Of Heater Blower Patents (Class 34/554)
  • Patent number: 11807975
    Abstract: A laundry appliance includes a basket rotatably mounted within a cabinet and defining a chamber configured for receiving a load of clothes, a water supply valve for regulating a flow of water into the chamber, and a humidity sensor positioned within the cabinet for monitoring a chamber humidity. A controller is configured to determine that the water supply valve is open to permit the flow of water into the chamber, identify an anticipated humidity within the chamber based at least in part on the water supply valve being open, obtain the chamber humidity using the humidity sensor, and implementing a responsive action if the chamber humidity does not correspond to the anticipated humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: SeongHoon Ryu, Hyoyeol Maeng, Wonmyung Seo
  • Patent number: 11513478
    Abstract: Disclosed is an artificial intelligence (AI) apparatus comprising: a short-range communication module configured for sensing a plurality of laundry treatment apparatuses positioned around the AI apparatus; and a processor configured for: acquiring laundry information about laundry and characteristic information of each of the detected laundry treatment apparatuses; determining a laundry group corresponding to the laundry, based on the acquired laundry information; comparing characteristic information of the determined laundry group and characteristic information of each of the plurality of laundry treatment apparatuses with each other; and determining a laundry treatment apparatus for washing the laundry among the plurality of laundry treatment apparatuses based on the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hyoeun Kim, Jaehong Kim, Taeho Lee, Hangil Jeong, Jongwoo Han
  • Patent number: 11486082
    Abstract: A dryer is disclosed. The dryer includes a heat exchanger configured to remove moisture from air flowing and heat and discharge the moisture-removed air, a drum containing a material to be dried, a humidity sensor configured to detect a humidity of the air flowing from the drum, a fan configured to generate a flow of the air flowing along a flow path formed so that the air discharged from the heat exchanger flows to the heat exchanger via the drum and the humidity sensor, and a processor configured to determine a dried state of the material to be dried based on the humidity detected through the humidity sensor, and the humidity sensor is disposed at a position where a flow velocity of the air is equal to or higher than a predetermined velocity in the flow path formed between the drum and the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taegyoon Noh, Doyoon Kim, Dohaeng Kim, Hoyoung Kim, Junhoe Choi, Jeongsu Han
  • Patent number: 8739431
    Abstract: A light solidifying device includes a body, a magnetic slide cover unit connected to the body, a control unit connected to the body, and a light solidifying unit disposed in the body. An inner case of the body is a polygonal case, and an inclined sidewall of the inner case is arranged to face to a user's finger nails in a direction perpendicular to the inclined sidewall. The magnetic slide cover unit can be movable to adjust the opened area of a first opening and a second opening of the body for shielding the light rays emitted from the light emitting diode to prevent from irradiation of the light on the user's eyes and skin during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Nail Alliance LLC
    Inventor: Kuo-Chang Cheng
  • Publication number: 20140075776
    Abstract: A gas heater with specialized controls allows an operator to deploy a single device to heat and to dry when extracting moisture from a structure. The heater has a fan in a blow thru arrangement ahead of a burner. The burner uses either natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas. The heater has air flow, fan motor, temperature, and ignition controls and sensors. The heater delivers high temperature air to the structure that hastens evaporation as the heated air absorbs great concentrations of water vapor. Then the moisture laden heated air exits the building as the heater draws in fresh air, ducts it into a structure, and pressurizes the structure. This moisture laden air then leaks from the building through select windows using the energy imparted from the fan and then exhausts the moisture to the atmosphere, drying the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Gary J. Potter, Marc Braun, Jeffrey A. Kieffer
  • Patent number: 8479410
    Abstract: A dryer control method includes: a first dry step of drying a dry item with strong hot wind while tumbling a drum in which the dry item is placed; and a second dry step of drying the dry item with mild hot wind while tumbling the drum. Because the dry process is repeatedly performed on the dry item according to a proposed dry algorithm, the dry item made of wool fiber can be prevented from being shrunken or creased in the dry process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Ki-Wook Jung, Jun-Seok Lee
  • Publication number: 20120144694
    Abstract: A laundry dryer includes a rotatable drum and an air delivery system. The air delivery system can include a reversible blower that provides air at a first flow rate when operated in a first direction and provides air at a second lower flow rate when operated in an opposite second direction. The drum can be a reversibly rotatable drum that is rotatable in a first and an opposite second direction, and the dryer can include a drive motor that both rotates the drum and operates the blower. Drum and blower reversal may be controlled to optimize drying efficiency and also reduce stress on the drive system. A moisture delivery system can provide moisture (e.g., water mist or steam) into the drum while air is being provided at the lower second flow rate, and during drum rotation (tumbling).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Paul RICKLEFS, Brian Douglas RIPLEY, Brian James KIERZEK, Ian Tomas FITZGERALD
  • Patent number: 8112899
    Abstract: A wall-mounted, hot air body blow drying apparatus comprising a plurality of round nozzles located along a front surface of the apparatus is herein disclosed. Said nozzles are adjustable and capable of directing jets of warm air over a person's body. A flow of heated air is provided by a resistance heater, an electric blower, and a plurality of distributing ductwork. The apparatus may be hard-wired thereto a standard household power circuit or by using a standard power cord. The apparatus is variably controlled by a temperature and fan speed controlling system and a timer. To use, a person would stand in front of the dryer apparatus and slowly turn around, allowing the multiple heated forced air streams to dry their body in a similar fashion as a forced warm air hand dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Inventor: Russell L. Duckworth
  • Patent number: 8051579
    Abstract: A dryer for hair shaving devices includes a casing having a drying space for removably receiving a blade portion of a hair shaving device, and a heater and a fan for drying the blade portion received in the drying space. Also, a control unit is provided for controlling output power of the heater and the fan to perform operation modes, the operation modes include a drying operation mode in which the heater and the fan are driven simultaneously and a sterilizing operation mode in which the heater alone is driven with the fan kept stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Ueda, Minoru Kashiwabara, Yasuo Ibuki
  • Patent number: 7975401
    Abstract: A clothes dryer has a degree of dryness control system that is responsive to moisture level of clothing articles tumbling in a drum and a target moisture value to control the drying cycle of the clothes dryer. The clothes dryer has a load size parameter producing module and an air flow detection parameter module. These modules generate one of two parameter conditions used by the processor to modify or select an appropriate moisture target value. The load size producing parameter module generates one of a small load input parameter and a large load input parameter. The air flow detection module produces one of a first and second air flow parameter to be utilized by the degree of dryness processor. As a result, the processor selects one of four target moisture values from these conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Mabe Canada Inc.
    Inventor: Sébastien Beaulac
  • Patent number: 7971371
    Abstract: A clothes dryer has a degree of dryness control system that is responsive to moisture level of clothing articles tumbling in a drum and a target moisture value to control the drying cycle of the clothes dryer. The clothes dryer has a load size parameter producing module and an air flow detection parameter module. These modules generate one of two parameter conditions used by the processor to modify or select an appropriate moisture target value. The load size producing parameter module generates one of a small load input parameter and a large load input parameter. The air flow detection module produces one of a first and second air flow parameter to be utilized by the degree of dryness processor. As a result, the processor selects one of four target moisture values from these conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Mabe Canada Inc.
