Gas-powered laundry dryer and control method therefor

Abstract

A gas-powered laundry dryer and a control method therefor. The gas-powered laundry dryer comprises a casing, a laundry drying drum (100), a gas heating device and a fire extinguishing system. The fire extinguishing system comprises a fire extinguishing agent storage device (400), a first air duct (500) and an air duct switching mechanism (600); a fire extinguishing agent is stored inside a storage chamber (B) of the fire extinguishing agent storage device (400); an outlet of the storage chamber (B) is communicated with the interior of the laundry drying drum (100); the first air duct (500) is provided with a main air duct (510), and a first branch air duct (520) and second branch air duct (530) which are connected to the main air duct (510), the main air duct (510) being communicated with a combustion chamber (200) of the gas heating device, the first branch air duct (520) being communicated with the interior of the laundry drying drum (100), and the second branch air duct (530) being communicated with the storage chamber (B); and the air duct switching mechanism (600) is used for switching to enable the first branch air duct (520) or the second branch air duct (530) to be communicated with the main air duct (510).

Description

Gas clothes dryer and control method thereof Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of clothing processing equipment, and in particular to a gas-fired clothes dryer and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] A gas clothes dryer uses gas as its energy source. The burner ignites the gas to heat the air, which then enters the drum to evaporate the moisture from the clothes. The moisture and humidity are then discharged through the exhaust component to achieve the purpose of drying.

[0003] Gas clothes dryers usually dry clothes in a sealed state. If there is a problem with the seal, causing excessive ventilation, the fire inside the combustion chamber will be carried upward by the wind. Or if the temperature protection device fails and the drying temperature continues to rise, the clothes inside the drum will be ignited, posing a fire hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problem of fire risk caused by ignition of clothes in gas dryers in the prior art, the present invention provides a gas dryer with a dual air duct structure. When a fire occurs in the dryer drum, the air ducts are switched and fire extinguishing agent can be blown into the dryer drum to extinguish the fire in time. The gas dryer has a simple structure and high safety.

[0005] The present invention provides a gas-fired clothes dryer, comprising a housing, a clothes drying drum disposed in the housing, a gas heating device, a fan, and a fire extinguishing system disposed in the housing, the fire extinguishing system comprising:

[0006] A fire extinguishing agent storage device having a storage chamber in which the fire extinguishing agent is stored; an outlet of the storage chamber is communicated with the interior of the clothes drying drum;

[0007] a first air duct comprising a main air duct, a first branch air duct connected to the main air duct, and a second branch air duct, the main air duct being connected to a combustion chamber of the gas heating device, the first branch air duct being connected to the interior of the clothes drying drum, and the second branch air duct being connected to the storage chamber;

[0008] The air duct switching mechanism is used to switch the first branch air duct or the second branch air duct to communicate with the main air duct.

[0009] In some embodiments, the air duct switching mechanism includes:

[0010] a baffle disposed in the main air duct, the baffle having a first position and a second position; in the first position, the baffle blocks the communication between the main air duct and the second branch air duct, and in the second position, the baffle blocks the communication between the main air duct and the first branch air duct;

[0011] The driving component is used to drive the baffle to move so that the baffle switches between the first position and the second position.

[0012] In some embodiments,

[0013] A partition is provided in the main air duct along the air flow direction, and a first diversion air duct and a second diversion air duct are formed on both sides of the partition;

[0014] One end of the baffle is rotatably arranged on the end of the partition; the driving component drives the baffle to rotate;

[0015] When the baffle is in the first position, the other end of the baffle abuts against the side wall of the main air duct close to the second diversion air duct; when the baffle is in the second position, the other end of the baffle abuts against the side wall of the main air duct close to the first diversion air duct.

[0016] In some embodiments, a sealing gasket is provided on the end of the baffle abutting against the side wall of the main air duct.

[0017] In some embodiments, the fire extinguishing agent storage device comprises:

[0018] The box body has a storage cavity therein; the box body is provided with an air inlet connection port and an air outlet connection port connected to the storage cavity; the air inlet connection port is connected to the second diversion air duct; the air outlet connection port is connected to the interior of the drying drum.

[0019] In some embodiments, a diverter plate is provided on the box body, the diverter plate is arranged close to the inner side of the air inlet connection port, and a plurality of diverter holes are provided on the diverter plate.

[0020] In some embodiments, the box body has an air outlet cavity, and the air outlet connection port is connected to the air outlet cavity; the storage cavity and the air outlet cavity are connected via an air door.

