Domestic clothes dryer and method for driving such dryers

Abstract

A domestic clothes dryer includes a rotating drum that defines a drying chamber, an air inlet upstream the drum, and a lifter coupled to the drum. The lifter is in communication with the air inlet for distributing air inside the drum through a plurality of openings. The 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 the rear perforated wall.

1 . A clothes dryer comprising:
 a rotating drum having a rear perforated wall and a side wall, wherein the rear perforated wall and the side wall at least partially define a drying chamber;   a lifter extending over at least a portion of a first surface of the rear perforated wall, the lifter extending over at least a portion of the side wall, the lifter having a base portion coupled to the rear perforated wall to define an inner chamber therebetween, the lifter having a plurality of openings to convey air from inside the lifter into the rotating drum; and   a shaped air plenum chamber that delivers air through the rear perforated wall into the base portion of the lifter when the lifter is in a first pre-determined position relative to the shaped air plenum chamber, wherein the shaped air plenum chamber delivers air through the rear perforated wall directly into the rotating drum in a region that is circumferentially adjacent to the base portion of the lifter when the lifter is in the first pre-determined position relative to the shaped air plenum chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion of the lifter defines a first surface area through which air is received from the rear perforated wall. 
     
     
         3 . The clothes dryer of  claim 2 , wherein the shaped air plenum chamber comprises a second surface area through which air is delivered to the rear perforated wall, and wherein the second surface area is greater than the first surface area. 
     
     
         4 . The clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the shaped air plenum chamber delivers air through the rear perforated wall directly into the rotating drum when the lifter is in a second pre-determined position relative to the shaped air plenum chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the shaped air plenum faces a second surface of the rear perforated wall of the rotating drum. 
     
     
         6 . The clothes dryer of  claim 5 , wherein the first surface of the rear perforated wall and the second surface of the rear perforated wall are on opposing sides of the rear perforated wall. 
     
     
         7 . The clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the shaped air plenum chamber faces a lower portion of the rear perforated wall. 
     
     
         8 . The clothes dryer of  claim 7 , wherein an upper edge of the shaped air plenum chamber is positioned below a center of the drying chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the side wall extends from the rear perforated wall. 
     
     
         10 . The clothes dryer of  claim 9 , wherein the side wall defines a circumference of the rotating drum. 
     
     
         11 . The clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the drying chamber is further defined by a door that is movable between an open position and a closed position. 
     
     
         12 . The clothes dryer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an air inlet upstream of the rotating drum, wherein air is delivered from the air inlet to the shaped air plenum chamber.   
     
     
         13 . The clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion has a triangular sector shape. 
     
     
         14 . A clothes dryer comprising:
 a rotating drum having a rear perforated wall and a side wall, wherein the side wall extends from the rear perforated wall, wherein the side wall defines a circumference of the rotating drum, and wherein the rear perforated wall and the side wall at least partially define a drying chamber;   a lifter extending over at least a portion of a first surface of the rear perforated wall, the lifter extending over at least a portion of the side wall, the lifter having a base portion coupled to the rear perforated wall to define an inner chamber therebetween, the lifter having a plurality of openings to convey air from inside the lifter into the rotating drum, wherein the base portion of the lifter defines a first surface area through which air is received from the rear perforated wall; and   a shaped air plenum chamber that faces a second surface of the rear perforated wall, wherein the shaped air plenum chamber comprises a second surface area through which air is delivered to the rear perforated wall, wherein the second surface area is greater than the first surface area, wherein the shaped air plenum chamber delivers air through the rear perforated wall into the base portion of the lifter when the lifter is in a first pre-determined position relative to the shaped air plenum chamber, and wherein the shaped air plenum chamber delivers air through the rear perforated wall directly into the rotating drum in a region that is circumferentially adjacent to the base portion of the lifter when the lifter is in the first pre-determined position relative to the shaped air plenum chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The clothes dryer of  claim 14 , wherein the shaped air plenum chamber delivers air through the rear perforated wall directly into the rotating drum when the lifter is in a second pre-determined position relative to the shaped air plenum chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The clothes dryer of  claim 14 , wherein the first surface of the rear perforated wall and the second surface of the rear perforated wall are on opposing sides of the rear perforated wall. 
     
     
         17 . The clothes dryer of  claim 14 , wherein the base portion has a triangular sector shape. 
     
     
         18 . The clothes dryer of  claim 14 , wherein the shaped air plenum chamber faces a lower portion of the rear perforated wall. 
     
     
         19 . The clothes dryer of  claim 18 , wherein an upper edge of the shaped air plenum chamber is positioned below a center of the drying chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The clothes dryer of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 an air inlet upstream of the rotating drum, wherein air is delivered from the air inlet to the shaped air plenum chamber.