Abstract
A dryer assembly is for drying garments, the dryer assembly having: a housing with an air inlet and an outlet; a centrifugal impeller for generating a flow of air from the inlet to the outlet, the centrifugal impeller having backwardly curved blades and being adapted to draw in air through the inlet in a direction parallel its rotational axis and to distribute the air radially out into an internal chamber of the housing, the chamber being formed so as to guide the air radially from the impeller towards the outlet, a control unit adapted to control the impeller based on input from a user; and an adapter having an inlet connected to the outlet of the housing and one or more outlets through which air from the dryer housing may flow to dry garment placed around, at or near the outlet, the adapter being releasably connected to the housing.
Claims
1. A dryer assembly for drying garments, the dryer assembly comprising: a housing with an air inlet and an outlet; a centrifugal impeller for generating a flow of air from the inlet to the outlet, the centrifugal impeller having backwardly curved blades and being adapted to draw in air through the inlet in a direction parallel its rotational axis and to distribute the air radially out into an internal chamber of the housing, the chamber being formed so as to guide the air radially from the impeller towards the outlet, a control unit adapted to control the impeller based on input from a user; and an adapter having an inlet connected to the outlet of the housing and one or more outlets through which air from the dryer housing may flow to dry garment placed around, at or near the outlet, the adapter being releasably connected to the housing.
2. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a ceramic heating element provided between the inlet and the outlet, the ceramic heating element preferably being adjustable between two or more different heating temperatures, wherein the control unit is also adapted to control the ceramic heating element based on input from the user.
3. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, the housing further comprising an air ioniser provided between the inlet and the outlet.
4. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the impeller is connected to a brushless DC motor operable via an electronic power supply.
5. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, where the dryer assembly is adapted to generate an outlet airflow up to 150 m3/h, preferably between 50-120 m3/h and even more preferably around 100 m3/h.
6. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed with an outlet with a diameter of 30-50 mm, preferably around 40 mm or where the housing is connected to the adapter via a transition piece narrowing the outlet down to a diameter of 30-50 mm, preferably around 40 mm.
7. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the impeller is adapted to operate at an efficiency between 10-25 W, preferably 15-20 W.
8. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein inlet diameter is 48-88 mm, preferably around 68 mm.
9. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outlet has a width of 64-104 mm, preferably around 84 mm and a height of 40-60 mm, preferably around 50 mm.
10. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the impeller blades are formed with an inlet angle (?) of 40-50 degrees, preferably around 45 degrees, and an outlet angle (?) of 45-65 degrees, preferably around 55 degrees.
11. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the impeller has a heigh of 27.5 mm to 47.5 mm, preferably around 37.5 mm.
12. The dryer assembly according to claim 11, wherein the adapter is a tree-like structure where the one or more outlets are defined by the branches of the tree-like structure.
13. The dryer assembly according to claim 12, wherein the trunk of the tree-like adapter has a diameter which is 3-5 times, preferably about 4 times, that of the branches.
14. The dryer assembly according to claim 13, wherein the trunk of the tree-like adapter has a diameter of about 40 mm and where the branches have a diameter of about 10 mm.
15. The dryer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is formed as a coat hanger.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] In the following described examples of preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0036] FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective view, a dryer apparatus according to the present invention;
[0037] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the control panel from FIG. 1;
[0038] FIG. 3 shows, in a partially cut-away view, a dryer assembly according to the invention;
[0039] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a fan as used in a dryer apparatus according to the invention;
[0040] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a fan as used in a dryer apparatus according to the prior art;
[0041] FIG. 6 shows a first embodiment of a dryer assembly according to the invention;
[0042] FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of a dryer assembly according to the invention;
[0043] FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of a dryer assembly according to the invention;
[0044] FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of a dryer assembly according to the invention;
[0045] FIG. 10 shows in a perspective view an impeller as used in a drying apparatus according to the invention;
[0046] FIGS. 11-12 show, in a schematic top view, the impeller from FIG. 10; and
[0047] FIGS. 13-15 show, in exploded views, dryer assemblies according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0048] In the following the reference numeral 1 will be used to denote a dryer, whereas reference numeral 10 refers to a dryer assembly according to the invention. The drawings are shown schematic and simplified, and various features therein are not necessarily drawn to scale.
