Dryer device

Abstract

A dryer assembly (10) for drying clothes is disclosed, the dryer assembly (10) comprising a housing (2) having an air inlet (4) and an outlet (6), and a centrifugal impeller (20) for generating a flow of air from the inlet (4) to the outlet (6), the centrifugal impeller (20) having rearward curved blades (42) adapted to draw air from the inlet (4) in a direction parallel to a rotation axis (R) and distribute the air radially into an interior chamber (36) of the housing (2), the chamber (36) being adapted to flow from the impeller (20) to the outlet (6). a control unit (48) adapted to control the impeller (20) based on input from a user; an adapter (44) having an inlet connected to the outlet (6) of the housing (2) and one or more outlets (50) through which air flows from the dryer housing (2) for drying clothes placed around, at, or near the outlet, the adapter (44) being detachably connected to the housing (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dryer assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dryer assembly that includes a housing having an air inlet and an outlet, and an outlet that can be connected to an adapter for distributing air. The dryer assembly further includes a centrifugal impeller within the housing for generating a flow of air from the inlet to the outlet, and a control unit for controlling the impeller and optionally a ceramic heating element based on an input from a user.

Background Art

[0002] Efficient drying, storage, and sterilization of shoes, boots, mittens, gloves, etc., is a challenge. Prior art dryers typically have short drying cycles and low airflow, resulting in insufficient temperature for rapid and efficient drying of shoes, gloves, etc. A major drawback of current dryers is low air pressure; the airflow from the fan / impeller is stopped by resistance at the intersection of the dryer and the clothing, meaning it cannot effectively reach and pass through the shoes or mittens intended for drying. Attempts have been made to increase airflow and air pressure in dryer devices. However, this results in unacceptably high noise levels. Another drawback seen in some prior art household dryers is that most household solutions are usable for supplying air to the clothing / items being dried, but are impractical for organizing and storing such items. Hose-based solutions are suitable for shoes or boots, but unsuitable for damp or wet gloves, mittens, and other clothing. Many dryers based on prior art only provide drying at a constant temperature through a binary on / off solution, without considering that different types of clothing need to be dried at different temperatures. For example, when drying leather gloves or shoes, the temperature should not exceed 37 degrees Celsius and should sometimes be close to room temperature, while efficient and rapid drying of other clothing can be achieved at temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, bacteria and odors are common problems with mittens and shoes, and these are also not solved by current dryer systems. Bacteria thrive in damp and wet environments such as boots and gloves. Another drawback of dryers based on prior art is that they primarily use coil-based heating elements, which pose a fire hazard and cause numerous residential fires every year. Another drawback of conventional dryers is that unused outlets also consume air.

[0003] CN212560837U discloses a drying device to which a shoe drying hose is attached. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 4993172 [Patent Document 2] China Utility Model Registration No. 212560837 Specification [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The present invention aims to improve or mitigate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art, or to provide at least a useful alternative to the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The objective is achieved through the features specified in the following description and the subsequent claims.

[0007] The present invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments of the present invention.

[0008] More specifically, the present invention relates to a dryer assembly for drying clothes, which dryer assembly is A housing equipped with an air inlet and an air outlet, A centrifugal impeller for generating an airflow from inlet to outlet, wherein the centrifugal impeller has rearward-curved blades and is adapted to draw in air from the inlet in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation and to distribute the air radially into an internal chamber of the housing, the chamber being formed to guide the air radially from the impeller to the outlet, and A control unit adapted to control the impeller based on user input, An adapter (44) having an inlet connected to the outlet of the housing, and one or more outlets from which air flows out of the dryer housing, with one or more outlets around the outlet for drying clothes placed at or near the outlet, This includes, in one embodiment, an adapter is detachably connected to the housing, and different types of adapters can be used with the same fan housing to improve adaptability and enable optimal drying of various types of clothing in one fan housing.

