Abstract:
A portable, free-standing dryer device with generally tapered portions formed about a generally central axis facilitating insertion into clothing items to be dried from inside, for example gloves, mittens, socks and other substantially tubular items. The device has a connector temporarily fastening it to a forced air vent. The dryer device comprises at least first and second drier portions joined by an intermediate shoulder portion, each of which defines multiple air passages widening from inner to outer surfaces of the portions to define an expansion volume fostering air flow. A larger substantially open end in the first portion receives air from the vent. The air flows from within the drier outwardly through the passages. An angular relationship of outer surfaces of the first, second and intermediate portions relative to the device central axis ensures that the second drier portion has an extended, narrowing configuration facilitating its insertion into clothing items.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is entitled to the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/807,193, filed Jul. 12, 2006; such benefit is hereby claimed under 35 USC 119(e), and the disclosure thereof in its entirety is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to drying items such as gloves, mittens, and other garments or parts thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for holding such items in a substantially open position whereby drying can occur by the flow of air therethrough. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Thorough drying of wet or damp articles of clothing subsequent to exposure of the articles to wet weather conditions, incidental emersion, or simply following routine laundering of the articles is important to comfort and health of the wearer. Incomplete drying can bring discomfort and chills to those individuals who must wear the articles during work or recreation. 
     Further, allowing damp articles of clothing to lie around for extended periods of may result in an unwelcome experience for the individual who must then wear such clothing into the cold outdoors. Items of clothing left damp and dormant for a significant period, particularly woolens or leather, quickly develop a musty scent usually found difficult to eradicate. This scent may signal the growth of mildew which ultimately may damage the clothing fabric and/or introduce allergens and/or pathogens. Examples of clothing articles most adversely impacted might include leather or woolen gloves, mittens, socks, stockings, shoes, boots or portions of jackets, slacks, caps, shirts and similar items. 
     A significant problem is that timely, thorough drying of such items too often is inconvenient or even impossible. Placing the items into an electric or gas heated dryer of the standard type and capacity typically assigned to handling large volumes of clothing takes considerable time and attention, and can be a waste of energy expense. Also, such treatment may result in damage (e.g., shrinkage or parching) to the items themselves. Lack of an effective alternative has driven some to desperate and even dangerous measures. 
     Fire department authorities repeatedly report damaging fires resulting from placement of mittens, socks or similar items in a microwave oven or their suspension from a mantel of an open fireplace. Injuries have been reported as the result of insertion of hot curling irons or other heating implements such as glowing light bulbs into the fabric of wearing apparel. 
     Though not usually hazardous, placement of damp clothing items on a hot radiator or against a vented outlet of a forced-air heating system can be discouragingly slow and bring disappointingly inadequate results. Heat radiated or blown against the outer surfaces of the items may tend to over-dry the surface of an item while under-drying its interior confines. Typically, this results in parched, heat-damaged surface areas while stubborn dampness continues to dwell within. Faced with the choice of wearing damp gloves, mittens or other items into the cold morning air, many elect to leave them behind. In extreme climates this can, of course, be a regrettable choice. 
     Over the years, a great number of devices and solutions have been proposed for facilitating the drying of damp clothing items. Each falls considerably short of expectations in a number of ways. The devices or solutions either are too expensively complex in structural design to be economically manufactured, or they simply are ineffective in application. The present invention represents a solution which is a significant step forward with respect to the prior art. 
     For example, Benjamin&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,756 presents a device for drying wet gloves or mittens, or portions of other wet clothing. Benjamin&#39;s device is formed as a hollow cylinder or is slightly tapered from cylindrical to slightly conically shape. The main portion of Benjamin&#39;s dryer includes a grid of multiple ventilation holes that are square or diamond shaped to facilitate evaporation of moisture. 
     Benjamin&#39;s dryer device can be made of flexible plastic material and molded into its final shape (and also into such a shape that a number of said dryers can be “nested” inside each other). Alternatively, Benjamin&#39;s dryer device can be molded in an essentially planar condition and then forced by the user into its shape described above, by slight exertion of hand pressure. 
