Armoire adaptable to a sauna, drum dryer, and tubular lighted clothing dryer with humidity damper control of exhaust gases

A dryer has an internal drying chamber for accommodating articles that are subjected to heated circulating air to remove moisture from the articles. An air mixing chamber contains a first fan for moving air through a heater into the drying chamber. A second fan draws air out of the drying and mixing chambers and discharges air back into the mixing chamber through a filter into the external environment. The heated air in the drying chamber is mixed with fresh air and recirculated through the drying chamber to minimize heat losses and increase drying effectiveness. Ultraviolet lamps within the drying chamber destroy contaminants in the air and articles within the chamber. A boot dryer, located in the drying chamber, has fans that move air through tubes used to support boots, shoes, skates and socks. Ultraviolet light in the boot chamber destroys contaminants in the air in the boot chamber. One modification of the dryer has a bench to permit the dryer to be used as a dry sauna. A further modification of the dryer has a rotatable tumbler for accommodating articles to be dried.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is in the field of dryers for drying clothing, sporting and 
athletic equipment, dry saunas and tanning booths. The drying is achieved 
by circulating heated air in an enclosed chamber accommodating the 
articles to be dried. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Wet outdoor garments, sport clothing and equipment have in the past been 
stored in garages, back rooms and basements where they would eventually 
dry due to natural air circulation. The natural air circulation is not 
conducive to rapid drying of articles. The damp articles, such as 
clothing, will mildew and have unpleasant odors when stored without 
adequate drying. Cloth drying machines having housings with drying 
chambers have been used for drying clothes. These machines have heating 
elements and fans for circulating hot air within the drying chambers to 
dry the clothes placed in the drying chambers. An example of this type of 
drying machine is shown by C. J. Liang in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,077. The 
machine has a housing having a drying chamber for accommodating clothes. 
Heated air moving through the drying chamber carries moisture out of the 
drying chamber into a condensing compartment where moisture is condensed 
into water and then delivered to an evaporating apparatus and converted 
into steam. The steam is dried by an electric heater and moved back into 
the drying chamber. An ultraviolet light is located within the drying 
chamber for sterilizing the clothes in the drying chamber. Other machines 
having drying chambers for accommodating heated air for drying clothing 
are disclosed by A. Irving in U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,424 and J. W. McCormick 
in U.S. Pat. No. 1,755,013. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is directed to a self-contained dryer having an internal 
chamber for accommodating articles, such as clothing, sporting equipment, 
hockey gear, shoes and other objects. The dryer has a housing enclosing a 
drying chamber in which the articles are dried and stored. Doors attached 
to the housing permit access to the interior of the chamber. Heated air is 
directed with a first fan into the drying chamber simultaneously with the 
discharge of air from the drying chamber with a second fan which draws 
fresh air into the drying chamber and selectively discharges air into an 
air mixing chamber and to the outside of the dryer. The heated air is 
recirculated in the drying chamber to increase its moisture content so 
that the dryer has effective, energy-efficient characteristics. Filters, 
such as charcoal filters, located adjacent air inlets and outlets, remove 
airborne odors and particulates from the air moving into and out of the 
dryer. 
The dryer is equipped with a boot dryer, located within the drying chamber. 
The boot dryer has at least one additional fan that draws air from the 
drying chamber and discharges the air through tubular members extended 
into mittens, gloves or footwear, including boots and shoes. The 
additional fans also recirculate the air in the drying chamber. 
Ultraviolet lights located in the chamber are used to decontaminate the 
air. An infrared light is used to provide radiant heat in the drying 
chamber. 
