Clothes drying cabinet

A clothes drying cabinet which consists of a base, a frame, a cover and a control unit is disclosed. A heat source, a warm air cushion chamber and a clothes drying chamber are provided inside the clothes drying cabinet. The heat source comprises a fan motor and a PCT heating element. The frame is positioned on the base and supported by the hanger braces. The division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber forms the warm air cushioning chamber with the protection plate of the warm air channel in the lower parts and forms the cloth drying chamber. The frame is covered outside by the cover. The control unit comprises a control panel and switches. The clothes drying effect can be improved and the drying speed can be increased, furthermore the clothes drying cabinet is safe so that the danger due to clothes falling down can be prevented.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a cloth drying appliance, and more particularly to a cabinet type clothes drying appliance.

2. Description of Related Arts

Nowadays, due to the limitation of weather and location, more and more people have to use the drum-type dryer or the washing machines with dryer function, which are found in every appliance store. Even though the intelligence design and safety standards of the both types of conventional dryer product meet the national requirements, there are still drawbacks as follows. The drum-type dryer easily causes wrinkles and damages to the clothes during the rotation operation that needs time to be ironing thereafter. Moreover, the design of the conventional machine is also complicated that the price is much higher than what the average person can afford. Therefore, an economic drying appliance that is affordable to the public while its safety properties conform to the national standards is a demand in the market. The Chinese Patent Number 03267656.5 discloses a dryer using a dual-layered wall structure with a relatively cheap cost and ironing free feature. Yet it still has the following disadvantages. The steam rises from the clothes during drying can only exit from the vent located at the bottom of the dryer that violates the scientific theory. In addition, it slows down the drying speed, adversely affects the drying ability and is energy consuming. There is no way to control the conditions including the temperature and humidity inside the dryer. If the hanging large clothes after dried falls by accident and blocks the exit vent, damages to the clothes and safety hazard may occur.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet-type clothes drying appliance which overcomes the abovementioned problems of the conventional dryers: i.e. the poor efficiency, slow speed, lacking of temperature and humid control, and safety hazard.

Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a cabinet-type clothes drying appliance which comprises a base, a frame, a cover, and a control unit. It further comprises a heat source is used for making hot air and high pressure, a warm air cushioning chamber used for mixing high and low temperature air, and a clothes drying chamber used for drying the clothes within the drying chamber.

The heat source comprises a wind turbine and a PTC heating element, wherein the base comprises the heat source and a warm air channel. The frame is provided at an upper portion of the base and supported by a hanger pole, wherein the hanger pole comprises a division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber and a top net plate. A lower portion of the division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber and the protection plate of the warm air channel define the warm air cushioning chamber and an upper portion of the division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber and the top net plate11define the cloth drying chamber. At least a hanging pole is provided at the upper portion of the clothes drying chamber. The cover, which is made of high temperature resistant and airtight material, concealedly covers the frame and one or more exhaust holes are provided on top of the cover. The control unit comprises a control panel and switches. The control unit further comprises a main control having a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor is provided at the division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber in the drying chamber, the warm air cushioning chamber or the protection plates of the warm air channel, wherein the humid sensor is provided at the warm air cushioning chamber and the drying chamber.

In order to purify the air exiting from the PTC outlet, an ultraviolet ray sterilizer can be mounted on one side of the PTC outlet. Furthermore, in order to prevent people from being hurt by the ultraviolet ray produced by ultraviolet ray light, the light cap is provided on the upper portion of the ultraviolet ray light.

The hanger pole having a fastener is provided at the four corners of the base for supporting the base. The division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber and the top net plate are provided from top to bottom of the hanger pole respectively through the connecting block, wherein the division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber forms the warm air cushioning chamber with the protection plate of the warm air channel in the lower parts and forms the cloth drying chamber, and the distance between each of them is larger than 60 cm so as to guarantee the temperature of the air coming out from the hot air channel is fully decreased.

