AU2004214541B2 - Clothes Dryer - Google Patents

Description

ORIGINAL

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Standard Patent Invention title: "CLOTHES DRYER" Applicant: BENNY MIZRAHI This application claims divisional status from: Australian patent application 2002234844 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: TITLE OF INVENTION: [00011 Clothes Dryer FIELD OF THE INVENTION: The invention relates to a clothes dryer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: [0004] Clothes were traditionally dried by hanging the clothes or spreading the clothes flat and allowing evaporation to occur. This traditional approach is still used by many people. Although the traditional approach can work well, there are drawbacks.

The traditional approach does not work well in all conditions of temperature, humidity and wind speed. The traditional approach is less well suited to settings with high population densities. Depending on factors including the materials from which the clothes were made, minerals dissolved in local water and how much breeze is present during drying, the traditional approach often causes clothes to dry so that the clothes are stiff or wrinkled. Some people, correctly or incorrectly, associate traditional clothes drying methods with poverty. This perception, and the desire by many people to avoid appearing poor, discourages some people from employing traditional clothes drying methods. It is in large measure, because of the perception that traditional clothes drying is indicative of poverty, that some communities, by ordinance or by private land use restrictions, forbid (or otherwise restrict) outdoor drying of clothes.

[0005] Many people use equipment to dry clothes indoors. The "clothes dryers" overcome many of the problems described above. However, clothes dryers consume much energy. In many homes equipped with various appliances, the clothes dryer's energy consumption is second among the appliances only to the refrigerator.

[0006] In a typical household clothes dryer, the clothes being dried are in a clothes container commonly called the "drum" or "tumbler." Typically, these clothes containers approximate right circular cylinders with nearly flat walls at the ends. Often there are baffles which protrude from the inner circumference of the clothes container.

One of the nearly flat walls typically includes a door which can be opened to facilitate placing clothes in the clothes container and removing clothes from the clothes container.

[0007] Typically, while drying occurs, the clothes are agitated in a way commonly (and aptly) referred to as "tumbling." The rotation causes the clothes to be lifted by the combination of the clinging of the clothes to the circumference of the clothes container (aided somewhat by centrifugal clinging) and the action of the baffles.

However, the rotation is slow enough that the centripetal force is less than the weight of the clothes. Therefore, the clothes falls due to their own weight from near the top of the clothes container. This tumbling facilitates air circulation with the clothes and frequently changes the shape assumed by each garment which helps prevent wrinkling.

[0008] In the typical household clothes dryer, fresh air from outside of the dryer replaces the humid air inside the dryer. In most cases, the air taken into the clothes dryer is heated in a controlled manner. The heat facilitates effective evaporation of the water from the clothes. The evaporation is also facilitated by the replacement of the humidityladen air resulting from the evaporation of the water from the clothes. Electric heating and gas heating are each frequently used to heat the air entering the dryer.

[0009] For conventional home clothes dryers, typically, air is drawn into the dryer, drawn through a heater, drawn into the clothes container, drawn through a lint screen, drawn through a fan and is blown out of the dryer. The pressure difference caused by the fan drives this flow. The exact pattern of air flow including the configuration of duct work and the placement of vents is quite variable. The flow through the clothes container is usually facilitated by small holes (typically approximately 0.7 cm) in either the curved surface of the clothes container or in the essentially flat end walls of the clothes container.

[0010] The "idealized interior surface area" of an object is taken in this disclosure to be the interior surface area that an imaginary object would have if that imaginary object had the same over-all shape as the actual object but was an entirely closed object lacking in local texture. By way of illustration, in the case of an essentially right circular cylindrical clothes container, the interior surface area would be 2(ir2)+2trh where is the radius of the cylinder and is the height of the cylinder This idealized interior surface area would not be influenced by holes in the surface of the actual object, even though the actual surface area would be influenced by that. Likewise, this idealized interior surface area would not be influenced by the surface texture of the actual object, even though the actual surface area would be influenced by that.

[0011] Similarly, the "idealized interior volume" of an object is taken in this disclosure to be the volume that an imaginary object would have if it had the same overall shape as the actual object but was an entirely closed object. By way of illustration, in the case of an essentially right circular cylindrical clothes container, the idealize interior volume would be (Tir 2 )h where r is the radius of the cylinder and h is the height of the cylinder. This idealized interior volume would not be influenced by holes in the surface of the actual object.

