Household clothes drying machine with compact motor

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to an improved kind of clothes drying machine, both of the front-loading and the top-loading type, as well as of the condenser type, provided with a rotating drum and a drive motor to rotatably drive said rotating drum, and further provided with blower means, or fans, for forcedly circulating air in respective drying and condenser cooling ducts, wherein said drying machine is particularly compact in size, and wherein said two fans and said rotating drum are capable to be driven to independently rotate at different speeds that bear no correlation with each other.

[0002] Household condenser-type clothes drying machines are largely known in the art to have to be provided with means needed to rotatably drive both fans used to circulate air in the drying circuit and the condenser-cooling circuit, as well as - of course - to rotatably drive in a selective manner also the rotating drum in which the items to be dried are tumbled.

[0003] In manufacturing this kind of clothes drying appliances, use has normally been made since the beginning of a first electric motor to drive said two fans, and a second electric motor to rotatably drive the drum.

[0004] However, such solution - while functionally effective - proved soon quite expensive and demanding from a construction and manufacturing point of view, owing mainly to the need for two distinct, either asynchronous or induction, i.e. inherently rather expensive electric motors to be provided.

[0005] Furthermore, installing such two motors inside a standard-type household clothes drying machine gives rise to a number of rather tricky mounting problems, since such two motors are rather bulky and, as a result, design engineers have to go to extremes in trying to make the best out of the generally scanty space available inside this kind of appliances.

[0006] A measure that has in the meanwhile been taken in the art in view of solving this particular problem lies in the use of a single electric drive motor for linking to both the driven pulleys of the two distinct fans and the driven pulley of the drum.

[0007] Such solution, which is certainly an optimum one from a purely construction point of view, has however a number of hardly surmountable drawbacks from a functional point of view, i.e.:

a) in the first place, the rotating speeds of the two fans and the rotating drum become rigidly correlated with each other, owing to such components being in fact rigidly connected mechanically to such single driving motor; as a result, since the rotating speed of the drum (approx. 55 rpm) must be kept substantially constant, it practically ensues that even the flow rates of the air in the drying and condenser-cooling circuits become constant, although it would quite on the contrary be appropriate and fully desirable for the flow rates of the air in said circuits to be able to be varied - even to quite an appreciable extent - in accordance with and during the various steps through which a drying cycle is progressing;

b) in addition, when the direction of rotation of the drum is cyclically reversed, the same drum is caused to stop for a short time and this quite obviously also causes the air in the two circuits to be stopped from flowing; owing to safety reasons - which anyone skilled in the art is well aware of - even the heating elements used to heat up the drying air require to be de-energized during these reversal periods, and such need does of course not fail to introduce a number of construction and manufacturing complications, along with a corresponding reduction in the overall reliability of the appliance due to the need for power at line voltage to be frequently and repeatedly switched off and on during a drying cycle.

[0008] From DE 103 31 949 B3, the preamble of claims 1 and 2, from US 2005/0016015 A1 and from US 6,745,495 B1 it is divulged a kind of laundry drying of one electric motor for driving the drum into rotation, and of a second electric motor able of driving into rotation one or the two fans of two conduits of respective airflows; however such solution appears to be quite expensive due to the fact to provide two distinct electric motors, and especially to the fact that said two motors are rather bulky and so require a specific and difficult design of the whole machine due to the need to lodge them and the relevant associated pulleys, belts etc. in a very careful way.

[0009] From DE 19636705 a laundry drying machine is known, in which the same electric motor is arranged to drive the drum rotation and the fan to circulate the flow of warm drying air; this case is not to be considered as relevant prior art as it is not provided with a second fan, which obviously has to be properly driven into rotation, moreover in said case the respective speed of the drum and the fan rotations are at a fixed ratio to each other, therefore inhibiting any speed flexibility and optimization.

[0010] It would therefore be desirable, and it is actually a main object of the present invention, to provide a condenser-type clothes drying machine, which is adapted to operate in a selectively controllable manner as far as both the rotating speed and the direction of rotation of the drum and the rotating speed, and therefore also the related air flow rates, of the two fans of the drying and condenser-cooling circuits are concerned, wherein such clothes drying machine shall be at the same time capable of being provided by doing away with the drawbacks generally encountered in the prior art, where use is made of two bulky motors taking up two respective, distinct large spaces within the appliance.

