Patent Abstract:
A pedestal dryer vent passes the dryer vent hose through the pedestal, allowing the dryer to be placed close to a wall and reducing the opportunity for kinks or obstructions in the vent hose.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. The Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an improved dryer vent. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dryer vent which reduces or eliminates the space between the dryer and the wall, and which reduces the chance of a kink in the flexible dryer vent hose. 
         [0003]    2. State of the Art 
         [0004]    Clothes dryers are typically vented to the outside of a house. Such an arrangement is advantageous as the exhaust air from the dryer, which typically carries a fair amount of lint, is expelled from the house. The dryer exhaust vent exits from the back of the dryer, and is typically connected to a section of flexible hose, which is in turn connected to a vent pipe in the house wall. The vent pipe extends to a point outside of the house. 
         [0005]    One of the disadvantages of such an arrangement is that the dryer can not be pushed back against the wall. The flexible vent hose necessitates a space between the dryer and the wall. If the dryer is pushed back too far, the vent hose can kink or partially collapse, impeding the functioning of the dryer. The space between the dryer and the wall is often six or eight inches. Many persons find such a space objectionable, as it reduces space in the room and is visually less appealing. 
         [0006]    There is thus a need for a dryer vent which overcomes the limitations of available methods of venting a dryer. Specifically, there is a need for a dryer vent which eliminates the need for a large space between the dryer and the wall, and which reduces the risk of kinking or partially blocking the dryer vent hose. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dryer vent. 
         [0008]    According to one aspect of the invention, a pedestal dryer vent is provided. The exhaust air from the dryer is directed out of the bottom of the dryer and into the pedestal. Such an arrangement does not require a substantial space between the dryer and the wall. Such an arrangement also reduces the chance of blocking the dryer vent. 
         [0009]    These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in an improved pedestal dryer vent as shown and described in the following figure and related description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of dryer and vent known in the prior art; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of a dryer and pedestal vent of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0013]    It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the invention in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the invention in greater clarity. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The invention and accompanying drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0015]    Turning now to  FIG. 1 , a side view of a dryer and vent known in the prior art is shown. The clothes dryer  10  is fitted with an exhaust outlet  14 . The exhaust outlet  14  is typically found in the back of the dryer  10  somewhat near the bottom of the dryer. Houses typically include a dryer vent pipe  18  which is built into a wall  22  of the house. The dryer vent pipe  18  extends to the outside of the house, carrying the exhaust air from the dryer outside of the house. The dryer exhaust outlet  14  is typically connected to the dryer vent pipe  18  with a flexible hose  26 . The flexible hose  26  is often constructed with a thin metal foil or metalized plastic film forming the hose and a metal spiral formed in the hose wall to support the hose and prevent collapse of the hose. 
         [0016]    It is desirable to remove the dryer exhaust from the house for several reasons. The dryer exhaust air is hot and humid, and would often make a house or room too hot or humid. Additionally, the exhaust air contains an amount of lint which is not caught by the dryer lint trap. It is undesirable that the lint is vented into the room. 
         [0017]    In connecting the dryer exhaust outlet  14  to the dryer vent pipe  18 , the dryer is positioned a few feet away from the wall so as to allow a person to connect the flexible hose  26  to the exhaust outlet and vent pipe. Thus, a few feet of flexible hose  26  is needed. The dryer  10  is then moved back towards the wall  22 . In positioning the dryer  10 , some space  30  must be maintained between the dryer  10  and the wall  22 . This space is typically about six inches or more. Such an amount of space is necessary to provide proper positioning of the flexible hose  26 . 
         [0018]    The exhaust outlet  14  and vent pipe  18  are typically not aligned. Thus, sufficient space  30  must be left to allow for bends in the flexible hose  26 , as well as for the length of the exhaust outlet  14  and vent pipe  18  protruding from the dryer  10  and wall  22 , respectively. Even if the exhaust outlet  14  and vent pipe  18  were perfectly aligned, sufficient space  30  would be necessary to accommodate the lengths of the exhaust outlet and vent pipe and the collapsed length of the few feet of flexible hose  26 . 