[0012] The term "openness factor" has been used by others to refer, conceptually, to the portion of the surface of a materials which is open holes). However, the precise meaning is often unclear depending on the exact nature of the material.

"Openness factor," as used in this disclosure, is taken to be the total of the area of holes through the wall of the object divided by the idealized interior surface area. For these purposes, the narrowest cross-sectional area of each hole is used in the calculation.

[0013] Typically, the same electric motor powers the rotation of the clothes container and the fan. The rotation of the motor and the rotation of the clothes container are typically linked by a belt that goes around the entire clothes container and about a pulley on the motor shaft. The belt also typically goes around a tensioning pulley.

Typically, the speed of the fan and the speed of the clothes container are linked by the specific design of the dryer and are not user controllable.

[0014] Although typically the same electric motor powers the rotation of the clothes container and the fan, the use of separate motors to power the fan and to rotate the clothes container is not entirely unknown. In U.S. Patent 6,088,932, Adamski teaches the use of separate fan and clothes container motors in some embodiments of the invention which is the subject of that disclosure. However, that disclosure does not teach the use of a user adjustable fan speed.

[0015] Typically, the user of a home clothes dryer can set the temperature to which the air entering the dryer is to be heated. Typical setting options range from approximately 35°C to approximately 90'C. Typically, the user can select to not have the air heated. However, that typically accomplishes drying very slowly and is used frequently to "fluff' clothes rather than to dry clothes.

[0016] The air flow in a typical conventional clothes dryer is approximately 175 cubic feet per minute. The idealized interior volume in a typical conventional clothes dryer is approximately 7 cubic feet. The openness factors of conventional clothes dryers vary considerably. However, an openness factor in the range of 1% is not atypical.

[0017] Typically, the heating of the air entering the clothes dryer involves far greater energy consumption than the mechanical rotation of the clothes container and operation of the fan. The other energy consumptions related to a clothes dryer, such as operation of controls, are usually quite minor components.

[0018] In U.S. Patent 2,707,338, Morrison disclosed a clothes dryer that did not heat the air. The disclosed design includes a stationary shield which directs air in a manner which prevents it from bypassing the clothes container or passing through the perforated clothes container where there are no clothes.

[0019] In U.S. Patent 3,3608,871, Wattenford discloses a clothes dryer with no air heating means. However, the invention disclosed in that patent is intended to use heat provided externally by an oil stove over which the disclosed clothes dryer is placed.

[0020] Conventional clothes dryers can be fire hazards. Approximately 14,600 residential structural fires were caused by clothes dryers in the United States in 1999.

These resulted in 300 injuries and over $86 million dollars in property losses ("1999 Residential Fire Loss Estimates" U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Released 2003).

[0021] Gas heated conventional clothes dryers can be carbon monoxide hazards ("Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Deaths and Injuries Associated with the Use of Consumer Products Annual Estimates" U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2002).

[0022] Energy efficiency improvements of conventional clothes dryers have been driven by economics and the regulations of various governments. Much of that improvement has been based of better control of the process. For example, moisture sensing can facilitate more appropriate timing of when to stop the drying. However, greater energy efficiency is still desired.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: [0023] The invention disclosed here is a clothes dryer specifically designed to operate with air which is not heated. The invention is inexpensive to manufacture and can facilitate significant energy savings. This is accomplished in this invention by using far more air flow through the clothes dryer than flows through a conventional clothes dryer.

The present invention provides a clothes dryer which is capable of effectively drying clothes without heating the air used to dry the clothes, comprising a clothes container in the form of a basket made of wire mesh with an openness factor of no less than a means to rotate said clothes container, and a system capable of blowing air through said clothes container. Preferably, the clothes dryer lacks any means to heat air.

Furthermore, the system of the clothes dryer is preferably capable of blowing air with more than 75 times the idealised internal volume of said clothes container per minute through said clothes container. Furthermore, the system is preferably capable of blowing air with more than 100 times the internal idealised internal volume of said clothes container per minute through said clothes container. The system is more preferably capable of blowing air with more than 150 times the idealised internal volume of said clothes container per minute through said clothes container.

