Clothes dryer with improved refrigerant circuit

Abstract

A dryer comprises a cabinet, drying drum and heat supply duct and refrigeration circuit. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor, condenser, metering valve and an evaporator jacketed within an evaporator jacket containing a liquid. The heat supply duct houses the condenser and a resistive heat element. A blower passes air over the condenser and the resistive heat element and into the dryer drum. A temperature sensor is housed within the heat supply duct and positioned to measure the temperature of air entering the drum. The sensor is in communication with a control circuit. The control circuit switches the resistive heat element on and off in response to the sensing of air entering the dryer drum. In one embodiment the liquid jacketing the evaporator is sourced from a washing machine cold water supply line. In a second embodiment the liquid jacketing the evaporator is sourced from a geothermal heating system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes dryer comprising:
 a cabinet, a drying drum and a heat supply duct;   a refrigeration circuit, the refrigeration circuit including a compressor, a condenser, a metering valve and an evaporator,   the evaporator being jacketed within an evaporator jacket containing a liquid;   the condenser and a resistive heat element housed within the heat supply duct;   a blower adapted to pass air over the condenser and the resistive heat element and into the dryer drum;   a temperature sensor housed within the heat supply duct, the temperature sensor positioned to measure the temperature of air entering the dryer drum and in electrical communication with a control circuit; and   the control circuit adapted to switch the resistive heat element on and off in response to the sensing of temperature of air entering the dryer drum.   
     
     
         2 . The dryer of  claim 1  wherein the liquid within the evaporator jacket is water sourced from a washing machine cold water supply line. 
     
     
         3 . The dryer of  claim 2  further including a valve configured to drain the water within the jacket. 
     
     
         4 . The dryer of  claim 1  wherein the liquid within the evaporator jacket is sourced from a geothermal heating system.