Laundry Treatment Apparatus Having Heat Pump System

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus, in particular a dryer or a washing machine having dryer function, comprises a storing compartment for storing laundry therein, in particular a rotatable drum, an air circulation channel connected at a first end and at a second end to the storing compartment, a blower for blowing the air through the air circulation channel and the storing compartment, a heat pump system having an evaporator and a condenser arranged in the air circulation channel, and a steam generator arranged within the body of the laundry treatment apparatus. A method of operating the laundry treatment apparatus comprises supplying steam generated by the steam generator into the air circulation channel and/or the storing compartment, and at the same time at least for an overlapping period, operating the heat pump system.

1 . Method of operating a laundry treatment apparatus, comprising:
 supplying steam generated by a steam generator into at least one of an air circulation channel and a storing compartment, wherein
 a laundry treatment apparatus comprises the steam generator, the air circulation channel and the storing compartment, 
 the storing compartment is configured for storing laundry therein, 
 the air circulation channel is connected at a first end and at a second end to the storing compartment, 
 the laundry treatment apparatus comprises a blower configured for blowing air through the air circulation channel and the storing compartment, 
 the laundry treatment apparatus comprises a heat pump system having an evaporator and a condenser arranged in the air circulation channel, and 
 the steam generator is arranged within the body of the laundry treatment apparatus; and 
   at the same time, and for at least one overlapping period, operating the heat pump system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steam is generated by the steam generator during an initial phase of the operation of the heat pump system to increase a working temperature of the evaporator. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steam is generated by the steam generator and supplied to at least one of the air circulation channel and the storing compartment for a predefined period after starting the operation of the heat pump system and then the steam generation is stopped. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during an initial phase of operation of the heat pump system steam is generated by the steam generator and supplied to at least one of the air circulation channel and the storing compartment, and then the generation is stopped in dependency of one or more predefined parameters. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the dependency of the one or more parameters includes at least one of
 a temporal behavior of one or more of the parameters,   a gradient or change of the parameters,   a predefined change in one or more of the parameters since starting the operation of the heat pump system, and   a difference of the one or more parameters taken at a first position and taken at a second position within at least one of the air circulation channel and the heat pump system.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more parameters include one or more of air temperature, air humidity, working fluid temperature and working fluid pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during steam generation at least one of the following occurs:
 the blower is stopped,   the blower is de-energized,   the blower is at least temporally operated with a reduced air conveying speed or power, and   the blower is at least temporally operated intermittently in forward flow and backflow direction.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steam coming from the steam generator is first supplied into the storing compartment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein steam coming from the steam generator is first supplied into a tub surrounding the storing compartment. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the amount, time and temperature of steam supplied from the steam generator is dependent on at least one of:
 a user selection input to a control unit of the laundry treatment apparatus,   a humidity of laundry stored in the storing compartment, and   an amount of laundry stored in the storing compartment.   
     
     
         11 . A laundry treatment apparatus, comprising:
 a storing compartment configured for storing laundry therein;   an air circulation channel connected at a first end and at a second end to the storing compartment;   a blower configured for blowing air through the air circulation channel and the storing compartment;   a heat pump system having an evaporator arranged in the air circulation channel and a condenser arranged in the air circulation channel downstream the evaporator; and   a steam generator arranged within a body of the laundry treatment apparatus and configured for supplying steam into at least one of the storing compartment and the air circulation channel.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein a steam supply path is separate from the air circulation channel. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the steam supply path comprises a steam supply duct connected to the storing compartment separately from the connections of the air circulation channel. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the storing compartment comprises a rotatable drum and is arranged in a container at least partially enclosing the storing compartment, wherein a heating element is arranged in a lower region of the container, and wherein a control unit of the apparatus is configured to heat water stored in the lower region by operating the heating element as the steam generator to generate steam penetrating into the storing compartment. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the steam generator is located outside the storing compartment and the air circulation path but within a body of the laundry treatment apparatus, wherein a steam duct is configured to guide steam generated by the steam generator from the steam generator to the interior of the storing compartment, wherein an exit opening of the steam duct is fluidly connected to the storing compartment space, and wherein the exit opening is arranged at a wall of the storing compartment space. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein a control unit of the laundry treatment apparatus is adapted to operate the heat pump system and the steam generator at the same time for at least one overlapping period. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one overlapping period is during an initial phase of operation of the heat pump system to increase the working temperature of the evaporator. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the blower has an operation mode in which a reduced air amount is conveyed by the blower, and wherein a control unit of the laundry treatment apparatus is adapted to perform at least one of stopping the blower during an initial phase of operation of the heat pump system and controlling the blower to convey a reduced air amount through the air circulation channel during the initial phase of operation of the heat pump system. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the laundry treatment apparatus is a washing machine having drying function and/or wherein the storing compartment is a rotatable drum arranged within a tub. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the laundry treatment apparatus is a washing machine having drying function and/or wherein the storing compartment is a rotatable drum arranged within a tub.