Method for operating a domestic appliance, especially a home dryer or a washing machine, and domestic appliance

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for operating a domestic appliance, especially a home dryer ( 1 ) or a washing machine, and a domestic appliance ( 1 ) which comprises an operating mode for treating textiles with steam. According to the method at least one action for protection of an operator of the domestic appliance ( 1 ) is taken when an interruption of an active program for treating textiles with hot steam occurs. The method shall prevent that the operator is hurt by the hot steam generated in the domestic appliance. The domestic appliance ( 1 ) comprises a control ( 40 ) and a memory ( 41 ) storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control ( 40 ) is adjusted to execute the inventive method.

1 . A method for operating a domestic appliance, which domestic appliance comprises an operating mode for treating textiles with steam, wherein at least one action for protection of an operator of the domestic appliance is taken when an interruption of an active program for treating textiles with steam occurs to thereby protect the operator from being hurt by the steam generated in the domestic appliance. 
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the action is taken, when a door for loading and unloading a chamber of the domestic appliance with textiles is opened during the run of the program for treating textiles with steam.   
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the action is taken when the program for treating textiles with steam is interrupted by actuation of switching equipment of the domestic appliance.   
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the switching equipment comprises a stop-button or a start/rest-button.   
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the action is taken when the program for treating textiles with steam is interrupted by a failure of the domestic appliance.   
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one warning signal is released. 
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the warning signal is an acoustic and/or an optical warning signal.   
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the optical warning signal is displayed with an optical display, which comprises a lamp or a LED-display or an operating panel of the domestic appliance, which operating panel comprises particularly a LCD-display. 
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one action comprises the supply of steam to a chamber of the domestic appliance containing the textiles being at least partially stopped. 
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein a conduit for supplying the chamber of the domestic appliance containing the textiles with steam is closed. 
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the conduit is closed by a valve.   
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the domestic appliance comprises a steam unit, and wherein the at least one action comprises the steam unit being at least partially depleted of steam. 
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the steam unit is at least partially depleted of steam by a valve.   
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the supply of steam to the chamber of the domestic appliance containing the textiles is at least partially stopped by a reversion of the flux of the steam through the steam unit. 
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the steam unit comprises a steam generator and a pump for pumping water into the steam generator, wherein the pump of the steam unit is operated in a reversed mode. 
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one action comprises the steam contained in a chamber of the domestic appliance containing the textiles being conducted out of the chamber. 
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 a fan is used for conducting the steam out of the chamber containing the textiles.   
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the steam contained in the chamber containing the textiles is conducted out of the chamber by means of a conduit of the supply air to the chamber and/or by means of a conduit of the exhaust air out of the chamber (which conduit/conduits is/are normally used in an operating mode for drying textiles. 
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the door for loading and unloading the domestic appliance with textiles is temporarily prevented from opening after an interruption of an active program for treating textiles with steam to thereby reduce the danger for an injury of an operator from steam. 
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the door for loading and unloading the domestic appliance with textiles is prevented from opening for a certain period of time and/or until the temperature and/or the atmospheric moisture in the chamber of the domestic appliance containing the textiles has/have a certain value. 
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the domestic appliance is a dryer of the condensation type. 
   
   
       22 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the domestic appliance is a dryer of the exhaust air type. 
   
   
       23 . A domestic appliance, comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components to execute the method of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       24 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 2 . 
   
   
       25 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 3 . 
   
   
       26 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 5 . 
   
   
       27 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 6 . 
   
   
       28 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 9 . 
   
   
       29 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 12 . 
   
   
       30 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 14 . 
   
   
       31 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 16 . 
   
   
       32 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 19 . 
   
   
       33 . A domestic appliance comprising a control device and a storage device storing at least one program for treating textiles with steam, wherein the control device is configured, and the appliance comprises further components, to execute the method of  claim 20 .