     The shape of Benjamin&#39;s device is such that it may be inserted into a glove or mitten so as to allow air to circulate to remove the moisture and thus dry the glove and/or its lining. At its larger end, a tab with a through-hole or S-hook is provided for hanging the dryer unit during a drying process. This device is complex in its design to the point of being difficult to fabricate economically, and results in a surface texture and shape that resists efforts to place it within damp items to be dried. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,518 issued to Ellenburg, a glove drying device is described as comprising a slightly tapered shell for holding the glove, and a clamp for attaching the tapered shell to a golf cart. As the golf cart is driven, movement of the device through the surrounding air serves to dry the glove. Alternatively, the shell may be attached to a golf bag and includes a battery powered fan for drying a glove placed thereon. Applicant notes that golf carts hardly move at great speeds to effect rapid drying; wind around a golf bag will do little if any drying. Besides, the Ellenburg device is not adaptable to use by people arriving home on a cold wet night with gloves that must be dried by morning. 
     Auckerman&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,993 introduces another golf glove dryer. This device includes a perforated hollow drying form in the shape of a hand. A tube is mounted to the inside of the drying form in order to improve air flow into the interior of the form. A heater is provided for mounting inside the tube in order to heat the air which flows into the drying form and to enhance the air flow. This, of course, is a single-use device requiring very specific manufacturing specifications. 
     Disclosed in Dofka&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,717 is a compact drying rack for gloves. Dofka&#39;s invention includes a drain basin for fluid drip collection. Two pylons are situated within the drain basin and serve as bases for vertical, hollow support rods on which are mounted spread ring discs which engage the inside of glove surfaces to facilitate drying. 
     Positioning the utility gloves on Dofka&#39;s drying rack permits air drying of utility gloves thereby destroying pathogens present on wet gloves, preserves the quality of the glove material, avoids contamination to the work site by eliminating pooling of fluids on wet gloves deposited on counter tops. 
     Bader&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,169 offers a relatively complex glove drying apparatus and method wherein an internal sliding mechanism includes fingers movable from retracted position to expanded position. When the fingers are in retracted position the sliding mechanism may be inserted into the glove and then expanded into glove drying position. A non-constant cross-section configuration of the fingers allows for air circulation within the gloves thus promoting drying thereof. 
     Like Bader&#39;s device discussed above, the Willenbacher, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,565 illustrates a glove drying frame configured as a human hand. In this instance the drying frame is formed of a wire mesh hollow body to accommodate a glove thereon, with the hollow body mounting a support clip to a wrist portion of the hollow body to permit suspension of the hollow body permitting free-flow of drying air to be directed interiorly of the hollow body. The Willenbacher, Jr. invention further includes a mounting framework for support of a plurality of hollow bodies permitting directing of a drying medium within the hollow bodies. 
     Appelt&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,622 presents a glove dryer comprising a structure simulating a hand, and which may be folded flat during non-use. Mechaneck&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,142 discloses a glove drying stand which may be configured to dry multiple gloves. The Mechaneck dryer may stand upright on its own or be attached laterally for its support. 
     In Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0181963, Morris shows an insert disposed in a glove to open up the glove and allow the flow of drying air to the inner surfaces of the glove. A cruciform shaped opening is provided in a central portion of the insert. The opening is adapted to interlock with a mating cruciform member on a drying tree for drying in ambient air. Alternatively, the insert with glove mounted thereon can be disposed in a gas or electric dryer. 
     DuRapau&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,017 and No. 6,962,004 present drying apparatuses for boots and gloves including a body portion with an upwardly extending drying member. The member includes an upper portion for holding an item of apparel, and a platform coupled to the body portion. The platform can be moved into a first generally horizontal position over the drying member and can be moved into a second, non-horizontal position not over the drying member such that a user has access to the upper portion of the drying member. The drying apparatus can include an air freshener. 
     While a great number of dryers and drying methods presently exist within the prior art, all are burdened by complexity or manufacture and ineffectiveness in application. None holds the advantages of the present invention, particularly in terms of ease of placement of the dryer unit within items to be dried. Further advantages of the present invention are its simplicity and economy of manufacture, and enhanced results from its application. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective of the device as viewed from its larger, substantially open end and tapering toward a smaller substantially closed end; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a side elevation of the device shown upright as it rests on its larger end; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view at the larger end of the device looking into the larger substantially open end of the device, and through toward its smaller end. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a passive dryer device generally designated as  1 . Dryer device  1  is both portable and free-standing, and is formed generally about a central axis A. It has a shape affording stacked shipments, and nesting storage of multiple units during non-use. 
