US3043015A - Domestic appliance - Google Patents

Description

July 10, 1962 B. 1.. BRUCKEN DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 27, 1958 INVENTOR.

Byron L Bracken BY HIS ATETOREY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w e .T\ w 1 a, Z 2 .l

INV ENT OR. Byrd); Z Bracken BY B. BRUCKEN DOMESTIC APPLIANCE July 10, 1962 Filed March 27, 1 958 July 10, 1962 B. L. BRUCKEN DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 5 SheetsSheet 3 Filed March 27, 1958 1 H W. U/ m i a,s43,015 Patented July 10, 1962 3,043,015 DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Byron L. Bracken, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a cerporation of Delaware Fiied Mar. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 724,366 Claims. (61. 34-80) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to an improvement in adsorbent clothes dryers.

In conventional clothes dryers it is the procedure to flow an amount of heated air through a chamber full of clothing that is being tumbled therein. In this manner the length of time necessary to dry the clothing is dependent generally upon the amount of heat which is supplied to the air being circulated through the clothes drying chamber. Where the heat utilized in such a clothes drying process is generated from a normal residential source of power, such as electricity, the amount of heat input available for the clothes drying is limited by the capacity of the power supply. It has been proposed to supplement the heat available for a clothes drying operation from a conventional power supply with heat given up by an adsorbent process. The heat evolved in such an adsorbent process is denoted as a heat of condensation and a heat of wetting. A more complete explanation of the adsorbent clothes drying concepts are set forth in copending application Ser. No. 689,570, filed October 11, 1957, wherein a solid adsorbent or desiccant is disposed in the flow path of the drier air.

In the operation of a clothes dryer using a solid adsorbent 'to remove the moisture from the air being re circulated through the dryer, certain disadvantages ap pear. For one thing, a reasonably large amount of solid adsorbent must be used to adsorb the quantity of moisture found normally in a dryer load of damp clothes. This creates space problems within the dryer cabinet. Furthermore, since the solid adsorbent intercepts or filters substantially all of the air being recirculated through the dryer, dryer use over an extended period will cause a build-up-of very small lint particles on the surface of the solid adsorbent. Such lint build-up impedes air flow and fosters a generally lessening efficiency of the adsorbing process, in particular, and the dryer operation in general.

Servicing problems, too, are created with the use of solid adsorbents which are necessarily bulky. For this reason dryer cabinet design must provide for replacing the solid adsorbent, and thus add to manufacturing costs;

Accordingly, it is-an object of this invention to use a liquid adsorbent or hygroscopic material which has a higher moisture adsorbing capacity than have the solid adsorbents.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a liquid adsorbent'distribution system wherein a spray of adsorbent fluid is interposed in the dryer air stream.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision of a filter interposed in the dryerair stream and over which liquid adsorb-ent is pumped in a manner to minimize lint build-up which could reduce the dryer flow.

Additional advantages are achieved by this invention in an adsorbent dryer provided with means to facilitate draining of a liquid adsorbent from the dryer, whereby lint build-up may be cleaned from the adsorbent.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a clothes drying system which will impart a fabric conditioning to the clothes being dried.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of a clothes dryer provided with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic wiring diagram setting forth one manner in which this invention may be placed in operation.