    Inventor: Sébastien Beaulac
  • Patent number: 7911326
    Abstract: A master generator that updates time data of remote devices comprises an acquisition module, a clock module, an encoding module, and a transmission module. The acquisition module acquires time data representing current time of day. The clock module receives and stores the time data from the acquisition module and periodically updates the time data. The encoding module encodes the time data from the clock module into time messages. The transmission module selectively superimposes the time messages onto a power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventor: Sehat Sutardja
  • Publication number: 20110016743
    Abstract: A dryer control method includes: a first dry step of drying a dry item with strong hot wind while tumbling a drum in which the dry item is placed; and a second dry step of drying the dry item with mild hot wind while tumbling the drum. Because the dry process is repeatedly performed on the dry item according to a proposed dry algorithm, the dry item made of wool fiber can be prevented from being shrunken or creased in the dry process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Ki-Wook Jung, Jun-Seok Lee
  • Publication number: 20090293304
    Abstract: A sensing multi-stage control system for hand dryers aims to be installed in a lavatory and energized by electric power to generate heat and airflow to dry human hands to improve shortcomings of conventional hand dryers that cannot control airflow amount and temperature level. The hand dryer according to the invention includes a heater, a fan motor and a detection unit. The detection unit has at least two sets of sensors located at an air outlet of the hand dryer and is electrically connected to a control circuit which starts, stops and controls the heater and fan motor at a desired temperature level and rotation speed to form the sensing multi-stage control system. The control circuit, incorporating with the sensors and a comparison and logic processor to process signals, can provide multi-stage control of the temperature level of the heater and rotation speed of the fan motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventor: Che-Hua YANG
  • Patent number: 7594343
    Abstract: A method of drying clothes in a clothes dryer comprising a clothes chamber for receiving clothes, an air supply system for directing air through the clothes chamber, and a heater for heating the air supplied by the air supply system. The method comprises cycling the heater between an ON state by energizing the heater until a heater trip condition is met and an OFF state by deenergizing the heater until a heater reset condition is met, determining a heater off time by determining the time between the heater trip condition and the heater reset condition, and determining a drying time based on the heater off time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher John Woerdehoff, Andrew Charles Reck, David John Kmet, James Frederick Swanson
  • Patent number: 7425688
    Abstract: A heating assembly for heating a hot air stream flowing in a flow passage of a tumble dryer. The heating assembly is configured for installation in the flow passage and comprises at least one heating element and at least one temperature sensor. The heating element is arranged such that the hot air stream can flow around it in a passing direction (D). The at least one temperature sensor can detect the temperature of the hot air stream and is arranged such that it projects into a core area of the hot air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: DBK David + Baader GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Loesch, Ralf Frohn, Jerome Grunewald, Jens Koehne
  • Publication number: 20080184588
    Abstract: A coin-operated dryer includes a tumbler and heating means for providing heated air to the tumbler. One or more sensors are coupled to the dryer and to a controller, which is configured to receive information from the sensor(s). The controller uses the information received from the at least one sensor to control the heating means. Thus, the heating means can be turned off or reduced prior to expiration of a paid for drying time, thereby mitigating energy waste.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Inventors: Soren Juul Somod, Gary Brown
  • Publication number: 20080052952
    Abstract: An invention is provided for a hand drying apparatus for drying and sanitizing hands is disclosed. The hand drying apparatus includes a housing having an air intake opening and a heating element situated within the housing capable of heating air drawn into the hand drying apparatus through the air intake opening. Also located within the housing is an air conduit that is in communication with the air intake opening. Further included is a blower that is capable of drawing an air stream into the air conduit through the air intake opening. An ozone gas generator is in communication with the air conduit that is capable of injecting ozone into the air stream to create an ozonated air stream. In this manner, the blower ejects a heated ozonated air stream out of the hand drying apparatus through the air conduit, whereby a user's hands are dried and sanitized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Aquentium, Inc.
    Inventor: William R. Nelson
  • Patent number: 7322126
    Abstract: A clothes dryer has a degree of dryness control system that is responsive to moisture level of clothing articles tumbling in a drum and a target moisture value to control the drying cycle of the clothes dryer. The clothes dryer has a load size parameter producing module and an air flow detection parameter module. These modules generate one of two parameter conditions used by the processor to modify or select an appropriate moisture target value. The load size producing parameter module generates one of a small load input parameter and a large load input parameter. The air flow detection module produces one of a first and second air flow parameter to be utilized by the degree of dryness processor. As a result, the processor selects one of four target moisture values from these conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Mabe Canada Inc.
