Patent ID: 8020316

Claim:
An appliance for handling laundry items, in particular a clothes dryer, the appliance comprising: means forming a laundry item handling area in which laundry items to be handled are received; a housing in which the means forming a laundry handling area is located, the housing including a back side wall forming at least a portion of a back side of the appliance; an air conveying device mounted adjacent to an exterior surface of the back side wall, the air conveying device having a first open end area communicated with a heating device and a second open end area communicated with a housing of a fan assembly and the air conveying device having a flow channel that is cross-sectionally closed such that the flow channel is self-contained; a cover that covers the housing of the fan assembly and the flow channel, wherein the flow channel is disposed between the exterior surface of the back side wall and the cover; and a sealing element disposed between the housing of the fan assembly and the cover.