WO2002020894A1

WO2002020894A1 - Folding clothes drier with heater panels

Info

Publication number: WO2002020894A1
Application number: PCT/IT2000/000472
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aldo Stabile
Original assignee: Cadif S.R.L.
Priority date: 2000-09-06
Filing date: 2000-11-22
Publication date: 2002-03-14
Also published as: ITMI20001955A0; AU2001218860A1; ITMI20001955A1; IT1318822B1; TW495572B

Abstract

Folding clothes drier (10), comprising a frame formed of two U-shaped halves (50, 60) articulated at substantially halfway up their height, a quadrangular panel (20) with electric heat generator and diffuser, hung from the top of a first half (50) of the frame and a flat clothes-line part (40) hung from the top of the second half (60) of the frame, so that the panel (20), the clothes line part (40) and the halves (50, 60) of the frame can be drawn together to assume an idle position, or else the two halves (50, 60) of the frame can be opened X-wise with the panel standing perpendicularly and the clothes line part (40) laid horizontally over the top of the panel (20) to form the operative position, the electric heat generator (80) consisting of a flat body which, with suitable electrical insulation, supports a serpentine of very high electrical conductivity, of a very thin constant transversal section and of a length sufficient for generation and diffusion of heat at a low temperature.

Description

FOLDING CLOTHES DRIER WITH HEATER PANELS

The invention concerns a clothes drier for household use.

Such clothes driers generally consist of a frame stretched length- wise over which are parallel lines on which to hang clothes or other articles to be dried.

Drying can be hastened by a heat generator and by forming a sort of hot chamber round the drier to lessen dispersal of heat.

Clothes driers of this kind present considerable problems related to their bulk and thermal efficiency.

Drying is of course quicker if the clothes are well spread out and if sufficient heat is supplied, where a heat generator is used.

Larger driers are generally impracticable due to lack of space in an apartment while an electric drier is expensive to run. Presently used driers therefore present drawbacks as clothes take long to dry, heating is expensive and such driers are bulky. The clothes drier here described offers considerable advantages compared with those in use both because of its lesser bulk and because of its low heat generating costs, as will now be explained. Subject of the invention is a folding clothes drier with an electric heat generator comprising a frame consisting of two U-shaped halves articulated at about half its height, a quadrangular panel comprising an electric heat generator and diffuser hung by rotating joints to the top of one half of the frame and by rotating and translating joints to the bottom of the other half of the frame, and further comprises a flat drier with clothes lines hung by rotating joints to the top of the second half-frame to permit either its position when out of use with the panel, the drying part and the two halves of the frame matching together, or its position when in use with the two halves opened X-wise, with the panel substantially perpendicular and the clothes lines lying subsantially horizontal across the top. The lower side of the panel is connected to the lowest side of the second half-frame by a joint that rotates and translates the panel and which, to achieve the operating position, permits the lower side of said panel to be moved towards the bottom of the second half of the frame.

The rotation and translation joints consist of two rods, free to translate in housings respectively made at the two lower longitudinal ends of a protective frame round the panel, held to an idling shaft inside the second half of the frame parallel to, and at a short distance from the lowest side of said half-frame, and constituting the limit stop for movement of the panel and therefore of the X-shaped open position of the two halves of the frame. The clothes line part consists of a rectangularly bent bar, with clothes-line bars welded to the short sides of the longer bar, parallel to the long sides, for hanging the clothes, and is articulated at the top of the short side of the second half of the frame. The length of the clothes-line part is considerably greater than the distance, when set up for use, between the top of one half of the frame and the top of the other half, so that when the clothes-line part is lifted up to lie over the panel, a considerable part of its length projects from said panel.

In one type of execution this projecting part extends outward for about 1/3 of the total length.

In another type of execution the electric heat generator consists of a flat body that, with adequate electrical insulation, supports a ser- pentine-shaped part the two ends of which can be connected to a source of electricity, of high electrical conductivity, of a very thin constant transversal section and of a length suitable for generating

• and diffusing heat at a substantially low temperature.

