CLOTHES TREATMENT APPLIANCE WITH CONDENSER AND CLEANING DEVICE
A clothes treatment appliance includes a process air condenser and a cleaner for the process air condenser. The cleaner is adapted to direct a cleaning medium to the condenser from any direction other than from above.
1 . A clothes treatment appliance, comprising:
a process air condenser; and
a cleaner for the process air condenser, wherein the cleaner directs a cleaning medium to the condenser from any direction other than from above.
2 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning medium is directed to the condenser from below.
3 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 2 , wherein the cleaning medium is water.
4 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 3 , wherein the cleaner comprises a direct water pressurizer.
5 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 3 , wherein the cleaner comprises an impeller rotatable around a horizontal or a vertical axis, and the impeller is partly immersed in water.
6 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cleaner comprises a pressure generator to pressurize the water leaving the cleaner.
7 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 6 , wherein the cleaner comprises:
a pressure-tight condensate collection tank or container; and
a water splashing unit having a water outlet opening to direct the water to the condenser, wherein the condensate collection tank includes a condensate inlet that is closable by a valve, the condensate collection tank is connected to the pressure generator, and the condensate collection tank is fluidly connected to the water splashing unit.
8 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 7 , wherein the pressure generator comprises a compressed-air device or a to introduce compressed-air into the condensate collection tank, wherein the compressed-air device comprises a process-air tap channel that is connected to the condensate collection tank and to a process air channel in a position between a pressure side of an air blower and a drum of the clothes treatment appliance.
9 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 7 , wherein the condensate collection tank comprises a movable wall section and the pressure generator comprises a mover for moving the movable wall section into the direction of the condensate collection tank.
10 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 9 , wherein the movable wall section is a membrane and the mover deforms the membrane by pressure.
11 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 9 , wherein the movable wall section is a piston and the mover moves the piston.
12 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 2 , wherein the condenser is submergible in water for cleaning operation of the condenser, and the cleaner is located below the condenser and comprises an air bubble generator.
13 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 12 , wherein the condenser comprises cooling blades that have an inclined or roof-shaped upper edge.
14 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 1 , wherein the clothes treatment appliance is adapted to perform repeated cleaning cycles within one cleaning process.
15 . The clothes treatment appliance of claim 1 , wherein the clothes treatment appliance is a clothes drying apparatus.