Heating vent for electric clothes dryer

• US RE31,562 E
• Filed: 06/03/1981
• Issued: 04/24/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BEDE Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BEDE Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Bede, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US06/270,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 34/86, 34/235, 34/82, 34/239, 34/133, 165/DIG. 2, 251/298, 251/299, 251/303, 251/96, 251/98, 251/99, 251/158, 251/160, 251/187, 251/188, 137/875, 137/876, 126/285 R, 126/286, 126/293, 126/295
• US Class Current: 34/86
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/20 General details of domestic laundry dryers D06F59/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/18 with pivoted discs or flaps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87812 Pivoted valve or deflector

Abstract

A heating vent is disclosed in which A T-shaped housing of light weight sheet metal is inserted in the plastic vent hose of an electric clothes dryer to provide passages through which the dryer is vented either outdoors through the vent hose or indoors through a sock-like filter having its open end stretched over the lateral outlet of the housing according to whether a pivoted valve member in the housing is in its summer or winter position.

Claims

1. A heating vent for a clothes dryer comprising a housing adapted to be interposed in the dryer vent hose;

said housing having a passage for outdoor venting of the dryer exhaust through said vent hose, and having a lateral outlet passage for indoor venting of the dryer exhaust;

a valve member pivotally connected in said housing for selective positioning to close said outlet passage for outdoor venting through said vent hose and housing passage or to close the downstream end of said housing passage for indoor venting of the dryer exhaust from the upstream end of said passage through said outlet passage;

said valve member having operating means therefor located exteriorly of said housing and extending radially from the pivot axis of said valve member alongside one side of said housing;

said operating means and housing having cooperating detent means to releasably lock said valve member in the aforesaid positions while resiliently biasing said valve member to the respective positions;

said housing comprising a main housing part of lightweight sheet material sheared and bent to provide tubular nipples at its opposite ends with circumferentially overlapping ends secured together for clamping of the end portions of the vent hose thereto and to provide an intermediate semi-cylindrical wall coaxial with and of the same diameter as said nipples and parallel side walls tangent to said semi-cylindrical wall;

a laterally extending housing part of lightweight sheet material sheared and bent to provide axially spaced apart end walls and a radially outer wall having flanges overlying the axial end portions of said side walls and the radially outer end portions of said side walls;

said end walls having semi-cylindrical flanges extending within the respective nipples;

said radially outer wall having an opening in which a laterally extending tubular nipple of lightweight strip material is secured to constitute said lateral outlet passage over which the open end of a sock-like filter is adapted to be stretched;

said operating means comprising a rod pivotally engaged in openings in opposite sides of said housing adjacent the junction of said radially outer wall with one end wall and having an intermediate offset portion secured to said valve member for swinging of the latter in response to pivoting of said rod;

said rod being bent to extend alongside one side of said housing and terminating in an end portion yieldably engaging said one side of said housing;

said detent means comprising angularly spaced apart recesses in said one side of said housing into which said end portion of said rod resiliently snaps to lock said valve member in the respective housing passage and outlet passage closing positions;

the angular spacing of said recesses being greater than the angle of swinging of said valve member from one position to the other whereby a torque load on said rod resiliently biases said valve member to the respective positions.

2. The heating vent of claim 1, wherein said valve member comprises a plate-like member folded over said rod between the opposite sides of said housing and over said offset portion of said rod;

and a resilient seat member secured to one side of said plate-like member;

said laterally extending tubular nipple extending inwardly of said radially outer wall to constitute an annular seat which is resiliently engaged by said seat member within its periphery when said valve member is in outlet passage closing position;

said seat member having a semi-circular edge portion and tangential parallel side edges which are in resilient engagement with the interior wall of said housing when said valve member is in a position closing the downstream end of said housing passage.

3. The heating vent of claim 2 wherein rectangular pieces of plastic material constitute opposite sides of said housing stapled to the axial end portions of said side walls and to the flanges thereat;

one of said pieces having openings constituting said recesses. .Iadd.4. A heating vent for a clothes dryer comprising;

a housing adapted to be interposed in the dryer vent hose, said housing having

a first nipple forming an inlet passage to receive exhaust air from the dryer through a first section of hose clamped thereto, a irected indoors;

ing an outdoor outlet passage for selective outdoor venting of said exhaust air through a second section of vent hose clamped thereto, and

a third lateral nipple forming a lateral outlet passage for selective indoor venting of such exhaust air;

a sock-like filter mountable on the downstream end of said third

a valve member pivotally connected in said housing for selective arcuate movement to a first position to close said lateral outlet passage thereby to provide fluidic communication between said first and second nipples for outdoor venting or alternatively to a second position to close the outdoor outlet passage thereby to provide fluidic communication between said first nipple and said third lateral nipple for indoor venting;

pivotal operating means connected to said valve member and extending exteriorly of said housing having

a handle member thereon extending generally radially of the pivot axis of said valve member along one side of said housing with pivotal movement of said handle member arcuately swinging the valve member between its first and second positions;

angularly spaced detent means on said one side of said housing cooperating with and selectively holding said handle means at opposite ends of its pivotal movement to apply a torque load on said valve member positively to close the lateral outlet passage or the outdoor outlet passage, the angular spacing of said detent means being greater than the angle of arcuate movement for the valve member between its two positions to apply said torque load to said valve member positively to bias the valve member into either its first or second closing position when the handle means is held by the detent means at the corresponding position of the handle means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.5. The heating vent of claim 4 wherein said valve means has a resilient seat material secured to one side of said valve member to provide a resilient seal between said valve member and said housing when said valve member is in either its first or second position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. The heating vent of claim 5 wherein the housing has a semi-cylindrical section between and smoothly joining the first and second nipples and has a lateral outlet section emanating from the semi-cylindrical section for said third lateral nipple, the side walls of said lateral outlet section being generally tangent to said

5. third lateral nipple. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. A heating vent for a clothes dryer comprising:

a housing adapted to be interposed in the dryer vent hose, said housing having

a first nipple forming an inlet passage to receive exhaust air from the dryer through a first section of hose clamped thereto, a second nipple forming an outdoor outlet passage for selective outdoor venting of such exhaust air through a second section thereto, and a third lateral nipple forming a lateral outlet passage for selective indoor venting of such exhaust air;

a downstream end of said third lateral nipple being adapted to receive an open end of a sock-like filter to filter the exhaust air selectively directed indoors;

a valve member pivotally connected in said housing for selective arcuate movement to a first position to close said lateral outlet passage thereby to provide fluidic communication between said first and second nipples for outdoor venting or alternatively to a second position to close the outdoor outlet passage thereby to provide fluidic communication between said first nipple and said third lateral nipple for indoor venting;

pivotal operating means connected to said valve member and extending exteriorly of said housing having

a handle member thereon extending generally radially of the pivot axis of said valve member along one side of said housing with pivotal movement of said handle member arcuately swinging the valve member between its first and second positions;

angularly spaced detent means on said one side of said housing cooperating with and selectively holding said handle means at opposite ends of its pivotal movement to apply a torque load on said valve member positively to close the lateral outlet passage or the outdoor outlet passage, the angular spacing of said detent means being greater than the angle of arcuate movement for the valve member between its two positions to apply said torque load to said valve member positively to bias the valve member into either its first or second closing position when the handle means is held by the detent means at the corresponding position of the handle means. .Iaddend.

4. semi-cylindrical section. .Iaddend..Iadd. 7. The heating vent of claim 5 or 6 wherein said valve member in said second position has an angular orientation slightly downwardly toward said first nipple to provide a smooth angled transition of exhaust air from said first nipple to said