[0009] The dryer assembly may also include a ceramic heating element provided between the inlet and outlet of the housing so that heated air can flow from the housing to the adapter. However, in a simple embodiment, the dryer device operates simply at room temperature and therefore does not require additional heating.

[0010] The control unit's adaptation to "adjustment" allows it to manually switch the assembly on and off based on a timer and / or based on closed-loop feedback on parameters such as temperature, pressure, and airflow. In one embodiment, the control unit may be adapted to switch off the dryer assembly when it detects an increase in back pressure in a situation of complete or partial sealing of one or more outlets. The control unit may also be used to set the heating elements to different temperatures.

[0011] Conventional dryer assemblies, such as shoe dryers, typically use forward-curved blades in their impellers, which generally produce high-flow airflow. Another advantage of these forward-curved blade impellers is that they operate at low speeds, resulting in low noise levels. Therefore, the use of forward-curved blades was an obvious choice for such impellers. The applicant has unexpectedly discovered that when such dryer systems are exposed to pressure resistance, such as shoes or mittens placed at the outlet for drying, the performance / airflow dramatically decreases, significantly reducing the drying effect.

[0012] The use of rearward-curved blades in the impeller generates higher output pressure. By carefully optimizing the impeller's rotation frequency, the applicant has found that it is possible to deliver high-flow airflow at high pressure while avoiding unacceptable noise levels.

[0013] Compared to prior art dryers, the dryer assembly of this invention generates a high-pressure, high-flow airflow. Due to the high air pressure, the dryer "forces" air into the fabric / garments of the item being dried, pushing out moisture far more efficiently than conventional dryers.

[0014] The use of ceramic heating elements generally improves fire safety by preventing overheating. In addition, the power supply and other electronic components can be coated with fire-resistant gel to prevent electric arcs that could cause fires. In one embodiment, the ceramic heating elements are of the PTC ("positive temperature coefficient") type, and separate temperature controllers for each heating element are not required. Still, as will be discussed below, temperature feedback from the outlet may be used to activate other or additional heating elements and maintain the output temperature at a desired level.

[0015] Various types of clothing may require different temperature solutions. For example, the leather and shape-fitting foam of ski boots may require lower temperatures, ideally 37 degrees Celsius or room temperature, during drying. Therefore, in one embodiment, it is possible to set the ceramic heating elements to different power outputs corresponding to different temperatures of the outlet air via a control unit. The setting points may be, for example, 37, 45, and / or 60 degrees. In one embodiment, different setting points can be reached by providing two or more ceramic heating elements arranged in parallel in the dryer assembly. In one embodiment, the dryer assembly comprises two ceramic heating elements arranged left and right or up and down relative to each other, and when one or both heating elements are activated, three different temperature setting points can be defined. This may include one small / low-efficiency heating element for low temperatures, a second high-efficiency heating element for medium temperatures, and a combination of the first and second heating elements for high temperatures.

[0016] In one embodiment, the dryer assembly includes, for example, a 12 or 24-hour timer, allowing the user to better customize the drying time without having to restart the timer.

[0017] In one embodiment, the dryer assembly may include an ozone generator that generates a small amount of ozone to help remove both bacteria and odors. Additionally or alternatively, the dryer device may include a UV light source, typically near but upstream of the outlet, as an additional or alternative means for removing bacteria.

[0018] As an alternative or addition to the ozone generator and / or UV light source, the dryer assembly may include an air ionization device / ion air purifier to (further) improve the removal of bacteria and other particles from the air. The air ionization device may be provided near but upstream of the outlet as an additional or alternative means for removing bacteria and other particles from the air.

[0019] The control unit may include an adjustable timer so that the user can set the dryer time according to the item being dried, such as a long drying cycle at a low temperature or a short drying cycle at a high temperature. Also, the device may automatically turn off when the time is up.

[0020] The dryer assembly includes the possibility of attaching and connecting various adapters such as a rack that can be mounted on a wall or suspended from a clothes bar, various adapters such as hoses for drying boots and drying clothes, and a tree-like rack for drying small items such as gloves and shoes.

