Delicate Goods Tray

Abstract

The axle of a horizontally mounted drum is provided with a special female receptacle. A delicate goods tray is provided with a male fitting adapted to fit within the female receptacle so as to cantilever support the tray and hold it stationary during movement of the drum. The tray is particularly adapted to hold goods which cannot be subjected to tumbling action during a drying operation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to devices for use in standard home clothes dryers. The devices are particularly adapted to support delicate goods which, because of their delicate nature, cannot be subjected to the normal tumbling action of the dryer. Thus, the articles are placed upon this device and remain stationary, though subjected to the heat of the dryer, while the main dryer drum continued to rotate in a normal manner.

A device for a similar purpose is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,659 -- Lauck, issued May 2, 1967. According to this patent, a tray is supported both at the center, rear of the drum, and additionally, is supported from some portion of the front of the dryer structure. In this manner, the user, a housewife, must make certain that two definite connections are made in mounting the tray. Additionally, maneuvering is necessary to make certain that the front support structure is properly placed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a delicate goods tray for the home dryer has been developed where special alignment in mounting the tray is not necessary. The tray is not placed in the dryer, except when delicate goods are to be dried.

However, with the present system, a female receptacle is, or can be, permanently mounted to the axle which supports the drum at the center rear. This receptacle is provided with portions to accommodate and maintain the alignment of the delicate goods tray.

The horizontal portion of the tray on which the delicate goods to be dried are placed, can take any form. Thus, it can be a wire rack, a wire mesh basket, or any other structure which will both support clothing to be dried and allow for passage of air through the clothing.

One end of the tray is formed with a male fitting, or a male fitting is attached to the tray. This fitting is formed to fit within the female receptacle formed on the axle and is provided with means to retain the fitting within the receptacle and to prevent rotation of the delicate goods tray. After insertion of the male fitting into the female receptacle, the basket is cantilever supported from the drum axle.

Thus, no unusual alignment problems are presented. The housewife need merely slide the male fitting into the female receptacle attached to the basket support axle and installation is completed. Removal is accomplished by disabling the locking means and is equally simple.

In one embodiment of my invention, that end of the tray to which the male fitting is attached or on which the fitting is formed, may also be provided with castors or rollers which will bear against the rear moving surface of the dryer drum. However, these rollers or castors are not a requirement.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a delicate goods tray for an automatic dryer which is easy to install and remove.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tray for drying delicate goods which is supported from the rear of the drum.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a delicate goods tray of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tray illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a similar tray;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the male fitting attached to the tray;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the female receptacle attached to the axle of the drum;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, assembled view of the male fitting and female receptacle; and

FIG. 7 is a partial plan view of a tray, similar to the tray of FIG. 2, employing castors between the tray and drum to aid in holding the tray in a horizontal position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, a wire tray 1 is illustrated having a horizontal portion 2 and upstanding side portions 3. The side portions are not essential, but do aid in retaining clothing placed on the horizontal portion, so that this clothing is not accidentally displaced from the tray and caused to fall onto the rotating drum. In addition, a front lip (not illustrated) can be provided on the basket to serve the same purpose.

The horizontal portion 2 and vertical portions 3 are formed from wire support braces 4 to which are attached cross wires 5 on which the delicate goods to be dried are supported.

A male fitting 6 is attached to the end support 4, for example, by means of plate 7 connecting the two end supports. The male fitting 6 is attached to plate 7 as by means of a threaded member 8 which is inserted through opening 9 and held within threaded portion 10 of male fitting 6. It will be apparent that the male fitting may be formed integrally with the end support, or otherwise attached.

The male fitting is also provided with a lug 20, spring urged outwardly by spring 21. Accidental removal of the lug is prevented through formation of shoulder 22 which abuts the edge of the male fitting. The lug 20 is held within opening 23 of female receptacle 24.

The male fitting is also provided with a guide pin 25 which acts to retain the fitting and, therefore, the attached basket, in a horizontal position, notwithstanding force applied to the basket. This alignment pin 25 can be eliminated, depending upon the force of spring 21. The fitting is also formed with a recessed portion 26 at the end opposite the threaded portion 10.

