Drum for clothes dryer

Abstract

A drum for a clothes dryer in which an internal structure, especially, a baffle structure, of the drum is improved to prevent target items from being entangled and damaged during a drying operation to thereby improve the drying efficiency of the clothes dryer. Rotatable balls are inserted in the baffles mounted on an internal surface of the drum, the mounting arrangement of the baffles is changed, or the baffles are modified to thus improve the drying operation. In addition, an absorbent is filled in the baffles to thus increase the drying efficiency.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1A is a side interior view of a typical prior art clothes dryer;

FIG. 1B is a top interior view of the clothes dryer in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a view selectively showing a drum having baffles therein, a belt and a motor in the dryer of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a baffle of the drum according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 3A;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are respective perspective and side views showing a dryer drum equipped with baffles according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are respective perspective and side views showing a baffle according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a baffle of the drum according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a baffle of the drum according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drum for a clothes dryer, comprising: a drum; anda plurality of baffles provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum each including a plurality of balls therein.

2. The drum of claim 1, wherein the balls are rotatable within the baffles.

3. The drum of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each ball is exposed at a surface of the baffles.

4. The drum of claim 1, wherein the number of the balls is 3 to 5.

5. The drum of claim 1, wherein the baffles have a rectangular shape in their section, are formed in a bar shape with a certain length, and are mounted on an interior surface of the drum or integrally formed with the drum.

6. The drum of claim 1, wherein the baffles have a length less than one-half of the internal depth of the drum, and are mounted within the drum such that they are staggered and interdigitated in a lengthwise direction of the drum.

7. The drum of claim 1, wherein the baffles have recesses formed in an upper portion thereof.

8. The drum of claim 1, wherein the baffles have an absorbent that collects moisture therein.

9. A drum for a clothes dryer, comprising: a drum; anda plurality of baffles provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum which each have length less than one-half of an internal depth of the drum, are mounted within the drum such that they are staggered relative each other in a depthwise direction of the drum.

10. The drum of claim 9, wherein the baffles have recesses formed at in upper portion thereof.

11. The drum of claim 9, wherein the baffles have an absorbent for collecting moisture therein.

12. A drum for a clothes dryer comprising: a drum; anda plurality of baffles provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum which have recesses formed in an upper portion thereof.

13. The drum of claim 12, wherein the baffles have an absorbent for collecting moisture therein.

14. A drum for a clothes dryer comprising: a drum; anda plurality of baffles provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum and each having an absorbent that collects moisture therein.

15. The drum of claim 14, wherein the baffles have an air pore structure formed in a central front surface thereof and have an absorbent therein.

16. The drum of claim 14, wherein the absorbent is provided as absorbing modules detachably attached in the baffles so as to be changeable.