[0021] Since the dryer has a rotatable control panel, the dryer / housing can be attached to the top and bottom of the drying rack so that buttons and icons are correctly readable.

[0022] The impeller can be driven by a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor. The BLDC motor is manufactured to be small and durable and can operate at a very high rotational frequency (RPM), much higher than a motor that operates directly on alternating current. In that case, the dryer device generally includes a power supply that transforms and rectifies the input alternating current, for example as disclosed in UK Patent No. 2357378, and reference is made to that patent for a detailed disclosure of such a power supply for a centrifugal fan driven by a BLDC motor from the input alternating current. The power supply may include a fuse to prevent overheating and fire.

[0023] As described herein, the adapters are provided in a variety of different forms, implying that one and the same dryer / housing can be used with different adapters. Some adapters can be assumed to be placed on the floor, mounted on the wall, hung like a coat hanger, etc. One or more outlets of the adapter can be flexible, such as being formed as rigid / hard parts of the adapter or being provided as hoses that can extend, bend, elongate, etc. to fit onto shoes and boots. The hose can be stored in its initial size for compact storage.

[0024] In one embodiment, the adapter has a tree-like structure, and the trunk of the tree defines an inlet of the adapter that is directly or indirectly connected to the outlet of the housing. The branches of the tree include one or more outlets, and the clothes to be dried can be hung on the branches so as to cover the outlets. In one embodiment, each branch can be formed as a linear part that extends outward from the trunk and has one outlet at its end. In another embodiment, a "branching part" that branches into several outlets, such as one or more branches in a Y shape, is formed on one or more branches, so that many clothes can be dried and / or individual clothes can be dried more efficiently, such as by placing the thumb of a mitt on one branching part. In yet another embodiment, one or more branches can be extendable, such as by being formed as telescopic rods, and larger clothes can be placed on the extended branches. In one embodiment, one or more branches may be in an L shape adapted to the shape of the shoes to be dried.

[0025] In one embodiment, the central channel of the adapter may be formed to be 3 to 5 times, preferably about 4 times, the diameter of the outlet component connected to the central channel. This has been found to be particularly useful in maintaining a high flow rate of air in the adapter while maintaining sufficient pressure and avoiding noise effects. In a particular embodiment where the adapter has a dendritic structure, the trunk may be formed to have an inner diameter 3 to 5 times, ideally about 4 times, the inner diameter of the branches. In a particular embodiment, the trunk is formed to have an inner diameter of about 40 mm, while the branches are formed to have a diameter of about 10 mm. Two or more outlets may be formed in the adapter, such as 3, 4, or more outlets. By forming as many as 6, 8, 10, or 12 or more branches in the dendritic adapter, each containing an outlet, a corresponding number of garments can be dried simultaneously.

[0026] In one embodiment, the adapter is equipped with a hook at one end so that it can be hung from a wall, closet, or similar. In another embodiment, the adapter may be mounted on a wall. The dryer may be located on top of or at the bottom of the adapter. When located on top, this may be useful in preventing young children from touching the control panel of the dryer / housing.

[0027] In one embodiment, the housing may be connected to an adapter in the form of a coat hanger, which allows air from a dryer to flow freely through the coat hanger outlet in order to rapidly and efficiently dry clothes such as shirts and jackets. The coat hanger and clothes may be covered with a storage / clothing bag having an opening for air to pass through.

[0028] In one embodiment, one or more outlets of the adapter may be equipped with a closing mechanism, such as a valve, to close them when not in use, thereby optimizing the airflow at the remaining / open outlets.

[0029] In one embodiment, the adapter may be modular in the sense that it maintains its function even when additional outlet components are added to or removed from the adapter. If the adapter has a dendritic structure, a trunk / adapter unit having one or more branches may be added to or removed from an already installed trunk to extend or shorten the adapter / dendritic structure.

