US 12,252,828 B2
Combination washing and drying laundry treating appliance
Arun Rajendran, St. Joseph, MI (US)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Jul. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/876,117.
Prior Publication US 2024/0035218 A1, Feb. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. D06F 25/00 (2006.01); D06F 33/52 (2020.01); D06F 39/04 (2006.01); D06F 58/26 (2006.01); D06F 105/28 (2020.01)
CPC D06F 25/00 (2013.01) [D06F 33/52 (2020.02); D06F 39/04 (2013.01); D06F 58/26 (2013.01); D06F 2105/28 (2020.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laundry machine washer-dryer combination comprising:
a cabinet defining an internal chamber;
a drum (i) disposed in the internal chamber and (ii) configured to receive clothing articles;
a heater (i) disposed in the internal chamber and (ii) configured to heat air flowing to the drum during a drying cycle;
an air duct (i) disposed in the internal chamber and (ii) configured direct air from the drum to the to the heater during the drying cycle;
a container (i) disposed in the internal chamber and (ii) having an energy storage material disposed therein;
a fluid loop configured to transfer heat from the air flowing through the air duct to the energy storage material during the drying cycle;
a first heat exchanger (i) disposed in the air duct and (ii) configured to transfer heat from the air flowing through the air duct to a fluid disposed within the fluid loop;
a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the fluid disposed within the fluid loop to the energy storage material;
a third heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the fluid disposed within the fluid loop to ambient air; and
a valve configured to (i) direct the fluid in the fluid loop to the second heat exchanger in a first position (ii) isolate the fluid in the fluid loop from the third heat exchanger in the first position (iii) direct the fluid in the fluid loop to the third heat exchanger in a second position, and (iv) isolate the fluid in the fluid loop from the second heat exchanger in the second position; and
a controller programmed to,
in response to a temperature of energy storage material being less than a threshold, maintain or transition the valve in or to the first position, and
in response to the temperature of energy storage material being greater than the threshold, maintain or transition the valve in or to the second position.