Preferably, an electric motor is used to power the rotation of the clothes container and a different electric motor is used to power the blowing of the air. Preferably, the clothes container has an openness factor of no less than 60%. More preferably, the clothes container has an openness factor of no less than The clothes dryer of the invention preferably also comprises a filter to remove particles from the air being drawn into the dryer. The dryer may further comprise a container mounted near the air invent which, if said container holds a volatile liquid, would allow vapour of that liquid to mix with air flowing into the dryer.

The invention further provides a clothes dryer particularly of the domestic type, which uses a process of drying clothes by feeding direct air at the environmental temperature through a basket with low resistance to air flow, the clothes dryer comprising a special basket (drum) and special ventilation unit to feed air to the basket. Preferably, the basket is a non-flexible rotating basket, this basket or part of it having a construction as a matrix or net with very low resistance to air. More preferably, the basket or part of it is made from stainless, rigid circle poles with minimal surface. Furthermore, the clothes dryer preferably also makes use of a removable or static ventilation unit, built like a clothes drawer, placed between the basket and the frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING: [0024] Fig. 1 is a perspective representation of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is drawn as viewed from above and to the side of the front of the cabinet (from essentially the same point of view as Fig. 2, Fig. 5, Fig. 7 and Fig. 11). It shows selected exterior features of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a cut-away perspective representation showing selected features of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is partially see-through to allow features behind the back wall of the clothes container to be shown. It was drawn as though the front of the cabinet was removed. It is drawn as viewed fiom above and to the side of the front of the cabinet (from essentially the same point of view as Fig. 1, Fig. 5, Fig. 7 and Fig. 11). It shows selected exterior and interior features of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here.

[00261 Fig. 3 is a cut-away perspective representation showing selected features of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It was drawn as though the front of the cabinet was removed. It is drawn as viewed from straight in front of the cabinet. It shows, in context, selected features responsible for the support of the clothes container in the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here.

[0027] Fig. 4 is a cut-away perspective representation showing selected features of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It was drawn as though the rear of the cabinet was removed. It is drawn as viewed from straight in back of the cabinet. It shows the system that causes the rotation of the clothes container in the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here.

[0028] Fig. 5 is a see-through perspective representation showing, in context, the flow of air into and out of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here. It is drawn as viewed from above and to the side of the front of the cabinet (from essentially the same point of view as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 7 and Fig. 11).

[0029] Fig. 6 is a cut-away representation showing, in context, selected aspects related to the fan assembly of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It was drawn as though the front of the cabinet was removed. It is a non-perspective view from the front of the cabinet.

[0030] Fig. 7 is a perspective representation of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is drawn as viewed from above and to the side of the front of the cabinet (from essentially the same point of view as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5 and Fig. 11). It shows selected exterior features of an alternative embodiment of the invention disclosed here.

For clarity, those features shown essentially identically to those shown in Fig. 1 which are labeled on Fig. 1 are not labeled on this Figure, but should be understood to be the same.

[0031] Fig. 8 represents a small piece of the clothes container of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here shown approximately to scale. The black represents the stainless steel rods. The purpose of Fig. 8 is to give a sense of the openness of the clothes container.

[00321 Fig. 9 represents in simplified schematic form the air flow into and out of the clothes container in the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here and selected prior art clothes dryers. The arrows represent air flow. The arrows with filled heads represent air leaving a clothes container. The arrows with non-filled heads represent air entering the clothes container. Three different arrangements are shown.

Each clothes container is essentially a right circular cylinder. View represents a conventional clothes dryer. Views and represent the invention disclosed by Morrison in U.S. Patent 2,707,338. Views and represent the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here. Views and are viewed from a vantage that allows a broad view of one side of the curved part of the clothes container, and allows only a slight view of the front of the clothes container. Views and "E" are approximately orthogonal to view and respectively. Views and are viewed from a vantage that allows a broad view of the front of the clothes container and allows only a slight view of one side of the curved part of the clothes container. The dotted lines in and represent the air blocking shield and "partition wall" of the Morrison disclosure.

[0033] Fig. 10 includes three depictions of the fan unit of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here. View is an exterior view of the fan unit with the vent hatch closed. View is an exterior view of the fan unit with the vent hatch open. View shows selected internal details of the fan unit.

[0034] Fig. 11 is a perspective representation of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is drawn as viewed from above and to the side of the front of the cabinet (from essentially the same point of view as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5 and Fig. It shows the relationship between the fan unit and the dryer as a whole.