In accordance with this invention, and with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a clothes dryer shown generally at 10 is provided with a liquid adsorbing arrangement shown generally at 12. The dryer 10 is comprised of side walls 14 16, a front wall 18, a top wall 19 and a rear wall 20. Within the chamber formed between walls 14, 16, 18 and 2% a tumbling drum 22 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 24 which is supported in a universal bearing arrangement 26. A bulkhead 28 extends parallel to the chamber 36 is defined by the perforated rear wall 31 of the drum, the imperforate bulkhead 28 and an annular seal 38 of felt or other suitable material carried by the bulkhead 28 and in sliding engagement with drum rear Wall 31. A second annular chamber 40 is formed adjacent the outflow ports 34 in the drum front wall 29 and is defined by a front bulkhead 42 and an annular seal 44 carried thereby. The front bulkhead 42 is inwardly flanged at 46 into underlying concentric relationship with an overlying flanged neck portion 48 of the tumbling drum, thereby forming a clothes loading access to the tumbling drum interior 27. Axially aligned with the openings formed by flanges 46 and 48, is an access door 50 hingedly mounted at 5 1 on the front wall 18 of the dryer. Disposed below the access door 50, a front duct 52 is arranged in consecutive air flow relationship with the front annular chamber 40 by means of an opening or cutout 54 through juxtaposed front duct wall 53 and bulkhead 42. Immediately behind the front duct 52 and in air flow relationship thereto is a lint disposal housing 55. Within the housing 55, anddisposed to intercept substantially all of the air flowing through the duct 52 is a lint collector or disposer 56. Preferably, the collector 56 includes a lint burning arrangement as taught in copending application S.N. 635,635 filed January 23, 1957, but may be merely a screen for trapping the lint. To facilitate an occasional cleaning of the lint collecting and/ or burning arrangement 56, an access panel 58 is arranged to overlie and snap-fasten to an opening 6% in the front duct 52 and dryer wall 18 through which access may be gained to the lint disposal arrangement 56. In this construction, a vacuum cleaner may be used 'to remove lint from a collecting screen or 'ash from a lint burner. Connected to the lint disposal housing 55, a passageway or conduit 62 leads to an inlet 64 of blower 66 from which point the blower discharges air through an opening 65 into the adsorbent chamber 12, to be described more fully hereinafter. The air is subsequently, discharged from this chamber through an outlet opening as into a regeneration air exhaust chamber or damper housing 70 which selectively connects either to atmosphere through a conduit 138 or to a rear duct 72 through drive the blower 66 through a shaft 82 while simultaneously rotating the tumbling drum' 22 through the pulley system 30; It 'is, therefore, evident that a recirculating or closed air flow path has been provided whereby air impelled by the blower 66 proceeds through an adsorbent chamber 12 to arear duct 72. Air then progresses upwardly in duct 72 past primary heater 78 where it may be warmed preparatory to entering the rear annular chamber 36 and subsequently tumbling drum 22 through drum ports 32. As the heated air circulates in a normal drying cycle, the drum 22 is rotated and the clothing placed therein tumbled in the stream of heated is drawn from the interior 27 of drum 22 into the front annular chamber 40 through ports 34 from which point the air proceeds downwardly in front duct 52, through the lint disposal housing 55, returning again to blower 66 to complete the closed recirculating air system. 7

Reference may now be had to FIGS. 1 and 3 for a more complete description of the adsorbent chamber '12. The chamber 12 is formed with a sloping top wall 84 which is so configured to fit within the'available space beneath the outer periphery of the tumbling drum 22. The chamber 12 is further defined by a front wall 86, a rear wall 88 and a blower inlet wall 90. Thebottom portion of chamber 12 is formed into a liquid containing sump 92 which has an enclosed extension or pump housing'94 projecting from chamber rear Wall 88. It should be noted that the extended portion 94 is at the lowermost point of the sump 92 since a pump 96 resides therein and is driven by a small, fractional horsepower motor 98 to circulate fluid within the chamber 12. .Carried also within the sump 92 is an adsorbent regenerative heater 100, the function of which will be more fully understood hereinafter; Suflice it to say at this point that the heater 100 serves to boil-off the moisture which the liquid desiccant in sump 92 has adsorbed during the clothes drying process. 1

