Search

EP-4061990-B1 - A LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE HAVING A VAPOR AND/OR MIST AND/OR AEROSOL GENERATOR

EP4061990B1EP 4061990 B1EP4061990 B1EP 4061990B1EP-4061990-B1

Inventors

  • VITA, GIUSEPPE
  • ROVELLA, Paola
  • ROSSI, GIUSEPPE
  • REID, NICOLA
  • SANTORO, Emilio
  • BARI, ELISABETTA

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20191118

Claims (19)

  1. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) comprising: - a cabinet (20), - a tubular mantle (50), housed inside said cabinet (20) and rotatable with respect to a rotation axis (Ax), a first end (51) of which is closed, at least partially, by a flange (53), said tubular mantle (50) delimiting an inner volume (55) in which laundry can be loaded, - a liquid reservoir (7) configured for containing a liquid (3), - an electric liquid treating device (200) configured for treating a liquid (3) contained in said liquid reservoir (7) so as to release, within said tubular mantle (50), at least one of the following: - vapor (12); - mist (11); - aerosol (111); said liquid reservoir (7) is fixed to said tubular mantle (50) or to said flange (53),and said electric liquid treating device (200) is fixed to said tubular mantle (50) or to said flange (53), and characterized in that for supplying electric power to said electric liquid treating device (200), said laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) comprises a wireless power transmitter unit (62) associated to a non-rotating part (34, 30) of said laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b), and arranged for wireless transmitting electric power to a wireless power receiver unit (63) rotating with said tubular mantle (50), wherein said wireless power receiver unit (63) is configured for supplying electric power to said electric liquid treating device (200), or a sliding electric contact system (36) configured for supplying electric power to said electric liquid treating device (200) from non-rotating part of said laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) .
  2. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according claim 1, wherein either said liquid reservoir (7) or said electric liquid treating device (200) is mounted on an outer surface (50a) or on an inner surface (50c) of said tubular mantle (50) or on an external surface (53a) or on an internal surface (53b) of said flange (53).
  3. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said electric liquid treating device (200) comprises one or more pumps (13, 14) configured for drawing a liquid (3) from said liquid reservoir (7) and pumping it in a different region.
  4. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 3, wherein at least one pump (14) of said one or more pumps (13, 14) is configured for pumping a liquid (3) in a nebulizing nozzle (15) fixed to said tubular mantle (50) or to said flange (53) and configured for injecting mist (11) within said tubular mantle (50).
  5. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein at least one pump (13) of said one or more pumps (13, 14) is configured for pumping a liquid (3) in a liquid container (16) fixed to said tubular mantle (50) or to said flange (53).
  6. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 5, wherein said electric liquid treating device (200) comprises an electric heating device (18) positioned within said liquid container (16) and configured for heating a liquid (3) contained therein until producing vapor (12).
  7. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said electric liquid treating device (200) comprises a vibrating membrane (19) positioned within said liquid container (16) and configured for producing mist (11) by vibrating within a liquid (3) contained in said liquid container (16).
  8. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to one or more of claims 5 to 7, wherein said electric liquid treating device (200) comprises an aerosol generating device (22) configured for pumping air (23) within said liquid container (16) in such a way to generate an aerosol (111) within the latter.
  9. A laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) comprising a light generating source (28) fixed to said tubular mantle (50) or to said flange (53) and configured for emitting light within said tubular mantle (50), and a control unit (60) managing one or more operations of said laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b), and wherein said electric liquid treating device (200) and said light generating source (28) are controlled by said control unit (60), wherein said control unit (60) is configured for controlling said light generating source (28) and said electric liquid treating device (200) in such a way that said light generating source (28) emits light within said tubular mantle (50) during and/or after the release of mist (11) and/or vapor (12) and/or aerosol (111) within said tubular mantle (50).
