Fabric dryer housing

• US 4,909,580 A
• Filed: 10/11/1988
• Issued: 03/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mitchell, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Falk, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/255,380
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 312/228, 312/256, 312/257 R, 312/257 A, 312/257 SM
• US Class Current: 312/351.3
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/12 Casings; Tubs
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00

Abstract

A fabric dryer cabinet includes a simplified, multi-purpose assembly for mounting the front panel to the main body of the cabinet. The assembly includes two leveling leg support members welded, in spaced apart relationship, to a shield. Each support member has an upwardly extending tab and a threaded lug to receive a support leg. The assembly is joined to the lower front of the cabinet main body. The front panel has side flanges with lower lips having mounting holes. The tabs engage the holes to urge the front panel toward the cabinet main body when the front panel is placed on the assembly. The main body side panels and the front panel have mating guides and openings to assure the front panel registers with the side panel.

Claims

1. A fabric dryer including:

a cabinet having a main body including a rear panel, a pair of spaced apart side panels joined to said rear panel and a bottom panel substantially closing the area within the lower edges of said rear and side panels, and a front panel for closing the space between the front edges of said side panels;

said front panel including a front wall and a pair of rearwardly projecting side flanges;

each of said flanges having an inwardly projecting lip formed along its lower edge, each of said lips defining a mounting opening therein;

a mounting assembly fixedly attached to said main body for removably positioning said front panel adjacent said main body;

said assembly including a pair of support members respectively positioned adjacent each of said side panels;

each of said support members including an upwardly extending, flexible tab;

each tab being received in a corresponding mounting opening when said front panel is positioned adjacent said main body for urging said front panel toward said side panels;

a shield extending between and attached to said support members, said shield also extending between and engaging said bottom panel and the lower edge of said front panel and;

a pair of threaded leveling legs, each of said support members having a threaded lug to receive a corresponding one of said legs.

2. A fabric dryer as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting assembly further includes an elongated brace extending between and joined to said support members.

3. A fabric dryer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said shield is formed from a sheet of material having an elongated central rib attached to said supporting members; and

a pair of elongated flaps flanking said central rib;

each of said flaps having an upward cant to assure that said shield firmly engages said bottom panel and the lower edge of said front panel.

4. A fabric dryer as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

said shield defines a pair openings to accommodate said leveling legs.

5. A fabric dryer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

each mounting opening is formed by lancing the corresponding lip to form a finger attached to said lip at the edge of the mounting opening toward said main body, whereby each of said fingers engages the corresponding one of said tabs to resiliently urge said front panel towards the corresponding side panel.

6. A fabric dryer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the front edge of each of said side panels is formed with an inwardly projecting vertical lip, each of said front panel flanges is formed with an inwardly projecting, vertical lip; and

guide means is positioned to assure that said vertical lips of said flanges come into register with the corresponding vertical lips of said side panels as said front panel is mounted on said support members.

7. A fabric dryer as set forth in claim 6 wherein said guide means includes a tapered guide attached to each of a first pair of said vertical lips and received in an alignment opening in each of the other pair of vertical lips.