Rotary Drums Or Receptacles Patents (Class 34/108)
  • Publication number: 20120325275
    Abstract: A rotary chuck adapted to hold a substrate. The rotary chuck has a rotatable chuck portion and an edge grip having a movable grip member movably mounted to the rotatable chuck portion, the moveable grip member being substantially free moving so that rotation of the rotating chuck portion causes the moveable grip member to move in a plane substantially aligned with a surface of the substrate to engage the substrate in a engaged position. A resilient element is coupled to the moveable grip member, the resilient member biasing the grip member to a disengaged position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: NEXX Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Goodman, Arthur Keigler, David G. Guarnaccia
  • Publication number: 20120291302
    Abstract: A drum for a household appliance, and a household appliance having a drum, wherein the drum includes a cylindrical shell, a front sheet on a front of the cylindrical shell, and a rear sheet on a rear of the cylindrical shell, wherein a portion of the cylindrical shell includes a noise-dampening coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: BSH HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gerhard Stegerwald
  • Patent number: 8286364
    Abstract: Disclosed are a liquid storage container and a clothes dryer having the same. The liquid storage container comprises: a reservoir installed at a clothes dryer, and configured to store liquid therein; a floating member floating on the liquid, and disposed on the reservoir with a rotation angle variable according to level change of the liquid inside the reservoir; and display means configured to display information corresponding to the rotation angle of the floating member. The rotation angle of the floating member may vary according to a remaining amount of the liquid. And, the remaining amount of the liquid may be informed to a user through the display means. Accordingly, the user may easily check the remaining amount of the liquid without checking the inside of the liquid storage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sang-Hun Bae, Min-Ji Kim, Ye-Ji Um, Myung-Shik Kim, Young-Soo Ha
  • Publication number: 20120246961
    Abstract: This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for speeding up the drying process in the clothes dryer, saving the consumer time, energy, and the cost of that energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventor: Lisa A. Atkins
  • Publication number: 20120233873
    Abstract: A household appliance (100) has an external casing (110) housing a rotatable drum assembly (320) and adapted to be mounted to a wall (105). The casing is shaped so as to define therein a tub (305) for rotatably accommodating the rotatable drum assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION, N.V.
    Inventors: Maurizio Del Pos, Daniele Favaro
  • Publication number: 20120210598
    Abstract: The already energy saving ambient air dryer is improved in methods of manufacture, performance, increased safety devices, and storage options which include in part: construction in pieces of different manufacture for assembly to lower cost, added inhibitors to extend life and durability, extrusions on the drum functioning as scoops to cause additional ambient air to be passed through the clothes, light and reflector system so moving drum may be visible at night or in partial light, non-defeating GFCI system, specific designed energy efficient motor, programmed functions such as stopping the drum in “access” or “park” position and sounding alarm for pre-determined operational issues, remote control as well as control box on dryer frame, a system for capturing lint and particulates, motion/heat detectors which eliminate need for safety guard surrounding moving drum, sound emitters to keep animals away, security codes for operation, and collapsible drum and frame for compact storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: Allen Mundt Hastings, Karla Kay Hastings
  • Publication number: 20120186305
    Abstract: A laundry dryer has drum (1) which stores laundry; heat pump device including pipeline connecting compressor (16), which compresses refrigerant, radiator (17), pressure reducer (18), which reduces refrigerant after heat emission at radiator (17), and heat absorber (19), so that pipeline allows sequential circulation of refrigerant; circulation duct (13) in which blower (4) is situated to blow dry air so that dry air sequentially circulates from drum (1), heat absorber (19), radiator (17), to drum (1) again; air volume controller which controls blower (4) to adjust dry air volume in circulation duct (13); and compressor controller which controls rotational speed of compressor (16), wherein compressor controller changes rotational speed of compressor (16) based on fluctuation in dry air volume in circulation duct (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsunori Taniguchi, Norihiko Fujiwara, Shigeharu Nakamoto, Ahin Kang
  • Patent number: 8220470
    Abstract: The Furniture Pad Folding Machine is a dry cleaning machine that is multi-faceted; it can clean and disinfect furniture pads and the machine has the ability to fold furniture pads. The machine is portable and can function on the moving truck and at the warehouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Inventor: Jessie Lee Hicks
  • Publication number: 20120167636
