Induction dryer appliance with a bearing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10822739-B2
Application number	US-201816032169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2018
Priority date	Jul 11, 2018
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

An induction dryer appliance includes a cabinet. A drum is positioned within the cabinet. The drum is rotatable about an axis within the cabinet. The induction dryer appliance also includes an induction heating element and a support assembly. The support assembly is positioned within the cabinet adjacent the drum. The support assembly includes a plate. The induction heating element is positioned on the plate. A bearing is mounted to the plate. The bearing contacts the drum as the drum rotates about the axis such that the bearing spaces the plate from the drum along a radial direction that is perpendicular to the axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An induction dryer appliance, comprising:
a cabinet;
a drum positioned within the cabinet, the drum rotatable about an axis within the cabinet;
an induction heating element; and
a support assembly positioned within the cabinet adjacent the drum, the support assembly comprising
a plate movable along a radial direction relative to the drum, the induction heating element positioned on the plate;
a bearing mounted to the plate, the bearing contacting the drum as the drum rotates about the axis such that the bearing spaces the plate from the drum along a radial direction that is perpendicular to the axis; and
a spring coupled to the plate, the plate movable along the radial direction relative to the drum on the spring, the spring urging the plate towards the drum along the radial direction such that the bearing contacts the drum as the drum rotates about the axis.

2. The induction dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the support assembly further comprises a pair of springs coupled to the plate, the pair of springs urging the plate towards the drum such that the bearing contacts the drum as the drum rotates about the axis, the springs of the pair of springs spaced apart along an axial direction that is parallel to the axis.

3. The induction dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bearing contacts the drum to maintain a constant gap between the induction heating element and the drum along the radial direction as the drum rotates about the axis.

4. The induction dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a first bearing, the support assembly further comprising a second bearing spaced from the first bearing along an axial direction that is parallel to the axis.

5. The induction dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a roller bearing.

6. The induction dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the drum comprises a ferromagnetic material, and the induction heating element is operable to heat the drum by inducing eddy currents in the ferromagnetic material.

7. The induction dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the induction heating element is positioned below the drum on the plate.

8. The induction dryer appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a motor and a belt, the belt coupled to the motor and the drum such that the motor is operable to rotate the drum about the axis with the belt.

9. The induction dryer appliance of claim 8 , further comprising an additional induction heating element and an additional support assembly, the additional induction heating element positioned on a plate of the additional support assembly, the induction heating element positioned opposite the additional induction heating element about the belt along an axial direction that is parallel to the axis.

10. An induction dryer appliance, comprising:
a cabinet;
a drum positioned within the cabinet, the drum rotatable about an axis within the cabinet;
a motor;
a belt coupled to the motor and the drum such that the motor is operable to rotate the drum about the axis with the belt;
a pair of induction heating elements, one of the pair of induction heating elements positioned opposite the other of the pair of induction heating elements about the belt along an axial direction that is parallel to the axis; and
a pair of support assemblies positioned within the cabinet adjacent the drum, each support assembly of the pair of support assemblies comprising a plate and a bearing,
wherein each induction heating element of the pair of induction heating elements is positioned on a respective plate of the pair of support assemblies, and
wherein each bearing is mounted to a respective plate of the pair of support assemblies, each bearing contacting the drum as the drum rotates about the axis in order to space the respective plate from the drum along a radial direction that is perpendicular to the axis.

11. The induction dryer appliance of claim 10 , wherein each support assembly of the pair of support assemblies further comprises a spring coupled to the respective plate of the pair of support assemblies, the spring urging the respective plate of the pair of support assemblies towards the drum such that each bearing contacts the drum as the drum rotates about the axis.

12. The induction dryer appliance of claim 10 , wherein each support assembly of the pair of support assemblies further comprises a pair of springs coupled to the respective plate of the pair of support assemblies, each pair of springs urging the respective plate of the pair of support assemblies towards the drum such that each bearing contacts the drum as the drum rotates about the axis, the springs of each pair of springs spaced apart along an axial direction that is parallel to the axis.

13. The induction dryer appliance of claim 10 , wherein each bearing contacts the drum to maintain a constant gap between the pair of induction heating elements and the drum along the radial direction as the drum rotates about the axis.

14. The induction dryer appliance of claim 10 , wherein each support assembly of the pair of support assemblies comprises a pair of bearings, the bearings of each of the pair of bearings spaced along an axial direction that is parallel to the axis.

15. The induction dryer appliance of claim 10 , wherein each bearing is a roller bearing.

16. The induction dryer appliance of claim 10 , wherein the drum comprises a ferromagnetic material, and the pair of induction heating elements are operable to heat the drum by inducing eddy currents in the ferromagnetic material.

17. The induction dryer appliance of claim 10 , wherein the pair of induction heating elements are positioned below the drum.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Lim Tae-Hoon
• Kim Geon Ho

Classifications

• D06F58/10

  Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means · CPC title

• D06F58/04

  Details  (controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00) · CPC title

• D06F58/26 Primary

  Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment (D06F58/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F58/06

  Mountings for the rotating drums · CPC title

• D06F2105/28

  Electric heating · CPC title