The invention can be applied in the front load laundry washing machine industry preferably for domestic use, in particular it refers to a front load washing machine which besides washing is also capable of drying the laundry; in other words the action of drying the laundry is not provided with separate devices, but it is provided by the machine which performs the washing. Actually, the machine incorporates - therein - an advantageous drying system, described hereinafter.

There are known front load laundry washing machines for domestic use, comprising a door adapted to close the loading opening of a rotary drum in a washing tub; the laundry to be washed is introduced into the drum through the door. The door usually comprises a transparent inspection hole which allows the user an inner view of the rotary drum and the laundry introduced thereinto.

Washer/dryer machines are also known.

A washer/dryer machine is a domestic appliance which combines the washing cycle to the drying one.

The washing cycle is identical to that of the washing machines, while the drying one is characterized in that:

• hot air, produced by a heat pump or by an electrical resistor, is conveyed to the drum by means of a fan;
• moisture, released into the surrounding environment or, after being recovered from a condenser, is sent to the discharge by means of a pump.

The drawbacks of the current washer/dryer appliances lie in the fact that:

• in case of machines provided with a heat pump for producing hot air, the dimensions of the machines are too large, exceeding the standard overall size of normal front load laundry washing machines; in addition, being placed on the ground the heat pump requires an additional container and a supplementary pump for sending the condensate into the tub of the washing machine,
• in case of machines provided with a heating system with air produced by the electrical resistor, energy consumptions are very high and this aspect has a considerable impact on the annual energy spending.

A patent document EP2270276 is known, which describes a laundry washer/dryer appliance that combines the features of a washing machine with those of a dryer according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.

There is provided a laundry drying appliance comprising a cabinet having a top, a rotating drum accommodated within a tub housed in the cabinet, and a laundry drying air circulation system for circulating drying air.

The drying air circulation system of EP2270276 comprises a drying air return duct through which drying air coming from drum flows, the drying air return duct having an outlet, and a drying air delivery duct through which the drying air is sent back to the drum, the drying air delivery duct having an inlet. The top forms a ready-to-mount moisture condensing module ready to be mounted to the cabinet for dehydrating drying air used to dry laundry within the drying drum of the laundry drying appliance.

As it is shown in figure 5 of EP2270276, a non-linear air path for the drying air is defined in the base element by means of a series of walls. In particular, moisten-laden drying air coming from the drum and the tub through the return air duct, and entering into the top through the opening, is initially caused to flow essentially parallel to the left side of the top, from the rear to the front, and to pass through an air defluff filter that is removably accommodated within a respective filter seat formed in the base element. Upon exiting the defluff filter, the drying air passes through a moisture condenser comprising an air-air heat exchanger, so as to be cooled down and release moisture in the form of condense water. This means that a non-linear air flow occurs in this prior art document.

In addition, in the aforementioned patent the drying recirculation system is considered to be an add-on to the detriment of the standardisation of the dimensions of a standard machine; in the case in question, i.e. the invention, the system is not to the detriment of the dimensions given that it is contained in the standard measurements.

Other documents are EP2339063 and EP2436818; both describe a drying machine with a housing provided with an internal space for accommodating various devices such as the rotating drum, the water tank and a heat pump device.

The heat pump device and most of the various elements, which form a circulatory path of the dry air between the heat pump device and the rotating drum are disposed in the upper space. As shown in Fig. 1 of EP2339063 document, the machine comprises an air ventilation circulatory system flue which communicates the water tank and the heat pump device. The circulatory ventilation flue includes an upstream ventilation flue extending upward from the exhaust outlet, and a downstream ventilation flue connected to the bottom wall of the water tank.

The washing and drying machine further comprises a filter disposed between the upstream ventilation flue and the heat pump device. The filter connected to the upstream ventilation flue removes lint (dust components) in the dry air.

Substantially, the same flue is provided in the machine of the EP2436818 document.

In the latter two prior art documents, the solution necessarily provides for positioning the axis of the drum, in the machine, inclined to facilitate the introduction of the drying group while in our patent this is not required.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by providing the art with a front load washing machine with incorporated drying system, with a heat pump, still maintaining the advantage of performing the washing and the drying within the dimensions i.e. the standard overall size for the machines in question.

