A combined system with pre-cooling unit in the dryer

Abstract

The invention relates to a combined system (1) comprising at least one washing machine (30) and at least one dryer (10) positioned adjacent to each other, wherein the dryer (10) comprises at least one condenser (15) for heating the air, at least one evaporator (14) with which the air is contacted before the condenser (15) for dehumidification, and at least one compressor (16) for moving a refrigerant between the evaporator (14) and the condenser (15). It is characterized by comprising at least one collection chamber (31) in which at least some of the wash water in the washing machine (30) collects, comprising at least one transfer line (20) that takes the water within said collection chamber (31) from the collection chamber (31) and transfers it to the dryer (10), the dryer (10) comprising at least one pre-cooling unit (13) having at least one heat exchanger (131) positioned at a humid air inlet (12) for pre-cooling the air before it reaches the evaporator (14), and said transfer line (20) being connected to heat exchanger (131) for delivering wash water from the washing machine (30) to said heat exchanger (131).

Description

[0001] A COMBINED SYSTEM WITH PRE-COOLING UNIT IN THE DRYER

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The invention relates to a combined system comprising at least one washing machine and at least one dryer positioned adjacent to each other, wherein the dryer comprises at least one condenser for heating the air, at least one evaporator with which the air is contacted before the condenser for dehumidification, and at least one compressor for moving a refrigerant between the evaporator and the condenser.

[0004] PRIOR ART

[0005] Nowadays, tumble dryers which are found in almost every home have become a part of human life. For ease of use, washing machines and dryers can be stacked on top of each other in a tower type or lined up side by side, allowing them to be used together. Dryers available in a wide variety of models offer a fast and effective laundry drying option for people. There are essentially two types of dryers available in the present. These are electric and gas tumble dryers. Electric tumble dryers are divided into three according to drying principles; these are heat pump, condenser, and vented dryers. Among the electric dryers, the product with the highest energy efficiency is heat pump machines.

[0006] Heat pump machines require a compressor providing the circulation of the refrigerant, an evaporator, which is the area where the drying air condenses, a condenser, which is the area that provides heat to the drying air to increase its dehumidification capacity, and a fan to cool the heated compressor. The drying cycle continues until the moisture in the laundry reaches a certain rate. The drying cycle, which is a closed cycle, and the refrigerant cycle provided by the heat pump operate continuously until the drying cycle is finished.

[0007] As heat pump machines become more widespread, studies to make the machines more efficient are also gaining importance. Here, the high evaporator load causes the need for high-capacity evaporators. This results in an increase in energy consumption and costs, and a decrease in efficiency. As a result, all the above-mentioned problems have made it imperative to make an innovation in the relevant technical field.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention relates to a combined system for eliminating the above-mentioned disadvantages and bringing new advantages to the relevant technical field.

[0010] One object of the invention is to introduce a combined system with increased efficiency.

[0011] In order to achieve all the objects mentioned above and to be derived from the detailed description below, the present invention is a combined system comprising at least one washing machine and at least one dryer positioned adjacent to each other, wherein the dryer comprises at least one condenser for heating the air, at least one evaporator with which the air is contacted before the condenser for dehumidification, and at least one compressor for moving a refrigerant between the evaporator and the condenser. Accordingly, its novelty is that it comprises at least one collection chamber in which at least some of the wash water in the washing machine collects before the washing process, it comprises at least one transfer line that takes the water within said collection chamber from the collection chamber and transfers it to the dryer, the dryer comprises at least one pre-cooling unit having at least one heat exchanger positioned at a humid air inlet for pre-cooling the air before it reaches the evaporator, and said transfer line is connected to heat exchanger for delivering cooling water from the washing machine to said heat exchanger. Thus, the cold water received from the washing machine is transferred to the heat exchanger which is in a region before the evaporator in the dryer, and the humid air is pre-cooled by passing through the heat exchanger before the evaporator.

[0012] A possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the transfer line comprises at least two different parts: at least one carrier pipe, which is the part extending from the washing machine to the main body of the dryer, and at least one heat transfer pipe, which is the part extending to the heat exchanger after entering the main body. Thus, a system is introduced in which pipes can be configured differently from each other according to the needs of two different regions. Another possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said heat transfer pipe is manufactured from material with a higher heat conductivity coefficient than said carrier pipe. Therefore, the heat transfer in the part of the transfer line between the washing machine and the dryer is kept low, and in the pre-cooling unit the heat transfer is kept high to provide efficient cooling.

[0013] Another possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that it comprises at least one pump moving the water within the collection chamber through the transfer line towards the dryer. Therefore, the cooling water can be conveyed from the washing machine to the dryer in a controlled manner.

