Patent Publication Number: US-5421103-A

Title: Apparatus and method for drying fabrics

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an apparatus and method for drying fabrics. 
     Conventional fabric dryers utilize a rotating drum or tumbler on the inside of a cabinet. The drum or tumbler typically rotates about a horizontal axis which extends between the front wall and the back wall of the dryer, Access to the drum is provided by a door opening in the front wall of the cabinet. Hot air is introduced to the drum while it is rotating, and blades or tumbler baffles within the drum lift and cause the fabrics to tumble as the drum rotates so that the fabrics are exposed to the hot air to facilitate drying. 
     Various efforts have been made to provide a rotating drum fabric dryer which provides access from the top wall of the dryer rather than from the front wall, However, these prior art attempts have encountered the problem of providing satisfactory tumbling of the fabrics during rotation of the drum while at the same time providing an access opening to the drum from the top of the cabinet. 
     Therefore a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for drying fabrics. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus and method for drying fabrics which permits the operator to have access to the interior of the drying compartment from the top of the dryer. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for drying fabrics whereby the operator can have access to the drying compartment through the top of the dryer cabinet by merely opening a single door in the top of the cabinet. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for drying fabrics wherein access is provided at the top of the dryer cabinet, and yet satisfactory tumbling action is achieved through rotation of tumbler members within the drying compartment. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for drying fabrics which includes a tumbler assembly having a tumbler opening which remains open throughout the rotation of the tumblers within the tumbler assembly. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for drying fabrics which provides improved flow of hot air through the fabrics being tumbled during the drying action. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for drying fabrics which is economical to manufacture, durable in use, and efficient in operation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objects are achieved by a fabric dryer having a cabinet with a top wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and opposite side walls. A door opening is provided in the top wall of the cabinet and a door is movably mounted over the door opening for movement from a closed position covering the door opening to an open position uncovering the door opening. Within the cabinet is a tumbler assembly which forms a tumbler compartment therein. The tumbler assembly has a tumbler opening and a rotatable tumbling mechanism for causing the tumbling of fabrics within the tumbler compartment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the dryer of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the tumbler assembly with the dryer cabinet removed. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the moving tumblers within the tumbler assembly. 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevational view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a modified form of the invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a clothes dryer of the present invention. Clothes dryer 10 includes a cabinet 12 having a front wall 14, top wall 16, side walls 18, 20, rear wall 22 and a base 23. A door opening 24 is provided in the top wall 16 of cabinet 12 and is provided with a cabinet door 26 hinged about door hinge 28. The door 26 is sealed with respect to the door opening 24 by a gasket 25. 
     A tumbler assembly 29 is mounted within the cabinet 12 to a framework 29 and includes a fixed tumbler housing 30 having canted side walls 32, 34 which form a tumbler chamber 36. Within the fixed tumbler housing 30 is an upwardly presented tumbler opening 38 provided in a rounded stationary tumbler wall 40. The side walls 32, 34 of fixed tumbler housing 30 are canted with respect to one another, being closest together adjacent the bottom rear portion of the tumbler assembly 29 and being the furthest apart adjacent the upper forward portion of the tumbler assembly 29 where the tumbler opening 38 is provided. 
     Rotatably mounted to each of the canted side walls 32, 34 within the tumbler chamber 36 are a pair of circular tumbler members 42, 44. As can be seen best in FIG. 6, each of the tumbler members 42, 44 is shaped somewhat like a dishpan, with an annular tapered rim 46 and a circular end wall 48. A shaft 50 extends outwardly from the outside surface of the circular end walls 48 and extends through the canted side walls 32, 34 of the fixed tumbler housing 30 so as to rotatably mount the tumbler members 42, 44 to the inside of fixed tumbler housing 30 for rotation about two rotational axes 66, 68 which are canted with respect to one another as is illustrated in FIG. 6. 
