at a constant or unchanging extraction capacity. Rather, the control system is configured to act on the fan or on a drive unit operating it in such a way that the amount of exhaust air extracted from the exhaust air area per unit of time can be varied. Controlling, in this context, refers to a process in which the control system specifies one or more manipulated variables, while regulating refers to a process in which the control system adjusts the operation of the fan based on at least one feedback variable.It is essential that this adjustment of the suction power allows for adaptation to different operating conditions of the laundry treatment and / or drying device. Preferably, the suction power of the fan is controlled or regulated by a corresponding control or regulation of the electrical power supplied to the fan.

[0017] An advantageous embodiment of the laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the invention provides that the control system is configured to control and / or regulate the extraction capacity of the at least one fan by changing the speed of a motor driving the at least one fan. This design allows the extraction capacity to be directly influenced via the motor speed, so that the amount of exhaust air removed from the exhaust air area per unit of time can be specifically adapted to different operating conditions of the laundry treatment and / or drying device. Particularly preferably, the control system can be used to control and / or regulate the extraction capacity of each individual fan separately and / or independently of the extraction capacity of other fans.

[0018] A further advantageous embodiment of the laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the invention features a frequency converter whose output is connected to the motor driving the at least one fan. The control system is particularly preferably configured to control the frequency converter in such a way that the suction power of the at least one fan is adjustable. This allows the speed of the motor driving the fan to be easily changed by specifying an electrical frequency, in particular a lower frequency than the usual 50 Hz, so that the suction power can be varied over a wide range.The use of a frequency converter enables operation at a variable speed, thus allowing for particularly precise adjustment of the extraction capacity to the prevailing operating conditions. Furthermore, it allows the fan speed to be operated within a range favorable for the laundry treatment and / or drying equipment, which can additionally contribute to a reduction in energy consumption. Generally, the application of pulse width modulation to drive the fan is also conceivable, especially at constant voltage.

[0019] Furthermore, it is preferred that the at least one fan is designed as an electronically commutated fan. With an electronically commutated fan, the electrical control of the motor can be particularly flexible, allowing the extraction capacity to be adjusted over a wide range by varying the parameters of the pulse width modulation. Alternatively or additionally, it is preferred that the control system is configured to control and / or regulate the extraction capacity of the at least one fan by means of pulse width modulation of a control signal. By appropriately selecting the duty cycle, switching frequency, and optionally several control stages, the extraction capacity can be adapted to different requirements without the need for any mechanical modifications to the fan. This enables a compact, low-maintenance, and energy-efficient implementation of the extraction capacity control according to the invention.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, the laundry treatment and / or drying device comprises at least one roller for treating and, in particular, drying the laundry and / or at least one heated trough. By providing at least one roller and / or at least one heated trough, the laundry can be guided through the laundry treatment and / or drying device in a defined manner and thereby treated and, in particular, dried. The roller can serve, in particular, for guiding and transporting the laundry, while the heated trough is provided for supplying heat to the laundry. Additionally or alternatively, a heated roller can also be provided, so that the heat transfer to the laundry occurs either solely through a heated roller or through both a heated trough and a heated roller.In particular, a design is preferred in which the trough is heated and moist exhaust air is removed from the area of ​​the roller, and at least also and especially preferably exclusively from the inside of the roller.

[0021] Accordingly, it is preferred that the rollers are designed as gas-permeable rollers through which the moist exhaust air is extracted from the exhaust area. Due to the gas permeability of the rollers, the moist exhaust air can be discharged directly through the rollers from the exhaust area, resulting in particularly efficient capture of the moist exhaust air. Gas permeability can be achieved, for example, by bores, slots, grids, sieves, or other opening structures in the surface of the rollers. The rollers can also be designed to be liquid-permeable; however, they are preferably essentially exclusively gas-permeable to enable controlled guidance of the gaseous media and defined treatment of the laundry.

[0022] An advantageous embodiment of the laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the invention further provides that the exhaust air area comprises the interiors of several rollers arranged one behind the other, each preferably connected to the at least one fan via an exhaust air duct. This allows the moist exhaust air generated in the interiors of the rollers to be captured and discharged from the exhaust air area by means of the at least one fan. It is particularly preferred that exactly one fan is provided for all rollers or for the entire laundry treatment and / or drying device. However, it is also conceivable that at least one fan, and in particular exactly one fan, is provided for each roller, so that the exhaust air flow for each roller can be controlled separately.