The sump 92. may also be provided with a drain tube 1512 and a supply tube 104 for servicing the liquid adsorbent, either of which tubes may carry a valve for convenience. Disposed within the chamber 12 and completely filling the area between the liquid adsorbent in sump 92 and the chamber walls 84, 86 and '88 is a filter 1060f aluminum or other suitable material. The filter material 106 may be carried in a frame 108 which is provided with an opening 110 on either side of the filter material 106. In a top portion of the'filter' frame 108 -a-s'pray header or sprinkler 112 extends the width of 7 to the. bottom of chamber 12 or sump 92 through inlet 104 until .a' liquid level 105 is reached which sulficiently' covers the bottom 107 of the filter 'material 106 and r egenerativeheater 100. This, then, assures that all air passing through chamber 12 must necessarily pass through the filter 106; Suitable liquid adsorbents maybe found in the'glycol or glycerol groupsuchas glycerine and V eth ylene glycol. With the motor 9 8 energized, the pump 96 will function to circulate the adsorbent fiuid by way of conduit 116 to the spray-header 112, thereby distributing the adsorbent evenly and continuously over the surface of the filter material 106. The fluid will then flow by gravityover the filter fibers until it returns again to sump 92. The pump 96 is circulated continuously during the clothes drying period. In this regard, while the heated air is picking up moisture released from the damp clothes tumbling in its path, the adsorbent fluid is being sprayed over the filter 106 in a manner to intercept all of the moisture-laden air being circulated and to thereby adsorb moisture from the air.

After the clothes are dried, it is generally desirable to remove the moisture adsorbed by the desiccant. For this purpose a regenerative heater 100 is disposed within the sump 92- and submerged in the adsorbing fluid. Although the arrangement here described contemplates a regenerating of the adsorbent at the conclusion of each drying cycle, it should'be noted that regeneration of the adsorbent is dictated solely by the moisture adsorbing capacity of the desiccant. Therefore, it should be apparent that an arrangement could easily be devised whereby the adsorbent fluid is regenerated only when it has adsorbed its full moisture capacity.

During the regeneration process it is desirable to cease rotating the tumbling drum 22 and to exhaust to the atmosphere any moisture which is being heated or boil olf the adsorbent liquid in sump 92. To further the first of these aims, a conventional spring clutch 118 is adapted partly to overlie a drive portion 120 of drum support shaft 24 and partly to overlie a shaft stub portion 122?. which is integral with pulley hub 124. In this respect it should be noted that the shaft stub 122 is drilled to receive a reduced diameter extension 126 of drum support shaft 24 to retain the shafts 24- and 122 is concentric, relatively rotatable relationship. One terminus or boss 128 of the spring clutch projects radially upwardly into the path of an arm 130 pivotally mounted at 132 to move in response to the action of solenoid 134. With the solenoid 134 energized, arm 130 is pivoted into blocking engagement with spring clutch boss 128 thereby relaxing the tension of the spring convolutions 118 to allow the pulley system to rotate freely -without driving the tumbling drum 22, i.e.', the pulley shaft'portion 122 merely idles on drum shaft extension 126.

To effect the exhaust of the moisture-laden air during regeneration of the adsorbent, the passageway or damper housing 70, extending between the adsorbent chamber 12 and rear duct 72, mounts'an air outlet stub connection 136 which projects through the wall of passageway 70. Extending from the stub 1136 to any point outside the dryer 10 is a conduit 138 which is preferably fiexible.-

It should be: noted that conduit 13% may be considerably smaller than the conventional: 3" and 4" dryer vents, as outlined more fully in the aforementioned copending application. Disposed the passageway 70, a damper 140, is adapted to overlie and seal outlet stub 136 during normal dryer operation. However, throughout a regeneration cycle, a solenoid 142 is energized to pivot damper 140 into air sealing engagement with rear duct outlet 74. Thus, with motor 80 driving blower 66, moisture boiled from the adsorbent in sump 92 is carried through conduit 138 to the outside atmosphere. Air flow during regenerationis' necessarily reduced in accordance -with' the size of outlet stub 136 which has been found to produce satisfactory air flow when approximately 1 tol /2" indiameter. In addition, sufiicient leakage is found to occur along the sliding engagement 7 between drum 22 and seals 38 and 34 to provide makeup air for the amount exhausted toatmosphere during regeneration; Y I

