Samsung patents washing machine with self-cleaning heat exchanger
Samsung has filed a patent for a clothes care machine that includes a heat exchanger positioned above the washing tub. The design features a specific nozzle that sprays water onto the heat exchanger to clean it, using a separate water line from the main washing supply.
In the filing’s own words
A clothes care apparatus may include a tub; an upper detergent supply device disposed above the tub; a lower detergent supply device disposed below the tub; a heat exchanger disposed above the tub; a nozzle device configured to spray water to the heat exchanger; a first pipe configured to supply water to the upper detergent supply device; a second pipe configured to supply water to the nozzle device; a third pipe configured to supply water to the tub; a water supply device configured to be connected to the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe; and a controller configured to control the water supply device to supply water to at least one of the upper detergent supply device, the nozzle device or the tub, so as to perform at least one of a washing process, a rinsing process, a spin-drying process or a drying process.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A clothes care apparatus, comprising: a tub; an upper detergent supply device above the tub; a heat exchanger above the tub; a nozzle device configured to spray water to the heat exchanger to clean the heat exchanger; a water supply device fluidly connected to an external water supply source including: a first pipe configured to guide water supplied from the external water supply source to the upper detergent supply device, a second pipe configured to guide water supplied from the external water supply source to the nozzle device, and a third pipe configured to guide water supplied from the external water supply source to the tub, and a controller configured to control the water supply device to supply water to at least one of the first pipe to be guided to the upper detergent supply device, the second pipe to be guided to the nozzle device, or the third pipe to be guided to the tub, so as to perform at least one of a washing process, a rinsing process, a spin-drying process, or a drying process.
Facts
- Company
- Samsung (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)
- Official title
- Clothes care apparatus and method for controlling the same
- Patent number
- US12747529B2
- Application number
- 18773849
- Filed
- Jul 16, 2024
- Granted
- Sep 29, 2026
- Inventors
- 5
- Claims
- 15
Classified under
D06F 25/00 Textiles & paperD06F 33/54 Textiles & paperD06F 33/56 Textiles & paperD06F 33/57 Textiles & paperD06F 33/58 Textiles & paperD06F 33/60 Textiles & paperMore from Samsung in Other
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.