[0049] FIG. 1 shows a dryer 1. The dryer 1 comprises a housing 2 with an inlet 4, as indicated in FIG. 3, on the backside of the housing 2, and an outlet 6. The housing 2 is formed with a general circular cross-section. In the shown embodiment, the outlet 6 is provided at the top of the housing 2 in a position of use. In other embodiments, the outlet may be provided at the bottom of the housing 2, as will be shown in and discussed with reference to FIG. 7, or on one of the sides of the housing 2. In the shown embodiment, the dryer 1 includes a transition piece 12, herein the form of a nozzle, defining a transition between the housing 2 of the dryer 1 and an adapter 44 as will be shown with reference to FIGS. 3, 6-9. On a front side of the housing 2 is provided a user operable control panel 14, which is shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2. In the shown embodiment, the control panel 14 is digital, but may in other embodiments be analogue. The control panel 14 is rotatable 180 degrees in the housing 2 so that it may be used both for hanging and standing embodiments, as will be shown with reference to e.g. FIGS. 6 and 7. The control panel 14 is connected to a control unit 48, see FIG. 3, through which the different parts of the dryer 1 may be controlled. As can be seen in the enlarged view, a main on/off switch 16 is provided to manually switch the dryer assembly 10 on/off. The airflow may be controlled by a button 18 adapted to regulate the rotational frequency of an impeller 20, such as to regulate the flow of air up to 150 m3/h, depending i.a. on the number of outlets in the adapter as will be explained in the following. In one embodiment, the impeller 20, as shown in FIG. 3, may be adjustable to operate at a rotational frequency up to 7000 rpm, preferably between 4300 to 5300 rpm and even more preferably around 4800 rpm. A timer setting button 22 may be used to set a timer for how long the dryer 1 should be operating before switching automatically off. A heat setting button 28 may be used to switch between different heat settings, such as between an output air temperature of 37, 45, or 60 degrees Celsius as explained above. The dryer 1 may also be provided with an ozonator activation button 24, for switching on/off an ozonator 40 as shown in FIG. 3. Lights 30, 32, 34 for temperature, time, and airflow, respectively, are provided to indicate the chosen values.
[0050] FIG. 3 shows, in a partially cut-away view, a dryer assembly 10 according to the invention. The centrifugal impeller 20 is placed slightly off-centre in the circular housing 2 of the dryer 1. The impeller 20 is rotated by means of not shown brushless DC motor via an electronic power supply 48, implying that the dryer 1 may be connected directly to a normal AC outlet in a household. The electronic power supply 48 is, in the shown embodiment, provided in a common housing 2 with the control unit. This external connection/cord is not shown in the drawing for simplicity. The inlet 4 is, as mentioned above, provided at the back of the housing 2. In the shown embodiment, the inlet 4 has a diameter of approximately 68 mm while the outer diameter of the centrifugal impeller is about 114 mm. The centrifugal impeller 20 draws in air through the inlet 4 in a direction parallel its rotational axis R and distributes the air radially out into an internal chamber 36 of the housing 2, the chamber 36 formed so as to guide the air towards the outlet 6. In the shown embodiment, the outlet 6 has a diameter of approximately 84 mm and height of 50 mm. Across the outlet 6 a ceramic heating element 38 is schematically shown. Both the inlet 4 and outlet 6 may be provided with a safety grid for child safety and/or to prevent alien objects to enter the impeller. An ozonator 40 is provided for adding small amounts of ozone to the air flowing out of the apparatus, where the ozone may inactivate bacteria, remove odour etc. The dryer may be provided with an air ioniser as an alternative or addition to the ozonator 40. The ozonator activation button 24 may be replace by an air ioniser activation button or the control panel may be provided with an addition button for activating the air ioniser. The impeller 20 includes a plurality of blades 42, the blades curving backwardly relative to the rotation of the impeller, implying that the impeller in FIG. 3 is rotating counter-clockwise. In the shown embodiment, the impeller 20 includes eight blades 42. As explained above, the backward curvature increases the pressure of the air on the outlet side, which has been found to be highly preferable for being able to push the air into and trough garments that are being dried. In the shown embodiment, the blades 42 are formed with an inlet angle ? of 45 degrees and an outlet angle a of 55 degrees as measured relative to a tangent T of the inner and outer diameters om the impeller 20 as best seen in FIGS. 11-12. The height of the impeller is preferably in the range 32.5 mm to 47.5 mm, whereas the impeller 20 in the shown embodiment has a height of 37.5 mm. The housing 2 provides a tight fit under and above the impeller 2 and is formed with flat upper and lower surfaces for improved flow of air and noise reduction.