In operation the features of thisinvention will best be understood with reference to the schema-tic wiring diagram of FIG. 4 wherein similar elements carry the '75 until door 50 is closed. Timer-dial (not shown) is then turned to cause a cam 146, within a conventional timer 148 to bias switch blade 158 downwardly into engagement with switch blades 160 and 162. In this manner the drying cycle is initiated. The motor or prime mover 80 is energized by way of L line 164, contact blade 158, contact blade 160, line 166, line 168, the motor 80, and the door switch 144 to L The main heater circuit includes a safety switch 170, disposed above the primary heater 78 in rear duct 72 and a cycling thermostat 172 disposed in front duct 52. The safety switch 170 serves to eliminate dangerous high temperatures within the heater chamber, while the thermostat i172 operates to cycle the heater 78 in maintaining a selected drying temperature within the tumbling drum 22. As a further assurance against undue temperature rise within the dryer, a motor interlock switch 174 actuated centrifugally by the rotation of motor 80 is closed whenever the motor is in operation. With the components just described in circuit and the dryer dial set as aforesaid, the main heater 78 will be energized from L through line '164, timer blade 158, timer blade 160, timer blade 162, line 176, heater control switches 170 and 172, safety switches 144 and 174 to the other side of the line L The pump motor 98 is similarly energized but bypasses the heater control switches 170 and 172. In this same operation, the timer motor 178 is energized from L line 164, timer blade 158, timer blade 1160, line 166, line 188, switch 182, the timer motor and line 184, switches 144 and 174, to L This timer induced relationship of the pump motor 98, heater 78 and motor 80 maintains throughout the time interval selected on the timer 148.

Immediately upon energization of motor 80, a thermal relay 186 is energized to close a switch 188 in the regeneration circuit. At the conclusion of the drying cycle, timer cam 146 will cause timer blade 158 to disengage timer blades 168 and 162 and permit engagement with regeneration circuit contact v190. The regeneration circuit includes a normally closed thermostat 192 which operates to terminate the regeneration process. A second thermostat 194 may be included within the adsorbent sump 92 to insure against explosion hazards or excessive overheating of the liquid adsorbent. In this regard the thermostat 194 will act to open the circuit leading to the regenerative heater 100.

With the clothes drying cycle completed and the dryer contacts disposed to place timer blade 158 in engagement with contact 190, a solenoid 196 is thus energized by way of L line 164, timer blade 158, timer contact 190, regenerative thermostat 192, thermal relay actuated. regenerative circuit arming switch 188, line 198 to L This energization of solenoid 196 will reverse the positions of switches 200, 202 and 182 from those shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the timer motor will be prevented from operating during regeneration by open switch 182. However, the regeneration process will be initiated from L timer blade 158, contact 190, solenoid switch 202, solenoid switch 280, line 204, sump high limit thermostat 194, regenerative heater 100 to L through motor safety switch 174 and door switch 144. In the same circuit relationship solenoid 134 will be energized to relax the action of spring clutch 118 on shaft segment 120 of drum shaft 24 to per? mit the drum 22 to remain motionless, while motor 80 operates to drive the blower 66 in exhausting moistureladen air. Furthermore, solenoid 142 is energized at the same time to place exhaust damper 140 in air flow sealing relationship to the rear duct opening 74, as shown in phantom in FIG. 3. During the regeneration process the motor 80 continues to operate, receiving power from L line 164, timer blade 158, contact 190', solenoid switch 202, line 180, line 168, door switch 144 to L The blower 66 thus continues to operate, sending a reduced air flow through the adsorbent chamber 12 due to the restricted air exhaust outlet afforded by the conduit 138. As the heater 100 boils off the moisture from the liquid adsorbent, the reduced air flow carries this moisture from 8 chamber 12 by way of outlet 68 and through stub outlet 136 to the exhaust conduit 138.

