Heat exchanger and method

Abstract

A heat exchanger device is disclosed herein. The heat exchanger device includes a dryer-exhaust interface configured to releasably couple with the exhaust port of the clothes dryer and to receive the hot air from a clothes dryer, a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat from the dryer's exhaust to ambient air, and an exhaust outlet that discharges heated air from the exhaust. The device is may useful for recycling hot air from a clothes dryer into a home and help with heating the home.

What is claimed is new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger for a clothes dryer, the clothes dryer having an exhaust port configured to discharge a hot air from the clothes dryer, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a dryer-exhaust interface configured to releasably couple with the exhaust port of the clothes dryer and to receive the hot air from the clothes dryer;   a heat exchanger including
 an exhaust-air duct pneumatically coupled to the dryer-exhaust interface, 
 a heating-air inlet configured to receive an ambient air, and 
 a heating-air duct pneumatically coupled to the heating-air inlet, 
 the heat exchanger configured transfer heat from the hot air received from the clothes dryer to the ambient air received via the heating-air inlet; 
   an exhaust outlet pneumatically coupled to the exhaust-air duct, the exhaust outlet configured to pneumatically couple to an external discharge port, and further configured to discharge the hot air from the heat exchanger via the external discharge port; and   a heating-air exhaust pneumatically coupled to the heating-air duct, the heating-air exhaust configured to discharge a heated air from the heat exchanger to a user.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , further comprising a discharge fan configured to assist the discharge of the heated air from the exhaust. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the discharge fan includes a power supply and a controller, the power supply electrically coupled to the discharge fan and configured to power the discharge fan, and the controller electrically coupled to the discharge fan and configured to operate the discharge fan. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the controller includes a temperature sensor configured to activate the discharge fan when a threshold temperature is exceeded. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4 , wherein the threshold temperature is manually selectable. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the discharge fan when the clothes dryer is not in use. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 3 , wherein the power supply includes a plug configured for use in a standard home AC electrical outlet. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes an external insulation layer. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 8 , wherein the external insulation layer includes decorative indicia. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is adjustable between a plurality of lengths extending between the dryer-exhaust interface and the heating-air exhaust. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a filter member configured to direct a debris from the clothes dryer to the external discharge port. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is made of metal. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the dryer-exhaust interface includes a substantially right angle duct. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heating-air inlet includes a plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the heating-air duct and the exhaust-air duct together include concentric flowpaths for the heated air and the hot air, respectively, the heating air. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust outlet includes a mounting fastener. 
     
     
         17 . A heat exchanger for a clothes dryer, the clothes dryer having an exhaust port configured to discharge a hot air from the clothes dryer, the heat exchanger comprising:
 a dryer-exhaust interface configured to releasably couple with the exhaust port of the clothes dryer and to receive the hot air from the clothes dryer;   a heat exchanger including
 an exhaust-air duct pneumatically coupled to the dryer-exhaust interface, 
 a heating-air inlet configured to receive an ambient air, and 
 a heating-air duct pneumatically coupled to the heating-air inlet, 
 the heat exchanger configured transfer heat from the hot air received from the clothes dryer to the ambient air received via the heating-air inlet; 
   an exhaust outlet pneumatically coupled to the exhaust-air duct, the exhaust outlet configured to pneumatically couple to an external discharge port, and further configured to discharge the hot air from the heat exchanger via the external discharge port;   a heating-air exhaust pneumatically coupled to the heating-air duct, the heating-air exhaust configured to discharge a heated air from the heat exchanger to a user; and   a discharge fan configured to assist the discharge of the heated air from the exhaust; and,   wherein the discharge fan includes a power supply and a controller, the power supply electrically coupled to the discharge fan and configured to power the discharge fan, and the controller electrically coupled to the discharge fan and configured to operate the discharge fan;   wherein the controller includes a temperature sensor configured to activate the discharge fan when a threshold temperature is exceeded;   wherein the threshold temperature is manually selectable;   wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the discharge fan when the clothes dryer is not in use;   wherein the power supply includes a plug configured for use in a standard home AC electrical outlet;   wherein the heat exchanger includes an external insulation layer;   wherein the external insulation layer includes decorative indicia;   wherein the heat exchanger is adjustable between a plurality of lengths extending between the dryer-exhaust interface and the heating-air exhaust;   wherein the heat exchanger includes a filter member configured to direct a debris from the clothes dryer to the external discharge port;   wherein the heat exchanger is made of metal;   wherein the dryer-exhaust interface includes a substantially right angle duct;   wherein the heating-air inlet includes a plurality of apertures;   wherein the heating-air duct and the exhaust-air duct together include concentric flowpaths for the heated air and the hot air, respectively, the heating air; and   wherein the exhaust outlet includes a mounting fastener.   
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger of  claim 17 , further comprising set of instructions; and
 wherein the heat exchanger is arranged as a kit.   
     
     
         19 . A method of recycling exhaust from a clothes dryer, the clothes dryer having an exhaust port configured to discharge a hot air from the clothes dryer, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a heat exchanger including
 a dryer-exhaust interface configured to releasably couple with the exhaust port of the clothes dryer and to receive the hot air from the clothes dryer, 
 a heat exchanger including an exhaust-air duct pneumatically coupled to the dryer-exhaust interface, a heating-air inlet configured to receive an ambient air, and a heating-air duct pneumatically coupled to the heating-air inlet, the heat exchanger configured transfer heat from the hot air received from the clothes dryer to the ambient air received via the heating-air inlet, 
 an exhaust outlet pneumatically coupled to the exhaust-air duct, the exhaust outlet configured to pneumatically couple to an external discharge port, and further configured to discharge the hot air from the heat exchanger via the external discharge port, and 
 a heating-air exhaust pneumatically coupled to the heating-air duct, the heating-air exhaust configured to discharge a heated air from the heat exchanger to a user; 
   providing a discharge fan configured to assist the discharge of the heated air from the exhaust, the discharge fan including a power supply and a controller, the power supply electrically coupled to the discharge fan and configured to power the discharge fan, and the controller electrically coupled to the discharge fan and configured to operate the discharge fan;   coupling the dryer-exhaust interface of the heat exchanger to the exhaust port of the clothes dryer, and the exhaust outlet of the heat exchanger to the external discharge port; and   setting a threshold temperature for operating the discharge fan.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of decoupling the heat exchanger from the clothes dryer and the external discharge port.