Laundry dryer and impurity entry preventing structure for the same

• US 7,640,678 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Myung, Hwan Joo, Lee, Soon Jo, Cho, Hung Myong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Jiping
• Application Number:
  US11/390,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 34/72, 34/79, 34/82, 345/95, 346/03, 346/05, 341/39, 346/01, 346/04, 346/07
• US Class Current: 34/601
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00

Abstract

Provided is a laundry dryer. The laundry dryer includes a drying drum for inserting laundry in, a base, and a cabinet enclosing the drying drum and the base. The base includes an outside air intake port that suctions indoor air, an air passage for moist air from the drying drum to pass through, and an impurity descending slot recessed a predetermined depth at a front of the outside air intake port for impurities to fall into.

Claims

1. A laundry dryer, comprising:

a cabinet;

a drying drum disposed within the cabinet;

a drying duct installed at an outer rear surface of the cabinet and having an outlet end thereof connected to an inlet into the drying drum;

a base disposed within the cabinet, the base including;

a lower base, including;

an air passage that receives exhaust air from the drying drum and discharges the exhaust air from the cabinet;

an air intake port that guides air from a space formed between the drying drum and the base within the cabinet into an inlet end of the drying duct; and

a slot positioned upstream of the air intake port so as to separate impurities from air before it flows through the air intake port; and

an upper base coupled to a top of the lower base so as to define an upper portion of the air passage; and

a lint blocking member installed in the air intake port, wherein the lint blocking member filters impurities from air flowing through the air intake port that have not been separated by the slot provided with the lower base, wherein the slot is positioned immediately upstream of the air intake port such that impurities included in air from the space formed between the drying drum and the base within the cabinet fall into the slot before the air flows through the air intake port, through the drying duct and into the drum, wherein the slot is formed as a downward recess of predetermined depth in the lower base.

2. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the lint blocking member includes a cap body made of a plastic material and a mesh made of a metal material coupled within the cap body.

3. The laundry dryer according to claim 2, wherein the cap body and the mesh are coupled using insert injection.

4. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the lint blocking member is formed integral with the air intake port, or is detachably installed in the air intake port.

5. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the slot is formed at a position which is separated from the air passage through which air in the drying drum passes.

6. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the air intake port is formed at a position that is higher than the slot.

7. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, further comprising a lint entry preventing ledge that protrudes upward from an upper surface of the lower base, surrounding a perimeter of the slot.

8. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the lint blocking member comprises a lint cap including a metal mesh member.

9. The laundry dryer according to claim 8, wherein the mesh member is integrally formed through injection molding with the lower base.