    Abstract: Provided is a laundry dryer including a first duct having a first outlet opening at the rear of a drum storing laundry, and a second duct with a second outlet opening at the front of the drum. The second outlet has a smaller bore allowing air passage than the first outlet. The first and second ducts are selectively switched during the drying process in response to temperature detectors which detect the dry air temperature before and after contact between the air and the laundry. A larger volume of air is blown from the first outlet under selection of the first duct than the second duct whereas the dry air is blown from the second outlet at higher pressure and higher velocity under selection of the second duct than the first duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeharu Nakamoto, Yuji Ozeki, Kouji Nakai, Norihiko Fujiwara, Ahin Kang
  • Publication number: 20120137536
    Abstract: A laundry drying appliance (100) includes a cabinet (110) having a top (119), a rotating drum (105) accommodated within the cabinet, and a laundry drying air circulation system for circulating drying air though the drum for drying laundry within the drum. The top includes fluid passageways defined thereinside for the circulation of the drying air, and an air-air heat exchanger (535) arranged inside the fluid passageways operable to remove moisture and dehydrate the drying air, a cooling air aspirator (560) for aspirating cooling air (555) from an external environment and causing the cooling air to flow through the air-air heat exchanger for cooling down the drying air and causing the moisture-laden air to condensate, and a perforated top panel (592;1805) having perforations for allowing release of the cooling air to the external environment after the cooling air has passed through the air-air heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION, N.V.
    Inventors: Maurizio Del Pos, Massimiliano Vignocchi, Loris Padovan, Alberto Bison
  • Publication number: 20120131812
    Abstract: A rotary drying cylinder (1) for plants for the production of bituminous macadams, extending along a main axis (2). The drying cylinder (1) comprises a burner (7), connected to the cylinder, which generates a flame (9) that extends inside the cylinder (1). The drying cylinder (1) internally comprises a tube-shaped shielding structure (10) having an axis of extension which is substantially parallel with the main axis (2) and extending from the burner (7) so that, in practice, the flame (9) is at least mainly confined within the shielding structure (10), there thus being a separating ring (12) between the shielding structure (10) and the inner surface (13) of the drying cylinder (1). The shielding structure (10) comprises a plurality of hollows (17) facing towards the inner surface (13) of the drying cylinder (1) for containing, in practice, the material being dried. The shielding structure (10) is at least mainly made of heat conducting materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: AMMANN ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventor: Fabio Mammoli
  • Patent number: 8181355
    Abstract: A laundry drum for a laundry treatment machine mounted within a housing for rotation about a non-vertical axis, the laundry drum including a drum casing having a plurality of stamped recesses formed therein in a manner such that at least one sectional plane of the laundry drum lying at right angles to the axis of rotation has an at least approximately circular shape, the laundry drum including a drum casing having the curved stamped recesses formed therein in a manner wherein in the alignment of a surface contour lying in the drum casing is formed a surface having a plurality of arcuate edges which merge continuously into one another with a single axis of symmetry extending at least approximately in the circumferential direction of the drum casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Geyer, Uwe Ratfisch, Stephan Sommer, Wilfried Wildung
  • Publication number: 20120102779
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement having a working fluid, an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected and containing the working fluid. The apparatus also includes a drum to receive clothes, a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the evaporator, condenser and through the drum, a sensor located to sense parameters, a working fluid accumulator, and a controller coupled to the sensor, accumulator and/or compressor. The controller is operative to control collection of refrigerant during a run cycle when pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold value, control retention of the collected refrigerant when the run cycle is completed, until a subsequent run cycle, control discharge of the retained refrigerant to an evaporator or condenser when the subsequent run cycle is started, and control use of discharged refrigerant to elevate the refrigeration cycle by modifying a start condition of the refrigeration cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: David G. BEERS, Brent Alden Junge, Nicholas Okruch, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120096733
    Abstract: A tunnel-type rotary drum tumble dryer includes a cabinet (1) with a loading door (2) and an unloading door (3) on opposite sides, and a drum (4) arranged inside the cabinet (1) for rotating with respect to a horizontal or inclined geometric axis (E). The drum (4) has a revolution wall (5) around the axis (E), and end openings (5a, 5b) at opposite ends facing said loading and unloading doors (2, 3). The tumble dryer also includes an air circulator that includes an air inlet (8) facing one of the end openings (5a, 5b) of the drum (4) and an air outlet (9) adjacent to the other end opening (5a, 5b) of the drum (4) for creating an axial flow of drying air inside and from one end to another of the drum (4) through the clothing tumbling inside the drum (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: GIRBAU, S.A.
