Combination washing machine and dryer

• US 6,978,556 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ephelius Cornelious
• Original Assignee: Ephelius Cornelious
• Inventors: Cornelious, Ephelius
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Jiping
• Application Number:
  US11/039,408
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 345/24, 345/26, 345/27, 345/73, 34/60, 345/95, 345/96, 346/03, 341/39, 342/36, D32/5, 68/3.R, 68/13.R, 68/192
• US Class Current: 34/596
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 29/00 Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 29/005 the other separate apparatus being a drying appliance

Abstract

A combination washing machine and dryer having a trap door interposed between a washing machine and a fabric dryer. After the washing machine has finished washing the clothes contained therein, the trap door automatically opens to allow the wet clothing to fall into the fabric dryer, thereby obviating the need for the user to interrupt whatever he/she is doing in order to remove the wet clothing from the washing machine and to transfer the clothing to the fabric dryer for subsequent drying.

Claims

1. A combination washing machine and dryer that obviates the need for a user to remove wet clothing from a washing machine and to transfer the clothing to a fabric dryer, said combination washing machine and dryer comprising:

a fabric dryer having;

a top, a bottom, a front, a rear, and two opposing sides;

a substantially hollow drying chamber for drying wet clothes; and

an access door which is selectively opened in order to remove the clothes from the drying chamber after they have been thoroughly dried; and

a washing machine having;

a top, a bottom, a front, a rear, and two opposing sides, wherein the bottom of the washing machine is substantially supported upon the top of the fabric dryer;

a substantially hollow washing chamber into which clothes are placed prior to activating the washing machine;

a trap door which selectively separates the washing chamber from the drying chamber;

an access door which is selectively opened in order to fill the washing chamber with clothes;

an activation button for selectively activating the washing machine; and

a washing machine timer in electrical communication with both the washing machine and the trap door, wherein the timer is activated upon activation of the washing machine; and

wherein when the washing machine has finished washing the clothes contained therein, the timer automatically deactivates the washing machine and simultaneously causes the trap door to open, thereby allowing the wet clothes contained therein to fall into the drying chamber of the fabric dryer where they are subsequently dried.

2. The combination washing machine and dryer as recited in claim 1, wherein the fabric dryer further has a dryer timer knob which is set by the user to a particular time interval after which the dryer will automatically be deactivated.

3. The combination washing machine and dryer as recited in claim 2, wherein the fabric dryer further has a dryer temperature set knob for enabling the user to set a temperature range;

either low, medium, or high;

which is most suitable for the particular items of clothing which are to be dried within the drying chamber.

4. The combination washing machine and dryer as recited in claim 3, wherein the washing machine further has an operational cycle knob for enabling the user to choose from a variety of operational cycles, including a permanent press wash cycle, a gentle wash cycle, and a regular wash cycle.

5. The combination washing machine and dryer as recited in claim 4, wherein the washing machine further has a temperature set knob for enabling the user to choose the water temperature at which washing of the clothes will be effected.

6. A method for obviating the need for a user to remove wet clothing from a washing machine and to transfer the clothing to a fabric dryer for subsequent drying, said method utilizing a combination washing machine and dryer having a fabric dryer having a top, a drying chamber for drying wet clothes, and an access door, said combination washing machine and dryer further having a washing machine supported upon the top of the fabric dryer, a washing chamber for washing clothes, a trap door which selectively separates the washing chamber from the drying chamber, an access door, an activation button for selectively activating the washing machine, and a washing machine timer in electrical communication with both the washing machine and the trap door, said washing machine timer for setting a time interval, wherein the timer is activated upon activation of the washing machine, said method comprising the steps of:

opening the washing chamber door and loading the washing chamber with the clothes that are to be washed;

activating the washing machine by depressing the activation button, and thereby activating the washing machine timer;

washing the clothes within the washing machine;

automatically deactivating the washing machine with the timer after the time interval has passed, and simultaneously causing the trap door to open, thereby allowing the wet clothes contained within the washing chamber to fall into the drying chamber for subsequent drying, and thereby obviating the need for the user to remove wet clothing from the washing machine and to transfer the clothing to the fabric dryer; and

opening the drying chamber door and removing the dried clothes from the drying chamber.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the combination washing machine and dryer further has an operational cycle knob for choosing among a variety of available operational cycles, wherein the step of opening the washing chamber door and loading the washing chamber is preceded by the step of utilizing the operational cycle knob to choose among the variety of available operational cycles.