     Dryer device  1  finds uniquely useful application to wearing apparel (not shown) which is, at least in part, generally tubular in shape, but of course adaptable to non-tubular shapes as well. It is important, however, that the wearing apparel item to be dried is structured to permit insertion of dryer device  1 . Examples of such apparel (while in no way intended as limiting the application of dryer device  1 ) are gloves, mittens, socks, stockings, and the like. Other apparel items to which device  1  may be applied include shirt sleeves, certain shoe or boot designs, hats, stocking caps, and the like. 
     Dryer device  1  enjoys a unique configuration to facilitate its insertion for drying items from inside-out. It is formed to mount on typical heat-outlets such as a building&#39;s forced-air vents. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , dryer device  1  includes a relatively larger, substantially open base or portion  2  and a relatively smaller second end or portion  6  terminating at a substantially closed end  7 . 
     Both portions ( 2 ,  6 ) have an inner and outer surface substantially smooth so as to facilitate relative mounting thereupon of any items to be dried, as well as enabling nesting or stacking as discussed hereabove. An intermediate or shoulder portion  4  is configured and located so as to adjoin portions  2  and  6  and is, for the same reasons just discussed, substantially smooth in nature on both its inner and outer surfaces. 
     Overall, dryer device  1  presents a generally conical configuration which narrows or tapers from its relatively larger substantially open base portion  2 , to its second portion  6 , terminating at end  7 . However, rather than a uniform tapering of the dryer device  1  from first portion to second portion ( 2 ,  6 ,  7 ), the device  1  decreases in at least two tapering stages and at differing tapering rates or angles relative to central axis A. To form a user friendly dryer configuration, the relationships of these differing angles is important as will now be explained. 
     Each portion ( 2  and  6 ) has an outer surface configuration defined generally by a surface of revolution about the dryer device central axis. If the surfaces of revolution of the initial portion  2  and second portion  6  were to be extended so as to intersect the device central axis A, the intersection angle of the surface of revolution extension for portion  2  will be greater relative to that of portion  6 . The general effect is that the dryer device  1  of the present invention presents a narrowed axial extension toward its end  7  as is evident in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     This narrowed axial extension in the form of portion  6  facilitates its easy insertion into even the smallest item of apparel such as a child&#39;s mitten. (Note: While the expressions “generally conical” and “surface of revolution” are, for convenience of explanation and understanding, employed in describing this invention, it will be apparent that any equivalent shape such as “generally polygonal” will apply just as well, with tapering reductions in width following the same basic scheme to be described below.) 
     Between (and interconnecting) the first portion  2  and second portion  6  is a generally annular transition section or shoulder  4 . This narrowing transition section, shoulder  4 , also has an outer surface configuration defined generally by a surface of revolution about the dryer device  1  central axis. If the surface of revolution of shoulder  4  were to be extended so as to intersect the device  1  central axis A, it would do so at an angle greater than that of both the first and second portions  2  and  6 . This shoulder  4  configuration serves to step-up the support surface for ever-larger items of clothing and the like, as end  7  is inserted relatively deeper into the apparel item. 
     Each of the portions  2 ,  4 , and  6  (as well as end  7 ) is provided with a set of air passages,  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18  respectively. Compared to prior art devices, the number of air passages in the portions  2 ,  4  and  6  is relatively minimal. By limiting the collective (or sum of), substantially open areas in each said first, second and intermediate dryer portion  2 ,  4  and  6  to less than half of each said portion collective surface area, the resultant device  1  structure will be substantially rigid and stable, and notably more easily inserted into clothing items without deforming. 
     In the present context, “collective open area” refers to the square-inch sum of open areas for a portion  2 ,  4  or  6 . Similarly, “collective surface area” refers to the total overall surface area for each portion  2 ,  4  or  6 . It will be appreciated that air forced through fewer openings relative to overall surface area of a dryer device will flow with substantially increased back pressure than in a device where the vast majority of the surface area is effectively divided into a comparably greater number of adjacent passages. 
