Clothes drying cabinet with improved air distribution

• US 20040154194A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Prows, Dennis S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,910,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 38/14
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/10 Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means

Abstract

A clothes drying cabinet is provided with an internal compartment for receiving clothes and having a plurality of air inlet nozzles. An air plenum provides air to the cabinet through the nozzles. The plenum has a decreasing cross section from one corner to an opposite corner to provide a balanced distribution of air through the nozzles at a substantially uniform velocity. The nozzles are angularly oriented to direct air across upper and lower surfaces of shelves mounted within the drying compartment.

Claims

1. A cabinet for drying clothes, comprising:

a compartment for receiving clothes, and having a plurality of air inlet holes;

an air plenum for providing air to the cabinet through the air inlet holes;

the plenum having a varying cross section to provide a balanced distribution of air through the inlet holes of the cabinet.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the compartment has opposite side walls defining a cabinet width and the plenum having a decreasing depth across the width of the cabinet.

3. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the compartment has a top wall and a bottom wall defining a cabinet height, the plenum having a decreasing depth along the height of the cabinet.

4. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the compartment has a width defined by opposite side walls and a height defined by top and bottom walls, and the plenum has a decreasing depth across the width of the compartment and a decreasing depth along the height of the cabinet.

5. The cabinet of claim 1 further comprising a fan in communication with the air plenum for supplying air to the plenum.

6. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the plenum has four corners, with an air inlet in one of the corners.

7. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the plenum has a cross sectional area that is reduced from the air inlet corner to an opposite corner.

8. The cabinet of claim 7 wherein the cross sectional area of the plenum is reduced in a radial pattern.

9. The cabinet of claim 1 further comprising an air duct communicating with the plenum.

10. The cabinet of claim 9 wherein the cross sectional area of the plenum reduces from the air duct to the air inlet hole furthest from the air inlet.

11. A clothes drying cabinet comprising:

a compartment having a front door, opposite side walls, a rear wall, a top wall and a bottom wall;

one of the walls having air inlet holes;

an air plenum behind the wall with the inlet holes;

an air supply communicating with the air plenum; and

the air plenum having a varying cross sectional area to provide substantially constant velocity of air distribution through the air inlet holes to the compartment.

12. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein the air supply includes a fan and an air duct for directing air from the fan to the air plenum.

13. The cabinet of claim 12 wherein the cross sectional area of the air plenum decreases with distance from the air duct.

14. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein the air plenum has a depth which decreases laterally from one side wall to the other side wall.

15. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein the air plenum has a depth which decreases vertically between the bottom and top walls.

16. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein the air plenum has a depth which decreases laterally and vertically.

17. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein the plenum has four corners and the air supply is connected to one of the corners.

18. The cabinet of claim 17 wherein the plenum has a cross sectional area that decreases from the corner with the air supply to an opposite corner.

19. The cabinet of claim 17 wherein the cross sectional area of the plenum decreases from the air supply corner in a radial pattern.

20. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein the plenum is defined by the rear wall of the compartment and a back panel mounted over the rear wall in spaced relation thereto.

21. A cabinet for drying clothes, comprising:

a compartment for receiving clothes, and having a plurality of air inlet nozzles;

an air plenum for directing air through the nozzles and into the cabinet; and

the nozzles being angled in multiple directions to direct air into the compartment at multiple directions.

22. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the nozzles include first and second sets, with the first set being directed upwardly and the second set being directed downwardly.

23. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the nozzles are arranged in a pattern to alternate the direction air is directed into the compartment.

24. The cabinet of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of shelves in the compartment, and the nozzles direct air to upper and lower surfaces of each shelf.

25. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the nozzles include multiple columns which alternately direct air upwardly and downwardly into the compartment.

26. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the nozzles include multiple rows which alternatingly direct air upwardly and downwardly into the compartment.

27. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the compartment includes a rear wall with the nozzles located therein.

28. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the nozzles are formed in the rear wall.

29. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the nozzles are angled in non-horizontal directions.

30. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the nozzles are angled between 0-45°

with respect to vertical.

31. The cabinet of claim 21 wherein the nozzles are in a pattern of rows and columns with adjacent rows and columns directing air in different directions into the compartment.

32. A clothes drying cabinet, comprising:

a compartment having a front door, opposite side walls, a rear wall, a top wall and a bottom wall;

a first set of air nozzles in one of the walls of the compartment to direct air in a first direction into the compartment; and

a second set of air nozzles in one of the walls of the compartment to direct air in a second direction into the compartment.

33. The cabinet of claim 32 wherein the first direction is upwardly.

34. The cabinet of claim 32 wherein the second direction is downwardly.

35. The cabinet of claim 32 wherein the first and second directions are non-horizontal.

36. The cabinet of claim 32 wherein the first and second sets of nozzles are arranged in alternating columns.

37. The cabinet of claim 32 wherein the first and second sets of nozzles are arranged in alternating rows.

38. The cabinet of claim 32 wherein the nozzles are in the back wall.

39. The cabinet of claim 38 wherein the nozzles are integrally formed in the back wall.

40. The cabinet of claim 32 further comprising a plurality of shelves mounted in the compartment.

41. The cabinet of claim 40 wherein the nozzles direct air across upper and lower surfaces of the shelves.