[0021] In some embodiments, there are two air outlet connection ports, and two air doors are provided, with one air door corresponding to one air outlet connection port; a guide plate is provided on the front side between the two air doors in the storage cavity, and the guide plate is used to guide the airflow to the air doors on both sides.

[0022] In some embodiments, the fire extinguishing agent storage device is disposed on the top of the clothes drying drum.

[0023] The present invention also includes a control method for a gas-fired clothes dryer, the control method comprising:

[0024] Check for fire in the clothes dryer;

[0025] When a fire is detected in the clothes dryer, the gas heating device is controlled to stop heating;

[0026] Start the fire extinguishing system and control the air duct switching mechanism to connect the second branch air duct with the main air duct; start the fan to blow air into the second branch air duct, blowing the fire extinguishing agent in the fire extinguishing agent storage device into the clothes drying drum.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are:

[0028] The above-mentioned gas dryer is provided with a fire extinguishing system, which can promptly extinguish a fire in the dryer drum. The fire extinguishing system can switch the air duct and use the original fan of the dryer to blow the fire extinguishing agent into the dryer drum to extinguish the fire. It has a simple structure and high safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0030] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a gas-fired clothes dryer according to the present invention as viewed from the rear;

[0031] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gas-fired clothes dryer of the present invention as viewed from the front, wherein the mounting plate is not shown;

[0032] FIG3 is a first schematic diagram of the internal structure of the first air duct in the gas clothes dryer of the present invention, showing a state in which the main air duct is connected to the first branch air duct when the baffle is in the first position;

[0033] FIG4 is a second schematic diagram of the internal structure of the first air duct in the gas clothes dryer of the present invention, showing a state in which the main air duct is connected to the second branch air duct when the baffle is in the second position;

[0034] FIG5 is a perspective view of a fire extinguishing agent storage device in a gas-fired clothes dryer according to the present invention;

[0035] FIG6 is a first schematic diagram of the internal structure of the fire extinguishing agent storage device in the gas clothes dryer of the present invention;

[0036] FIG7 is a second schematic diagram of the internal structure of the fire extinguishing agent storage device in the gas clothes dryer of the present invention;

[0037] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of gas flow in a fire extinguishing agent storage device in a gas-fired clothes dryer according to the present invention;

[0038] Description of reference numerals:

[0039] Drying drum 100;

[0040] Combustion chamber 200;

[0041] Mounting plate 300;

[0042] Fire extinguishing agent storage device 400;

[0043] Bottom shell 410; air inlet chamber A; storage chamber B; air outlet chamber C; air inlet connection port 411; air outlet connection port 412;

[0044] Cover plate 420;

[0045] Separator plate 430;

[0046] damper 440;

[0047] Diverter plate 450;

[0048] deflector 460;

[0049] First air duct 500; main air duct 510; first branch air duct 520; second branch air duct 530; partition 540;

[0050] Air duct switching mechanism 600; baffle 610; driving component 620; sealing gasket 630;

[0051] Second air duct 700;

[0052] The third air duct 800. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0054] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0055] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention in specific circumstances. In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0056] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0057] Referring to Figures 1-8 , an embodiment of a gas-fired clothes dryer according to the present invention is shown. The gas-fired clothes dryer comprises a housing, a clothes drying drum 100 disposed within the housing, a gas heating device, and a fan. The gas heating device includes a combustion chamber 200. Heat generated by the combustion of gas heats air entering the combustion chamber 200 through an air inlet. The fan then draws the heated air into the clothes drying drum 100, drying the clothes therein. The air is then discharged through an air outlet.

[0058] In this embodiment, a fire extinguishing system is further provided in the cabinet for extinguishing a fire in the clothes drying drum 100 .

[0059] Specifically, the fire extinguishing system includes a fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 , a first air duct 500 , and an air duct switching mechanism 600 .

[0060] The fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 has a storage chamber B, in which a fire extinguishing agent is stored. The fire extinguishing agent may be a dry powder fire extinguishing agent. The outlet of the storage chamber B is in communication with the interior of the clothes drying drum 100.

[0061] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first air duct 500 includes a main air duct 510, a first branch air duct 520 connected to the main air duct 510, and a second branch air duct 530. The main air duct 510 is connected to the combustion chamber 200 of the gas heating device, the first branch air duct 520 is connected to the interior of the drying drum 100, and the second branch air duct 530 is connected to the storage chamber B.

[0062] The air duct switching mechanism 600 is used to switch the first branch air duct 520 or the second branch air duct 530 to communicate with the main air duct 510 .

