Garment dryers and components for use within garment dryers

Abstract

A garment dryer may include a vehicle mounting arrangement (e.g., a cup holder insert, a magnet, an eyelet, a docking station) such that the garment dryer may be maintained in an upright orientation while an associated vehicle is accelerating, turning, traveling over bumps, decelerating, etc. A garment dryer may include an internal air plenum for ducting air from an air blower through a heating element toward air outlets. A garment dryer may include an automatic controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A garment dryer, comprising:
 a body having at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet;   an air blower surrounded by a blower shroud;   at least one heating element surrounded by a heating element shroud; and   an air plenum, wherein the blower shroud, the heating element shroud and the air plenum are contained within the body, and wherein the blower shroud, the heating element shroud and the air plenum are configured to guide air flow from the at least one air inlet, through the air blower, through the at least one heating element, and to the at least one air outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The garment dryer as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a substantially round shaped base, wherein the substantially round shaped base includes tension tabs configured to protrude into a space between the substantially round shaped base and an inside wall of a vehicle cup holder.   
     
     
         3 . The garment dryer as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a magnet configured to removably secure the garment dryer to a magnetic object.   
     
     
         4 . The garment dryer as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller having at least one of: a moisture sensor input, a timer input, a temperature sensor input, or an air flow sensor input.   
     
     
         5 . The garment dryer as in  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically vary at least one of: an air temperature or an air flow rate based upon at least one of: the moisture sensor input, the timer input, the temperature sensor input, or the air flow sensor input. 
     
     
         6 . The garment dryer as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to automatically control at least one of: an air temperature or an air flow rate, based on at least one of a moisture input or a timer input.   
     
     
         7 . The garment dryer as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user control configured to enable a user to set at least one of: an air temperature, an air flow rate, or an air moisture content shutoff.   
     
     
         8 . A garment dryer assembly, comprising;
 at least one garment dryer, comprising:
 an electrical plug configured to be received within a standard cigarette lighter receptacle; 
 an air blower surrounded by a blower shroud; 
 at least one heating element surrounded by a heating element shroud; and 
 an air plenum, wherein the blower shroud, the heating element shroud and the air plenum are configured to guide air flow from the at least one air inlet, through the air blower, through the at least one heating element, and to the at least one air outlet; and 
   a garment dryer docking station, comprising:
 at least one garment dryer receptacle; 
 an alternating current electrical connection; 
 an alternating current to direct current electrical power supply; and 
 at least one standard cigarette lighter receptacle. 
   
     
     
         9 . The garment dryer assembly as in  claim 8 , wherein the alternating current to direct current electrical power supply includes an input rating range between one-hundred volts and two-hundred fifty volts. 
     
     
         10 . The garment dryer assembly as in  claim 8 , wherein the alternating current to direct current electrical power supply includes an output rating range between ten volts and twenty-four volts. 
     
     
         11 . The garment dryer assembly as in  claim 8 , wherein the at least one garment dryer further comprising:
 at least one electrical energy storage device.   
     
     
         12 . The garment dryer assembly as in  claim 8 , wherein the docking station further comprising:
 an electrical energy storage device charger.   
     
     
         13 . The garment dryer assembly as in  claim 8 , wherein the docking station further comprising:
 a controller configured to automatically control at least one of: a garment dryer air output temperature, a garment dryer air output flow rate, a garment dryer air output temperature, or a garment dryer on time.   
     
     
         14 . A garment dryer, comprising;
 a body having at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet:   an air blower surrounded by a blower shroud;   at least one heating element surrounded by a heating element shroud;   an air plenum, wherein the blower shroud, the heating element shroud and the air plenum are configured to guide air flow from the at least one air inlet, through the air blower, through the at least one heating element, and to the at least one air outlet; and   a three position user selectable switch having an air blower on position, an off position, and an air blower and heating element on position.   
     
     
         15 . The garment dryer as in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a direct current electrical voltage input between ten volts and twenty-four volts, wherein an electrical current demand is less than twenty amperes when the air blower and the at least one heating element are both energized.   
     
     
         16 . The garment dryer as in  claim 14 , wherein an air temperature exiting the at least one air outlet is between eighty degrees Fahrenheit and one-hundred sixty degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         17 . The garment dryer as in  claim 14 , wherein the at least one glove air exhaust tube includes a pinky finger air outlet deflector, three finger shaped supports, and a thumb air outlet deflector. 
     
     
         18 . The garment dryer as in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to automatically varying at least one of: an air temperature, or an air flow rate.   
     
     
         19 . The garment dryer as in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to automatically control at least one of: an air temperature, or an air flow rate, based on a moisture input.   
     
     
         20 . The garment dryer as in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a user control configured to enable a user to set at least one of: an air temperature, an air flow rate, or a glove moisture.