Condenser apparatus

Claim 2

In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing liquid into the housing, c. means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the housing, d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, f. means for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and h. drive means, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the means for forming the liquid droplet cloud and the air flow inducing means, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

Claim 3

The condenser apparatus of claim 1 wherein the maximum depth of the blade is twice the minimum depth.

Claim 4

The condenser apparatus of claim 1 wherein the blades are single planar and equally spaced from each other.

Claim 5

In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing a stream of liquid into the housing, c. a rotatable disc axially spaced from the liquid inlet means, d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, f. a blower for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and h. means for driving the rotatable components, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the disc and blower, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub and in axial alignment with the central axis of the condenser apparatus, the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

Claim 6

In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing a stream of liquid into the housing, c. a rotatable disc axially spaced from the liquid inlet means, d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, f. a blower for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and h. means for driving the rotatable components, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the disc and blower, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub and in axial alignment with the central axis of the condenser apparatus, the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

Claim 7

In an automatic clothes dryer machine having a cabinet, a drum mounted for rotation within the cabinet to tumble clothes to be dried, means for passing air through the drum and heating means to heat the air, and a condenser apparatus through which the air passes to be coupled and remove moisture, the condenser apparatus having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing liquid into the housing, c. means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the housing, d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, f. means for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and h. drive means, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned wIthin the housing and located between the means for forming the liquid droplet cloud and the airflow inducing means, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

Claim 8

In an automatic clothes dryer machine having a cabinet, a drum mounted for rotation within the cabinet to tumble clothes to be dried, means for passing air through the drum and heating means to heat the air, and a condenser apparatus through which the air passes to be coupled and remove moisture, the condenser apparatus having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing for introducing liquid into the housing, c. means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the housing, d. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, e. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, f. means for inducing air to flow from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. means for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, and h. drive means, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned wIthin the housing and located between the means for forming the liquid droplet cloud and the airflow inducing means, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the hub with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade.

Claim 9

In the automatic clothes dryer of claim 5 wherein the maximum depth of the blade is twice the minimum depth.

Claim 10

In the automatic clothes dryer of claim 5 wherein the blades are single planar and equally spaced from each other.

Claim 11

In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing, c. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, d. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, e. a rotatable disc concentrically positioned within the housing and axially spaced from said inlet means to provide an air gap, f. a rotatable bladed blower for inducing air flow through the condenser apparatus from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. a pump for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, h. a single motor having a shaft cooperatively connected and driving the rotatable components including the pump, i. a liquid discharge outlet located below and spaced from the liquid inlet means to provide an air gap therebetween, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the disc and blower, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of single planar and equally spaced blades extending radially outward from the hub and in axial alignment with the central axis of the condenser apparatus with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade, and the maximum blade depth being twice the minimum blade depth.

Claim 12

In a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from air by passing moisture-laden air through a cloud of cooling liquid droplets having: a. a housing, b. liquid inlet means at one end of said housing, c. air inlet means at said one end of the housing, d. air outlet means at the end of the housing opposite the air inlet means, e. a rotatable disc concentrically positioned within the housing and axially spaced from said inlet means to provide an air gap, f. a rotatable bladed blower for inducing air flow through the condenser apparatus from the air inlet means to the air outlet means, g. a pump for removing liquid from the condenser apparatus, h. a single motor having a shaft cooperatively connected and driving the rotatable components including the pump, i. a liquid discharge outlet located below and spaced from the liquid inlet means to provide an air gap therebetween, the improvement comprising a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel positioned within the housing and located between the disc and blower, said wheel having a hub, a plurality of single planar and equally spaced blades extending radially outward from the hub and in axial alignment with the central axis of the condenser apparatus with the minimum blade depth being equal to the axial velocity of the intake air divided by the linear velocity of any point on a first blade multiplied by the distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade at a point the same radial distance from the center of rotation as the point on the first blade, and the maximum blade depth being twice the minimum blade depth.