[0011] According to the present invention, these aims are reached in a particular kind of condenser-type clothes drying machine, according to the features of claims 1 and 2, respectively, which may be of both the front-loading and the top-loading type, as well as of the inclined-axis type, and which is provided with two motors for distinctly driving the rotating drum and the two fans provided in the respective drying and condenser-cooling circuits, as described below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a symbolical view of the drum and the functionally most important circuits of a drying machine according to the prior art;
• Figure 2 is a schematical view of the drum and the two distinct drying and condenser-cooling air circuits, as well as the drum rotation driving arrangement, in a clothes drying machine according to the present invention;
• Figure 3 is a median sectional view through the axis of the motors of the two electric motors and the related mechanical connections in a clothes drying machine according to the present invention;
• Figure 4 is a is a median sectional view of the assembly of the two electric motors shown in Figure 3, in an improved embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 5 is a is a median sectional view of the assembly of the two electric motors shown in Figure 4, in a further improved embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 6 is a schematical view of the drum and the two distinct drying and condenser-cooling air circuits, with distinct driving means for the rotating drum and the two fans, according to an improved embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 7 is a median sectional view through the axis of the motors of the three electric motors and the related mechanical connections in the machine that is represented schematically in Figure 6.

[0012] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a clothes drying machine according to the present invention comprises a rotating drum 1, a first drying-air duct 2 circulating a flow of hot air through said drum and collecting the hot moisture-laden air exiting the drum to convey it through a condenser 3, from which said flow of air is sent again - upon being heated up anew by the heating elements 14 - into the drum 1; it further comprises a first fan 4 provided to forcedly circulate a flow of air in and through said first duct 2, a second duct 5 that takes air in from the outside and conveys it - by the action of an appropriately provided second fan 6 - into and through said condenser 3, from which this flow of cooling air is eventually exhausted outside.

[0013] With reference to Figures 2 and 3, to rotatably drive said two fans and said rotating drum there are provided two electric motors, which are arranged and connected as described below.

[0014] Basically, said two motors 7, 8 are arranged coaxially, and a first motor 7 is adapted to rotatably drive the respective first shaft 9, which extends through said first motor 7, and whose two end portions 10, 11 are arranged on the opposite sides of said motor.

[0015] To said two shaft end portions there are applied two respective pulleys 12, 13, round which there are passing respective driving belts (not shown).

[0016] Of course, depending on or according to also the actual physical configuration of the various parts and members of the machine, as well as the location or arrangement thereof, it will at this point be also possible and/or advantageous for the two fans 4 and 6 not to be connected to respective belts passing round and driving said pulleys 12 and 13, but rather shrink-fitted or press-fitted on to said first shaft 9. However, this is a solution that represents a technical equivalent and falls outside the actual scope of the present invention, so that said pulleys 12 and 13 will be further referred to as general means for transmitting the rotational motion to the two fans 4 and 6 throughout the following description.

[0017] The second electric motor 8 is arranged between said first motor 7 and an end portion 11 of said first shaft 9, wherein said second motor 8 is provided with a respective second shaft 14 made in the form of a hollow cylinder and so sized as to be able to contain said first shaft therewithin.

[0018] These two shafts are not engaging each other, nor they are in contact with each other, so that each shaft is able to freely rotate independently of each other.

[0019] A third pulley 15 is applied on to the second shaft 14.

[0020] With reference to Figure 4, in view of keeping outer dimensions as compact as possible, said third pulley 15 is located on the section of said second shaft lying on the side that is opposite to the one where the first motor is located - of course, with respect to said second motor.

[0021] The possibility is given in this way for said two motors to be brought as close as possible to each other, thereby ensuring a first achievement of the present invention.

[0022] A most advantageous improvement of the invention comprises providing the inventive clothes drying machine with suitable control and actuation means (not shown, owing to them being largely known as such in the art), which are adapted to act on said two motors in an independent manner.

[0023] Since the two fans can be rotatably driven in a synchronized manner at mutually correlated speeds, each one of them is connected, preferably via driving belts or similar means of a per se known type, to a respective one of said two pulleys 12, 13 fitted on to said first shaft 7; on the contrary, the rotating drum 1 is connected - again via per se known means - to said third pulley 15.

[0024] In this way, said two motors may be controlled and rotatably driven in a manner that is fully independent of each other, and - most obviously - this enables not only the rotating speed of said two fans to be varied in a fully independent manner with respect to the rotating speed of the drum, but also the drum to be driven to rotate in the two opposite directions, while keeping the direction of rotation of the fans unaltered. It can therefore be most readily appreciated that the possibility is given in this way for the direction of rotation of the drum to be reversed without the power supply to the heating elements having to be at the same time cut off, since the flow of drying air is in fact able to independently go on uninterruptedly, along with the flow of condenser-cooling air, thereby practically reaching a second aim of the present invention.

