Patent Publication Number: US-2012023770-A1

Title: Tumble air dryer

Description:
The present invention relates to a tumble air dryer, particularly but not exclusively for outside location. 
     Clothes lines, including rotary clothes lines, are well known and useful for drying outside. However, these devices take time to hang wet washing on, and washing can often fall on the ground especially in strong winds. Furthermore, a clothes line provides no protection against sudden rain showers, thereby resulting in the clothes becoming wet and often dirty again. 
     Indoor clothes horses are also well known. Again, these devices have similar problems to those of the outdoor clothes lines in that space has to be available for the washing and it takes a reasonable amount of time to hang. Furthermore, with no exposure to ambient air and conditions, such as wind, the clothes can take far longer to dry. The increased moisture and humidity within the room from the drying clothes can also lead to damp and mould problems. 
     Indoor electric tumble dryers are known, and are used to more quickly dry clothes. However, these devices consume significant amounts of electrical energy for heating, and are thus expensive to run and environmentally unfriendly. 
     The invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a tumble air dryer comprising an unenclosed rotatable container for holding clothes and having at least one air permeable side, a support for supporting the container for rotation at only one side of the container, the container being removably mountable on the support, and drive means for rotating the container on the support. 
     Preferable and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims  2  to  19  inclusive. 
    
    
     
       The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a tumble air dryer, in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a back side of a container of the tumble air dryer detached from a support; 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective side view of a framework of the container; 
         FIG. 4  shows the container of the tumble air dryer when collapsed for storage; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view through a centre of the container and part of the support; and 
         FIG. 6  shows the tumble air dryer with a removable cover. 
     
    
    
