Patent Publication Number: US-6035545-A

Title: Drying box for small two and three dimensional articles

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to dryers, and more particularly to a device for drying a surface of a small article, such as a paint sample on a piece of cardboard. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A review of the prior art reveals a variety of compartments especially designed for receiving an air flow and for containing articles to be dried. These devices include compartments for drying objects such as clothing, newly painted fingernails, shoes, gas masks, and towels. 
     A particular need exists for a dryer especially designed to dry paint samples. In retail paint stores, it is a common practice for a salesperson to paint a small surface with a color sample for a customer. The salesperson then holds the sample while waving it in the air to dry it or dries it with a hand-held &#34;gun&#34; type hair dryer. The drying process is an inefficient use of time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the invention is a dryer box for quickly drying coated surfaces of small articles, such as paint sample cards. In one embodiment, the dryer box has a rectangular housing, into whose interior one or more articles to be dried are placed. A sleeve at the top of the dryer box receives a conventional dryer gun. A vertical air channel directs air from the dryer gun to a first drying location at the bottom of the box especially designed for drying a small three dimensional article. A horizontal air channel, which extends from an opening in the vertical air channel, directs air to a second drying location on an inner side wall of the box especially designed for drying a two dimensional article. The same inner side wall is used as a door for access to both drying locations. 
     An advantage of the invention is that it is useful for drying small surface areas that are now being dried by hand, that is, by waving them in the air. For example, in retail paint stores, paint samples are dried by salespersons in this manner, which is an inefficient use of their time. The drying box is convenient for drying either two dimensional articles, such as paint sample cards, or three dimensional articles, such as a piece or molding or trim or the like. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dryer box in accordance with the invention. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the interior surface of a door of the dryer box. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the door. 
     FIG. 4 is an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 5 is another alternative embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dryer box 10 in accordance with the invention. Dryer box 10 is designed for use on a countertop such as a countertop of a retail paint store. Therefore, box 10 is small, lightweight, and portable. A typical size of box 10 might be approximately one cubic foot. Box 10 is especially suited for drying a partial surface area of a small article. It has a drying location for three dimensional articles (Location A), as well as a drying location for two dimensional articles (Location B). Examples of such articles are a small piece of wood or a paper card, respectively, which has a part of its surface coated with a sample of wet paint. 
     A housing 11 is substantially rectangular in shape. Other shapes may be used, but in general, housing 11 has a closed hollow form and has a flat bottom surface and at least one flat interior vertical surface. 
     The walls of housing 11 may be any material that is thin, lightweight, heat resistant, and substantially airtight. In the preferred embodiment, housing 11 is made from plastic laminate. This material has been experimentally determined to provide optimum drying conditions inside housing 11. 
     At least one side of housing 11 has a door 11b, which provides access to the interior of housing 11. During operation, the article to be dried is either attached to the inside surface of door 11b or placed on the inside bottom surface of housing 11, depending on whether the article is two dimensional or three dimensional. 
     In the example of this description, door 11b is hinged at the bottom. However, in other embodiments, door 11b could be hinged at the side or top. Other means for opening and closing door 11b, could be used. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 1, two walls of housing 11 are hinged such that opposing walls of housing 11 form two doors 11b. In other embodiments, two doors 11b could be in two adjacent walls. It is also possible that more than two walls could have doors 11b. As explained below, each door 11b has an associated horizontal air channel 14, which directs air during the drying process to a drying location on the inside surface of the door 11b. 
     An aperture 11a in the top of housing 11 permits a vertical air channel 12 to extend upwardly out of box 10. Vertical air channel 12 has an outer diameter only slightly smaller than the circumference of aperture 11a so that the fit is snug and there is little or no release of air from the box 10 during operation. If desired, some sort of airtight seal may be used. 
     The end of vertical air channel 11 that extends out from the top of box 10 may be designed to receive a sleeve 13, which in turn, receives the nozzle of a conventional dryer gun. Such dryer guns, also known as &#34;blow dryers&#34;, are commercially available and commonly used for drying hair. Typically, such dryer guns have a round nozzle, and the receiving end of sleeve 13 is circular. Sleeve 13 may have a different circumference at each of its ends, so that the nozzle of the dryer gun need not have the same circumference as vertical air channel 12. Sleeve 13 may be removable so that different sleeves 13 having differently sized receiving ends may be used, thereby accommodating different nozzle sizes. It is also possible that sleeve 13 could be made adjustable to accept different nozzle sizes. For example, a sleeve 13 made from a flexible plastic or rubber could be expected to accommodate a reasonable range of nozzle sizes. In still other embodiments, the end of the vertical air channel 12 may be designed to receive the nozzle directly without use of a sleeve 13. 
     Inside box 10, vertical air channel 12 extends downwardly toward the bottom surface of box 10. In operation, air from the dryer gun flows from an output end of vertical air channel and is focussed to a relatively small area on the bottom of box 10. A feature of the invention is that it is designed for quick drying of relatively small flat articles. Thus, the distance between the output end of air channel 12 and the bottom inside surface of box 10 is small, typically in the range of 2-3 inches. 