[0025] These advantages of the present invention may be still further enhanced to an appreciable extent if said two motors 7 and 8 are permanent-magnet motors, which are largely known to be very compact and to require a considerably smaller mounting space as compared with the motors that are traditionally used in this kind of applications.

[0026] In this way, and with particular reference to Figure 5, both said motors can be accommodated and supported together within a same and single housing 20 that has typically the same overall size, and therefore takes up the same mounting space, as just a single one of the two traditional asynchronous or induction motors that are used in prior-art clothes drying machines.

[0027] It can therefore be readily noticed and appreciated that the combination of some of the afore-described features of the invention and, in particular, the combination of such features as:

• a single housing 20,
• two permanent-magnet motors accommodated and supported within said single and same housing,
• the coaxial arrangement of said two motors enabling them to be mounted within said single and same housing,
• the provision of the shaft of one of said motors in the form of a hollow sleeve enabling the other shaft to pass through it, thereby enabling said two motors to be mounted in a juxtaposed arrangement and, as a result, taking up the smallest possible space, makes it possible for a clothes drying machine to be ultimately embodied, which is optimized as far as both the size of and the space occupied by the two internal motors and the overall functional flexibility thereof are concerned.

[0028] With reference now to Figures 6 and 7, a further improved embodiment of the present invention comprises taking advantage of the compact size and low space requirements of permanent-magnet motors in view of accommodating in said single and same housing 20 not the fan driving motor 7 and the drum driving motor 8, but rather three distinct motors, i.e. a first motor 7A, a second motor 7B, and a third motor 8 that operates to drive the rotating drum as in the afore-considered embodiment.

[0029] For reasons of greater simplicity and clarity, the same reference numerals as in the previous Figures have been used - wherever this has proved possible - in Figures 6 and 7 to indicate similar parts and details.

[0030] In practice, the motor 7 is split up into two separate motors 7A and 7B, respectively, which are independently linked to respective ones of said two fans 4 and 6 via respective mechanically unconnected shafts 9 and 9A.

[0031] With such solution, owing to said three distinct motors 7A, 7B and 8 being of course capable of being controlled and rotatably driven independently of each other, the ultimate result can be obtained of being able to also control - in a similarly independent manner - the rotating speed of the fans relative to each other, i.e. a possibility that proves particularly valuable in some specific steps during the drying cycle, such as for instance during the initial phase thereof, when the fan of the condenser-cooling air circuit may be driven to operate at a much slower rotating speed, or even kept at a standstill, without any loss in performance, but with an improvement as far as quietness and energy usage are concerned.

Claims

1. Household condenser-type clothes drying machine, both of the front-loading or the top-loading type, comprising:

- a rotating drum (1),

- a first duct (2) adapted to enable a first flow of heated-up air to be circulated in a closed-loop flowpath through said drum and through an appropriately provided condenser (3),

- a first fan (4) adapted to circulate said first flow of heated-up air along said first duct,

- a second duct (5) adapted to enable a respective second flow of ambient or cooled-down air to be circulated through said condenser (3),

- a second fan (6) adapted to circulate said second flow of air along said second duct,

- said first fan, said second fan and said rotating drum (1) being rotatably driven by appropriate driving means,

characterized in that said driving means comprise:

- two distinct electric motors (7, 8) in a substantially coaxial arrangement (X),

- in which a first electric motor (7) rotatably drives a respective first shaft (9) that is provided with two end portions, one (10) of said end portions lying on a side of said motor and the other one (11) on the opposite side thereof,

- first and second separate motion-transmission means, preferably comprised of first and second pulleys (12, 13) and respective belts, engaging respective ones of said two end portions (10, 11) of said first shaft (9),

- in which the second electric motor (8) is arranged between said first electric motor (7) and an end portion (11) of said first shaft (9),

- in which said second electric motor (8) is provided with a respective second shaft (14) in the form of a cylindrical hollow sleeve, inside which said first shaft is housed,

- in which on a side of said second hollow shaft (14) there is provided a related third motion-transmission means that may include a related third pulley (15).

