DEVICE FOR DRYING AND/OR DISINFECTING OBJECTS

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for drying and/or for disinfecting objects, comprising a cabinet having a receiving chamber through which a gas can flow, and a fan unit, a heating device being provided for heating the gas. According to the invention, a dehumidifying unit is provided for the condensation drying of the gas, and a gas treatment chamber of the cabinet is provided which, in the installed state of the cabinet, is situated behind the receiving chamber, wherein the gas treatment chamber is separated from the receiving chamber by a partition, the heating device is provided in the gas treatment chamber for heating the gas in the gas treatment chamber, and the heated gas flows from the gas treatment chamber into the receiving chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for drying and/or disinfecting objects such as clothing, masks, footwear and protective helmets, comprising a cabinet with a receiving space through which a gas can flow and which is intended to temporarily accommodate the objects for the drying and/or disinfection of the objects in the cabinet, and a fan unit, which moves the gas predefinably along a flow path of the gas, in accordance with the circulation principle, in the interior of the cabinet, wherein the gas comes into contact with the objects in order to dry and/or disinfect the objects, wherein a heating device is provided to heat the gas, wherein a dehumidification unit for condensation drying the gas is present, wherein a gas treatment space is separated from the receiving space by a partition, wherein the heating device is provided in the gas treatment space for the purpose of heating the gas in the gas treatment space, wherein the heated gas flows from the gas treatment space to the receiving space, wherein the condensation space is separated from the receiving space by a partition, wherein the dehumidification unit serves to condense the moisture in the gas flow guided from the receiving space to the condensation space, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the gas within the cabinet flows in a closed circuit, wherein, behind the receiving space in relation to the mounted state of the cabinet, there is the gas treatment space of the cabinet, wherein a plasma generator of the apparatus is provided to disinfect the objects by means of the gas, wherein the plasma generator generates a plasma which reduces the number of microbes in the circulating gas, and/or the gas exhibits a microbial reduction action, wherein the plasma generator is arranged in the gas treatment space, wherein, above the receiving space and above the gas treatment space in relation to the mounted state of the cabinet, there is a condensation space through which the gas can flow and which comprises the dehumidification unit, wherein a compression refrigeration machine having a refrigerant circulating in a closed cooling circuit is provided, wherein the heating device comprises a condenser unit of the compression refrigeration machine, wherein the condenser unit is arranged in the gas treatment space, wherein the heating device comprises a heater, which is arranged in the gas treatment space, wherein the heater, which is operated temporarily, is additionally provided to continuously heat the gas by means of the condenser unit.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dehumidification unit comprises an evaporator unit of the compression refrigeration machine, wherein the evaporator unit is accommodated in the condensation space.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan unit is present between the condensation space and the gas treatment space.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a compressor member of the compression refrigeration machine is arranged in the gas treatment space.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a condensate collecting tray and a condensate accumulating container.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising hollow hang-up fittings in the receiving space for attaching the objects in the receiving space, wherein the hang-up fittings are attached to the partition between the receiving space and the gas treatment space.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan unit and flow paths for the gas in the cabinet are matched in such a way that the gas in the receiving space flows vertically upward toward the condensation space.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan unit and flow paths for the gas in the cabinet are matched in such a way that the gas in the gas treatment space flows vertically downward.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] Further advantages and features of the present invention are explained in more detail on the basis of the description of a schematically illustrated exemplary embodiment according to the present invention.

[0079] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view, obliquely from the front, of an open apparatus according to the present invention in the form of a condensation drying cabinet;

[0080] FIG. 2 shows the condensation drying cabinet according to FIG. 1 from the front;

[0081] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the closed condensation drying cabinet according to FIG. 1 omitting a side wall of the condensation drying cabinet;

[0082] FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the condensation drying cabinet according to FIG. 3 omitting an outer rear wall of the condensation drying cabinet;

[0083] FIG. 5 shows a perspective detail of the top of the condensation drying cabinet according to FIG. 3; and

[0084] FIG. 6 shows a further perspective detail, illustrated as open to the front, of the top of the condensation drying cabinet according to FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0085] An apparatus 1 according to the present invention for drying and/or disinfecting objects, such as clothing, footwear and protective helmets, is in the form of a condensation drying cabinet 2.

[0086] The condensation drying cabinet 2 comprises a cabinet 3 with a receiving space 4, through which a gas G can flow and which is intended to temporarily accommodate the objects for the drying and/or disinfection of the objects in the cabinet 3. The cabinet 3 has two pivotable swing doors 25, which are open in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0087] Moreover, a fan unit 5 with two fans 5a and 5b, which moves the gas G predefinably along a flow path S1 to S4 of the gas G, in accordance with the circulation principle, in the interior of the cabinet 3, is part of the condensation drying cabinet 2. In the process, the gas G comes into contact with the objects, only one object, such as a ski boot A, of which is indicated schematically and in dashed line on a shoe holder hang-up fitting 24 in FIG. 3, in order to dry and/or disinfect the objects.

