Domestic clothes dryer and method for driving such dryers

Abstract

Clothes dryers that distribute air through one or more lifters are disclosed. An example domestic clothes dryer includes a rotating drum defining a drying chamber, an air inlet upstream the drum, and lifter mounted in the drum, wherein said lifter is in communication with the air inlet for distributing air inside the drum through a plurality of openings. An example air inlet includes a shaped air plenum chamber facing a lower portion of a rear perforated wall of the drum and capable of delivering air to said lifter and/or directly to the drum through said rear perforated wall.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A clothes dryer comprising:
 a rotating drum defining a treating chamber;   an air inlet upstream the drum; and   a lifter mounted to the drum, the lifter having a plurality of openings to convey air into the drum when the lifter is in a pre-determined position relative to the air inlet.   
     
     
         14 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the lifter is hollow. 
     
     
         15 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the air inlet includes a distribution device that delivers air to the lifter and/or directly to the drum through a perforated wall of the drum. 
     
     
         16 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the distribution device comprises an air plenum chamber facing a lower portion of the perforated wall of the drum. 
     
     
         17 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the shaped air plenum chamber has a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of a base part of the lifter. 
     
     
         18 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the lifter further comprises a base part mounted on a portion of a perforated wall of the drum to create an inner chamber. 
     
     
         19 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the base part has a circular wedge shape. 
     
     
         20 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the base part covers an arc between 60° and 100°. 
     
     
         21 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 13 , further comprising a processor to selectively stop a rotation of the drum when the lifter is in a lower portion of the drying chamber. 
     
     
         22 . A clothes dryer as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the lifter is configured to receive a removable cartridge or the like containing an additive. 
     
     
         23 . A method for drying articles in a dryer including a drum defining a treating chamber, an air inlet upstream the drum, and a lifter mounted to the drum, the method comprising:
 rotating the drum;   distributing air from the air inlet through openings in the lifter into the drum; and   stopping rotation of the drum for a pre-determined period of time when the lifter is in a lower portion of the treating chamber.   
     
     
         24 . A method as defined in  claim 23 , further comprising starting and stopping the drum when the lifter is in the lower portion according to a predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         25 . A method as defined in  claim 23 , further comprising maintaining the drum in the stopped position for substantially all of a drying cycle. 
     
     
         26 . A method for drying articles in a dryer including a drum defining a treating chamber, an air inlet upstream the drum, and a lifter mounted to the drum, the method comprising:
 rotating the drum; and   distributing air from the air inlet through openings in the lifter into the drum only when the lifter is in a lower portion of the treating chamber.