Figs 12a to 12d are views of a second preferred embodiment of the clothes dryer of the invention: Fig 12a is a perspective view of the clothes dryer Fig 12b is a see-through view of the front of the clothes dryer of Fig 12a Fig 12c is a see-through view of the back of the clothes dryer of Fig 12a Fig 12d is a view of the removable ventilation unit.

DESCRIPTIONS OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION [0035] One object of the invention disclosed here is to improve the energy efficiency of the clothes drying process. This is accomplished, in brief, by not requiring the heating of air done by conventional clothes dryers.

[0036] Another object of the invention disclosed here is to allow less expensive manufacturing than is required for conventional clothes dryers. The reduced cost is principally due to the lack of an air heating means and the fact that heat resistant materials do not need to be employed.

[0037] Yet another object of the invention disclosed here is to reduce the fire and carbon monoxide hazards present in conventional clothes dryers.

[0038] The above stated objectives are accomplished in this invention by using far more air flow through the clothes dryer than flows through a conventional clothes dryer.

[0039] The preferred embodiment has a cabinet which is essentially a cube which is approximately 70 cm in each height, width and length. There is little air flow in or out of the cabinet other than through the vents described later. Inside that cabinet, an essentially cylindrical clothes container is mounted so that the clothes container can rotate about the cylinder axis.

[0040] The clothes container of this preferred embodiment is made of stainless steel rods which are each approximately 3 mm in diameter. The spacing of the rods is approximately 4 cm on center. This gives the clothes container an openness factor of approximately 85%. The design of the clothes container affords far more openness than the typical conventional clothes dryer. In fact, "basket" or "cage" would be a better term for the clothes container of the preferred embodiment than "drum." That openness is conducive to far greater air flow in the invention disclosed here than the air flow in the typical conventional clothes dryer. It is important to note that the clothes container could take various specific forms in terms of materials and shapes in other embodiments of the invention.

[0041] In the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here, the clothes container is almost as large as can be accommodated in the cabinet. The clothes container has no baffles. A centrifugal fan is mounted along one side of the cabinet, near the bottom, in the space between the clothes container and the cabinet wall and immediately above the cabinet floor. The fan blows air into the clothes container across most of the depth of the clothes dryer. This fan speed can be adjusted by the user to blow approximately 900, 1100 or 1300 cubic feet per minute. The fan speed adjustment can be done by using a switch.

[0042] Referring to Fig. 1, in the preferred embodiment of this invention, air is drawn in through a vent 10. The vent 10 is attached to the rest of the fan unit by hinges 11. The vent can be opened without the use of any tools. On the inside of the grill of the vent, an air filter is disposed to filter the incoming air. The clothes are placed in the clothes dryer and removed from the clothes dryer using a hinged door 12 on the front of the cabinet. A switch prevents, during times the door is ajar, powering of the fan motor or powering of the motor that causes the clothes container to rotate. (Conventional clothes dryers typically have a similar stop-when-ajar feature.) The clothes dryer is controlled by a user controlled timer 13 disposed on the front of the cabinet. The control 14 to allow the user to set the fan speed is also disposed on the front of the cabinet. The boundary 15 between the external face of the fan unit (discussed later in this disclosure) and the rest of the cabinet is shown.

[0043] Referring to Fig. 2, which is another representation of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here, the vent 20 and hinges 21 are again shown.

In this view, certain internal features are represented. The clothes container 23 is represented. Near the front of the cabinet, two rollers 22 support the clothes container near the front. Those rollers 22 passively facilitate the rotation of the clothes container 23. The boundary 24 between the external face of the fan unit and the rest of the cabinet is shown.

[0044] Referring to Fig. 3, the rollers 31 are again shown supporting the clothes container 34 near the front in the preferred embodiment. Mounted to the back wall of the cabinet is a brace 32 (shown as partially "hidden" in drawing) to which a bearing 33 (shown as "hidden" in drawing) is attached. That bearing 33 connects to the rear wall of the clothes container 34, supporting the clothes container in the back.

[0045] Referring to Fig. 4, the clothes container 43 of the preferred embodiment is rotated by similar means to a conventional clothes dryer. An electric motor 41 is mounted on the base of the cabinet toward the back, toward one side of the cabinet. A belt 42, goes around the shaft of the electric motor 41 and around the clothes container 43. The belt is tensioned by a tensioning pulley 44 which deflects the path of the belt 42.

