And Gas Or Vapor Flow Regulating Means Patents (Class 34/606)
  • Patent number: 6519871
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating an automatic cycle of a clothes dryer wherein after initiation of an automatic cycle, a CPU displays the expected time remaining during the current cycle. At various times during the cycle, the expected time remaining is updated by comparing the time required to reach certain moisture levels of the articles contained therein to reference times. The comparison also results in the expected times being updated for future uses of the clothes dryer. Finally, the invention includes a system for updating the amount of time required to reach a desired final temperature during a cooldown sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas W. Gardner, Michael D. Lafrenz, Kim L. Wright
  • Patent number: 6493963
    Abstract: A method of programming and controlling an automatic cycle of a clothes dryer provides that, after positioning of a selection dial, a motor associated with the selection dial is rapidly moved to a predetermined location at a constant speed, while the time to do so is measured. With the rotational velocity being known, the exact, initially setting position of the dial is determined in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: Brent A. England
  • Publication number: 20020174564
    Abstract: A method of programming and controlling an automatic cycle of a clothes dryer provides that, after positioning of a selection dial, a motor associated with the selection dial is rapidly moved to a predetermined location at a constant speed, while the time to do so is measured. With the rotational velocity being known, the exact, initially setting position of the dial is determined in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Applicant: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: Brent A. England
  • Patent number: 6370794
    Abstract: An elbow for use in a dryer duct assembly comprising at least one component for connecting a dryer vent outlet and an exhaust vent. The component has an inlet and outlet. The dryer vent outlet and one of the component inlet and outlet have a standardized diameter. The elbow comprises a body defining an interior flow passage for permitting the passing of dryer exhaust air through the body. A first end of the body terminates in a first edge to define an inlet opening to the interior flow passage. A second end of the body terminates in a second edge to define an outlet opening to the interior flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Builder's Best, Inc.
    Inventor: W. Gregory Tuggle
  • Patent number: 6334267
    Abstract: An apparatus for confirming the initial conditions of a clothes dryer prior to the start of the drying cycle is provided. The clothes dryer comprises a drying chamber with air inlet and outlet ports. A blower powered by a first motor is arranged in the outlet port to draw air into the drying chamber through the inlet port. A burner for heating the air before it enters the drying chamber is arranged in the inlet port. Also arranged at the inlet port is a air proving device for measuring the air flow through the drying chamber. A second motor is provided for the drive system which creates the tumbling action in the drying chamber. The air flow proving device must be enabled before the second motor is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: American Dryer Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis Slutsky
  • Patent number: 6209225
    Abstract: A rotary dryer for copper concentrate including a tube-shaped heat distributor fixed to the structural drum, with tubular holes in the annular cross section where hot nitrogen is forced to flow. The concentrate is heated up by means of a numerous set of heat transfer bars, which are fixed in the internal periphery of the heat distributor and point into the radial direction. As a consequence of the rotation of the drum, the heat transfer bars also promote the mixing and the transport of the concentrate in the downstream direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Inventors: Danilo Villarroel, Peter D. Morley
  • Patent number: 6088932
    Abstract: A clothes dryer has a plurality of high energy lamps. The high energy lamps are mounted so as to emit high energy radiation toward a drying chamber. A blower is arranged to move air to the plurality of high energy lamps so as cool the high energy lamps. The air that cools the high energy lamps is delivered to the drying chamber. The plurality of high energy lamps is operated to emit ultraviolet energy for sanitizing the articles in the drying chamber and to emit infrared energy for drying the articles in the drying chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Amana Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Adamski, Edward R. Cook, Shou-Heng Huang, Arlynn Sanders
  • Patent number: 6082022
    Abstract: A clothes dryer having a rear end head with axially spaced apart apertures through which air may enter into the dryer drum through a diffuser wall mounted to the inside of the drum end head. The apertures in the end head have an air flow deflection shield integrally formed therewith. The air flow deflection shield extends radially across the apertures in the end head, is recessed from the rear end head and is spaced from the diffuser wall. Advantage is found with the use of such an air flow deflection shield because it permits for the apertures in the rear head to be of sufficient size to permit satisfactory air flow into the dryer drum while deflecting the air away from potential warm spots generated through and on the surface of the diffuser wall that would otherwise be in direct immediate air flow impingement with the apertures in the end head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Camco Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Maurice St. Louis
  • Patent number: 6067730
    Abstract: A textile drying system is presented which draws in a quantity of air from an external space substantially equal to a quantity of air exhausted to the external space. The textile drying system includes one or more textile drying appliances (i.e., dryers) and a single air handling unit. Each dryer has an air input port and an air output port. During use, the single air handling unit provides a first quantity of air from a space outside a room in which the one or more dryers are located to the air input port of each dryer. A second quantity of air is exhausted through the air output port of each dryer to the space outside the room, wherein the second quantity of air is substantially equal to the first quantity of air. As a result, the textile drying system does not draw air from, or provide air to, the room in which the textile drying system is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Woods
  • Patent number: 6065226
    Abstract: An exhaust particle and particulate containment system for a coffee roaster comprises a filter chamber for exhaust coffee roasting by-products including chaff and smoke particulates and oils is comprised of a screen for separating chaff from the exhaust coffee roasting by-product effluent and a filter for containing chaff and removing smoke particulates and oils when the screen is in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Inventor: Harold A Gell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5970623
