Patent Publication Number: US-6910292-B2

Title: Clothes drying cabinet with improved air distribution

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Clothes drying cabinets, which are more common in Japan than in the United States, are used for drying clothes without the conventional tumbling action. As opposed to a conventional tumbler dryer, a drying cabinet provides heated air for drying clothes hanging in the cabinet. Drying cabinets can also be used for de-wrinkling clothes. The de-wrinkling process includes the introduction of steam into the cabinet, which facilitates the removal of wrinkles from the clothes. The drying air is provided through multiple holes or louvers formed in one or more walls of the drying cabinet. However, conventional drying cabinets generally do not provide a balanced air flow through the cabinet, since the velocity of air flow through the inlet holes or louvers is greatest near the air supply source and progressively decreases as the inlet holes or louvers are spaced farther from the air supply source. Also, the drying air normally enters the cabinet through the holes or louvers in a common direction, which minimizes or reduces the mixture of drying air within the cabinet. 
   Conventional drying cabinets also do not have shelves for receiving clothes to be dried, such as sweaters which preferably should not be hung on a hanger, particularly when wet. 
   Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved clothes drying cabinet. 
   Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved clothes drying cabinet having balanced air distribution throughout the cabinet. 
   A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved clothes drying cabinet wherein drying air is introduced through holes or nozzles in the cabinet wall at a substantially uniform velocity. 
   Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved clothes drying cabinet wherein the drying air is introduced through a plurality of air inlet holes or nozzles at multiple non-horizontal angles. 
   Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved clothes drying cabinet having shelves for drying clothes thereon, and with drying air directed to both the upper and lower surfaces of the shelves. 
   A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved clothes drying cabinet wherein an air plenum directs drying air into the cabinet uniformly. 
   Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved clothes drying cabinet wherein an air distribution plenum has a decreasing cross sectional area, both horizontally and vertically, to provide substantially constant velocity air flow into the drying cabinet. 
   Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved clothes drying cabinet which also distributes steam in the cabinet for de-wrinkling clothes. 
   These and other objectives of the present invention will be apparent from the following description. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A clothes drying cabinet has a compartment with a front door or doors, opposite side walls, a rear wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall. A plurality of air inlet holes or nozzles are provided in one of the walls. An air plenum resides behind the air nozzles to distribute air from an air source through the nozzles and into the compartment for drying clothes therein. The air plenum has a cross sectional area which decreases from the nozzles closest to the air source to the nozzles furthest from the air source, so as to provide a substantially constant air flow velocity through the nozzles into the compartment. The nozzles are directed in an angular, non-horizontal orientation so as to provide drying air in multiple directions into the compartment. Mesh shelves may be provided in the compartment, with the air being directed to both the upper and lower surfaces of the shelves to enhance drying of objects laid on the shelves. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a combination tumble dryer and drying cabinet with the front doors closed. 
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  showing the front doors open. 
       FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the drying cabinet liner. 
       FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the cabinet dryer liner with the air plenum wall secured thereto. 
       FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the air plenum wall. 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of the air plenum wall. 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along lines  7 — 7  of FIG.  6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of the drying compartment of the drying cabinet of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 9A-9E  are sectional views taken along lines  9 A— 9 A through  9 E— 9 E on FIG.  8 . 
       FIG. 10  is a front elevation view of the drying compartment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 11A-11E  are sectional views taken along lines  11 A— 11 A through  11 E— 11 E of FIG.  10 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  shows a combination clothes drying machine  10  having a tumble dryer  12  and a drying cabinet  14 . The drying cabinet  14  is shown to be mounted on top of the tumble dryer  12 , though it is understood that other configurations can be provided. The tumble dryer  12  includes a door to provide access to the rotatable drum  18 . 
   The drying cabinet  14  includes a pair of doors  20  which provide access to a drying compartment  22 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , the compartment  22  may include removable shelves  24 , which preferably have a mesh support surface so that air can circulate therethrough. 
   The compartment  22  is formed by a liner  26 , best shown in FIG.  3 . The liner  26  includes opposite side walls  28 ,  30 , a rear wall  32 , a top wall  34 , and a bottom wall  36 . The bottom wall  36  has a curved profile so as to extend around the drum  18  of the tumble dryer  12 . The compartment  22  includes an elongated portion  38  adapted to receive long hanging items for drying, such as a dress. 
   A plurality of shelf supports  40  are formed on the wall  30 . Shelf support rods  42  are removably mounted in the rear wall  32  of the liner  26 . Thus, the shelves  24  can be quickly and easily installed and removed with the opposite rigid sides of the shelves being supported by the shelf supports  40  and shelf rods  42 . It is understood that other means may be provided for supporting the shelves  24 . 
   A plenum wall  44  is mounted on the exterior of the rear wall  32  of the liner  26 . The plenum wall  44  includes a perimeter flange  46 . A seal (not shown) is provided between the perimeter flange  46  and the rear wall  32  of the liner  26 . 
   The plenum wall  44  includes a lower portion  48  adapted to be connected to an air duct (not shown). The air duct conveys air from an air source, such as a fan, to the air plenum  50  defined by the space between the plenum wall  44  and the rear wall  32 . The air may be heated to enhance drying and may carry steam to enhance de-wrinkling of clothes within the drying cabinet  14 . 
   As seen in FIGS.  8  and  9 A- 9 E, the cross sectional area of the plenum  50  decreases across the width of the plenum  50 , with the greatest cross sectional area being adjacent the lower portion  48 . Similarly, as shown in FIGS.  10  and  11 A- 11 E, the cross sectional area of the plenum  50  decreases vertically from bottom to top, with the greatest cross sectional area being adjacent the lower portion  48  of the plenum wall  44 . Thus, the plenum  50  has the greatest cross sectional area in the lower right corner, as shown in the drawings adjacent the introduction of air from the air inlet portion  48  and has the smallest cross sectional area in the opposite (upper left) corner furthest away from the air inlet portion  48 . This gradual decrease in the depth of the plenum  50  in a radial pattern allows the air to be distributed through a plurality of air inlet holes or nozzles  52 ,  54  in the rear wall  32  of the compartment  22  at a substantially constant or uniform velocity. Thus, the air distribution through the nozzles  52 ,  54  is balanced across the rear of the compartment  22 . 
   As seen in  FIGS. 8 and 10 , the nozzles  52 ,  54  are arranged in rows and columns. The nozzles  52 ,  54  are formed in the rear wall  32  of the compartment  22  and are angularly disposed, as best seen in  FIGS. 9A-9E . More particularly, the nozzles  52  are directed downwardly, as seen in  FIGS. 9A ,  9 C and  9 E, while the nozzles  54  are directed upwardly, as seen in  FIGS. 9B and 9D . Thus, when the shelves  24  are installed in the compartment  22 , the nozzles  52  direct air over the top surface of the shelves  24  while the nozzles  54  direct air across the lower surface of the shelves  24 . Since the shelf surface is made of a mesh material, drying of a sweater or other object placed upon the shelf  24  is optimized by the flow of air across the upper and lower sides of the object. Preferably, the air from the nozzles  52 ,  54  should be directed toward the shelves  24  as much as possible for optimal drying performance, as opposed to horizontally across the shelves  24 . Therefore, the preferred angle of the nozzles  52 ,  54  is 0-45° with respect to vertical. 
   The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been set forth in the drawings, specification, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic or descriptive sense only and are not used for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and 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 and scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.