Apparatus comprising straps with end attachments for removably fastening objects to be dried within dryer drum

• US 5,220,734 A
• Filed: 03/12/1991
• Issued: 06/22/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Land W Designs
• Original Assignee: L&M Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Carver, Bettie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennet, Henry A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ESQUIVEL, DENISE LYNNE
• Application Number:
  US07/668,188
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 34/104, 34/106, 34/133, 34/239, 248/205.1, 248/205.2, 248/205.3, 248/206.2, 248/206.3, 248/206.5
• US Class Current: 34/600
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00

Abstract

An apparatus for drying shoes, soft toys, or similar objects in a commercial dryer with a rotating drum (116) comprises a pair of strong nylon straps (20) and (22) with hook-and-loop fasteners to interconnect both straps. On their respective free ends the straps have respective suction cups (32 and 34). For securing a shoe or a pair of shoes (118 and 120) directly to the surface of the drying drum (116), the suction cups are attached to this surface, and free ends of the straps are tightened over the shoes (110 and 120) and fixed to each other. In other embodiments the suction cups are replaced by adhesive pads (56 and 58), permanent magnets (86 and 88), metal hooks (102 and 104), and a pair of rings (37 and 39) attached to one suction cup (33) and a smooth strap (35) attached to the other suction cup (31). The method comprises the steps of providing flexible straps with elements for removably attaching the straps to the surface of the rotating drum, attaching the above-mentioned elements to the surface of the drum on both sides of an object to be dried, and securing the object in place by stretching the straps, guiding one of them or both around the object, and connecting the free ends of the straps to each other, while maintaining the straps under tension, and thus attaching the object directly to the inner surface of the drum.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating the drying of a solid object, within a dryer of the type having a rotating drum which has an inside surface defining a working chamber within said drum, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated, flexible holding member having a pair of opposite ends,

said holding member containing adjustment means for enabling its length between said opposite ends to be adjusted so that said member can extend across any object within a predetermined size range, and

a pair of attachment means affixed to said opposite ends of said holding member, respectively, each of said attachment means being arranged to attach its respective end of said holding member to a location on said inside surface of said drum in a manner such that said respective end of said holding member can be repeatedly attached and removed form said location on said inside surface of said drum,

whereby said holding member and said attachment means can be used to attach said object easily, securely, and removably to said inside surface of said drums so as to enable said object to be dried within said drum, without tumbling said object within said drum, by extending said holding member over said object and using said attachment means to attach said opposite ends of said holding member to a pair of spaced-apart locations on said inside surface of said-drum and on opposite sides of said object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said holding member comprises at least one pair of straps, each of which has inner and outer ends, said inner ends of said straps having connecting means for removably connecting said inner ends together, said outer ends of said straps constituting said opposite ends of said flexible holding member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said connecting means for removably connecting said inner ends together comprises one part of a hook-and-loop fastener on at least one side of one of said straps and other part of said hook-and-loop fastener on the other of said straps, said straps being made of a heat-resistant fabric.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of said attachment means comprises a suction cup having a vacuum suction portion and a cylindrical holding portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of said suction cups is made of a thermally resistant plastic and said cylindrical portion of each contains means for attaching said suction cup to said outer end of a respective one of said straps.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of said suction cups has at least one pulling tab for facilitating disconnection of said suction cup from said surface of said drum, said means for attaching said suction cup to said strap comprises a blind hole in said holding portion of said cup, a rivet with a cap and a rod portion, and a hole in said strap of a diameter smaller than the diameter of said cap, said rod being pressed into said blind hole to the extent that said cap is pressed to said holding portion and locks said strap, said rod portion being locked into said blind hole.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said rod portion is fixed into said blind hole by an adhesive.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said attachment means comprises first and second removable adhesive pads, each of said pads having on one side a layer of an adhesive coated with a layer of a peelable protective release paper and on its other side with one art of a hook-and-loop fastener, and wherein one of said straps has on at least one side thereof the other part of said hook-and-loop fastener for connection to said one part of said hook-and-loop fastener of said first adhesive pad, the other of said straps having means for connection to said second adhesive pad.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said connecting means comprises an intermediate member permanently attached to the side of said other strap opposite to said hook-and-loop fastener of said other strap, the opposite said of said intermediate member having one part of a hook-and-loop fastener for engagement with said one part of said hook-and-loop fastener of said second pad.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said attachment means comprises a pair of permanent magnets permanently attache dot said respective opposite ends of said holding member.

11. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said attachment means comprises a pair of metal hooks permanently attached to said respective opposite ends of said holding member.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said straps are made of a synthetic fabric.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one of said straps is stretchable.

14. A method for facilitating the drying of a solid object, within a dryer of the type having a rotating drum which has an inside surface defining a working chamber within said drum, said method comprising:

providing an elongated, flexible holding member having a pair of opposite ends, said holding member containing adjustment means for enabling its length between said opposite ends to be adjusted so as to be able to extend over any object within a range of sizes,

providing a pair of attachment means affixed to said opposite ends of said holding members, respectively, each of said attachment means being arranged to attach its respective end of said holding member to a location on said inside surface of said drum in a manner such that each of said respective ends of said holding member can be repeatedly attached and removed from said location on said inside surface of said drum,

securing said object directly against said inside surface of said drum by extending said holding member over said object so that said pair of attachment means are positioned on opposite sides of said object, and affixing said attachment means to a pair of spaced-apart locations on said inside surface of said drum and on opposite sides of said object,

whereby said object can be easily, securely, and removably attached to said inside surface of said drum for drying said object within said drum without tumbling said object within said drum.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said securing of said object directly against said inside surface of said drum is performed by first affixing one of said attachment means to a first location on said inside surface of said drum, them placing said object directly against said inside surface of said drum, then extending said holding member over said object, and then a fixing said other of said attachment means to another location on said inside surface of said drum and on an opposite side of said object.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said straps are made of a strong, heat-resistant fabric, and said attachment means is selected from the group consisting of suction cups, permanent magnets, adhesive pads, and hooks.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said inside surface of said drum has a plurality of inwardly projecting radial vanes and wherein said object is placed against one of said vanes.

18. An apparatus for facilitating the drying of a solid object, within a dryer of the type having a rotating drum which has an inside surface defining a working chamber within said drum, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated, flexible holding member having a pair of opposite ends,

said holding member comprising a pair of straps and containing adjustment means for enabling the length of said straps between said opposite ends to be adjusted so that said member can extend over any object within a predetermined size range, and

a pair of attachment means affixed to said opposite ends of said holding member, respectively, each of said attachment means being arranged to attach its respective end of said holding member to a location on said inside surface of said drum in a manner such that said respective end of said holding member can be repeatedly attached and removed form said location on said inside surface of said drum,

whereby said holding member and said attachment means can be used to attach said object easily, securely, and removably to said inside surface of said drum, so as to engageable said object to be dried within said drum, without tumbling said object within said drum, by extending said holding member over said object an using said attachment means to attach said opposite ends of said holding member to a pair of spaced-apart locations on said inside surface of said drum and on opposite sides of said object.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein each of said straps has inner and outer ends, said inner ends of said straps having connecting means for removably connecting said inner end together, said outer ends of said straps consisting said opposite ends of said flexible holding member.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said connecting means for removably connecting said inner ends together comprises one part of a hook-and-loop fastener on at lest one side of one of said straps and the other part of said hook-and-loop fastener on the other of said straps, said straps being made of a heat-resistant fiber.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein each of said attachment means comprises suction cup having a vacuum suction portion and a cylindrical holding portion.

22. An apparatus for facilitating the drying of a solid object, within a dryer of the type having a rotating drum which has an inside surface defining a working chamber within said drum, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated, flexible holding member having a pair of opposite ends,

said holding member containing adjustment means for enabling its length between said opposite ends to be adjusted so that said member can extend over nay object within a predestined size range, and

a pair of attachment means affixed to said opposite ends of said holding member, respectively, each of said attachment means comprising a suction cup and being arranged to a attach its respectable end of said holding member to a location on said inside surface of said drum in a manner such that said respective ends of said holding member can be repeatedly attached and removed form said location on said inside surface of said drum,

whereby said holding member and said attachment means can be used to attach said object easily, securely, and removably to said inside surface of is drum, so as to enable said object to be dried within said drum, within tumbling said object within said drum, by extending said holding member over said object and using said attachment means to attach said opposite ends of said holding member to a par of spaced-apart location son said inside surface of said drum and on opposite sides of said object.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said holding member comprises at least one pair of straps, each of which has inner and outer ends, said inner ends of said straps having connecting means for removably connecting said inner ends together, said outer ends of said straps consisting said opposite ends of said flexible holding member.