Patent Publication Number: US-9840806-B1

Title: Clothes dryer vent lint filter

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of lint catching devices for clothes dryers are known in the prior art. These devices are provided to remove lint from the exhaust air from the clothes dryer to reduce the risk of allergies and asthma and other lung diseases from inhalation of lint, to reduce damage to the clothes dryer itself, and to reduce the risk of a house fire. Prior art devices have included a conduit which receives exhaust air from the clothes dryer which has been filtered through a mesh screen and extends from the clothes dryer to a conduit outlet disposed in a container above a volume of water, which tends to decrease the efficiency of the clothes dryer by increasing the moisture level in the room in which the clothes dryer is located and further has a disadvantage of requiring the repeated changing of the water in order to avoid moldy water along with associated noxious odors. What is needed is a clothes dryer vent lint filter including a manifold unit installed directly into a dryer outlet pipe which includes both a removable filter body and a lint cleanout area as required by building and fire codes. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a lint catching device for a clothes dryer, and more particularly, to a clothes dryer vent lint filter which captures lint from exhaust air expelled from the clothes dryer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present clothes dryer vent lint filter, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a clothes dryer vent lint filter which has many novel features that result in a clothes dryer vent lint filter which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
     To accomplish this, the present clothes dryer vent lint filter is devised to be installed directly within a dryer outlet pipe proximal a clothes dryer to permit a user to clean the lint filter without moving the clothes dryer and without climbing atop a roof to clean the vent pipe. The clothes dryer vent lint filter is provided in combination with a rigid dryer outlet pipe having a proximal end configured to attach to an exhaust port of a clothes dryer and a vertical extension section in proximity of a back side of the clothes dryer. The instant device includes a one-piece construction manifold unit configured to be installed within an installation portion of the vertical extension section and within an open section of drywall directly adjacent the installation portion located proximal the back side of the clothes dryer. 
     The manifold unit includes a length of vent pipe having an outer wall with a forward side directed toward the back side of the clothes dryer. A hollow cylindrical protrusion, which extends outwardly from the forward side, is in fluid communication with the cavity of the vent pipe and serves as a lint cleanout area. A threaded cap is engageable to a threaded outer end of the protrusion and has a grip member to assist in the removal of the cap from the protrusion to permit removal of lint and other debris from the vent pipe. A hollow parallelepiped housing body, disposed in the vent pipe proximal an upper side of the protrusion, has a slot which is slidingly engagable by a filter support member with a centrally disposed filter body, such that the filter body aligns with the vent pipe to capture lint from the dryer outlet pipe. A pair of support extensions attach to adjacent portions of the drywall to stabilize the vent pipe to prevent disconnection of the vent pipe from the vertical extension section. Upon completion of the installation of the manifold unit, a pair of hose clamps as shown, or other attachment members or materials, such as Loctite®, can be employed to secure the manifold unit to the dryer outlet pipe. 
     The instant device prevents the clogging of the exhaust roof pipe vent, improves the efficiency of the clothes dryer by allowing the vent pipe to remain unclogged, and reduces a fire hazard associated with the clogging of a vent pipe. The device also reduces the risk of injury associated with climbing on a roof to unclog a vent pipe and the expense of a service call to unclog the vent pipe. The device can be concealed within a casing for aesthetic purposes to provide a clean, sleek, and finished appearance. Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the present clothes dryer vent lint filter so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         FIG. 1  is an in-use isometric view with a filter tray in a retracted position. 