For clarity, the details of the tensioning mechanism are not shown. However, the mechanism is similar to that found typically on a conventional clothes dryer. Unlike in a conventional clothes dryer, the motor 41 in the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here is responsible only for the rotation of the clothes container, not for the driving of the fan. This allows the fan speed to be adjusted without the speed of rotation of the clothes container changing. The rate of rotation of the clothes container allows the clothes to "tumble" in a manner similar to a conventional clothes dryer.

[0046] Referring to Fig. 5, the cabinet of the preferred embodiment is represented in see-through form without showing the internal structures. It shows where air enters 52 and where air exits 51 the clothes dryer in the preferred embodiment when the clothes dryer is in use. The exhaust vent would be placed at a window to allow the moist air to leave. A more detailed air path (including structures not shown in Fig. 5) is that the air enters through the in-vent grill 52, passes through the filter, passes through the fan, passes into the clothes container, passes into the cabinet around the clothes container, and leaves through the out-vent 51.

[0047] In cases of indoor use, the air that leaves the out-vent could be vented through a window or dedicated vent. That dedicated vent would be similar to those typically used in connection with conventional clothes dryers, except that a wider vent would be optimal to accommodate the greater air flow. An alternative embodiment of the invention disclosed here would have fittings to accommodate installation that included dedicated venting of exhaust air. It should be noted that the vent through which the exhaust air leaves the clothes dryer could be located almost anywhere on the cabinet of the clothes dryer.

[0048] It would be possible to equip the clothes dryer with a lint filter. However, experience with the preferred embodiment of the invention does not indicate a practical need for that. Although no measurements have been made, informal observation of the operation of the clothes dryer disclosed here suggests that it liberates far less lint than a conventional clothes dryer.

[0049] Referring to Fig. 6, which shows certain features of the preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention, the centrifugal fan 62 draws air through the vent hatch 63 and blows the air into the clothes container 61 which contains the clothes. The hinges 64 attach the vent hatch 63 to the rest of the fan unit. By opening the vent hatch 63, the air filter can be replaced. A dedicated electric motor turns the fan. The span of the air blowing portion of the fan is almost the entire depth of the clothes container. The fan unit can be removed for servicing of the components housed in that unit (discussed in more detail later in this disclosure).

[0050] Fig. 7 represents an alternative embodiment of this invention. The boundary 74 between the external face of the fan unit and the rest of the cabinet is shown.

The clothes dryer is shown with the vent hatch 72 open. In this alternative embodiment, a small open-topped container 71 is mounted on the face of the fan unit 73 which is next to the vent hatch when the clothes dryer is in use. A volatile liquid can be placed in the container. The liquid can evaporate and impart a desired scent to the clothes.

[0051] Fig. 8 represents a small piece of the clothes container of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here shown approximately to scale. In that figure, the black represents the stainless steel rods. This figure shows the high degree of openness of the clothes container.

[0052] Fig. 9 represents, in simplified schematic form, the air flow into and out of the clothes container in the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here and in selected prior art clothes dryers. The arrows represent air flow. The arrows with filled heads represent air leaving a clothes container. The arrows with non-filled heads represent air entering the clothes container. Three different clothes dryer types are shown. The clothes container of each clothes dryer is essentially a right circular cylinder.

View represents a conventional clothes dryer. Views and represent the invention disclosed by Morrison in U.S. Patent 2,707,338. Views and represent the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed here. Views and are viewed from a vantage that allows a broad view of one side of the curved part of the clothes container and allows only a slight view of the front of the clothes container.

Views and are approximately orthogonal to view and respectively.

Views and are viewed from a vantage that allows a broad view of the front of the clothes container and allows only a slight view of one side of the curved part of the clothes container. The dotted lines in and represent the air blocking shield and "partition wall" of the Morrison disclosure. The air flow pattern of the invention disclosed here is different from the other clothes dryers shown.

[0053] Referring to Fig. 10, which includes three depictions of the fan unit of the preferred embodiment, the vent hatch 101 is shown closed (in and open (in There is a hinged connection 102 between the vent hatch and the casing of the fan unit.

View depicts selected internal details of the fan unit. For clarity, view does not show the vent hatch. When in operation, a dedicated motor 104 causes the rotation of the fan 105. When in operation, air is blown by the fan 105 through an opening 103 in the case of the fan unit.

