Patent ID: 7191546
Filing Date: 2007-03-20
Classification: D06F

Abstract:
1. A low temperature clothes dryer, comprising: a generally rectangular drying chamber having opposed sidewalls, a rear wall, at least one front access door; an upper plenum, and a lower plenum, defining and being in communication with said drying chamber; a wet air return duct having an inlet connected with said rectangular drying chamber via one of said upper plenum and said lower plenum and an outlet; a dehumidifier connected with said outlet of said wet air return duct, said dehumidifier having an expansion coil condenser in fluid communication with said wet air return duct, a circulating fan, and a heat radiator; an air recycle duct having an inlet in fluid communication with said heat radiator of said dehumidifier and an outlet in fluid communication with the other of said upper plenum and said lower plenum, said air recycle duct having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion being connected with said lower plenum, said upper portion having said inlet being in fluid connection with said heat radiator of said dehumidifier; said wet air return duct inlet being connected with said upper plenum and said wet air return duct outlet being in fluid connection with said expansion coil condenser of said dehumidifier; said lower plenum including a horizontal air flow distributing wall defining a plurality of air flow apertures communicating with the interior of said drying chamber, wherein said upper plenum comprises a horizontal air flow receiving wall defining a plurality of air flow apertures communicating the said interior of said drying chamber; said drying chamber, said wet air return duct, said dehumidifier, and said recycle duct forming a closed, circulating air drying system; a baffle disposed within said dehumidifier and a compressor, said compressor being separated from the air circulating interior of said dehumidifier, said compressor being vented to the exterior of said clothes dryer so as to carry heat developed thereby to the surrounding atmosphere; a plurality of pairs of drying frame supports spaced along said opposed walls of said drying chamber and a plurality of removable drying frame screens having drying frames horizontally supported by said pairs of drying frame supports; and a pair of hanging bar supports located on said opposed walls proximate said and a clothes hanging bar proximate said air flow receiving wall of said upper plenum; said low temperature clothes dryer system being in the form of a cabinet, said cabinet forming a dehumidifying module enclosure atop said drying chamber, said dehumidifying module being open at the top and rear for dissipation of heat from said compressor, said dehumidifying module having at least one front door for access to said dehumidifier.