Patent Publication Number: US-6662464-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for cleaning dryer lint screens

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to lint screens used in clothes dryers, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for cleaning dryer lint screens. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Drying laundry using a commercially manufactured clothes dryer is a common household chore. Although the makes and models vary somewhat in design and features, virtually all clothes dryers have a lint screen. The present invention involves the lint screen. 
     Lint screens are designed to trap lint—fuzz consisting of fine ravelings and short fibers of fabric—as well as miscellaneous “pocket debris” such as shredded tissue or paper. Trapping these materials serves two purposes. Removal of the lint from clothing results in an improved appearance of the clothing and reduces or eliminates an additional task of manually removing lint from the clothing with a lint brush subsequent to washing and drying the items. The screen also prevents the lint and debris from entering the exhaust duct of the dryer system and clogging the system, resulting in possible safety (fire) concerns or unnecessary dryer repair costs. 
     In order for a lint screen to operate optimally it must be cleaned frequently, preferably after every dryer load. The cleaning process historically involved pulling the screen out of a slot in the dryer, removing the lint from the screen with one&#39;s fingers, disposing of the lint, and re-inserting the screen into the slot. 
     For a variety of reasons, the lint screen cleaning process outlined above frequently doesn&#39;t happen. When in a hurry, many people skip the process altogether. Others find it difficult to remove the lint from the screen and delay cleaning the screen until the lint is thick enough to grasp and sweep off more easily with their fingers. This creates a problem, for if the lint is thick enough to easily remove, it is also thick enough to impair the screen&#39;s effectiveness as a filter. Elderly people or those with arthritis may have an even more difficult time manually cleaning the lint screens. In addition, some people simply prefer not to touch dryer lint due to its texture, for example. It is conceivable that these individuals could use a hand-held brush of some sort to remove the lint, but this would require that a brush be easily accessible, and necessitate the use of both hands—one to hold the lint screen and one to manipulate the brush. Whether hindered by time constraints, the difficulty of removing lint from a screen or lint squeamishness, the outcome is the same: the lint does not get removed in a timely fashion. The result is increased safety concerns, decreased dryer efficiency, and unnecessary dryer maintenance costs. 
     Another problem relating to dryer lint screens is that some of the lint can become airborne in the process of removing it from the screen and disposing of it (most commonly in a nearby trash receptacle). This makes additional cleaning in the laundry room necessary and creates a health issue for those who are sensitive or allergic to dust. 
     Finally, dryer lint is lightweight and difficult to accurately place and retain in an appropriate container. Whether one “misses” the trash container in the first place, or the lint in the container becomes airborne after being placed there, the result will be at best an unsightly mess; at worst, a fire hazard. This problem is particularly common at apartment building laundry rooms or laundromats where the large number of individuals who are using the appliances have no personal investment, and thus minimal concern, for the upkeep of the appliances and the facility. 
     The aforementioned problems associated with cleaning dryer lint screens are widespread, with potentially serious implications in residential and commercial settings. The present invention addresses the dryer lint disposal problems outlined above. It accomplishes the task of thoroughly cleaning the lint screen quickly and easily, and without the operator having to touch the lint. In a preferred embodiment it requires the use of only one hand, reduces airborne lint and ensures that it is properly and completely disposed of in a standard trash container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention includes a device for removing lint from a dryer lint screen, wherein the device includes a frame forming a slot suitable for accepting the lint screen; a lint stripper connected to the frame and arranged adjacent to the lint screen slot; and a container operatively connected to the frame for holding the lint that has been stripped from the lint screen, wherein when the lint screen is inserted into the lint screen slot and then withdrawn the lint is stripped off of the screen by the lint stripper and deposited into the container. 
     Another embodiment includes a device for removing lint from a dryer lint screen, wherein the device includes a frame forming a slot; and lint stripping media adjacent the slot, wherein the lint stripping media includes a pair of linear media elements on either side of the slot, wherein when the lint screen is inserted into the slot and then withdrawn the lint is stripped off of the lint screen by the linear media elements. 
     Still another embodiment includes a device for removing lint from a dryer lint screen, including (a) a container; and (b) a lint stripper assembly including a frame and lint stripping media connected to the frame, wherein the frame is operatively connected to the container and the lint is removed from the lint screen by inserting the lint screen into the lint stripper assembly and then withdrawing it, whereupon the lint is stripped off of the screen by the media and collected within the container. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the “container” is a trash can and the “frame” is a trash can lid. 
     And in a still further preferred embodiment, the “lint stripping media” includes a plurality of bristles. The bristles can include two sets of bristles facing toward one another and angled downwardly and inwardly, with one set of bristles connected to the underside of the lid and positioned on one side of the slot, and the other set of bristles connected to the underside of the lid and positioned on the other side of the slot. 
     Further with regard to the preferred embodiment, there can also be a pair of bristle supports connected to the trash can lid and located on either side of the slot, wherein one of the bristle supports is adjacent to and positioned above one of the bristle sets and the other bristle support is adjacent to and positioned above the other bristle set, whereby when the lint screen is inserted the bristles readily flex downwardly and do not appreciably strip lint off of the screen, but when the lint screen is withdrawn the bristles contact the bristle supports and do not flex upwardly as readily thereby stripping the lint off of the screen. 
     Finally, the device can include a pair of adjoining flexible flaps connected to the top of the lid and located on either side of the slot, whereby the flaps seal the slot so as to prevent airborne lint from escaping the trash can once stripped off of the lint filter. 
     Additional aspects of the present invention will be described with reference to the appended Drawings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred lint screen cleaning device according to the present invention, illustrating the device mounted in a standard trash can lid; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of the trash can lid, showing portions of the lint screen cleaning device; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged side sectional view of a portion of the trash can lid and cleaning device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, taken generally through line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a further enlarged side sectional view of the lint screen cleaning device of FIG. 1, showing the dryer lint screen being inserted into the cleaning device; and 
     FIG. 5 is another enlarged side sectional view of the device of FIG. 1, showing the lint screen being withdrawn from the device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION 
     Referring to the Drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts and assemblies throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred lint screen cleaner  10  according to the present invention. Preferred lint screen cleaner  10  is incorporated into what would otherwise be a standard trash can. Specifically, preferred cleaner  10  is mounted in and to a standard trash can lid  12 , though other mounting techniques are contemplated. Several alternatives are discussed below. 
     Returning to the preferred embodiment, trash can lid  12  could be a standard plastic molded lid, either foot or hand operated. In general, lid  12  forms the “frame” of the lint screen cleaner, and this terminology will be used from time to time in the course of describing the invention. 
     Lid  12  sits atop standard trash can  13  in this preferred embodiment, though in other embodiments of the present invention the lid, or “frame,” of the lint screen cleaner could be attached to other types of lint containing, handling or disposing devices or systems. 
     Still referring to FIG. 1, cleaner  10  can accommodate a variety of dryer lint screens, including standard dryer lint screen  14 . During operation of dryer  18 , lint screen  14  resides in a pocket  16  located conveniently on dryer  18 . Screen  14  filters lint from the air being circulated through the laundry. As is well known, lint accumulates on the upstream side of lint screen  14 , which, for the typical curved lint screen as shown in the Drawing, is on the concave side of the screen. A door  17  covers pocket  16 , and door  17  is closed during operation of dryer  18 . Lint screen  14  is removed from dryer  18  by lifting door  17  and reaching down into pocket  16  to grasp screen  14 . 
     Lint screen  14  includes a screen material  20  spanning between a pair of relatively long, gently curved side rails  22 , along their entire length. Screen material  20  is a metal or plastic mesh having a hole size small enough to trap fine lint particles. A handle  24  is mounted on one end of the lint screen, also spanning between side rails  22 . Lint screen  14  could be about 18 inches long, measured along the curved side rails  22 ; and about 12 inches wide, from side rail to side rail. The present invention can accommodate lint screens having alternative constructions and sizes, as well. In fact, cleaner  10  can easily be sized and configured to receive and clean a wide variety of lint screens. 