         FIG. 2  is an in-use isometric view with a filter tray in an extended position. 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an in-use view shown as installed proximal a clothes dryer with an opening in a portion of drywall providing access. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, the instant clothes dryer vent lint filter employing the principles and concepts of the present clothes dryer vent lint filter and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5  the present clothes dryer vent lint filter  10  devised to permit the removal of lint and other debris released from a clothes dryer  26  is illustrated. The clothes dryer vent lint filter  10  is provided in combination with a rigid dryer outlet pipe  20  having a proximal end  22  configured to attach to an exhaust port  24  of a clothes dryer  26  and a vertical extension section  28  in proximity of a back side  30  of the clothes dryer  26 . The clothes dryer vent lint filter  10  includes a one-piece construction manifold unit  40  configured to be installed within an installation portion  32  of the vertical extension section  28  and within an open section  34  of drywall  36  directly adjacent the installation portion  32 . The installation portion  32  is located proximal the back side  30  of the clothes dryer  26 . 
     The manifold unit  40  includes a length of vent pipe  42  having a bottom end  44 , a top end  46 , an outer wall  48 , and a continuous cavity  50  disposed between the outer wall  48 , the bottom end  44 , and the top end  46 . The outer wall  48  has a forward side  52  directed toward the back side  30  of the clothes dryer  26 . The vent pipe  42  further has a diameter securingly engageable to the installation portion  32  of the vertical extension section  28 . 
     A hollow cylindrical protrusion  54 , which extends outwardly from the forward side  52 , is in fluid communication with the cavity  50  of the vent pipe  42 . The protrusion  54  has an upper side  56  and a threaded outer end  58 . A threaded cap  60  is engageable to the threaded outer end  58  of the protrusion  54 . The cap has an external side  62 . A grip member  64  is disposed on the external side  62  of the cap to assist in the removal of the cap from the protrusion  54  to permit removal of lint and other debris from the vent pipe  42 . 
     A hollow parallelepiped housing body  70  is disposed in the vent pipe  42  proximal the upper side  56  of the protrusion  54 . The housing body  70  has a front side  72  disposed in the forward side  52  of the outer wall  48 , a rear side  74 , a right side  75 , a left side  76 , an uppermost side  78 , a lower side  79 , and a central aperture  80 . The outer wall  48  of the vent pipe  42  directly engages the central aperture  80 . The housing body  70  further has a width and a length wider than the diameter of the vent pipe  42 . A slot  82  is disposed in the front side  72 . An L-shaped filter support member  84  has an insertable portion  86  with a front end  87  and a grip portion  89  perpendicular to the insertable portion  86  on the front end  87  of the insertable portion  86 . The insertable portion  86  slidingly engages the slot  82 . The insertable portion  86  has a length greater than a length of the grip portion  89 . The grip portion  89  has a height greater than a height of the front end  87  of the insertable portion  86 . A filter body  90  is centrally disposed through the insertable portion  86  of the support member. The filter body  90  has a diameter equal to a diameter of the vertical extension section  28 . The filter support member  84  is removable from the slot  82  to permit the cleaning of the filter body  90  and alternately the replacement of the filter support member  84  and the respective filter body  90 . 
     A lower support extension  92  is disposed on the forward side  52  of the outer wall  48  of the vent pipe  42  at the bottom end  44  in a position substantially perpendicular to the forward side  52 . The lower support extension  92  is engageable to an upper edge of the drywall  36  within the opening proximal the bottom end  44  of the vent pipe  42 . An upper support extension  93  is disposed on the forward side  52  of the outer wall  48  of the vent pipe  42  at the top end  46  in a position substantially perpendicular to the forward side  52  and parallel to the lower support extension  92 . The upper support extension  93  is engageable to a lower edge of the drywall  36  within the opening proximal the top end  46  of the vent pipe  42 . Each of the lower support extension  92  and the upper support extension  93  is L-shaped and has a first portion  95  attached to the forward side  52  and a second portion  97  attached to an outer side of the respective upper edge and lower edge of the drywall  36  in a position parallel to the drywall  36 . The lower and upper support extensions  92 ,  93  promote stabilization of the vent pipe  42  to prevent disconnection of the vent pipe  42  from the vertical extension section  28 . Upon completion of the installation of the manifold unit  40 , a pair of hose clamps as shown, or other attachment members or materials, such as Loctite®, can be employed to secure the manifold unit  40  to the dryer outlet pipe  20 .