Lint handling system

• US 5,560,120 A
• Filed: 04/20/1995
• Issued: 10/01/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Herreman, Kevin M., Nelson, Mark H., Sajdak, Anthony J., Goodman, Raymond M., Jaske, Mark R., Smith, Robert E., Zimmerle, Johnny W., Clark, Patrick J., Swanson, Edward T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOSTER GREENE, DINNATIA JO
• Application Number:
  US08/425,740
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 34/82, 34/480, 55/320, 55/332
• US Class Current: 34/82
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/22 Lint collecting arrangements

Abstract

An improved lint handling system for a household laundry dryer is provided. The lint handling system for a laundry dryer has a dryer drum with an exit grill. The lint handling system provides a blower speed increaser to increase airflow in the dryer. The lint handling system also has a lint container and a foreign objects trap connected to the exit grill. Also a lint separator to separate lint from the airflow in the dryer is provided. The lint separator has an input connected to the foreign objects trap and an output connected to the lint container. A laundry dryer having a lint handling system as described is also provided. The lint handling system of the invention also provides a scroll-shaped centrifugal blower housing having a cylindrical base to accept airflow tangentially, a cutoff and a throat region to produce high velocity airflow. The blower housing further has a Helmholtz resonator located in the throat to reduce the acoustic emissions at a blade passage frequency. The lint handling system of the present invention also provides an eyebrow extension of the lint separator to produce a low pressure airflow region.

Claims

1. A lint handling system for a laundry dryer, having a dryer drum with an air inlet and an exit grill for exhaust air, comprising:

a blower for creating an airflow through the drum between the inlet and exit grill;

a blower speed increaser to increase airflow through the dryer drum;

a lint container;

a foreign objects trap connected to the exit grill;

a lint separator to separate lint from the exhaust air from the dryer, the lint separator having an input connected to the foreign objects trap and having an output connected to the lint container,

a scroll-shaped centrifugal blower housing, the housing having a cylindrical base to accept airflow tangentially, a sloped cutoff and a throat region to produce high velocity airflow;

and wherein said scroll-shaped centrifugal blower housing contains a Helmholtz resonator located in the throat to reduce the acoustic emissions at a blade passage frequency.

2. The lint handling system of claim 1, wherein the output of the lint separator further comprises:

a tangential output port.

3. The lint handling system of claim 1, wherein the lint container further comprises:

a lint containment box having a lid and a screened drawer to hold lint until disposal thereof.

4. The lint handling system of claim 3, wherein the lid has a window to provide a visual indication of the amount of lint in the lint container.

5. The lint handling system of claim 3, wherein the drawer is capable of being removed from the lint containment box.

6. The lint handling system of claim 3, wherein the screened drawer includes a monofilament screen.

7. The lint handling system of claim 1, wherein the foreign objects trap further comprises:

an air travel portion;

an imperforate baffle wall connected to the air travel portion, the baffle wall having an exit port near a bottom thereof; and

an air intake portion having an inlet port therein and an opening located near a bottom thereof, the air intake portion being connected to the baffle wall and the air travel portion to form a channel for airflow therein.

8. The lint handling system of claim 1, wherein the lint separator further comprises:

a housing cover having an integral cap member connected to the cylindrical base of the blower housing to form a swirl chamber, the cap member having an annular wall and a tangential outlet through which the separated lint can pass; and

a stationary diffuser located within the swirl chamber.

9. The lint handling system of claim 8, wherein the diffuser further comprises:

a tip having a plurality of tapered, straightening vanes;

a barrel having at least one curled fin to streamline airflow; and

snap-fit connections to capture the diffuser radially and axially in the blower housing to maintain diffuser-to-housing coaxiality.

10. The lint handling system of claim 1, wherein the blower speed increaser further comprises:

a dryer motor having a motor shaft;

an integral bracket hub having a blower shaft attached to the dryer motor such that the axes of rotation of the shafts are parallel, but offset a distance;

a first pulley connected to one end of the motor shaft and a second pulley connected to the blower shaft at an adjacent end to the first pulley; and

a flexible transmission belt operatively connecting the first and second pulleys.

11. The lint handling system of claim 10, wherein the integral bracket hub having a blower shaft, further comprises:

a lubricated bearing system.

12. A laundry dryer comprising:

a dryer drum having an air inlet and an exit grill for exhaust air;

a blower having rotating blades for creating an airflow through the drum between the inlet and exit grill;

a lint container comprising a lint containment box having a lid and a screened drawer to hold lint until disposal thereof; and

a lint separator to separate lint from the airflow in the dryer, the lint separator having an input communicating with the exit grill, an output connected to the lint container and a scroll-shaped centrifugal blower housing, the housing having a cylindrical base to accept airflow tangentially, a cutoff and a throat region to produce high velocity airflow, and a Helmholtz resonator located in the throat to reduce the acoustic emissions at a blade passage frequency.