[0051] The dryer 1 can act as a stand-alone unit or be attached to a drying adapter 44 so as to define a dryer assembly 10 as claimed herein. The transition piece 12 may be used so that one and the same dryer 1 may be applicable for use with different adapters 44. In FIG. 3, the transition piece 12, here in the form of a nozzle, narrows the outlet cross-section from rectangular 84?50 mm to a circular diameter of about 40 mm, corresponding to a central flow path 46 of the adapter 44, which is only partially shown in FIG. 3. The adapter 44, as will become clearer with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, has a tree-like structure. Outlets 50 on the adapter, herein the form and branches 51 on the tree, has a diameter of about 10 mm. The diameter ratio of about 4/1 between the trunk 46 and the branches 51/outlets 50 ensures that the pressure drop into the branches is not too high at the bottom of the tree, while the resistance is sufficiently low to avoid undesired noise effects and to maintain a high throughput of air. In experiments, the present applicant has found that a flow of air of 10-14 m3/h per outlet 50 in the adapter 44, preferably around 12 m3/h per outlet 50, provides a high drying efficiency when combined with a static air pressure of about 250 Pa, corresponding to a total pressure of about 300 Pa. The electronic power supply and control unit 48 is shown schematically inside the housing 2 to the upper left of the impeller 20.
[0052] FIG. 4 shows, very schematically, the principle of backwardly curved blades 42. where the blades curve away from a pressure side 52 towards a suction side 54 of the blades. The backwardly curved blades 42 are curved backwards from the inner to outer edge, relative to the direction of motion. A pressure side 52 and a suction side 54 are created when both impeller designs rotate, but it is the difference in pressure distribution of this suction and pressure side that makes a backwardly curved blade push air directly outwards/radially, allowing for pressure build-up, compared to catapulting it in a forward tangential direction, generating high velocities and airflows. It should be noted that the impellers shown schematically in FIGS. 4 and 5 are rotated in a clock-wise direction, i.e. opposite of the impeller 20 shown in FIG. 3.
[0053] In FIG. 6, an embodiment of a dryer assembly 10 according to the invention is shown. The dryer 1 is releasably connected, via transition piece 12, to a tree-like adapter 44. The adapter 44 is modular in the sense that it comprises three individual adapter units 56 assembled together, where each of the adapter units 56 is formed with a central trunk unit 58 and four branches 51; two on each side. The outlets 50 are provided at distal ends of the branches 51. The three adapter units 56 together define the trunk 46/central flow portion of the adapter 44. Each trunk unit 56 and/or each branch 51 may be provided with a not shown valve to optimize air consumption and flow in case all branches/outlets are not in use. In the shown embodiment, the trunk 46 is formed with an internal diameter of about 40 mm, while the branches have a diameter of about 10 mm. The total flow of air is preferably about 12 m3/h per branch, which in the shown embodiment, with 12 branches, amounts to about 144 m3/h. At the top of the adapter a hook 59 is provided so that the assembly 10 may be hung freely on a wall, in a wardrobe etc. The trunk and/or branches may be made from plastics, metals wood or a combination thereof.