2. Household condenser type clothes drying machine according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that said driving means comprise:

- three distinct electric motors (7A, 7B, 8) in a substantially coaxial arrangement (X),

- in which a first electric motor (7A) rotatably drives a respective first shaft (9) that is provided with first motion-transmission means (13) connected to a first fan,

- in which the third electric motor (8) is provided with a respective third shaft (14) in the form of a cylindrical hollow sleeve, said first shaft (9) being accommodated therewithin,

- in which the second electric motor (7B) is provided with a respective second shaft (9A), which is positioned on the opposite side of said first shaft (9) with respect to said first electric motor (7A) and is in turn provided with respective second motion-transmission means (12) at an end portion thereof, said second electric motor being in turn positioned on the opposite side of said first electric motor (7A) relative to said third motor (8),

- in which on to a side of said third hollow shaft (14) there is provided a third motion-transmission means being a shrink-fitted or press-fitted third pulley (15).

3. Clothes drying machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said third motion-transmission means include a third pulley and said third pulley (15) is press-fitted on to the side of said second hollow shaft on the opposite side of said first motor relative to said second motor.

4. Clothes drying machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each one of said first and second motion-transmission means (12, 13) is connected to a respective one of said first and second fans (4, 6), and in that said third motion-transmission means include third pulley (15), which is connected to means transmitting rotary motion to said rotating drum (1).

5. Clothes drying machine according to claim 1, 3 or claims 1 and 4, characterized in that there is provided a single housing (20) accommodating both said electric motors (7, 8), said first shaft (9) being protruding from said single housing (20), and said second shaft (14)being shaped in the form of a hollow sleeve protruding outwards therefrom.

6. Clothes drying machine according to claim 2 or claims 2 and 4, characterized in that there is provided a single housing (20) accommodating all of said three electric motors (7A, 7B, 8), said first shaft (9), and said second shaft (9A) being protruding from said single housing (20), and said third shaft (14) being shaped in the form of a hollow sleeve protruding outwards therefrom.

7. Clothes drying machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electric motors are permanent-magnet motors.

8. Clothes drying machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with control means that are adapted to operatively control said electric motors in a manner that is fully independent of each other.

Ansprüche

1. Frontlader- und Toplader-Haushalt-Wäschetrockner vom Kondensatortyp, der Folgendes umfasst:

- eine rotierende Trommel (1),

- eine erste Leitung (2), die dazu ausgeführt ist, die Zirkulation eines ersten Stroms erhitzter Luft in einem geschlossenen Strömungskreis durch die Trommel und durch einen zweckmäßig angeordneten Kondensator (3) zu ermöglichen,

- einen ersten Ventilator (4), der geeignet ist, den ersten Strom erhitzter Luft entlang der ersten Leitung zu zirkulieren,

- eine zweite Leitung (5), die geeignet ist, die Zirkulation eines entsprechenden zweiten Stroms von Umgebungsluft oder abgekühlter Luft durch den Kondensator (3) zu ermöglichen,

- einen zweiten Ventilator (6), der geeignet ist, den zweiten Luftstrom durch die zweite Leitung zu zirkulieren,

- wobei der erste Ventilator, der zweite Ventilator und die rotierende Trommel (1) von einem entsprechenden Antriebsmittel drehbar angetrieben werden,

dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Antriebsmittel Folgendes umfasst:

- zwei getrennte Elektromotoren (7, 8) in einer im wesentlichen koaxialen Anordnung (X),

- wobei ein erster Elektromotor (7) drehbar eine zugehörige erste Welle (9) antreibt, die mit zwei Endabschnitten versehen ist, wobei einer (10) dieser Abschnitte auf einer Seite des Motors liegt und der andere (11) auf der gegenüber liegenden Seite desselben,

- erste und zweite getrennte Bewegungsübertragungsmittel, vorzugsweise bestehend aus ersten und zweiten Riemenscheiben (12, 13) und zugehörigen Riemen, die eine Verbindung mit den jeweils zugehörigen der zwei Endabschnitte (10, 11) der ersten Welle (9) aufnehmen,

- wobei der zweite Elektromotor (8) zwischen dem ersten Elektromotor (7) und einem Endabschnitt (11) der ersten Welle (9) angeordnet ist,

- wobei der zweite Elektromotor (8) mit einer zugehörigen zweiten Welle (14) in Form einer zylindrischen, hohlen Hülse ausgestattet ist, innerhalb derer die erste Welle untergebracht ist,

- wobei auf einer Seite der zweiten Hohlwelle (14) ein zugehöriges drittes Bewegungsübertragungsmittel vorgesehen ist, das eine zugehörige dritte Riemenscheibe (15) umfassen kann.