13. The laundry dryer of claim 12, wherein the output of the lint separator further comprises:

a tangential output port.

14. The laundry dryer of claim 12, wherein the lint container further comprises:

a blower speed increaser to increase airflow in the dryer.

15. The laundry dryer of claim 14, wherein the lid has a window to provide a visual indication of when the lint container is full.

16. The laundry dryer of claim 14, wherein the drawer is capable of being removed from the lint containment box.

17. The laundry dryer of claim 13, wherein the lint container further comprises:

a lint tray having a first and a second fitting;

a lint transport tube connecting the tangential outlet port of the lint separator to the lint tray using the first fitting; and

an air re-circulation tube connected to the second fitting on the downstream side of the lint tray to direct air that passes through the lint container back to a region of re-entrance into the dryer exhaust.

18. The laundry dryer of claim 12, wherein the lint separator further comprises:

a foreign objects trap connected between the exit grill and the lint separator.

19. The laundry dryer of claim 12, wherein the lint separator further comprises:

a housing cover having an integral cap member connected to the cylindrical base of the blower housing to form a swirl chamber, the cap member having an annular wall and a tangential outlet through which the separated lint can pass; and

a stationary diffuser located within and the swirl chamber.

20. The laundry dryer of claim 19, wherein the lint separator further comprises:

an eyebrow extension of the cap member annular wall positioned at the swirl chamber entrance to produce a low pressure airflow region on the interior surface thereof.

21. A laundry dryer of claim 19, wherein the diffuser further comprises:

a tip having four tapered, straightening vanes;

a barrel having two curled fins to streamline airflow; and

snap-fit connections to capture the diffuser radially and axially in the blower housing to maintain diffuser-to-housing coaxiality.

22. The laundry dryer of claim 18, wherein the foreign objects trap further comprises:

an air travel portion;

a baffle wall connected to the air travel portion, the baffle wall having an exit port near the bottom thereof; and

an air intake portion having an inlet port therein and an opening located near the bottom thereof, the air intake portion being connected to the baffle wall and the air travel portion to form a channel for airflow therein.

23. A laundry dryer of claim 14, wherein the blower speed increaser further comprises:

a dryer motor having a motor shaft;

an integral bracket hub having a blower shaft attached to the dryer motor such that the axis of rotation of the shafts are parallel, but offset a distance;

a first pulley connected to one end of the motor shaft and a second pulley connected to the blower shaft at an adjacent end to the first pulley; and

a flexible transmission belt operatively connecting the first and second pulley.

24. A laundry dryer comprising:

a dryer drum having an air inlet and an exit grill for exhaust air;

a lint container; and

a lint separator to separate lint from the airflow in the dryer, the lint separator having an input connected to the foreign objects trap, an output connected to the lint container, a scroll-shaped centrifugal blower housing, the housing having a cylindrical base to accept airflow tangentially, a cutoff and a throat region to produce high velocity airflow, a housing cover having an integral cap member connected to the cylindrical base of the blower housing to form a swirl chamber, the cap member having an annular wall and a tangential outlet through which the separated lint can pass, a stationary diffuser located within and the swirl chamber and an eyebrow extension of the cap member annular wall positioned at the swirl chamber entrance to produce a low pressure airflow region on the interior surface thereof.

25. A lint handling system for a laundry dryer, having a dryer drum with an air inlet and an exit grill for exhaust air, comprising:

a blower for creating an airflow through the drum between the inlet and exit grill;

a blower speed increaser to increase airflow through the dryer drum;

a foreign objects trap connected to the exit grill;

a lint separator to separate lint from the exhaust air from the dryer, the lint separator having an input connected to the foreign objects trap and having a tangential output; and

a lint container including;

a lint tray having a first and a second fitting;

a lint transport tube connecting the tangential outlet port of the lint separator to the lint tray using the first fitting; and

an air recirculation tube connected to the second fitting on the downstream side of the lint tray to direct air that passes through the lint container back to a region of re-entrance into the dryer exhaust air.

26. A lint handling system for a laundry dryer, having a dryer drum with an air inlet and an exit grill for exhaust air, comprising:

a blower for creating an airflow through the drum between the inlet and exit grill;

a blower speed increaser to increase airflow through the dryer drum;

a lint container;

a foreign objects trap connected to the exit grill; and

a lint separator to separate lint from the exhaust air from the dryer, the lint separator having an input connected to the foreign objects trap and having an output connected to the lint container, the lint separator further including;

a scroll-shaped centrifugal blower housing, the housing having a cylindrical base to accept airflow tangentially, a sloped cutoff and a throat region to produce high velocity airflow;

a housing cover having an integral cap member connected to the cylindrical base of the blower housing to form a swirl chamber, the cap member having an annular wall and a tangential outlet through which the separated lint can pass;

a stationary diffuser located within the swirl chamber; and

an eyebrow extension of the cap member annular wall positioned at the swirl chamber entrance to produce a low pressure airflow region on the interior surface thereof.