[0030] The drying apparatus according to the present invention can be used with various adapters at various times, for example, to dry shoes with a flexible hose, one same drying apparatus may be separated from a coat hanger or a tree-based solution. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0031] The following describes examples of preferred embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings. [Figure 1] A perspective view of the drying apparatus according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] An enlarged view of the control panel shown in Figure 1 is presented. [Figure 3] A partially cutaway view of the dryer assembly according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram of a fan used in a drying apparatus according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram of a fan used in a dryer apparatus according to prior art is shown. [Figure 6] A first embodiment of the dryer assembly according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 7] A second embodiment of the dryer assembly according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 8] A third embodiment of the dryer assembly according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 9] A fourth embodiment of the dryer assembly according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 10] An impeller used in the drying apparatus according to the present invention is shown in a perspective view. [Figure 11] Figure 10 shows a schematic top view of the impeller. [Figure 12]The impeller in Figure 10 is shown in a schematic top view. [Figure 13] The dryer assembly according to the present invention is shown in an exploded view. [Figure 14] The dryer assembly according to the present invention is shown in an exploded view. [Figure 15] The dryer assembly according to the present invention is shown in an exploded view. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] In the following, reference numeral 1 is used to represent a dryer, while reference numeral 10 refers to a dryer assembly according to the present invention. The drawings are schematic and simplified, and their various features are not necessarily depicted to a constant scale.

[0033] Figure 1 shows a dryer 1. The dryer 1 comprises a housing 2 having an inlet 4 on the rear side of the housing 2 and an outlet 6, as shown in Figure 3. The housing 2 is formed to have a substantially circular cross-section. In the illustrated embodiment, the outlet 6 is located at the top of the housing 2 in the operating position. In another embodiment, the outlet may be located at the bottom of the housing 2 or on one of the sides of the housing 2, as shown and considered with reference to Figure 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the dryer 1 includes a transition member 12, in this specification in the form of a nozzle, which defines the transition between the housing 2 and the adapter 44, as shown with reference to Figures 3, 6-9. A user-operable control panel 14, shown in an enlarged view of Figure 2, is located on the front side of the housing 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the control panel 14 is digital, but in another embodiment it may be analog. The control panel 14 is rotatable 180 degrees in the housing 2 so that it can be used in both suspended and upright configurations, for example, as shown with reference to Figures 6 and 7. As shown in Figure 3, the control panel 14 is connected to the control unit 48, through which various components of the dryer 1 can be controlled. As shown in the enlarged view, a main on / off switch 16 is provided to manually switch the dryer assembly 10 on and off. Depending on the number of outlets of the adapter, as described below, the airflow is 150m 3The airflow can be controlled by a button 18 adapted for adjusting the rotation frequency of the impeller 20 to be adjusted to / h. In one embodiment, the impeller 20 shown in Figure 3 is adjustable to operate at a rotation frequency up to 7000 rpm, preferably between 4300 and 5300 rpm, more preferably around 4800 rpm. A timer setting button 22 may be used to set a timer for how long the dryer 1 should operate before automatically switching off. A temperature setting button 28 may be used to switch to different set temperatures, such as output air temperatures of 37, 45, and 60 degrees Celsius as described above. The dryer 1 may also include an ozone generator activation button 24 for switching the ozone generator 40 on and off, as shown in Figure 3. Lights 30, 32, and 34 for temperature, time, and airflow, respectively, are provided to indicate the selected values.

