US3750304A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Semi-recirculatory system for a clothes dryer
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1971-09-24
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Granted: 1973-08-07
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Expires: 1991-09-24
Abstract
Abstract The invention provides a clothes dryer having a diverter means in the exhaust duct so as to provide a recirculation of the exhaust air back through the wet clothes during the early stages of the drying cycle. After the temperature of the exhaust air has reached a certain upper temperature, the diverter means moves to a non-interfering position permitting the exhaust of air through the exhaust duct of the dryer.
Inventors
- 👤 J Ghadiali
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 15:51
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06F; D06F58/00; D06F58/20; D06F2103/00; D06F2103/02; D06F2103/08; D06F2103/28; D06F2103/32; D06F2103/36; D06F2105/00; D06F2105/16; D06F2105/24; D06F2105/32; D06F58/32; D06F58/34; D06F58/46
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A clothes dryer comprising means Defining a drying chamber, an air flow system for supplying air to and for discharging air from said drying chamber, means for heating the air supplied to said drying chamber, said air flow system including ductwork for receiving air discharged from the drying chamber, said ductwork comprising exhaust duct means for exhausting the discharged air, and recirculating duct means for returning discharged air to said drying chamber, diverter means disposed in said ductwork, said diverter means having a first portion causing the air discharged from the drying chamber to be exhausted through said exhaust duct means and a second position for directing at least a portion of the discharged air into said recirculating duct means, and diverter actuating means operatively connected to said diverter means for positioning said diverter means in either one of said first or second positions, said diverter actuating means being responsive to the temperature of the discharged air to position said diverter means in said second position when said temperature is less than a predetermined value, and to position said diverter means in said first position when said temperature is above a predetermined value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
A clothes dryer comprising means Defining a drying chamber, an air flow system for supplying air to and for discharging air from said drying chamber, means for heating the air supplied to said drying chamber, said air flow system including ductwork for receiving air discharged from the drying chamber, said ductwork comprising exhaust duct means for exhausting the discharged air, and recirculating duct means for returning discharged air to said drying chamber, diverter means disposed in said ductwork, said diverter means having a first portion causing the air discharged from the drying chamber to be exhausted through said exhaust duct means and a second position for directing at least a portion of the discharged air into said recirculating duct means, and diverter actuating means operatively connected to said diverter means for positioning said diverter means in either one of said first or second positions, said diverter actuating means being responsive to the temperature of the discharged air to position said diverter means in said second position when said temperature is less than a predetermined value, and to position said diverter means in said first position when said temperature is above a predetermined value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A clothes dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said diverter means comprises a damper.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A clothes dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said damper is disposed in said exhaust duct means, and has an open position corresponding to said first position, and an at least partially closed position corresponding to said second position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
A clothes dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said diverter actuating means comprises spring means biasing said diverter means to one of said first or second positions, and electromagnetic means, when energized, to position said diverter means, against the bias at the spring means, to the other of said positions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A clothes dryer as claimed in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic means is a solenoid.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
A clothes dryer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said diverter actuating means includes a thermostat for sensing the temperature of air discharged from said drying chamber, said thermostat being adapted to maintain said electromagnetic means deenergized while the sensed temperature is below a predetermined value, and to effect energization of said electromagnetic means when the sensed temperature rises above a predetermined value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A clothes dryer as claimed in claim 6, wherein said spring means normally biases said diverter means to said second position and said solenoid when energized moves said diverter means to said first position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-06 | 1977-02-05 | 1977-08-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-06 | 1981-02-05 | 1981-08-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-06 | 1985-02-05 | 1985-08-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |