Portable, collapsible clothes dryer

Abstract

A portable, collapsible clothes dryer, for use in drying small articles of clothing while traveling and/or for use in households with limited space, is composed of a cylindrical collapsible central housing with an inlet opening at the bottom, an airflow adapter at the inlet to attach a portable hair dryer, a spin-able clothes hanger, and a removable top member with air exhaust vents. When collapsed, the assembly assumes a compact, flat disk shape. When expanded, the portable hair dryer can blow hot air into the housing, forming a vortex stream within the cylindrical enclosure that exits through the exhaust vents in the top. The top member can be removed to attach articles of clothing to the spin-able clothes hanger. The unit is designed such that the vortex air stream that flows upward within the cylindrical enclosure and out the upper exhaust vents spins the clothes hanger with the articles of clothing, thereby ensuring complete coverage of the hot air over the clothing surfaces and speeding the drying time.

Claims

1. A portable and collapsible clothes dryer adapted to operate in combination with a conventional hair dryer having a heating element, an air blower for passing air across said heating element and a hot air outlet nozzle, said clothes dryer comprising, in combination: (a) a collapsible dryer housing having an inlet opening for the ingress of air from the hot air outlet nozzle of the hair dryer and at least one outlet opening for the egress of air, said dryer housing comprising a top member and at least one side member forming an upstanding enclosure w with a top, a bottom and a central vertical axis when in an operable configuration, said housing enclosure being collapsible from top to bottom to reduce its size when in a storage configuration, at least one of said housing members being openable for insertion and removal of items of clothing into and from the enclosure; and (b) a clothes holder, configured to be removably mounted within the housing adjacent the top thereof when the housing is in the operable configuration, and having at least one clip for attaching a clothing item thereto, said holder being thereby adapted to hang at least one clothing item inside the housing, wherein the clothes holder is configured to rotate about the central vertical axis when the housing is in the operable configuration, and wherein the clothes holder is supported from the top member by means of a bearing which allows for rotation thereof about the central vertical axis with respect to the top member; wherein said inlet opening of said housing is disposed adjacent one end and the at least one outlet opening disposed adjacent an opposite end thereof when the housing is in the operable configuration, and wherein said inlet opening is oriented to direct hot air from the hair dryer substantially horizontally and to one side of the central vertical axis to thereby create a vortex flow of air around said axis within the housing enclosure.

2. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is adjacent the bottom and the at least one outlet opening is adjacent the top of the housing enclosure.

3. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, wherein the housing enclosure is cylindrical in shape when in the operable configuration.

4. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises at least one spring member arranged to maintain separation between the top and the bottom of the housing enclosure when the enclosure is in the operable configuration.

5. The clothes dryer defined in claim. 1, wherein the side members of the housing are made of a flexible material.

6. The clothes dryer defined in claim 5, wherein the side members of the housing are made of a textile fabric.

7. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, wherein the side members of the housing form a bellows which is collapsible from the operable configuration to the storage configuration.

8. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a bottom member, attached to the at least one side member.

9. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, wherein the top member is removable from the housing enclosure, to allow insertion and removal of the clothes holder.

10. The clothes dryer defined in claim 9, wherein the clothes holder is attachable to the top member.

11. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, wherein at least one outlet opening is disposed in the top member.

12. The clothes dryer defined in claim 11, wherein the outlet opening includes a plurality of slots in the top member.

13. The clothes dryer defined in claim 12, wherein the slots extend radially outward from a central point in the top member.

14. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, further comprising an electrical outlet for connecting the hair dryer and an electric switch for turning electric power to the hair dryer on and off.

15. The clothes dryer defined in claim 14, wherein the electric switch is operative to automatically turn off power to the hair dryer after a predetermined period of time.

16. The clothes dryer defined in claim 15, further comprising a temperature sensor attached to the housing enclosure and connected to the electric switch, said sensor being operative to measure the temperature inside the housing enclosure and to cause said switch to turn off power to the hair dryer when the measured temperature reaches a predetermined value.

17. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, wherein the clothes holder includes a plurality of fan blades which cause it to rotate about the central vertical axis due to the flow of air through the housing enclosure.

18. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, further comprising an electric motor, coupled to the clothes holder, which causes the clothes holder to rotate about the central vertical axis.

19. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, further comprising a removable lint filter arranged on said housing adjacent the at least one outlet opening.

20. The clothes dryer defined in claim 1, further comprising manually adjustable means for varying the size of said at least one outlet opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable, collapsible clothes dryer according to the present invention, shown in its fully expanded, operable configuration.

(2) FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 showing the top plate installed with a single clothes hanger attached.

(3) FIG. 3 is a cut-away view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 with the top plate removed and with a single clothes hanger attached thereto by means of a low-friction bearing, thereby to allow clothes to rotate within the cylindrical enclosure due to the vortex airflow produced by an attached hair dryer.

(4) FIG. 4 is a cut-away view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 with the top plate removed and with a double clothes hanger attached for holding multiple articles of clothing.

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 in collapsed state, suitable for storage.

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 showing the relationship of the major components.

(7) FIG. 7 is a cut-away view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 showing details of an embodiment having fan blades for assisting in rotating the clothes hanger.

