Patent Publication Number: US-2021172109-A1

Title: Liner for dryer appliances

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present subject matter relates generally to dryer appliances, and to liners for such appliances. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional appliance for drying articles such as a clothes dryer (or laundry dryer) for drying clothing articles typically includes a cabinet having a rotating drum for tumbling clothes and laundry articles therein. One or more heating elements heat air prior to the air entering the drum, and the warm air is circulated through the drum as the clothes are tumbled to remove moisture from laundry articles in the drum. Gas or electric heating elements may be used to heat the air that is circulated through the drum. 
     As the clothes are tumbled within the drum, static electricity often builds up in the clothes. For example, repeated contact with the interior of the drum and/or baffles within the drum as the clothes are tumbled may cause an accumulation of electric charge within or on the clothes. This frequently leads to issues such as static cling in the clothes and/or a sudden electrical discharge, e.g., when unloading the clothes from the dryer appliance. Such issues are considered a nuisance by many dryer appliance users. 
     Some products exist which may be added to the dryer appliance, such as in the drum thereof, in order to improve the odor of the clothes. These products often contain constituents which are considered undesirable and even unhealthy, such as volatile organic compounds. Such constituents in the additive products on the market today may cause issues such as inflammation, allergic reaction, and other problems in or on a human&#39;s skin, respiratory system, etc. 
     Accordingly, a dryer appliance having features for reducing static build-up in the laundry articles therein would be desirable. Further, a dryer appliance having features for improving the odor of the laundry articles therein based on a user&#39;s preference and sensitivity would be desirable. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. 
     In one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a dryer appliance is provided. The dryer appliance includes a cabinet and a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet. The drum defines a chamber for the receipt of articles for drying. A door is movably mounted to the cabinet adjacent to an opening in the drum. The door is movable relative to the cabinet between an open position and a closed position. The chamber in the drum is accessible through the opening when the door is in the open position and the chamber is enclosed when the door is in the closed position. A porous liner is disposed within the chamber in the drum when the door is in the closed position. The porous liner is configured to absorb a liquid prior to operation of the dryer appliance and disperse the liquid throughout the chamber during operation of the dryer appliance. 
     In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a dryer appliance is provided. The dryer appliance includes a cabinet and a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet. The drum defines a chamber for the receipt of articles for drying. A door is movably mounted to the cabinet adjacent to an opening in the drum. The door is movable relative to the cabinet between an open position and a closed position. The chamber in the drum is accessible through the opening when the door is in the open position and the chamber is enclosed when the door is in the closed position. A liner is disposed within the chamber in the drum when the door is in the closed position. The liner includes a first strip and a second strip. The first strip includes an electron acceptor material and the second strip includes an electron donor material. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures. 
         FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of a dryer appliance in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  provides a perspective view of the example dryer appliance of  FIG. 1  with portions of a cabinet of the dryer appliance removed to reveal certain components of the dryer appliance. 
         FIG. 3  provides a perspective schematic view of a dryer appliance in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with a door thereof in an open position. 
         FIG. 4  provides an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the door of the dryer appliance of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  provides a perspective view of a portion of the example dryer appliance of  FIG. 1  with a door thereof in an open position, including a liner in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  provides a perspective view of a portion of the example dryer appliance of  FIG. 1  with a door thereof in an open position, including a liner in accordance with additional exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  provides a perspective view of a portion of the example dryer appliance of  FIG. 1  with a door thereof in an open position, including a liner in accordance with further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     Turning now to the figures,  FIG. 1  provides dryer appliance  10  according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.  FIG. 2  provides another perspective view of dryer appliance  10  with a portion of a cabinet or housing  12  of dryer appliance  10  removed in order to show certain components of dryer appliance  10 . Dryer appliance  10  generally defines a vertical direction V, a lateral direction L, and a transverse direction T, each of which is mutually perpendicular, such that an orthogonal coordinate system is defined. While described in the context of a specific embodiment of dryer appliance  10 , using the teachings disclosed herein, it will be understood that dryer appliance  10  is provided by way of example only. Other dryer appliances having different appearances and different features may also be utilized with the present subject matter as well. 