Electrical and thermal values may advantageously be as follows: 220 volt, 500 watt, temperature 70-100°C.

In one type of execution the serpentine element forms the weft threads of a piece of fabric, the warp consisting of parallel strips of fine fibreglass placed side by side, while the flat body consists of one or more thermo-adhesive layers covered on both sides with sheets of a mica-based material.

The flat body is placed inside the protective frame round the panel, said panel consisting of two opposing halves firmly assembled together.

The external dimensions of one half of the frame correspond to the internal dimensions of the other half.

In its lower longitudinal ends one half of the frame presents channels which, when the two halves of the frame are assembled, form housings for translation of the rods of the rotation and translation joint and rotation of the panel . The invention offers evident advantages. Putting away the clothes drier after use is quick and simple as it only requires the X-shaped legs forming the frame to be drawn together and the clothes line part to be folded down. In doing this the heat-generating panel and the clothes line part practically match inside the two legs of the frame that substantially fit one into another.

Heat efficiency is high both on account of the characteristics of the panel that transforms electric energy into thermal energy diffused at the moment of its production, and on account of the position of the panel itself in relation to the clothes hung out to dry

As the panel lies orthogonally to the bars on which the clothes are hung, hot-air chambers are in fact formed between the hanging clothes that lie orthogonally to the two faces of the panel. Diffusion of heat in said chambers at the moment when electric energy is transformed into thermal energy greatly increases thermal efficiency so that consumption of electricity is low. The whole clothes drier stands upright by itself. As temperatures are kept substantially low there are no problems for the frame that can therefore be made of any insulating material such as, for example, wood or plastic.

In conclusion, compared with the present state of the art, the clothes drier here described offers considerable advantages both as regards bulk and as regards running costs and drying times. Characteristics and purposes of the disclosure will be made still clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures.

Fig. 1 Clothes drier with drying lines and panel with thermo-electric plate, closed, perspective view. Fig. 2 Detail of the lower device for holding and guiding the clothes drier panel, closed.

Fig. 3 The clothes drier when pulled open, perspective. Fig. 4 Detail of the lower device for rotating and guiding the panel for the drier when pulled open, perspective.

Fig. 5 The drier in its operative position after turning up the clothes lines over the panel, perspective. Fig. 6 The drier in its operative position and with clothes hung on the lines, perspective.

Fig. 7 The panel, perspective.

Fig. 8 A detail, in cross section, of the panel frame.

Fig. 9 An exploded view of the panel, perspective. Fig. 10 The thermo-electric plate showing its component parts in detail.

Fig. 11 Detail of the electrico-thermal fabric comprised in the thermo-electric plate.

Fig. 12 The drier in its operative position, surrounded by a cloth. The clothes drier 10 comprises the heat-generating and diffusing electric panel, the clothes-lines 40 and the frame formed of two U- shaped halves, the first 50 and the second 60 connected about half way along their lengths by the articulations 70 formed of a pin 71 with an interposed spacer 72. The panel 20 is supported by the first half 50 of the frame which in turn is supported by the second half 60.

The panel is freely joined at its top to the legs of the first frame half

50 by means of the rotation joint 15 comprising pins 13 and spacers

14. Below, the panel 20 is guided by metal rods 35 (Fig. 1 ) welded orthogonally to the shaft 36 which can freely rotate in holes 65 in the frame half 60 close to its base.

Said panel 20 comprises (Figs 7-9) the frame 22 formed of its halves 23 and 24 and the flat body 80 that transforms electric energy into diffused thermal energy.