[0034] Figure 3 shows a partially cutaway view of the dryer assembly 10 according to the present invention. A centrifugal impeller 20 is mounted slightly off-center in the circular housing 2 of the dryer 1. The impeller 20 is rotated by a brushless DC motor (not shown) via a power supply 48, implying that the dryer 1 can be directly connected to a standard AC outlet in a household. In the illustrated embodiment, the power supply 48 includes a control unit in the common housing 2. This external connection / cord is not shown in the drawing for simplification. The inlet 4 is located on the back of the housing 2 as described above. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet 4 has a diameter of approximately 68 mm, while the outer diameter of the centrifugal impeller is approximately 114 mm. The centrifugal impeller 20 draws air from the inlet 4 in a direction parallel to its axis of rotation R and distributes the air radially into the internal chamber 36 of the housing 2, which is formed to guide the air toward the outlet 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the outlet 6 has a diameter of approximately 84 mm and a height of 50 mm. A ceramic heating element 38 is schematically shown at outlet 6. Both inlet 4 and outlet 6 may be equipped with safety grids for the safety of children and / or to prevent foreign objects from entering the impeller. An ozone generator 40 is provided to add a small amount of ozone to the airflow from the device, which can inactivate bacteria, remove odors, etc. The dryer may be equipped with an air ionizer as an alternative to or addition to the ozone generator 40. The ozone generator activation button 24 may be replaced with an air ionizer activation button, or the control panel may be equipped with an additional button for activating the air ionizer. The impeller 20 includes a plurality of blades 42, the blades curved backward with respect to the rotation of the impeller, meaning that the impeller in Figure 3 rotates counterclockwise. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the impeller 20 includes eight blades 42. As explained above, the backward curvature increases the air pressure at the outlet, which has been found to be very suitable for allowing air to be "pushed" into and into the garment being dried. In the embodiment shown in the figure, as is most clearly seen in Figures 11-12, an inlet angle β of 45 degrees and an outlet angle α of 55 degrees are formed on the blade 42, measured with respect to the tangent T of the inner and outer diameters of the impeller 20.The height of the impeller is preferably in the range of 32.5 mm to 47.5 mm, while the impeller 20 in the illustrated embodiment has a height of 37.5 mm. The housing 2 is fitted to the top and bottom of the impeller 2, forming flat upper and lower surfaces for improved airflow and noise reduction.

[0035] The dryer 1 can operate as a standalone unit or can be mounted on a drying adapter 44 to define the dryer assembly 10 claimed herein. A transition member 12 may be used so that one identical dryer 1 is applicable to use with various adapters 44. In Figure 3, the transition member 12, here in the form of a nozzle, reduces the outlet cross section from an 84 × 50 mm rectangle to a circular diameter of approximately 40 mm, corresponding to the central flow path 46 of the adapter 44, which is only partially shown in Figure 3. As will become clear with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the adapter 44 has a dendritic structure. The outlet 50 of the adapter, herein in the form of a branch 51 of the dendritic structure, has a diameter of approximately 10 mm. The diameter ratio of approximately 1 / 4 between the trunk 46 and the branch 51 / outlet 50 ensures that the pressure drop to the branch is not very high at the bottom of the dendritic structure, while the resistance is low enough to avoid unwanted noise effects and maintain high air handling capacity. In experiments, the applicant has found that 10-14 m of air per outlet 50 of the adapter 44 3 / h, preferably about 12m every 50 outlets 3 We discovered that a high drying efficiency can be achieved when an airflow of / h is combined with a static air pressure of approximately 250 Pa, which corresponds to a total pressure of approximately 300 Pa. The power supply and control unit 48 is schematically shown inside the housing 2, above and to the left of the impeller 20.

[0036] Figure 4 provides a fairly schematic illustration of the principle of the rearward-curved blade 42, where the blade curves from the pressurizing side 52 to the suction side 54. The rearward-curved blade 42 curves rearward relative to the direction of motion, from the inner edge to the outer edge. Both impeller designs create a pressurizing side 52 and a suction side 54 when rotating, but it is this difference in pressure distribution between the suction and pressurizing sides that allows the rearward-curved blade to directly press the air outward / radially, enabling a pressure increase compared to a forward tangential "launch" that generates high velocity and airflow. It should be noted that the impellers schematicly shown in Figures 4 and 5 rotate clockwise, that is, counter to the impeller 20 shown in Figure 3.

