Patent ID: 8769840

Claim:
A recirculating dryer, comprising: a housing having a hollow interior; an operator control panel disposed on the housing; a lockable door mounted to a side of the housing, the door being selectively openable to access the interior of the housing; a rotatable tumbler disposed inside the housing, the tumbler being adapted for holding laundry to be dried, the tumbler having an air inlet and an air outlet; a selectively actuable flap mounted to the air outlet, the flap being movable into an open or closed position to open or close the air outlet; a moisture-absorbent layer surrounding the tumbler, the moisture-absorbent layer absorbing moisture from heated air during drying; and a heater operably connected to the tumbler, the heater being selectively operable to heat air to a selectable drying temperature; wherein during drying, the flap is closed to allow the heated air to recycle and recirculate through the tumbler in order to minimize energy for heating the air and rotating the tumbler, thereby efficiently using thermal energy from the heated air.