    Inventors: Ramón Sans Rovira, Daniel Arcarons Alibes, Jordi Garcia Ferrera
  • Publication number: 20120066925
    Abstract: For application in a clothes dryer, a quieting device acts to considerably reduce the noise from objects hitting the drum as clothes are being spun dry. The quieting device comprises padding applied to inside surfaces of the drum, the padding including an adhesive on a side thereof, the adhesive for adhering the padding to the inside surfaces. Preferably, the adhesive is a pressure-sensitive, heat-resistant adhesive. In an embodiment of the invention, the padding includes a plurality of strips of the padding, each of which is placed on the inside surfaces of the drum between the dryer fins. In alternative embodiments, the strips of padding can be placed atop the dryer fins. In an embodiment of the invention, the material includes a plurality of holes to allow for heat from the drum surface to escape through the holes, so the device does not inhibit drying of the clothes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Todd Ahlf, Brad Ahlf, Tom Ahlf
  • Publication number: 20120047760
    Abstract: A circular sealing gasket can be interposed between a rear rim of a laundry dryer drum tubular body and a rear wall of the dryer casing. The laundry dryer may also comprise a substantially circular, basin-shaped lid or cover fixed to the rear wall, substantially coaxial to the tubular body, so as to form a cavity on the rear wall that communicates with a hot-air generator. A circular gasket-supporting collar may have a nominal diameter greater than that of the tubular body rear rim. The collar may be fixed to the periphery of the basin-shaped lid or cover and/or to the rear wall, coaxial to the tubular body. The circular sealing gasket can be force fitted into the gasket-supporting collar so as to come in abutment against a periphery of the basin-shaped lid or cover around the perimeter thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Diego DAL BEN, Alessandro VIAN
  • Publication number: 20120047763
    Abstract: An apparatus for drying laundry with ultraviolet radiation is provided. One or more ultraviolet light sources emit ultraviolet radiation, which, in various embodiments, is transmitted through a UV-radiation permeable transparent drum containing the wet laundry and other wet articles to be dried. Also provided is a dryer having ultraviolet light sources centrally situated with respect to the drum, wherein the ultraviolet light sources emit ultraviolet radiation directed at laundry in the drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Dan Abramovich, Jerry Chieh Liu
  • Publication number: 20120047759
    Abstract: An upper cabinet of a rotary-drum laundry dryer outer casing can include a rear wall. The rear wall can include a sink-shaped bulge or recess. The bulge or recess can project outwards of the upper cabinet, be roughly centered to a rear rim of a dryer drum, and include a through opening. The upper cabinet can also include a substantially circular, basin-shaped lid or cover fixed to the inner face of the cabinet rear wall substantially coaxial to the drum. The lid or cover can be shaped so as to completely cover and close the outwards-projecting bulge or recess on the cabinet rear wall. This can form, on that rear wall, a cavity which communicates with the inside of drum and also with a hot-air generator via the through opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Diego DAL BEN, Alessandro VIAN
  • Publication number: 20120023770
