Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2~8833
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to air vent attachments for
clothes drying machine air outlets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Installation of state of the art automatic clothes
drying machine usually require skilled personnel. Indeed, water-
saturated warm air exhaust from the machine must be evacuated
from the laundry room, and therefore, suitable hose means must be
installed to interconnect the machine air outlet port to an air
exhaust port through a wall of the laundry room building, for
evacuation of the warm air to outside ambient air. Care must be
brought in sealing both ends of the air exhaust hose, to prevent
leaks to the building rooms.
Upon maintenance being required or when replacement of
the drying machine is required, one has to disengage the exhaust
air hose, and reengage same to the new machine. Usually, the
existing coupling means are simply an apertured, flanged plate
with screws for anchoring same against the back wall of the
automatic dryer housing. Since the clothes dryer are often
located in hard-to-reach corners of the laundry room, for obvious
., efficiency concerns in space allocation, its back wall is
difficult to reach. Hence, disconnecting the air exhaust hose
from the clothes dryer without damaging the hose itself may
become an issue.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The objects of the invention are to address the
problems outlined in the background of the invention paragraph.
2~~~~~~
Namely, a general object of the invention is to provide
a coupling for the air exhaust hose of an automatic clothes
drying machine, which will be of the self-installing or self-
dismantling type, as a new drying machine is installed, or a
worn-out machine is removed, respectively, from a dwelling.
A corollary object of the invention is to enable a
layman to install himself the air exhaust hose to the automatic
drying machine, without requiring any particular technical
skills.
sUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly with the object of the invention, there is
disclosed a quick-disconnect hose-coupling assembly for use with
the flexible hose that fluidingly interconnects the exhaust port
of an automatic clothes drying machine to outside ambient air,
over a laundry room flooring, comprising: (a) a first coupling
member, defining a fixst main frame and a first flue fixedly
carried by said first main frame, said first flue defining an
axial channel having opposite exhaust air inlet and outlet ends;
(b) first securing means for releasably anchoring said first
main frame to the drying machine; (c) a second coupling member,
defining a second main frame and a second flue fixedly carried by
said second main frame, said second flue defining an axial
channel having opposite exhaust air inlet and outlet ends; (d)
second securing means, for fixedly anchoring said second main
frame to the laundry room flooring; wherein said flues axial
channels are parallel to one another and are to be brought in
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coaxial register in an operative position of said coupling
members upon displacing said drying machine toward said second
coupling member; whereby in said operative position, said first
flue air outlet and said second flue air inlet merge with one
another, a first hose connected to said first flue air inlet
being destined to evacuate exhaust air from said drying machine,
and a second hose connected to said second flue air outlet
destined to evacuate exhaust air from said first hose.
w The invention relates also to a guick-disconnect hose
coupling assembly for use with the flexible hose that fluidingly
. interconnects the exhaust port of an automatic clothes drying
machine to outside ambient air, over a laundry room flooring,
comprising: (a) a first coupling member, defining a first main
frame and a first flue fixedly carried by said first main frame,
said first flue defining an axial channel having opposite exhaust
air inlet and outlet ends; (b) first securing means for
anchoring said first main frame to said room flooring; (c) a
second coupling member, detining a second main frame and a second
flue fixedly carried by said second main frame, said second flue
defining an axial channel having opposite exhaust air inlet and
outlet ends; and (d) rail means, integral to said first main
frame, for guiding displacement of said second coupling member
relative to the fixed said first coupling means about parallel
planes, said parallel planes being approximately orthogonal to
said flues axial channels; said second coupling means being
movable to an operativie position, where said first and second
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coupling means come in coaxial register with one another upon
displacing said drying machine toward said ground anchored first
coupling member, from an inoperative position where said first
and second coupling means are spaced apart; whereby in said
operative position thereof, said first flue air outlet and said
second flue a1r inlet merge with one another, in substantially
fluid-tight fashion; a first hose being destined to be endwisely
connected to said first flue air inlet for evacuating exhaust air
r
- from said drying machine, and a second hose being destined to be
connected to said second flue air outlet for evacuating to the
outside exhaust air from said first hose.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an isometric view of an automatic clothes drying