     With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, lid  12  forms a lid slot  26  that is sized to accommodate lint screen  14 , potentially among others. While lid slot  26  could be a simple two-dimensional rectangular slot formed in the top surface of lid  12 , it is preferably formed by a pair of bristle supports  28  that angle inwardly and downwardly on either side of lid slot  26 . Bristle supports  28  thus combine to form a tapering slot that is relatively wide at the top and progressively narrows toward the bottom. The dual function of bristle supports  28  is described at some length below. 
     In the preferred embodiment, slot  26  is about 13 inches long, i.e., slightly longer than the width of lint screen  14 . Bristle supports are roughly ½ inch wide and extend the entire length of slot  26 . They form an angle with the top surface of lid  12  of roughly 45 degrees. Slot  26  is about 1 inch wide at the top (i.e., at the top of lid  12 ), and about ½ inch wide at the bottom (i.e., at the lower edges of bristle supports  28 ). The specific dimensions and configuration of slot  26  and bristle supports  28  may vary depending on the types and sizes of lint screens to be cleaned. 
     Mounted to the underside of the lid, or frame,  12  are two sets of bristles  40   a  and  40   b . Bristles  40 , as further discussed below, constitute the media that actually strip the lint from the lint screen. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other types of “lint stripping media” could be used, depending on a variety of factors. 
     Each bristle set  40  can be mounted to lid  12  in any number of ways, e.g., by means of a molded, slotted boss  42 . Alternatively, a suitable adhesive or fastener(s) could be used. Bristle sets  40   a  and  40   b  are mounted on either side of and beneath lid slot  26 , with the bristles angling inwardly and downwardly (see FIG. 3) in a manner similar to the tapering of bristle supports  28 , though the angle of bristles relative to the lid top surface is preferably only about 20 degrees. The tips of the bristles can touch or be slightly separated, depending on the bristle material and stiffness and the precise size and configuration of the lint screen to be cleaned. Plastic bristles are preferred, though other materials could conceivably be used. The bristles are preferably about 1⅜ inches long, measured from the mounting boss  42  to their inner tips. Bristle length may vary depending on many factors, including the chosen mounting technique and bristle stiffness. 
     The lower edges of the bristle supports  28  can engage bristles  40  toward their inner tips. Preferably the bristles are mounted and angled relative to the bristle supports such that the bristles  40  are bent slightly downwardly; that is, to create a slight preload on the bristles, though in some embodiments there needn&#39;t be a preload, nor even any contact between the bristle supports and the bristles, when cleaner  10  is not actively cleaning a lint screen. 
     Bristle supports  28  interact with bristles  40  in such a way that the bristles can be easily bent downwardly, but resist upward deflection. That is, since there is nothing supporting the outer tips of the bristles from below, they can easily deflect downwardly, essentially bending along their entire length. Especially if the bristles are made of plastic, and have a diameter of about 0.02 inch, as in the most preferred embodiment, they can easily bend downwardly. By contrast, the bristles are supported from above by bristle supports  28 , making upward deflection considerably more difficult. Once the bristles contact bristle supports  28  their effective length changes from roughly 1¾ inches to roughly ½ inch. This creates a much stiffer bristle, in the upward direction. In effect, the bristles are shorter and thus stiffer in one direction than the other. 
     The rationale for this asymmetry or differential in how the bristles react, downwardly versus upwardly, will be explained below. Once the function of bristle sets  40  is understood, those skilled in the art will see that other materials and elements could be used in lieu of brush bristles, to create the desired asymmetrical effect. 
     Note that there are two opposing bristle sets in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thus permitting the lint screen to be inserted either way, perhaps depending on the orientation of lid  12 , and also perhaps to permit the user to switch from one set of bristles to another on occasion to prevent undue wear on the bristles, which might impair the lint stripping function. 
