US20200087844A1

US20200087844A1 - Automated Clothes Dryer Assembly

Info

Publication number: US20200087844A1
Application number: US16/134,743
Authority: US
Inventors: Sherrilynn Griffin-Nelson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-09-18
Filing date: 2018-09-18
Publication date: 2020-03-19

Abstract

A automated clothes dryer assembly for simultaneously drying multiple categories of clothing includes a housing and a plurality of drawer units that is each of the drawer units is slidably positioned in the housing. Each of the drawer units can receive a respective category of clothing. A control circuit is coupled to the housing and the control circuit storing data pertaining to a plurality of drying sequences. A blower unit is coupled to the housing and the blower unit is electrically coupled to the control circuit. Additionally, the blower unit is selectively placed in fluid communication with each of the each of the drawer units for during the category of clothing in each of the drawer units.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to dryer devices and more particularly pertains to a new dryer device for simultaneously drying multiple categories of clothing.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing and a plurality of drawer units that is each of the drawer units is slidably positioned in the housing. Each of the drawer units can receive a respective category of clothing. A control circuit is coupled to the housing and the control circuit storing data pertaining to a plurality of drying sequences. A blower unit is coupled to the housing and the blower unit is electrically coupled to the control circuit. Additionally, the blower unit is selectively placed in fluid communication with each of the each of the drawer units for during the category of clothing in each of the drawer units.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a automated clothes dryer assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a blower unit of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a drawer unit of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a screen of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of display of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new dryer device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the automated clothes dryer assembly 10 generally comprises a housing 12 that has a front wall 14, and the front wall 14 has a plurality of drawer openings 16 each extending into an interior of the housing 12. The drawer openings 16 are spaced apart from each other and are vertically distributed on the front wall 14. Additionally, the housing 12 has an air intake 18 and an air exhaust 20. A control circuit 22 is coupled to the housing 12 and the control circuit 22 stores data pertaining to a plurality of drying sequences. The drying sequences may include dryer settings for pants, shirts, sweaters, underwear and other clothing.
A plurality of drawer units 24 is each slidably positioned in the housing 12 and each of the drawer units 24 receives a respective category of clothing. The categories of clothing may include pants, shirts, sweaters, underwear and other clothing. Moreover, each of the categories of clothing corresponds to a respective one of the dryer sequences in the control circuit 22. Each of the drawer units 24 is positioned in a respective one of the drawer openings 16.
Each of the drawer units 24 comprises a box 26 that has a front side 28, a back side 30 and an outer wall 32 extending therebetween. The front side 28 is open and the outer wall 32 has a first lateral side 34 and a second lateral side 36. The first lateral side 34 has a first air opening 38 extending into an interior of the box 26 and the second lateral side 36 has a second air opening 40 extending into an interior of the box 26. Moreover, the box 26 is slidably positioned in the respective drawer 42 opening having the front side 28 of the box 26 being aligned with the front wall 14 of the housing 12.
Each of the drawer units 24 includes a drawer 42 that has a front wall 44, a first sidelong wall 46, a second sidelong wall 48 and a bottom wall 50. Each of the first 46 and second 48 sidelong walls slidably engages a respective one of the first 34 and second 36 lateral sides of the outer wall 32 of the box 26. The drawer 42 in each of the drawer units 24 is assigned to respective one of the categories of clothing, and the respective category of clothing is positionable in the drawer 42 for drying. The first sidelong wall 46 has a first air aperture 52 extending therethrough; the first air aperture 52 is aligned with and is in fluid communication with the first air opening 38 when the drawer 42 is in a closed position in the box 26. The second sidelong wall 48 has a second air aperture 54 extending therethrough; the second air aperture 54 is aligned with and is in fluid communication with the second air opening 40 when the drawer 42 is in the closed position in the box 26.
The bottom wall 50 of the drawer 42 has a circulation aperture 56 extending therethrough. A screen 58 is coupled to the bottom wall 50 of the box 26 and category of clothing is positioned on the screen 58 when the respective category of clothing is positioned in the drawer 42. The screen 58 is aligned with the circulation aperture 56 to facilitate air to circulate around the respective category of clothing. The screen 58 may be concavely arcuate such that the screen 58 has a bowl shape. A scale 60 is coupled to the bottom wall 50 of the drawer 42 to detect the weight of the category of clothing positioned in the drawer 42. The scale 60 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 22 thereby facilitating the control circuit 22 to customize a dryer sequence with respect to the duration of time that the weight of respective category of clothing will likely require to be fully dried. The scale 60 may be an electronic weight sensor or the like.
