WO2001066850A1

WO2001066850A1 - Microwave cloth drying mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2001066850A1
Application number: PCT/TR2000/000015
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cem Kural; Yavuz Ercil; Serdal Elmas
Original assignee: Arçelik A.Ş.
Priority date: 2000-03-07
Filing date: 2000-03-07
Publication date: 2001-09-13
Also published as: AU3690500A; TR200202102T2

Abstract

The microwave applicator is positioned above the appliance towards the entrance gap of the clothes comprising a device for generating microwaves, especially magnetron (1), and an isolator (3) for preventing the device from reflected power and a three stub tuner (5) for matching load impedance to that of the device, and a waveguide (2) with an aperture (7) positioned between the enclosure and impermeable drum (10) at cloth loading side to direct the microwaves on the articles to be dried. The dimensions of the applicator are optimized with respect to the frequency applied and the impedance of the system.

Description

MICROWAVE CLOTH DRYING MECHANISM

The present invention relates to a microwave cloth drying mechanism for cloth washer / dryers comprising a device for generating microwaves, feed means positioned above the appliance towards the entrance gap of the clothes to vaporize water content of the clothes and an appropriate door disposed between the drum and the enclosure to prevent leakage from the microwave applicator.

It is well known that cloth washer / dryers consist of a rotating drum where the clothes are loaded, an enclosure outside that drum to place water heating resistance and to maintain the washing water, an access door to put the clothes in. Many prior art apparatuses use hot air generated by an electrical resistance to heat clothes and a fan blowing air through that resistance into drum via various means. Other prior art applies vacuum to the articles to be dried.

The use of microwave energy for cloth drying is also well known in the state of the art. Since microwaves penetrate into clothes and vaporize the water directly, the use of microwave energy for drying clothes provides faster and efficient drying comparing with other drying methods in the state of the art.

Heretofore; there have been a lot of studies to dry clothes with microwaves just as a dryer. Microwave dryers are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent. Nos. 5463821, 4703565, 4510697, 4057907, 3854219. These patents disclose microwave dryers using a microwave apparatus to direct microwaves by waveguides through some baffles inside the drum or through doors, or through openings on drum. The main problem with the prior art is to direct microwaves on the articles to be dried while using microwave impermeable drum and the above disclosed apparatuses are not easy to manufacture.

The object of the present invention is to provide a washer / dryer which utilizes microwaves to vaporize water content of the clothes. Another object of the invention is to provide a door structure to prevent microwave leakage from the microwave applicator.

Microwave cloth drying mechanism realised according to the present invention is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 - is side view of the microwave applicator. Figure 2 - is front view of the microwave applicator of Fig. 1. Figure 3 -is side view of the alternative microwave applicator.

Figure 4 - is front view of the alternative microwave applicator of Fig. 3. Figure 5 - is side view of another alternative embodiment microwave applicator . Figure 6a - is side view of the microwave applicator of Fig.1 with permeable lid.

Figure 6b - is side view of the alternative microwave applicator of Fig.5 with permeable lid. Figure 7 - is side view of the microwave applicator of Fig. 1 combined with the door structure. Figure 8 - is front view of the door structure of Fig.7.

Figure 9 - is enlarged view of the inner side of the door structure.

The components shown in the drawings have the following numbers;

1. Magnetron

2. Waveguide

3. Isolator

4. Air permeable barrier

5. Stub tuner 6. Lid

7. Aperture 8. Perforations

9. Door structure

10. Drum

11. Perforated structure 12. Metal plate

The microwave applicator is positioned above the appliance towards the entrance gap of the clothes comprising a device for generating microwaves, especially magnetron 1 , and an isolator 3 for preventing the device from reflected power and a three stub tuner 5 for matching load impedance to that of the device, and a waveguide 2 with an aperture 7 positioned between the enclosure and impermeable drum 10 at cloth loading side to direct the microwaves on the articles to be dried. The dimensions of the applicator are optimized with respect to the frequency applied and the impedance of the system. The applicator is positioned above the appliance due to insufficient space since the place between impermeable drum 10 and the enclosure at the bottom is used for heating resistance and washing-water.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is easy to manufacture since it can be used with standard microwave impermeable drum 10. Also, the preferred embodiment does not require a mode stirrer since the rotating impermeable drum 10 acts as a mode stirrer as well.