[0063] When the clothes dryer is working, the main air duct 510 is connected to the first branch air duct 520, as shown in FIG3 . The hot air in the combustion chamber 200 enters the drying drum 100 under the action of the fan to dry the clothes in the drying drum 100.

[0064] When a gas-fired clothes dryer detects a fire in drum 100, the gas heating device stops ignition, the dryer's air inlet and outlet close, blocking oxygen from entering drum 100, and simultaneously activates the fire extinguishing system. As shown in Figure 4, the air duct switching mechanism 600 connects the second branch air duct 530 with the main air duct 510. The fan then blows air through the second branch air duct 530 into the fire extinguishing agent storage device 400, blowing the fire extinguishing agent in storage chamber B into drum 100 to extinguish the fire inside the dryer drum.

[0065] The above-mentioned gas dryer is provided with a fire extinguishing system, which can promptly extinguish a fire when a fire occurs in the drying drum 100; the fire extinguishing system can switch the air duct and use the original fan of the dryer to blow the fire extinguishing agent into the drying drum 100 to extinguish the fire. It has a simple structure and high safety.

[0066] 3 , in this embodiment, the air duct switching mechanism 600 includes a baffle 610 and a driving component 620 .

[0067] The baffle 610 is disposed within the main air duct 510 and has a first position and a second position. As shown in FIG3 , in the first position, the baffle 610 blocks the connection between the main air duct 510 and the second diversion air duct 530 ; and in the second position, as shown in FIG4 , the baffle 610 blocks the connection between the main air duct 510 and the first diversion air duct 520 .

[0068] The driving component 620 is used to drive the baffle 610 to move, so that the baffle 610 switches between the first position and the second position.

[0069] In this embodiment, a baffle 540 is disposed within the main air duct 510, arranged along the airflow direction. A first diversion air duct 520 and a second diversion air duct 530 are formed on either side of the baffle 540. A baffle 610 is pivotally mounted on one end of the baffle 540; a driving component 620 drives the baffle 610 to rotate.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 3 , when the baffle 610 is located at the first position, the other end of the baffle 610 abuts against the side wall of the main air duct 510 close to the second diversion air duct 530 .

[0071] 4 , when the baffle 610 is in the second position, the other end of the baffle 610 abuts against the side wall of the main air duct 510 near the first branch air duct 520. The driving component 620 may be an electric push rod, an electric cylinder, an air cylinder or a gear structure.

[0072] In other embodiments, the baffle 610 can be arranged horizontally, and the driving component 620 can drive the baffle 610 to move horizontally and linearly to close the first diversion air duct 520 or the second diversion air duct 530 to switch the air ducts. The driving component can adopt a driving structure such as a gear rack.

[0073] In another embodiment, air valves may be respectively provided in the first diversion air duct 520 and the second diversion air duct 530 to control the opening or closing of the first diversion air duct 520 and the second diversion air duct 530 .

[0074] In order to ensure the sealing of the baffle 610, a sealing gasket 630 is provided on the end of the baffle 610 abutting the side wall of the main air duct 510. After the baffle 610 rotates, the sealing gasket 630 contacts the inner wall of the main air duct 510 to maintain the sealing of the abutment point of the baffle 610, thereby improving the sealing of the air duct.

[0075] Referring to Figure 1 , the fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 is disposed on the top of the clothes drying drum 100. The clothes drying drum 100 includes an outer drum and an inner drum. A mounting plate 300 is disposed on the top of the outer drum, and the fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 is fixed to the mounting plate 300. In other embodiments, the fire extinguishing agent storage device may also be disposed at other locations such as the rear side of the clothes drying drum, or may be externally mounted on the dryer cabinet.

[0076] 6-8 , the fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 includes a box body, which includes a bottom shell 410 and a cover plate 420 covering the bottom shell 410. The bottom shell 410 has a storage cavity B, and the upper cover plate 420 can be fixed to the bottom shell 410 by screws or the like, covering the storage cavity B.

[0077] Fire extinguishing agent (not shown) is stored in storage chamber B. An air inlet connection port 411 communicating with storage chamber B is provided on one side of the box body, while an air outlet connection port 412 communicating with storage chamber B is provided on the other side. The air inlet connection port 411 is connected to the second diversion air duct 530 via the second air duct 700. The air outlet connection port 412 is connected to the interior of the clothes drying drum 100 via the third air duct 800.