The dryer is adapted to accommodate damp and wet articles of clothing, 
hunting and sporting equipment including boots, shoes and socks and 
efficiently and effectively drying these articles. The dryer has a 
generally upright housing having an internal drying chamber for 
accommodating the articles to be dried. A pair of doors, hinged to the 
front of the housing, can be moved to open positions to permit access into 
the drying chamber so that the articles can be conveniently placed in the 
drying chamber. The doors are pivoted to their closed positions to enclose 
the drying chamber. The dryer can have a single door. The drying chamber 
has a generally horizontal ceiling, which forms with the top wall of the 
housing and air mixing chamber. Separate portions of the ceiling are 
provided with openings to allow air to flow from the air mixing chamber 
into the drying chamber and out of the drying chamber back into the air 
mixing chamber. An air heater, located in the air mixing chamber, is used 
to heat air that is supplied to the drying chamber. The heater can be an 
electric heating coil, an infrared lamp, a microwave heater or other 
devices used to heat air. A first fan operated with an electric motor is 
located in the air mixing chamber adjacent the heater. The fan operates to 
move air from the mixing chamber into the heater and hot air from the 
heater into the drying chamber. The air is directed downwardly into the 
drying chamber where it accumulates moisture from the articles located 
within the chamber. A second fan, located within the air mixing chamber, 
operates to draw air from the drying chamber and outside air into the 
drying chamber and discharge air into the mixing chamber or back to the 
environment outside of the dryer through filters containing charcoal or 
material to reduce odors from the air. A damper controlled by a humidistat 
in the drying chamber controls the flow of air discharged into the 
environment. The first and second fans operate concurrently to 
continuously circulate and recirculate the air in the drying chamber. The 
filters contain activated charcoal or materials which removes odors from 
the air flowing into and out of the dryer. Ultraviolet light fixtures 
mounted on the ceiling emit UV light that sterilizes the air and articles 
located within the drying chamber. 
A casing, having an internal chamber, is located within the drying chamber 
to dry mittens, gloves and boot wear, including boots, shoes, skates, 
in-line roller blade-type skates, socks and the like. A plurality of 
tubular pipes or members are mounted on the casing and open to the 
internal chamber of the casing to deliver air into the articles mounted on 
the tubes. A pair of third fans mounted on the casing operate to move air 
from the drying chamber through the internal chamber of the casing and 
tubes to dry the articles thereon. A second ultraviolet lamp, located 
within the passages of the tubes, directs UV light through the tubes into 
the articles mounted thereon to destroy bacteria, fungus, mildew and other 
contaminants present in the air and article on the tube. 
The heater and fans are controlled with a plurality of switches and a timer 
used to select the operating cycle of the dryer. A coin-operated mechanism 
can be used to control the timer. The control includes a switch connected 
to germicidal ultraviolet lights located within the drying chamber for 
sterilizing and decontaminating the air and articles within the drying 
chamber. All of the fans are under the control of a single switch so that 
the fans concurrently operate to move air into and out of the drying 
chamber, as well as to recirculate the air in the drying chamber. The air 
discharged from the dryer has a high moisture content resulting in high 
energy drying efficiency. 
A first modification of the dryer includes a bench in the drying chamber to 
accommodate one or more persons. Infrared light in the drying chamber 
provides a heat source to heat the air and person in the drying chamber. 
The dryer is used as a dry sauna. When the ultraviolet lights are used, 
the dryer functions as a tanning booth. A moisture-producing system, such 
as a steamer or cool mist humidifier, can be used in the drying chamber to 
provide a wet sauna. 
A second modification of the dryer includes a tumbler, such as an open 
rotatable drum, for accommodating articles located within the drying 
chamber. Rollers mounted on the housing support the tumbler for rotation 
about a generally horizontal axis. A motor releasably coupled to the 
tumbler rotates the tumbler. The tumbler can be removed from the drying 
chamber to permit the dryer to be used to dry articles located within the 
drying chamber. The tumbler has ribs with holes to accommodate hangers for 
supporting articles when the tumbler is not rotated. Articles, such as 
sports gear, can be stored and dried in the dryer. The chest is attached 
to wheels and a handle to facilitate manual handling of the dryer. The top 
of the drying chamber is closed with a cover hinged to the chest. The 
cover is movable to an open position to allow access to the drying 
chamber. Air porous walls within the drying chamber allow air to flow from 
the drying chamber back to the air mixing chamber for recirculation back 
into the drying chamber. The air also flows out of the drying chamber 
through a filter, such as an activated charcoal filter which removes odors 
from the air.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown the armoire or dryer of the 
invention indicated generally at 10. Dryer 10 is a self-contained 
structure useable to dry articles and objects including, but not limited 
to, athletic equipment; such as hockey and baseball equipment, shoes, 
skates, in-line roller blade-type skates, hand and footwear, boots, socks, 
recreational and sports clothing and outdoor wear, sweaters, stockings and 
shirts that at times accumulate body perspiration or fluids, and become 
damp and wet in inclement weather or wet during laundry cleaning. The term 
"articles", as used herein, includes, but is not limited to, clothing, 
athletic equipment and outdoor wear and includes other products and 
objects that can be dried. 