[0054] Fig. I 1 is a perspective representation of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is drawn as viewed from above and to the side of the front of the cabinet (from essentially the same point of view as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5 and Fig. It shows the relationship between the fan unit (112, 113) and the clothes dryer 111 as a whole. When the fan unit 112 is installed in the cabinet of the clothes dryer 111, only the face housing the vent hatch is on the exterior of the clothes dryer. The fan unit is also shown removed from the rest of the clothes dryer as 113.

[0055] In an alternative embodiment, the clothes container has a net-like lining to retain smaller objects than can be retained by the metal clothes container described as the preferred embodiment. However, such a net-like lining does little to retard the air flow so important in this design.

[0056] In an alternative embodiment, the outer wall of the cabinet is open to air passage. This embodiment could be appropriate in outdoor settings such as a balcony of an apartment.

[0057] In an alternative embodiment, another type of closure (such as a screw-on lid) replaces the hinged door of the preferred embodiment.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, there is no removable fan unit. In this alternative embodiment, the fan and the motor for the fan are mounted in the cabinet in a manner that is not conducive to easy, tool-free removal.

[0059] In an alternative embodiment, the clothes dryer is controlled by moisture sensing means instead of(or in addition to) a timer.

[0060] In an alternative embodiment, the clothes container can be equipped with baffles which would function similarly to the function of baffles in a clothes container of a conventional clothes dryer.

[0061] Key to the design of this invention is the large volume of air passing through the clothes dryer. The preferred embodiment of this invention can draw through approximately 200 times the volume of air as the volume of the clothes container. That is approximately eight times as much as in a typical conventional clothes dryer. The incoming air serves two distinct purposes. The air replaces air made more humid by evaporation of moisture on the clothes. It also supplies heat to the cloths which are cooled by evaporative cooling.

[0062] The invention disclosed here can operate far more energy efficiently than can a conventional clothes dryer. The preferred embodiment of this invention uses approximately 500 watts. A typical electric conventional clothes dryer with a similar capacity uses approximately 6000 watts.

[0063] In addition to the major advantages of lower manufacturing cost and lower energy uses, the invention disclosed here can be gentler to clothes in that the air is cooler than in a conventional clothes dryer.

[0064] Yet another advantage is that permanent-press clothes do not require the sort of "cool-down" period common in conventional clothes dryers.

[0065] Yet another advantage is that clothes need not be separated for drying on the basis of temperature sensitivity. This can result in a labor savings. It can also facilitate sorting based on other factors such as how thick the fabric is.

The second preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 12a-12d.

As will be seen from the following description the clothes dryer according to the present invention does not need a heating element or burner or any other heat source.

The dryer system contains a front loading door through which the clothes may be loaded, this door can comprise a hinge door or a screw on or bayonet type lid. There is a door switch inside the main cabinet of the dryer so that when the dyer door is closed it contacts the switch which activates the dryer system. According to the present embodiment, the preferred dryer basket or drum would be horizontal with the horizontal axis (14a), the basket support frame (13a) and rotating with ball bearings (18a) and The rotating basket or part of it that holds the clothes will build the specific construction as a matrix or net (10 Oa), with a rigid pole in a circular shape in minimal section 9 to reduce resistance to air flow through the basket. A distance between the poles will be a size that the clothes cannot pass through them and this net may have a different configuration such as square (as in 10 rectangle, rings or other shape.

The basket is much bigger than the basket of a conventional dryer and this is obtained by removing completely the heating system and the exhaust fan which improve the effectiveness of the drying process.

The preferred material of construction for the perforated dryer basket is stainless steel but other materials may also serve the function. All material used in this clothes dryer could be a non heat resistant material so as to make the dryer cost effective and cheap to build.

The basket operated by motor (12a) can rotate in both directions using a drive belt (I 1a) while the basket that holds the clothes rotates a ventilation unit (as shown in figure 12d) providing direct, high velocity air flow (19a), that is flowed through the clothes as they tumble which dries the clothes and removes the water in them. The air then passes outside through window which is permeable to air, and covered by a net for safe operation but this window can be in any size or shape and placed on any side of the frame.

The ventilation unit contains a wide centrifugal fan (15a) which operates by means of a motor (16a) inside it. The ventilation unit is placed at the bottom side of the basket between the basket and the frame as shown in figure 12c but it may be placed on any side of the dryer.