     Passages  12 ,  14 ,  16  are bordered by their smooth and uninterrupted edges to avoid snagging the material or fabric of items mounted thereon. As more clearly illustrated in  FIG. 3 , passages  12 ,  14  and  16  are further defined so as to slightly expand in volume capacity from an inside surface toward outside surface of each portion ( 2 ,  4 ,  6 ) of device  1 . 
     During use of dryer device  1 , air may be forced from a typically heating duct so as to flow into opening  20 . The air then is moved in a continuously reduced pathway toward and into the shoulder portion and second portion, respectively. Along its pathway of flow, the air is forced through passages  12 ,  14  and  16 , as well as through holes  18  in end  7 , and into an interior of any clothing item mounted thereon. (Note: The circle labeled  19  in  FIG. 3  is not a hole, but rather a depression resulting from the molding process.) 
     The defined perimeter of each passage  12 ,  14  and  16  at its innermost area at dryer device  1  inner surface is smaller than its defined outermost perimeter at dryer device  1  outer surface. In other words, said passages are defined and configured to broaden or expand in volume from the inner surface to said outer surface of each dryer  1  portion ( 2 ,  4 , and  6 ). 
     At a downstream edge of each passage  12 ,  14  and  16  is a fillet surface  22  formed to define the expanding volume. (Fillets  22  blend with smooth downstream edges of each passage so as to further avoid snagging engagement with items being dried.) Volume expansion of passages  12 ,  14  and  16  and the attendant reduction of air pressure toward the outside surface of the device  1  serves to foster escape of the moving air from inside to outside of the device  1 . As the moving air progresses through device  1  and outwardly through passages  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18 , it impinges against the damp interior confines of a clothing item. 
     As mentioned above, the overall shape of dryer device  1  presents a distinct advantage when mounting a damp item thereon. As the item and dryer device  1  are moved relatively into juxtaposition, the leading smaller portion  6  enters relatively easily into an item interior portion, regardless of the item size or dampened condition. 
     With further relative movement, the smaller portion  6  works its way deeper into the damp clothing item so as to encourage the item to move relative to dryer  1  shoulder portion  4  and still further onto larger portion  2 . Of course, smaller items (such as an infant&#39;s mitten) may not make it beyond initial insertion of smaller portion  6 . 
     Further, it should be noted that the present invention may be constructed with more than the two portions  2  and  6  discussed above. For example, an additional portion may follow shoulder  4 , and be configured with a tapered step-down to another shoulder joining an even more reduced portion  6 . 
     Permitting or directing forced air from heating vents (or the air flow resulting from the rising heat flow from radiator units) into the larger end portion  2  of the inventive drying device  1  facilitates a safe, efficient and effective drying process—progressing from clothing item inside toward item outside. The device is configured to accept a range of apparel sizes from infant to adult. Further, there is no power consumption issue or danger of ignition or electrical short from passive device  1 . 
     Advantageously, dryer device  1  further includes a vent-connection feature in the form of utility extension  8  having a connector element  9 , and a stabilizing extension tab  10 . Connector element  9  and tab  10  are located generally adjacent opening  20  of the larger portion  2 , and each could take any of a variety of equivalent configurations. In operation, dryer device  1 , with its mounted clothing item may be placed upon an air vent outlet such that extension connector  9  releasably attaches to a portion of vent structure (e.g., vent flow control lever or vent slot). 
     If needed for device  1  stabilization, the extension tab  10  may first be wedged or pressed within one of the vent slots and the device  1  subsequently attached via connector  9 . In cases where a facility&#39;s air flow vent is substantially horizontal or flat, the two extensions  8  and  10  can serve as “feet” to stabilize the dryer device  1  as it resides upon the vent with its smaller portion  6  extending upwardly. Tab  10  may further serve as a labeling point to associate the clothing items (e.g., ski gloves) with their owner. 
     Words and expressions employed herein are used as terms of description, not of limitation. There is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof. It is to be recognized, therefore, that various modifications are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention incorporates variations that fall within the scope of the following claims.