2. Haushalt-Wäschetrockner vom Kondensatortyp gemäß dem Oberbegriff von Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Antriebsmittel umfasst:

- drei getrennte Elektromotoren (7A, 7B, 8) in einer im wesentlichen koaxialen Anordnung (X),

- wobei ein erster Elektromotor (7A) drehbar eine erste zugehörige Welle (9) antreibt, die mit einem ersten Bewegungsübertragungsmittel (13) ausgestattet ist, das mit einem ersten Ventilator verbunden ist,

- wobei der dritte Elektromotor (8) mit einer zugehörigen dritten Welle (14) in Form einer zylindrischen, hohlen Hülse ausgestattet ist, wobei die erste Welle (9) in derselben untergebracht ist,

- wobei der zweite Elektromotor (7B) mit einer zugehörigen zweiten Welle (9A) ausgestattet ist, die auf der gegenüber liegenden Seite der ersten Welle (9) mit Bezug zu dem ersten Elektromotor (7A) positioniert ist und ihrerseits mit einem zugehörigen zweiten Bewegungsübertragungsmittel (12) an einem Endabschnitt derselben versehen ist, wobei der zweite Elektromotor seinerseits auf der gegenüber liegenden Seite des ersten Elektromotors (7A) in Bezug zu dem dritten Motor (8) angeordnet ist,

wobei auf einer Seite der dritten Hohlwelle (14) ein drittes Bewegungsübertragungsmittel vorgesehen ist, bei dem es sich um eine aufgeschrumpfte oder verpresste dritte Riemenscheibe (15) handelt.

3. Wäschetrockner gemäß Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das dritte Bewegungsübertragungsmittel eine dritte Riemenscheibe umfasst und diese dritte Riemenscheibe (15) auf der Seite der zweiten Hohlwelle auf der gegenüber liegenden Seite des ersten Motors mit Bezug auf den zweiten Motor verpresst ist.

4. Wäschetrockner gemäß Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass jedes der ersten und zweiten Bewegungsübertragungsmittel (12, 13) mit einem der ersten und zweiten Ventilatoren (4, 6) verbunden ist und dass das dritte Bewegungsübertragungsmittel eine dritte Riemenscheibe (15) umfasst, die mit einem Mittel verbunden ist, das die Drehbewegung auf die rotierenden Trommel (1) überträgt.

5. Wäschetrockner gemäß Anspruch 1, 3 oder 1 und 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass ein einzelnes Gehäuse (20) vorgesehen ist, in dem beide Elektromotoren (7, 8) untergebracht sind, wobei die erste Welle (9) von dem einzelnen Gehäuse (20) vorspringt und die zweite Welle (14) in Form einer hohlen Hülse daraus auswärts vorragt.

6. Wäschetrockner gemäß Anspruch 2 und 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass ein einzelnes Gehäuse (20) vorgesehen ist, in dem alle drei Elektromotoren (7A, 7B, 8) untergebracht sind, wobei die erste Welle (9) und die zweite Welle (9A) aus dem einzelnen Gehäuse (20) vorragen und die dritte Welle (14) in Form einer hohlen Hülse daraus auswärts vorragt.

7. Wäschetrockner gemäß einem der vorangehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Elektromotoren Permanentmagnetmotoren sind.

8. Wäschetrockner gemäß einem der vorangehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass dieser mit einem Steuerungsmittel ausgestattet ist, das geeignet ist, die Elektromotoren jeweils vollkommen unabhängig voneinander operativ zu steuern.

Revendications

1. Sèche-linge domestique du type à condenseur, à la fois du type à chargement frontal ou à chargement par le haut, comprenant:

- un tambour tournant (1),

- une première conduite (2) apte à permettre à un premier écoulement d'air chauffé à circuler selon un chemin d'écoulement en boucle fermée à travers ledit tambour et à travers un condenseur (3) réalisé d'une manière appropriée,

- un premier ventilateur (4) apte à faire circuler ledit premier écoulement d'air chauffé le long de ladite première conduite,

- une deuxième conduite (5) apte à permettre la circulation d'un deuxième écoulement respectif d'air ambiant ou refroidi à travers ledit condenseur (3),

- un deuxième ventilateur (6) apte à faire circuler ledit deuxième écoulement d'air le long de ladite deuxième conduite,