machine, partly concealed by an adjacent automatic clothes
washing machine shown only partially;
Figure 2 is an elevational end view of a first embodiment of the
', air coupling device mounted to the rear of the drying machine,
the latter at a larger scale than at figure 1;
figure 2a is substantially similar to the figure 2, but with the
air coupler being disassembled;
Figure 3 is a view taken from perspective 3 of figure 2,
suggesting how the flexible air discharge hose, shown in phantom
lines, is connected to the air coupler of the invention
accordingly with a first embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 is an exploded view, at an enlarged scale, of the air
coupler components from the first embodiment of the invention;
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Figures 5 and 5a are views similar to figure 3, but showing a
second embodiment of air coupler installation driven through the
ground, respectively in assembled and disassembled condition;
figure 6 is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the
drying machine air coupler;
figure 7 is a top plan view of an automatic clothes dryer and
associated air discharge coupler device, in accordance with a
third embodiment of the invention, the double arrow suggesting
how the air coupling device automatically sets in operative
position upon rearward motion of the clothes dryer toward the
back wall of the room, reference W designating a nearby washing
machine;
figure 8 is a perspective view of said third embodiment of the
coupling device of the invention;
figure 9 is a sectional view of part of the third embodiment of
coupling device, shown attached to a cut-away portion of drying
''_ machine; and
figure 10 is a cross-section of the left hand side clipper
portion of the coupler device illustrated in figure 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Laundry room 10 includes a flooring 12, a back wall 14
and an optional partition wall 16. A clothes washing machine 18
and a clothes drying machine 20 are to be located within laundry
room 10. Each machine 18, 20 constitutes a large and heavy, box-
like housing, rollably spacedly carried over ground 12 by idle
rollers or swivel casters 22, for facilitating their displacement
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within the laundry room 10. Machines 18 and 20 are usually
mounted side by side, preferably rearwardly against the back wall
14 and laterally against partition wall 16. Such an arrangement
is desirable for obvious efficiency concerns in space allocation
within the laundry room 10.
Looking more particularly to the drying machine 20,
there is defined a closed housing having a bottom wall 29, front
and rear walls 26, 28, two opposite side walls 30, a top wall 32,
and a control panel 34 upwardly depending from the rear edge of
top wall 32. A number of ground-engaging swivel casters 22 are
spacedly mounted to bottom wall 24, wherein a vertical ground
clearance 36 is defined between bottom wall 24 and the laundry
room flooring 12. Access to the clothes loading area within
housing 20 may be obtained through a door 38 hingedly mounted to
front wall 26. Control panel 34 enables a user to operate a
rotating drum surrounding the dryer clothes loading area, and to
'. actuate a heating device for generating a heated air volume for
drying the damp clothes being tumbled by the rotating drum. A
fan (not illustrated) progressively evacuates the water-vapour
saturated heated air volume through an air outlet port (not
illustrated) conventionally mounted to the machine rear wall 28.
Accordingly with the invention, a first coupling
member 42 is anchored to rear wall 28 proximal to said machine
outlet port, while a second coupling member 44 is anchored to the
laundry room flooring 12 adjacent back wall 14. Couplers 92, 94
are in substantial horizontal register, and are destined to
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matingly engage each other in their operative, assembled
condition, as illustrated in figure 2, from their disassembled,
released condition illustrated in figure 2a, through fore and aft
displacement of housing 20, over flooring 12, rollingly with
casters 22, as suggested by wide arrows 46 of figures 1 and 2a.
In their assembled, interconnected condition (figure 2), the pair
of couplers 42, 44 defined a first horizontal clearance 98
between walls 14 and 28. Back wall clearance 48 may be larger
than ground clearance 36, as illustrated. In their disassembled,
released condition (figure 2a), the pair of couplers 92, 99
define a second horizontal clearance 50, which is necessarily
greater than first clearance 48.
The first embodiment of couplings 42, 44 illustrated in
figures 2, 2a and 3-4 is destined for use with a flexible air
outlet hose 52, which endwisely opens to the ambient air outside
. of the laundry room building, through an outlet port in a laundry
room wall other than flooring 12, fox example through back wall
19. Coupling 42 consists of a quadrangular plate 59, having a
large circular through-bore 56. A rigid, cylindrical flue 58
edgewisely depends from plate 59, coaxially with bore 56, and is
anchored thereto. Flue 58 is diametrally similar to bore 56.
The top and bottom edge sections 59a, 59b of plate 54 are bent at
right angle, on the side of flue 58, to constitute rectangular
parallel flanges orthogonal to the lengthwise axis of flue 58.
Flanges 54a, 59b extend radially outwardly of flue 58.