[0014] Another possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of fins extending perpendicular to the direction of advancement of the air advancing in the humid air inlet, through which water from the collection chamber is circulated. Therefore, a favorable structure for high heat transfer between the humid air and the heat exchanger is created.

[0015] Another possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the heat exchanger is connected to the mains water system in order to use the mains water as an alternative cold water source to the transfer line. Therefore, it is possible for the pre-cooling unit to function without the need to operate the washing machine.

[0016] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Fig. 1 shows representative front and rear views of the combined system of the invention.

[0018] Fig. 2 shows a representative zoomed-in view of the part of the washing machine of the combined system of the invention where the collection chamber is located.

[0019] Fig. 3 shows a representative top cross-sectional view of the combined system of the invention.

[0020] Fig. 4 shows a representative side cross-sectional view of the dryer of the combined system of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In this detailed description, the subject of the invention is explained by way of example only for a better understanding of the subject, which shall not create any limiting effect.

[0022] Fig. 1 shows representative front and rear views of the combined system (1 ) of the invention. Said combined system (1 ) comprises at least one washing machine (30) and at least one dryer (10) positioned adjacent to each other. The washing machine (30) is configured for washing clothes, and the dryer (10) is configured for drying clothes.

[0023] Figs. 3 and 4 show representative top and top side cross-sectional views of the interior of the main body (10) of the dryer (1 1 ). The dryer (10) is essentially a dryer (10) with a heat pump (33). Accordingly, the laundry to be dried is placed in the drum located in the main body (11 ) of the dryer (10) and hot air is fed into the drum. Herein, the laundry dries by coming into contact with the hot air, and the drying air is humidified as it removes moisture from the laundry.

[0024] The dryer (10) comprises at least one refrigerant circuit located in the main body (11 ). Said refrigerant circuit comprises at least one condenser (15), at least one evaporator (14), and at least one compressor (16). The drying air circulated in the drum in the main body (1 1 ) is brought into contact with the evaporator (14) and condenser (15) respectively, wherein heat transfer takes place between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit and the air. The compressor (16) pressurizes the refrigerant, allowing the refrigerant to circulate between the evaporator (14) and the condenser (15).

[0025] The refrigerant is a cooler in the evaporator (14) and a heater in the condenser (15). Accordingly, the drying air cools down when it passes over the evaporator (14) and heats up when it passes over the condenser (15). The drying air passes into the evaporator (14) through at least one humid air inlet (12). The drying air can be passed through various filters before leaving the drum and reaching the humid air inlet (12). When the air comes into contact with the evaporator (14) and cools down, the moisture in it condenses. Herein, the condensed water is collected in a reservoir. The washing machine (30) comprises at least one collection chamber (31 ). In the washing machine (30), at least part of the wash water passes through at least one valve (32) and is collected in said collection chamber (31). The water collected in the collection chamber (31 ) may be the cold water directed to the collection chamber (31 ) before entering the heater in the washing machine (30). However, water that has been used for washing in the washing machine (30) and has cooled down will also be suitable for collecting in the collection chamber (31 ).

[0026] The collection chamber (31 ) is connected to at least one transfer line (20). Said transfer line (20) extends between the washing machine (30) and the dryer (10). Accordingly, the transfer line (20) is essentially a pipe structure that serves to transport the cold water collected in the collection chamber (31 ) to the dryer (10).

[0027] The dryer (10) comprises at least one pre-cooling unit (13). Said pre-cooling unit (13) is configured such that the air in the dryer (10) is pre-cooled before the evaporator (14). For this purpose, the pre-cooling unit (13) comprises at least one heat exchanger (131 ). Said heat exchanger (131 ) is located in the humid air unit. Therefore, the hot and humid air that dries the laundry in the dryer (10) passes through the heat exchanger (131) before reaching the evaporator (14) after leaving the drum of the dryer (10).

[0028] The heat exchanger (131 ) is connected to the transfer line (20). Accordingly, the water collected in the collection chamber (31 ) in the washing machine (30) is transferred to the heat exchanger (131) and used to cool the heat exchanger (131). In the preferred embodiment, the heat exchanger (131 ) is configured to comprise a plurality of fins. Said fins can have the form of rectangular plates. In the finned heat exchanger (131 ) structure, the direction of extension of the fins and the direction of advancement of the humid drying air are perpendicular to each other, thus increasing the heat transfer between the fins and the humid drying air.

