MICROWAVE CLOTHES DRIER WITH A VENTED CONICAL BAFFLE

SECHEUSE MICRO-ONDES A CHICANE CONIQUE A EVENT

English Abstract

A B S T R A C T



This invention is a motorized clothes drier which
is heated by microwaves. It consists of an outer stationary
vented shell in which rotates a motorized drum. The shell is
provided with a loading door which is in line with an opening
in the drum. To the back of the loading door is attached a
container in which is centrally located a reflector containing
one or more microwave magnetron tubes. When the loading door
is closed, the magnetron container penetrates partly into the
drum. The rear of the drum is provided with a vented conical
baffle which reflects the microwaves. A drive for rotating
the drum consisting of an electric motor, pulleys, and belt,
is located within the shell. Also located within the shell
is an exhaust fan which removes the air and vapor at a rate
to create a partial vacuum within the drum.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-

1. A mechanized clothes drier in which wet clothes are
dried by being tumbled within a rotating drum during the appli-
cation of heat, and in which the heating element consists of a
passage of very short, high frequency, electro magnetic waves,
known as microwaves, through the said wet clothes, comprising in
combination, a stationary outer shell provided with a vent, and a
clothes loading door in its front wall; a round drum in which the
clothes to be dried , are contained, rotating within said outer
shell; a motorized drive mechanism for rotating said drum, loca-
ted within said shell; a fan for exhausting hot air and vapor
formed during the drying process, and for maintaining a partial
vacuum within said drum; a circular casing attached centrally to
the rear of said shell door and containing therein an open faced
reflector within which is located one or more magnetron tubes
for creating and discharging microwaves; a circular opening in
the front of the drum, concentric with the loading door of the
outer shell, so that when said loading door is closed, said
circular casing projects freely and partly into said drum open-
ing, allowing the microwaves to be discharged into said drum;
a conical, vented baffle, covering the entire rear wall of said
drum, its vertex pointing directly to the magnetron containing
casing; and standard timing and temperature control devices to
provide proper and safe operation of the drier.
2. A device such as described in Claim 1 in which the
baffle vents are partly covered to prevernt the microwaves from
passing through said vents.

Description

S P E C I F I C A T I O N
~ _ _ _ _ _ _

This invention relates generally to motorized
heated clothes driers, and particularly to such driers in
which the heating element is mic~owave action.
In the very near future, a great number and variety
of household utensils which require the use of heat, will use
the action of microwaves as the heating element. This is due~
of course, to the high rate of speed with which items can be
heated, and the considerable resulting savings in energy. The
major item which is now available upon the market, is the
microwaves oven, which is rapidly gaining much popularity.
Based on our knowledge of microwave technology, their appears
to be no reason why other present day household, commercial,
and indus-trial equipmen-t cannot be heated by microwaves~
It is therefore the object of this invention to pro-

vide a clothes drie~ which is heated by microwaves, to replace
the now used driers which are heated by gas or electricity~ and
thus save a great deal of energy, time, and cost of operation.
In describing the invention reference will be made
to the attached drawings in which,-
Figure 1, is a diagram of the invention, and
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of one oP its components~
In the drawings, the drier is shown having an outer,
stationary, somewhat cubical shell 1, which contains a rotary,
round drum 4. The shell is provided with a centrally located
round loading door 2 in its front wall. The door 2 is concen-
tric with a round hole in the drum 4. The shell ~ is also
provided with a vent 3, through which air and vapor is ex-
pelled during the drying operation. The drum 4 is supported
in its rear by a single central shaft which rotates within a
bearing in the rear wall of the shell 1. A drive 5, powered

by an electric motor9 rotates the drum 4. The rear wall of



--1--


the drum is provided with a plurality of vents 17s and on
the inside, the rear wall is covered entirely by a conical
baffle 6, the vortex of which points towards the center of
the loading door 2.
Centrally located on the rear of the door 2 is a
circular case 7 wherein is contained a reflector 8, in the
center of which is a single or several magnetron tubes 10 which
shoot the microwaves 12 towards the baffle 6, so that said
waves are re~lected in a path shown by 13 and 14. Vents 17
are provided in the rear wall of the drum, and vents 16 are
provided in the conical wall of the baffle 6. The vents 16
are covered with a rounded, partly spherical cover 15, facing
the direction of travel of the microwaves, so that these waves
can be reflected; however, the vent coverings 15 have an opening
18, at one location on their rims, as shown in Figure 2.Vents 9
~re also provided in the casing 7.
A fan or blower 11 is provided, in a suitable location
within the outer shell 1, for the purpose of exhausting hot air
and vapors formed during the drying process, and for maintaining
a partial vacuum within the drum 4.
The drying operation takes place when the microwaves
pass through the wet clothes on their way to the rear of the
rotating drum, and on their way back after being reflected by
the baffle 6.
Various standard timing, heating, and pressure con-
trols can be provided as required~ to control the operating time
of the drier, the safe temperature and pressure, and generally
the safety of the opera-tion.