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Method and apparatus to prevent deflagration in dryers

a dryer and dryer technology, applied in the direction of dryers, other washing machines, textiles and paper, etc., can solve the problems of increasing the likelihood of inrush of air, flaming combustion, and fire, and reducing the likelihood of fir

Inactive Publication Date: 2009-10-01
WHIRLPOOL CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is about a device and process to detect if there is a fire in a household dryer and initiate a cycle to prevent explosions. The device measures the level of carbon monoxide in the dryer to determine if there is a fire.

Problems solved by technology

When the blower is off, the better sealing of the drum provides such little flow of air into the drum that if there were ever a fire in the drum the fire could be a smoldering fire because there is insufficient air for full combustion.
In addition, the carbon monoxide may increase the pressure within the airtight dryer, which, if great enough, may deleteriously stress the door, increasing the likelihood of an inrush of air and a flaming combustion.

Method used

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  • Method and apparatus to prevent deflagration in dryers
  • Method and apparatus to prevent deflagration in dryers
  • Method and apparatus to prevent deflagration in dryers

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0012]Referring now to FIG. 1 an embodiment of the invention is illustrated comprising a household dryer 10 according to one embodiment of the invention for drying clothing and other fabric items, such as towels, sheets, and blankets, having a cabinet 12 having an open face, a controller 38 having a user interface 14 for controlling operation of the dryer 10, a door 16 hingedly mounted to a front wall 20 of the cabinet 12, a rear wall 24, and a pair of side walls 22 supporting a top wall 26.

[0013]A drum 34 disposed between opposing rear and front panels 34A and 34B forms a drying chamber 18. The drum 34 may be a rotatable cylinder having rear and front edges that are received within sealed channels of the rear and front panels 34A, 34B. The front panel 34B may have an opening that aligns with the open face of the front wall 20, although other configurations known to those skilled in the art are also possible. The rotatable drum 34 may be driven in a traditional manner by a motor (no...

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PUM

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for detecting a fire in a household dryer and responding thereto.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Dryers are well-known appliances for drying clothing and other fabric items, such as towels, sheets, blankets, and the like. Household dryers include a cabinet enclosing a horizontally rotating drum sized to receive a load of fabric items and accessible through an access door at the front of the cabinet. A motor drives rotation of the drum. The motor may also drive a blower or fan which delivers dry, heated or unheated air to the drum for drying the clothing items. A heater is typically positioned in an air inlet assembly upstream of the drum for heating the air as it flows through the dryer. The blower exhausts humid air from the drum through an exhaust outlet assembly to a discharge location exterior of the cabinet.[0002]Recently, it has been a trend to reduce energy consumption and to make household dryers more “green”, which has led to the elimination of air gaps between the drum and the front and rear walls to better seal the drum and eliminate ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): D06F58/28D06F34/14D06F58/50
CPCD06F2058/2858D06F58/28D06F58/50D06F2103/28D06F2105/44D06F2105/62D06F2103/00D06F34/14D06F2105/30D06F37/42D06F2105/28
Inventor GIELDA, THOMAS P.MEYER, ROBERT W.TOMASI, DONALD M.
Owner WHIRLPOOL CORP