Patent ID: 8371040
Filing Date: 2013-02-12
Classification: D06F

Abstract:
1. A clothes dryer preassembly for a clothes dryer having a plurality of outer walls, each outer wall having an outer surface exposed to an environment external to the clothes dryer, the clothes dryer preassembly comprising: a coupling member including a fastening feature engaging a first portion of a first outer wall of the plurality of outer walls of the clothes dryer to removably couple the clothes dryer preassembly to the first portion of the first outer wall from outside of the clothes dryer, the clothes dryer preassembly constituting a portion of the first outer wall wherein both the first outer wall of the clothes dryer and the clothes dryer preassembly have an outer surface exposed to the environment external to the clothes dryer when the clothes dryer preassembly is coupled to the first portion; a passage formed at least in part by the clothes dryer preassembly when the clothes dryer preassembly is coupled to the first portion of the first outer wall of the clothes dryer, a gas stream flowing through the passage when the clothes dryer is in operation; and at least one heating element coupled to the clothes dryer preassembly such that the gas stream flows around the heating element when the clothes dryer is in operation, and the heating element is removed from the first outer wall with the clothes dryer preassembly as one unit when the coupling member is disengaged from the first portion of the first outer wall, the clothes dryer preassembly being receptacle-shaped and including a circumferentially extending receptacle wall encompassing an interior space, the interior space forming the passage and being substantially insulated from the external environment, the at least one heating element being positioned in the interior space.