Dryer 10 has a generally rectangular cabinet or housing 11, including 
upright side walls 12 and 13, joined to an upright back wall 14. A 
horizontal top wall 16 closes the top of the housing. The front of the 
housing has a lower front panel 17 located below a pair of doors 18 and 
19. As seen in FIG. 3, hinges 26 and 27 pivotally mount doors 18 and 19 on 
side walls 12 and 13 so that the doors can be swung to open positions, as 
indicated by arrows 23 and 24 to provide full access to the interior of 
housing 11. Handles or knobs 21 and 22, attached to doors 18 and 19 
respectively, are used as convenient hand grips to allow doors 18 and 19 
to be opened and closed. 
As seen in FIG. 3, peg boards 28 and 29 are secured to the inside surfaces 
of doors 18 and 19. Boards 28 and 29 can facilitate hooks and wire basket 
members for accommodating articles such as items of clothing and other 
objects to be dried. Other structures, such as walls with grooves, can be 
used to support articles within the drying chamber 41 of housing 11. For 
example, shelves can be used for flat drying of sweaters, shirts and other 
garments. A drying rack and hangers shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,424 can 
be used to support articles in drying chamber 41. 
Referring to FIG. 2, the upper part of back wall 14 carries three filters 
31, 32 and 33. The air filters are fiber and activated charcoal air 
filters that can be replaced. The charcoal air filters function to remove 
odors and particulates from air flowing out of the dryer. Other types of 
filters can be used to clean the air and remove odors from the air flowing 
into and out of the dryer. A plurality of clips or holders 34 attach 
filters 31, 32 and 33 to back wall 14. An electrical cord 36 extends 
through back wall 14 below filters 32 and 33. Cord 36 is connected to a 
ground fault circuit breaker 100, shown in FIG. 8. An air filter 35 
mounted on back wall 14 covers an air inlet opening 66 to filter air 
flowing into drying chamber 41, as shown by arrows 67 in FIGS. 5 and 6. 
Filter 35 is a charcoal filter operable to remove odors and particulates 
for the air flowing into the dryer. The air flowing into the drying 
chamber is mixed with the air circulating in the chamber and makes up for 
the volume of air discharged through filters 31, 32 and 33. 
A damper or gate 110, located in chamber 43, adjacent filters 31, 32 and 
33, controls the flow of air through the filters. Damper 110 is normally 
in the closed position, as shown in full lines in FIG. 6, closing the 
openings 109 in wall 14. The bottom of damper 110 is pivotally connected 
to wall 42 with a hinge 111. A humidity sensor or humidistat 112 having an 
air moisture sensing probe 113 located in chamber 41 is connected to 
reversible drive motor 114 operable to move to damper 110 between its open 
and closed positions. Humidistat 112 operates motor 114 to move damper 110 
to an open position to allow air to be discharged through filters 31, 32 
and 33, shown by arrow 78 in FIG. 7. Humidistat 112 operates in response 
to the moisture content of the air in drying chamber 41. When the moisture 
content of the air in drying chamber 41 is above a selected value, the 
humidistat 110 will operate motor 114 to open damper 110 thereby 
discharging air out of chamber 43 and allowing outside air to flow into 
drying chamber 41. 
As seen in FIG. 4, a bottom wall or floor 37 is attached to lower portions 
of side walls 12 and 13 and back wall 14. Bottom wall 37 has a large 
central opening 38 accommodating a drip pan 39. Drip pan 39 has an open 
top to accommodate any water, ice or snow that is derived from the 
articles to be dried within housing 11. The articles are located within a 
drying chamber, indicated generally at 41, located above drip pan 39. The 
upper part of housing 11 has a ceiling or transverse wall 42 located below 
an air mixing chamber 43, as seen in FIG. 6. 
The inside of back wall 14 accommodates a generally rectangular peg board 
44 and a lower peg board 46. Boards 44 and 46 can be a single peg board. 
Peg boards 47 and 48 are secured to the insides of side walls 12 and 13. 
Article support structures or clips can be used to support shelves, hooks 
and other structures for supporting the articles within chamber 41. 
Rotatable cylinders can be placed in chamber 41 for holding articles as 
hereinafter described. 
A pair of germicidal ultraviolet light fixtures 59 and 61 are located in 
the upper corners of drying chamber 41. Fixtures 59 and 61 are attached to 
opposite sides of the lower side of transverse wall 42. The ultraviolet 
light emitted from fixtures 59 and 61 functions to sterilize or 
decontaminate the air within chamber 41 and limit mold, fungus, virus, 
mildew, dry rot and bacterial growth on the articles to be dried. 
