Patent Publication Number: US-11650012-B1

Title: Nozzle plates for a carpet dryer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/383,593, filed Apr. 13, 2019, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to carpet drying, and more particularly to a nozzle system for a carpet drying machine. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Carpet drying machines of the prior art use so-called “jet tube” diffusion plates to direct air towards a carpet web that either needs to be dried or needs to be heated to facilitate a chemical reaction between materials introduced to the carpet web. Such carpet drying machines include one or more furnaces with one or more blowers for directing air into at least a pair of manifolds disposed on either side of the carpet web that travels through the carpet drying machine to be dried. The jet tube diffusion plates of the prior art are thin and include a plurality of apertures, typically in a grid pattern, that receive air from the manifold and deliver it to the carpet web. However, such air traversing an aperture in a thin plate is subject to quick diffusion and is typically non-laminar. Further, the grid pattern on typical jet tube diffusion plates create gaps of drying between such apertures, where the warm air blown through the diffusion plates does not reach all parts of the carpet web uniformly. Further, such prior art diffusion plates are difficult to remove from the manifolds and are notoriously difficult to clean. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a carpet drying system that includes diffusion plates that are relatively easy to remove from the carpet drying machine and clean. Such diffusion plates would provide overlapping or interspersed coverage of heated drying air to the carpet web, and would do so with multiple interspersed laminar flow jets. The present invention accomplishes these objectives. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present device is a nozzle system for a carpet drying machine of the type having an upper manifold with a lower open end, and a lower manifold with an upper open end. 
     Each manifold is in fluid communication with at least one furnace and a blower to deliver heated air through the manifold to a carpet web disposed between each manifold. 
     The nozzle system comprises two or more planar diffusion plates each having a manifold side and a carpet side. The diffusion plates each include a plurality of apertures traversing from the manifold side to the carpet side. Each aperture is wider at the manifold side than at the carpet side so as to define a concentrating nozzle through the diffusion plate. 
     Preferably the concentrating nozzles of each diffusion plate flare outwardly progressively increasingly from the carpet side of the diffusion plate to the manifold side of the diffusion plate. Preferably each diffusion plate includes two or more rows of the concentrating nozzles, each concentrating nozzle of one row being offset from the concentrating nozzles of any adjacent row of concentrating nozzles. Preferably each concentrating nozzle include only rounded, non-sharp edges that inhibit snagging on the carpet web. 
     With the two or more diffusion plates mounted at each of the open ends, each diffusion plate preferably is adapted to rest in either manifold by gravity at the open end of each manifold, respectively. Each diffusion plate is preferably rectangular in plan view, and possibly square in plan view when multiple of the diffusion plates are required to completely cover the open end of each manifold. As such, each diffusion plate abuts any adjacent diffusion plate along a cooperative edge that inhibits air flow between the adjacent diffusion plates. 
     As such, with the two or more diffusion plates mounted at each of the manifolds with the manifold side of the diffusion plate facing away from the carpet web, hot air blown into the manifolds is concentrated into a laminar flow towards the carpet web to dry the carpet web. 
     In some embodiments, the nozzle system is added to a preexisting carpet drying machine with minimal retrofitting required to the upper and lower manifolds. In other embodiments, the carpet drying machine is included, the carpet drying machine including at least one furnace and at least one blower, each disposed in a penthouse of an enclosure. In some embodiments each manifold may include its own furnace and blower. A plurality of such carpet drying machines may be daisy-chained or attached for more thorough drying of the carpet web in a continuous drying process. 
     The present invention is a carpet drying system that includes diffusion plates that are relatively easy to remove from the carpet drying machine and clean. The present invention provides overlapping or interspersed coverage of heated drying air to the carpet web, and does so with multiple interspersed laminar flow jets. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a side elevational diagram of a carpet drying machine and the nozzle system of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of a manifold side of a diffusion plate of the invention; 
         FIG.  3 A  is an exploded perspective view of a lower manifold with one of the diffusion plate; 
         FIG.  3 B  is a perspective view of the lower manifold with one of the diffusion plate; 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of a double lower manifold, each with one or more of the diffusion plates; 
         FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of  FIG.  3 A , illustrating one exemplary configuration of the diffusion plate and manifold side wall interface; and 
         FIG.  6    is a detailed side view of the manifold side wall and distribution, illustrating an alternate exemplary configuration for orientation thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments. 
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list. When the word “each” is used to refer to an element that was previously introduced as being at least one in number, the word “each” does not necessarily imply a plurality of the elements, but can also mean a singular element. 
       FIGS.  1  and  2    illustrate a nozzle system for a carpet drying machine  20  of the type having an upper manifold  28  with a lower open end  27 , and a lower manifold  22  with an upper open end  23 . Each manifold  22 , 28  is in fluid communication with at least one furnace  24  and a blower  25  to deliver heated air through the manifold  22 , 28  to a carpet web  30  disposed between each manifold  22 , 28 . 
