US 12,188,164 B2
Combination washing/drying laundry appliance having a heat pump system with reversible condensing and evaporating heat exchangers
Claudio Civanelli, Travedona Monate (IT); and Daniele Martinello, Besozzo (IT)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/686,019.
Application 17/686,019 is a division of application No. 16/691,816, filed on Nov. 22, 2019, granted, now 11,299,834.
Application 16/691,816 is a division of application No. 15/293,813, filed on Oct. 14, 2016, granted, now 10,519,591, issued on Dec. 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0186418 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. D06F 25/00 (2006.01); D06F 39/04 (2006.01); D06F 58/02 (2006.01); D06F 58/20 (2006.01); D06F 58/22 (2006.01); D06F 58/24 (2006.01); F25B 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC D06F 25/00 (2013.01) [D06F 39/04 (2013.01); D06F 58/206 (2013.01); F25B 13/00 (2013.01); D06F 58/02 (2013.01); D06F 58/22 (2013.01); D06F 58/24 (2013.01); F25B 2313/003 (2013.01); F25B 2313/004 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laundry appliance comprising:
a heat pump system having first and second heat exchangers and a reversible refrigerant loop that delivers a refrigerant to the first and second heat exchangers;
a control that selectively and alternatively operates the heat pump system between washing and drying conditions, the washing condition defined by the first and second heat exchangers being a cooling module and a heater, respectively, the drying condition defined by the first and second heat exchangers being the heater and the cooling module, respectively;
an airflow path in direct communication with the first heat exchanger and the control to define the washing and drying conditions within the airflow path; and
a fluid path in direct communication with the second heat exchanger and the control to define the washing and drying conditions within the fluid path, wherein:
the washing condition is defined by the fluid path moving a fluid across the second heat exchanger to define a heated fluid that is directed to a processing chamber;
the drying condition is defined by the airflow path directing process air across the first heat exchanger to define heated process air that is directed through the processing chamber and through a third heat exchanger; and
the drying condition is further defined by the fluid path moving the fluid across the second heat exchanger to define a cooled fluid that is directed to the third heat exchanger to intersect with the heated process air.