Tumble dryer with a suction-assisted loading device

摘要

The tumble dryer includes a rotary drum (1), a suction turbine (5) in communication with air inlets and outlets (3, 6) at opposite ends of the drum to create an axial drying air flow, and an unloading door (7) with a loading opening (8) formed therein. The turbine creates a suction air flow in a loading duct (9) connected to the loading opening (8) during a suction-assisted clothes loading operation, and moves the clothes loaded inside the drum (1) away from the air outlets (6) and/or for temporarily provides an auxiliary air exit in communication with the suction turbine (5) during suction-assisted clothes loading to assure enough suction air flow for that purpose.

主权项

1. A tumble dryer with a suction-assisted loading device, comprising:
a rotary drum (1) provided with a revolution wall (1c), an open loading and unloading end (1a), and a back end (1b) opposite said loading and unloading end (1a); rotation driving means for rotating said drum (1) around a horizontal or slightly inclined rotation axis (E); at least one drying air intake opening (2) in communication with at least one drying air inlet (3) for entering air into the drum (1); a first shutter (4) for opening and closing the communication between said drying air intake opening (2) and said drying air inlet (3); a suction turbine (5) in communication with a plurality of air outlets (6) for extracting air from the drum (1); an unloading door (7) that is movable between an open position and a closed position facing said loading and unloading end (1a) of the drum (1); a loading opening (8) formed in said unloading door (7) in a position facing the loading and unloading end (1a) of the drum (1); a loading duct (9) connected to said loading opening (8) and provided with a loading mouth (10); a second shutter (11) for opening and closing said loading opening (8); and means for closing said first shutter (4) and opening said second shutter (11) while said suction turbine (5) is operating to create a suction air flow in said loading duct (9) which assists in loading clothes into the drum (1) through said loading mouth (10); said revolution wall (1c) of the drum (1) is a non-perforated revolution wall and said back end (1b) is open; said at least one drying air inlet (3) is facing the loading and unloading end (1a) of the drum (1) and said air outlets (6) are facing the back end (1b) of the drum (1) and are located at a level below said rotation axis (E) in the back end (1b), such that during drying, the suction turbine (5) creates a drying air flow in a substantially axial direction inside the drum (1); and in that it further comprises means for moving the clothes loaded inside the drum (1) away from the air outlets (6) during suction-assisted clothes loading and/or means for temporarily providing an auxiliary air exit in communication with the suction turbine (5) in addition to the air outlets (6) during suction-assisted clothes loading to assure a suction air flow that is enough to entrain the clothes from the loading mouth (10) into the drum (1).