ERGONOMIC DRYER EXHAUST

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/548,512 filed on Aug. 22, 2017, by Stephen Herring titled “Ergonomic Dryer Exhaust,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an ergonomic dryer exhaust hose, and more specifically to a clothes dryer exhaust hose using rubberized connectors for connecting the hose to an external exhaust port on one end and the dryer exhaust port on the opposite end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Clothing dryers, whether gas or electric, dry clothing by heating air which then passes through the clothing in a tumbler basket. The heated air removes moisture from the clothing and the moist, heated air then is expelled through a dryer exhaust port. In existing dryer systems, the heat from the dryer is carried by a conventional dryer hose from the dryer exhaust port to an external exhaust port, from which it normally exits the building structure housing the dryer.

Existing dryer hoses, such as depicted in FIG. 2 200, are typically made of lightweight foil arranged as a hose 202 with accordion-like folds for telescoping in range and for flexibility. Each end of such dryer hoses typically utilize metallic cylindrical retainer rings that serve to maintain a circular connection to the dryer exhaust port on one end and the external exhaust port on the other end. These retainer rings are usually clamped onto the exhaust ports with circular clamps 204, 206 of various sorts.

Existing means of attaching the dryer hose ends to the exhaust ports are disadvantageous for several reasons. For example, the space behind a dryer is usually small and cramped, making installation and maintenance of clamped on dryer hoses very difficult. Also, a lack of standardization as to clamping mechanisms leads to uncertainty regarding what tools one will need for installation. Clearly, there is a need for a more ergonomic, standardized solution for attaching a dryer hose to exhaust ports.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an ergonomic dryer exhaust hose having rubberized retainer rings at both ends which allow for ease of installation and maintenance.

Another aspect of the invention provides a heat resistant rubberized hose in having the rubberized retainer rings at both ends.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary dryer exhaust hose that is useful to understanding the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a typical prior art dryer exhaust hose.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary dryer exhaust hose that is useful to understanding the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art, that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the present invention. Furthermore, reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

The present invention advantageously provides a more ergonomic, standardized solution for attaching a dryer hose to exhaust ports. It also advantageously provides a dryer hose having heat and cold resistant rubberized retainer rings at both ends. Additionally, the present invention also advantageously provides that the dryer hose itself is made of a similar flexible rubberized material.

FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate an exemplary inventive dryer exhaust hose in use and stand-alone. At each end of the hose is a rubberized retainer ring 106, 104 having an inside diameter matching the outside diameter of the dryer exhaust port 114 and the external exhaust port 112, respectively. This diameter is preferably 4 inches, although any diameter could conceivably be used. The dryer hose 102 itself may be the same metallic material currently in prevalent use, with the rubberized retainer rings 106, 104 attached at both ends by suitable fastening means 108, 110. For example, suitable fasten means 108, 110 may include adhesives, rivets, screws, or any other suitable fasteners, alone or in combination.

The rubberized material used for the retainer rings 106, 104 may be any flame-resistant rubberized plastic that maintains its integrity through the range of temperatures a dryer exhaust hose may encounter. For example, it must withstand both the cold of winter and the heat of the dryer exhaust without deformity or loosening. The retainer rings 106, 104 each include a flange sized to slide snugly over the exhaust ports 112, 114 and remain firmly in place.

The dryer hose 102 itself may be the usual length, typically 6-8 feet, although the much easier installation process afforded by the present invention would most likely allow for a shorter length of hose 102 because the dryer itself may not need to be pulled out from a wall quite as far to perform the connections.

In addition, it is also envisioned that the dryer hose 102 may be composed entirely of the same rubberized material as the rubberized retainer rings 106, 104.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.