Lint remover for a clothes drying machine

• US 5,628,122 A
• Filed: 10/05/1994
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter and Theordore Spinardi Investments
• Original Assignee: Peter and Theordore Spinardi Investments
• Inventors: Spinardi, Theodore J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US08/318,067
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 34/75-79, 34/90, 34/82, 34/85, 34/86, 34/72, 34/318, 34/83, 55/244, 55/249, 261/119.1, 137/132
• US Class Current: 34/79
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/22 Lint collecting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2774 Periodic or accumulation responsive discharge

Abstract

A lint remover 10 is provided for removing lint from an air exhaust of a clothes dryer D. An enclosure 20 includes an inflow tube 60 delivering water into the enclosure 20. The inflow tube 60 is coupled to a clothes washer W used water discharge. The enclosure 20 includes a suction passage 80 which is oriented to utilize gravity to suck water within the enclosure 20 out through the suction passage 80, through an outflow tube 90 and into a water drainage system WD. The suction passage 80 is configured to always provide a pool P with a surface S within the enclosure 20. An inlet duct 40 directs dryer D exhaust air from the dryer D into the enclosure 20. An inlet vane 32 directs this dryer D exhaust air against the surface S of the pool P, causing lint within the dryer D exhaust air to be deposited within the pool P. An outlet duct 50 draws the dryer D exhaust air out of the enclosure 20. The pool P is refreshed with replacement water within the enclosure 20 every time the washer W drains water. Thus, the dryer D is always provided with a relatively clean surface S of water for deposition of lint thereinto.

Claims

1. An apparatus for washing lint from a clothes drying machine air exhaust, comprising in combination:

an enclosure,

a liquid inflow tube having coupling means for receiving liquid from a waste water line of a washing machine and coupled to said enclosure such that waste water from the washing machine passes through said apparatus en route to a drain,

an air inlet duct including means to connect to a lint laden clothes drying machine air exhaust and coupled to said enclosure,

said enclosure also including an air outlet duct and a liquid outflow drain tube having means coupled directly to a waste water drain,

said liquid outflow drain tube having siphon means oriented in fluid communication with said liquid inflow tube and a pool interposed between said siphon means and said liquid inflow tube such that a pool of liquid is provided within said enclosure,

said pool of liquid oriented proximate to said air inlet duct, such that lint entrained within air from said air inlet duct and into said enclosure is brought into contact with said pool of liquid, removing lint therefrom prior to said air outlet duct.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure includes an inlet vane adjacent said air inlet duct connecting means, said vane including means to direct air exhaust passing into said enclosure toward said pool of liquid.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said siphon means of outflow tube includes means to generate suction through said outflow tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said outflow tube includes a highest portion oriented below a highest portion of said inflow tube within said enclosure, whereby liquid outflow through said outflow tube will occur before liquid outflow through said inflow tube and flow reversal is prevented.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said outflow tube includes an entrance, a hump and an exit, said entrance and said exit both oriented below said hump, said outflow tube having a width similar to a width of said enclosure at said entrance and at said hump, and said outflow tube narrowing so as to funnel waste water into a tube at said exit.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said floor is oriented between a first endwall and a second endwall, said liquid outflow tube coupled to said enclosure through an entrance passing through said second endwall, said inflow tube having an outlet oriented to discharge liquid toward said entrance, whereby a current of liquid is generated flowing from said inflow tube to said outflow tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said inflow tube is coupled to a used water outlet of a clothes washing machine, whereby water exiting a clothes washing machine can be utilized to clean lint from a clothes dryer air exhaust.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said enclosure is framed into walls of a structure adjacent a clothes washing machine and clothes drying machine.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said apparatus is incorporated into a closed washing machine.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said apparatus is incorporated into a clothes drying machine.