    Inventor: Sébastien Beaulac
  • Patent number: 7017280
    Abstract: A method of controlling the operation of a dryer including both a variable heat source and a variable speed blower includes varying only one of the variable heat source and the variable speed blower, while maintaining the other one in a fixed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeremy Michael Green, Douglas Allen Riddle
  • Patent number: 6988375
    Abstract: A device is provided for monitoring a plurality of appliances, wherein each appliance is connected to an electrical circuit having a first wire and a second wire. The device includes a plurality of cores, each of the plurality of cores being constructed to be able to surround one of the first wires of each circuit and having a secondary winding at which an electrical signal is generated in response to a current polarity change in the first wire. A multiplexer is connected to the secondary winding of each of the plurality of cores. A processor is connected to the multiplexer to monitor the phase relationship between an AC voltage an AC current of each appliance connected to one of the plurality of circuits and to determine information relating to the function of the appliance based on the phase relationship. The device may be located at the circuit breaker box of an establishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Larry T. Bashark
  • Patent number: 6962005
    Abstract: A shower dryer system includes a dryer tower with nozzles for directing heated air into a shower enclosure interior. A programmed controller controls the rate of air flow and the temperature of air flow to and through the air nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Jacuzzi, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Khosropour, Harold Leung, Jim R. Pauls, Bob A. Davis
  • Patent number: 6834443
    Abstract: A grain dryer control system uses the grain dryer discharge temperature to account for moisture reduction in the grain as it cools after discharge from the dryer. The control system includes moisture and temperature sensors and a means to control the discharge of grain from the grain dryer. Given a grain discharge temperature, a control temperature and a moisture reduction factor as a function of temperature, the control system calculates an expected moisture reduction in the grain as the grain cools. Grain is discharged from the dryer when the target moisture content after cooling added to the expected moisture reduction in the grain as the grain cools meets the measured grain moisture content in the dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: CTB IP, Inc.
    Inventor: Brent J. Bloemendaal
  • Patent number: 6792692
    Abstract: A hair dryer includes an air outlet portion, a holding portion, a start switch, an airflow rate control switch, an airflow rate indication portion, an input power control switch, and an input power indication portion. Thus, when the user presses the start switch, the hair dryer will start to perform with its previous setting in memory for the airflow rate and its power input. And when the user presses the airflow rate control switch or the input power control switch, the system enters the manual control mode, and is forced into the safety mode immediately, so that the user can adjust the input power and the airflow rate according to the preset safety values, thereby achieving the safe requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Manica-Thai Corp., Ltd
    Inventors: Noriaki Takizawa, Feng-Chih Liao
  • Patent number: 6745495
    Abstract: A dryer tumble drying articles includes a drum including a cavity configured to hold articles to be dried, a first motor drivingly coupled to the drum to rotate the drum, a heat source in flow communication with the cavity, and a variable speed motor drivingly coupled to a blower positioned to deliver heated air from the heat source to the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Douglas Allen Riddle, Jeremy Michael Green, James Alan Meyer, Emile Edward Abi-Habib, Zubair Hameed
  • Patent number: 6739070
    Abstract: A dryer for drying textiles is disclosed. The dryer includes a blower for blowing air under the carpet, which includes a blower housing including a sleeve that forms an air outlet opening and a powered fan within the blower housing for blowing air out of the outlet opening. A tow handle is located on the blower housing above the fan and an indentation is included in the underside surface of the blower housing. The indentation has a shape corresponding to the shape of the tow handle such that the indentation can receive a tow handle from a second dryer to allow stacking of dryers. A maneuvering handle is rotatably connected at a first end to the tow handle. The maneuvering handle extends over the blower housing such that a foot located at the second end of the maneuvering handle rests on the upper surface of the blower housing sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: EDIC
    Inventors: Mark Jacobs, Jess Peña
  • Patent number: 6671977
    Abstract: A lint collector and safety system for the clothes dryer. The lint collector removes lint. The safety system determines whether the flow of exhaust air is above a pre-set level, and causes an interruption of electrical power to the clothes dryer if there is not. The invention provides for more efficient drying of clothes and reduces risk of fires. The system may also include an interruption of electrical power for other malfunctions of clothes dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Boemar Inc.