The effect of the present invention is that the steam rising from the bottom of the base is scientifically going up following the natural rule: the hot air is usually going up. That is it shows the innovation structure to overcome the conventional problems in conventional technology and provide a safe, faster way to dry clothes. Furthermore, the procedure of drying cloth is controllable. In order to prevent energy waste, the bottom portion of the cover and the upper portion of the base are sealed together to achieve the goal of energy saving. On the other hand, a couple of small holes are provided at the upper portion of the cover as an output of the steam from bottom to top for improving the clothes drying efficiency. The temperature and humidity within the warm air cushioning chamber are measured by temperature sensor and humid sensor, and response the result for the main control such that the clothes drying appliance is capable of automatically turning off the power while the temperature of the clothes drying appliance is not normal or the cloth is dry enough to achieve the goal of energy saving. The efficiency of drying cloth is high, and the drying speed is fast. Furthermore, safe is guaranteed while hanging clothes fall down.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 5of the drawing, a cabinet-type clothes drying appliance according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, which comprises a base1, a moveable wheels17providing at the base1, a frame, a cover30, and a control unit, wherein a protruding stand2is provided at a boundary of the base for fastening the cover30along a lower opening thereof. The base1further comprises a humidity sensor14and an ozone sterilizer23. A waterproof stand19is provided at the boundary of the base1. A front side of the base1provides a control unit switch36, a humidity sensor15and a storage of remote control16. Also, a main control38and a wind turbine22are provided at one side of the base1to form a heat source, and that a hot wind channel24having a water outlet28is provided at another side of the base1. A divisional plate20is provided between two sides of the base1. A hot wind channel24comprises a protection plate of the warm air channel4at an upper portion of the hot wind channel24, and that an arch-shape wall37is provided at the end of the hot wind channel24, wherein when the hot air is guided to touch to the arch-shaped wall37, the hot air is favorable guided to the warm air cushioning chamber5. Moreover, an air inlet with a dustproof net40is provided at a bottom portion of the heat source, wherein a PTC filter net27is provided at a PTC outlet25for communicating with the hot wind channel24while a PTC heating element10is mounted between them, wherein the cross section of the connection part between the hot wind channel24and the PTC heating element10is 1.1 times larger than that of the real cross section area of the PTC outlet. The length of the PTC heating element10is 1.2 times larger than that of the real length of the PTC heating element10.

In order to purify the air exiting from the PTC outlet25, an ultraviolet ray sterilizer26is mounted on one side of the PTC outlet25. Furthermore, in order to prevent people from being hurt by the ultraviolet ray produced by the ultraviolet ray sterilizer26, a light cap is provided on an upper portion of the ultraviolet ray sterilizer26.

The hanger pole3having a fastener29is provided at four corners of the base1for supporting the base. The division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber7and a top net plate11are provided from top to bottom of the hanger pole3respectively through the connecting block6, wherein a lower portion of the division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber7and the protection plate of the warm air channel4define the warm air cushioning chamber5while the distance therebetween is larger than 60 cm so as to guarantee the temperature of the air coming out from the hot air channel24is fully decreased. An upper portion of the division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber7and the top net plate11define the clothes drying chamber13. At least a hanging pole8connecting to the top net plate11through the connector of hanging poles is provided at the upper portion of the clothes drying chamber13. In order to make the frame remaining in a straight manner, an anti-lateral X shaped connection pole12is provided on a back side of the hanger pole3and affixed by a pivot18. Otherwise, a soft wire is another alternative way to achieve the same goal. The humidity sensor14is provided in the warm air cushioning chamber5or the clothes drying chamber13.

