Clothes dryer

Abstract

A clothes dryer has a heat exchanger supplied with heat energy from a building's central heating system, or external heat generation units including district heating systems. Air is drawn by a fan axially through the heat exchanger, and back into it at a location so that it diffuses through the exchanger to mix with freshly-drawn-in air before being delivered upwardly into a drum inlet manifold. The drum inlet manifold also had an electrical element for use when hot water is not available. The fan is between the heat exchanger and the drum inlet manifold, and blows into the manifold, helping to prevent fluff-build-up on an electrical element in the drum inlet manifold, with consequent reduced fire risk. The heat exchange assembly is compact, beneath the drum inlet manifold, and is driven by the same drive as the drum. This allows the dryer to be as compact as a conventional household with only an electrical element heat source.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.