  10. Laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 1, wherein said power transmitter unit (62) and said power receiver unit (63) are positioned, one opposite to the other, fixed respectively to said not-rotating part (34, 30) of said laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) and to said tubular mantle (50) or to an element rotating with the latter, parallel one another, and to a plane perpendicular to said rotation axis (Ax) of said tubular mantle (50), said wireless power transmitter unit (62) comprises a transmission coil (620) generating a magnetic field and said wireless power receiver unit (63) comprises a reception coil (630) generating power from the magnetic field generated by said transmission coil (620) and supplying the generated power to said electric liquid treating device (200), said transmission coil (620) and said reception coil (630) are aligned, centered and parallel one another, and to a plane perpendicular to said rotation axis (Ax) of said tubular mantle (50).
  11. Laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 10, wherein said transmission coil (620) and said reception coil (630) have a common radius dimension approximately equal to the tubular mantle (50) external radius and are distanced in axial direction by a distance lower than their radius.
  12. Method for operating a laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to one or more of the previous claims characterized by - loading a liquid (3) within said liquid reservoir (7) fixed to said tubular mantle (50) or to said flange (53); - loading laundry within said tubular mantle (50); and either - wireless supplying electric power from said wireless power transmitter unit (62) to said wireless power receiver unit (63), and supplying electric power from said wireless power receiver unit (63) to said electric liquid treating device (200), so as to activate the latter, or - supplying electric power by said sliding electric contact system (36) to said electric liquid treating device (200), so as to activate the latter; and - activating said electric liquid treating device (200) fixed to said tubular mantle (50) or to said flange (53) for treating said liquid (3) in such a way to generate mist (11) and/or vapor (12) and/or aerosol (111), - releasing said mist (11) and/or vapor (12) and/or aerosol (111) within said tubular mantle (50), so that said mist (11) and/or vapor (12) and/or aerosol (111) goes against the laundry loaded within said tubular mantle (50).
  13. Method, according to claim 12, for operating a laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 3 or to a claim dependent on claim 3, comprising: - activating said one or more pumps (13, 14) for drawing the liquid (3) contained in said liquid reservoir (7) and pumping it in a different region.
  14. Method, according to claim 13, for operating a laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 4 or to a claim depending on claim 4, comprising: - activating said at least one of said one or more pumps (13, 14) for drawing said liquid (3) from said liquid reservoir (7) and pumping it in said nebulizing nozzle (15) so as to inject mist (11) within said tubular mantle (50).
  15. Method, according to claim 13 or 14, for operating a laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 5or to a claim dependent on claim 5, comprising: - activating said at least one of said one or more pumps (13, 14) for drawing said liquid (3) from said liquid reservoir (7) and pumping it in said liquid container (16).
  16. Method, according to one or more of claim 13 to 15, for operating a laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 6, comprising: - activating said electric heating device (18) for heating a liquid (3) contained in said liquid container (16) until producing vapor (12); - supplying said vapor (12) within said tubular mantle (50).
  17. Method, according to one or more of claims 13 to 16, for operating a laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 7, comprising: - activating said vibrating membrane (19) for vibrating within said liquid (3) contained in said liquid container (16) and producing mist (11); - supplying said mist (11) within said tubular mantle (50).
  18. Method, according to one or more of claims 13 to 17, for operating a laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 8or a claim dependent on claim 8, comprising: - activating said aerosol generating device (22) for pumping air (23) within said liquid container (16) in such a way to generate an aerosol (111) within the latter; - supplying said aerosol (111) within said tubular mantle (50).
  19. Method, according to one or more of claims 12 to 18, for operating a laundry treating appliance (10a, 10b) according to claim 9 or to a claim depending on claim 9, comprising: - activating said light generating source (28) for emitting light within said tubular mantle (50) during and/or after the release of mist (11) and/or vapor (12) and/or aerosol (111) within said tubular mantle (50).