The cover30, which is made of high temperature resistant and airtight material, concealedly covers the frame. A slide fastener31and a pocket32are provided on a front side of the cover30which comprises a plurality of exhaust holes33on its top, each having a size between 5 to 20 mm. A boundary of each of the exhaust holes is affixed by a ring shape metal mounting piece34. Moreover, to position the cover3, tighten the elastic wire at the protruding stand2and the lower portion of the cover30and affix the fastener29between the cover30and the hanger pole3. The control unit comprises a control panel15and a main control38. The control unit comprises a main control38having a humidity sensor14and a temperature sensor22and a switch36, wherein the temperature sensor22is provided at the division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber7in the drying chamber3, the warm air cushioning chamber5or the protection plates of the warm air channel4.

The control unit is illustrated inFIG. 6; in the beginning, connecting to the power source and opening the control unit switch36, and the control panel15. After the connection is on, the main control38starts to send signals to the wind turbine21, the PTC heating element10, the ozone sterilizer23, and the ultraviolet ray sterilizer26and make all of them start working. Meanwhile, the temperature sensor22and the humidity sensor14start to detect the temperature and humidity in the warm air cushioning chamber5and the clothes drying chamber13and transform the information to the main control38. When the temperature detection is over the critical value, the main controller38sends a signal to the PTC heating element10to stop its heating procedure such that the temperature of the warm air cushioning chamber5will drop down because of heat exchange. On the contrary, when the temperature detection is down to the low critical temperature, the main control38sends another signal to activate the PCT heating element. When the humidity of the clothes drying chamber13is down to a preset value, the main controller38sends a signal to the PTC heating element10to stop its heating procedure. Finally, when the temperature of the warm air cushioning chamber5is down to the preset value, the main control sends signals to the wind turbine21, the ozone sterilizer23, and the ultraviolet ray sterilizer26to stop working and sends a done drying signal.

During operation, the cover30can be opened through the slide fastener31for the wet clothes to be hanged on the hanging poles8. Then close the slide fastener31and activate the power line35with the power source. Switch on the control unit switch36and the control panel15, the main control38sends signal to activate the wind turbine21, the PTC heating element10, the ultraviolet ray sterilizer26, and the ozone sterilizer23working, in order to suck in room temperature purified air filtered by the dustproof40which is further heated and sent to the hot wind channel24. After that, the purified air is sterilized by the ultraviolet ray sterilizer26and discharged through the protection plates of the warm air channel4into the warm air cushioning chamber5for a heat exchange with the cooling air originally existed here, such that the air temperature is going down. After that, the temperature of the air is keep going up after the air is further sterilized through the ultraviolet ray sterilizer26. The air temperature will stop going up until the air in the clothes drying chamber13is dry enough for drying the wet clothes.

Meanwhile, the temperature of the steam in the clothes drying chamber13increases due to hot air therein while the density of the steam reduces. Because of the blowing effect of the wind turbine21and the airtight cover30, the wet air quickly rises to discharge through the air outlet33at the top portion of the cover30. Meanwhile, the water dripped from the clothes flows into the water outlet28of the hot wind channel24through the division plate for the warm air cushioning chamber7and flows into the water box39. Because the bottom of the hot wind channel24is at least 5 mm lower than the bottom of PTC heating element10, the water from the wet clothes will not flow to the wind turbine21.

In the drying process, the water in the wet clothes is gradually decreased until the clothes are totally dry. If the clothes have become dry or the hanging clothes falls down to block the hole on the warm air cushioning chamber5, the room temperature of the warm air cushioning chamber5rises to high critical value and a response message will be sent by temperature sensor22to the main control38. The main control38sends a signal to the PTC heating element10to stop working for saving energy. On the contrary, when the humidity of the clothes drying chamber13is going down to the preset value, the main control38send a signal to the PTC heating element10to stop working. Finally, when the temperature of the warm air cushioning chamber5is going down to the preset value, the main control38sends signals to the wind turbine21, the ozone sterilizer23and the ultraviolet ray sterilizer27to stop working. After power off the cabinet-type clothes drying appliance and disconnect the power source, the slide fastener can be opened to pick the clothes out.