[0023] A further preferred configuration of the laundry treatment and / or drying device is a multi-trough ironer with several rollers arranged in series and a heated trough assigned to each roller. In such a multi-trough ironer, the laundry can be brought into contact with several rollers and several heated troughs in succession, resulting in particularly uniform and intensive treatment and drying of the laundry. The extraction capacity control according to the invention can be used, in particular, to adapt the exhaust air flow across the multiple rollers and troughs to the respective process conditions, thus enabling energy-efficient operation. Preferably, all troughs and / or all rollers are identical to one another, although several troughs and / or rollers can also be configured differently.It is also preferred that all troughs and / or all rollers are arranged in a common plane and / or directly one behind the other.

[0024] Each trough and / or roller can be heated in any manner and to any temperature. Preferably, however, heating is performed to a temperature of at least 120 °C, preferably in the range of 130 °C to 150 °C, and particularly to approximately 140 °C. In principle, any energy carrier or energy source, or a combination of different energy carriers or energy sources, can be used for heating. For example, partial or complete electric heating is conceivable. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the laundry treatment and / or drying device is exclusively or additionally gas-heated and preferably has at least one trough heated directly or indirectly by a gas burner.Preferably, heating is achieved indirectly via the gas burner using a heat transfer medium, in particular a thermal oil, which is heated by the gas burner and then supplied to the area of ​​the trough, especially to the interior of the trough wall or surface. The use of a gas burner and a heat transfer medium allows for a particularly uniform and easily controllable heat supply to the trough. Alternatively, the laundry treatment and / or drying device can also be heated by a different fuel and / or by externally supplied heat, such as district heating or heat from a heat recovery unit.

[0025] Although the laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the invention generally only needs to have one fan, a design with several fans is also conceivable, which are in particular assigned to different treatment zones of the laundry treatment and / or drying device and / or whose respective extraction capacity can be controlled and / or regulated separately by the control system. By assigning one fan to each treatment zone, the extraction capacity can be adjusted locally, so that different quantities of exhaust air can be conveyed in different areas of the laundry treatment and / or drying device.

[0026] Preferably, the at least one fan, together with at least one exhaust duct, forms an extraction device through which moist exhaust air can be extracted from the exhaust air area of ​​the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device. The combination of fan and exhaust duct allows the moist exhaust air to be selectively routed from the exhaust air area and transported to a desired discharge or further processing location. This also allows for defined integration into downstream devices, such as a heat recovery unit. Accordingly, it is also preferred that the exhaust air area is connected to a heat recovery unit via an exhaust duct, to which the moist exhaust air extracted by the at least one fan can be fed.This allows the heat contained in the moist exhaust air to be used in the heat recovery unit to, for example, heat a medium, especially water or air, or to operate another laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device.

[0027] Although the heat recovery unit can be designed arbitrarily, it is preferred that the heat recovery unit be designed as a condensation heat exchanger, and in particular as a shell and tube heat exchanger, which recovers condensation heat from the moist exhaust air discharged by at least one fan for heating a medium, in particular water or air, and / or for operating a laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device. By combining this with the extraction rate control according to the invention, the exhaust air volume, and thus the condensation and / or energy recovery behavior, can be adjusted to a range in which particularly high heat recovery is possible.Accordingly, it is also preferred that the control system is configured to adjust the extraction rate of the at least one fan such that the exhaust air supplied to the heat recovery unit is within a temperature and humidity range that maximizes the amount of heat recoverable through condensation. The extraction rate can be controlled, for example, so that the exhaust airflow is neither too low, which would underutilize the heat recovery unit, nor too high, resulting in insufficient cooling and condensation of the exhaust air.

[0028] The control system can be designed in any way. For example, it can be an electronic control system, in particular a microprocessor-based and / or programmable logic controller (PLC). An electronic control system allows for the implementation of complex control algorithms that enable the suction power to be adjusted to the specific application. Furthermore, a programmable logic controller allows for the storage of different operating programs and the flexible adaptation of the laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the invention to different operating conditions or customer requirements. Additionally or alternatively, the control system can also be part of a higher-level electronic control system for the laundry treatment and / or drying device, which is specifically designed to control the entire laundry treatment and / or drying device.By integrating the control system into a higher-level control structure, the extraction rate of at least one fan can be adjusted in coordination with other components of the laundry treatment and / or drying system, such as drives, heating elements, or transport systems. This enables a comprehensive optimization of the operation of the laundry treatment and / or drying system.