The center of transverse wall 42 supports a light 62, such as an infrared 
light, and air grills 63 and 64, allowing air to circulate between drying 
chamber 41 and mixing chamber 43. The infrared light functions to heat the 
air, moisture and articles located in drying chamber 41. The heat aids in 
removing moisture from the articles. Back wall 14, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 
6, has an opening 66 covered by filter 35 to allow outside air to flow 
into drying chamber 41. A motor-driven fan (not shown) can be mounted on 
back wall 14 to force additional outside air into drying chamber 41. 
Arrows 67 indicate the flow of air into chamber 41. Opening 66 allows 
outside air to flow into drying chamber 41 so that the dryer breathes when 
used for storage. 
A front panel 72 closes the front portion of mixing chamber 43. Panel 72 
supports a timer 103 and switches 104, 105 and 106 for controlling heater 
73, ultraviolet lamps 59, 61 and 95, humidistat 112 and fans 74, 77, 94 
and 96 used to circulate air in drying chamber 41 and air mixing chamber 
43. A coin-operated mechanism (not shown) can be used to operate timer 
103. 
As seen in FIG. 6, a first fan or blower 74, having a squirrel-cage 
impeller driven with an electric motor, operates to deliver air through 
heater 73 and into drying chamber 41, as indicated by arrows 76. Heater 73 
is shown as an electric resistance coil located between fan 74 and air 
grill 63. Other types of heaters including infrared light and electronic 
heaters can be used to heat air directed into drying chamber 41. A 
microwave-type heater can be used to heat the air and articles in heater 
41. Fan 74 and heater 73 can be a single device mounted on interior wall 
42. A second exhaust fan 77, having a squirrel-cage impeller driven with 
an electric motor, operates to draw air from drying chamber 41 and 
discharge the air toward charcoal air filters 31, 32 and 33 for discharge 
into the atmosphere, as indicated by arrows 78. A single electric motor 
can be used to drive fans 74 and 77. As shown in FIG. 6, outside air is 
drawn through air filter 35 to make up for the air that is discharged 
through air filters 31, 32, and 33 by the operation of fan 77. Fan 77 
draws air from drying chamber 41 through air grill 64 and draws fresh, 
external air through air filter 35 and hole 66. This air is mixed with air 
from drying chamber 41 in chambers 41 and 43 and is discharged through 
heater 73 and air grill 63 into the top of drying chamber 41. The hot air 
from drying chamber 41 heats up the cool, fresh air thereby reducing the 
amount of heat energy required by heater 73 to heat the air being forced 
into drying chamber 41 by fan 74. 
As seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, a second drying unit termed a boot dryer, 
indicated generally at 79, is located in the lower portion of drying 
chamber 41 adjacent back wall 14. Boot dryer 79 has a housing or casing 81 
that is attached with fasteners 83, such as bolts, to back wall 14. Boot 
dryer 79 can be positioned at a selected elevation relative to back wall 
14, as desired by the user of the dryer. Casing 81 has an internal chamber 
82 that is open to a plurality of upright tubes 84, 86, 87 and 88. Sleeves 
with tightening nuts 89, 91, 92 and 93, secured to the top wall of casing 
81, accommodate lower ends of tubes 84, 86, 87 and 88 so that the tubes 
can be removed and replaced with tubes having shapes that accommodate 
different types of mittens, gloves, boots, shoes, skates and the like. The 
sleeves associated with nuts 89, 91, 92 and 93 allow for vertical 
adjustment and circumferential positioning of tubes 84, 86, 87 and 88 to 
accommodate different types and sizes of articles. FIG. 4 shows tubes 
having different shapes and elevations that can be selectively attached to 
casing 81. An ultraviolet lamp 95 within casing 81 emits light to the 
casing and through tubes 84 and 86-88 to destroy contaminants in the air 
and articles located on the tubes. The front wall of casing 81 
accommodates a pair of third and fourth fans or blowers 94 and 96 having 
blades rotated with electric motors to draw air from drying chamber 41 
into boot dryer chamber 82 which is then forced through tubes 84, 86, 87 
and 88 into the boots or like objects that are mounted on the tubes. Fans 
94 and 96 also operate to discharge air laterally through tubes 97 and 98 
into the lower portions of drying chamber 41, as indicated by arrows 99 in 
FIG. 6, to increase air circulation within the lower portion of drying 
chamber 41. A single fan can be used in lieu of fans 94 and 96. The 
direction of rotation of the fan blades associated with fans 94 and 96 can 
be reversed so that the air is drawn into tubes 84, 86, 87 and 88 and 
discharged into drying chamber 41. 
Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown the electrical circuit diagram for 
heater 73, fans 74, 77, 94 and 96, humidistat 110 and lights 59, 61 and 62 
of dryer 10. A switch 101 functions to connect light 62 with the power 
source connected to ground fault circuit breaker 100. The operator of the 
dryer uses switch 101 to turn light 62 ON and OFF. Timer 103 is directly 
connected to three switches 104, 105 and 106. Switch 104 is operable to 
connect the power to heater 73. Switch 105 is operable to connect the 
power to all of the fans 74, 77, 94 and 96 so that the fans simultaneously 
operate to circulate and recirculate the air in the drying chamber and 
concurrently mix the air from the drying chamber with outside air in 
mixing chamber 43. Fans 94 and 96 also operate to move the air through the 
boot dryer as they draw air from the lower portion of the drying chamber. 
Switch 106 is electrically connected to ultraviolet lights 59 and 61. A 
door-operated switch 102 is interposed in the line between switch 106 and 
lights 59 and 61. Switch 102 is normally closed when door 18 is closed. 
When door 18 is open, the switch is opened so that ultraviolet lights 59, 
61 and 95 are OFF when door 18 is open. 
The electrical circuit includes an adjustable humidistat 107 that senses 
the humidity of the air in drying chamber 41. When the humidity in the 
drying chamber 41 is below a selected limit, humidistat 107 will 
automatically open and thereby terminate the power to the timer and shut 
the entire system OFF. The electrical circuit also includes an adjustable 
thermostat 108 which is normally closed. When the temperature of the air 
within drying chamber 41 exceeds a pre-determined limit, thermostat 108 
will open and thereby terminate the power to heater 73. The fans and 
ultraviolet lights remain ON. When the temperature in drying chamber 41 
drops below a selected point, heater 73 is turned ON. Thermostat 108 is 
adjustable to change the upper and lower limits of the air temperature 
within drying chamber 41. 
When switch 106 is closed, humidistat 110 is energized to sense the 
moisture content of the air in chamber 41 and controls the motor 114 and 
open and closed portions of damper 110. When the moisture content of the 
air in chamber 41 is below a selected value, the motor 114 holds the 
damped closed. The air in chambers 41 and 43 continues to circulate 
thereby pushing up additional moisture from the articles in chamber 41. 
The humidistat 110 controls motor 114 which opens damper 110 when the 
moisture content of the air in the chamber, as sensed by probe 113, is 
above or greater than a selected value. This allows air to be discharged 
from chamber 43 and permits fresh air to flow into chamber 41. 
In use, doors 18 and 19 are moved to open positions to provide access to 
drying chamber 41. The articles, such as clothing, shoes and the like are 
placed within drying chamber 41 on suitable trays or hangers. The boots, 
shoes, skates and socks are placed over tubes 84, 86, 87 and 88 so that 
they can receive the air flowing through the tubes. Ultraviolet lights 59, 
61 and 95 are OFF, as door-operated switch 102 is open or timer 103 is 
OFF. Light 62 is ON as door-operated switch 101 is closed when door 18 is 
open. Switches 104, 105 and 106 are turned to the ON position. Timer 103 
is then set to a selected time, such as 30 minutes, to provide a definite 
drying duration. When switch 104 is closed, heater 73 operates to heat the 
air flowing through the heater. Switch 105, when closed, operates all of 
fans 74, 77, 94 and 96. Fan 74 drives the air from mixing chamber 43 
through heater 73 and to the upper portion of drying chamber 41. Fan 77 
draws air from drying chamber 41 and discharges the air through filters 
31, 32 and 33 into the atmosphere. Part of the air drawn through air grill 
64 flows into fan 74 and is recirculated in drying chamber 41. Outside air 
is drawn through filter 35, as seen in FIG. 6, and mixed with the air in 
drying chamber 41. The air in chamber 43 is moved by fan 77 through heater 
77 into drying chamber 41. Fans 94 and 96 operate to move air from the 
lower portion of the drying chambers through the boot dryer into tubes 
84-88 that accommodate the shoes, skates, boots and the like that are 
mounted thereon. The air flowing through the boots, skates, shoes and the 
like pick up moisture from the insides of these goods to facilitate the 
internal drying thereof. The UV light from ultraviolet lamp 95 destroys 
contaminants in the air and articles mounted on tubes 84-88. Fans 94 and 
96 also recirculate air to the lower portion of drying chamber 41 through 
lateral tubes 97 and 98, as seen in FIG. 4. When switch 106 is closed, 
ultraviolet lights 59, 61 and 95 are ON. Subjecting the air and articles 
within the chamber and retained on tubes 84, 86, 87 and 88 to ultraviolet 
light has a decontamination effect thereon. When the humidity of the air 
in the drying chamber drops below a selected value, humidistat 107 will 
turn the system OFF. Thermostat 108 will turn heater 73 OFF when the 
temperature of the air exceeds a pre-determined value and turns heater 73 
ON when the air temperature drops below a set point. Thus, the dryer will 
not over-dry the articles located in drying chamber 41 nor will the 
temperature of the air within the drying chamber exceed a selected value, 
as determined by the thermostat. 