The system can work as an "upside down system", the ventilation unit will be placed in the upper part of the dryer and the window will be placed on the lower part of the frame.

This system capitalises on the space between the basket and the dryer cabinet. It is built as one part as shown in figure 12d much like a removable drawer for easy handling and this unit has the same shape of the space between the basket and the cabinet. The feeding air comes from outside the clothes dryer and it is passed through filtering system that removes dust for perfect air purifying. The full strength system is built much like a horizontal door with a hinge which can be opened for cleaning dust from the filter. This door is made from two parts, one is a door frame and the other is a filter that is placed in the frame that makes the process of cleaning the filter easy by removing the filter outside from the frame.

This system may also contain a removable container (17) for refilling evaporative material such as perfume that can carry with the air flow and pass through clothes and refresh them.

The ventilation unit may be built as a static unit or part of the main cabinet. The operating system contains a timer too which may be a mechanical device like a simple clock or it may be completely electronic with a digital read out.

There is a selector switch and this dryer may have one or more switches on the control panel that allows adjustment of the air flow speed as an optional feature.

The clothes dryer can be used on an indoor unit or outdoor unit. When it is used as an outdoor unit (especially on an open balcony) the dryer cabinet or frame or part of it could be made as a net or matrix, so that the air flow from the ventilation unit passes through the cabinet.

From the above description and drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the particular embodiments shown and described are for purpose of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognise that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. References to details of particular embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claim.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Claims (22)

1. A clothes dryer which is capable of effectively drying clothes without heating the air used to dry the clothes, comprising a clothes container in the form of a basket made of wire mesh with an openness factor of no less than 40%, a means to rotate said clothes container, and a system capable of blowing air through said clothes container.

2. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 1, in which the clothes container has an openness factor of no less than

3. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 1, in which the clothes container has an openness factor of no less than

4. A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, which lacks any means to heat air.

A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which said system is capable of blowing air with more than 75 times the idealized internal volume of said clothes container per minute through said clothes container.

6. A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which said system is capable of blowing air with more than 100 times the idealized internal volume of said clothes container per minute through said clothes container.

7. A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which said system is capable of blowing air with more than 150 times the idealized internal volume of said clothes container per minute through said clothes container.

8. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 1, in which an electric motor is used to power the rotation of the clothes container and a different electric motor is used to power the system for blowing air.

9. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 8, in which the rate at which air is blown can be controlled by the user without influencing the rate of rotation of said clothes container.

A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a filter to remove particles from the air being drawn into the dryer.

11. A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a container mounted near an air inlet, which if said container holds a volatile liquid, would allow vapour of said liquid to mix with air flowing into the dryer.

12. A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 5 to 7, in which the idealized internal volume of said clothes container is less than 15 cubic feet.

13. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 12, in which the idealized internal volume of said clothes container is greater than 2 cubic feet.

14. A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a rectangular cabinet which is essentially impermeable to air flow except for vents covering less than 20% of the combined surface area of all four sides and a top of the cabinet.

A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 14, in which said system for blowing air comprises a fan housed in a ventilation unit which can be readily removed from, and reinstalled in, the clothes dryer.

16. A clothes dryer as defined in any one of claims 1 to 15, in which said basket is a non-flexible rotating basket, said basket or a part thereof being constructed as a matrix or net with a very low resistance to air flow.

17. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 16, wherein the basket or a part thereof is made of stainless steel, rigid rods of circular cross-section with minimal surface area.

18. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 15, wherein the ventilation unit is built like a closed drawer which is received in a base of the clothes dryer, said ventilation unit being adapted to direct the flow of air from outside the dryer into the clothes container in a manner that prevents internal circulation of the air.

19. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 18, wherein the fan in said ventilation unit is a wide centrifugal fan driven by its own motor housed in the ventilation unit, and adapted to blow air into the clothes container across substantially the full width of the clothes container.

A clothes dryer as defined in claim 14, wherein the cabinet is provided with a window for passing air out of the dryer, said window being permeable to air and covered with a safety net.

21. A clothes dryer as defined in claim 14, wherein the cabinet or part thereof is constructed from a rigid net or matrix material, permeable to air.

22. A clothes dryer substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one or more of the accompanying drawings (with the exception of Figures 9A, B and C).