Heat pump (server) coupled washer and dryer pair

摘要

An appliance system that includes an appliance group containing at least two appliances, a first appliance designed to perform a first consumer function related to the first appliance and a second appliance that is separate from the first appliance and designed to perform a second consumer function related to the second appliance. The appliance system also includes a thermal energy generator, typically a heat pump, where the thermal energy heats at least one thermal energy bearing fluid and is operably connected to the first and second appliances to deliver thermal energy to the first and second appliances simultaneously or at different times via one or more of the thermal energy bearing fluids.

主权项

1. An appliance system comprising:
an appliance group that includes at least two appliances including:
a first appliance designed to perform a first consumer function related to the first appliance;a first sensor to detect a first amount of thermal energy within the first appliance;a second appliance separate from the first appliance and designed to perform a second consumer function related to the second appliance; anda second sensor to detect a second amount of thermal energy within the second appliance; a thermal energy generator in communication with a processor that heats at least one thermal energy bearing fluid, and is operatively connected to the first appliance and the second appliance; and the processor in communication with the first and second sensors and programmed to process the first and second amounts of thermal energies and, direct the thermal energy generator to deliver thermal energy to the one of the first appliance and second appliance having the smallest respective thermal energy to reduce the power consumption for operating the appliance group.