         [0019]    If the dryer  10  is pushed too close to the wall  22 , the flexible hose  26  may be partially or completely collapsed. An obstruction in the flexible hose  26  impedes the flow of exhaust air from the dryer  10 , reducing the efficiency of the dryer and causing premature failure of the dryer. Worse still, an obstruction in the flexible hose  26  causes increased accumulation of lint at the obstruction. Accumulated lint further impedes the flow of air and presents a fire hazard. 
         [0020]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , a side view of a dryer and pedestal dryer vent according to the present invention is shown. The dryer  10  has been placed on a pedestal  34 . The pedestal  34  may be made to match the finish and appearance of the dryer  10  so as to present an attractive appearance. The pedestal  34  may be open on the top and back so as to provide access to the dryer  10  and wall  22 . It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that a prior art dryer can be configured to include pedestal features without the necessity of a separate pedestal component. This would be accomplished by elongating the body of the dryer  10  to provide pedestal-type space to a prior art configuration. These modified dryer configurations are contemplated in the invention disclosed herein. 
         [0021]    The dryer exhaust outlet  14  has been directed out of the bottom of the dryer  10 . Many dryers are capable of directing the exhaust vent out of the bottom of the dryer, but are vented out of the back as the dryer sits directly on the floor. The exhaust outlet  14  is connected to the vent pipe  18  with a flexible hose  26 , and possibly utilizing an elbow fitting  38 . An elbow fitting  38  is not necessary, but may be desirable as it helps ensure that the flexible hose  26  remains properly oriented towards the vent pipe  18  to the outside of the home when moving the dryer during installation. Ordinarily, the vent pipe  18  is located behind the dryer  10 , but may also be located to either side or to the front of the dryer  10 . The invention disclosed herein contemplates orienting the flexible hose  26  in any direction. 
         [0022]    Sufficient space is provided between the elbow  38  or exhaust outlet  14  and the vent pipe  18  to accommodate the retracted length of the few feet of flexible hose  26  necessary to connect the exhaust outlet to the vent pipe. The flexible hose  26  is installed by positioning the dryer  10  far enough from the wall  22  to allow a person to connect the hose; typically a foot or two. After the flexible hose  26  is attached to the vent pipe  18  and to the exhaust outlet  14  or elbow  38 , the dryer  10  is moved closer to the wall  22  as desired. 
         [0023]    The configuration shown is advantageous for several reasons. The configuration shown is safer as it virtually eliminates the risk of a kinked or collapsed flexible hose  26 . The distance between the vent pipe  18  and the elbow  38  or exhaust outlet  14  and the improved alignment between the same is such that the severity of the bends necessary in the flexible hose  26  is greatly reduced. Thus, the present invention reduces the risk that the flexible hose  26  is at least partially collapsed, with the resulting reduction in efficiency and accumulation of lint. Additionally, the present invention results in a more aesthetically pleasing dryer position, as the space  30  necessary between the dryer  10  and the wall  22  is virtually eliminated. 
         [0024]    There are some situations where a dryer can not be vented to the outside of the house or building, such as in an apartment or house not fitted with a vent pipe. In such a situation, a compartment may be installed inside of the pedestal. Water is placed into the compartment, and the dryer exhaust air is directed into the compartment, either by blowing it at, across, or through the water. The water acts to both trap the lint and is evaporated by the warm air. When the water is gone, the compartment may be removed to clean out the lint and add new water. The compartment may be formed in or as part of a drawer so as to be easily removable for cleaning and servicing. The drawer could be removed or opened so as to provide easy access to the exhaust outlet  14  during installation, thus not requiring the dryer  10  to be positioned away from the wall  22 . 
         [0025]    There is thus disclosed an improved pedestal dryer vent. It will be appreciated that numerous changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3