Armoire adaptable to a sauna, drum dryer, and tubular lighted clothing dryer with humidity damper control of exhaust gases

• US 5,546,678 A
• Filed: 12/05/1994
• Issued: 08/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Holte Management Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gregory L. Dhaemers
• Inventors: Dhaemers, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sollecito, John M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/350,224
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 34/275, 34/224, 34/60, 34/74, 4/525, 4/524, 4/605
• US Class Current: 34/275
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/26 Condition of the drying air, e.g. air humidity or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/10 Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/181 the receptacle being a foraminous, perforated or open-structured drum or drum-like container, e.g. rotating around a substantially horizontal or vertical axis; the receptacle being multiple perforated drums, e.g. in superimposed arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/00 Arrangements or duct systems, e.g. in combination with pallet boxes, for supplying and controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects F26B9/10 takes precedence; systems for vehicle body drying B60S3/002 ; air conditioning or ventilation in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/006 the gas supply or exhaust being effected through hollow spaces or cores in the materials or objects, e.g. tubes, pipes, bottles F26B9/003 and F26B9/103 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/02 Circulating air or gases in closed cycles, e.g. wholly within the drying enclosure F26B21/08, F26B21/14, F26B23/022 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/086 by condensing the moisture in the drying medium, which may be recycled, e.g. using a heat pump cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/003 Small self-contained devices, e.g. portable
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/006 Removable covering devices, e.g. pliable or flexible
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/06 in stationary drums or chambers

Abstract

A dryer has an internal drying chamber for accommodating articles that are subjected to heated circulating air to remove moisture from the articles. An air mixing chamber contains a first fan for moving air through a heater into the drying chamber. A second fan draws air out of the drying and mixing chambers and discharges air back into the mixing chamber through a filter into the external environment. The heated air in the drying chamber is mixed with fresh air and recirculated through the drying chamber to minimize heat losses and increase drying effectiveness. Ultraviolet lamps within the drying chamber destroy contaminants in the air and articles within the chamber. A boot dryer, located in the drying chamber, has fans that move air through tubes used to support boots, shoes, skates and socks. Ultraviolet light in the boot chamber destroys contaminants in the air in the boot chamber. One modification of the dryer has a bench to permit the dryer to be used as a dry sauna. A further modification of the dryer has a rotatable tumbler for accommodating articles to be dried.

Claims

1. A dryer for articles comprising:

housing means having an internal drying chamber for accommodating articles, door means movably mounted on the housing means for movement to an open position to permit access into the drying chamber and to a closed position to enclose the drying chamber, wall means within said housing means providing an air mixing chamber, said wall means having first and second openings to allow air to flow from the air mixing chamber into the drying chamber and out of the drying chamber into the air mixing chamber, heater means for heating air flowing into the drying chamber, first fan means located within the air mixing chamber operable to move air from the mixing chamber through said first opening into the drying chamber, second fan means located within the air mixing chamber operable to draw air from the drying chamber and discharge air mixing chamber, said housing means having at least one first opening communicating the air mixing chamber with the environment outside the dryer, damper means movable between open and closed positions relative to said first opening to selectively open and close said first opening to allow air to flow out of the air mixing chamber to the environment outside of the dryer and block the flow of air through said first opening, first control means responsive to the humidity of the air in the drying chamber for moving the damper means between the open and closed positions thereof, said second fan means operable to discharge air through the first opening to the environment outside of the dryer when the damper means is in the open position, first filter means mounted on the housing means covering said first opening to remove odors from the air flowing through said filter means, said housing means having at least one second opening into the drying chamber to allow outside air to flow into the drying chamber, second filter means extending across said second opening into the drying chamber to remove odors from the air flowing into the drying chamber, and second control means for the heater means and first and second fan means operable to connect the heater means and first and second fan means to a source of power whereby the first fan means moves air from the mixing chamber into the drying chamber, the heater means heats the air in the drying chamber, the heater means so that the air is heated and discharged as hot air into the drying chamber and the second fan means draws air from the drying chamber and air mixing chamber and discharges air to the environment outside of the dryer when the damper means is in the open position, said air in the drying chamber circulating and recirculating within the drying chamber to remove moisture from the articles within the drying chamber.