     Cleaner  10  can also includes a pair of flaps  50  mounted to the top surface of lid  12  atop lid slot  26 . Flaps  50 , extending the width of slot  26 , preferably touch or nearly touch at their inner edges. Flaps  50  are optional since they preferably do not do much in the way of stripping lint off of the screen. Rather, preferred flaps  50  function primarily to seal container  13  to keep the stripped lint particles in the container and out of the room. That being the case, in the preferred embodiment flaps  50  can be very flexible, thin sheet rubber. Even though such flaps are primarily designed to prevent dust from escaping the container, they also help seal against odors and pests. 
     Now that the preferred structure of lint screen cleaner  10  is understood, its operation can be described. When it is time to clean lint screen  14 , and before starting the dryer  18 , the operator lifts door  17  and reaches in to grasp lint screen handle  24 . Lint screen  14  is withdrawn from pocket  16  and positioned in the manner shown in FIG.  1 . Then filter  14  is inserted through flaps  50  and slot  26  into the interior of container  13 . The lint stripping media, in the preferred embodiment bristles  40 , yield enough so as to not strip the lint from the screen. Once the screen is fully inserted (i.e., when handle  24  is more or less flush with the top of lid  12 ), the operator can pull on handle  24  to withdraw screen  14  for container  13 , as shown in FIG.  5 . This causes the bristles to engage supports  28  and effectively stiffen such that they provide enough resistance to scrape or sweep the lint off of the upstream side of the screen. The lint falls into container  13  for subsequent disposal. The cleaned filter can be reinserted into dryer pocket  16  and the door closed, thus readying the dryer for normal operation. 
     Preferred embodiments of the invention are described above. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. Variations and modifications of the various parts and assemblies can certainly be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Thus, the invention is limited only to the apparatus and method recited in the claims which follow this detailed description, and equivalents thereto. 
     For example, the cleaner “frame,” which in the preferred embodiment is a more or less standard trash can lid, could be mounted to other types of containers; that is, the container needn&#39;t be a trash can, per se. It could be any container or device for containing or disposing of the lint. Conceivably, the frame could be mounted to a container mounted in the wall of a house, or even to a container that is part of the dryer itself, or any other special or general purpose container or like device. Or, even if the trash can approach is used, there could be an additional, smaller container mounted to the underside of the lid to receive and contain the stripped lint. That way, the lint screen cleaning operation can proceed irrespective of the amount of trash in the main body of the trash can. Also, there could be a lint receiving bag attached to the underside of the lid, to receive the stripped lint, to prevent the screen from possibly coming into contact with the “general” trash, which might damage or contaminate the screen. 
     Broadly speaking, the “frame” of the device needn&#39;t be a container at all. Rather, the frame could be any structure capable of supporting the lint stripping media. 
     Similarly, the “lint stripping media” needn&#39;t be bristle. It could be anything that can strip lint off of a lint screen, preferably with an asymmetrical or differential action such that it permits the screen to be inserted without significantly disrupting the lint, but strips the lint upon removal of the screen from the cleaner. This differential action could be achieved in other ways. For example, the device could include one or more rollers coated with a lint stripping media such as radially extending bristles. The rollers could be mounted to the frame in such a way as to permit the rollers to freely rotate as the lint screen is being inserted, leaving the lint on the upstream side of the screen; and resist rotation as the screen is being withdrawn, so that the lint stripping media can remove lint from the screen as it is withdrawn. 
     Those skilled in the art will also recognize that that the bristles, or, more generally, the lint stripping media, could be equally stiff in both directions (i.e., not inherently “asymmetrical” or “differential”), with the user having to in effect create the asymmetry by modulating the clearance between the bristles and the lint. In this possible embodiment, the user would have to manually space the screen away the bristles during insertion, to minimize disruption of the lint going in; and then allow the bristles to contact the lint during withdrawal to strip the lint off of the screen. 
     Finally, it would be possible, and the present invention contemplates, combining the functions of the flaps and bristles, so that a single element provides some degree of sealing and also does the lint stripping. 
     As noted above, the invention is limited only to the apparatus and method recited in the claims which follow, and equivalents thereto.