[0037] Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a dryer assembly 10 according to the present invention. The dryer 1 is detachably connected to a dendritic adapter 44 via a transition member 12. The adapter 44 is modular in the sense that it includes three individual adapter units 56 that are assembled together, each adapter unit 56 being formed of a central trunk unit 58 and four branch sections 51, two on each side. The outlet 50 is provided at the distal end of the branch section 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 section 51 may be equipped with a valve (not shown) to optimize air consumption and flow in cases where not all branch sections / outlets are used. In the illustrated embodiment, the trunk 46 is formed to have an inner diameter of about 40 mm, while the branch sections have a diameter of about 10 mm. The total airflow is preferably about 12 m³ per branch section. 3 / h, and thus in the embodiment shown in the figure which has 12 branches, the total is approximately 144m 3 The adapter is provided with a hook 59 at the top so that the assembly 10 can be freely hung on a wall, such as in a wardrobe. The trunk and / or branches may be made of plastic, metal, wood, or a combination thereof.

[0038] Figure 7 shows a similar embodiment, in which the dryer 1 is connected to the adapter 44 at the bottom of the dryer 1. The assembly 10 includes a wall mount (not shown) for permanently mounting the assembly 10 to a wall (not shown).

[0039] Figure 8 shows an alternative use of the dryer assembly 10 according to the present invention, in which the dryer 1 is detachably connected to an adapter 44 which is in the form of a hollow coat hanger with multiple outlets 50 formed therein. Air is supplied from the dryer 1 to the hollow coat hanger 44 and through the outlets 50, through clothing (not shown), to a storage bag 60 in which various clothes are placed / hanged for rapid drying. The storage bag 60 has or will have holes (not shown) for air to escape. The housing 2 of the dryer 1 is equipped with hooks 59 so that the assembly 10 can be freely hung on a wall in a wardrobe or the like.

[0040] Figure 9 shows another embodiment of the dryer assembly 10 according to the present invention, in which the dryer 1 is detachably connected to an adapter in the form of a hose manifold 44. In this embodiment, air is distributed in parallel to four flexible and extendable hoses 53. In one embodiment, the hoses 53 may be made of plastic or reinforced plastic such as steel-reinforced plastic. In alternative embodiments, there may be one, two, three, five, or six hoses.

[0041] Figure 10 shows an embodiment of an impeller 20 used in a dryer assembly 10 according to the present invention. The direction of airflow within the impeller is indicated by arrows in the drawing. As described herein, the blades 42 are curved backward with respect to the direction of rotation (clockwise in the illustrated embodiment). The blades are not curved along the rotation axis / inlet axis / z axis and are formed with a uniform thickness.

[0042] Figures 11 and 12 show a top view of the impeller 20 of Figure 10 with the upper ring removed for clarity. As can be seen, the blades 42 are connected to the inner hub 62 of the impeller 20. The angle between the blades 42 and the tangent T of the hub 62 defines the inlet angle β. In the illustrated embodiment, the hub 62 is formed to have a diameter of approximately 40 mm, and the inlet angle β is approximately 45 degrees. As seen in Figures 11 and 12, the blades 42 curve horizontally toward an intermediate portion 64 (shown only in Figure 11), and extend from this intermediate portion 64 as a straight portion 65 toward the outer edge / outer diameter 66. In the illustrated embodiment, this intermediate portion 64 has a diameter of approximately 70 mm, while the outer diameter / outer edge 66 has a diameter of 114 mm. The exit angle α, that is, the angle between each of the blades 42 and the tangent T' at the outer edge, is approximately 55 degrees.

[0043] Figure 13 shows an exploded view of a dryer assembly 10 similar to that shown in Figure 9. A bracket 68 is used to mount the dryer 1 to a surface such as a wall, and a cord 70 for external connection to a household AC power supply is also shown.