A blower unit 62 is provided and the blower unit 62 is coupled to the housing 12. The blower unit 62 is in fluid communication with each of the air intake 18 and the air exhaust 20 for urging air inwardly through the air intake 18 and outwardly through the air exhaust 20. Each of the drawer units 24 is in fluid communication with the blower unit 62 to dry the category of clothing in each of the drawer units 24.
The blower unit 62 comprises a plurality of first conduits 64 that is each positioned within the housing 12. Each of the first conduits 64 is in fluid communication with the air intake 18 and each of the first conduits 64 has a terminal end 66. The terminal end 66 of each of the first conduits 64 is in fluid communication with the first air opening 38 in the box 26 of a respective one of the drawer units 24. A plurality of second conduits 68 is each positioned within the housing 12. Each of the second conduits 68 is in fluid communication with the air exhaust 20 and each of the second conduits 68 has an initial end 70. The initial end 70 of each of the first conduits 64 is in fluid communication with the second air opening 40 in the box 26 of a respective one of the drawer units 24.
A blower 72 is positioned within the housing 12 and the blower 72 is in fluid communication with each of the first conduits 64. The blower 72 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 22 and the blower 72 is aligned with the air exhaust 20. The blower 72 urges air outwardly through the air exhaust 20 when the blower 72 is turned on thereby urging air inwardly through the air intake 18. In this way each of the first 52 and second 54 air apertures in the drawer 42 of each of the drawer units 24 passes air through the drawer 42 of each of the drawer units 24 for drying the category of clothes in the drawer 42 of each of the drawer units 24. The blower 72 may be an electric fan that includes a motor and a plurality of blades or any other type of electro-mechanical blower.
A plurality of dampers 74 is provided and each of the dampers 74 is coupled to the terminal end 66 of a respective one of the first conduits 64. The terminal end 66 of each of the first conduits 64 has a respective one of the drawers 42 being associated therewith and each of the dampers 74 are electrically coupled to the control circuit 22. Each of the dampers 74 is actuated into a closed position to restrict air from passing through the terminal end 66 of the respective first conduit 64. Alternatively, each of the dampers 74 is actuated into an open position to allow air to pass through the terminal end 66 of the respective first conduit 64. Each of the dampers 74 is actuated in accordance to a respective one of the drying sequences stored in the control circuit 22. In this way each of the dampers 74 can expose the category of clothing in the associated drawer 42 to a pre-determined duration of air flow. Each of the dampers 74 may comprise an electro-mechanical air damper or other device capable of metering airflow through the conduit.
A timer 76 is coupled to the housing 12 and the timer 76 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 22. The timer 76 is manually adjustable for overriding a drying time in each of the drying sequences. A plurality of control buttons 78 is each coupled to the housing 12. Each of the control buttons 78 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 22 and each of the control buttons 78 is assigned to a respective one of the dampers 74. The control circuit 22 actuates the respective damper 74 into the open position when the control button 78 assigned to the respective damper 74 is manipulated. In this way the category of clothing contained in the drawer 42 associated with the respective damper 74 can be dried. Additionally, the control circuit 22 turns the blower 72 on when any of the control buttons 78 is manipulated.
A display 80 is coupled to the front wall of the housing and the display 80 is electrically coupled to the control circuit. The display 80 display 80 s indicia 82 comprising numbers and letters for communicating the weight of the category of clothing in each of the drawer units, a time remaining for each of the drawer units, a status of each of the dampers and other operational parameters of the drawer units and the blower unit. The display 80 may be an LCD or the like.
A heater 84 is coupled to the housing and the heater 84 is in fluid communication with the air intake. The heater 84 is in thermal communication with the air intake to heat air passing through the air intake for drying the categories of clothing in the drawers. The heater 84 is electrically coupled to the control circuit and the heater 84 is turned on when the blower is turned on. A power cord 86 is coupled to and extends outwardly from the housing and the power cord 86 is electrically coupled to the control circuit. The power cord 86 has a distal end 88 with respect to the housing, a plug 90 is electrically coupled to the distal end 88 and the plug 90 is electrically coupled to a power source 92 such as a female electrical outlet or the like.
In use, each of the categories of clothing is positioned in the respective drawer 42 when the categories of clothing need to be dried. The control buttons 78 are manipulated to select which of the drawers 42 will be used for drying. The control circuit 22 calculates the amount of drying time for each of the respective categories of clothing based upon the weight of clothing detected in each drawer 42. Thus, the damper 74 associated with each drawer 42 that has been selected is actuated into the open position for the duration of time sufficient to dry the clothing in each drawer 42. In this way multiple categories of clothing can be simultaneously dried that each requires differing drying times. Additionally, the timer 76 can be manipulated to add additional time to any other the drying sequences in the control circuit 22.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