[0029] Furthermore, it is also conceivable that the control system replaces or supplements an existing control unit of the at least one fan and is preferably coupled to an existing control system of the laundry treatment and / or drying device and / or integrated into an overall control system of the laundry treatment and / or drying device. This makes it possible to retrofit the inventive control system for the suction power into existing laundry treatment and / or drying devices without having to rebuild the entire control technology. The inventive control system can be used as an add-on module to an existing control unit or as its functional replacement.

[0030] To supplement the control of at least one flow of moist exhaust air, and in particular different exhaust air streams, for example, one from each of the rollers, a throttle valve can be installed in at least one exhaust air duct of the exhaust area. The control system can then actuate the throttle valve to influence the extraction rate of the at least one fan. By selectively adjusting the throttle valve, the flow resistance in the exhaust air duct can be altered, thereby influencing the volume of exhaust air conveyed by the fan and thus the extraction rate. The throttle valve can be operated in different opening positions to adapt the extraction rate to the current operating conditions.

[0031] An advantageous further development of the laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the invention provides that the control system contains several operating stages with predefined, different suction capacities, between which it is possible to switch depending on at least one operating parameter of the laundry treatment and / or drying device. This allows the suction capacity to be easily adapted to different load conditions, laundry types, or process phases, for example, by switching between different predefined power levels.

[0032] Additionally or alternatively, it can be provided that several nested intervals of typical on-time to off-time ratios are used in the pulse width modulation, with an on-time preferably being in a range between 0% and 100%, and particularly preferably in a range between 10% and 90% of a respective period. By using different duty cycles, various operating states of the at least one fan can be realized without having to continuously operate its drive at full power.

[0033] An advantageous further development of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to the invention further provides that the control is set up to adjust the extraction power of the at least one fan so that a predetermined minimum residual moisture is present in the exhaust air discharged from the exhaust air area by the at least one fan.A particularly preferred embodiment of the laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the invention is one in which several treatment zones and / or rollers are arranged one behind the other in the transport direction of the laundry, and / or the control system is configured such that the extraction capacity of the at least one fan can be adjusted so that moisture is still detectable in the exhaust air from each of the treatment zones and / or from each of the rollers, and preferably the moisture content of the exhaust air from each of the treatment zones and / or from each of the rollers differs from each other by no more than 50%, more preferably by no more than 25%, and most preferably by no more than 10%, and is, in particular, essentially the same. This ensures that the dehumidification work is distributed across several treatment zones and / or rollers, and, in particular, is distributed evenly, rather than taking place predominantly in a single zone.A largely uniform moisture distribution in the exhaust air from the treatment zones contributes to particularly energy-efficient operation and to uniform treatment of the laundry.

[0034] In particular, it is advantageous if the control system is configured to maintain an extraction rate and / or a time-averaged average extraction rate of the at least one fan below a nominal extraction rate intended for operation without fan control. This allows the extraction rate to be reduced compared to conventional operation with a constant nominal extraction rate without impairing the functionality of the laundry treatment and / or drying equipment. Reducing the extraction rate regularly leads to a decrease in energy consumption and can also help to reduce the load on the fan, drive, and any connected exhaust air components.

[0035] Additionally or alternatively, the control system can be configured to vary and, in particular, reduce the suction power of at least one fan, and especially of each fan, depending on at least one operating parameter of the laundry treatment and / or drying device, in particular the amount of laundry, the transport speed, the temperature, and / or the humidity. This allows the suction power to be dynamically adapted to the current operating conditions, such as a high or low laundry load, a high or low transport speed, or specific temperature and humidity conditions in the laundry treatment and / or drying device.

[0036] An advantageous embodiment of the laundry treatment and / or drying device according to the invention further provides that the control system is configured to temporarily switch off the at least one fan completely, so that no exhaust air is extracted from the exhaust air area of ​​the laundry treatment and / or drying device for a predetermined period. This allows for a complete interruption of the exhaust air supply during certain operating phases, which can result in altered temperature and humidity conditions in the exhaust air area that may be beneficial for the drying process. The period during which the at least one fan is completely switched off can be in the range of 10 s to 60 s, particularly around 30 s.A preferred method of controlling the fan by periodically switching it on and off is energy-saving, particularly when combined with operating the fan at a constant speed during the start-up phase or while it is running. However, periodic fan switching can also be combined with frequency control or pulse-width modulation (PWM) control.