(8) FIG. 8 is a cut-away view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 showing details of an embodiment with a battery-powered motor for rotating the clothes hanger.

(9) FIG. 9 is a cut-away view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 showing details of an embodiment with a mains-powered motor for rotating the clothes hanger.

(10) FIG. 10 is a phantom view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 showing a large coil spring for holding the dryer enclosure open when in the operable configuration and allowing the enclosure to collapse for transport and storage.

(11) FIG. 11 is a cut-away view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 showing details of an embodiment with bellows forming the side wall members of the housing enclosure.

(12) FIG. 12 is a detailed view of the top member of the housing, showing the relationship of two discs that rotate relative to each other to vary the size of the vent openings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(13) The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with referenced to FIGS. 1-10 of the drawings. Identical elements shown in the various figures are designated with the same reference numerals.

(14) FIG. 1 shows the portable and collapsible clothes dryer according to the invention in perspective view. The dryer 10 in this embodiment has a housing, comprising a circular top member 12 and a cylindrical side member 14, that forms an enclosure. Near the bottom of the enclosure is an inlet opening 16 in the side member 14 for receiving hot air from a portable hair dryer accessory 18. The top member 12 is provided with a plurality of outlet openings, in the form of slots 20, that extend radially outward about the center point 22 thereof. The number and/or the size of these slots 20 are preferably adjustable, for example by means of a rotatable disc (not shown) on the upper surface of the top member 12 and pivoted about at the center point 22, having vent openings for respectively opening and closing portions of the slots.

(15) FIG. 2 shows the clothes dryer 10 in cut-away view. As may be seen in this figure, the housing includes a circular bottom member 24 that supports the side member 14. The enclosure, so formed, defines a central vertical axis 26-26, as shown in dashed lines.

(16) The inlet opening 16 is oriented such that hot air introduced into the enclosure by the hair dryer is directed substantially horizontally to one side of the central vertical axis, thereby to create a vortex flow of air around this axis, as illustrated by the arrow in FIG. 3.

(17) FIG. 3 shows the clothes dryer 10 with the top member 12 removed. Beneath the top member is suspended a clothes holder element 28, having clips 30 for hanging one or more small articles of clothing: lingerie, blouses, socks, handkerchiefs, T-shirts, undershorts and the like. The clothes holder is suspended at the center point 22 by means of a low-friction bearing 32 that allows its rotation with the vortex of air. To facilitate transport and storage, the clothes holder is removable from the top member and/or the bearing 32.

(18) FIG. 4 shows a similar configuration to that of FIG. 3, except that the clothes holder 28 is formed with two levelsan upper level 28a and lower level 28bconnected by a common central support member 34. Each level includes clothing clips, 30a and 30b respectively, for hanging clothes.

(19) The side member 14 of the housing enclosure is preferably made of a fire-retardant textile fabric, allowing the enclosure to be collapsed for storage or transport, as shown in FIG. 5. When erected, the side member is held upright by a metal spring, as explained below in connection with FIG. 10.

(20) FIG. 6 is an assembly diagram showing the main components of the portable, collapsible clothes dryer: the side member 14 with the inlet opening 16, the top member 12 with the outlet openings (slots) 20, and the clothes holder 28 with the clips 30 for hanging clothes.

(21) FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate three different embodiments that provide a force for rotation of the clothes holder. In FIG. 7 fan blades 36 have been added in the path of the vortex flow of air, just below the outlet openings 20 in the top member 12. In FIG. 8 a battery-powered D.C. motor 38 is connected to rotate the central support member 34 of the clothes holder; in FIG. 9 an electric motor 40 is powered by an electric wire plugged into a wall socket or to a power strip 42, associated with the clothes dryer, that is also used to power the hair dryer 18.

(22) According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the power strip is responsive to a temperature sensor 44 that switches off the power to the hair dryer when the temperature of the enclosure exceeds a safe level. The power strip can also include a timer to automatically switch off the hair dryer after a predetermined time.

(23) FIG. 10 illustrates how the housing enclosure of the clothes dryer according to the invention can be expanded and held in its operable configuration when in use. A coil spring 42 (shown not to scale) with a diameter matching the width of the enclosure biases apart the top and bottom to the fullest extent permitted by the side member(s). The enclosure is also collapsible to the storage configuration shown in FIG. 5.

(24) FIG. 11 shows an alternative embodiment of the enclosure for the clothes dryer according to the present invention. In this embodiment the side member 14 is designed as a bellows so that the flexible material forming the side member 14 collapses evenly when the enclosure is compressed for travelling and/or storage. The coil spring 42 fits neatly between the folds of the bellows.

(25) FIG. 12 is a detailed view of the top member 12. In this preferred embodiment the top member is comprised of two discs, an upper disc 44a and a lower disc 44b. The upper disc is rotatably connected to the lower disc by means of a center rivet 46. By rotating the upper disc 44a, the user is able to vary the size of the vent openings 20, thereby regulating the airflow within the enclosure and adjusting the temperature.

(26) There has thus been shown and described a novel portable and collapsible clothes dryer which fulfills all the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims which follow.