[0044] Figure 14 shows an exploded view of a dryer assembly 10 similar to that shown in Figure 6, but with only two adapter units 56 shown. As in Figure 6, each adapter unit includes a central trunk unit 58 and four branch units 51, each having an outlet 50 at its distal end. As seen in the drawing, the trunk units 58 are connected to each other via connectors 72 in the form of snap-lock nipples / male sleeve fittings. A similar connector also connects the lower trunk unit 58 to the adapter 21, while a slightly different one-sided connector 73 is integrated into a hook 59 for connection to the upper trunk unit 58. Connectors 72 and 73, along with the easy assembly / disassembly of the different parts of the adapter, allow the adapter to be connected to the housing 2 of the dryer 1, highlighting the modularity of the dryer assembly 10 according to the present invention.

[0045] Figure 15 shows an exploded view of a dryer assembly 10 similar to that in Figure 7, but with only two adapter units 56 shown. Connectors 72 detachably connect the adapter 44 to the upper main unit 58 and the main units 58 to each other via a transition member 12. The lower end of the lower main unit 58 is closed by an end cap / one-sided connector 74. The dryer is supported / suspended from a wall-mountable bracket 68, although additional wall-mountable support members 75 may be used to provide additional support for the adapter units 56 on the wall.

[0046] It should be noted that the embodiments described above are illustrative rather than limiting, and that those skilled in the art can design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Reference numerals in parentheses in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the claims. The use of “comprise” and its conjugations shall not exclude the existence of elements or steps other than those described in the claims. The article “a” or “an” preceding an element shall not exclude the existence of multiple such elements.

[0047] The fact that certain means are described in mutually different dependent claims does not in itself indicate that the use of a combination of these means is not advantageous.

Claims

1. A dryer assembly (10) for drying clothes, A housing (2) having an air inlet (4) and an air outlet (6), A centrifugal impeller (20) for generating an airflow from the inlet (4) to the outlet (6), wherein the centrifugal impeller (20) has a rearward curved blade (42) and is adapted to draw in air from the inlet (4) in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation (R) and to distribute air radially to an internal chamber (36) of the housing (2), the chamber (36) being formed to guide air radially from the impeller (20) to the outlet (6), A control unit (48) adapted for controlling the impeller (20) based on user input, An adapter (44) having an inlet connected to the outlet (6) of the housing (2), and one or more outlets (50) from which air flows out of the dryer housing (2), one or more outlets (50) for drying clothes placed around, at, or near the outlets (50), the adapter (44) being detachably connected to the housing (2), A drying oven assembly (10) including the dryer assembly.

2. The dryer assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (2) comprises a ceramic heating element (38) provided between the inlet (4) and the outlet (6), the ceramic heating element (38) being adjustable to two or more different heating temperatures, and the control unit (48) is also adapted to control the ceramic heating element based on user input.

3. The dryer assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing further comprises an air ionizer provided between the inlet (4) and the outlet (6).

4. The dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the impeller (20) is connected to a brushless DC motor that can be operated via a power supply.

5. The dryer assembly (10) is 150 m 3 A dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is adapted for generating an outlet airflow of up to / h.

6. The dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing (2) is formed to include an outlet (6) having a diameter of 30 to 50 mm.

7. The dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the impeller (20) is adapted to operate at an efficiency between 10 and 25 W.

8. The dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the diameter of the inlet (4) is 48 to 88 mm.

9. The dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the outlet (6) has a width of 64 to 104 mm and a height of 40 to 60 mm.

10. The dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an inlet angle (β) of 40 to 50 degrees and an outlet angle (α) of 45 to 65 degrees are formed on the impeller blade (42).

11. The dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the impeller (20) has a height of 27.5 mm to 47.5 mm.

12. The dryer assembly (10) according to claim 11, wherein the adapter (44) has a dendritic structure, and the one or more outlets (50) are defined by the branches (51) of the dendritic structure.

13. The dryer assembly (10) according to claim 12, wherein the trunk (46) of the dendritic adapter (44) has a diameter that is 3 to 5 times the diameter of the branch portion (51).

14. The dryer assembly (10) according to claim 13, wherein the trunk (46) of the dendritic adapter (44) has a diameter of 40 mm and the branch portion (51) has a diameter of 10 mm.

15. The dryer assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the adapter (44) is formed as a coat hanger.

Images