Method and apparatus for drying articles having internal cavities within a clothes dryer
AssigneeMaytag Corporation
InventorEvan R. Vande Haar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for use in drying articles defining internal cavities within a conventional clothes dryer includes a manifold and a plurality of tubes extending therefrom. Each of the tubes is provided with various, circumferentially spaced and longitudinally extending ribs. The apparatus is adapted to be mounted within the clothes dryer, with the manifold being seated about an exhaust outlet of the dryer and a shoe, glove or the like to be dried being placed over a respective tube. Air flow into the dryer is caused to flow along the tubes, between adjacent ribs, into an internal cavity of the article, then into the manifold through the tube, and finally out of the dryer through the exhaust outlet.
Claims20
A clothes dryer comprising:
- an outer cabinet;
- a drum rotatably mounted within said outer cabinet, said drum being configured to receive clothing to be heated and dried within said drum;
- a heated air inlet leading into the drum;
- an air exhaust outlet leading from the drum;
- and
- an apparatus for supporting articles to be dried within the clothes dryer, said apparatus including a manifold member mounted about the air exhaust outlet and at least one article support connected to and extending from the manifold member.
An apparatus for supporting articles to be dried within a drum of a clothes dryer having a heated air inlet and an air exhaust outlet comprising:
- a manifold member configured to be mounted about the air exhaust outlet;
- and
- at least one article support connected to and extending from the manifold member.
A method of supporting and drying articles within a clothes dryer comprising:
- mounting a manifold member at an air exhaust outlet of the clothes dryer;
- supporting an article to be dried from the manifold member;
- and
- operating the clothes dryer such that heated air is directed into the article to be dried prior to being delivered to the exhaust outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.