In one embodiment of the invention, the microwave cloth drying applicator has a waveguide 2 part rounded through inside the impermeable drum

10 as an elbow like structure as in Figure 5. The dimensions of the elbow like structure are optimized with respect to the frequency, the power applied and the impedance of the structure at that frequency.

The aperture 7 in Figure 6a and Figure 6b positioned between the enclosure and the drum 10 at cloth loading side to direct the microwaves on the articles to be dried is covered with a dome-shaped microwave permeable lid 6, especially made of a perforated PTFE material to prevent clothes from stacking in the aperture 7 and let microwaves and air pass through as shown in Figure 6a and Figure 6b.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention as in Figure 3 and Figure 4, microwave applicator may have a waveguide 2 part in the form for permeable drum 10 structures. The applicator is positioned above the appliance comprising a device for generating microwaves, especially magnetron 1, and an isolator 3 for protecting the device from reflected power and a three stub tuner 5 for matching load impedance, and a waveguide 2 with an aperture 7 positioned on the enclosure to direct the microwaves on the articles to be dried. The dimensions of the applicator are optimized with respect to the frequency and power applied and the electrical impedance of the structure at that frequency.

In any of these embodiments, the aperture 7 on waveguide 2 may be used for hot air transfer by any means of duct structure and a microwave impermeable but air permeable barrier 4, especially made of PTFE material, may be used in waveguide 2 to protect microwave generating device, especially magnetron 1, from the hot air.

Microwave cloth drying mechanism comprises a door structure 9 made of a microwave impermeable material especially stainless steel. The door structure 9 is circular in shape and its upper part is shaped to fit the waveguide 2 end. The upper part of the door structure 9 is flattened to be able to mount the waveguide between the enclosure of the washer / dryer and the microwave impermeable drum 10.

The door structure 9 comprises a metal plate 12 which is mounted on its upper part to prevent leakage from the flattened side. The middle part of the door has a perforated structure 11 to see clothes inside. In addition, the door structure 9 may be covered with any microwave impermeable and light permeable material to provide the user to be able to see the clothes and to prevent moisture build up inside the door.

Claims

1. Microwave cloth drying mechanism comprising a microwave applicator including, a waveguide (2) having an aperture which is placed above the microwave impermeable drum (10) and which has an aperture (7) positioned between the drum (10) and the enclosure of the washer / dryer.

2. Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said waveguide (2) is rounded as an elbow structure towards the inside of the microwave impermeable drum (10) at the cloth loading side .

3. Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 1 and 2, wherein said waveguide (2) comprises an isolator (3) for protecting the applicator from reflected power.

Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said aperture (7) is covered with a dome-shaped microwave impermeable perforated lid (6), especially made of PTFE material, to prevent clothes from stacking in the aperture (7) and to let microwaves and air pass through.

Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said waveguide (2) includes perforations (8) for preventing microwaves leakage but permit hot air transfer throughout.

6. Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said waveguide (2) includes a microwave impermeable but air permeable barrier (4), especially made of PTFE material, mounted before the perforations (8) towards the magnetron (1) to protect the microwave generator from hot air.

7. Microwave cloth drying mechanism comprising a door structure (9) made of a microwave impermeable material, which is circular in shape and which has an upper part flattened to be able to mount the waveguide between the enclosure and the microwave impermeable drum (10) and to prevent microwave leakage.

8. Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said door structure (9) comprises a metal plate (12) on the upper part, to prevent microwave leakage.

9. Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 7 and 8 wherein said door structure (9) is covered with microwave impermeable material and light permeable material.

10. Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 7 and 8 wherein said door structure (9) is made of stainless steel.

1 1. Microwave cloth drying mechanism according to claim 7 and 8 wherein the middle part of the said door structure (9) is perforated (11) to see clothes inside.