Coupling 99 consists of a quadrangular plate 60, having
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a large circular aperture 62. A rigid cylindrical flue 64
edgewisely depends from plate 60, coaxially with aperture 62, and
is anchored thereto) Flue 69 is diametrally similar to aperture
62. The top and bottom edge sections 60a, 60b of plats 60 are
bent on the side opposite flue 64, to constitute cross-
sectionally U-shape flanges extending parallel to one another and
orthogonal to the lengthwise axis of flue 64. Each flange 60a,
60b defines a mouth or channel 60c, 60d respectively opening one
toward the other. Flanges 60a, 60b extend radially outwardly of
bore 62. Mouths 60c, 60d are widthwisely smaller than
rectangular flanges 54a, 54b of plate 54, and plate 54, slightly
shorter than plate 60. Hence, the free faces of plates 54, 60
are slidable flatly one against the other, guidingly by the
lengthwise, sliding rail engagement of flanges 54a, 54b into and
through U-channels 60c, 60d.
Means 66 are provided to releasably lock the coupler
halves 42, 49 in their assembled condition. Locking means 66,
best illustrated in figure 9, includes a spring-loaded metal
strip 68, anchored to flange 60a and having a free end tongue 68a
projecting beyond the leading edge thereof at 60a'. Strip 68
extends along a plane orthogonal to wall 60. Tongue 68a has an
inturned end lip 70. A cord 72 is endwisely anchored to tongue
68a, and provided at its opposite end with a finger-engageable
ring 74. A U-shape bracket 76 is anchored to an upper portion of
laundry room back wall 14, in register with coupler 49. The
lower leg 78 of U-bracket 76 includes a through-bore 78a through
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which freely extends cord 72, while the upper leg thereof at 80
is releasably engaged by ring 74. The length of cord 72 is
adjusted to be slightly longer than the distance between lower
strip 68 and upper bracket lower leg 78. Hence, upon forcibly
hooking ring 74 onto the bracket upper leg 80, cord 72 will lift
tongue 68a, thereby biasing lip 70 to clear the flange leading
edge 60a'. Thus, when coupler 42, 44 is fully assembled, ring 74
is released fxom top leg 80, wherein lip 70 will engage the
trailing end 54' of flange 54a, to prevent unauthorized
disassembly thereof. For release of coupler halves 42, 99, ring
74 is again lifted, biasing cord 72 to pull tongue 68a away from
flange leading edge 60a'.
Coupler 42 anchored to wall 28 is preferably releasably
so, by anchor means 82. Anchor means 82 includes a first plate
84, edgewisely orthogonally depending from plate 54 on the side
of trailing edge 54a'. The two opposite edge sections 84a, 89b
of plate 84 that are orthogonal to flanges 54a, 54b form free
vertical ledges. A second plate 86 is anchored flatly against
drying machine wall 28, and defines two opposite side edge
sections bent in cross-sectionally U-shape flanges 86a, 86b.
Vertical channels 86c, 86d formed by flanges 86a, 86b are
slidingly vertically engageable by ledges 89a, 84b whereby first
plate 84 is slidable flatly against second plate 86.
Preferably, the anchoring means for anchoring bracket
76 to wall 14, coupler 44 to flooring 12, and rail plate 86 to
wall 28, each consists of self-adhesive strips 88.
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Advantageously, structure reinforcing means are
provided to improve the sturdiness of air vent attachments 42,
94, namely: triangular plates 90, edgewisely anchoringly engaging
the two opposite free edge sections of plate 60 orthogonally
thereto and on the side of flue 64; and triangular plates 92,
interconnecting plates 54 and 84 orthogonally thereto proximate
to flanges 54a, 54b respectively, and to the edge sections of
quadrangular plate 84 orthogonal to edges 84a, 84b.
Profitably, a rail guide member 94 is mounted to
flooring 12 in spaced axial register with the leading edge 60b'
of ground-engaging flange 60b of coupler 49. Rail guide member
99 is a funnel-like triangular plate 96 having two upturned long
edge flanges 96a, 96b, the narrow end mouth 96c of funnel 96
facing the flange leading edge 60b' while the wide end mouth 96d
of funnel 96 is destined to be engaged by the leading edge 54b'
of the ground engaging flange 54b of the drying machine anchored
coupler 42. Funnel 96 is anchored to flooring 12 preferably by a
self-adhesive strip 88. Funnel 96 is released by coupler 42 in
both assembled and disassembled condition thereof, but flange 54b
of coupler 42 slidingly engages the surface of panel 96 of funnel
99 during displacement toward coupler 49.