The aforementioned is obtained through a laundry washing machine comprising, besides the washing system, a drying system with a dehumidification cycle circuit adapted to condensate the moist air extracted from the washing tub and subsequently reintroduced thereinto but heated by the very circuit.

Said condensation and heating are performed by special exchangers arranged centrally and above the washing tub and connected thereto through a series of mouthpieces or fittings, respectively for delivery and return, and ventilator means for the circulation of air. The machine also comprises counterweights for reducing the vibrations that occur following the high speed rotation of the basket; said counterweights being arranged at the sides of exchanger means.

The aforementioned allows maintaining proportions and dimensions suitable to the required standards.

These objects and advantages are attained by the front load laundry washing machine with incorporated drying system, subject of the present invention, which is characterised according to the provisions provided for under the claims below.

This and other characteristics shall be more apparent from the following description of illustrated embodiments, provided solely by way of exemplifying and non-limiting example in the attached drawings, wherein;

• Figures 1 and 2: illustrate the core of the machine, i.e. the washing tub with the air recirculation system and the heating and condensation thereof
• Figure 3: illustrates the upper portion of the laundry washing machine with the detail on the condensate water collection container, arranged beneath the relative exchanger (the cooling one) and ventilator means which suction air from the washing tub through special channels,
• Figure 4: the rear of the machine in question, with the suctioning channels and relative ducts or ports for connection with the tub; the figures clearly show the arrangement of two counterweights arranged laterally with respect to the exchanger groups
• Figure 5: illustrates, still seen from the top of the machine, with exchangers arranged centrally and counterweights at the sides, a system for the recirculation through fans arranged at the front part of the machine; it should also be observed that the detergent container at the rear part is arranged to leave space for said ventilator means,
• Figure 6: illustrates a median section of the washing machine in question with the two exchangers arranged in series, a filtering means for filtering the air suctioned from the tub and recirculation ducts, arranged so as to establish a linear path for the suctioned air at the rear part from the drum and reintroduced from the front part.

With particular reference to the attached figures, a front load washing machine for domestic use, serving as a laundry washer/dryer, according to the present invention is indicated in its entirety with 1.

The machine 1 comprises a cabinet 2 within which there is arranged a washing tub 3 in a known manner.

In the latter there is rotated, around a horizontal or substantially horizontal axis X, a drum also of the known type and in particular perforated.

The laundry to be washed is placed in the drum 4 through a loading opening 5 associated to a front part of the cabinet 2. The drum4 is closed at the rear part by a bottom wall while at the centre, i.e. at the aforementioned axis X, it is supported by a shaft 6 connected/driven in rotation by an electric motor 7, of known type, usually mounted outside the tub 3 and connected thereto through a belts and pulleys system.

The axis X of the drum is horizontal, but the latter may also be slightly inclined, raised towards the front part of the cabinet so as to allow an easier loading of the laundry into the drum4 by a user.

The loading opening is closed through a door, not illustrated, comprising an inspection hole made of transparent material, glass or plastic.

The previously described machine 1, combined with the washing system, comprises a drying system which provides for:

1. a. At least one vertical or horizontal rotary compressor 8, for the compression - with substantially constant volume - of a gas which, once compressed, traverses the ducts 9 and reaches
2. b. At least one condensation group 10 in which the gas is at contact with the air drawn from the washing tub, transferring the stored heat,
3. c. At least one group 11 for heating the air previously deprived of the condensate water.

Said groups 10 and 11 (condensation and heating) are thus exchangers adapted to exchange heat between the air in recirculation and the gas contained in the compressor.

The exchangers are arranged over the washing tub and connected to the latter through a series of mouthpieces 12, 13, or fittings and suctioning 14 and re-introduction 15 channels which connect said groups to corresponding openings on the tub.

Precisely, as illustrated in the figures, the flow is separated into two channels 14, thus joined for passing into the exchangers, and thus once again separated in the two reintroduction channels 15. This allows reducing the overall dimensions required by the ducts 14, 15, while the problem regarding overall dimensions of the upper linear exchangers is resolved by the movement of the masses or counterweights, as described hereinafter.

One or more means 16 for the circulation of air from the washing tub to the condensation and heating groups and the return thereof; said means being fans.