I claim:

1. An automated clothes dryer assembly being configured to simultaneously dry a plurality of different types of clothing each having a customized drying sequence, said assembly comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of drawer units, each of said drawer units being slidably positioned in said housing wherein each of said drawer units is configured to receive a respective category of clothing;

a control circuit being coupled to said housing, said control circuit storing data pertaining to a plurality of drying sequences; and

a blower unit being coupled to said housing, said blower unit being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said blower unit being selectively placed in fluid communication with each of said drawer units wherein said blower unit is configured to dry the category of clothing in each of said drawer units.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

said housing has a front wall, said front wall having a plurality of drawer openings each extending into an interior of said housing;

said drawer openings are spaced apart from each other and being vertically distributed on said front wall, said housing having an air intake and an air exhaust; and

each of said drawer units comprises a box having a front side, a back side and an outer wall extending therebetween, said front side being open, said outer wall having a first lateral side and a second lateral side, said first lateral side having a first air opening extending into an interior of said box, said second lateral side having a second air opening extending into an interior of said box, said box being slidably positioned in said respective drawer opening having said front side being aligned with said front wall of said housing.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein:

each of said drawer units includes a drawer having a front wall, a first sidelong wall, a second sidelong wall and a bottom wall, each of said first and second sidelong walls slidably engaging a respective one of said first and second lateral sides of said outer wall of said box;

said first sidelong wall having a first air aperture extending therethrough, said first air aperture being aligned with and being in fluid communication with said first air opening when said drawer is in a closed position in said box; and

said second sidelong wall having a second air aperture extending therethrough, said second air aperture being aligned with and being in fluid communication with said second air opening when said drawer is in said closed position in said box.

4. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein:

said bottom wall has a circulation aperture extending therethrough, said drawer in each of said drawer units being assigned to respective one of the categories of clothing; and

a screen being coupled to said bottom wall of said box wherein said screen is configured to have the category of clothing being positioned thereon, said screen being aligned with said circulation aperture wherein said screen is configured to facilitate air to circulate around the category of clothing.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a scale being coupled to said bottom wall of said of said drawer wherein said scale is configured to detect the weight of the category of clothing positioned in said drawer, said scale being electrically coupled to said control circuit.

6. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein said blower unit comprises a plurality of first conduits, each of said first conduits being positioned within said housing, each of said first conduits being in fluid communication with said air intake, each of said first conduits having a terminal end, said terminal end of each of said first conduits being in fluid communication with said first air opening in said box of a respective one of said drawer units.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein said blower unit comprises a plurality of second conduits, each of said second conduits being positioned within said housing, each of said second conduits being in fluid communication with said air exhaust, each of said second conduits having a initial end, said initial end of each of said first conduits being in fluid communication with said second air opening in said box of a respective one of said drawer units.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a blower being positioned within said housing, said blower being in fluid communication with each of said conduits, said blower being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said blower being aligned with said air exhaust, said blower urging air outwardly through said air exhaust when said blower is turned on thereby urging air inwardly through said air intake wherein each of said first and second air apertures in said drawer of each of said drawer units is configured to pass air through said drawer of each of said drawer units for drying the category of clothes in said drawer of each of said drawer units.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of dampers, each of said dampers being coupled to a said terminal end of a respective one of said first conduits, said terminal end of each of said first conduits having a respective one of said drawers being associated therewith, each of said dampers being electrically coupled to said control circuit;

each of said dampers being actuated into a closed position wherein each of said dampers is configured to restrict air from passing through said terminal end of said respective first conduit; and

each of said dampers being actuated into an open position wherein each of said dampers is configured to allow air to pass through said terminal end of said respective first conduit, each of said dampers being actuated in accordance to a respective one of said drying sequences stored in said control circuit wherein each of said dampers is configured to expose the category of clothing in said associated drawer to a pre-determined duration of air flow.

10. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a timer being coupled to said housing, said timer being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said timer being manually adjustable for overriding a drying time in each of said drying sequences.

11. The assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a plurality of control buttons, each of said control buttons being coupled to said housing, each of said control buttons being electrically coupled to said control circuit, each of said control buttons being assigned to a respective one of said dampers, said control circuit actuating said respective damper into said open position when said control button assigned to said respective damper is manipulated for drying the category of clothing contained in said drawer associated with said respective damper, said control circuit turning said blower on when any of said control buttons is manipulated.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a display being coupled to said front wall of said housing, said display being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said display displaying indicia comprising numbers and letters communicating the weight of the category of clothing in each of said drawer units, a time remaining for each of said drawer units, a status of each of said dampers and other operational parameters of said drawer units and said blower unit.

13. The assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a heater being coupled to said housing, said heater being in fluid communication with said air intake, said heater being in thermal communication with said air intake wherein said heater is configured to heat air passing through said air intake for drying the categories of clothing in said drawers, said heater being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said heater being turned on when said blower is turned on.

14. An automated clothes dryer assembly being configured to simultaneously dry a plurality of different types of clothing each having a customized drying sequence, said assembly comprising:

a housing having a front wall, said front wall having a plurality of drawer openings each extending into an interior of said housing, said drawer openings being spaced apart from each other and being vertically distributed on said front wall, said housing having an air intake and an air exhaust;

a control circuit being coupled to said housing, said control circuit storing data pertaining to a plurality of drying sequences;

a plurality of drawer units, each of said drawer units being slidably positioned in said housing wherein each of said drawer units is configured to receive a respective category of clothing, each of said drawer units being positioned in a respective one of said drawer openings, each of said drawer units comprising:

a box having a front side, a back side and an outer wall extending therebetween, said front side being open, said outer wall having a first lateral side and a second lateral side, said first lateral side having a first air opening extending into an interior of said box, said second lateral side having a second air opening extending into an interior of said box, said box being slidably positioned in said respective drawer opening having said front side being aligned with said front wall of said housing;

