Patent Abstract:
Exemplary embodiments describe a clothes drying apparatus and a method for using a clothes drying apparatus. The clothes drying apparatus can include a base portion with at least one blower. A drying chamber can be positioned above the base portion. A clothing frame can be housed within the drying chamber; the clothing frame having at least one vertical support member extending from the base portion, and at least one horizontal support frame member. A top portion can be removably coupled to the drying chamber.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Drying clothes with a conventional clothes drying machine is well known. When utilizing a conventional dryer, clothes are typically spun, tossed and thrown around a drying bin at high temperatures. However, after a number of drying cycles clothes tend to shrink and become worn or discolored, among other things. Furthermore, certain articles of clothing, such as particularly delicate items, normally cannot be dried in this environment. These clothes must either be hung somewhere else, or taken to a costly dry cleaning shop where they are cleaned with harsh chemicals. 
         [0002]    Additionally, conventional clothes dryers consume a large amount of energy and have large operating costs. An average household dryer can consume upwards of 6000 watts per hour, and can cost somewhere between $1 and $2 per hour to operate depending on the time of day and the rate of electricity. Furthermore, throughout the life of the dryer, the energy consumed and the operating costs often increase. 
         [0003]    Moreover, conventional clothes dryers are large, heavy and generally immobile. Most clothes dryers take up a relatively large area in a home and are not easily moved within the home to create space. In addition, it is impractical to transport a conventional dryer for use in a location outside the home. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    One exemplary embodiment of the invention describes a clothes drying apparatus. The clothes drying apparatus can include a base portion with at least one blower. A drying chamber can be positioned above the base portion. A clothing frame can be housed within the drying chamber; the clothing frame having at least one vertical support member extending from the base portion, and at least one horizontal support frame member. A top portion can be removably coupled to the drying chamber. 
         [0005]    Another exemplary embodiment may include a method of drying clothes. The method includes steps for placing washed clothes into a drying chamber, sealing the drying chamber on all sides, and forcing air into the drying chamber from below utilizing at least one centrifugal blower. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0006]    Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a clothes dryer. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of a clothing frame for a clothes dryer. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows another exemplary embodiment of a clothes dryer. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows. 
         [0011]    The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments of the invention” does not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a clothes dryer  100 . Clothes dryer  100  may have a base portion  102 . Base portion  102  may be made of any suitable material, for example, molded plastic. Base portion  102  may be any suitable size, for example, a two foot by two foot square. Alternatively, base portion may be sized and shaped in any suitable manner known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Base portion  102  may also have a liner, which may collect excess moisture. The liner may be formed of any material desired, for example, an absorbent fabric. 
         [0013]    At least one blower  104  may be disposed within base potion  102 . Alternatively base portion  102  may have a plurality of blowers  104 . Blowers  104  may be, for example, centrifugal blowers. The blowers  104  may be low volume, low speed blowers. For example, the blowers  104  may operate at about 100 to 200 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and may be powered by regular 120 volt household electricity. In other exemplary embodiments, blowers  104  may be powered in any manner, for example, by solar panels attached to the device. The blowers  104  may also be, for example, low discharge rate blowers. Blowers  104  may operate to force air from base portion  102  into drying chamber  106 . Heat may not need to be applied. However, in another exemplary embodiment, blowers  104  may blow heated air. Blowers  104  may operate utilizing ambient air including, for example, inside or outside ambient air. 
         [0014]    Clothes dryer  100  may have drying chamber  106 . Drying Chamber  106  may be removably coupled to base portion  102 . Alternatively drying chamber  106  and base portion  102  may be a single unit. Drying chamber  106  may be in fluid communication with base portion  102 . Drying chamber  106  may be above base portion  102 . Drying chamber  106  may be surrounded, wrapped or otherwise enclosed with a fire retardant material, for example a polyurethane or urethane coated nylon cloth, or any other decorative and/or functional material. 
         [0015]    Drying chamber  106  may contain clothing frame  108 . Clothing frame  108  may have at least one vertical support member  110  and least one horizontal support member  112 . Alternatively, clothing frame  108  may have a plurality of vertical support members  110  and horizontal support members  112 . Clothing frame  108  may also have at least one center bar disposed across horizontal support members  112 . Center bar may operate, for example, to allow clothes to be hanged in drying chamber  106  while clothes machine  100  is in operation. Vertical support member  110  may extend from base portion  102 . Horizontal support members  112  may be disposed at an angle to vertical support member  110 . Horizontal support members  112  may have a removable wire mesh layer. The removable wire mesh layer may operate, for example, to allow clothes to be laid within drying chamber  106  while clothes machine  100  is in operation. Clothing frame  108  may be made of any suitable material known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, clothing frame  108  may be made of a galvanized coil spring. Clothing frame  108  may be made of a collapsible material, or alternatively, may be made of a rigid material, for example, a hard plastic, wood, or other suitable material. 
