APPLIANCE FOR DRYING ARTICLES

• US 20150052775A1
• Filed: 08/23/2013
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: HERMAN, MARK L., PETERMAN, GARRY L., RAJENDRAN, ARUN
• Granted Patent: US 9,784,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/255
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/10 Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/266 Microwave heating equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/34 by using electrical effects
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/347 Electromagnetic heating, e.g. induction heating or heating using microwave energy
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/54 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/62 Apparatus for specific applications

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) laundry dryer includes, amongst other things, an RF generator, a drying surface and a Faraday cage enclosing the drying surface. The drying surface on which textiles are supported further includes an RF applicator having an anode and cathode coupled to the RF generator. At least a portion of the cathode substantially encompasses the anode to electrically shield the anode from the Faraday cage ensuring the formation of an e-field between the anode and cathode instead of the anode and the Faraday cage upon energizing the RF generator.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) clothes dryer comprising:

an RF generator;

a drying surface on which textiles are supported for drying and comprising an RF applicator having an anode and a cathode coupled to the RF generator; and

a Faraday cage enclosing the drying surface;

wherein at least a portion of the cathode substantially encompasses the anode to electrically shield the anode from the Faraday cage ensuring the formation of an e-field between the anode and cathode instead of the anode and the Faraday cage upon the energizing of the RF generator.

2. The RF clothes dryer of claim 1 wherein the anode is spaced closer to the cathode than to the Faraday cage.

3. The RF clothes dryer of claim 1 wherein the anode has multiple digits and the cathode encompasses the multiple digits.

4. The RF clothes dryer of claim 3 wherein the cathode has multiple digits, with at least some of the anode digits and the cathode digits being interdigitated.

5. The RF clothes dryer of claim 4 wherein at least one of the digits of the cathode encompasses the anode digits.

6. The RF clothes dryer of claim 4 wherein the anode comprises a trunk from which the anode digits branch and the trunk passes through a space in the cathode.

7. The RF clothes dryer of claim 6 wherein the cathode comprises a trunk from which the cathode digits branch and a gap in the cathode trunk defines the space.

8. The RF clothes dryer of claim 7 wherein the anode has a first terminal at the space and the cathode has second and third terminals at the gap.

9. The RF clothes dryer of claim 8 wherein the first terminal is electrically coupled to the RF generator and the second and third terminals are electrically coupled to ground.

10. The RF clothes dryer of claim 9 further comprising an impedance matching circuit electrically coupling the RF generator and the RF applicator.

11. The RF clothes dryer of claim 7 wherein the anode defines at least one of a linear tree structure and a circular tree structure.

12. The RF clothes dryer of claim 1 wherein the drying surface is a planar surface.

13. The RF clothes dryer of claim 12 wherein the planar surface is vertically spaced from the Faraday cage.

14. A method of drying clothes using an e-field generated between an anode and cathode of a radio frequency (RF) applicator located within a Faraday cage, the method comprising:

electrically shielding the anode from the Faraday cage with at least a portion of the cathode;

applying an RF signal to the anode to form an e-field between the anode and cathode.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising passing a portion of the anode through a gap in the cathode.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein applying the RF signal comprises supplying the RF signal to the portion passing through the gap.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising grounding the portions of the cathode forming the gap.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising arranging the RF applicator horizontally and vertically spacing the RF applicator from the Faraday cage.