Heating apparatus for a household appliance for the care of laundry items and method for operating such a heating apparatus

Abstract

A household appliance for the care of laundry items, which heating apparatus is embodied for generating heat by combusting gaseous media and has a device for supplying the gaseous medium to a burner, wherein a means is provided which is thermally coupled to the burner and the device and is embodied for changing a temperature of the device in order to control the flow of the medium through the device, in particular the metering unit of the device. The invention also relates to a method for operating a heating apparatus for a household appliance for the care of laundry items, in particular a gas laundry dryer.

1 . A heating apparatus for a household appliance for the care of laundry items for generating heat by combusting gaseous media, the apparatus comprising:
 a device for supplying the gaseous medium to a burner; and   a means, thermally coupled to the burner and the device, for changing a flow of the medium through the device by changing a temperature of the device.   
   
   
       2 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means controls a flow through a metering unit of the device. 
   
   
       3 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means reduces the flow of the gaseous medium through the device if the temperature of the device is increased by the means. 
   
   
       4 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means senses the temperature in a region of a flame of the burner. 
   
   
       5 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means changes the temperature of the gaseous medium. 
   
   
       6 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a metering unit for metering the gaseous medium. 
   
   
       7 . The heating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the metering unit comprises a nozzle or a valve. 
   
   
       8 . The heating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the means varies a flow cross-section of the metering unit by applying heat to the metering unit. 
   
   
       9 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means comprises a heating unit which is thermally coupled to the device and can be controlled electrically as a function of a temperature in a region of the burner 
   
   
       10 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature in the region of the burner is a temperature in a region of the burner flame. 
   
   
       11 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means comprises a heat exchanger. 
   
   
       12 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means comprises a heating and cooling element is controlled as a function of a temperature in a region of the burner for the purpose of heating or cooling the device, in particular the metering unit, and is thermally coupled to the device. 
   
   
       13 . The heating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the heating and cooling element comprises a Peltier element. 
   
   
       14 . The heating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the heating and cooling element is controlled as a function of a temperature in a region of the burner for the purpose of heating or cooling a metering unit. 
   
   
       15 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means comprises a heating element, thermally coupled to the device, the heating element being controlled as a function of a temperature in a region of the burner for heating the device. 
   
   
       16 . The heating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the heating element comprises a Peltier element. 
   
   
       17 . The heating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the heating element is controlled as a function of a temperature in the region of the burner for heating a supply line for supplying the gaseous medium to the burner. 
   
   
       18 . The heating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the means comprises a pipe which is thermally coupled to the device and the burner and in which a medium is disposed which applies heat to the gaseous medium transported in the device by way of the wall of the pipe as a function of a separate application of temperature by the burner. 
   
   
       19 . The heating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the pipe applies heat to the gaseous medium as a function of a temperature by a burner flame. 
   
   
       20 . The heating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the pipe is around a supply line and extends in a region of a burner flame. 
   
   
       21 . The heating apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the pipe is wrapped around the supply line. 
   
   
       22 . The heating apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the pipe is on an inside surface of a duct around a burner head. 
   
   
       23 . A household appliance for the care of laundry items, comprising:
 a device for supplying a gaseous medium to a burner; and   a means, thermally coupled to the burner and the device, for changing a flow of the medium through the device by changing a temperature of the device.   
   
   
       24 . A method for operating a heating apparatus for a household appliance for the care of laundry items, the method comprising:
 supplying a gaseous medium to a burner of the heating apparatus by way of a device; and   varying a flow of the gaseous medium through the device by changing a temperature of the device by a means that is thermally coupled to the burner and the device.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the device comprises a metering unit.