11. A method for removing lint from a clothes dryer air exhaust, including the steps of:

scavenging dryer air from a clothes dryer exhaust including lint entrained therein,

providing a liquid from washing machine waste water to receive all water from a washing machine,

directing the dryer air against the liquid to entrain the lint within the liquid, and

providing an outflow in fluid communication with the liquid to flush the liquid and lint entrained in the liquid directly into a drain.

12. The method of claim 11 including the further step of providing an inflow in fluid communication with the liquid, and

supplying said inflow with used water discharged from a clothes washing machine.

13. The method of claim 12 including the further step of providing an enclosure including a floor supporting the surface of liquid thereon, the enclosure including means to receive liquid from the inflow, means to release liquid through the outflow, an inlet duct directing dryer air into the enclosure and against the liquid and an outlet duct for exit of dryer air out of the enclosure.

14. The method of claim 13 including the further step of siphoning the liquid through the outflow by orienting the outflow below a hump downstream from said outflow and above an exit downstream from said hump.

15. A clothes washing system comprising in combination:

a clothes washing machine including means to wash clothes with water and a used waste water outlet,

a clothes drying machine including means to dry clothes with air and an air exhaust, and

an air exhaust lint removal system including an air inlet having a coupling means to receive the air exhaust from said clothes drying machine, and an air outlet for releasing air to the environment, a water inflow tube including coupling means to receive all the used waste water from the used water outlet of said clothes washing machine including a water outflow to output the water and lint into a liquid waste system,

wherein a pool of liquid having a surface is interposed between said water inflow tube and said water outflow, said surface oriented adjacent said air inlet, such that air from said air exhaust of said clothes drying machine is oriented to contact said pool of liquid and caused to deposit lint within said liquid,

wherein said water outflow includes a siphon means to generate suction, such that liquid within said enclosure can only be removed out of said enclosure by siphoning,

wherein said water inflow tube is oriented at an elevation above a highest point of said siphon means, whereby water within said enclosure passes through said water outflow before reaching a sufficient elevation to flow out of said enclosure through said inflow tube, and

a siphon break located below said highest point to prevent total drainage of said pool.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a pool of liquid having a surface is interposed between said water inflow tube and said water outflow, said surface oriented adjacent said air inlet, such that air from said air exhaust of said clothes drying machine is oriented adjacent said surface and caused to deposit lint within said liquid at said surface.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said surface is oriented within an enclosure supporting said air inlet, said air outlet, said water inflow tube and said water outflow, said enclosure including a floor supporting said pool thereon.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said enclosure includes an inlet vane therein adjacent said air inlet, said vane oriented to direct said air exhaust passing through said inlet downward at a location overlying said surface.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said outflow includes means to generate suction, such that liquid within said enclosure can be suctioned out of said enclosure.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said water inflow tube is oriented at an elevation above said outflow, whereby water within said enclosure passes through said outflow before reaching a sufficient elevation to flow out of said enclosure through said inflow tube.

21. A lint trap for a clothes dryer to remove entrained lint from exhausted air of the clothes dryer, comprising, in combination:

an enclosure having a liquid inlet adapted to be coupled to waste water of a clothes washer,

an air inlet from exhaust gases of the clothes dryer and coupled to said enclosure,

an air outlet coupled to said enclosure and in fluid communication with said air inlet,

a liquid outlet coupled to a drain at one end and to said enclosure at another end, said liquid outlet in fluid communication with said liquid inlet, and

a siphon means interposed between said liquid outlet and an interior of said enclosure, said siphon means including an inverted "U" shaped passageway including a hump located above a lowermost floor of said enclosure and below a free end of said liquid inlet to encourage storage of waste water in said enclosure up to said hump,

whereby added waste water from said liquid inlet establishes a siphon over said hump until air enters into said "U" shaped passageway.

22. The trap of claim 21 further including a barrier wall projecting into said enclosure between said siphon and said inlet, said barrier wall (31) having a lowest edge extending below said hump to reduce an amount of waste water stored in said enclosure to a level coincident with said lowest edge so as to break any siphon formed with any waste water liquid added from the clothes washer.