[0078] In this embodiment, the rear side of the storage chamber B in the box body is the air outlet chamber C, that is, along the air flow direction, the air outlet chamber C is located at the rear side of the storage chamber B. The storage chamber B and the air outlet chamber C can be separated by a partition plate 430. The air outlet connection port 412 is provided at the bottom of the air outlet chamber C. The storage chamber B and the air outlet chamber C are connected by a damper 440. Specifically, a vent is provided on the partition plate 430, and the damper 440 can be rotatably arranged on the vent of the partition plate 430 via a rotating shaft. When the air flow enters the box body through the air inlet connection port 411, the fire extinguishing agent in the storage chamber B is blown out from the damper 440 and blown into the clothes drying drum 100 through the air outlet connection port 412 and the third air duct 800.

[0079] In this embodiment, a diverter plate 450 is further provided within the box body, and is positioned near the inner side of the air inlet connection port 411. A plurality of diverter holes are formed on the diverter plate 450, and the diverter holes are evenly distributed on the diverter plate 450. The diverter holes can be in a circular or square shape, and are not specifically limited here.

[0080] The rear side of the diverter plate 450 forms a storage chamber B, and the front side forms an air inlet chamber A. Air flows through the connection port of the first air duct 500 and enters the air inlet chamber A. The diverter plate 450 evenly divides the airflow into smaller streams that are then blown evenly toward the storage chamber B, discharging the fire extinguishing agent evenly.

[0081] In this embodiment, the air inlet cavity A decreases and expands from front to back, and the length of the diverter plate 450 is consistent with the length of the storage cavity B, which can ensure that the fire extinguishing agent at each position in the storage cavity B is blown out evenly.

[0082] Referring to Figure 7 , two air outlet ports 412 are provided, and correspondingly, two dampers 440 are provided, with one damper 440 positioned adjacent to each air outlet port 412. A V-shaped deflector 460 is provided in the storage chamber B, between the two dampers 440, on the front side. The deflector 460 is configured to direct airflow toward the dampers 440 on either side.

[0083] The fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 is arranged directly above the dryer 100, and the two air outlet connection ports 412 are located on both sides of the vertical central axis of the dryer 100, which can increase the area of ​​spraying the fire extinguishing agent into the dryer 100 and improve the fire extinguishing effect.

[0084] The present invention also includes a control method for a gas-fired clothes dryer, wherein the gas-fired clothes dryer is the gas-fired clothes dryer in the above embodiment. The control method specifically includes:

[0085] S1, detecting whether there is a fire in the clothes drying drum 100;

[0086] S2, when a fire is detected in the clothes drying drum 100, the gas heating device is controlled to stop heating;

[0087] S3, start the fire extinguishing system, control the air duct switching mechanism 600 to connect the second branch air duct 530 with the main air duct 510; start the fan to blow air into the second branch air duct, blowing the fire extinguishing agent in the fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 into the clothes drying drum 100.

[0088] In step S1, a sensor may be used to detect whether a fire has occurred in the clothes drying drum 100. The sensor may be one or more of a temperature sensor, a flame sensor, or a smoke sensor. The number of sensors may be one or more, and the multiple sensors may be distributed at different locations in the clothes drying drum 100.

[0089] When a fire occurs in the dryer 100, there are flames and smoke in the dryer 100. After the flame sensor detects the flame or the smoke sensor detects the smoke or the temperature sensor detects that the temperature reaches a threshold, the combustion and heating device stops working and cuts off the heating source; at the same time, the air duct switching mechanism 600 switches the air duct, blowing the fire extinguishing agent in the fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 into the dryer 100 to extinguish the fire, and an alarm sound is issued.

[0090] The above-mentioned gas dryer control method can quickly activate the fire extinguishing system to extinguish the fire when a fire is detected in the dryer drum; the fire extinguishing agent is blown out through the air duct switching, and its structure is simple and safe.

[0091] The present invention also includes another control method for a gas-fired clothes dryer, wherein the gas-fired clothes dryer is the gas-fired clothes dryer in the above embodiment. The control method specifically includes:

[0092] S1, detecting whether there is a fire in the clothes drying drum 100;

[0093] S2, when a fire is detected in the clothes drying drum 100, the gas heating device is controlled to stop heating;

[0094] S3, closing the air inlet and outlet of the gas clothes dryer;

[0095] S4, start the fire extinguishing system, control the air duct switching mechanism 600 to connect the second branch air duct 530 with the main air duct 510; start the fan to blow air into the second branch air duct, blowing the fire extinguishing agent in the fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 into the clothes drying drum 100.