    Abstract: A tumble air dryer (10) comprises an rotatable container (12) which is unenclosed and thus open to the environment and which is adapted for holding clothes, a support (14) for rotatably supporting the container (12) for rotation at only one side of the container (12), and drive means (46) for rotating the container (12) on the support (14). The container has at least one air permeable side (36, 40), and is removably mountable on the support (14) so that it can double as a washing basket and be easily transported between a washing machine and the support. Preferably, a plurality of containers (12) of different sizes are provided so that the container (12) to be attached to the support (14) can be selected based on a washing load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventor: James Anthony Doubtfire
  • Publication number: 20120017615
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement having a working fluid and an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected and containing the working fluid. The apparatus also includes a drum to receive clothes to be dried, a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the condenser and through the drum, a sensor located to sense at least one parameter, and a controller coupled to the sensor and/or the compressor. The parameter(s) includes at least one of temperature of the working fluid, pressure of the working fluid, and power consumption of the compressor. The controller is operative to monitor, as a function of time, the parameter(s), determine whether the parameter(s) reaches a predetermined decision condition; and, if the parameter(s) reaches the predetermined decision condition, power down the mechanical refrigeration cycle at least by causing the compressor to shut off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: David G. BEERS, Amelia Lear Hensley, Nicholas Okruch, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120011735
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dryer (100), including a cabinet (110) which forms an exterior of the dryer (100), a drum (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) rotatably mounted in the cabinet (110), the drum (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) having a plurality of lifters (127, 127a, 127b, 127c), and a partition unit (200, 200a, 200b, 200c) slidably movable along the lifters (127, 127a, 127b, 127c) in a direction of a rotation axis of the drum (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) for partitioning a drying space of the drum (120, 120a, 120b, 120c), thereby permitting to use a space in the drum (120, 120a, 120b, 120c) of the dryer (100) effectively according to an amount of clothes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: Sang Wook Hong, Ji Hee Kim, Sang Su Lee, Sun Young Park, Bon Kwon Koo, Jae Won Chang, Ki Young Kang, Chang Kwon Park
  • Publication number: 20120000086
    Abstract: A laundry apparatus comprising a housing having an exterior and defining a recess opening to the exterior and a hanging assembly slidably disposed in the recess. In a stored position the hanging assembly is disposed at least partially in the recess and in a use position the hanging assembly is disposed at least partially exteriorly of the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: JEFFREY M. BROWNE, BENJAMIN D. LOWELL, ROBERT J. MESSERSMITH, CHRISTOPHER A. WARNER
  • Publication number: 20120000087
    Abstract: A household appliance (100) comprises a cabinet (105) accommodating a drum for loading items to be dried and a drying air circuit for circulating drying air through the drum for drying the items therein. The drying air circuit comprises air heating elements (415) for heating the drying air fed to the drum, and the cabinet is provided with a worktop (110) defining a surface (130) having a plurality of apertures (135) in fluid communication with an air conveying system (205,225,230) adapted to deliver a flow of air through said apertures. The air conveying system comprises an air duct (230) thermally coupled to the air heating elements in such a way as to cause heat generated by the air heating elements to heat the air to be delivered through the apertures in the drying surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION N.V.
    Inventors: Daniele Da Riol, Luciano Sartor, Michele Bisaro, Massimo Castiglione
  • Patent number: 8069582
    Abstract: A dryer includes a cabinet; a drum rotatably mounted inside the cabinet; a front panel provided between the cabinet and the drum; a valve provided inside the cabinet to control supply and cutoff of gas and an amount of the supplied gas; a fixing piece for mounting the valve on one side thereof; and a bracket coupled to the other side of the fixing piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Ju Dong Lee, Chang Hoo Kim
  • Publication number: 20110258872
    Abstract: A dryer is provided. The dryer may include a main body having an inner space formed therein, a fixed drum provided in the inner space of the main body, and a tumbling device coupled to the drum. The fixed drum may have a non-circular cross-section as it is rotated. The tumbling device may tumble laundry items received in the fixed drum as it slides along an inner circumferential surface of the fixed drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Inventors: Sungmin KIM, Jongseok Kim, Daeyun Park, Sogkie Hong
  • Publication number: 20110225839
    Abstract: A fans-motor assembly for condenser laundry dryer machine, of unusually low cost and overall dimensions, comprising: a drive shaft which can be associated in a rotating manner with a frame of a laundry dryer machine and designed to be connected by means of a transmission belt to a rotating drum thereof; a fan for the hot air and a fan for the cold air integral in rotation with said drive shaft and designed to convey respectively a flow of hot air and a flow of cold air along separate paths of said laundry dryer machine; a synchronous permanent magnet electric motor comprising an internal stator traversed by said drive shaft and an external rotor integral during rotation with said drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: Askoll Holding S.r.l.
    Inventor: ELIO MARIONI
  • Publication number: 20110197463
    Abstract: A stepping-free electric dehydration barrel includes a barrel unit, a dehydration unit, a motor, a control unit, a rechargeable battery and a recharging connection port. The dehydration unit includes a dehydration basket and a spindle which supports the dehydration basket. The spindle is installed on an elastic lifting unit below which is a starting switch being electrically connected to the control unit. After a user has put a mop into the dehydration basket, he or she only needs to exert a little force to descend the dehydration basket to turn on the starting switch, and then the control unit can drive the motor spinning in a predefined time, thereby achieving an object of easily and rapidly dehydrating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventor: Shu-Chen SHIH
  • Publication number: 20110167663
    Abstract: A washing-drying/drying machine includes a tub mounted in a cabinet; a drum rotatably disposed in the tub for receiving laundry; a cooling water supply unit for supplying cooling water to condense moisture in air discharged from the drum; and a condensing plate mounted between the drum and an inner wall of the tub for receiving the cooling water to condense the moisture in the air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Hee Tae LIM, Sang Wook Hong
  • Publication number: 20110144301
    Abstract: In a method for cleaning an absorptive polyester, the polymer is dissolved in a first solvent (12) and subsequently the polymer solution is brought into tight contact with a second solvent (41) in a turbulent shear field under the influence of strong shear forces. Here, the second solvent (41) represents a non-solvent for the absorptive polyester and is mixable with the first solvent (12) to an unlimited extent. Subsequently, the polymer suspension resulting from the addition of the second solvent (41) is conveyed onto or into a rotating, cylindrical screen body (71) of a drum shear screen (70) and then the moist polymer mass is removed from the screen body (71) and subsequently dried. The method is suitable for the production of absorptive polyester with a high degree of quality and may be performed in a cost-effective fashion on an industrial scale as well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Anja ENDERLE, Manfred SCHMITT
  • Publication number: 20110088276
    Abstract: A laundry drum for a laundry treatment machine mounted within a housing for rotation about a non-vertical axis, the laundry drum including a drum casing having a plurality of stamped recesses formed therein in a manner such that at least one sectional plane of the laundry drum lying at right angles to the axis of rotation has an at least approximately circular shape, the laundry drum including a drum casing having the curved stamped recesses formed therein in a manner wherein in the alignment of a surface contour lying in the drum casing is formed a surface having a plurality of arcuate edges which merge continuously into one another with a single axis of symmetry extending at least approximately in the circumferential direction of the drum casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Geyer, Uwe Ratfisch, Stephan Sommer, Wilfried Wildung
  • Publication number: 20110072680
