US3729834A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Laundry dryer with oblique tumbling vanes
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1971-04-23
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Granted: 1973-05-01
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Expires: 1991-04-23
Abstract
Abstract A laundry dryer is provided having three tumbling vanes generally equidistantly disposed on the internal cylindrical wall of the dryer drum. The vanes are oriented such that they intersect a straight line generatrix of the cylindrical surface of the drum at an angle of approximately 30*, with one of the vanes pivoted about its point of intersection in a direction opposite the two remaining vanes. The vanes in cross-section are generally V-shaped with each leg of the V lying adjacent the internal cylindrical wall of the drum, while the apex of the V is generally rounded and forms an upper surface along the length of the blade. The height of the upper surface is tapered from a maximum at generally the mid-point to a minimum at the trailing end of the vane determined with respect to the direction of rotation of the drum.
Inventors
- 👤 J Fox
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:27
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06F; D06F58/00; D06F58/02; D06F58/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
In a clothes dryer having a rotatable drum defined by a front and back portion joined by a cylindrical wall and means on said cylindrical wall to impart a tumbling motion to clothes placed within said drum, said means comprIsing a plurality of vanes projecting inwardly from said wall and extending substantially from adjacent said front portion to adjacent said back portion, and said vanes oriented on said wall such that the general plane of each of said vanes intersects a straight line generatrix of said cylindrical wall at an oblique angle, providing a leading and trailing end on each of said vanes when considered in the direction of rotation of said cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vanes having a contoured top edge tapering downwardly toward said cylindrical wall in the direction of said trailing end.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
In a clothes dryer having a rotatable drum defined by a front and back portion joined by a cylindrical wall and means on said cylindrical wall to impart a tumbling motion to clothes placed within said drum, said means comprIsing a plurality of vanes projecting inwardly from said wall and extending substantially from adjacent said front portion to adjacent said back portion, and said vanes oriented on said wall such that the general plane of each of said vanes intersects a straight line generatrix of said cylindrical wall at an oblique angle, providing a leading and trailing end on each of said vanes when considered in the direction of rotation of said cylinder, wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vanes having a contoured top edge tapering downwardly toward said cylindrical wall in the direction of said trailing end.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
Structure according to claim 1 wherein said tapering top edge initiates at a point intermediate of said leading and trailing end of said vanes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
Structure according to claim 2 wherein said point is generally the midpoint between said leading and trailing end.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
Structure according to claim 1 wherein at least two of said plurality of vanes are oppositely angled about said straight line generatrix, whereby the leading face of one of said vanes has a component facing said front portion and the leading face of the other of said vanes has a component facing said back portion of said cylinder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
Structure according to claim 4 wherein said plurality of vanes include, in numbers, at least one more of said one vane than said other vane whereby there are more vanes having a forwardly facing component than vanes having a rearwardly facing component.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
Structure according to claim 5 wherein there are two of said one vanes and one of said other vanes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
Structure according to claim 4 wherein said oblique angle is approximately equal for each of said vanes and on the order of 30*, and the vanes are equidistantly disposed at their midpoints on said cylindrical wall.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-30 | 1976-10-30 | 1977-05-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-30 | 1980-10-30 | 1981-05-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-30 | 1984-10-30 | 1985-05-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |