Laundry machine

Abstract

A clothes dryer includes a housing, a fan, and a sound blocker. The housing defines an internal cavity and an orifice. The fan is configured to direct air through the internal cavity. The sound blocker is disposed within the cavity and is configured to unwind and wind between a first position and a second position, respectively. In the first position, the sound blocker is unwound and disposed over the orifice to obstruct fluid communication between the internal cavity and an exterior of the housing via the orifice and to reduce noise emitted through the orifice. In the second position the sound blocker is wound and retracted away from the orifice to allow fluid communication between the internal cavity and the exterior of the housing via the orifice.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat-pump type clothes dryer comprising:
 a cabinet (i) defining an internal cavity and (ii) an orifice, wherein the orifice establishes fluid communication between the internal cavity and an exterior of the cabinet;   a drum (i) disposed within the internal cavity and (ii) configured to receive clothing articles;   a heat exchanger disposed within the internal cavity and configured heat the internal cavity to dry the clothing articles;   a fan configured to exhaust air from the internal cavity to the exterior of the cabinet via the orifice; and   a sound blocking sheet (i) disposed within the internal cavity and (ii) configured to unwind from and wind about a roller between a first position and a second position, respectively, wherein (a) in the first position the sound blocking sheet is unwound from the roller and is disposed over the orifice to obstruct fluid communication between the internal cavity and the exterior of the cabinet and to reduce noise emitted from the internal cavity to the exterior of the cabinet via the orifice, and (b) in the second position the sound blocking sheet is wound about the roller and is retracted away from the orifice to allow fluid communication between the internal cavity and the exterior of the cabinet via the orifice.   
     
     
         2 . The heat-pump type clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein the sound blocking sheet is adjacent to and not spaced apart from the orifice when in the first position. 
     
     
         3 . The heat-pump type clothes dryer of  claim 1  further comprising a spring engaging the roller and configured to bias the sound blocking sheet toward the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The heat-pump type clothes dryer of  claim 1  further comprising a cord engaging and configured to rotate the roller to unwind and wind the sound blocking sheet from and about the roller. 
     
     
         5 . The heat-pump type clothes dryer of  claim 4  further comprising an actuator engaging the cord and configured to rotate the cord to rotate the roller to unwind and wind the sound blocking sheet from and about the roller. 
     
     
         6 . The heat-pump type clothes dryer of  claim 5  further comprising a controller programmed to,
 in response to an absence of a command to vent air from the internal cavity, operate the actuator to transition the sound blocking sheet to the first position, and 
 in response to the command to vent air from the internal cavity, operate the actuator to transition the sound blocking sheet to the second position. 
 
     
     
         7 . The heat-pump type clothes dryer of  claim 1 , wherein a sound proofing material is disposed on interior side of the sound blocking sheet on an opposing side of the orifice. 
     
     
         8 . A clothes dryer comprising:
 a housing defining (i) an internal cavity and (ii) an orifice;   a fan configured to direct air through the internal cavity; and   a sound blocker (i) disposed within the internal cavity and (ii) configured to unwind and wind between a first position and a second position, respectively, wherein (a) in the first position the sound blocker is unwound and disposed over the orifice to obstruct fluid communication between the internal cavity and an exterior of the housing via the orifice and to reduce noise emitted through the orifice, and (b) in the second position the sound blocker is wound and retracted away from the orifice to allow fluid communication between the internal cavity and the exterior of the housing via the orifice.   
     
     
         9 . The clothes dryer of  claim 8 , wherein the sound blocker is adjacent to and not spaced apart from the orifice when in the first position. 
     
     
         10 . The clothes dryer of  claim 8  further comprising a spring configured to bias the sound blocker toward the second position. 
     
     
         11 . The clothes dryer of  claim 8  further comprising a roller and a cord, wherein (i) the sound blocker is configured to unwind from and wind about the roller and (ii) the cord engages and is configured to rotate the roller to unwind and wind the sound blocker from and about the roller. 
     
     
         12 . The clothes dryer of  claim 8  further comprising an actuator configured to transition the sound blocker between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         13 . The clothes dryer of  claim 12  further comprising a controller programmed to,
 in response to an absence of a command to direct air through the internal cavity, operate the actuator to transition the sound blocker to the first position, and 
 in response to the command to direct air through the internal cavity, operate the actuator to transition the sound blocker to the second position. 
 
     
     
         14 . The clothes dryer of  claim 8 , wherein a sound proofing material is disposed on interior side of the sound blocker on an opposing side of the orifice. 
     
     
         15 . A clothes dryer comprising:
 a housing defining an (i) internal cavity and (ii) an orifice;   a fan configured to exhaust air from the internal cavity via the orifice; and   a sound blocker (i) disposed within the internal cavity and over the orifice, (ii) having a first perforated plate, (iii) having a second perforated plate concentric with and configured to rotate relative to the first perforated plate between first and second positions, wherein (a) in the first position perforations of the first and second perforated plates are misaligned to obstruct the fluid communication between the internal cavity and an exterior of the housing via the orifice and to reduce noise emitted through the orifice, and (b) in the second position the perforations of the first and second perforated plates are aligned to allow fluid communication between the internal cavity and the exterior of the housing via the orifice and the aligned perforations of the first and second perforated plates.   
     
     
         16 . The clothes dryer of  claim 15 , wherein the sound blocker is adjacent to and not spaced apart from the orifice. 
     
     
         17 . The clothes dryer of  claim 15  further comprising a spring configured to bias the second perforated plate toward the second position. 
     
     
         18 . The clothes dryer of  claim 15 , wherein a sound proofing material is disposed on interior side of the sound blocker on an opposing side of the orifice. 
     
     
         19 . The clothes dryer of  claim 15  further comprising an actuator configured to transition the second perforated plate between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         20 . The clothes dryer of  claim 15  further comprising a controller programmed to,
 in response to an absence of a command to exhaust air from the internal cavity via the orifice, shutdown the fan and transition the second perforated plate to the first position, and 
 in response to the command to exhaust air from the internal cavity via the orifice, activate the fan and transition the second perforated plate to the second position.