The female receptacle 24 is provided with an annular recess 30 to accommodate male fitting 6. Formed on the wall of the recess is opening 23 which accommodates spring loaded lug 20. Also formed on the surface of recess 30 is a slot-like opening 31 which accommodates the alignment pin 25 of the male fitting, when this alignment pin is present.

The female receptacle is joined to the axle 32 of the horizontally supported drum as by means of threaded member 33 inserted into recess 30 and through opening 34 formed at the rear of the recess. This threaded member replaces a member normally formed over the axle end. Recessed portion 26 of the male fitting accommodates the head of threaded member 33.

Because of the plate removed from the normal tub opening covering the end of the axle, there is a danger of a lint flow through the now formed opening and into the operating mechanism of the dryer. For this reason, sleeve 35 is formed about female receptacle 24 and is held in place by an extension 36 of the rear of the drum cylinder, the latter preventing tangling of clothes about the axle in addition to maintaining the sleeve 35 in place to prevent flow of lint through the opening.

In a second embodiment, illustrated particularly in FIG. 7, a delicate goods tray 1 is again shown with a male fitting 6 and female receptacle 24, the latter attached to axle 32. Mounting is in the same manner as illustrated in the first embodiment, the difference being the castors 40 which are attached to the tray 1 and formed so as to ride along rear wall 41 of the dryer drum. Such castors can be employed if it is believed that a particularly heavy tray or load will be used, the castors acting to provide additional horizontal support for the tray.

In operation, the axle 32 is provided with a threaded opening by which the female receptacle 24 is attached. This attachment is permanent and the receptacle is mounted in such a way that opening 23 and slot 31 are aligned for horizontal support of the delicate goods tray. The delicate goods tray is attached to the female receptacle through means of male fitting 6. This fitting is aligned in such a manner that the spring loaded lug 20 will be inserted into opening 23 and alignment pin 25, if present, will move into slot 31. When the male fitting has been inserted sufficiently, the spring loaded lug 20, which is depressed upon initial movement, will snap into opening 23 so as to hold the male fitting and, thus, the delicate goods tray, in place. After drying a load of delicate goods, if it is desired to remove the tray, the lug 20 is depressed so as to allow withdrawal of male fitting 6 from female receptacle 24, which completes removal of the tray from the dryer.

It will be appreciated that the dryer in which the receptacle and tray of the present invention are placed is a standard, horizontal, automatic, home type dryer. Thus, it includes a standard cabinet in which the drum is mounted and supported on lower rollers, or pedestals, and on a rear axle which provides support at the center of the drum. Such a dryer is illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,297. It will further be appreciated, of course, that the standard dryer can be easily converted so as to be useful in drying of delicate goods according to the present invention. The support axle need merely be tapped to allow for attachment of the receptacle. The tray would be supplied with the receptacle and would be employed in the same manner described according to this invention.

While the present invention has been described according to particular embodiments for purposes of illustration, the invention is not so limited.

Claims

We claim:

1. In a dryer having a horizontal drum with a center axle support:

a. a female receptacle affixed to the center axle support of the drum; and

b. a tray, adapted to be supported within the drum in a horizontal position, said tray allowing for the circulation of air and including:

1. a horizontal portion and

2. a vertical support portion, attached to said horizontal portion, and having means for attachment to said female receptacle, said receptacle and means for attachment providing the sole means for supporting and maintaining the alignment of said tray.

2. The dryer of claim 1 wherein said attachment means includes a male element having a spring loaded lug for holding within said female receptacle.

3. The dryer of claim 2 wherein said male fitting also includes a guide pin and said female receptacle is provided with a slot to accommodate said guide pin.

4. The dryer of claim 1 wherein said tray includes essentially vertical edge walls.

5. The dryer of claim 1 wherein said tray includes an essentially vertical end wall at the end opposite said support means.