Clothes dryer with a drum seal

• US 10,066,336 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Schurr, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gravini, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US15/411,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20170130388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 34595-610, 68 5 R, 68 20, 277652
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00

Abstract

An apparatus for sealing the drum of a clothes dryer comprising an attachment with a recess sized to receive the lip of a dryer drum to mount the seal about the lip and a seal element abutting a corresponding front or rear bulkhead wherein the length of the seal is such that when in place there remains an intervening gap in which a spacer capable of changing shape is located allowing the seal to expand and contract with thermal variations.

Claims

1. A clothes dryer comprising:

a front bulkhead having a door opening;

a rear bulkhead;

a drum comprising a cylindrical wall terminating in a front edge proximate the front bulkhead and a rear edge proximate the rear bulkhead, with at least one of the front and rear edges having a lip;

a seal attached to the lip and having a discontinuous body defining an intervening gap; and

a variable shape spacer located within the intervening gap.

2. The clothes dryer of claim 1 wherein the variable shape spacer is thermally responsive and varies in shape in response to temperature changes.

3. The clothes dryer of claim 2 wherein the discontinuous body is made of thermally expanding material and the intervening gap varies in shape depending on a thermal expansion of the body.

4. The clothes dryer of claim 3 wherein the spacer varies in shape in response to the intervening gap varying to fill the intervening gap.

5. The clothes dryer of claim 1 wherein the discontinuous body is made of plastic.

6. The clothes dryer of claim 1 wherein the discontinuous body comprises opposing spaced ends and the variable shape spacer comprises a coupler spanning between the ends.

7. The clothes dryer of claim 6 wherein the variable shape spacer comprises a felt element mounted to the coupler.

8. The clothes dryer of claim 6 wherein the opposing ends comprise corresponding apertures and the coupler comprises a pin received within the apertures.

9. The clothes dryer of claim 1 wherein the seal further comprises at least one wing extending from the body and abutting a corresponding front or rear bulkhead.

10. The clothes dryer of claim 9 wherein the at least one wing forms at least one of an axial seal or radial seal with the corresponding front or rear bulkhead.

11. The clothes dryer of claim 10 wherein the at least one wing comprises two wings, with one of the two wings forming the axial seal and an another of the two wings forming the radial seal.

12. The clothes dryer of claim 9 wherein the at least one wing comprises a low friction surface abutting the corresponding front or rear bulkhead.

13. A clothes dryer comprising:

a front bulkhead having a door opening;

a rear bulkhead;

a drum comprising a cylindrical wall terminating in a front edge proximate the front bulkhead and a rear edge proximate the rear bulkhead, with least one of the front and rear edges having a lip;

a seal attached to the lip and having a discontinuous body defining an intervening gap and made from thermally expanding material; and

a thermally-responsive spacer located within the intervening gap.

14. The clothes dryer of claim 13 wherein the spacer varies in shape in response to temperature changes.

15. The clothes dryer of claim 13 wherein the discontinuous body is made of thermally expanding material and the intervening gap varies in shape depending on a thermal expansion of the body.

16. The clothes dryer of claim 15 wherein the spacer varies in shape in response to the intervening gap varying to fill the intervening gap.

17. The clothes dryer of claim 13 wherein the discontinuous body is made of plastic.

18. The clothes dryer of claim 13 wherein the discontinuous body comprises opposing spaced ends and the thermally-responsive spacer comprises a coupler extending between the ends.

19. The clothes dryer of claim 18 wherein the thermally-responsive spacer comprises a felt element mounted to the coupler.

20. The clothes dryer of claim 18 wherein the spaced ends comprise corresponding apertures and the coupler comprises a pin received within the apertures.

21. The clothes dryer of claim 13 wherein the seal further comprises at least one wing extending from the body and abutting a corresponding front or rear bulkhead.

22. The clothes dryer of claim 21 wherein the at least one wing forms at least one of an axial seal or radial seal with the corresponding front or rear bulkhead.

23. The clothes dryer of claim 22 wherein the at least one wing comprises two wings, with one of the two wings forming the axial seal and an another of the two wings forming the radial seal.

24. The clothes dryer of claim 21 wherein the at least one wing comprises a low friction surface abutting the corresponding front of roar bulkhead.