         [0016]    Clothes dryer  100  may have top portion  114 . Top portion  114  may operate to seal drying chamber  106 . Top portion  114  may be made of the same materials as drying chamber  106 . Top portion  114  may be removably coupled to drying chamber  106  by any means known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, top portion  114  may be hinged, clasped, clamped or otherwise coupled to drying chamber  106 . 
         [0017]    Referring generally to clothes dryer  100 , clothes dryer  100  may be collapsible. For example clothes dryer  100  may be collapsed from a useable state into a smaller, portable state. Clothes dryer  100  may be collapsed in any manner, for example, using a lever, hinge or other means as desired. Alternatively, clothes dryer  100  may be rigid or may be stationary. Clothes dryer  100  may be customized to any suitable size known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Clothes dryer  100  may be used inside or outside, and may further be transported to remote locations, for example, on a vacation. Clothes dryer  100  may further include a moisture sensor which may operate to shut clothes dryer  100  off once clothes in drying chamber  106  are dry. Clothes may be loaded into clothes dryer  100  via top portion  114 . Alternatively clothes may be loaded into clothes dryer  100  by other means, for example, via a side or front door. Clothes dryer  100  may also have, for example, an energy usage module, power monitor, and watt/hour monitor. 
         [0018]    Clothes dryer  100  may be an environmentally friendly apparatus that utilizes green technology. Clothes dryer  100  may utilize less energy than conventional clothes dryer, for example, the carbon footprint and green house emissions from clothes dryer  100  may be much smaller than conventional dryers as it may use significantly less power or energy than other known clothes dryers. Clothes dryer  100  may also operate at a much lower cost than traditional dryers. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of clothing frame  108 . Clothing frame  108  may be within drying chamber  106 . Clothing frame  108  may have vertical support members  110  and horizontal support members  112 . Clothing frame  108  may have removable wire mesh  116  that may couple to horizontal support members  112 . Clothes may be placed across removable wire mesh  116 . Clothes dryer  100  may also have at least one center bar  118 . Alternatively, clothes dryer  100  may a have a plurality of center bars. Clothes may be hung from center bar  118 , for example, by a clothes hanger during operation of clothes dryer  100 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  shows another exemplary embodiment of clothes dryer  300  Clothes dryer  300  may have a base portion  302 . Base portion  302  may be made of any suitable material, for example, molded plastic. Base portion  302  may be any suitable size, for example, an about three foot by three foot square, and may have a height, for example, about eight inches. Alternatively base portion may be sized and shaped in any suitable manner known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Control switch  316  may be disposed on base portion  302 . 
         [0021]    A plurality of centrifugal blowers  304  may be disposed within base potion  302 . The centrifugal blowers  304  may be low volume, low speed blowers. For example, the blowers  304  may operate at about  100  to  200  cubic feet per minute (CFM) and may be powered by regular  120  volt household electricity. In other exemplary embodiments, blowers  104  may be powered in any manner, for example, by solar panels or other green technology attached to the device. In some exemplary embodiments, solar panels may be coupled to any portion of clothes dryer  300 , for example exterior portions. The blowers  304  may also be, for example, low discharge rate blowers. Blowers  304  may operate to force air from base portion  302  into drying chamber  306 . Heat may not need to be applied. Blowers  304  may operate utilizing ambient air including, for example, inside or outside ambient air. 
         [0022]    Clothes dryer  300  may have drying chamber  306 . Drying Chamber  306  may be removably coupled to base portion  302 . Alternatively drying chamber  306  and base portion  302  may be a single unit. Drying chamber  306  may be in fluid communication with base portion  302 . Drying chamber  306  may be above base portion  302 . Drying chamber  306  may be surrounded, wrapped or otherwise enclosed with a fire retardant material, for example a polyurethane or urethane coated nylon cloth. Drying chamber  306  may be any suitable size. For example, drying chamber  306  may have a length of about three feet, a height of about three feet and a width of about three feet. 
         [0023]    Drying chamber  306  may contain clothing frame  308 . Clothing frame  308  may have vertical support member  310  and one or more horizontal support members  312 . Vertical support member  310  may extend from base portion  302 . Horizontal support members  312  may be disposed at an angle to vertical support member  310 . Horizontal support members  312  may have a removable wire mesh layer similar to that described earlier. The removable wire mesh layer may operate, for example, to allow clothes to be laid within drying chamber  306  while clothes machine  300  is in operation. Clothing frame  308  may be made of any suitable material known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, clothing frame  308  may be made of a galvanized coil spring. Clothing frame  308  may be collapsible. When collapsed, the dimensions of clothes dryer  300  may be reduced. For example, clothes dryer may have a length of about two feet, a width of about two feet and a height of about fifteen inches when collapsed. Clothes dryer  300  may be stored, for example, in a carrying case. 
         [0024]    Clothes dryer  300  may have top portion  314 . Top portion  314  may operate to seal drying chamber  306 . Top portion  314  may be made of the same materials as drying chamber  306 . Top portion  314  may be removably coupled to drying chamber  306  by any means known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, top portion  314  may be hinged, clasped, clamped or otherwise coupled to drying chamber  306 . 
         [0025]    The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
         [0026]    Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3