[0096] In step S1, a sensor may be used to detect whether a fire has occurred in the clothes drying drum 100. The sensor may be one or more of a temperature sensor, a flame sensor, or a smoke sensor. The number of sensors may be one or more, and the multiple sensors may be distributed at different locations in the clothes drying drum 100.

[0097] When a fire occurs in the dryer 100, there are flames and smoke in the dryer 100. After the flame sensor detects the flame or the smoke sensor detects the smoke or the temperature sensor detects that the temperature reaches a threshold, the combustion and heating device stops working and cuts off the heating source; and the air inlet and air outlet of the dryer are closed to block the entry of oxygen into the dryer 100; at the same time, the air duct switching mechanism 600 switches the air duct, blowing the fire extinguishing agent in the fire extinguishing agent storage device 400 into the dryer 100 to extinguish the fire, and an alarm sound is issued.

[0098] The above-mentioned gas dryer control method can extinguish the fire promptly and effectively when a fire is detected in the dryer drum by cutting off the heating source, isolating oxygen from entering, and quickly activating the fire extinguishing system to spray the fire extinguishing agent; the fire extinguishing agent is blown out by switching the air duct, and its structure is simple and safe.

[0099] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, it is still possible for a person skilled in the art to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or to replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions claimed to be protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas dryer, comprising a box body, a drying drum arranged in the box body, a gas heating device, and a blower, characterized in that, It further includes a fire extinguishing system, and the fire extinguishing system includes: An extinguishing agent storage device, which has a storage cavity where an extinguishing agent is stored; the outlet of the storage cavity is communicated with the inside of the dryer drum; A first air duct, which has a main air duct, a first shunt air duct and a second shunt air duct connected to the main air duct. The main air duct is communicated with the combustion chamber of the gas heating device. The first shunt air duct is communicated with the inside of the dryer drum, and the second shunt air duct is communicated with the storage cavity; An air duct switching mechanism for switching to communicate the first shunt air duct or the second shunt air duct with the main air duct.

2. The gas dryer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air duct switching mechanism includes: A baffle plate arranged in the main air duct. The baffle plate has a first position and a second position; in the first position, the baffle plate blocks the communication between the main air duct and the second shunt air duct, and in the second position, the baffle plate blocks the communication between the main air duct and the first shunt air duct; A driving component for driving the baffle plate to move so that the baffle plate switches between the first position and the second position.

3. The gas dryer according to claim 2, characterized in that A partition plate is arranged in the main air duct along the air flow direction, and a first shunt air duct and a second shunt air duct are formed on both sides of the partition plate; One end of the baffle plate is rotatably arranged on the end of the partition plate; the driving component drives the baffle plate to rotate; When the baffle plate is in the first position, the other end of the baffle plate abuts against the side wall of the main air duct close to the second shunt air duct; when the baffle plate is in the second position, the other end of the baffle plate abuts against the side wall of the main air duct close to the first shunt air duct.

4. The gas dryer according to claim 3, characterized in that, A sealing gasket is arranged on the end of the baffle plate abutting against the side wall of the main air duct.

5. The gas dryer according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The extinguishing agent storage device includes: A box body, which has a storage cavity inside; an air inlet connection port and an air outlet connection port communicated with the storage cavity are arranged on the box body; the air inlet connection port is communicated with the second shunt air duct; the air outlet connection port is communicated with the inside of the dryer drum.

6. The gas dryer according to claim 5, characterized in that, A dividing plate is arranged inside the box body, and the dividing plate is arranged on the inner side close to the air inlet connection port, and a plurality of dividing holes are opened on the dividing plate.

7. The gas dryer according to claim 5, characterized in that, An air outlet cavity is arranged inside the box body, and the air outlet connection port is communicated with the air outlet cavity; the storage cavity is connected to the air outlet cavity through an air door.

8. The gas dryer according to claim 7, wherein, There are two air outlet connection ports and two air doors. One air door is arranged corresponding to and close to one air outlet connection port; a guide plate is arranged on the front side between the two air doors in the storage cavity, and the guide plate is used to guide the air flow to the air doors on both sides.

9. The gas dryer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The extinguishing agent storage device is arranged on the top of the dryer drum.

10. A control method for a gas dryer, characterized in that, Including the gas dryer according to any one of claims 1-9, the control method includes: Detect whether a fire breaks out inside the dryer drum; When it is detected that a fire breaks out inside the dryer drum, control the gas heating device to stop heating; Start the fire extinguishing system, control the air duct switching mechanism to communicate the second shunt air duct with the main air duct; start the fan to blow air into the second shunt air duct, and blow the extinguishing agent in the extinguishing agent storage device into the dryer drum.

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