    Inventor: Bart Donald Beaumont
  • Patent number: 6154978
    Abstract: A method and 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 an 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: May 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: American Dryer Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis Slutsky
  • Patent number: 5974685
    Abstract: In a hand drier for drying the hands by blowing hot wind at the extended hands, a drying time is contracted. Unpleasant feelings are avoided by excessively increasing the hot wind temperature.By perceiving the hands extended to the drying portion 2 with a hand sensor 9, the air is sucked by the fan 7 and the air is heated by the heater 8 to discharge the air to the drying portion 2. The Peltier effect element 6 is arranged in a ventilation passage from the air sucking opening 4 to the discharging opening 3 so that the heat sucking side A may be thermally exchanged for the air within the ventilation passage 5, so as to remove the humidity of the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Yasumasa Hironaka
  • Patent number: 5551168
    Abstract: A continuous-flow, slow grain cooling process including the charging of hot, partially dried grain from a heated-air grain dryer into the top of a grain container in an even layer. The downward flow of grain through the grain container is regulated at a rate that allows the grain to remain in a top steeping zone for from four to twelve hours. After the initially charged grain is held at the steeping temperature for a predetermined steeping time, a controlled upward flow of ambient air is provided to cool the grain in a bottom cooling zone. The air flow is provided at a rate that allows grain to remain in the cooling zone until it is cooled close to the ambient air temperature, but the upward flow is controlled such that it will not cool any grain until it has been properly steeped. Cooled dry grain from a layer near the bottom is then discharged from the bottom of the grain container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry Van Fossen
  • Patent number: 5551170
    Abstract: Refuse 21 in a refuse container 2 is heated by a heater 16, and the steam generated from the refuse 21 is condensed by a condenser 8. The ambient temperature near the refuse container 2 is detected by a first temperature detector 6, and the output of the heater 16 is controlled by the output of the first temperature detector 6 so that the temperature near the refuse container 2 may be a specific temperature, and the temperature of the steam flowing out from the refuse container 2 into the condenser 8 is detected by a second temperature detector 7 at the condenser 8. When the temperature change of the second temperature detector 7 exceeds a specific value, the drying process is terminated, so that the drying end time can be detected accurately without allowing to scorch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Sakatani, Hirofumi Nishida, Yoji Uetani, Yoichi Kuroki, Keiko Hata, Tatsuo Fujita, Tatsuo Kikawa, Seichi Ueno, Yukio Hayashida
  • Patent number: 5551167
    Abstract: A continuous-flow grain steeping and slow grain cooling process and apparatus. The continuous charging of hot, partially dried grain from a heated-air dryer into the top of a grain container in a layer of approximately uniform thickness is accomplished by use of grain spreading equipment. The downward flow of grain through the grain container is regulated by thermostatically controlled sweep and discharge augers located in the bottom of the bin. The grain flows at a rate that allows the grain to remain in a top steeping zone for a predetermined period of time, typically from four to twelve hours. After the initially charged grain is held at the steeping temperature for a predetermined steeping time, a continuous upward flow of ambient air is provided by a fan to cool the grain in a bottom cooling zone. The air flow is controlled by a thermostat to provide air flow at a rate that allows grain to remain in the cooling zone for a predetermined cooling time which is dependent on the airflow rate in cfm/bu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry van Fossen
  • Patent number: 5454171
    Abstract: A clothes dryer includes a drum for accommodating clothes to be dried, a heater and a fan for supplying hot air into the drum in a drying operation, and a temperature sensor sensing the temperature in the drum. A drying operation includes a drying step in which hot air is supplied into the drum and a cooling step in which the heater is deenergized. An intermittent operation is initiated upon completion of the drying operation. The intermittent operation is completed when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor has reached a predetermined value set for preventing occurrence of creases in the clothes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ikeda, Yoshiyuki Makino
  • Patent number: 5452524
    Abstract: A photosensitive material drying method for drying a photosensitive material conveyed along a conveying path, including steps of: training a front surface and a rear surface of the photosensitive material alternately around a plurality of heat rollers whose outer circumferences are heated by heat sources; heating the photosensitive material by an amount of heat provided on a basis of a temperature of the outer circumferences of the heat rollers and on the basis of a time of contact between the photosensitive material and the heat rollers; and evaporating moisture from a surface of the photosensitive material not contacting the heat rollers. High-quality drying can be effected in a small space and with little use of electric power. Efficient drying in which dimensions of films are stable can be carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Isozaki, Mitsuru Katsumata
  • Patent number: 5396716
    Abstract: A drying apparatus includes a plurality of dryer modules, each module creating a drying zone and having a plurality of tubes disposed above and below an upper surface of a conveyor that supports a product within the apparatus for transport therethrough. At least one circulation fan in each module causes heated air to circulate to the tubes, which direct the air flow to impinge upon and dry the product. Each module also includes a burner for heating the air within the module to a desired temperature. The circulation fan and burner of each module are independently controllable, so that the apparatus can produce an air-flow rate and an air temperature in at least one of the drying zones different than the air-flow rate and air temperature in at least one other of the drying zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Smart Machine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Irma H. Smart, Michael A. Edmonds