As suggested in figure 4, the edgewise anchor means for
securing flues 58, 69 to plates 54, 60 respectively, may be bent
edgewise extensions of an intermediate section of these latter
plates, such as reference 55 of plate 60. Similarly, bent
extensions 91 of strut 90 may secure the latter to plate 60.
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As suggested in figure 3, the air outlet port on back
wall 28 of drying machine 20 is destined to be fluidingly
connected to the rigid flue 58 by a large flexible hose 98. Hose
98 is similar to flexible hose 52, the latter fluidingly
interconnecting rigid flue 64 to an outlet port of the laundry
room building. when couplers 42, 44 axe assembled together,
flues 58 and 69 become coaxial and thus, hoses 52, 98 are in
fluid communication. Hoses 52, 98 may be of the conventional
accordion type.
The second embodiment of warm aiz exhaust attachment is
illustrated in figures 5, 5a and 6 and referenced 142 and 144 for
the two coupling halves. In the same way as coupler 42, coupler
142 includes a rigid cylindrical flue 158 endwlsely engaging an
apertuxed plate 154 coaxially to bore 156, and another plate 189
is edgewisely orthogonally carried by plate 154 for slidingly
edgewisely engaging at 184a, 184b the rail channels 86c, 86d of
the dryer machine back wall plate 86. However, whereas flue 58
. was in assembled condition axially horizontal and parallel to
channels 86c, 86d, flue 158 is vertically upstanding and parallel
to channels 86c, 86d. Thus, triangular struts 192 are also
vertical but orthogonal to channels 86c, 86d compared to the
first embodiment struts 92 which were horizontally extending and
orthogonal to channels 86c, 86d. The free edge of plate 154
opposite glate 184 forms a full length inturned flange 155,
directed toward the side of flue 158.
Coupler 194 defines a main polygonal horizontal plate
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160, having a large circular bore 162 from which downwardly
edgewisely depends a cylindrical rigid flue 169. Flue 169
engages and extends through and beyond an aperture 102 made in
the laundry room floor 12, to open into a room 109 beneath
laundry room 10. The inner mouth of flue 164 proximate plate
aperture 162 includes peripheral bores 165 for through engagement
by nails 16T to be hammered thicknesswisely of flooring 12 within
floor aperture 102, in such a way that plate 160 horizontally
flatly abuts against the top face of flooring 12. Horizontal
plate 160 defines a free leading edge 160a for sliding engagement
thereover of leading edge 155 of coupler 192, wherein horizontal
plate 154 of coupler 142 will slide horizontally over horizontal
ground plate 160 of coupler 194 to bring flues 158 and 164 in
coaxial vertical register, upon displacing drying machine 20
rearwardly toward back wall 14. Plate 160 is also nailed to
flooring 12 by transverse nails 167.
Advantageously, all the edges of plate 160 other than
leading edge 160a, form upturned flanges 161, which will enable
automatic positioning of flue 158 coaxially to flue 169 by fully
engagement of plate 159 over plate 160 edgewisely against these
flanges 161. Preferably, the leading edge portion of plate 160
is funnel shape, as illustrated in figure 6, with leading edge
160a being the widest section thereof, for promoting guiding
displacement of coupler 192 over plate 160 of coupler 199.
Again, a flexible hose 98 fluidingly interconnects
rigid flue 158 to the outlet port (conventional, not illustrated)
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on the dryer back wall 28, while a separate flexible hose 52
interconnects rigid flue 164 to the outside of the building 10
through an outlet port.
In this second embodiment of the invention, no means is
provided to prevent unauthorized release of couplers 192, 144 as
when pulling machine 20 away from laundry room back wall 19, see
arrow 146 in figure 5a.
The third embodiment of coupler device is shown as
reference 200 in figures 7 to 10. Coupler device 200 includes a
pair of upright quadrangular plates 259 and 260, each having a
large circular through-bore 256 and 262 respectively, from which
edgewisely depend transverse cylindrical flues 258, 264
respectively, on alteznate sides thereof. A narrow, rectangular
strip plate 204 is integrally mounted to the bottom edge 254a of
quadrangular plate 259, orthogonal to the plane of the latter.
Strip plate 209 is on the side of flue 264, opposite flue 258.
Elongated guide strip 204 is at least longer than edge 254a of
plate 259. Ground-engaging strip 204 is anchored flatly to floor
12 by screw means 205, and includes a second lengthwise, integral
strip 206 diverging upwardly inwardly from an intermediate width
section of strip 209, toward plates 254, 260, wherein a thin
lengthwise horizontal channel 208 is defined between strips 209
and 206. Strip 206 further extends inwardly slightly short of
the plane of flue plate 259, so that a narrow lengthwise,
vertical slit 210 be defined.