     Vertical air channel 12 joins a horizontal air channel 14 that is entirely inside housing 11. Horizontal air channel 14 is substantially perpendicular to vertical air channel 12. It extends from vertical air channel 12 to distance proximate to the inside surface of door 11b. The distance from the output end of horizontal air channel 14 to the inside surface of door 11b is such that a small two dimensional article having a wet surface, such as a newly painted piece of cardboard, may be quickly dried when placed on the inside surface of door 11b. A typical distance from the output end of horizontal air channel to the inside surface of door 11b is in the range of 1-2 inches. This distance has been experimentally determined to focus air from the dryer onto an area of suitable size and with suitable heat and force. Optimum drying conditions for the flat surface are provided, such that drying occurs quickly without disrupting the wet surface by the force of the air during drying. For a box 10 having two doors 11b, this distance may be different for each door 11b to accommodate different types of media or paint. 
     As stated above, box 10 may have more than one hinged door 11b, as is the case with the embodiment of FIG. 1. Each door 11b has an associated horizontal air channel 14 and thus an associated drying location for two dimensional articles. 
     A brace 15 extends the full length or width (or both) of the interior of housing 11. It stabilizes vertical air channel 12 inside housing 11. Other stabilizing means could be used, such as brackets or struts. Although not shown in FIG. 1, baffles could be used to enhance drying conditions inside housing 11. It is possible that brace 15, or some other type of stabilizing means, could be designed to provide stabilization for vertical air channel 12 as well as to serve as an air baffle. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the inside surface of door 11b and an example of a means for attaching the two dimensional article (&#34;the coated media&#34;) during the drying process. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the attachment means is a small clipboard 21. A spring-type clip 21a is manipulated such that it holds the coated media in place. Clipboard 21 is attached to the inside of door 11b such that when a typically sized media is placed in the clip 21a, the drying location B corresponds to the spot on the media where paint is most likely to be applied, i.e., the center of the media. FIG. 3 illustrates door 11b in a fully opened position. As illustrated, hinges 31 permit door 11b to lie flat against the surface upon which box 10 is placed. This &#34;drop-down&#34; design of door 11b provides for convenient, one-handed insertion of the article to be dried. In the example of FIG. 3, hinge 31 is spring loaded and holds the top of door 11b against housing 11 when door 11b is closed. Other means for holding door 11b in a closed position could be used, such as magnetic or latching means at the top of door 11b and at the corresponding location on housing 11. 
     Spacers 32 may be used to provide a small air gap between door 11b and housing 11 when door 11b is closed. In the example of this description, this gap is 3/32 inches. A slight amount of ventilation has been experimentally determined to enhance drying conditions. Other ventilation techniques could be used such as perforations in housing 11. 
     FIG. 3 further illustrates a typical gun dryer having its nozzle inserted into sleeve 13. The fit of the nozzle into sleeve 13 is such that the dryer gun is securely positioned as illustrated, without additional holding mechanism. Once the article(s) to be dried have been placed in box 10 and the door(s) 11b closed, an on/off switch on the dryer gun is all that is needed to operate the invention. 
     Referring again to the embodiment of FIG. 1, where box 10 has two doors 11a and two horizontal air channels 14, aperture 11a is substantially in the middle of the top of housing 11, such that vertical air channel 12 extends downwardly toward the middle of the inside bottom surface. However, in other embodiments, vertical air channel 12 could be placed closer to one door 11a than the other. For example, for samples attached to one door 11b vis a vis the other door 11b. Also, for a box 11 having only one door 11b, vertical air channel 12 could be extend down nearer to one side of housing 11 rather than extending down the middle. 
     FIG. 4 is an alternative embodiment of the invention, a dryer box 40 having only one door 11b. FIG. 4 also illustrates how a cap 41 may be placed over an end of horizontal air channel 14. Cap 41 is removable, so that air from horizontal air channel 14 may be blocked as desired. For example, if maximum drying power were desired at the drying location B on the bottom surface of box 10, cap 41 might be placed on channel 14. Cap 41 is attached within housing 11 to avoid its being misplaced, such as by means of a small chain 42. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a similar removable cap 41 could be associated with the output end of vertical channel 12. 
     Cap(s) 41 on the ends of the vertical or horizontal air channels 12 and 14 permit the drying at a particular drying location to be controlled. For example, for drying a media painted with oil-based paint at location B, less heat might be desired than if the media were painted with water-based paint. In this case, cap 41 would not be placed on vertical air channel 12. Air would be directed out of both channels 12 and 14, resulting in less hot air at location B. 
     FIG. 5 is a third embodiment of the invention, a dryer box 50 having sleeve 13 attached to the horizontal air channel 14 rather than to the vertical air channel 12. Housing 11 has an aperture 11c for receiving the horizontal air channel 14. Thus, aperture 11c is in a side wall rather than a top wall of housing 11. Some sort of support 51 may be used to stabilize horizontal air channel 14. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 5, where aperture 11c is in a side wall, there could be two vertical air channels. It is easy to see how a second vertical air channel could extend upwardly from vertical air channel 12. A door 11b would in the top wall of box 50 would provide access to the interior of housing 11 and a means for attaching the two-dimensional sample. This second vertical air channel could be used instead of, or in addition to, horizontal air channel 14. 
     Other Embodiments 
     Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.