    Abstract: A dryer is provided. The dryer may include a main body having an inner space formed therein, a support body arranged in the main body so as to form a frame of the main body, a flexible drum rotatably installed on the support body so as to have a non-circular cross-section as it is rotated, and rotation guides arranged between the support body and the flexible drum so as to guide rotation of the flexible drum. A distance from a center of rotation of an inscribed circle contacting the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum to one random point on the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum is greater than a distance from the center of rotation of the inscribed circle to another point on the inscribed circle such that the drum maintains a non-circular cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Sungmin KIM, Jongseok Kim, Daeyun Park, Sogkie Hong
  • Publication number: 20110072679
    Abstract: A dryer is provided. The dryer may include a main body having an inner space formed therein, a support body arranged in the main body so as to form a frame of the main body, a flexible drum rotatably installed on the support body so as to have a non-circular cross-section as it is rotated, and rotation guides arranged between the support body and the flexible drum so as to guide rotation of the flexible drum. A distance from a center of rotation of an inscribed circle contacting the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum to one random point on the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum is greater than a distance from the center of rotation of the inscribed circle to another point on the inscribed circle such that the drum maintains a non-circular cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Sungmin KIM, Jongseok Kim, Daeyun Park, Sogkie Hong
  • Publication number: 20110072681
    Abstract: A dryer is provided. The dryer may include a main body having an inner space formed therein, a support body arranged in the main body so as to form a frame of the main body, a flexible drum rotatably installed on the support body so as to have a non-circular cross-section as it is rotated, and rotation guides arranged between the support body and the flexible drum so as to guide rotation of the flexible drum. A distance from a center of rotation of an inscribed circle contacting the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum to one random point on the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum is greater than a distance from the center of rotation of the inscribed circle to another point on the inscribed circle such that the drum maintains a non-circular cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Sungmin KIM, Jongseok Kim, Daeyun Park, Sogkie Hong
  • Publication number: 20110067258
    Abstract: A water-removal bucket includes a frame, a pedal, a spur gear, a first bevel gear, a second bevel gear and a basket. The pedal is pivotally connected to the frame and meshes with the spur gear. The first bevel gear is connected to the spur gear via a linking shaft and meshes with the second bevel gear. The basket is connected to the second bevel gear via a driving shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventor: Yen-Fei HUANG
  • Publication number: 20110067259
    Abstract: A water removal device is disclosed. The water removal device includes a base, a pedal, a lead nut, a hollow lead screw, an annulus, at least one planet gear, a sun gear, a shaft, and a basket. The pedal is pivotally connected to the base. The lead nut is connected to the pedal. The hollow lead screw is threaded into the lead nut. The annulus is connected to the hollow lead screw. The planet gear is pivotally connected to the base and meshing with the annulus. The sun gear meshes with the planet gear. The shaft is connected to the sun gear through the hollow lead screw. The basket is connected to the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventor: Chuan-Han LIU
  • Publication number: 20110061258
    Abstract: An exhaust valve apparatus and a drier of a food treatment system having the exhaust valve apparatus are disclosed. The drier includes a drum having an input port and a discharge port. A stirring screw is rotatably disposed in inner space of the drum, and includes rotary blades for stirring and crushing food waste put into the drum and a rotating shaft for supporting the rotary blades. A power supply unit is provided on a surface of the drum and provides power to the stirring screw to rotate the stirring screw. A heater is provided on the outer surface of a drum body and provides high temperature heat to the inner space of the drum when electric power is applied to the heater, thus drying the food waste. An exhaust apparatus is mounted to the lower surface of the discharge port and controls the discharge port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: WOONGJIN COWAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Jin Kim, Sang Gu Sim, Chan Jung Park
  • Publication number: 20110056086
