Integral lint filter for clothes dryers

• US 20070113419A1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard A. Belgard
• Original Assignee: Richard A. Belgard
• Inventors: Belgard, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,497,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/82
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/22 Lint collecting arrangements

Abstract

A lint filter assembly for removing lint and particulate matter from a clothes dryer exhaust system includes a conduit adapter and a filtering element. In a preferred embodiment the lint filter is a secondary filter removably connected inline between conduits substantially at the point of communication of the exhaust gases through a wall or floor to the outside, the filter portion not exceeding the conduit size in diameter.

Claims

1. A lint filter assembly for removing lint and particulate matter from a clothes dryer exhaust system comprising:

a conduit adapter; and

a filtering element.

2. The lint filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the conduit adapter includes a male conduit interface and a female conduit interface.

3. The lint filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the conduit adapter includes two distal male conduit interfaces.

4. The lint filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the conduit adapter includes two distal female conduit interfaces.

5. The lint filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the filtering element is one of a metallic wire mesh or nylon mesh material.

6. The lint filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the filtering element includes a support flange, the flange installable to the conduit adapter.

7. The lint filter assembly of claim 6, wherein the flange is collapsible and memory resilient.

8. The lint filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the adapter includes a filter support ring aligned in a substantially concentric arrangement therewith and supported in position by three or more support ribs.

9. The lint filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the filtering element does not exceed the conduit adapter in diameter.

10. A lint filter assembly for removing lint and particulate matter from a clothes dryer exhaust system comprising:

a conduit adapter assembly; and

a filtering element.

11. The lint filter assembly of claim 10, wherein the conduit adapter assembly includes a threaded seat and a threaded plug.

12. The lint filter assembly of claim 10, wherein the conduit adapter assembly is manufactured of polyvinyl chloride plastic.

13. The lint filter assembly of claim 10, wherein the conduit adapter assembly includes a male conduit interface and a female conduit interface.

14. The lint filter assembly of claim 10, wherein the conduit adapter assembly includes two distal male conduit interfaces.

15. The lint filter assembly of claim 10, wherein the conduit adapter assembly includes two distal female conduit interfaces.

16. The lint filter assembly of claim 10, wherein the filtering element does not exceed the conduit adaptor assembly in diameter.

17. A gas-exhaust assembly for a clothes dryer system, comprising:

a primary lint filter;

two or more conduit sections; and

a secondary lint filter, including a conduit adapter or adapter assembly and

a filtering element;

characterized in that the secondary lint filter is removably connected inline between conduits substantially at the point of communication of the exhaust gases through a wall or floor to the outside, the filter element not exceeding the conduit size in diameter.

18. The gas-exhaust assembly of claim 17 wherein the adapter or adaptor assembly includes a filter support ring aligned in a substantially concentric arrangement therewith and supported in position by three or more support ribs.

19. The gas-exhaust assembly of claim 17, wherein the filtering element includes a flange supporting the filtering element, the flange installable to the conduit adapter or adaptor assembly.

20. The gas-exhaust assembly of claim 18, wherein the flange is collapsible and memory resilient.

21. A method for preventing lint deposits on conduit of an exhaust system generic to a clothes dryer during a drying cycle comprising the acts:

(a) collecting lint onto a first lint filtering device; and

,

(b) collecting lint escaping the first filtering device onto a second filtering device, the second filtering device including a conduit adaptor or conduit adaptor assembly, and a filtering element.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein in act (b), the filtering element does not exceed the conduit adapter or conduit adapter assembly in diameter.

23. A method for installing a secondary lint filter assembly into a gas exhaust assembly of a clothes dryer system, the gas exhaust assembly including a first and second conduit juncture, the conduit junctures connected for communication by a flexible conduit section comprising the acts:

(a) disconnecting an end of the flexible conduit section at the second conduit juncture;

(b) positioning the secondary filter assembly to be inserted into an opening defined by the conduit juncture exposed by step (a);

(c) urging the secondary filter assembly into the opening until seated therein; and

,

(d) fastening the removed end of the flexible conduit section over the exposed adapter portion of the secondary filter system.