Clothes dryer and laundry system

A clothes dryer comprising a housing, a drying chamber in said housing for receiving wet clothing, blower means for generating air flow through the dryer, vent means for exhausting such air flow externally of said housing, air passage means for directing such air flow into said drying chamber and then out of said drying chamber to said vent means, filter means in said air passage means downstream of said drying chamber for removing entrained lint from such air flow, said air passage means including downstream passage means for directing essentially all of such air flow passing from said filter means to said vent means, and clogged filter detector means responsive to the rate of air flow through said downstream passage means for generating an output signal indicative of a clogged filter when the rate of air flow drops below a predetermined level, said detector means including flapper means mounted in said vent means for positional movement in response to the force of air flow acting thereagainst, and a switch actuated by said flapper means when the rate of air flow is greater than said predetermined level, and said flapper means in the absence of such air flow being biased to a position substantially closing said vent means, and means for generating an alarm signal in response to said output signal.

A clothes dryer comprising a housing, a cylindrical drum in said housing for receiving wet clothing, means for tumbling the wet clothing in said drum, blower means for generating air flow through said drum, heater means for heating the air prior to passage through said drum, diffuser means located in said drum for receiving the heated air and discharging it into said drum against the wet clothing at a plurality of locations spaced along the axial length of said drum, drive means in the lower portion of said housing operative to rotate said drum, and a screen interposed between said drum and said drive means to prevent deposition of lint on said drive means.