    Abstract: Drum for a washer and a dryer including a cylindrical metal body part, reduced parts at opposite end parts of the body part, each having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the body part, and bent parts each having a folded edge of the reduced part, thereby providing a drum that can prevent occurrence of vibration and noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Soon Jo Lee, In Hee Han
  • Publication number: 20110041393
    Abstract: The present invention provides an indirect heat-drying apparatus that is resistant to adhesion of the substance to be dried on heating pipes and gives a product having a desired and stabilized liquid content. The present invention relates to an indirect heat-drying apparatus, comprising two indirect-heating rotary dryers, i.e., the first and second indirect-heating rotary dryers that are arranged in series so that the dried substance from the first indirect-heating rotary dryer is supplied to and dried in the second indirect-heating rotary dryer as the substance to be dried; and a carrier gas-supplying means of supplying the carrier gas co-currently in the first indirect-heating rotary dryer and counter-currently in the second indirect-heating rotary dryer, with respect to the flow direction from the substance to be dried.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), Tsukishima Kikai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Sugita, Yuko Sugita, Tetsuya Deguchi, Takuo Shigehisa, Masayasu Ito, Zenji Kato
  • Publication number: 20110036556
    Abstract: A tumble dryer with at least one heat pump system has an air stream circuit (10) including at least one drum (12) for receiving laundry to be dried, at least one refrigerant circuit (14) including at least one compressor (16) with a variable rotation speed, a first heat exchanger (18) for a thermal coupling between the air stream circuit (10) and the refrigerant circuit (14), and a second heat exchanger (20) for a further thermal coupling between the air stream circuit (10) and the refrigerant circuit (14). The tumble dryer further includes a control unit (22) for controlling the rotation speed of the compressor (16) and at least one sensor for detecting at least one physical parameter (TDI, TDO; TEI, TEO; TF; Z; RH) as function of the time of the air stream, the refrigerant ad/or the laundry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION N.V.
    Inventors: Alberto BISON, Stefano ZANDONA', Maurizio UGEL
  • Publication number: 20110023316
    Abstract: A household appliance includes a housing having an opening for accessing an interior of the housing, a tub disposed inside the housing and having a rotating drum therein for receiving laundry through the opening, and a door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub and being pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open position and a closed position. The door assembly includes a door frame and a front ring coupled directly or indirectly to the door frame. The front ring includes a front face having an outside and inside edge, the inside edge defining an opening that substantially corresponds to the see-through portion, and a recessed rear face on an opposite side of the front ring from the front face, wherein the recessed rear face includes a handle portion extending around at least a portion of the front ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: BSH HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Oliver Schöne
  • Publication number: 20110023318
    Abstract: Disclosed is a clothes dryer comprising a drum rotatably disposed in a body; and a roller disposed below the drum, and configured to support the drum. The roller is mounted to a roller shaft by a ball bearing, and a contact portion of an outer circumferential surface of the roller contacting the drum is formed to be flat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Ki-Wook Jung, Myoung-Jong Kim
  • Publication number: 20110023315
    Abstract: An inner ring for a door assembly of a household appliance is provided. The household appliance includes a housing having an opening for accessing an interior, and a tub disposed inside the housing, the tub having a rotating drum therein for receiving laundry, the door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub and being pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open position for accessing the opening and a closed position for closing the opening of the housing. The inner ring includes a front face having an outside edge and an inside edge, wherein the inside edge defines an opening in the front face, a rear face on an opposite side of the inner ring from the front face, and a funnel section that extends a predetermined distance from the inside edge of the inner ring in a direction of an axis of the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: BSH HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Oliver Schöne
  • Publication number: 20110016738
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance and a method for operating a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum defining a chamber for receiving laundry. The operation of the laundry treating appliance may be based on the mechanical energy due to the falling action of the laundry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: FARHAD ASHRAFZADEH, RYAN R. BELLINGER, DUANE M. KOBOS, RICHARD A. SUNSHINE
  • Publication number: 20110000100