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown the dryer 10 equipped with a 
bench or seat 116. A transverse hinge 117 pivotally connects seat 116 to 
the upright wall 14 below filter 35. Seat 116 extends outwardly over boot 
dryer 79. Hinge 117 allows seat 116 to be pivoted upwardly to a generally 
vertical position, as shown in broken lines, to close the opening 66. A 
plurality of latches 118 functions to hold seat 116 in an upright 
position. Seat 116 is folded up against the back wall so that the dryer 
can be used as a drying systems. When seat 116 is in its generally 
horizontal position, dryer 10 can be used as a dry sauna, tanning booth or 
a product or clothes dryer. The ultraviolet lights 59 and 61 can be of the 
type used in tanning booths. The infrared light 62 generates radiant heat 
to the person within chamber 41. A humidity or moisture-producing unit can 
be included in chamber 41 to use dryer 10 as a wet sauna. 
Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, there is shown the dryer 10 equipped with a 
tumbler, indicated generally at 119, for accommodating articles, such as 
wet clothes, to be dried. Tumbler 119 is located in chamber 41. Tumbler 
119 has a cylindrical cage 121 having a plurality of holes 127 that allow 
air to flow into and out of a chamber 126. The rear end of cage 121 is 
attached to a generally circular end wall 122 having a plurality of holes 
facing the filter 35. The front end of cage 121 has a large circular 
opening 123 that is formed by a cylindrical or annular flange 124. Cage 
121 is rotatably supported in chamber 41 with a plurality of horizontal 
rollers or roll bars 128 and 129. Brackets 131 and 132 rotatably hold 
rollers 128 and 129 on the side walls 14 and 17. Rollers 128 and 129 allow 
the cage 121 to be removed through the open door of the dryer. 
A motor 132, having a drive gear 134, is located in driving engagement with 
an gear 136 secured to cage 121. Motor 133 operates to rotate cage 121 
about a generally horizontal axis. Cage 121 can be rotated with a motor 
located below the cage and a belt drive. Other types of drive systems can 
be used to rotate tumbler 121. 
As seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, cage 121 has a plurality of longitudinal ribs 
137 having a plurality of holes 138. Hangers or other support structures 
can be mounted on the ribs 137 to dry articles located on the hangers. 
Cage 121 is not rotated during the drying of articles located on hangers 
attached to the ribs 137. The heater 73 heats the air that is discharged 
from the blower 74 into the drying chamber 41. The air flows through the 
chamber 126 of the cage 121 and is withdrawn from cage 121 and chamber 41 
with blower 77. Make up air flows through filter 35 into chamber 41 when 
damper 110 is open. 
Cage 121 is rotated about a horizontal axis that extends from the front to 
the rear of chamber 41. An alternative cage structure can be located for 
rotation about a horizontal axis between the side walls of the dryer. 
Referring to FIGS. 13-15, there is shown a modification of the boot dryer, 
indicated generally at 200, usable with dryer 11 or independently of the 
dryer. Boot dryer 200 can replace boot dryer 79 located within drying 
chamber 41. Dryer 200 is used to remove moisture and odors from shoes, 
skates, boots, in-line roller blade-type skates, socks, gloves, mittens 
and other hand and foot wear. 
Dryer 200 has a generally rectangular casing 201 enclosing an internal 
chamber 202. A drip pan or tray 203 is located on top of casing 201 to 
collect any water, snow, ice, mud or the like that may fall from the 
articles being dried. Tray 201 is generally pan-shaped with four laterally 
located upright bosses 204 and a peripheral outer upright side wall 205. 
Upright tubes 206 and 208 extend through tubular bosses 204 down into 
chamber 202. As seen in FIG. 14, split clamp collar 211, located about 
tube 206, is retained thereon with bolt 212. The collar allows tube 206 to 
be vertically adjusted. Tube 206 can also be circumferentially located to 
accommodate different types and styles of articles to be placed thereon. 
Other types of holding structures can be used to retain tube 206 on casing 
201. Tube 206 has an upright continuous passage 213 to allow air to flow 
through tube 206. The upper end 214 of tube 206 extends laterally to fit 
into a boot or shoe to direct air into the interior of the shoe. End 214 
has a number of holes 216 to direct air toward the sides of the interior 
of the boot or shoe. Tube 208 has a lateral end 217 with holes 218 to 
distribute air in another boot, shoe or socks. Each tube 206 and 208 has 
an open outer end for directing air to the interior of the article located 
over the tube. 
Returning to FIGS. 13 and 14, the tubes 208 and 208 are covered with a hood 
or housing 231 resting on tray 203. One or more air filters 233 mounted on 
hood 231 allow air to flow from the inside of hood 231 to the external 
environment, as shown by arrow 236. Filters 233 can include activated 
carbon or like materials to remove odors from the air flowing through the 
filters. 
As seen in FIG. 15, an ultraviolet lamp 219, located within chamber 202 and 
mounted on a fixture 220, is axially aligned with passage 213 and extends 
up into passage 213 and end 214. Lamp 219 emits ultraviolet light into 
passage 213. Tube 205 is made of material that allows the ultraviolet 
light to pass to the interior of the article mounted on tube 206. Thus, 
the ultraviolet light is directed to the body, toe and heel sections of 
the boot, socks or the like that are placed on tube 206. The ultraviolet 
light has a germicidal and disinfectant effect on contaminants including 
bacteria, spores, fungus, viruses and the like that may be present in the 
article located on tube 206 and the air flowing therethrough. Tube 208 has 
the same structure as tube 206. Dryer 200 can have one or more tubes 
having shapes to accommodate the articles to be mounted thereon. 
Air is drawn into chamber 202 with fan 222, operated with electric motor 
223. Support or stand 224 locates fan 222 in alignment with an opening in 
casing 201 covered with filter 226, such as an activated charcoal filter. 
A plurality of fasteners 227, as seen in FIG. 13, secures filter 226 to 
casing 201. A second filter, such as an activated carbon filter 228, is 
located on casing 201 and attached thereto with fasteners 229. Filter 228 
covers an opening in casing 201 open to chamber 202. A second fan driven 
by a motor (not shown) is located behind filter 228 to move air through 
filter 228. An example of this fan and motor is fan 222 and motor 223, as 
shown in FIG. 15. Other types of structures, such as blowers, impellers 
and the like, driven by motors, can be used to move air through filters 
226 and 228. 
Returning to FIG. 13, timer 234 is mounted on the center portion of casing 
201 between filters 226 and 228. Timer 234 is used to set the interval of 
time on the operation of the fan 222 that move the air into tubes 206 and 
208. Fan 222 can be used to draw air into tubes 206 and 208. The incoming 
air flows into the articles, such as a boot, shoe or the like to be dried 
and through hood 231 and filter 233 into the external environment. The 
external air indicated by arrow 232 can be heated with a heating coil (not 
shown) located within chamber 202. Other types of heating structures can 
be used to heat the air used to dry articles mounted on the tubes. A 
heater can be located within chamber 202 adjacent fan 222 and move air 
into tubes 206 and 208 and through articles mounted thereon. This air 
picks up the moisture, as well as the odors from the article that is being 
dried. The air moving through filters 226 and 228, which contain odors, 
removes the odors from the air. The motor 223 for the fan is connected to 
an electrical power source via switches 236 and 237. Switches 236 and 237 
can be simultaneously turned ON or individually turned ON to control the 
flow of air through tubes 206 and 208 into and out of chamber 202 and 
through filters 226, 228 and 233. 
When dryer 200 is used with dryer 11, motors 223 for fan 222, can be 
directly connected to switch 105 so that the exhaust and recirculating 
fans 74 and 77 operate concurrently with boot dryer motors 223. 
