Dryer with external vent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12247346-B2
Application number	US-202117557152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2021
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

A dryer includes a drum configured to accommodate an article; a blower configured to propel air to form an air circulation path into the drum, wherein the blower is upstream along the air circulation path from the drum; a condenser downstream from the drum along the air circulation path and configured to extract moisture from the air of the air circulation path; and a venting inlet located between the condenser and the blower along the air circulation path and configured to provide a first air pathway between the drum and an external atmosphere.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dryer comprising:
a drum configured to accommodate an article;
a blower configured to propel air to form an air circulation path into the drum, wherein the blower is upstream along the air circulation path from the drum;
a condenser downstream from the drum along the air circulation path and configured to extract moisture from the air of the air circulation path; and
a venting inlet located between the condenser and the blower along the air circulation path and configured to provide a first air pathway between the drum and an external atmosphere;
a housing member configured to accommodate the drum;
a venting outlet attached to the housing member configured to provide a second air pathway between the drum and the external atmosphere; and
an outlet door connected to the venting outlet and configured to open when the dryer is not in operation, and close when the dryer is in operation.

2. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the dryer is configured to control the outlet door based on an air pressure difference between the drum and the external atmosphere, such that responsive to the air pressure difference being greater than a threshold, the dryer is configured to close the outlet door.

3. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the outlet door is directly coupled to the venting outlet.

4. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the outlet door is connected to the venting outlet via an adaptor configured to change the direction of the venting outlet.

5. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the venting outlet is perpendicular to the venting inlet.

6. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the venting outlet is connected to a hot valve of the dryer.

7. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the venting inlet is configured to directly provide the first air pathway between the drum and the external atmosphere without a door.

8. The dryer of claim 1 , further includes an adapter connected to the venting inlet.

9. A dryer, comprising:
a drum configured to accommodate clothes;
a housing configured to accommodate the drum;
a blower configured to propel air to form an air circulation path into the drum, wherein the blower is upstream along the air circulation path from the drum;
a condenser downstream from the drum along the air circulation path and configured to extract moisture from the air circulation path;
a first venting port located attached to the housing configured to provide a first air pathway between the drum and an external atmosphere; and
a first venting door connected to the first venting port configured to open when the blower is not in operation, and close when the blower is in operation.

10. The dryer of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second venting port located attached to the housing configured to provide a second air pathway between the drum and an external atmosphere; and
a second venting door connected to the second venting port configured to open when the blower is not in operation, and close when the blower is in operation.

11. The dryer of claim 10 , wherein the first venting port is perpendicular to the second venting port.

12. The dryer of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first venting door or the second venting door is controlled based on air pressure difference between the drum and the external atmosphere, responsive to the air pressure difference being greater than a threshold, at least one of the first venting door or the second venting door closes.

13. The dryer of claim 11 , wherein the second venting port is connected to a hot valve.

14. The dryer of claim 9 , further comprising:
an adaptor connected to the first venting port, the adaptor includes,
a first rigid portion connected to the first venting port,
a flexible portion connected to the first rigid portion, and
a second rigid portion connected to the flexible portion.

15. A dryer apparatus comprising:
a drum configured to accommodate clothes items;
a blower configured to propel air to form an air circulation path into the drum, wherein the blower is upstream to the drum;
a heat exchanger downstream to the drum on the air circulation path and configured to extract moisture from the air circulation path, wherein the air circulation path defines a high-pressure side where the air pressure is higher than the air pressure of an external atmosphere and a low-pressure side where the air pressure is lower than the air pressure of the external atmosphere when the blower is in operation; and
a venting inlet located at the low-pressure side of the air circulation path and configured to provide a first air pathway between the drum and an external atmosphere atmosphere;
a venting outlet at the high-pressure side of the circulation path and configured to provide a second air pathway between the drum and the external atmosphere; and
an outlet door connected to the venting outlet and configured to open when the dryer is not in operation, and close when the dryer is in operation.

16. The dryer apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the venting inlet is perpendicular to the venting outlet.

17. The dryer apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the outlet door is controlled based on air pressure difference between the high-pressure side of the air circulation path and the external atmosphere, responsive to the air pressure difference being greater than a threshold, the outlet door closes.

18. The dryer of claim 15 , wherein the venting inlet is located on the air circulation path upstream to the blower and downstream to the heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Merrow Eric W
• Rios Marcos Javier
• Rogers Brian K
• Tuckowski Dennis J
• Vaive Nicholas B

Classifications

• D06F58/04

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

• D06F58/10

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

• D06F25/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title

• D06F58/24 Primary

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/02 Primary

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title