The frame half 23 presents a front face 25 and its edge 26 at 90°. The frame half 24 presents a front face 27 and its edge 28 at 90°. The rods 35 can freely slide inside the housings 29 made in the longitudinal sections of the frame half 23 which, together with the other half of the frame 24, protects the flat body 80. When the clothes drier 10 is moved from its closed position (Figs 1 , 2) to its operative position (Figs 3-5), the panel 20 is caused to rotate round the rotation and translation joints 30, while the shaft 36, to which the pairs of rods 35 are welded, freely turns inside the holes 65 in the frame half 60. When the top of the first frame half 50 approaches the lower side of the second frame half 60, the rods 36 slide inside the housing 29 in the frame half 24 (Fig. 9) till contact is made at the lower end of the panel 20 with the shaft 36 which acts as a limit stop and stabilizes the panel in its vertical position as seen in Figs 3-5. The drier frame 40 is formed of a metal tube 41 rectangular in shape with rounded corners.

Between the short sides of said rectangular tube 41 a set of thin metal bars 45 are welded over which the clothes 75 to be dried are hung (Figs 6,12). The drier frame 40 is supported at the top of the frame half 60 by rotation joints 66 made with a pin 67 and spacers 68. It will be seen from the foregoing that, when open (Fig. 3), the drier frame 40 stands upright by gravity but, by turning it by about 270° towards the panel, it fits in between the upper ends of the first frame half 50, and rests on the top of the panel 20.

Allowing for the length of the panel and its width, the drier frame 40 is comprised between the top of the first half of the frame 50 and the second half 60 for about 2/3 of its length, while the remaining third projects outwards. As is clearly shown in Fig, 6, where the clothes drier 10 is seen in its operative position, the clothes 75 can be hung from the bars 46. On connecting the panel 20 to a source of electricity, thermal radiations are therefore generated as indicated by the arrows 85. 86 in figure 6, passing through the articles of clothing 75, thus diffusing heat among them for rapid dryiing. Figure 12 shows the clothes drier in figure 6 with a covering of horizontal 89 and vertical cloths 88 laid over it to form a hot chamber 95 in which the clothes dry out still faster. The flat body 80 that transforms electric energy into thermal energy (figures 10,11 ) diffused at the moment of its production, comprises a piece of special fabric 100 inserted in a layer 101 of epoxy thermo- adhesive material and is coated on both faces with sheets 102, 103 of Micarta.

Sheets of decorative melamine paper 105 are laid on these faces. The fabric 100 (figure 11) is formed of a warp 110-112 and a weft 115.

The warp consists of parallel strips 110-112 placed side by side, each strip being formed of fibreglass threads 113. The weft 115 consists of a continuous copper wire 116, coated with insulating paint 117. Said copper wire is inserted at one end, for example 120 (below on the left in figure 11 ), of one side of the piece of fabric 100 crosswise to the fibreglass strips 110-112, passing alternately on the first, on the second and again on the first, and so on, of the succeeding strips 110-112, emerging at the second end 121 (above on the left in figure 11 ) of the opposite side of the piece and, after making an 180° bend 122, returns to the piece 100 alongside the first already- mentioned length of wire and returning to the first side 120. After making another 180° bend 135, the weft once more returns to the fabric at a distance from the first length substantially corres- ponding to the width of the strips 110-112 and as far as the opposite side of the piece 100, and so on to complete the weft as shown, for example, by the end 116 of the copper wire.

It will therefore be clear that, on connecting the electric contacts

130, 131 with the copper wire 116 of the weft 100, an electric circuit can be closed on the length of wire between said points, generating heat sufficient for transformation of electric energy.

The coating on the copper wire and the adhesive layer can be removed at the points where electric contact must be made (figure

10) by means of a band of laser beams or other suitable means, forming holes 125, 126 in the thermo-adhesive layer 101 , in the sheets of Micarta 102, 103 and in the coating 117 (figure 11 ) on the copper wire.

Having done this the electric contacts 130, 131 (figure 10) can be connected at the two ends of the length of copper wire comprised between the two holes 125 and 126 by welds 128 and 129 inserted in said holes 125 and 126.