Flue plate 260 includes a short flange 212 (FIGURE 9),
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integral to its bottom edge portion 260a orthogonal thereto. As
suggested in figure 8, flange 212 is preferably tapered along its
long free edge 260b.
It can now be understood that the bottom edge portion
of flue plate 260 is slidingly engaged into vertical slit 210,
while flange 212 of flue plate 260 becomes slidingly engaged into
horizontal channel 208. The cross-section of flange 212
substantially corresponds to that of channel 208, whereby the
sliding motion of the former through the latter is done with
substantially no wobble motion. Flue plate 260 can then be
guided in motion about a plane parallel to and slightly offset
from flue plate 259, on the side opposite flue 258 of flue plate
259.
Therefore, upon selectively displacing movable flue
member 260, 269 edgewisely along rail 208, 210, the free faces
(free of flue ducts 258, 264) and eventually the apertures 256,
262 at the center of the free faces of plates 259, 260, will
eventually come in exact axial register with one another,
adjustably to an operative position. At this operative
condition, the air exhaust hoses 52', 98', connected to flues
258, 269, come in axial register with one another for direct air
flow, from the air outlet of automatic dryer 20 toward the
ambient air outside of room 16.
To facilitate displacement of movable flue plate 260
along horizontal rail 208, away from fixed flue plate 259, as
when a worn-out dryer machine 20 is to be removed for a new one,
19
a pull cord 2i4 is connected to an ear 216 depending from the
outer side, edge 260b of the movable flue plate 260, and to
another ear 217 depending from the back wall 20a of dryer 20
close to the dryer air outlet port 20b.
Spring loaded clips 218, 220 are carried on the free
faces of flue plates 254, 260 respectively, opposite flue hoses
258, 264, respectively, on their trailing edge sections 259b,
260b, and preferably at the lower end of edge section 254b
(proximate ground stips 204, 206) and at the upper free end of
outer edge section 260b of flue plate 260. Each clip 218, 220 is
generally U-shape, fitting around the body of respective plates
259, 260, and defining a diverging, outturned lip 218a, 220a,
respectively on the free faces of plates 254, 260.
Hence, as movable flue plate 260 progressively moves
toward fixed flue plate 254, guidingly by long rails 208, 210,
the former plate becomes biased by the clip lips 218a, 220a to
come about a plane exactly parallel to and very close to that of
the latter plate. The main body of spring-loaded clips 218, 220
will then continuously bias flue plates 254, 260, flatly and
directly against one another, on their free faces, whereby upon
flue plate circular apertures 256, 262 coming in exact axial
register with one another - as suggested in figure 10 - , a
substantially fluid-tight interconnection is obtained between
flue plates 254 and 260: to wit, the operative position of
coupler 200.
Each clip 218, 220 is anchored to its corresponding
2~~88~3
flue plate 254, 260 by a rivet 222 or other anchor means.
Preferably, and as suggested in figure 8, flue plates
254, 260 each carry on their leading edges 259c, 260c transverse,
self registering, diverging fingers 224, 226 respectively
projecting obliquely on the side of their corresponding flue
pipes 258, 262. Fingers 224, 226 are destined to prevent movable
plate 260 from sliding exteriorly of the free face of fixed plate
259, that is, to prevent leading edge 260c from abutting against
flue 258, thus undesirably preventing operative coaxial alignment
of flues 258 and 264.
In operation, and as can be readily understood from ,
figure 7, hose 52' - which may already be connected to flue 264
of movable plate 260 -, is then connected at the opposite end to
the automatic dryer 20, while hose 98, - which may already be
connected to flue 258 of fixed plate 254 -, connects at its
opposite end with an outlet port 14a in the room back wall 14
(for exit to the outside of the building). Movable flue plate
260 is engaged through the end mouth of channel 208, 210,
opposite clip 208 of the fixed coupling plate 254, in order to
ZO releasably secure flue plates 254 and 260 to one another.
Movable flue plate 260 is then slidingly displaced therealong,
toward the fixed flue plate 259, simply by pushing machine 20
toward wall 14, as suggested by the double arrow in figure 7.
Eventually, flue apertures 256, 262 become coaxial to one
another, in said operative position illustrated in figure 9. The
dryer 20 is then immobilized in this ground position.
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