US 11,952,696 B2
Combination washing and drying apparatuses including cooled water condensers
Benny Leung, Wyoming, OH (US); Howard Jay Kalnitz, Cincinnati, OH (US); Jason Allen Stamper, Covington, KY (US); and Carlos Amador Zamarreno, Newcastle upon Tyne (GB)
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Sep. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/024,915.
Claims priority of application No. 19198046 (EP), filed on Sep. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0079577 A1, Mar. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. D06F 58/24 (2006.01); D06F 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC D06F 29/005 (2013.01) [D06F 58/24 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus (10) comprising a closed drying air circuit (18), the apparatus comprising:
a drum (16, 106, 186) in communication with the closed drying air circuit;
a condenser (28, 118, 202) in communication with the closed drying air circuit and located downstream of the drum, the condenser comprising a cooled water inlet (60) that directs cooled water into heated air to remove moisture from the heated air, the condenser comprising a condenser water outlet (75) for egress of water from the condenser, the cooled water inlet of the condenser configured to receive water from a tap water source (38);
a thermoelectric apparatus (36, 126, 210) comprising a thermoelectric device (52, 142, 224), the thermoelectric apparatus comprising a cold side flow device (46, 136, 212) arranged between the cooled water inlet of the condenser and the tap water source, the cold side flow device configured to receive tap water from the tap water source and cool the tap water below a tap outlet temperature using the thermoelectric device before the tap water enters the cooled water inlet of the condenser; and
a cooled water recirculation loop (92, 162) that directs at least some of the cooled water leaving the cold side flow device back to the cold side flow device to reintroduce the cooled water to the cold side flow device.