In the regeneration process, temperatures will remain substantially constant within the air above the liquid sump while the moisture is being given up by the adsorbent. As

this process nears its termination, the sensible temperature of the air will rise markedly to open the regeneration thermostat 192, thereby terminating the regeneration process and placing the timer 148 in condition for a sub-' tating means, means to spray an adsorbent fluid into the air leaving said drum to increase the temperature of said air a second amount without energization from said external power source, sump means for receiving said adsorbent fluid, second heating means adjacent said sump means for regenerating said adsorbent fluid, and means including air flow reduction means for discharging air periodi cally from said aid duct system concurrently with the energization of said second heating means.

2. A clothes dryer, including an outer cabinet, a tumbling drum rotatable in said cabinet, means for rotating said drum, means for disconnecting said drum from said rotating means, said tumbling drum having perforated front and rear walls, a front duct in communication with said front wall, a rear duct in communication with said rear wall, first heating means in said rear duct, an adsorbent distribution system including a spray chamber, a sump in said chamber, anadsorbent in said sump, spray means above said sump and in air flow intercepting relationship between said front and rear ducts and adsorbent circulating means connecting said sump to said spray means, second heating means associated with said sump, a blower having aninlet connected to said front duct and operable to circulate air in a closed circuit including said tumbling drum, said spray chamber and said rear duct, bypass means including a damper between the spray chamber and said rear duct for selectively blocking said rear duct to discharge air from said closed circuit, and a circuit means including a timer for concurrently deenergizing said first heating means and energizing said second heating means, said disconnecting means, said bypass means and said blower after said clothes are dried for regenerating said adsorbent.

3. A clothes dryer, including, a drum for said clothes, means to rotate said drum, means providing a closed circuit air system incorporating said drum, heating means for said drum, means for circulating air through said air duct system, a liquid adsorbent arrangement adapted to filter air leaving said drum including a sump for said adsorbent, a filter element and means for directing said adsorbent over said filter element, heating means adjacent said sump for regenerating said liquid adsorbent, means including air flow reduction means in said duct system for discharging air periodically from said air duct system concurrently with the energization of said heating means for regenerating said liquid adsorbent, and means to interrupt the rotation of said drum during said discharge.

4. In combination, a clothes dryer having a cabinet, a perforated drum rotatably supported in said cabinet, means for selectively rotating said drum including a power driven shaft secured to said drum and rotatable therewith and a spring clutch on said shaft adapted for unidirectional shaft rotation, means providing a normally closed air flow system including said drum, a duct and a fan for circulating air through said duct and said drum, a first heater in said closed system for aiding in the removal of moisture from said clothes, means for collecting lint from said air, an adsorbent fluid arrangement for removing moisture from'said air including an adsorbent fluid, a spray means in said duct, a sump and a pump for circulating said fluid from said sump to said spray means and into moisture removing relationship to said air, a filter in said closed system over which said fluid is sprayed, a second 'heater in said sump tor aiding in the subsequent removal or moisture from said adsorbent fluid, a relatively small bypass connected to said duct downstream from said sump and openable to said duct concurrently with the energization of said second heater for periodically discharging to the outside atmosphere the moisture removed from said air, and means for terminating the rotation of said drum during the opera- 1 tion of said second heater.

tionship between said front and rear ducts for removing moisture from the airflow intercepted and depositing said moisture in said sump,"second heating means associated with said sump, a blower having an inlet connected to said front duct and operable to circulate air heated by said first heating'means in a closed circuit including said tumbling drum, said moisture removal chamber and said rear duct to remove moisture from said clothes, bypass means including a damper between the moisture removal chamber and said rear duct for selectively discharging air from said closed circuit, and a circuit means including a timer for concurrently deenergizing said first heating means and energizing said second heating means and said bypass means after said clothes are dried for removing'the moisture from saidclothes dryer to the atmosphere.

References Cited in the file .of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 910,525 I Gardner Jan. 26, 1909 2,066,847 McShe'a Jan. 5, 1937 2,162,158 Coey June 13, 1939 2,249,624 Bichowsky July 15, 1941 2,675,628 ONeil Apr. 20, 1954 2,695,450 Clark Nov. 30, 1954

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