US3866336A

US3866336A - Decorative laundry dryer

Info

Publication number: US3866336A
Application number: US460495A
Authority: US
Inventors: Helen D Bereza
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-04-12
Filing date: 1974-04-12
Publication date: 1975-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-18

Abstract

A decorative laundry dryer employs warm air from a household heating duct as the drying medium. A cabinet is positioned such that warm air passes therethrough from the duct, the cabinet having forward and side walls. Strand means for supporting the fabrics to be dried extend between the side walls, and a drip pan is located therebelow. The upper portion of the cabinet defines a well receiving a planter or other decoration.

Description

Unlted States Patent 11 1 111 3,866,336 Bereza Feb. 18, 1975 [5 DECORATIVE LAUNDRY DRYER 2,852,861 9/1958 161 611 1. 34/163 Inventor: Helen D. Bereza Route X 3 3,152,876 10/1964 Lalng 34/151 wausaukee, w 54177 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 917,079 12/1946 France 34/163 [22] Wed 1974 691,861 5/1953 Great Britain 34/163 [21] Appl No.: 460,495

Primary Examinerl(enneth W. Sprague Assistant Examiner-James C. Yeung [52] US. Cl 34/201, 34/163, 3341223339, Attorney, Agent or Firm Roben G. MCMOUOW [51] Int. Cl. F26b 19/00 T [58 Field of Search 34/88, 104, 151, 163, 201, L 1 l d AESTRAC l f 0, ecoratlve aun ly ryer emp warrn all rom household heatmg duct as the drymg medrum. A cablnet 1s posmoned such that warm arr passes there- .1561 21136;3 $61222111635333?6523;211:121 UNITED STATES PATENTS be dried extend between the side walls, and a drip pan 5 3 is located therebelow. The upper portion of the cabiu eson..... 1,979514 11/1934 Wilson D D 34/88 pigtndefines a well recewmg a planter or other decora 2,091,746 8/1937 Wiley 34/90 2,773,314 12/1956 Gauff 34/163 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 DECORATIVE LAUNDRY DRYER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Patent No. Patentee Issue Date 2,377,255 McCauley May 29, 1945 2,470,646 Richardson May 17, 1949 2,715,284 Molina Aug. 16, 1955 2,718,070 Wendeborn et al. Sept. 20, 1955 3,152,876 Laing Oct. 13, 1964 3,256,617 Konstandt June 21, 1966 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a dryer for small to medium quantities of laundry which, while fulfilling the above referred to objectives of energy conservation and humidification of air, additionally conceals the laundry and the heating element from view, thereby enhancing room appearance. This avoids the cluttered and unkempt view occasioned, often in apartments and small homes, by suspending lingerie, stockings and other laundered items from towel racks and shower bars for drying.

Employment of the present invention obviates the need for operation of large electrical or gas dryers particularly during cold weather thereby further effecting savings in energy.

The invention embodies a cabinet structure having an open or recessed back into which air from a heating duct or register is introduced, and having a louvered front wall through which the humidified air is expelled after passage about the wet laundry.

The cabinet structure is suitably fabricated to provide a well for mounting of a planter or the like thus further enhancing its decorative function.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a frontal perspective view of a decorative laundry dryer constructed and assembled in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view, partially broken away for disclosure of details;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the unit, broken away for reference to components and showing an alternate location of the drip pan in dotted lines; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 4 from above, taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing in more detail, the first embodiment 10 of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. In the illustrated environment of use, the unit 10 is placed, on the building floor 12, with its back against a wall 14. The wall 14 has an opening 16 therein in which is mounted an outlet register 18 of a warm air heating duct 20.

The unit 10 comprises a portable cabinet 22 having a forward wall 24 and

opposite side walls

26 and 28. The forward wall has upper and

lower end portions

30, 32 with substantially horizontal end edges. The side walls are secured to the front wall, and have upper and

lower end portions

34, 36 and 38, 40 respectively. The lower end edges of the side walls are substantially horizontal, but the top end edges thereof are of increasing height from front to rear.

The interior of the cabinet 10 has a top wall 42 fixedly secured therein. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the top wall is coextensive in depth with the side walls and spans the distance therebetween. The top wall is mounted at a location spaced downwardly from the upper end portions of the front and side walls and a back wall 44 projects upwardly to the height of the rear ends of the side walls. Thus, the upper portions of the side walls and forward walls, the back wall and the top wall define a well 46. This well is employed to house a planter 48'or other optional decorations, conveniently mounted on the top wall, either removably or otherwise.

Means for support of the cabinet on a surface such as the floor 12 is provided. Inasmuch as the device must be moved from time to time in order to provide access to the laundry drying area thereof, the surface support means may conveniently comprise a series of caster wheels'50. The wheels are of conventional form and are mounted on the lower end portions of the side walls. The cabinet has side lift handles 51 for convenient movement from place to place.

Mounted on the side walls immediately above the surface support means are

brackets

52, 54. These brackets are here in the form of angle bars including inwardly projecting

flat ledges

56, 58. Removably and slidably seated on these ledges is an elongated drip pan having side and end flanges. The pan serves to avoid drippage by the laundry to the floor and may also be employed as a transport receptacle to carry the laundry to the drying cabinet from the washing area.