     Mounted on the end of each shaft 50 is a pulley 52 having a belt 58 trained therearound. Belt 58 extends over a drive pulley 56 on a drive shaft 54 which is rotatably mounted in a pair of spaced apart bearing supports 88. A larger pulley 90 is fixed to shaft 54 and has a belt 94 trained around it and around a motor pulley (not shown) on motor 92. Thus the motor 92 drives the shaft 54 which in turn rotates the two tumbler members 42, 44 about the axes 66, 68. 
     Each tumbler member 42, 44 includes a plurality of tumbler baffles 60 therein. Rotation of the tumbler members 42, 44 causes the tumbler baffles 60 to move in two separate circular paths indicated by arrows 62, 64 (FIG. 3) extending in two separate planes which are canted with respect to one another. The result of this configuration is that the rotatable members are close to one another at the bottom rear portion (designated 70) of each circle (see FIGS. 3 and 5) and which are spread apart a substantially greater distance at the upper front portions thereof designated by the numeral 72 (FIGS. 3 and 5). The widest portion as designated at 72 is adjacent the tumbler opening 38 so that the tumbler members 42, 44 do not obstruct the opening 38 during their rotation. This means that the opening 38 remains open to the interior of the tumbler chamber 36 at all times during the rotation of the tumbler members 42, 44. 
     As best shown in FIG. 4, fixed tumbler wall 40 includes a hot air inlet opening 74 over which is mounted a heater 75. The front portion of rounded wall 40 is provided with an air outlet opening 76 which is connected to a fan 77 and to the environment by means of a conduit 78. Openings 74 and 76 are preferably covered by perforated covers 81 and 83. The fan 77 draws air through heater 75 into chamber 36 through opening 74, through the fabrics being dried, out of chamber 36 through opening 76, through lint filter 79, through the fan 77 and outwardly through conduit 78 at the rear of the cabinet 12. 
     In operation, the fabrics 96 to be dried are inserted through tumbler opening 38 into the interior tumbler chamber 36. The cabinet door 26 is closed, and the motor 92 is started. This causes rotation of the tumblers members 42, 44 in the direction indicated by arrows 62, 64 (FIG. 3). 
     The fabrics are grasped by the baffles or fabric grapsing members 60 adjacent the narrow portion 70 between the two rotating tumbler members 42, 44. They are carried upwardly, and tossed toward the central portion of the tumbler chamber 36 in the manner shown in FIG. 3. It has been found that the fabrics follow a FIG. 8 pattern, being lifted first by one of the tumbler members 42, 44, and then being thrown over toward the other of the tumbler members 42, 44 and circulated by that other tumbler. The result is a FIG. 8 motion of the fabrics within the tumbler chamber 36. 
     At the same time the heater 75 is actuated, and the fan 77 is actuated to move hot air into and out of the tumbler chamber 36 through air inlet 74 and air outlet 76. This causes a hot air stream to pass from hot air inlet 74 to air outlet 76 from the upper rear of the chamber to the forward portion of the chamber. Thus the hot air stream moves in a path which is across the circular paths followed by the fabrics, thereby causing a thorough mixing of the air with the fabrics to facilitate drying. 
     Referring to FIG. 7, a modified form 80 of the tumbler assembly is shown. Corresponding parts between the tumbler assembly 80 of FIG. 7 and the tumbler assembly 29 of FIG. 5 carry corresponding numerals. Tumbler assembly 80 includes a wrap around fixed wall 82 which does not form by itself a complete enclosed chamber as is provided by tumbler housing 30. Instead the wrap around fixed wall 82 combines with the two rotatable tumbler members 42, 44 to provide the tumbler chamber 36. The wrap around fixed wall 82 also, provides a tumbler opening 84 which is comparable to the tumbler opening 38 shown in FIG. 5. Surrounding the juncture between the rotatable members 42, 44 and the fixed wall 80 is a circular felt seal 86 which provides a sealing therebetween. The seal 86 may be attached either to the movable members 42, 44 or to the fixed wall 80 without detracting from the invention. 
     In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.