[0088] Furthermore, there is a dehumidification unit 6 with a condensation surface which is in the form of a heat exchanger surface 13 and is intended for condensation drying of the gas G. The heat exchanger surface 13 is in the form of a helical, hollow pipe through which a refrigerant flows.

[0089] To heat the gas G, there is a heating device 7.

[0090] Behind the receiving space 4 in relation to the mounted state, illustrated in the figures, of the apparatus 1 or of the cabinet 3, there is a gas treatment space 8 of the cabinet 3, wherein the gas treatment space 8 is separated from the receiving space 4 by a partition 9. The gas treatment space 8 forms a pressure space with elevated gas pressure between double and spaced-apart vertical rear walls of the cabinet 3.

[0091] The heating device 7 for heating the gas G in the gas treatment space 8 is provided in the gas treatment space 8, wherein the heated gas G flows from the gas treatment space 8 into the receiving space 4 in accordance with the predefined flow direction S3 of the gas G.

[0092] To disinfect the objects by means of the gas G, a plasma generator 10 of the apparatus 1 is provided in the gas treatment space 8. The plasma generator 10 generates a plasma which reduces the number of microbes in the circulating gas G, and/or the gas G exhibits a microbial reduction action. This leads to the objects being rid of microbes on the surfaces around which the gas G flows, in particular, in that the microbes are transferred to the gas G and eliminated there by the plasma action of the plasma generated by the plasma generator 10.

[0093] A compression refrigeration machine 11 having a refrigerant circulating in a closed cooling circuit of the compression refrigeration machine 11 is provided in the condensation drying cabinet 2.

[0094] Above the receiving space 4, there is a condensation space 12 through which the gas G can flow and which comprises the dehumidification unit 6 and the heat exchanger surfaces 13, wherein the dehumidification unit 6 provides a heat exchanger surface 13 that is at a cool temperature of about 2 degrees Celsius. The condensation space 12 is separated from the receiving space 4 by a partition 14 through which or around the sides of which the gas G can flow via openings. The dehumidification unit 6 with the heat exchanger surface 13 serves to condense the moisture in the gas flow guided out of the receiving space 4 into the condensation space 12.

[0095] The dehumidification unit 6 comprises an evaporator unit 15 of the compression refrigeration machine 11, wherein the evaporator unit 15 is accommodated in the condensation space 12 and acts as a dehumidification unit 6.

[0096] The fan unit 5 is present above the gas treatment space 8, between the condensation space 12 and the gas treatment space 8.

[0097] The heating device 7 comprises a condenser unit 16 of the compression refrigeration machine 11, which gives off heat to and heats the cooled-down, dry gas G via heat exchanger surfaces that are at a warm temperature of about 60 degrees. The condenser unit 16 is arranged in the gas treatment space 8.

[0098] A compressor member 17, in the form of a compressor 18, of the compression refrigeration machine 11 is arranged in the gas treatment space 8.

[0099] In addition to the condenser unit 16, the heating device 7 comprises a preferably electric heater 19 having a temperature limiter 26, which is arranged in the gas treatment space 8. After flowing past the heating device 7, the gas G has a setpoint temperature of about 33 degrees Celsius.

[0100] There is a condensate collecting tray 20 in the condensation space 12. A condensate accumulated on the obliquely aligned condensate collecting tray 20, in accordance with K1 and with a deflection K2, enters a channel 21 and from there a condensate discharge line 22 (see FIG. 3) connected thereto, for example, a flexible hose opening into a condensate accumulating container 23.

[0101] To attach the objects in a manner hung up in the receiving space 4, hollow hang-up fittings 24 and hollow hanger hang-up means 27 are present in the receiving space 4.

[0102] The hang-up fittings 24 are attached to the partition 9 or to the front, or inner, rear wall between the receiving space 4 and the gas treatment space 8.

[0103] The fan unit 5 and flow paths for the gas G in the cabinet 3 are matched in such a way that the gas G in the receiving space 4 flows vertically upward toward the condensation space 12 in accordance with S4. In particular, the gas G in the gas treatment space 8 flows vertically downward in accordance with S2, then into the receiving space 4, from there into the condensation space 12 in accordance with S1, and back into the gas treatment space 8 again by means of the fan unit 5.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0104] 1 Apparatus [0105] 2 Condensation drying cabinet [0106] 3 Cabinet [0107] 4 Receiving space [0108] 5 Fan unit [0109] 5a Fan [0110] 5b Fan [0111] 6 Dehumidification unit [0112] 7 Heating device [0113] 8 Gas treatment space [0114] 9 Partition [0115] 10 Plasma generator [0116] 11 Compression refrigeration machine [0117] 12 Condensation space [0118] 13 Heat exchanger surface [0119] 14 Partition [0120] 15 Evaporator unit [0121] 16 Condenser unit [0122] 17 Compressor member [0123] 18 Compressor [0124] 19 Heater [0125] 20 Condensate collecting tray [0126] 21 Channel [0127] 22 Condensate discharge line [0128] 23 Condensate accumulating container [0129] 24 Hang-up fittings [0130] 25 Swing door [0131] 26 Temperature limiter [0132] 27 Hanger hang-up means