As noted, the back wall 44 of the cabinet terminates at the top wall 42, thereby leaving the main extent of the rear of the cabinet open or recessed. The front wall 24 has a series of louvers 62 formed therein. Thus, air entering the cabinet at its open back, is expelled through the louver openings.

Mounting means for positioning of the laundry suspension means is provided. The mounting means, in the first form of the invention, comprises two series of

hook members

64, 66. The members are fixedly secured in a transverse line along the side wall 26, and the books 66 are located in a co-aligned row on the wall 28. As shown in the drawing, these rows are adjacent the top wall 42.

The laundry is maintained in drying position on the drying strand means. The strand means shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 comprises a series of lines 68 which extend between the respective aligned hooks of the

rows

64 and 66. It will beobserved ,that these are generally in alignment with the louvers 62, and are arranged such that clothing C or other laundry suspended therein is located in the normal path of air movement from the duct through the louver. V

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, components corresponding to those shown in the first described form of the invention are identified by like reference characters, the letter a being added for distinction. This form of the invention differs in respect of the mountingmeans for the laundry suspension and in the drying strand means. The mounting means 100 here comprises a series of interlocked, slidable channel members on each of the side walls. These include a first channel member 102 having a bight portion 104 and spaced apart

arms

106, 108. The bight portions of the first channel members are fixed to the side walls with the pairs of

arms

106, 108 projecting toward one another. Smaller but otherwise identical second channel members 110 are captively, slidably engaged in the first channel members for a limited sliding movement. Complete withdrawal of the second channel members is obviated by suitable stop means not shown. A third pair of channel members 1 l2 completes the mounting means. Once again, these are reduced in vertical dimension so as to fit within the second channel members, and are prevented from full withdrawal therefrom. The third channel members therefore telescope in the second channel members, and the second channel members telescope into the first. This permits the clothes drying arrangement to be moved rearwardly from the cabinet for convenient mounting of the clothing or other laundry thereon.

In a second form of the invention, the strand means comprises elongated, substantially cylindrical bars or rods 114 secured at their ends to the bight portions of the third channel members. These rods may be conveniently grasped and pulled or pushed in order to effect the inward or outward movement of the laundry.

Operation of the device merely involves placement of the laundry on the drying strand means, the air from the duct passing through the register, about the clothing and out the louvers 62.

I claim:

1. Portable cabinet for use in association with a heating duct outlet in a building, warm air being emitted through'said heating duct outlet, the cabinet comprismg:

a cabinet forward wall, and cabinet side walls, each of said walls having opposite upper and lower end portions;

a top wall fixedly secured to the forward and side walls at a location spaced downwardly from the upper end portions thereof, and a back wall projecting upwardly from said top wall, the back wall and those portions of the side and forward wall above the top wall defining a well adapted to receive a decorative device;

surface support means on the side walls adjacent the lower end portions thereof;

brackets on the side walls above the surface support means;

an elongated combined drip pan and laundry transport receptacle removably seated on the brackets and spanning the distance between the side walls;

the forward wall having a' series of air passage louvers formed therein below the top wall;

mounting means on each of the side walls in transverse co-alignment; and

a series of laundry drying strand means suspended between said mounting means, the warm air from said duct being directed about laundry suspended on said laundry drying strand means and outwardly through said air passage louvers.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the surface support means comprise castor wheels.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the mounting means comprises a series of hooks secured to the side walls; and

the laundry drying strand means comprise lines extending between respective aligned pairs of hooks.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the mounting means comprise a pair of first channel members each having a bight portion and projecting side arms, the bight portions being fixedly secured to the side walls with the side arms of each channel extending toward one another, a pair of second channel members slidably engaged, respectively, in th first channel members for limited movementfa pair of third channel members slidably engaged, respectively, in the second channel members for limited sliding movement; and

the laundry drying strands comprising a series of rods fixedly secured at their ends to the third channel members.

Claims

1. Portable cabinet for use in association with a heating duct outlet in a building, warm air being emitted through said heating duct outlet, the cabinet comprising: a cabinet forward wall, and cabinet side walls, each of said walls having opposite upper and lower end portions; a top wall fixedly secured to the forward and side walls at a location spaced downwardly from the upper end portions thereof, and a back wall projecting upwardly from said top wall, the back wall and those portions of the side and forward wall above the top wall defining a well adapted to receive a decorative device; surface support means on the side walls adjacent the lower end portions thereof; brackets on the side walls above the surface support means; an elongated combined drip pan and laundry transport receptacle removably seated on the brackets and spanning the distance between the side walls; the forward wall having a series of air passage louvers formed therein below the top wall; mounting means on each of the side walls in transverse coalignment; and a series of laundry drying strand means suspended between said mounting means, the warm air from said duct being directed about laundry suspended on said laundry drying strand means and outwardly through said air passage louvers.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the mounting means comprises a series of hooks secured to the side walls; and the laundry drying strand means comprise lines extending between respective aligned pairs of hooks.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the mounting means comprise a pair of first channel members each having a bight portion and projecting side arms, the bight portions being fixedly secured to the side walls with the side arms of each channel extending toward one another, a pair of second channel members slidably engaged, respectively, in the first channel members for limited movement, a pair of third channel members slidably engaged, respectively, in the second channel members for limited sliding movement; and the laundry drying strands comprising a series of rods fixedly secured at their endS to the third channel members.