Substantially, the drying system performs the operation of a heat pump which, as known, is made up of a circuit sealed from the internal, in which a gas performs an entire thermodynamic cycle or Carnot cycle, which practically consists in an almost adiabatic compression (with practically constant volume) in the hermetic volumetric compressor. The driving electric motor, which could for example be an inverter electric motor, and the compressor are incorporated in a single hermetic container, entirely heat sealed, so as to reduce heat dispersions towards the external; obviously, the hermetic container also contains the oil for the lubrication of the compressor. In the first cycle step, called compression, the gas increases in terms of pressure and temperature with an increase of the enthalpy content thereof; in the second step the gas traverses an exchanger, in this case that of the heating group, in which it is at contact with the air in recirculation from the washing tub through the fans, transferring the stored air thereto in the two previous steps. In the third step of the thermodynamic cycle, the gas, traversing an expansion valve is subjected to a "lamination" process and an ensuing reduction of pressure and thus a temperature drop. This change of state from gas to liquid is used in the evaporation (fourth step) where the gas is at very low temperatures, such to allow it to absorb heat (in the condensation group) from the external energy carrier vector fluid, i.e. moist air. The air is suctioned from the drum and conveyed on both exchangers through a tangential fan. The air is thus cooled by a few degrees centigrade (thus causing the condensation of the water contained therein) and sent to the other exchanger, while the gas absorbs the heat thereof evaporating once again and returning to the compressor to recover the described cycle.

With reference to the aforementioned figures 1 to 6, it should be observed that all the components are arranged in a cabinet 2 having standard size; in order to allow that both the driving components required for the washing step and those required for performing the drying are comprised within said standard size; the machine comprises - at the upper part - the heat exchanger groups of the heat pump cycle actuated by the heat pump, while the latter is positioned at the lower part and adjacent to the drum driving motor 7.

Below the relative exchanger (i.e. the cooling one) there is arranged a container 17 for collecting the condensate water: the latter comprises a series of grooves which divert the collected water towards at least one discharge point where - under gravity - the water flows to the lower part and it is then discharged by the pump of the laundry washing machine.

The ventilator means are housed in the front portion of the cabinet, i.e. between the cabinet 2 and the heating group, creating an air circulation which rises at the rear part from the basket, traverses both the cooling (at the rear part) and the heating (at the front part) exchanger, then it descends again through the front channels and it is re-introduced into the tub.

Actually and with particular reference to figures 4 and 5, there is shown the portion at the rear part of the machine and particularly the suctioning channels and relative connection ducts or ports with the washing tub.

In addition, the figure clearly shows the arrangement of two upper counterweights 18, now arranged laterally to provide space for the exchanger groups. The counterweights are shaped so as to be able to adapt to the new arrangement. The aforementioned allows preserving stability during centrifuge and simultaneously limiting the overall size of the machine.

Thus, the present invention provides for positioning a series of exchangers, between the heat pump cycle and the air within the machine, at the upper part and in central position on the machine and arrange the counterweights for the vibrations on the sides.

Still, the present invention provides for a system for the recirculation, condensation and heating of the air through a series of ventilator means at the front part of the machine.

As observed from the drawings, both the detergents container and the filter are accessible from the upper plane which shall be partly tiltable to allow said access. Said container, arranged below the plane and adapted to contain the detergent, is arranged at the rear part so as to clear suitable space occupied by the aforementioned ventilator means.

Lastly, with particular reference to figure 6, there is observed a median section of the washing machine in question; the drum is thus indicated as the rotary axis thereof; at the upper part, there is shown a tub for collecting condensate water whereas the exchangers are shown further higher.

Said exchangers are arranged in series and comprise at least one filtering means 19 at the inlet with the function of filtering the air suctioned from the tub, through the rear suctioning ducts, keeping the condensation and heating groups clean of any residues of textile fibres could be contained in the suctioned air.

The filtering means, as shown in figure 6, is in axis with said exchangers and it is arranged before the airflow - which rises at the rear part from the drum- is intercepted by the exchanger 10.

The aforementioned drying system could also be applied to rotary baskets with induction motor.

In the description, reference was made to an inverter electric motor for driving the compressor but it is clear that a constant speed electric motor may also be applied.