     Cabinet  12  includes a front panel  14 , a rear panel  16 , a pair of side panels  18  and  20  spaced apart from each other by front and rear panels  14  and  16 , a bottom panel  22 , and a top cover  24 . Within cabinet  12 , an interior volume  29  is defined. A drum or container  26  is mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis within the interior volume  29 . Drum  26  defines a chamber  25  for receipt of articles of clothing for tumbling and/or drying. Drum  26  extends between a front portion  37  and a back portion  38 . Drum  26  also includes a back or rear wall  34 , e.g., at back portion  38  of drum  26 . A supply duct  41  may be mounted to rear wall  34  and receives heated air that has been heated by a heating assembly or system  40 . 
     As used herein, the terms “clothing” or “articles” includes but need not be limited to fabrics, textiles, garments, linens, papers, or other items from which the extraction of moisture is desirable. Furthermore, the term “load” or “laundry load” refers to the combination of clothing that may be washed together in a washing machine or dried together in a dryer appliance  10  (e.g., clothes dryer) and may include a mixture of different or similar articles of clothing of different or similar types and kinds of fabrics, textiles, garments and linens within a particular laundering process. 
     A motor  31  is provided in some embodiments to rotate drum  26  about the horizontal axis, e.g., via a pulley and a belt (not pictured). Drum  26  is generally cylindrical in shape, having an outer cylindrical wall  28  and a front flange or wall  30  that defines an opening  32  of drum  26 , e.g., at front portion  37  of drum  26 , for loading and unloading of articles into and out of chamber  25  of drum  26 . A plurality of lifters or baffles  27  are provided within chamber  25  of drum  26  to lift articles therein and then allow such articles to tumble back to a bottom of drum  26  as drum  26  rotates. Baffles  27  may be mounted to drum  26  such that baffles  27  rotate with drum  26  during operation of dryer appliance  10 . 
     Drum  26  includes a rear wall  34  rotatably supported within main housing  12  by a suitable fixed bearing. Rear wall  34  can be fixed or can be rotatable. Rear wall  34  may include, for instance, a plurality of holes that receive hot air that has been heated by a heating system  40 , e.g., a heat pump or refrigerant-based heating system as will be described further below. Moisture laden, heated air is drawn from drum  26  by an air handler, such as blower fan  48 , which generates a negative air pressure within drum  26 . The moisture laden heated air passes through a duct  44  enclosing screen filter  46 , which traps lint particles. As the air passes from blower fan  48 , it enters a duct  50  and then is passed into heating system  40 . In some embodiments, the dryer appliance  10  may be a conventional dryer appliance, e.g., the heating system  40  may be or include an electric heating element, e.g., a resistive heating element, or a gas-powered heating element, e.g., a gas burner. In other embodiments, the dryer appliance may be a condensation dryer, such as a heat pump dryer. In such embodiments, heating system  40  may be or include a heat pump including a sealed refrigerant circuit. Heated air (with a lower moisture content than was received from drum  26 ), exits heating system  40  and returns to drum  26  by duct  41 . After the clothing articles have been dried, they are removed from the drum  26  via opening  32 . A door  33  provides for closing or accessing drum  26  through opening  32 . 