2. The dryer of claim 1 including:

infrared light means within said drying chamber, and control means for connecting the infrared light means to a source of electric power whereby the infrared light means emits infrared light which heats the articles and the air within the drying chamber.

3. The dryer of claim 1 wherein:

said housing means has a back wall with said second opening open to the drying chamber and the environment outside of the dryer to allow air to flow into the drying chamber.

4. The dryer of claim 1 including:

bench means located within the drying chamber for accommodating at least one person.

5. The dryer of claim 4 including:

means to pivotally attach the bench means to the housing means for movement between a generally horizontal position and an upright position.

6. The dryer of claim 1 including:

drum means located within the drying chamber;

means supporting the drum means for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, and means for rotating the drum means.

7. The dryer of claim 6 wherein:

the drum means has a plurality of openings to allow air to flow through the drum means.

8. The dryer of claim 6 wherein:

the means supporting the drum means comprise a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the housing means.

9. The dryer of claim 6 wherein:

the means for rotating the drum means includes motor means mounted on the housing means, and means driveably connecting the motor means to the drum means.

10. The dryer of claim 1 wherein:

the first control means includes a humidistat and means connected to the humidistat for moving the damper means between the open and closed positions thereof, said humidistat being operable when the moisture content of the air in the drying chamber is above a selected level to signal the means for moving the damper means to move the damper means to the open position whereby air in the mixing chamber is discharged to the environment outside of the dryer.

11. The dryer of claim 1 including:

a boot dryer located within the drying chamber, said boot dryer having a casing accommodating an article, said tube means having a passage open to the internal chamber and the article, ultraviolet light means within the passage of the tube means adapted to emit ultraviolet light into the passage of the tube means and article on the tube means, and means for moving air through said chamber and tube means to dry the article retained on the tube means.

12. A dryer for articles comprising:

housing means having an internal drying chamber for accommodating articles, means to permit access into the drying chamber to allow articles to be placed within the drying chamber, wall means within said housing providing an air mixing chamber, said wall means having at least one opening to allow air to flow from the air mixing chamber into the drying chamber and out of the drying chamber into the air mixing chamber, heater means for heating air in the drying chamber, first means operable to move air from the mixing chamber and into the drying chamber, second means operable to draw air from the drying chamber and selectively discharge air to the mixing chamber and the environment outside of the dryer, said housing means having a first opening open to the mixing chamber and the environment outside of the dryer and a second opening open to the drying chamber and the environment outside of the dryer, damper means movable between open and closed positions relative to said first opening to selectively open and close said first opening to allow air to flow out of the air mixing chamber to the environment outside the dryer and block the flow of air through said first opening, control means responsive to the moisture content of the air in the drying chamber for moving the damper means between the open and closed positions thereof from the environment outside of the dryer into the drying chamber.

13. The dryer of claim 12 including:

bench means located within the drying chamber for accommodating at least one person.

14. The dryer of claim 13 including:

means to pivotally attach the bench means to the housing means for movement between a generally horizontal position and an upright position.

15. The dryer of claim 12 including:

drum means located within the drying chamber, means supporting the drum means for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, and means for rotating the drum means.

16. The dryer of claim 15 wherein:

the drum means has a plurality of openings to allow air to flow through the drum means.

17. The dryer of claim 15 wherein:

the means supporting the drum means comprises a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the housing means.

18. The dryer of claim 15 wherein:

the means for rotating the drum means includes motor means mounted on the housing means, and means driveably connecting the motor means to the drum means.

19. The dryer of claim 12 wherein:

the first control means includes a humidistat and means connected to the humidistat for moving the damper means between the open and closed positions thereof, said humidistat being operable when the moisture content of the air in the drying chamber is above a selected level to signal the means for moving the damper means to move the damper means to the open position whereby air in the mixing chamber is discharged to the environment outside of the dryer.

20. The dryer of claim 12 including:

a boot dryer located within the drying chamber, said boot dryer having a casing with an internal chamber, tube means mounted on the casing means for accommodating an article, said tube means having a passage open to the internal chamber and the article, ultraviolet light means within the passage of the tube means adapted to emit ultraviolet light into the passage of the tube means and article of the tube means, and means for moving air through said chamber and tube means to dry the article retained on the tube means.