a drawer having a front wall, a first sidelong wall, a second sidelong wall and a bottom wall, each of said first and second sidelong walls slidably engaging a respective one of said first and second lateral sides of said outer wall of said box, said first sidelong wall having a first air aperture extending therethrough, said first air aperture being aligned with and being in fluid communication with said first air opening when said drawer is in a closed position in said box, said second sidelong wall having a second air aperture extending therethrough, said second air aperture being aligned with and being in fluid communication with said second air opening when said drawer is in said closed position in said box, said bottom wall having a circulation aperture extending therethrough, said drawer in each of said drawer units being assigned to respective one of the categories of clothing;

a screen being coupled to said bottom wall of said box wherein said screen is configured to have the category of clothing being positioned thereon, said screen being aligned with said circulation aperture wherein said screen is configured to facilitate air to circulate around the category of clothing; and

a scale being coupled to said bottom wall of said of said drawer wherein said scale is configured to detect the weight of the category of clothing positioned in said drawer, said scale being electrically coupled to said control circuit;

a blower unit being coupled to said housing, said blower unit being in fluid communication with each of said air intake and said air exhaust wherein said blower unit is configured to urge air inwardly through said air intake and outwardly through said air exhaust, said each of said drawer units being in fluid communication with said blower unit wherein said blower unit is configured to dry the category of clothing in each of said drawer units, said blower unit comprising:

a plurality of first conduits, each of said first conduits being positioned within said housing, each of said first conduits being in fluid communication with said air intake, each of said first conduits having a terminal end, said terminal end of each of said first conduits being in fluid communication with said first air opening in said box of a respective one of said drawer units;

a plurality of second conduits, each of said second conduits being positioned within said housing, each of said second conduits being in fluid communication with said air exhaust, each of said second conduits having a initial end, said initial end of each of said first conduits being in fluid communication with said second air opening in said box of a respective one of said drawer units; and

a blower being positioned within said housing, said blower being in fluid communication with each of said conduits, said blower being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said blower being aligned with said air exhaust, said blower urging air outwardly through said air exhaust when said blower is turned on thereby urging air inwardly through said air intake wherein each of said first and second air apertures in said drawer of each of said drawer units is configured to pass air through said drawer of each of said drawer units for drying the category of clothes in said drawer of each of said drawer units; and

a plurality of dampers, each of said dampers being coupled to a said terminal end of a respective one of said first conduits, said terminal end of each of said first conduits having a respective one of said drawers being associated therewith, each of said dampers being electrically coupled to said control circuit, each of said dampers being actuated into a closed position wherein each of said dampers is configured to restrict air from passing through said terminal end of said respective first conduit, each of said dampers being actuated into an open position wherein each of said dampers is configured to allow air to pass through said terminal end of said respective first conduit, each of said dampers being actuated in accordance to a respective one of said drying sequences stored in said control circuit wherein each of said dampers is configured to expose the category of clothing in said associated drawer to a pre-determined duration of air flow;

a timer being coupled to said housing, said timer being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said timer being manually adjustable for overriding a drying time in each of said drying sequences;

a plurality of control buttons, each of said control buttons being coupled to said housing, each of said control buttons being electrically coupled to said control circuit, each of said control buttons being assigned to a respective one of said dampers, said control circuit actuating said respective damper into said open position when said control button assigned to said respective damper is manipulated for drying the category of clothing contained in said drawer associated with said respective damper, said control circuit turning said blower on when any of said control buttons is manipulated;

a display being coupled to said front wall of said housing, said display being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said display displaying indicia comprising numbers and letters communicating the weight of the category of clothing in each of said drawer units, a time remaining for each of said drawer units, a status of each of said dampers and other operational parameters of said drawer units and said blower unit;

a heater being coupled to said housing, said heater being in fluid communication with said air intake, said heater being in thermal communication with said air intake wherein said heater is configured to heat air passing through said air intake for drying the categories of clothing in said drawers, said heater being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said heater being turned on when said blower is turned on; and

a power cord being coupled to and extending outwardly from said housing, said power cord being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said power cord having a distal end with respect to said housing, said distal end having a plug being electrically coupled thereto, said plug being electrically coupled to a power source.