- ledit premier ventilateur, ledit deuxième ventilateur et ledit tambour tournant (1) étant entraînés en rotation par des moyens d'entraînement appropriés,

caractérisé en ce que lesdits moyens d'entraînement comprennent:

- deux moteurs électriques distincts (7, 8) en un agencement sensiblement coaxial (X),

- où un premier moteur électrique (7) entraîne en rotation un premier arbre respectif (9) qui est pourvu de deux portions d'extrémité, une (10) desdites portions d'extrémité se situant sur un côté dudit moteur et l'autre (11) sur son côté opposé,

- des premier et deuxième moyens de transmission de mouvement séparés, constitués de préférence de première et seconde poulies (12, 13) et de courroies respectives, venant en prise avec des portions respectives desdites deux portions d'extrémité (10, 11) dudit premier arbre (9),

- où le deuxième moteur électrique (8) est agencé entre ledit premier moteur électrique (7) et une portion d'extrémité (11) dudit premier arbre (9),

- où ledit deuxième moteur électrique (8) est pourvu d'un deuxième arbre respectif (14) sous la forme d'un manchon cylindrique creux, à l'intérieur duquel ledit premier arbre est logé,

- où sur un côté dudit deuxième arbre creux (14) est réalisé un troisième moyen de transmission de mouvement apparenté qui peut comprendre une troisième poulie apparentée (15).

2. Sèche-linge domestique du type à condenseur selon le préambule de la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que lesdits moyens d'entraînement comprennent:

- trois moteurs électriques distincts (7A, 7B, 8) en un agencement sensiblement coaxial (X),

- où un premier moteur électrique (7A) entraîne en rotation un premier arbre respectif (9) qui est muni d'un premier moyen de transmission de mouvement (13) relié à un premier ventilateur,

- où le troisième moteur électrique (8) est muni d'un troisième arbre respectif (14) sous la forme d'un manchon cylindrique creux, ledit premier arbre (9) étant logé dans celui-ci,

- où le deuxième moteur électrique (7B) est muni d'un deuxième arbre respectif (9A) qui est positionné sur le côté opposé dudit premier arbre (9) par rapport audit premier moteur électrique (7A) et est muni à son tour d'un deuxième moyen de transmission de mouvement respectif (12) à une portion d'extrémité de celui-ci, ledit deuxième moteur électrique étant à son tour positionné sur le côté opposé dudit premier moteur électrique (7A) relativement audit troisième moteur (8),

- où sur un côté dudit troisième arbre creux (14), il est réalisé un troisième moyen de transmission de mouvement qui est une troisième poulie ajustée par contraction ou ajustée par pression (15).

3. Sèche-linge selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que lesdits troisième moyens de transmission de mouvement comprennent une troisième poulie et ladite troisième poulie (15) est ajustée par pression sur le côté dudit deuxième arbre creux sur le côté opposé dudit premier moteur relativement audit deuxième moteur.

4. Sèche-linge selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que chacun desdits premier et deuxième moyens de transmission de mouvement (12, 13) est relié à un ventilateur respectif parmi lesdits premier et deuxième ventilateurs (4, 6), et en ce que lesdits troisième moyens de transmission de mouvement comprennent une troisième poulie (15) qui est reliée à des moyens transmettant un mouvement de rotation audit tambour de rotation (1).

5. Sèche-linge selon la revendication 1, 3 ou les revendications 1 et 4, caractérisé en ce qu'il est réalisé un seul logement (20) recevant les deux moteurs électriques (7, 8), ledit premier arbre (9) faisant saillie dudit logement unique (20), et ledit deuxième arbre (14) étant réalisé sous la forme d'un manchon creux faisant saillie vers l'extérieur à partir de celui-ci.

6. Sèche-linge selon la revendication 2 ou les revendications 2 et 4, caractérisé en ce qu'il est réalisé un seul logement (20) recevant tous les trois moteurs électriques (7A, 7B, 8), ledit premier arbre (9) et ledit deuxième arbre (9A) faisant saillie dudit logement unique (20), et ledit troisième arbre (14) étant réalisé sous la forme d'un manchon creux faisant saillie vers l'extérieur à partir de celui-ci.

7. Sèche-linge selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que lesdits moteurs électriques sont des moteurs à aimant permanent.

8. Sèche-linge selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu'il est muni de moyens de commande qui sont conçus pour commander fonctionnellement lesdits moteurs électriques selon des manières qui sont complètement indépendantes les unes des autres.

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