Patent ID: 7055262

Claim:
A drying apparatus comprising: a chamber for containing articles to be dried; means for supplying heated dry air at a first temperature to said chamber; said air supplying means comprising an air flow pathway having means for removing moisture from air exiting said chamber and for decreasing the temperature of said air to below dew point temperature; said air flow pathway further having means for increasing the temperature of said air exiting said moisture removing means to said first temperature; a heat pump system comprising means for passing a refrigerant in a liquid state through said temperature increasing means, means for controlling refrigerant mass flow and for converting said refrigerant from said liquid state to a liquid/vapor state, and means for passing said refrigerant in said liquid/vapor state through said moisture removing means to convert said refrigerant into a vapor state; and further comprising said air flow pathway having a warmup heater positioned between said temperature increasing means and an inlet to said chamber.