    Abstract: A dryer duct assembly for connecting directing the exhaust air flow from a clothes dryer to an exhaust area, such as the exterior of a building. The dryer duct assembly comprises a rigid duct connected at one end to the rear of the dryer by an elbow connector and connected at another end to a flexible duct by a swivel sleeve connector. The rigid duct is of sufficient length such that its upper end is easily accessible to a worker standing at the front of the dryer, permitting the connection of the flexible duct to the rigid duct from the front of the dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Inventor: W. Gregory Tuggle
  • Patent number: 5943790
    Abstract: An exhaust particle and particulate containment system for a coffee roaster includes an exhaust duct for carrying exhaust coffee roasting by-products including air, gasses, smoke and chaff from the coffee roaster to a porous medium for separating chaff from the exhaust coffee roasting by-product flow and a filter for removing smoke particles from the exhaust coffee roasting by-product flow which passes through the porous medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Inventor: Harold A Gell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5925192
    Abstract: Substantial amounts of particulate soils in garments can be removed by agitation in gas-jet in a solvent-free, low-pressure environment. The ability of the present gas-jet agitation system to remove particulate soils from garments and fabrics rivals that of conventional dry-cleaning processes which agitate the garments and fabrics while immersed in solvent. Thus, a dry-cleaning operation may consist of a solvent-immersion step for removing soluble soils and a gas-jet agitation step to remove particulates. Considerable savings in equipment and operating costs may be realized in the practice of the invention, since solvent flow rates need not be boosted to provide necessary agitation for particulate soil removal. The savings achievable by employing gas-jet agitation are even more pronounced in dense phase gas dry cleaning systems, which require pressurized environments to maintain a liquified solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Inventors: Edna M. Purer, Angela Y. Wilkerson, Carl W. Townsend, Sidney C. Chao
  • Patent number: 5860224
    Abstract: A test instrument inserted into a filter access port of a clothes dryer blocks air flow through the port and has a sensor which senses a pressure difference between its front and back faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Inventor: Eric K. Larson
  • Patent number: 5836088
    Abstract: A device controlling electrical circuitry of a clothes drier has a base which snaps into a panel of the drier and supports electrical control elements mounted in a cavity and an operating lid which covers the cavity and effects operating changes in these elements with rearward protruding elements as it is moved along a linear path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Inventors: Charles A. Barney, James M. Carroll, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5711091
    Abstract: A new Soffit Mounted Dryer Vent for offering a non-maintenance exhaust vent system for a clothes dryer vent that terminates in a soffit of a roof overhang. The inventive device includes a flange, a dryer hose adapter ring, an outlet fitting, and a vent flapper. The flange has an air passage, an upper surface, and a lower surface. The air passage allows exhaust air to pass through the flange from the dryer hose adapter ring to the outlet fitting. The dryer hose adapter ring is symmetrically mated to the upper surface of the flange. The dryer hose adapter ring has an outer wall diameter of substantially the same dimensions as the clothes dryer vent hose thereby allowing the clothes dry vent hose to matingly slip over the dryer hose adapter ring. The outlet fitting, having an outlet opening, is adjoiningly mated to the lower surface of the flange. The vent flapper is pivotally attached to the outlet fitting at the outlet opening.In use, the clothes dryer vent hose is slipped over the dryer hose adapter ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Inventor: Jim Bos
  • Patent number: 5651192
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dryer device and a drying control system utilizing an infrared sensor that measures the temperature of garments or items being dried in a drying device. The invention provides significant improvement over conventional techniques using temperature sensors, or such sensors in combination with moisture or humidity sensors. Also disclosed are methods for controlling drying temperatures and methods for determining drying cycle completion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: White Consolidated Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven A. Horwitz
  • Patent number: 5584129
    Abstract: A quick connector assembly having a conical end section, a collar, and a cylindrical sleeve section attached to an external vent system for easy and quick connection of a dryer vent exhaust system employing rigid tubing and an external vent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Inventor: Doyt J. Williamson
  • Patent number: 5531826
    Abstract: The rotary drum has a cylindrical portion (tubular body portion) formed therein with vent holes. An annular duct is disposed at the outside of the cylindrical portion of the rotary drum in a manner to surround the cylindrical portion. This annular duct is provided with a gas supply duct and an exhaust duct. In the annular duct, partition walls define a vent path, in which the drying gas which has been supplied from the gas supply duct flows through an accumulated layer, and thereafter, flows to the exhaust duct. The direction of flow of the drying gas in the vent path is changed over by gas supply-exhaust changeover dampers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Freund Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasutoyo Fusejima, Tsugutoshi Yamada, Shuri Yamada, Narimichi Takei
  • Patent number: 5507868
    Abstract: An apparatus for applying a coating to a powdery or granular material has a rotary drum 20 including a tubular portion 21 formed with air holes 27 and hollow shaft portions 23 and 24 provided at opposite end portions in the axial direction. A coating chamber 26 is defined inside the rotary drum 20. Liquid is sprayed from a nozzle 32 onto an accumulated layer 33 of a powdery or granular material in the coating chamber 26. Drying gas supplied from an air supply duct 45 is introduced into the rotary drum 20 from one of the two hollow shaft portions 23 and 24. A plurality of axially extending air ducts 34 are provided on the outer periphery of the rotary drum 20. When an air duct is positioned downwardly it is communicated with an air exhaust duct 41 through a distributor 35. Air introduced from the air supply duct 45 is biased toward the accumulated layer 33 by louvers 48.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Freund Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Narimichi Takei, Masanori Ogawa, Mamoru Sugiyama, Kazuomi Unosawa