REMOVABLE CLOTHERS BASKET FOR DRYER

• US 3,840,998 A
• Filed: 08/29/1973
• Issued: 10/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry Marcussen
• Original Assignee: Henry Marcussen
• Inventors: Marcussen, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Sprague, Kenneth W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US05/392,743
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 34/128,129,130,133,134,139 68/4 259/57,50
• US Class Current: 34/128
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00

Abstract

A clothes drying appliance of the tumbling drum type accepts a perforate clothes basket loaded with damp clothing which is fully insertable in the drum for rotation therewith during the drying cycle. The basket may be readily removed from the drum when the clothing is dry to facilitate access, moving and sorting. A plurality of resilient members circumferentially spaced about the inside diameter of the drum support the basket radially inwardly of the drum to form a plurality of air passageways for circulation of drying air currents along the periphery of the basket and into the basket and also drive the basket rotatably with the drum.

Claims

1. In a drying appliance, basket means comprising a receptacle Having a first wall constituting a bottom wall for supporting the receptacle vertically on a support surface when used to carry a load, said first wall constituting an end wall when said receptacle is inserted into a dryer of the horizontal axis rotatable type and disposed horizontally, said first wall having a support formed on the outside surface to provide a bearing journal, a second wall constituting a side wall for the receptacle to enclose a load to be either carried or dried, a third wall means forming an opening in said receptacle constituting a top opening when said receptacle is disposed vertically and an end opening when disposed horizontally, said first and second walls being perforated to admit currents of drying air therethrough, and drive means in said drying appliance receiving said basket means in driving relationship for rotation of said basket means on a horizontal axis, whereby the receptacle may be pre-loaded and thereafter inserted into the appliance for drying of a load.

2. In a clothes drying appliance having in combination:

a cabinet, an imperforate drum rotatably mounted in said cabinet, means forming an air flow circuit including said drum for circulating air within said drum, a perforated basket insertable within said drum and into said air flow circuit, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced members between said drum and said basket to support said basket radially inward of the drum, said members forming air flow passages between said basket and said drum for circulating drying air around and into said basket.

3. In a clothes drying appliance according to claim 2, wherein said perforated basket comprises a light weight drying enclosure for loading with a supply of clothing to be dried and being insertable into said drum for rotation therewith and being removable from said drum with the supply of clothing after the clothing is dried.

4. In a clothes drying appliance according to claim 3, wherein perforations in said basket accommodate distribution of air throughout the basket.

5. In a clothes drying appliance according to claim 4, wherein said spaced members are secured to an inner circumferential surface of said drum to frictionally engage the basket for rotation with the drum.

6. In a clothes drying appliance according to claim 5 wherein said basket provides an air circulating means formed integral therewith to circulate air along said air flow passages.

7. In a clothes drying appliance according to claim 6 wherein said spaced members comprise baffle means to aid tumbling action of the clothing to be dried when said drying appliance is used with the basket withdrawn from said drum.

8. A basket for a clothes drying appliance adapted to store and transport clothing therein comprising an enclosure having cylindrical perforated side walls and a pair of generally flat end walls, one of said end walls having an access opening therein, said basket adapted to be drivably received in a non-perforated dryer drum of a clothes drying appliance, said drum providing a means for distribution of drying air throughout the basket which includes a plurality of members spaced about a circumferential outer surface of said basket to support said basket in said dryer drum, whereby said spaced members define air flow passages for distributing the drying air throughout the basket by means of perforations provided in the basket walls.

9. A basket according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of radially extending baffles, formed integrally with the cylindrical side walls and extending axially between said end walls, are provided to encourage tumbling action of clothing being dried in the basket and to strengthen and rigidify said cylindrical side walls.

10. A basket according to claim 9, wherein a second of said pair of end walls provides a support base for the basket when said basket is removed from the drum.

11. A basket according to claim 10, wherein an air circulating means is formed inteGral with the basket to circulate air along said air flow passages.

12. A basket according to claim 11, wherein said air circulating means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes adjacent said second end wall.