     Each manifold  22 ,  28  can have an inlet end  28 A and a distal end  28 B, opposite the inlet end  28 A. The inlet end  28 A receives the air moved by the blower  25 . The manifolds  22 ,  28  can have a cross-sectional area at the inlet end  28 A that continuously decreases toward the distal end  28 B thereof. For example, a top side of the manifold  22 ,  28  can slope downward from the inlet end  28 A to the distal end  28 B as can be seen in  FIG.  3 B , for example. 
     The nozzle system  10  comprises two or more planar diffusion plates  40  each having a manifold side  48  and a carpet side  42 . The diffusion plates  40  each includes a plurality of apertures  50  traversing from the manifold side  48  to the carpet side  42 . Each aperture  50  is wider at the manifold side  48  than at the carpet side  42  so as to define a concentrating nozzle  51  through the diffusion plate  40 . Each diffusion plate  40  preferably is made from a metal material, such as aluminum or steel, having a thickness T 1  of at least 3/8 of an inch, typically from about 3/8 inch to about 3/4 inch, more typically from 3/8 inch to about 5/8 inch. 
     Preferably the concentrating nozzles  51  of each diffusion plate  40  flare outwardly progressively increasingly from the carpet side  42  of the diffusion plate  40  to the manifold side  48  of the diffusion plate  40 . Preferably each diffusion plate  40  includes two or more rows  60  of the concentrating nozzles  51 , each concentrating nozzle  51  of one row  60  being offset from the concentrating nozzles of any adjacent row  65  of concentrating nozzles  51  ( FIG.  2   ). Preferably each concentrating nozzle  51  include only rounded, non-sharp edges  46  that inhibit snagging on the carpet web  30 . 
     Each diffusion plate  40  preferably is adapted to rest in either manifold  22 , 28  by gravity at the open end  23 , 27  of each manifold  22 , 28 , respectively ( FIGS.  3 A and  3 B ). Each diffusion plate  40  is preferably rectangular in plan view, and possibly square in plan view when multiple of the diffusion plates  40  are required to completely cover the open end  23 , 27  of each manifold  22 , 28 . As such, each diffusion plate  40  abuts any adjacent diffusion plate  40  along a cooperative edge  45  that inhibits air flow between the adjacent diffusion plates  40 . In some embodiments, the lower manifold  22  and/or the upper manifold  28  include two or more sections  26  ( FIG.  4   ), each having one or more of the diffusion plates  40  and a gap between adjacent such sections  26  to allow air to flow therebetween. 
     In some embodiments, each diffusion plate  40  can include a slot  40 A designed to fit on the upper ends  22 A of the side walls of the manifold  22 ,  28 , as shown in  FIG.  5   . The diffusion plate  40  can be removably placed on the manifold  22 ,  28  to permit a user to change the manifolds to allow a greater air velocity, a greater air flow, or a greater or lesser number of nozzles, for example. In some embodiments, the sides of the manifold  22 ,  28  can include indents  22 B that can accept protrusions  40 B formed on an underside (manifold side  48 ) of the diffusion plate  40 . The protrusions  40 B can fit into the indents  22 B to removably secure the diffusion plate  40  to the manifold  22 ,  28 . 
     As such, with the two or more diffusion plates  40  mounted at each of the open ends Each diffusion plate  40  preferably is adapted to rest in either manifold  22 , 28  by gravity at the open end  23 , 27  of each manifold  22 , 28 , respectively. Each diffusion plate  40  is preferably rectangular in plan view, and possibly square in plan view when multiple of the diffusion plates  40  are required to completely cover the open end  23 , 27  of each manifold  22 , 28 . As such, each diffusion plate  40  abuts any adjacent diffusion plate  40  along a cooperative edge  45  that inhibits air flow between the adjacent diffusion plates  40 . 
     As such, with the two or more diffusion plates  40  mounted at each of the manifolds  22 , 28  with the manifold side  48  of the diffusion plate  40  facing away from the carpet web  30 , hot air blown into the manifolds  22 , 28  is concentrated into a laminar flow towards the carpet web  30  to dry the carpet web  30 . 
     In some embodiments, the nozzle system  10  is added to a preexisting carpet drying machine  20  with minimal retrofitting required to the upper and lower manifolds  28 , 22 . In other embodiments, the carpet drying machine  20  is included, the carpet drying machine  20  including at least one furnace  24  and at least one blower  25 , each disposed in a penthouse  29  of an enclosure  21 . In some embodiments each manifold  28 , 22  may include its own furnace  24  and blower  25  (not shown), such that the upper manifold  28  that dries a carpet-side of the carpet web  30  may be set at one temperature, for example, at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, and with a stronger air flow such as 5000 cfm, whereas a carpet-back side of the carpet web  30  may be dried at  375  degrees Fahrenheit and with a lower air flow, such as 3500 cfm. A plurality, such as 12 to 20 of such carpet drying machines  20  may be daisy-chained or attached for more thorough drying of the carpet web  30  in a continuous drying process, the carpet web being moved through the plurality of carpet drying machines at a rate of, for example, 220 ft/min. 
     While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims. 
     Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention. 
     The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. 
     All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention. 
     Changes can be made to the invention in light of the above “Detailed Description.” While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Therefore, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. 
     While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. 
     Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.