[0054] In FIG. 7 a similar embodiment is shown, but where the dryer 1 is connected to the adapter 44 at the bottom of the dryer 1. The assembly 10 is provided with a not shown wall mount to mount the assembly 10 permanently to a not shown wall.
[0055] FIG. 8 shows an alternative use of dryer assembly 10 according to the invention, where the dryer 1 is releasably connected to an adapter 44 in the form of a hollow coat hanger formed with a plurality of outlets 50. Air blows from dryer 1, into the hollow coat hanger 44, out from the outlets 50 and through a not shown garment and into a storage bag 60 in which various garments may be placed/hung for quick drying. The storage bag 60 is formed will be formed with not shown holes to allow the air to flow out of it. The housing 2 of the dryer 1 is provided with a hook 59 so that the assembly 10 may be hung freely on a wall, in a wardrobe etc.
[0056] FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of a dryer assembly 10 according to the invention, where the dryer 1 is releasably connected to an adapter in the form of a hose manifold 44. In this embodiment, the air is distributed in parallel to four flexible and extendible hoses 53. The hoses 53 may in one embodiment be made from plastic or reinforced plastic, such as steel-reinforced plastic. In alternative embodiments, there may be one, two, three, five or six hoses.
[0057] FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of an impeller 20 as used in a dryer assembly 10 according to the invention. The direction of flow of air through the impeller is indicated with arrows in the drawing. As explained herein, the blades 42 are curved backwardly relative to the rotational direction (clockwise in the shown embodiment). The blades are non-curved along the rotational/inlet/z axis and are formed with a uniform thickness.
[0058] FIGS. 11 and 12 show the impeller 20 from FIG. 10 in a top view with the upper ring removed for clarity. As can be seen, the blades 42 are connected to an inner hub 62 of the impeller 20. The angle between the blades 42 and a tangent line T at the hub 62 defines the inlet angle ?. In the shown embodiment, the hub 62 is formed with a diameter of about 40 mm, and the inlet angle ? is about 45 degrees. As can be seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, the blades 42 curve in the horizontal plane towards a mid-section 64 (only indicated in FIG. 11) from which the blades 42 extend in a straight portion 65 towards the outer edge/diameter 66. In the shown embodiment, this midsection 64 has a diameter of about 70 mm, whereas the outer diameter/edge 66 has a diameter of 114 mm. The outlet angle ?, i.e. the angle between each of the blades 44 and tangent line T at the outer edge is about 55 degrees.
[0059] FIG. 13 shows a dryer assembly 10 similar to the one from FIG. 9 in an exploded view. A bracket 68 may be used to mount the dryer 1 to a surface, such as a wall, and a cord 70 for external connection to a household AC supply is also shown.
[0060] FIG. 14 shows a dryer assembly 10 similar to the one from FIG. 6 in an exploded view, though with only two adapter units 56 shown. As in FIG. 6, the adapter units include a central trunk unit 58 and four branches 51 each with outlets 50 at their distal ends. As can be seen in the drawing, the trunk units 58 connect to each other via a connector 72 in the form of a snap-lock nipple/male sleeve coupling. Similar connectors also connect the lower trunk unit 58 to the adapter 21, while a slightly different single-sided version 73 of the connector is integrated in the hook 59 for connection to the upper trunk unit 58. The connectors 72, 73 enable simple assembly/disassembly of the different parts of the adapter, as well as connection of the adapter to the housing 2 of the dryer 1, emphasizing the modularity of the dryer assemblies 10 according to the invention.
[0061] FIG. 15 shows a dryer assembly 10 similar to the one from FIG. 7 in an exploded view, though with only two adapter units 56 shown. Connectors 72 releasably connect the adapter 44, via the transition piece 12, to the upper trunk unit 58 and the trunk units 58 to each other. The lower end of the lower trunk unit 58 is blinded by an end cap/single sided connector 74. The dryer may be supported/hung off in a wall-mountable bracket 68, while an additional wall-mountable support member 75 may be used to provided additional support to the adapter units 56 on a wall.
[0062] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb comprise and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article a or an preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.
[0063] The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
