Drying device for clothing, fabrics and the like

Abstract

A drying device for clothing, fabrics and the like comprises at least one drum (3) to contain said fabrics and similar to be dried. The cylindrical side wall of the drum is perforated. The drum (3) is placed in axial rotation by a motorized rotation member (5) and is contained in a chamber (7) passed through by a flow of drying air (A) produced by a ventilation member (9). The drum (3) consists of a basket with a cylindrical side wall made of mesh. Said device (1) comprises two annular elements (11) at the ends of the basket (3) whose mesh is constituted by a plurality of distinct sectors (13) fixed to interposed longitudinal rib elements (15) whose ends are fixed to the respective annular elements (11). Said device (1) comprises at least one retention element (19) in the shape of a cylindrical wall or, each, of a sector of cylindrical wall and of a type permeable to the passage of air and placed inside the basket separating its internal volume from the respective mesh. Each sector (13) of the mesh of the basket (3) has a respective retention element (19) reproducing the shape of the respective sector (13) to the internal face of which it is adjacent or abutting and where it (19) is removably fixed to the annular elements (11) and / or to the rib elements (15) via at least one between pins, nails, screws or joints.

Description

[0001] DRYING DEVICE FOR CLOTHING, FABRICS AND THE LIKE

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present invention falls within the sector concerning the production of clothing and the treatment of garments or fabrics or other materials and refers in particular to a drying device for clothing, fabrics and the like.

[0005] PRIOR ART

[0006] There are known rotary dryers comprising a cylindrical drum made of perforated metal sheet assigned to contain clothing, or other products to be dried and placed in axial rotation by means of a motor. The drum is enclosed in a chamber in which a ventilation means circulates air, generally hot and sometimes dried, with a flow that is at least partially radial, or transverse, with respect to the drum itself. The clothing inside the drum is dried almost exclusively by the heat that the drum, that is heated by the hot air, can transmit to the inside by thermal conduction.

[0007] In general, hot air cannot effectively pass through the perforated wall of the drum to implement a direct exchange with the fabric because the wall of the rotating drum usually deviates and / or slows down the flow towards the inside due to the fact that the lumens of the holes normally constitute only 40% of the lateral surface of the drum (this figure is often indicated as "porosity" of 40% of the wall) and because the fabric of the garments tends to adhere to the edges of the holes, almost completely blocking them.

[0008] A disadvantage of such known dryers is that they are not very energy efficient and are very energy-consuming, resulting in expensive operation.

[0009] Another disadvantage of said known dryers is that they require a long time to complete the drying cycle of the garments, slowing down the production cycle and / or requiring the adoption of multiple dryers. Prior art documents EP 1 485 663 Bl, DE 297 07 564 U1 and IT PN20 100 028 Al disclose a drying device according to features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0010] DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An object of the present invention is to propose a drying device for clothing, garments, fabrics, tissues and the like that is energy efficient and economical to operate.

[0012] Another purpose is to propose a device capable of drying garments, and the like, in a short time.

[0013] A further purpose is to propose a device capable of preserving the integrity of the garments, almost free from the risks of detaching buttons or other elements of the garments dried in it or of allowing the unwanted escape of garments during drying.

[0014] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The characteristics of the invention are highlighted below with particular reference to the attached drawings in which:

[0016] - figure 1 illustrates a lateral, schematic and partial view of the drying device for garments, fabrics and the like which is the object of the present invention;

[0017] - figure 2 illustrates a lateral view of a basket drum of the device of figure 1;

[0018] - figure 3 illustrates a sectional view according to the III - III plane of figure 2;

[0019] - figure 4 illustrates an axial view of the basket of figure 2;

[0020] - figure 5 shows a sectional view along the V - V plane of Figure 5.

[0021] BEST MODE TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION

[0022] With reference to Figures 1-5, numeral 1 indicates the drying device for clothing, fabrics and the like, subject of the present invention, comprising a drum 3 assigned to contain said fabrics and the like to be dried and whose cylindrical side wall is holed. This drum 3 is rotated axially by a motorized rotation member 5 and is contained in a chamber 7 crossed by a flow of drying air A that crosses it in a transverse direction with respect to the drum 3 and that is produced by a ventilation member 9.

[0023] In particular, the chamber 7 belongs to a duct, i.e. it is inserted in the circuit of an open or preferably closed circuit duct. This duct comprises the ventilation member 9, for example of the motorized centrifugal fan type, a first manifold connecting the outlet of the ventilation member 9 to the chamber 7 and a second manifold connecting the chamber 7 to the inlet of the ventilation member 9. One of the manifolds is provided with means for heating the air in the flow (for example: steam exchanger, diathermic oil exchanger, gas exchanger or electric resistance heater), and possibly with a dehumidifier, for example of the refrigeration cycle type or of the drying type, such as those with discs provided with silica gel and hot air generators for the regeneration of the silica gel. The other manifold can be provided with filters to retain the fibres and residues that are detached from the fabric during drying. The device can also be provided with temperature, flow rate, humidity and other detectors and sensors, possibly connected to a digital control system of the active parts of the device.

