Non-tumble clothes dryer
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsDonald M. Tomasi, Robert W. Meyer, Matthew D. Rhodes, Richard A. Sunshine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-tumble dryer comprises a cabinet and a drawer configured to support an article to be dried and slidably mounted to the cabinet. An air supply system provides air to a drying chamber formed at least partially by one of the cabinet and the drawer for drying the article supported by the drawer. The non-tumble dryer can function as a pedestal whereby the top of the cabinet can be configured to support a laundry appliance in an elevated position. Alternatively, the cabinet can overlie one or more laundry appliances.
Claims36
A laundry drying pedestal supporting a laundry appliance in an elevated position and for drying a laundry article, the drying pedestal comprising:
- a cabinet supporting a laundry appliance thereupon, the cabinet having a width and a height, which is less than the width, and defining an open face providing access to an interior of the cabinet;
- a drawer supporting a laundry article to be dried, the drawer being slidably mounted to the cabinet for movement between an opened and closed position, and having a drawer front closing the open face when the drawer is in the closed position;
- a non-tumble drying chamber defined at least partially by the drawer;
- an air supply blower contained entirely within the cabinet to provide air to the non-tumble drying chamber to dry the laundry article supported by the drawer;
- and
- a heating blower contained entirely within the cabinet and coupled to the air supply blower to heat the air supplied by the air supply system;
- wherein the drying pedestal supports the laundry appliance while being separable from and independently operated from the laundry appliance;
- and
- wherein the air is circulated entirely within the non-tumble drying chamber independently of the laundry appliance to dry tile laundry article supported by, the drawer.
A laundry drying pedestal supporting a laundry appliance in an elevated position and for drying a laundry article, the drying pedestal consisting essentially of:
- a cabinet supporting a laundry appliance thereupon, the cabinet having a width and a height, which is less than the width, and defining an open face providing access to an interior of the cabinet;
- a drawer supporting a laundry article to be dried, the drawer being slidably mounted to the cabinet for movement between an opened and closed position, and having a drawer front closing the open face when the drawer is in the closed position;
- a non-tumble drying chamber defined at least partially by the drawer;
- an air supply blower contained within the cabinet to provide air to the non-tumble drying chamber to dry the laundry article supported by the drawer;
- and
- a heating element contained within the cabinet and coupled to the air supply blower to heat the air supplied by the air supply system;
- wherein the drying pedestal supports the laundry appliance while being separable from and independently operated from the laundry appliance;
- and
- wherein the air is circulated within the non-tumble drying chamber independently of the laundry appliance to dry the laundry article supported by the drawer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.