     In some embodiments, one or more selector inputs  70 , such as knobs, buttons, touchscreen interfaces, etc., may be provided or mounted on a cabinet  12  (e.g., on a backsplash  71 ) and are in operable communication (e.g., electrically coupled or coupled through a wireless network band) with a processing device or controller  56 . Controller  56  may also be provided in operable communication with motor  31 , blower  48 , or heating system  40 . In turn, signals generated in controller  56  direct operation of motor  31 , blower  48 , or heating system  40  in response to the position of inputs  70 . As used herein, “processing device” or “controller” may refer to one or more microprocessors, microcontroller, ASICS, or semiconductor devices and is not restricted necessarily to a single element. The controller  56  may be programmed to operate dryer appliance  10  by executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., non-transitory media). The controller  56  may include, or be associated with, one or more memory elements such as RAM, ROM, or electrically erasable, programmable read only memory (EEPROM). For example, the instructions may be software or any set of instructions that when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations. It should be noted that controllers as disclosed herein are capable of and may be operable to perform any methods and associated method steps as disclosed herein. For example, in some embodiments, methods disclosed herein may be embodied in programming instructions stored in the memory and executed by the controller. 
       FIG. 3  provides a perspective schematic view of the dryer appliance  10  with the door  33  in an open position. In some embodiments, the dryer appliance  10  may include a liner  100 . The liner  100  may be disposed on or in the dryer appliance  10  such that the liner  100  is disposed within the chamber  25  in the drum  26  when the door  33  is in the closed position. For example, in some embodiments, e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the liner  100  may be mounted on an interior surface  102  of the door  33 . In other embodiments, e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the liner  100  may also or instead be mounted on one or more of the baffles  27  of the dryer appliance  10 . 
     The liner  100  may be porous. The liner  100  may define a thickness  112  ( FIG. 4 ). In embodiments where the liner  100  is mounted on the door  33 , the thickness  112  of the liner  100  may be defined generally along the transverse direction T when the door  33  is in the closed position. In embodiments where the liner  100  is mounted on the baffle  27 , the thickness of the liner  100  may be defined generally along the lateral direction L. The thickness of the liner  100  may be any suitable size such that the liner  100  has a sufficient volume to absorb and store a quantity of liquid. For example, the thickness of the liner  100  may be between about one eighth of an inch (0.125 in) and about one inch (1 in), such as between about one quarter of an inch (0.25 in) and about three quarters of an inch (0.75 in), such as about one-half of an inch (0.5 in). For example, the liner  100  may absorb a liquid which a user of the dryer appliance  10  selects and applies to the liner  100 , e.g., prior to operating the dryer appliance  10 . The liquid may then be stored within the pores of the liner  100  until the dryer appliance  10  is activated. Heat provided to the chamber  25  in the drum  26  during operation of the dryer appliance  10  (e.g., as described above) may evaporate the liquid held within the liner  100 , causing the liquid to impart an odor of the user&#39;s choosing to the articles within the chamber  25 . For example, the liquid may be or include one or more essential oils, such as lavender, citrus, etc. In some embodiments, a set of liquids may be provided in multiple containers, e.g., two or three or more containers, which permits the user to mix his or her own preferred scent. In various embodiments, the set of liquids may include five or more bottles or containers of various scents or scent components for mixing. As another example, a set of mixable liquids may include liquids for various purposes, such as but not limited to one or more of scent, insect repellent, ultraviolet (UV) protection, and/or therapeutic liquids such as cannabidiol (CBD) oils. 
     As mentioned above, the liner  100  may define a thickness  112 . As illustrated for example in  FIG. 4 , the thickness of the liner  100  may be defined perpendicular to a contact surface  110  of the liner  100 . The contact surface  110  may be the surface of the liner  100  which is exposed to the chamber  25  in the drum  26  and thereby makes contact with tumbling articles within the drum  26  during operation of the dryer appliance  10 . For example, as may be seen in  FIG. 5 , the contact surface  110  may be defined by a length  114  and a width  116  of the liner  100 , where each of the length  114  and the width  116  is perpendicular to the thickness  112 . 