These contacts 130 and 131 are connected to the electric conductors 12 and 13 which, by means of the wire 17 and plug 18, bring in electric current from the mains. It will be seen from figure 9 that the electric wire 17, with its plug 18, passes through opposing notches 12 in the halves 23 and 24 of the frame.

The piece of fabric 100 heats up moderately to about 100°C and the heat so generated passes through the thermo-adhesive layer 101 and sheets of Micarta, radiating towards the clothes 75 hung on the drier 40 as indicated by the arrows 85 and 86 (figures 6,12).

Claims

1. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), characterized in that it comprises a frame formed of two halves (50, 60), with a U-shaped articulation (70) approximately half way up their height, a quadrangular panel (20) comprising an electric heat generator (80) and diffuser, suspended on rotation joints (15) from the top of one half of the frame (50) and a flat clothes line part (40) suspended on rotation joints (66) from the top of the second half frame (60) to permit, as required, the folded position when the panel (20), the clothes line part (40) and the halves of the frame (50, 60) can be substantially brought together, or the operative position when the two halves of the frame (50, 60) open substantially X- wise, with the panel (20) standing substantially perpendicular and the clothes line part (40) lying substantially horizontal on the top of the panel (20).

2. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claim 1 , characterized in that the lower side of the panel (20) is joined to the lower side of the second half of the frame (60) by means of a rotation and translation joint (30) on the panel (20) which, to reach the operative position, permits the lower side of said panel (20) to be moved towards the bottom of the second half (60) of the frame.

3. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the rotation and translation joint (30) comprises two rods (35) free to translate in housings (29) respectively nade in the two lower longitudinal ends of a frame (22) provided to protect the panel (20), said rods being fixed to an idling shaft (36) placed inside the second half (60) of the frame parallel to and at a short distance from the lower side of said half frame, that constitutes the limit stop for the panel (20) and therefore of the X-wise opening of the two halves (50, 60) of the frame.

4. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claim 1 , characterized in that the clothes line part (40) consists of a metal bar (41 ) bent to form a rectangle, with thinner bars (46) fixed by welding (45) to the short sides of said rectangular bar, parallel to the long sides, on which to hang the clothes (75), and presents an articulation (66) at the top on the short sides of the second half (60) of the frame.

5. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claims 1 and 4, characterized in that, in its operative position, the length of the clothes line part (40) is considerably greater than the distance between the top of the first half (50) of the frame and the top of the second half (60), so that on raising the clothes line part (40) over the panel (20), a considerable part of its length projects outward.

6. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claim 5, characterized in that the projection of the clothes line part (40) represents about 1/3 of this part's total length.

7. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claim 1 , characterized in that the electric heat generator is formed of a flat body (80) which, suitably insulated, supports a serpentine (115) of very high electrical conductivity, of a very thin constant cross section and of a length sufficient for generation and diffusion of heat at the desired temperature, connectable at its ends (116') to a source of electric current.

8. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claim 7, characterized in that the electrical and thermal values are approximately as follows: 220 volt, 500 watt, temperatures 70°-100°C.

9. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claim 7 characterized in that the serpentine in the flat body (80) is the weft (115) in wire (116) of a piece (100) of fabric, the warp (110-112) consisting of parallel strips of fine threads (113) of fibreglass laid side by side, said flat body being coated with one or more layers of thermo-adhesive material (101 ), in turn covered on both surfaces by sheets (102, 32) of mica-based material.

10. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claims 3 and 7, characterized in that the frame (22) enclosing the panel (80) is formed of two opposing halves (23, 24) provided with means for their stable assembly.

11. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claim 10, characterized in that the external dimensions of one half (24) of the frame correspond to the internal dimensions of the other half (23) of said frame.

12. Folding clothes drier (10) with electric heat generator (80) panel (20), as in claims 10 and 11 , characterized in that in the lower longitudinal ends of one half (24) of the frame are channels (29) which, after the first half has been assembled with the second half (23) of the frame, form housings in which the rods (35) of the joint (30), for translation and rotation of the lower end of the panel (20), can themselves freely translate.