Laundry dryer with accessible recirculation air filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574298-B2
Application number	US-201313912580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A laundry dryer is provided with an air recirculation channel which recirculates air from an air exhaust channel to an air supply channel. The air recirculation channel comprises a recirculation air filter which removes debris from the recirculated air before it is redirected to the air supply channel. The recirculation air filter is removably accessible behind an access door at a peripheral region of an access passage to the drying chamber such that it may be easily serviced by a user of the laundry dryer. In some embodiments, the air recirculation channel may comprise a nozzle with an outlet which is concentrically arranged at an inlet of the air supply channel. In these embodiments, the nozzle may direct the recirculated air to the air supply channel such that it is enveloped by fresh air entering from within a cabinet of the laundry dryer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vented laundry dryer comprising:
a cabinet;
a drying chamber provided within the cabinet;
an air supply channel configured to supply air to the drying chamber;
a heater configured to heat the air supplied to the drying chamber;
a process air fan configured to move the air through the drying chamber;
an air exhaust channel configured to exhaust a first portion of the air from the drying chamber;
an air recirculation channel configured to direct a second portion of the air from the drying chamber to the air supply channel;
a recirculation air filter provided in the air recirculation channel and configured to filter the air in the air recirculation channel, wherein the recirculation air filter is removable and replaceable at a peripheral region of an access passage to the drying chamber; and
a first stage air filter provided upstream of the process air fan, wherein the first stage air filter is removable and replaceable at the peripheral region of the access passage to the drying chamber.

2. The vented laundry dryer of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral region of the access passage is located behind an access door covering the access passage.

3. The vented laundry dryer of claim 1 , wherein the air recirculation channel and the recirculation air filter are provided downstream of the process air fan.

4. The vented laundry dryer of claim 1 , wherein a location of the recirculation air filter at the peripheral region of the access passage to the drying chamber is higher than a location of the first stage air filter at the peripheral region of the access passage to the drying chamber with respect to a floor of the vented laundry dryer.

5. The vented laundry dryer of claim 1 , wherein the recirculation air filter is insertable into a housing forming part of the air recirculation channel such that, in an inserted position, the housing provides airflow spacing on a plurality of sides of the recirculation air filter.

6. The vented laundry dryer of claim 5 , wherein the recirculation air filter is insertable into the housing in a generally vertical orientation.

7. The vented laundry dryer of claim 1 , wherein the recirculation air filter comprises a framework supporting mesh-filter material.

8. The vented laundry dryer of claim 7 , wherein the recirculation air filter is in a form of a hollow shell further comprising an open end provided at a bottom of the hollow shell, and a closed end provided at a top of the hollow shell, wherein the framework supporting the mesh-filter material extends from the open end to the closed end, and wherein the air recirculation channel is further configured to direct the second portion of the air through the recirculation air filter such that the second portion of the air enters the recirculation air filter through the open end and exits the recirculation air filter through the mesh-filter material.

9. The vented laundry dryer of claim 8 , wherein the recirculation air filter has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape.

10. The vented laundry dryer of claim 8 , wherein the recirculation air filter further comprises a handle provided at the closed end, and wherein the recirculation air filter is further configured to be removable and replaceable at the peripheral region of the access passage to the drying chamber via the handle.

11. The vented laundry dryer of claim 10 , wherein the handle has an arcuate contour generally following an arcuate contour of the peripheral region of the access passage to the drying chamber.

12. The vented laundry dryer of claim 11 , wherein the peripheral region of the access passage to the drying chamber is generally cylindrical having a first radius of curvature, and wherein the handle is generally arcuate having the first radius of curvature.

13. The vented laundry dryer of claim 1 , wherein the air supply channel comprises an inlet at an entrance to the air supply channel in open communication with air provided in the cabinet, wherein the air recirculation channel comprises an outlet at an exit of the air recirculation channel concentrically arranged within the inlet, and wherein air within the cabinet enters the air supply channel at an opening between a circumference of the inlet and a circumference of the air recirculation channel at the inlet.

14. The vented laundry dryer of claim 1 , wherein a gap is formed between an outlet of the air recirculation channel and an inlet of the air supply channel through which fresh air from the cabinet may enter the air supply channel together with recirculation air flow.

15. A vented laundry dryer comprising:
a cabinet;
a drying chamber provided within the cabinet;
an air supply channel configured to supply air to the drying chamber;
a heater configured to heat the air supplied to the drying chamber;
a process air fan configured to move the air through the drying chamber;
an air exhaust channel configured to exhaust a first portion of the air from the drying chamber;
an air recirculation channel configured to direct a second portion of the air from the drying chamber to the air supply channel; and
a recirculation air filter provided in the air recirculation channel and configured to filter the air in the air recirculation channel, wherein the recirculation air filter is removable and replaceable at a peripheral region of an access passage to the drying chamber;
wherein the recirculation air filter is insertable into a housing forming part of the air recirculation channel such that, in an inserted position, the housing provides airflow spacing on a plurality of sides of the recirculation air filter.

16. The vented laundry dryer of claim 15 , wherein the recirculation air filter is insertable into the housing in a generally vertical orientation.

17. A vented laundry dryer comprising:
a cabinet;
a drying chamber provided within the cabinet;
an air supply channel configured to supply air to the drying chamber;
a heater configured to heat the air supplied to the drying chamber;
a process air fan configured to move the air through the drying chamber;
an air exhaust channel configured to exhaust a first portion of the air from the drying chamber;
an air recirculation channel configured to direct a second portion of the air from the drying chamber to the air supply channel; and
a recirculation air filter provided in the air recirculation channel and configured to filter the air in the air recirculation channel, wherein the recirculation air filter is removable and replaceable at a peripheral region of an access passage to the drying chamber;
wherein the recirculation air filter comprises a framework supporting mesh-filter material and the recirculated air filter is in a form of a hollow shell further comprising an open end provided at a bottom of the hollow shell, and a closed end provided at a top of the hollow shell, wherein the framework supporting the mesh-filter material extends from the open end to the closed end, and wherein the air recirculation channel is further configured to direct the second portion of the air through the recirculation air filter such that the second portion of the air enters the recirculation air filter through the open end and exits the recirculation air filter through the mesh-filter material.

18. The vented laundry dryer of claim 17 , wherein the recirculation air filter has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape.

19. The vented laundry dryer of claim 17 , wherein the recirculation air filter further comprises a handle provided at the closed end, and wherein the

Assignees

• Electrolux Appliances AB

Inventors

• Sartor Luciano
• Baruffaldi Nicola
• Noviello Flavio

Classifications

• D06F58/02

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F58/22 Primary

  Lint collecting arrangements · CPC title