[0037] To enable effective control of the extraction rate of the fan(s), the laundry treatment and / or drying device may have at least one sensor, preferably several identical or different sensors, for detecting at least one of the parameters temperature, relative humidity, and / or pressure in the exhaust air area. Preferably, the control system is further configured to control and / or regulate the extraction rate of the at least one fan based on a sensor signal supplied by the sensor(s). Preferably, at least one sensor for detecting the temperature of a roller and / or a trough, in particular of each roller and / or each trough, is provided and integrated into the control system.Accordingly, the control system is preferably configured to control and / or regulate the extraction rate of the at least one fan depending on a temperature signal supplied by this sensor. This allows the extraction rate to be adjusted according to the actual temperature in the roller and / or in the trough, enabling targeted adaptation of the exhaust airflow to the thermal conditions in the laundry treatment area and, for example, preventing overheating or ensuring a desired operating temperature.

[0038] Advantageously, at least one sensor can be arranged in the area of ​​the first treatment zone of the laundry treatment and / or drying device (viewed from the direction of laundry flow). This arrangement allows, in particular, the condition of the exhaust air and / or the laundry to be detected immediately after it enters the laundry treatment and / or drying device. Alternatively or additionally, at least one sensor can also be arranged in the area of ​​the last treatment zone of the laundry treatment and / or drying device (viewed from the direction of laundry flow). The control system is particularly preferably configured to reduce the extraction rate of the at least one fan when the humidity measured in the last treatment zone falls below a limit value and / or the humidity measured in the first treatment zone.This prevents, in particular, the exhaust air from being extracted unnecessarily strongly in the last treatment zone when only a small amount of moisture remains, which would lead to unnecessarily high energy consumption. Furthermore, excessive extraction and / or heating in the area of ​​one or more preceding rollers and / or troughs can be avoided, especially by reducing the extraction and / or heating accordingly.

[0039] It is particularly advantageous if several sensors are arranged in different treatment zones and the control system is configured to adjust the extraction rate of at least one fan based on multiple humidity and / or temperature measurements. This enables a highly detailed monitoring of temperature and humidity levels within the laundry treatment and / or drying system and allows the control system to adjust the extraction rate to achieve the desired humidity and temperature distribution throughout the entire process area.

[0040] Finally, a further advantageous embodiment of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to the invention provides for a device for cooling a motor driving the at least one fan, in particular by supplying ambient air to the motor. It is advantageous if the control system is configured to operate the at least one fan depending on the motor temperature of the motor driving the at least one fan, particularly if the motor is self-cooling by means of ambient air, wherein preferably a sensor is arranged in the area of ​​the fan motor that supplies a sensor signal representing the motor temperature to the control system.This allows the fan's extraction power to be adjusted not only depending on process parameters such as temperature and humidity, but also taking into account the motor temperature, thus preventing overheating of the motor and ensuring reliable and long-lasting operation of the fan.

[0041] Two exemplary embodiments of a laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The figures show: Fig. 1. A schematic diagram of a laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device formed as a mangle with several rollers and troughs, and Fig. 2 a schematic diagram of a laundry treatment and / or drying device designed as a clothes dryer.

[0042] The in Fig. 1 A schematically represented laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device 1 is formed as a laundry mangle with three rotatable rollers 5 arranged one behind the other and each with an associated, heatable trough 6, wherein the laundry fed to the mangle can be dried and smoothed in the space between each roller 5 and a trough 6.

[0043] The rollers 5 are designed to be gas-permeable and, in particular, water vapor-permeable, and the interior of the rollers 5 forms part of an exhaust air area 3, which is intended to discharge moist exhaust air, possibly containing fibers and / or additives. For this purpose, exhaust air ducts 8 are provided, which discharge the exhaust air, in particular from the mangle and preferably also from the associated operating building.

[0044] In the area of ​​these exhaust air ducts 8, at least one fan 2 is arranged, by means of which the exhaust air can be actively extracted and thus discharged. At least one of the fans 2, and preferably all fans 2, are electronically connected to a controller 4, which is designed to control the operation of the fan 2 and, in particular, the extraction capacity of the fan 2. For this purpose, the speed of the fan 2 is controlled by a corresponding control signal to a frequency converter. Accordingly, it is a frequency-controlled fan 2. In general, continuous adjustment of the extraction capacity and / or continuous operation of the fan 2, or alternating operation of the fan 2 with defined shutdown phases, are conceivable. The use of pulse-width modulation for controlling the fan 2 is also conceivable.