[0024] The drum 3 consists of a basket with a cylindrical side wall made of mesh. The mesh of said basket 3 is of the type with welded or woven metal wires, where the warp and weft wires of the mesh are preferably perpendicular to each other, forming rectangular or preferably square openings.

[0025] This mesh basket configuration of the drum allows to obtain high porosity (even higher than 70%) without incurring problems of mechanical strength, of deformation and of breakage of the drum which, on the contrary, can affect the drums made of perforated metal sheet with high porosity.

[0026] Alternatively, and in some particular cases, the wires can be mutually inclined at an angle other than 90°, forming rhomboid or diamond-shaped openings and / or the mesh can be made of synthetic or composite material. As illustrated in the figures, the mesh of the basket 3 is of the straight wire type with a circular cross-section with a diameter between 4-12 mm and a mesh size between 20 mm x 20 mm and 50 mm x 50 mm where the warp and weft wires of the mesh are mutually welded at their respective intersections. In this way, the surfaces of the warp and weft wires are slightly staggered. Alternatively, it is also provided that the wires may be of square section and mutually welded at their respective edges to present the air flow with faces inclined with respect to the flow itself.

[0027] The invention comprises a further and relevant alternative which provides that the mesh of the basket 3 is of the wavy wire type with the warp and weft wires of the mesh mutually intertwined, or the so called wire cloth mesh. The undulations of the wires lay on surfaces perpendicular to the geometric plane locally tangent to the cylindrical geometric surface identified by the wall of the basket; in other words, the undulations of the warp and weft wires of the mesh lie on geometric planes transverse or radial with respect to the cylindrical shape of the basket and therefore such undulations protrude alternately towards the inside and the outside of the basket 3.

[0028] The warp and weft wires of the mesh are mutually interwoven and have a circular crosssection with a diameter between 6-11 mm and with a mesh size between 18 mm x 18 mm and 55 mm x 55 mm.

[0029] Each end of the basket 3 is provided with a respective annular element 11 fixed to it or carried out integral to it. The mesh of the basket 3 can be in a single piece or and preferably is constituted by a plurality, for example four as illustrated in the figures, of distinct sectors 13 each in the shape of a cylindrical surface sector, or a cylindrical portion. Preferably, all of the sectors 13 do not completely cover the cylindrical surface of the basket because the longitudinal sides of such sectors 13 are reciprocally separated by interposed longitudinal rib elements 15 to which they are fixed. The ends of the rib elements 15 (for example present in a number of four as illustrated in the figures) are rigidly fixed to the respective annular elements 11, joining them together. Preferably, each longitudinal rib element 15 is longitudinally fixed to the longitudinal sides of two adjacent sectors 13.

[0030] It is important to note that the basket described above, and in particular those with wavy wires, have holes, or openings, with irregular or wavy edges facilitating the formation of gaps between the fabric and the mesh, preventing the wet fabric from adhering to the edges of the holes, blocking them, as often happens in perforated metal sheet drums (whose holes have regular and almost flat edges). Such gaps can increase the surface area of the wet fabric touched by the air flow and the average speed of the latter, thus facilitating the evaporation of the water from the fabric of the garments.

[0031] The edges of the holes in the mesh of the basket 4 are made of circular section wires and therefore prevent or reduce the formation of vortices and facilitate the flow of air and also prevent or reduce the adhesion and accumulation of fabric fibres (which vice versa occurs at the edges of the perforated walls of known drums) keeping the basket clean. Furthermore, the rounded shape of the edges of the holes or openings in the mesh of the basket reduces the risk of buttons, add on elements, appliques and ornaments of the garments getting stuck into the basket.

[0032] The device 1 can be provided with a retention element 19 in the shape of a cylindrical wall or, as preferred alternative, with a plurality of retention elements 19, each in the shape of a sector of cylindrical wall. Each retention element 19 is of the type permeable to the passage of air and placed inside the basket separating its internal volume from the respective mesh.

[0033] Preferably, the device is provided with a retention element 19 for each sector 13 of the mesh of the basket 3 where each retention element 19 reproduces the shape of the respective sector 13 to whose internal face it is adjacent or abuts with.