Description

The present invention refers to a laundry treating appliance, for example a laundry washing machine (called also washing machine), a laundry washer-drier (called also washer-drier), a tumble drier, having a vapor and/or mist and/or aerosol generator. Traditional laundry treating appliances, for example washing machines, washer-driers, tumble driers, typically comprise a cabinet or housing in which a drum is rotatably mounted. The drum typically comprises a tubular mantle, housed inside the cabinet and rotatable with respect to a rotation axis; in the so called "horizontal axis" laundry treating appliances, the rotation axis can be horizontal or slightly inclined with respect to a horizontal surface (e.g. the floor of a room) on which the laundry treating appliance is configured to lay. In the so called "vertical axis" laundry treating appliances, the rotation axis is substantially vertical with respect to a horizontal surface on which the laundry treating appliance is configured to lay. The tubular mantle delimits an inner volume in which the laundry to be treated (for example washed and/or dried) by the laundry treating appliance can be loaded. A first end of the tubular mantle is closed, at least partially, by flange. Such a flange is typically perforated for allowing liquid (in washing machines and washer-driers) or air (in tumble dryers and washer-driers) to enter/exit the inner volume delimited by the tubular mantle. In known washing machines, washer-driers, and in some tumble driers, the flange is fixed to the tubular mantle, for example by welding or clinching, so that the flange rotates with the tubular mantle. In some known tumble driers the flange is static with respect to the cabinet, and only the tubular mantle rotates; in this case, typically, the first end of the tubular mantle is coupled to the flange by a sealing element, which can be, for example, a ring made of felt, fixed or mounted to the flange, on which the edge of the tubular mantle slides during the rotation of the latter, so as to establish an airtight rotating connection between the tubular mantle and the flange. In the so called "horizontal-axis" "top loading" laundry treating appliances (in which the rotating axis of the tubular mantle is horizontal or slightly inclined, and the laundry can be loaded in the inner volume of the tubular mantle from a top wall of the cabinet or housing), also the second end of the tubular mantle is at least partially closed by a flange (fixed to the tubular mantle, so that it can rotate with the latter), and the laundry can be loaded in the inner volume by an opening, closable by a suitable porthole, present in the wall of the tubular mantle. In the "front loading" laundry treating appliances (in which the rotating axis of the tubular mantle is horizontal or slightly inclined, and the laundry can be loaded in the inner volume of the tubular mantle from a loading/unloading opening provided at front wall of the cabinet or housing), and in the "vertical axis" laundry treating appliances (in which the rotating axis of the tubular mantle is vertical, and the laundry can be loaded in the inner volume of the tubular mantle from a loading/unloading opening provided at the top wall of the cabinet or housing), also the second end of the tubular mantle is opened for allowing loading/unloading the laundry; in this case, typically, the second end, opened, of the tubular mantle can be closed, together with the loading/unloading opening of the cabinet or housing, by a door or porthole associated to the latter. In known washing machine or washer-driers, the cabinet also houses a washing tub, typically suspended to the cabinet through springs and dampers, in which the drum is rotatably contained. In known tumble driers, the tub is not provided, and the drum is typically rotatably supported in the cabinet, generally by rollers pivoted to a supporting structure static with respect to the cabinet. Some known laundry treating appliances also comprise steam generators, i.e. water vapor generators, allowing to release steam within the inner volume of the tubular mantle. The steam is released into the inner volume of the tubular mantle so as to contact the laundry contained therein and exert on the latter one or more advantageous actions (for example a disinfecting actions and/or an anti-crease actions, etc.). In order to produce the steam, some known laundry treating appliances comprise a boiler, housed within the cabinet externally to the inner volume of the tubular mantle, in which water can be loaded and heated, typically by an electric heater present in the boiler, for producing steam that is then driven towards and released into the inner volume of the tubular mantle. In some known solutions, in particular in washing machines or washer driers, in which the wall of the mantle, and optionally the flange, are typically perforated, the steam is released within the tub, outside the tubular mantle, and it enters the inner