Stationary clothes drying apparatus with jet nozzles

• US 6,860,032 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Meyer, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US10/341,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20040134088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 344/43, 344/64, 344/65, 346/19, 346/54, 341/74, 341/92, 345/82, 342/02, 342/24, 342/25, 346/03, 346/04, 342/30, 34/90, 341/03, 341/04
• US Class Current: 34/225
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/10 Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means

Abstract

A stationary dryer, useful as a clothes dryer, is provided comprising a housing enclosing a space and a stationary clothes support located within the space. An air moving device is provided for generating an air flow through the space from an air inlet to an air outlet. An air distributor mechanism comprising a distribution plenum is positioned between the air inlet and the clothes support, with a plenum wall having a plurality of perforations therein. The perforations are sized, shaped and arranged so as to provide jets of air against the clothes support and to equalize an air flow distribution over the clothes support.

Claims

1. A stationary dryer comprising:

a housing enclosing a space,

at least one stationary article support located within said space for supporting said article in a horizontal plane,

an air moving device for generating an air flow through said space from an air inlet to an air outlet,

an air distributor mechanism comprising a distribution plenum positioned between said air inlet and said stationary article support, with a plenum wall having a plurality of perforations therein, said perforations being sized and shaped so as to provide jets of air at an angle other than essentially parallel to said plane against two opposite sides of said article support and to equalize an air flow distribution over said article support, wherein said perforations vary in at least one of shape and size throughout said plenum wall.

2. A stationary dryer according to claim 1, wherein said air distributor mechanism comprises a supply plenum arranged between said air inlet and said distribution plenum to direct said air flow from said air inlet to said distribution plenum.

3. A stationary dryer according to claim 1, wherein said plenum wall of said distribution plenum extends above and below said article support, such that said air flow is introduced both above and below said article support by said distribution plenum.

4. A stationary dryer according to claim 1, wherein said housing is located within a space enclosed by a housing of another stationary dryer.

5. A stationary dryer according to claim 1, wherein said stationary article support is mounted on a movable slide member allowing said support to be slid into and out of said housing to load and unload articles on said support.

6. A stationary dryer comprising:

a housing enclosing a space,

at least one stationary article support located within said space for supporting said article in a horizontal plane,

an air moving device for generating an air flow through said space from an air inlet to an air outlet,

an air distributor mechanism comprising a distribution plenum positioned between said air inlet and said stationary article support, with a plenum wall having a plurality of perforations therein, said perforations being sized, shaped and arranged so as to provide jets of air at an angle other than essentially parallel to said plane against two opposite sides of said article support and to equalize an air flow distribution over said article support, wherein said perforations vary in at least one of configuration, and size throughout said plenum wall, and wherein said stationary article support comprises a horizontal porous surface.

7. A stationary dryer according to claim 6, wherein said air distribution mechanism comprises a first distribution plenum positioned over said porous surface and a second distribution plenum positioned beneath said porous surface, each with a plenum wall having a said plurality of perforations therein.

8. A stationary dryer comprising:

a housing enclosing a space,

at least one stationary article support located within said space for supporting said article in a horizontal plane,

an air moving device for generating an air flow through said space from an air inlet to an air outlet,

an air distributor mechanism comprising a distribution plenum positioned between said air inlet and said stationary article support, with a plenum wall having a plurality of perforations therein, said perforations being sized, shaped and arranged so as to provide jets of air at an angle other than essentially parallel to said plane against two opposite sides of said article support and to equalize an air flow distribution over said article support, wherein said perforations vary in at least one of configuration, and size throughout said plenum wall, and wherein said perforations comprise nozzles having a length greater than a thickness of said plenum wall.

9. A stationary dryer comprising:

a housing enclosing a space,

at least one stationary article support located within said space for supporting said article in a horizontal plane,

an air moving device for generating an air flow through said space from an air inlet to an air outlet,

an air distributor mechanism comprising a distribution plenum positioned between said air inlet and said stationary article support, with a plenum wall having a plurality of perforations therein, said perforations being sized, shaped and arranged so as to provide jets of air at an angle other than essentially parallel to said plane against two opposite sides of said article support and to equalize an air flow distribution over said article support, wherein said perforations vary in at least one of configuration, and size throughout said plenum wall, and wherein said article support comprises a flat surface lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to an air flow from said perforations through said space adjacent to said article support.

10. A stationary clothes dryer comprising:

a housing enclosing a space,

a stationary clothes support located within said space comprising a substantially horizontal porous surface,

an air moving device for generating an air flow through said space from an air inlet to an air outlet,

an air distributor mechanism comprising a first distribution plenum positioned over said porous surface and a second distribution plenum positioned beneath said porous surface, each with a plenum wall having a plurality of nozzle openings therein, said nozzles in each plenum wall being sized, shaped and arranged so as to provide jets of air against said clothes support in a non-horizontal direction and to equalize an air flow distribution over and through said clothes support.

11. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 10, wherein said horizontal porous surface is mounted on a movable slide member allowing said surface to be slid into and out of said housing to load and unload clothing items on said surface.

12. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 10, wherein said air distributor mechanism comprises a supply plenum arranged between said air inlet and said distribution plenums to direct said air flow from said air inlet to said distribution plenums.

13. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 10, wherein said housing is located within a space enclosed by a housing of another stationary dryer.

14. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 10, wherein said perforations comprise nozzles having a length greater than a thickness of said plenum wall.

15. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 14, wherein said nozzles vary in at least one of configuration, spacing and size throughout said plenum wall.

16. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 14, wherein said nozzles are configured and arranged such that said jets of air are directed substantially perpendicular to said clothes support.

17. A stationary clothes dryer comprising:

a housing enclosing a space,

a clothes support located within said space comprising a substantially horizontal porous surface,

a fan for generating an air flow through said space from an air inlet to an air outlet,

an air distributor mechanism comprising a supply plenum leading from said air inlet to a distribution plenum positioned between said supply plenum and said horizontal porous surface,

said distribution plenum comprising a pair of spaces, one located on each vertical side of said horizontal porous surface,

a distribution plenum wall extending above and a distribution plenum wall extending below said horizontal porous surface and each having a plurality of perforations therein, said perforations being sized, shaped and arranged so as to provide jets of air to impinge substantially perpendicularly both down and up against said clothes support and to equalize an air flow distribution over and through said clothes support.

18. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 17, wherein said horizontal porous surface is mounted on a movable slide member allowing said surface to be slid into and out of said housing to load and unload clothing items on said surface.

19. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 17, wherein said perforations vary in at least one of configuration, spacing and size throughout said plenum wall.

20. A stationary dryer comprising:

a housing enclosing a space,

at least one stationary article support located within said space,

an air moving device for generating an air flow through said space from an air inlet to an air outlet,

an air distributor mechanism comprising a distribution plenum positioned between said air inlet and said stationary article support, with a plenum wall having a plurality of perforations therein, said perforations comprise a plurality of nozzles having a length greater than a thickness of said plenum wall, said nozzles being arranged so as to provide jets of air at an angle other than essentially parallel against said article support, said plurality of nozzles having various different configurations across said plenum wall to equalize an air flow distribution over said article support.

21. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 20, wherein said different configurations of said nozzles comprise different diameters.

22. A stationary clothes dryer according to claim 20, wherein said different configurations of said nozzles comprise different lengths.