    Abstract: A laundry treatment appliance having a drum; a motor to drive the drum; a control device, in which an acoustic reference signal is stored; an acoustic sensor to measure an acoustic signal; and a comparator to compare the acoustic signal recorded by the acoustic sensor with the acoustic reference signal stored in the control device; wherein each of the acoustic signal and the acoustic reference signal is a sonogram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
    Inventors: Stephan Malcher, Harald Pietsch, Martina Wöbkemeier
  • Publication number: 20100325911
    Abstract: A laundry deflector apparatus is provided for a household appliance for handling items of laundry and the laundry deflector apparatus includes a deflector element that is wedge-shaped and has a flat edge in the direction of a first end on the side opposite a base side and a steep edge in the direction of a second end opposite the first end, on the side opposite the base side. The laundry deflector apparatus is undercut in sections on the second end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE
    Inventors: Robert Alisch, Jaime Andia Laborda, Bernhard Heym, Rainer Jurmann
  • Patent number: 7841103
    Abstract: A through-air dryer is disclosed. The through-air dryer includes a cylindrical deck made from a plurality of deck plates that support a throughdrying fabric. The deck plates are supported by opposing hubs. Each of the hubs is in communication with a bearing that is mounted to a stationary shaft for allowing the cylindrical deck and the hubs to rotate. The bearings are positioned so as to create a through-air dryer structure that remains stable during operation and allows for easy calculation of loads on the dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank S. Hada, Michael A. Hermans, Ronald F. Gropp, Peter K. Costello
  • Publication number: 20100263224
    Abstract: A plastic liquor container for a washing machine, the plastic liquor container including a laundry drum with a shaft journal and a rear wall that is made of at least two plastic components of different strengths. The rear wall has reinforced regions and a bearing receptacle for the shaft journal of the laundry drum, and the bearing receptacle is made of a high-strength material. The rear wall is manufactured as a single piece by injecting the at least two plastic components into an injection molding mold with a time offset. The reinforced regions of the rear wall are structured as a sandwich component having an inner edge layer and an outer edge layer. The inner edge layer and the outer edge layer of the sandwich component are made of high-strength plastic and enclose a region made of plastic that is less strong than the high-strength plastic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
    Inventor: Cornelius Theen-Vodegel
  • Publication number: 20100243771
    Abstract: A system for reducing the particle size of a pozzolan includes a thermal fracture system and a defracturing apparatus. The system is highly efficient at drying and heating a natural pozzolan having a natural distribution of particle sizes. The system can create a reduced-size pozzolanic material with a desired particle size and particle morphology. The system for reducing the particle size of a pozzolan includes a thermal fracture system for heating and thermally fracturing the pozzolan and a defracturing apparatus that agitates the thermally fractured pozzolan to break the thermally fractured pozzolan apart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Staker & Parson Companies
    Inventor: Alan D. McKee
  • Publication number: 20100218394
    Abstract: A front-loading clothes dryer, a horizontally pivotable door is secured in its closed position against accidentally opening by a latching closure. Moreover, the door is connected to a safety switch which cuts off or re-establishes power supply for the clothes dryer depending on whether the door is in the open or in the closed position. The object of the invention is to ensure that the switching function remains matched over the long term to the closure state of the door, as when the clothes dryer was manufactured. For that purpose, the functional elements for the latching closure and safety switch are arranged in direct proximity to each other but functionally separated into a component arranged on the door and a component arranged on the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf Schuck, Manfred Schulz, Andreas Ziemann
  • Publication number: 20100212178
    Abstract: A household appliance includes a drying chamber, a process air loop and a heat pump. The heat pump includes a heat transfer loop containing a heat transfer fluid, an evaporator heat exchanger, a liquefier heat exchanger, a compressor, and a nozzle. The heat transfer fluid has a critical temperature above 60° C., a nominal heat of vaporization at boiling point of at least 220 kJ/kg, a GWP index of less than 150 and a lower flammability level of at least 0.1 kg/m3. Preferably, the household appliance is a dryer for drying wet laundry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERATE GmbH
    Inventors: Jose Miguel Corberan Salvador, Jose Gonzalvez Macia, Roberto San Martin Sancho