     The liner  100  may include at least one of an electron acceptor material and an electron donor material. Thus, the accumulation of electric charge in the articles within the chamber  25  while tumbling may be reduced or avoided in that any static electricity in the articles is discharged periodically as each article contacts the liner  100  while tumbling within the chamber  25 . For example, the material of the liner  100  may be selected based on the material properties of articles to be dried within the dryer appliance  10 , e.g., in embodiments where the liner is removably mounted in the dryer appliance  10 , the liner  100  may be changed out when a different batch of articles is loaded into the chamber  25 . In some embodiments, the liner  100  may include both an electron acceptor material and an electron donor material. In embodiments where the liner  100  includes an electron acceptor material, the electron acceptor material may be a synthetic fiber material, such as polyester. In embodiments where the liner  100  includes an electron donor material, the electron donor material may be a natural fiber material or a metallic material. For example, the natural fiber material may be sheep&#39;s wool and/or may be formed as a felt material composed of natural fibers. As another example of a possible electron donor material, the metallic material may be a metal wool, such as steel wool or aluminum wool. 
     In various embodiments, the liner  100  may be removably mounted on the interior surface  102  of the door  33 . For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the liner  100  may be press-fit into a recess  104  in the interior surface  102  of the door  33 . Removably mounting the liner  100  may advantageously permit interchanging liners  100  of various materials according to the articles to be dried in the dryer appliance  10 , e.g., pairing a liner  100  comprising an electron acceptor material such as polyester with a load of articles comprising wool material and pairing another liner  100  comprising an electron donor material such as natural fiber felt with a load of articles comprising polyester. 
     In some embodiments, e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the liner  100  may include a single material and may be disposed on one of the door  33  or a baffle  27 . In other embodiments, the liner  100  may include multiple strips, and the multiple strips may comprise diverse materials. For example, the liners  100  illustrated in  FIG. 5  may be simultaneously provided on the door  33  and the baffle(s)  27 , where the liner  100  on the door  33  comprises a first strip and the liner  100  on the baffle(s)  27  comprises a second strip of a material different from the material of the first strip. 
     In some embodiments, e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the liner  100  may include a plurality of strips, e.g., a first strip  106  and a second strip  108 . The first strip  106  may comprise a first material and the second strip  108  may comprise a second material. In various embodiments, the second material may be the same as the first material or may be different from the first material. At least one of the first material and the second material may be porous, as described above. In some exemplary embodiments, the first strip  106  may include an electron acceptor material and the second strip  108  may include an electron donor material, such as any combination of the exemplary electron acceptor materials and electron donor materials described above. In other embodiments, more than two strips may be provided, such as three strips, four strips, or more than four strips. 
     Although door  33  is illustrated in an intermediate, partially open, position in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the liner  100  illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7  will extend predominantly along the lateral direction L when the door  33  is in the closed position. Thus, referring to the directional orientation of the liner  100  when the door  33  is in the closed position, it may be seen (or at least readily inferred) from  FIG. 6  that, in some embodiments a boundary between the first strip  106  and the second strip  108  may be oriented along the transverse direction T when the door  33  is in the closed position. For example, the first strip  106  and the second strip  108  may abut each other and may be adjoined along the transverse direction T when the door  33  is in the closed position. Similarly, as may be seen (or at least readily inferred) from  FIG. 7 , in other embodiments, the boundary between the first strip  106  and the second strip  108  may be oriented along the lateral direction L when the door  33  is in the closed position. For example, the first strip  106  and the second strip  108  may abut each other and may be adjoined along the lateral direction L when the door  33  is in the closed position. In general, the door  33  may define a width along the lateral direction L when the door  33  is in the closed position, e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the width of the door  33  does not change when the door  33  changes position, e.g., rotates, between the closed position and the open position. Thus, it may be seen from  FIG. 6  that in some embodiments the boundary between the first strip  106  and the second strip  108  may be oriented generally perpendicular to the width of the door  33 . Also, it may be seen from  FIG. 7  that in some embodiments the boundary between the first strip  106  and the second strip  108  may be oriented generally parallel to the width of the door  33 . 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.