IES86294B2

IES86294B2 - Clothes dryer

Info

Publication number: IES86294B2
Application number: IES20110267A
Authority: IE
Inventors: James Hayes
Original assignee: James Hayes
Priority date: 2011-06-10
Filing date: 2011-06-10
Publication date: 2013-11-06
Also published as: IES20110267A2

Abstract

A clothes dryer which has a built-in heat exchanger or coil which has a housing (34), which is made to be fitted to existing dryers, which in turn can be plumbed into any wet heating system, oil, gas, solid fuel and solar, combined with or without electric which uses by means of two flexible hose connections. <Figure 3>

Description

CLOTHES DRYER The present inventioh concerns a clothes crver. clothes dryer thes to be dried; and acent the drum, the a source or hot water e air within the drum 10 The present invention provides a comprising a drum for housing clo a hollow heating coil mounted adj heating coil being connectable to to heat the coil and therefore th· to effect drying of the clothes.

Preferably, the drum includes circumferentially arranged vents to facilitate the transfer of heat from the heating coil into the drum in order to facilitate drying of the clothes therein.

More preferably, the clothes dryer includes a fan arranged to effect a flow of air past the heating coil . .and into the drum via the vents therein.

Advantageously, the heating coil and fan is embodied within-'a housing which can be fitted to existing clothes dryer.

Alternatively, the source of hot water is a reservoir of hot water.

Further advantageously, a standard central heat ribed with ,' in which; the source of hot water may be ng system.

The present invention wili now be d reference to the accompanying drawl fc t 2 9 4 Figure I illustrates a rear perspective view of a first embodiment of a clothes dryer of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of the clothes dryer of a present i η v e n t ί ο n; a n d Figure 3 illustrates the heating coil and fan of the first embodiment, contained within a housing suitable for fitting to existing clothes dryers.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a clothes dryer, generally indicated as 10, for utilising hot water to effect drying of fabric items such as clothes. Referring now to Figure 1, in a first embodiment of the invention, the dryer 10 consists of a casing 12 in which is mounted a drum 14. The drum 14 is located such that its axis of rotation is substantially horizontally disposed, as in standard front loading dryers (not shown), although it will equally be acorecrated that the dryer 10 may be arranged such that the axis of rotation of the drum 14 is substantially vertically disposed, as in standard top loading dryers (not shown). The drum 14 contains a plurality of vents IS in order to permit a flow of air into·' the drum 14. The drum 14 is spun, in use, by means of a conventional· motor (not shown) in order to achieve uniform drying of any fabric items (not shown) contained within the drum 14.

The dryer intermediate a rear backing date 2 3 mo coil 18 is shared a further includes a heating coil 18 moi ice 38 of the drum 14 and a :ed to the casing 12. The he: dimensioned such that it cov; an area suostan: the rear face 33 has a coil inlet projecting cutwa inlet 20 and cci connected to a s: shown), such that heating system ¢: The heated water coil 18 and exits The heating coil high heat transfs facilitate the tr circulating thrc tally equal to or greater than that of of the drum 14. The heating coil 18 20 and a coil outlet 22, both rdly from the cas: i outlet 22 are ce tandard central he t water heated within the central ot shown) is fed to the coil inlet 20 :neretore passes 12 . The coil gned to be ing system (net tnrougn tne nesting drver 10 via the coil out! is formed from a material having a =r co-efficient, preferably copper, to ransfer of heat from the water ;gh the heating coil 13 to the drum 14 A fan 30 is mounted within an aperture 32 in the backing plate 28, and is positioned concentrically in relation to the drum 14. The fan 30 may be driven by means of a conventional motor (not shown), but is preferably connected to the axle (not shown) of the drum 14, thereby obviating the need for a dedicated motor (not shown). Therefore, in use, the fan 30 rotates' as the drum 14 rotates and as the heated water passes. through t he he ating coil IS. The fan- 30 thereto re forces air past the heating coil IS , the rebv heating the air, and into the drum 14 via the vent s 15 in the rear face 38 t hereof. The flow of hot air into the drum 14 effe C t 3 t he drying of any fabric items (no shown) contained therein. Any steam generated in the drying of said fabric items (not shown) exhausts the dryer 10 by meat through the casi present embodime cf steam outie and, more so e backing pi which projects ifically in the e 2 S. The heating coil 13 also includes a purge 24 which automatically bleeds any air trapped within the heating coil 13, in order to maintain the efficient operation of the . dryer iu Referring new to Figure 2, there is illustrated a second embodiment of the dryer IO of the present invention. The dryer .10 of the second embodiment is substantial!v similar to that of the first embodiment of the invention. The configuration cf the second embodiment deviates from that of the first embodiment in the orientation of the heatina coil .18 in relation to the drum 14- In the second embodimen seen in Fig1. ;re 2, the heating co ii 113 is 15 a sidewalr 40 cf the drum _14. A gap is between the heating coil IS and the side wall. .40 of the drum .14 in order to allow the drum 141, in use, to rotate. The second embodiment of the invention also includes a fan 13Ό mounted within an aperture ,3Z 20 contained within the backing plate 28 of the dryer ID. Therefore, heated water enters the heating coil 18 via the coil inlet . 20>, circulating throughout the heating coil 18 before exiting the dryer 10 via the coil o,utlet 22.. The provision of the vents 16 within 25 the side wall 40 of the drum 2Λ facilitates heat transfer from the heating coil 18 tc the interior of ,14. The fan .30 forces air into and around X4 via the vents .16 in the rear face $8 of .14. As in the first embodiment, any steam generated in the drying of items (not shown) contained within the drum 14( exits the dryer 10 via the steam outlet 26. The heating coil 18 of ' the drum the drum the drum the second embodiment else includes a purge 24 in order to bleed any sir t rapped within the heating coil 18 Referring now to Figure 3, there is illustrated the 5 heating coil· 18, fan 30, and purge 24 of the first embodiment of the present invention contained within a housing 34. The housing 34 is shared and dimensioned to be fitted to the rear of an existing dryer (not shown) , to replace or suoplemen-t the standard euectric heating element (not shown) contained therein. The housing 34 includes brackets 36 for mounting the housing 34 to an existing dryer (not shown). The fan 30 may be connected directly to the axle (not shown) of the drum 14, or the housing 34 may alternatively include a dedicated motor (not shown) for operation or the fan 30.

It will be appreciated that the dryer 10 may include a valve (not shown) or suitable equivalent for controlling the flow rate of hot water into the heating coil 13, in order to regulate the temperature within the dryer 10. The valve (not shown) may be actuated by means.of a solenoid (not shown) responsive to a temperature sensor (not shown) contained within the dryer 10.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1, A clothes dryer comprising 10 a drum for housing clothes to be dried; a hollow heating coil mounted adjacent the drum, the heating coil being connectable to a source of hot water to heat the coil allowing the air within the drum to effect drying of the clothes; vents circumferentially arranged on the drum to allow the transfer of heat from the heating coil into the drum to facilitate the drying of clothed therein; a fan arranged to effect the flow of air past the heating coil and into the drum via the vents.

2. A clothes dryer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the heating coil includes a purge which automatically bleeds any trapped air within the coil in order to maintain efficient operation of the dryer. 25

3. A clothes dryer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating coil and fan are embodied in a housing which can be fitted to an existing clothes dryer.

4. A clothes dryer as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the source of hot water is a reservoir of hot water, preferably of a standard central heating system.

5. A clothes dryer system as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.