[0045] Preferably, a heat recovery unit 9 is arranged downstream of the fan 2 and particularly preferably outside of an operating building for the laundry mangle. This unit has a heat exchanger and in particular a tube bundle heat exchanger in order to recover at least some, preferably most, of the heat contained in the discharged, moist exhaust air.

[0046] The troughs 6 are heated indirectly by a gas burner 7, which heats a heat transfer medium 10 that is then subsequently circulated through the bottom surface of the troughs 6. Additionally, the heat transfer medium 10 can also be heated using recovered heat from the heat recovery unit 9. For this purpose, the heat transfer medium 10 can either be circulated directly through the heat recovery unit 9, or the recovered heat can be transferred to the heat transfer medium 10 in the area of ​​the mangle.

[0047] One in Fig. The laundry treatment and / or drying device 1 shown in Figure 2 is designed as a clothes dryer with a drying chamber 11 in the form of a washing drum. Air is supplied in an air inlet area 12 and immediately afterwards heated by a gas burner 7. This heated air is then directed into the drying chamber 11. Subsequently, the now moist exhaust air is directed via an exhaust air inlet 3 to an exhaust air duct 8. The exhaust air duct 8 can be equipped with a [missing information - likely a specific component or feature] in the Fig. The two heat recovery units (not shown) are connected. A frequency-controlled fan 2 is located in the exhaust air area 3, by means of which the exhaust air can be actively extracted and thus discharged. To control the fan speed and thus the extraction capacity, the fan 2 is electronically connected to a controller 4. Reference sign 1 Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device 2 fans 3 Exhaust air area 4 Control 5 roller 6 troughs 7 gas burners 8 Exhaust duct 9 Heat recovery unit 10 Heat transfer medium 11 Drying room 12 Supply air area