[0029] The transfer line (20), in a preferred embodiment, comprises at least two different parts: at least one carrier pipe (21 ) and at least one heat transfer pipe (22) The carrier pipe (21 ) comprises the part of the transfer line (20) extending from the washing machine (30) into the main body (11 ) of the dryer (10). The heat transfer pipe (22) comprises the part of the transfer line (20) extending towards the pre-cooling region. The heat transfer pipe (22) is manufactured from a material with a higher heat conductivity coefficient than the carrier pipe (21). Therefore, in the transfer line (20), the cold water from the washing machine (30) remains cold until it reaches the dryer (10), and, in the heat transfer pipe (22), effective cooling is provided in the pre-cooling unit (13) owing to the high heat conductivity coefficient.

[0030] In the preferred embodiment, the combined system (1 ) comprises at least one pump (33). Said pump (33) serves to move the cold water to ensure that cold water is transferred from the collection chamber (31 ) to the dryer (10). With the pump (33), the movement of cold water is kept under control and the cold water is moved towards the dryer (10) in a controlled manner. In a possible embodiment, the heat exchanger (131 ) is directly connected to the mains water outside the transfer line (20). In this case, cold water transfer to the heat exchanger (131 ) is achieved directly from the mains water. Therefore, even if the washing machine (30) is not operated, the pre-cooling unit (13) can perform its function.

[0031] According to all the described embodiments, in the combined system (1 ) of the invention, it is ensured that the drying air in the dryer (10) is cooled before it reaches the evaporator (14). The fluid source for cooling the heat exchanger (131) which performs pre-cooling is cold water from the washing machine (30). With pre-cooling, the cooling load of the evaporator (14) is reduced, therefore the capacity of the evaporator (14) can be kept lower. In this way, energy is saved. There is no need for an additional source of liquid, as the liquid circulated in the transfer line is taken from the washing machine (30) adjacent to the dryer (10). Also, the total efficiency of the combined system (1 ) is increased by using the water of the washing machine (30) to achieve multiple benefits

[0032] The scope of protection of the invention is specified in the appended claims and cannot be limited to what is described for illustrative purposes in this detailed description. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can produce similar embodiments in the light of what is explained above, without deviating from the main theme of the invention. REFERENCE NUMERALS GIVEN IN DRAWING

[0033] 1 Combined System

[0034] 10 Dryer

[0035] 11 Main Body

[0036] 12 Humid Air Inlet

[0037] 13 Pre-cooling Unit

[0038] 131 Heat Exchanger

[0039] 14 Evaporator

[0040] 15 Condenser

[0041] 16 Compressor

[0042] 20 Transfer Line

[0043] 21 Carrier Pipe

[0044] 22 Heat transfer Pipe

[0045] 30 Washing Machine

[0046] 31 Collection Chamber

[0047] 32 Valve

[0048] 33 Pump

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A combined system comprising at least one washing machine (30) and at least one dryer (10) positioned adjacent to each other; wherein the dryer (10) comprises at least one condenser (15) for heating the air, at least one evaporator (14) with which the air is contacted before the condenser (15) for dehumidification, and at least one compressor (16) for moving a refrigerant between the evaporator (14) and the condenser (15), characterized in that it comprises at least one collection chamber (31 ) in which at least some of the wash water in the washing machine (30) collects, it comprises at least one transfer line (20) that takes the water within said collection chamber (31 ) from the collection chamber (31 ) and transfers it to the dryer (10), the dryer (10) comprises at least one pre-cooling unit (13) having at least one heat exchanger (131 ) positioned at a humid air inlet (12) for pre-cooling the air before it reaches the evaporator (14), and said transfer line (20) is connected to heat exchanger (131 ) for delivering wash water from the washing machine (30) to said heat exchanger (131 ).

2. A combined system (10) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the transfer line (20) comprises at least two different parts: at least one carrier pipe (21 ), which is the part extending from the washing machine (30) to the main body (11 ) of the dryer (10), and at least one heat transfer pipe (22), which is the part extending to the heat exchanger (131 ) after entering the main body (11 ).

3. A combined system (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that said heat transfer pipe (22) is manufactured from material with a higher heat conductivity coefficient than said carrier pipe (21 ).

4. A combined system (10) according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least one pump (33) moving the water within the collection chamber (31 ) through the transfer line (20) towards the dryer (10).

5. A combined system (10) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the heat exchanger (131 ) comprises a plurality of fins extending perpendicular to thedirection of advancement of the air advancing in the humid air inlet (12), through which water from the collection chamber (31) is circulated.

6. A combined system (10) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the heat exchanger (131) is connected to the mains water system in order to use the mains water as an alternative cold water source to the transfer line (20).

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