     Referring to the drawings, there is shown a tumble air dryer  10  which comprises an unenclosed container  12 , and a wall-mountable support  14  for rotatably supporting the container  12 . The container  12  includes a framework  16  having a base  18  with a hub  20  and equi-angularly spaced elongate coplanar rigid spokes  22  which extend equi-distantly radially therefrom, a continuous circular back rim  24  which interconnects the distal ends of the spokes  22  remote from the hub  20 , a plurality of equi-angularly spaced arm elements  26  which project in a common direction at right angles from the spokes  22 , and a continuous circular front rim  28  which aligns or substantially aligns with the back rim  24 . 
     The arm elements  26  are extendable and retractable, preferably being telescopic, so that the front rim  28  can be moved towards the back rim  24  to enable the container  12  to adopt a compact storage condition, and away from the back rim  24  to enable the container  12  to be used. 
     The framework  16  supports a pliantly flexible mesh skin  30  which, in this embodiment, covers the framework on all sides. Due to the mesh comprising a plurality of small apertures, the skin  30  is air permeable thus allowing the substantially free movement of air into and through the interior of the container  12 . The skin  30  is also preferably removable from the framework  16  for cleaning and maintenance. For example, the back and front rims  24 ,  28  may include clipable portions for tightly or tautly engaging the mesh skin  30 . With the skin  30  attached, the container  12  is cylindrical or substantially cylindrical. 
     The container  12  also includes an access opening  32  and an access cover  34  for closing the access opening  32 . In this embodiment, the access opening  32  is in a front side or surface  36  of the container  12 , and the access cover  34  is hinged at or substantially across the diameter of the container  12 . The cover  34  preferably includes a handle  38  and releasable locking device for retaining the access cover  34  in a closed condition, for example, during use. A detent may also be included, typically at the hinge, to hold the access cover  34  open whilst washing is being loaded into or decanted from the container  12 . 
     Although in a front surface  36 , the access opening  32  and thus access cover  34  may be in a side  40  of the container  12 . 
     Dependent on circumstances, two or more containers  12  of different volumes may be provided from which one can be selected dependent on necessity, such as an amount of washing requiring drying. 
     The support  14  comprises a rigid elongate arm  42  which is mountable to a wall surface  44  so as to be spaced from the ground. The arm  42  preferably has a longitudinal extent which is greater than a radius of the container  12  or the largest container  12  if a plurality is provided. One end  45  of the arm  42  houses an electric motor  46  with a high-torque gearbox  48  having an output shaft  50  with a spur gear  52  thereon. The output shaft  50  extends at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the arm  42 . The hub  20  of the container  12  includes an opening  54  on its rotational axis which is complementarily shaped to receive and releasably engage the spur gear  52  as a push fit. A detent may be provided in the hub  20  and on the spur gear  52  to positively retain the container  12  thereon. For example, a pip and recess can be used. 
     The other end  56  of the arm  42  which is opposite the spur gear  52  includes a controller  58  having a user interface  60  for selecting, for example, a cycle duration, spin speed, and on/off. 
     The end of the arm  42  opposite the spur gear  52  also includes attachment means  62  for attaching a removable cover  64 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . In this case, the attachment means  62  includes two openings  66  in which an arcuate support arm  68  of the cover  64  can be engaged. A cover element  70  projects from the arcuate support arm  68  so as to extend over and outwards beyond a top of the container  12 . The cover  64  does not drop down the sides or over the front of the container  12  so as not to inhibit air flow. 
     To provide power to the electric motor  46 , a mains powered transformer  72  is utilised. Preferably, an all weather switch  74 , circuit breaker and transformer  72  are used to enable outside location of the tumble air dryer  10 . However, if the dryer  10  is only to be used inside, the switch, circuit breaker and transformer need not be weather resistant. Furthermore, in this latter case, the circuit breaker may be dispensed with if the switch is fused. 
     Instead of or in addition to mains electrical power, a solar panel  76  can be utilised, as shown in  FIG. 6 , to provide electricity to the electric motor  46 . It is also envisaged that any other suitable renewable energy collector could be used. For example, electricity could be provided by a wind turbine connected to a generator. As a further alternative, the electric motor could be dispensed with and the drive means could utilise only a wind turbine to move the container  12  without the use of electricity. 
     In use, the tumble air dryer  10  is typically provided as a kit of parts. The support  14  is mounted on a suitable wall  44  preferably facing the sun, and this may be outside. A further support  14  may be mounted on another wall, which may be inside or outside. The support  14  is connected to a mains power source, and the container  12  or a suitable sized container  12  selected from a plurality is fitted via its hub  20  to the spur gear  52  on the support  14 . The container  12  is expanded if necessary, and loaded with washing to be dried. A cycle and duration is selected from the user interface  60 , and the on/off button is operated to start the dryer  10 . The container  12  is thus rotated whilst allowing the free or substantially free passage of air therethrough, providing ambient drying of the clothes. 
     Once the cycle is completed, the access cover  34  is opened, the washing removed, and the container  12  can be compacted to reduce space. 
     If a rain shower is expected or occurs, the removable cover  64  can be erected to protect the washing within the container  12 . 
     The container  12  can be detached and moved to another one of the supports  14 , for example, provided on a different exterior wall so as to track the sun&#39;s movement, or provided at an inside location. 
     It is preferable that all sides and faces of the container have walls which are air permeable to allow air to pass therethrough. However, it is possible that only one of the sides may be air permeable, such as the side or the front surface. 
     Although preferably compactable, the container may not be. 
     The container is a cylinder, but may be other shapes. 
     The container is not surrounded or enclosed, in order to allow free air movement thereacross, but the container itself is closed or closable to prevent washing from being unintentionally thrown therefrom during use. 
     Although wall-mountable, the support may be a pole or other free standing member, or the support may be attachable to such a free standing member. 
     It is thus possible to provide a tumble air dryer which, by having an unenclosed container, utilises the ambient temperature of the surrounding environment to dry washing. The tumble air dryer is compact and discreet, utilising far less space than a traditional clothes line or rotary washing line. By dispensing with an electric or gas powered heating element, the tumble air dryer is significantly more economical and environmentally friendly. The tumble air dryer also utilises few parts, allowing cost-effective manufacture and a long working life. 
     The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.