Claims

[1] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1), with at least one fan (2) for removing moist exhaust air from an exhaust air area (3) of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1), characterized by , that the at least one fan (2) is connected to a controller (4) which is configured to control and / or regulate the extraction power of the at least one fan (2). [2] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to claim 1, characterized by , that the control (4) is set up to control and / or regulate the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) by changing the speed of a motor driving the at least one fan (2). [3] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) has a frequency converter whose output is connected to the motor driving the at least one fan (2), and that the control (4) is set up to control the frequency converter in such a way that an extraction power of the at least one fan (2) can be adjusted. [4] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the at least one fan (2) is designed as an electronically commutated fan (2) and / or that the control (4) is configured to control and / or regulate the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) by means of pulse width modulation of a control signal. [5] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) is designed as a laundry mangle or as a laundry dryer. [6] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) has at least one roller (5) for treating and in particular drying the laundry and / or at least one heated trough (6). [7] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) is formed as a multi-trough mangle with several rollers (5) arranged one behind the other and one heated trough (6) assigned to each of the rollers (5). [8] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to claim 7, characterized by, that at least one heated recess (6) can be heated to a temperature in the range of at least 120 °C, preferably in the range of 130 °C to 150 °C, in particular to about 140 °C. [9] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the rollers (5) are formed as gas-permeable rollers (5) through which the moist exhaust air is extracted from the exhaust air area (3). [10] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) is gas heated and preferably has at least one trough (6) heated by a gas burner (7), wherein the heating is particularly preferably carried out indirectly by the gas burner (7) by means of a heat transfer medium (10), in particular a thermal oil. [11] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) is formed as a tunnel finisher. [12] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the exhaust air area (3) comprises interior spaces of several rollers (5) arranged one behind the other, which are preferably each connected to the at least one fan (2) via an exhaust air duct (8). [13] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that several fans (2) are provided which are assigned to the different treatment zones of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) and whose respective extraction capacity can be controlled and / or regulated separately by the control unit (4). [14] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the at least one fan (2) together with at least one exhaust duct (8) forms an extraction device through which moist exhaust air can be extracted from the exhaust air area (3) of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1). [15] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the exhaust air area (3) is connected via an exhaust air duct (8) to a heat recovery unit (9) to which the moist exhaust air removed by the at least one fan (2) can be supplied. [16] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to claim 15, characterized by, that the heat recovery unit (9) is designed as a condensation heat exchanger and in particular as a tube bundle heat exchanger, which recovers condensation heat from the moist exhaust air discharged by the at least one fan (2) for heating a medium, in particular water or air, and / or for operating a laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1). [17] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to one of claims 15 or 16, characterized by , that the control (4) is set up to adjust the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) such that the exhaust air supplied to the heat recovery unit (9) is in a temperature and humidity range in which the amount of heat recoverable by condensation is maximized. [18] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the control (4) is formed as an electronic control (4), in particular as a microprocessor and / or programmable logic controller (4). [19] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to claim 18, characterized by , that the control (4) is part of a higher-level electronic control of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1), which is specifically designed to control the entire laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1). [20] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the control (4) replaces or supplements an existing control device of the at least one fan (2) and is preferably coupled to an existing control of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) and / or is integrated into an overall control of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1). [21] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one throttle valve is arranged in an exhaust air duct (8) of the exhaust air area (3), and that the control (4) is set up to actuate the throttle valve to influence an extraction performance of the at least one fan (2). [22] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the control unit (4) contains several operating stages with predefined, different extraction capacities, between which it is possible to switch depending on at least one operating parameter of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1). [23] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to claim 22, characterized by , that in pulse width modulation several successively nested intervals of typical ratios of switch-on time to switch-off time are provided, wherein a switch-on duration is in particular in a range between 10% and 90% of a respective period duration. [24] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the control (4) is set up to adjust the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) such that a specified minimum residual moisture content is present in the exhaust air discharged from the exhaust air area (3) by the at least one fan (2). [25] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) has several treatment zones and / or rollers (5) arranged one behind the other in the transport direction of the laundry, and that the control (4) is set up to adjust the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) such that moisture is still detectable in the exhaust air from each of the treatment zones and / or from each of the rollers (5) and preferably the moisture content of the exhaust air from each of the treatment zones and / or from each of the rollers (5) is essentially the same. [26] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the control (4) is configured to maintain an extraction rate and / or a time-averaged average extraction rate of the at least one fan (2) below a nominal extraction rate intended for operation without control (4) of the fan (2). [27] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the control (4) is configured to vary and, in particular, to reduce the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) depending on at least one operating parameter of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1), in particular a quantity of laundry, a transport speed, a temperature and / or a humidity. [28] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the control (4) is set up to temporarily switch off at least one fan (2) completely, so that for a specified period of time no exhaust air is extracted from the exhaust air area (3) of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1). [29] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to claim 28, characterized by , that the period during which at least one fan (2) is completely switched off is in the range of 10 s - 60 s, in particular around 30 s. [30] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) has at least one sensor for detecting at least one of the quantities temperature, relative humidity and / or pressure in the exhaust air area (3), and that the control (4) is set up to control and / or regulate an extraction power of the at least one fan (2) depending on a sensor signal supplied by the sensor. [31] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one sensor is provided for detecting the temperature of a roller (5) and / or a trough (6) and is integrated into the control (4), and that the control (4) is configured to control and / or regulate the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) depending on a temperature signal supplied by this sensor. [32] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to one of claims 30 or 31, characterized by , that at least one sensor is arranged in the area of ​​a first treatment zone of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) as seen in the direction of laundry flow. [33] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to any one of claims 30 to 32, characterized by , that the at least one sensor is arranged in the area of ​​a last treatment zone of the laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device (1) as seen in the direction of laundry flow, and that the control (4) is configured to reduce the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) when the moisture measured in the area of ​​the last treatment zone falls below a limit value and / or the value of the moisture measured in the area of ​​the first treatment zone. [34] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to any one of claims 30 to 33, characterized by that several sensors are arranged in different treatment zones, and that the control (4) is set up to adjust the extraction power of the at least one fan (2) depending on several humidity and / or temperature measurements. [35] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a device for cooling a motor driving the at least one fan (2) is provided, in particular by supplying ambient air to the motor. [36] Laundry treatment and / or laundry drying device according to any one of claims 30 to 35, characterized by, that the control (4) is configured to operate the at least one fan (2) depending on the motor temperature of the motor driving the at least one fan (2), in particular if the motor is self-cooling by means of ambient air, wherein preferably a sensor is arranged in the area of ​​the fan motor which provides a sensor signal representing the motor temperature to the control (4).

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