Referring to FIGS. 16-19, there is shown a modification of the dryer of the 
invention, indicated generally at 600. Dryer 600 is a movable and portable 
structure usable to dry and store articles, such as clothing, athletic 
equipment and recreational products. Dryer 600 has a box-shaped housing or 
chest, indicated generally at 601, comprising upright side walls 602 and 
602 joined to an air inlet housing 604. The air flows out of the chest 
through an air outlet end wall 606. A generally flat bottom wall 607 
closes the bottom of the chest 601 and provides the bottom for a drying 
chamber 608, as seen in FIG. 17. The walls of chest 601 are rigid 
structures made of wood, plastic and paper material. Flexible plastic, 
fabrics or canvas can be used for chest 601. The top of drying chamber 608 
is closed with a top member or cover, indicated generally at 609. A handle 
611, attached to cover 609, is used to open the cover and/or transport the 
dryer. Other handles and straps can be used to conveniently carry the 
dryer. Hinges 612 pivotally connect cover 609 to side wall 602. The 
opposite side of cover 609 accommodates latches 613 that secure cover 609 
to side wall 603. Casing 601 has a front end wall 622 that supports a 
filter 623. Filter 623 is a charcoal filter that filters the air moving 
into the drying chamber, as indicated by the arrows 627. The outer wall 
606 has a charcoal filter 629 that filters the air flowing from the drying 
chamber into the atmosphere, as indicated by the arrows 633. 
Housing 604 is removably mounted on the front end of casing 601 so that it 
can be detached from the casing. This allows the casing to be 
independently transported. Located within housing 604 is a fan 624 driven 
by an electric motor 626. A heater 628, located in front of fan 624, heats 
the air moving through the grill 619 mounted on the front wall of housing 
604. Fan 624 is a blade-type fan or an impeller fan that is operable to 
provide a continuous supply of air to drying chamber 608. Other types of 
air moving structures, such as a cylindrical blower, can be used to move 
the air through the filter 623 into the drying chamber 608. A switch 634, 
mounted on the front wall of housing 608, is used to control a supply of 
electric power to the motor 626. As seen in FIG. 14, an electric plug 
receptacle 636 is mounted on housing 604 below switch 634. The controls 
for motor 626 and heater 628 can include a timer and thermostat (not 
shown), as disclosed by timer 103 and thermostat 108, as shown in FIG. 8. 
Latches 637 releasably attach housing 604 to the side walls of chest 601. 
As seen in FIG. 16, chest 601 has an upwardly-directed lip 638 that 
accommodates a bottom portion of housing 104. A handle 605, attached to 
the top of housing 104, is used to carry the housing. 
Chest 106 and housing 104 are mounted on a movable carriage comprising a 
pair of wheels 614 and 616 rotatably mounted on the lower end of housing 
601. An elongated handle 617, attached to the bottom wall 607 of chest 
601, serves as a hand grip to facilitate the moving of dryer 600 on the 
floor surface 618. Handle 617 can be provided with extendible and 
retractable structures to extend the length of the handle. Handle 617 can 
be a rigid, one-piece structure attached to bottom wall 607 and supporting 
the housing 604. 
Peg board, or walls having holes 631 and 632, are located adjacent opposite 
sides of drying chamber 608. Wall 631 is located inwardly from side wall 
602 forming a passage 633 to allow air to flow from drying chamber 608 
back to mixing chamber 621 in housing 604. Peg board 632 is located 
inwardly from side wall 603 forming a passage 634 to allow air to flow 
from drying chamber 608 into mixing chamber 621. The air in mixing chamber 
621 is drawn by fan 624 back into drying chamber 608, thereby 
recirculating air from drying chamber 608 through mixing chamber 621 back 
into drying chamber 608. The recirculation of the air increases the 
moisture content of the air and improves the drying effectiveness and heat 
conservation efficiency. Part of the air in drying chamber 608 is 
recirculated back into mixing chamber 621. The remaining portion of the 
air is directed through filter 629 into the atmosphere, as indicated by 
arrows 633. 
The detachable heat and fan unit in housing 604 is usable in association 
with a bag or equipment carrier. The equipment can be dried right in the 
carrier when the heat unit is attached thereto. The cover 609 can be a 
two-piece cover that opens in the middle to allow the dryer to be in an 
upright position for loading and unloading purposes. 
While there has been shown and described preferred embodiments of the dryer 
of the invention, it is understood that changes in the structure and 
arrangement of structure can be made by those skilled in the art without 
departing from the invention. Changes in the locations, types and number 
of fans, heaters and ultraviolet and infrared lights and use of 
dehumidifiers in the dryers can be made by one skilled in the art which 
are equivalent to the claimed structure. The dryer can be vented to the 
outdoor environment with suitable ducts in lieu of exhaust filters. The 
invention is defined in the following claims.