Energy efficient clothes dryer and child safety barrier therefor

• US 20070227035A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pierre Carol Leroy
• Original Assignee: Pierre Carol Leroy
• Inventors: Leroy, Pierre Carol
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/602
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/52 related to electric heating means, e.g. temperature or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/42 Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/26 Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment D06F58/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/48 Control of the energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A clothes dryer includes a hollow housing having a hinged door. A perforated drum is mounted for rotation within the housing and in alignment with the door aperture and is rotatable by an electric motor. An electrically operable oil-filled radiator is positioned within a bottom portion of the hollow housing and below the rotating drum and is connectable to a source of conventional household electrical power for generating radiant heat upon supply of the electrical power. The heat rises through the perforated rotating drum for drying wet clothes contained therein. The invention also provides a novel child safety device which is positioned within the door aperture for preventing passage of the child therethrough.

Claims

1. A clothes dryer comprising:

(a) a hollow housing having a door aperture formed in a predetermined portion thereof;

(b) a door having each of a predetermined size and a predetermined shape;

(c) a hinge means for hingeably connecting said door to said hollow housing for selectively opening and closing said door aperture;

(d) a perforated drum mounted for rotation within said hollow housing and in alignment with said door aperture, said drum capable of receiving wet clothes;

(e) a means for rotating said drum;

(f) an electrically operable oil-filled radiator which is positioned within a bottom portion of said hollow housing and below said rotating drum, said radiator is connectable to a source of electrical power for generating radiant heat upon supply of said electrical power, wherein said heat rises through said perforated rotating drum for drying wet clothes contained therein.

2. The clothes dryer, according to claim 1, wherein each wall member of said hollow housing includes an interior wall portion and an exterior wall portion spaced therefrom at a predetermined distance.

3. The clothes dryer, according to claim 2, wherein said clothes dryer includes an insulation means disposed within said each wall member intermediate said interior and said exterior wall portion.

4. The clothes dryer, according to claim 1, wherein said clothes dryer further includes a temperature sensing means which is operably mounted within said housing for sensing a temperature of said generated heat and for providing a temperature signal characterizing said sensed temperature.

5. The clothes dryer, according to claim 4, wherein said clothes dryer further includes a control means for at least operating said radiator and wherein said temperature sensing means is connected to said control means, whereby said control means receives said temperature signal and is responsive thereto for selectively activating and deactivating an electrical heating element disposed within said radiator.

6. The clothes dryer, according to claim 4, wherein said temperature sensor is a thermostat.

7. The clothes dryer, according to claim 1, wherein said clothes dryer further includes a lint cover which is operatively and removably positioned intermediate said radiator and said rotating drum.

8. The clothes dryer, according to claim 1, wherein said clothes dryer further includes a child safety device and means for removably securing said child safety device in order to form a barrier and to prevent child passage through said door aperture and into said rotating drum when said door is open.

9. The clothes dryer, according to claim 8, wherein said child safety device is positioned within said door aperture.

10. The clothes dryer, according to claim 9, wherein said securing means includes at least a pair of receptacles secured in a spaced relationship to an interior surface of said door aperture and at least a pair of members extending from said child safety device each engaging a respective receptacle in a snap-fit manner.

11. The clothes dryer, according to claim 1, wherein said clothes dryer further includes a vent means operably disposed within said hollow housing.

12. The clothes dryer, according to claim 1, wherein said clothes dryer further includes four wheels which are mounted to a bottom portion of said hollow housing for facilitating movement of said clothes dryer.

13. The clothes dryer, according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said four wheels includes a locking means for preventing its rotation.

14. A child safety system for an appliance having a door aperture formed in one wall thereof which is sized sufficiently to enable passage of a child therethrough and into a cavity of the appliance, said child safety system comprising:

(a) a child safety device which is sized to cover a predetermined portion of the door aperture sufficient to prevent passage of the child therethrough; and

(b) a securing means for releaseably securing said safety device in a position for selectively covering and uncovering the predetermined portion of the door aperture.

15. The child safety system, according to claim 14, wherein said child safety device includes a peripheral frame and a plurality of elongated members which are secured to said peripheral frame and which are overlaid in a crisscross pattern to each other.

16. The child safety system, according to claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said child safety device is formed from an elastic material.

17. The child safety system, according to claim 14, wherein said securing means includes at least a pair of receptacles secured in a spaced relationship to an interior surface of said door aperture and at least a pair of members extending outwardly from said child safety device each engaging a respective receptacle in a snap-fit interlocking manner.

18. The child safety system, according to claim 17, wherein each of said at least pair of members includes a first portion which extends outwardly from said peripheral frame in a direction which is coplanar to said peripheral frame, a second portion which is secured to a free end of said first portion and which is disposed generally perpendicular thereto and a spherical portion which is secured to a free end of said second portion and which is capable of passing through an aperture formed in said respective receptacle for positioning behind said aperture, wherein said aperture and said spherical portion are sized to prevent a child from exerting a sufficient force to remove said spherical portion through said aperture.

19. A child safety device for preventing a child to pass through a door aperture formed in one wall of an appliance and into a cavity of the appliance, said child safety device comprising a peripheral frame, a plurality of elongated members which are secured to said peripheral frame and which are overlaid in a crisscross pattern to each other and means which is disposed on and secured to said frame for releaseably securing said device in a position to cover at least a portion of the door aperture which is sufficient to prevent passage of the child therethrough.