[0034] Each retention element 19 is fixed in a removable manner to the annular elements 11 and / or to the rib elements 15 by means of at least one between pins 23, nails, screws, joints, interlocking pieces or other detachable connecting element. Each retention element 19 is made of a mesh made of synthetic or metal wire with a cross-section of a diameter between 0.4-1.5 mm and with a mesh size between 2 mm x 2 mm and 10 mm x 10 mm.

[0035] Each retention element 19 is provided with its own peripheral stiffening and / or fixing frame. The removable fixing by means of pins 23 or of detachable connecting or interlocking frames of the retention elements 19 to the basket 3 facilitates cleaning, replacement with others with the same characteristics and interchangeability with other retaining elements having different characteristics, for example different porosities.

[0036] The retention elements can, for example, prevent buttons, decorations and appliques of the garment from entering the openings of the mesh of the basket and prevent particularly light and / or small garments, such as lingerie, from escaping from the basket 3 through the holes or openings of the mesh sectors 13.

[0037] One of the ends of the basket 3 can be opened and / or accessed for the introduction and removal of the respectively wet and dry garments and the opposite end of the basket 3 is closed and is provided with a rotation pin 21 horizontal and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the basket 3 to allow the inclination of the latter with the openable end downwards to facilitate the exit and removal of dry garments.

[0038] The device may be provided with an air filter located in the air flow circuit of the basket or in one of the device's manifolds.

[0039] By way of example, the device may be provided with:

[0040] - a basket 3 comprising four sectors 13 of mesh made of stainless steel wire (e.g. straight and heat-welded as in the enclosed figures) with a diameter of 8 mm, with an opening of 42 mm by 42 mm and a porosity of approximately 70.5%;

[0041] - four retention elements 19 made of woven mesh of stainless steel wire with a diameter of 1 mm with an opening of 5.94 mm by 5.94 mm with a porosity of approximately 73.2%;

[0042] - an air filter made of woven mesh of stainless steel wire with a diameter of 0.32 mm, a mesh opening of 1.42 mm by 1.42 mm and a permeability of approximately 66%.

Claims

CLAIMS1) Drying device for clothing, fabrics and the like comprising at least one drum (3) assigned to contain said fabrics and similar items to be dried and whose cylindrical side wall is perforated, where such drum (3) is placed in axial rotation by a motorized rotation member (5) and is contained in a chamber (7) passed through by a flow of drying air (A) which passes through it in a transversal direction with respect to the drum (3) and which is produced by a ventilation member (9); the drum (3) consists of a basket with a cylindrical side wall made of mesh; said device (1) being characterized in that it comprises two annular elements (11) integral or fixed to the ends of the basket (3) whose mesh is constituted by a plurality of distinct sectors (13) with cylindrical portions whose longitudinal sides are fixed to interposed longitudinal rib elements (15) whose ends are fixed to the respective annular elements (11) joining them mutually; and said device (1) comprises at least one retention element (19) in the shape of a cylindrical wall or, each, of a sector of cylindrical wall and of a type permeable to the passage of air and placed inside the basket separating its internal volume from the respective mesh; a retention element (19) is provided for each sector (13) of the mesh of the basket (3) where each retention element (19) reproduces the shape of the respective sector (13) to the internal face of which it is adjacent or abutting and where it (19) is removably fixed to the annular elements (11) and / or to the rib elements (15) via at least one between pins, nails, screws or joints.2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the mesh of the basket (3) is of the type with welded or intertwined metallic wires, where the warp and weft wires of the mesh are mutually perpendicular, forming square or rectangular openings.3) Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the mesh of the basket (3) is of the type with straight wires having a circular cross section with a diameter rangingbetween 4-12 mm and with a mesh opening ranging between 20x20 mm and 50x50 mm where the wires of the warp and weft of the mesh are mutually welded at their respective intersections.4) Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the mesh of the basket (3) is of the wavy wire type, where the warp and weft wires of the mesh are mutually intertwined and have a circular cross-section with a diameter ranging between 6-11 mm and with a mesh opening ranging between 18x18 mm and 55x55 mm.5) Device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that each retention element (19) is made of a mesh made of synthetic or metal wire having a cross section with a diameter ranging between 0.4 mm and 1.5 mm and with a mesh opening of dimensions ranging between 2x2 mm and 10x10 mm.6) Device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that each retention element (19) is provided with its own peripheral stiffening and / or fixing frame.7) Device according to any of the previous claims characterized in that one of the ends of the basket (3) can be opened and / or accessible for the introduction and removal of respectively wet and dry items and the opposite end of the basket (3) is closed and is provided with a rotation pin (21) horizontal and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the basket (3) to allow the latter to be tilted with the opening end downwards to facilitate exit and removal of dry items.

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