IES80510B2 - A garment-drying cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Description of the state of the art: It is a common practice to dry damp garments by hanging them on and over the radiator/convectors of an existing central heating system, an unsightly practice the invention seeks to discourage by providing a neat, attractive adjunct. It is also known to dry clothing by draping it over a wire frame hung on a radiator/convector with results which are visually even more objectionable. A further practice which is quite common is to dry damp garments on a purposebuilt clothes horse and position the latter over or in front of a heat source (in front of an open fireplace, for example). This last method is likewise aesthetic35 ally repugnant.

S8051Ο Object of the invention: The invention has for object the provision of means to utilise an existing source of warm air currents to dry garments which remain hidden from view during the exercise.

Statement of Invention: The invention accordingly provides a garment-drying cabinet which comprises a box adapted for being supported above a wall-mounted domestic central heating radiator/convector, said box having an open top with an openable cover and a bottom, capable of supporting garments while admitting air to the box, the box being further provided with voids for the convected discharge to atmosphere of spent drying air previously admitted through the bottom of the box.

The box is made for preference of timber, plywood or medium density fibreboard (MDF), but any suitable material may be employed, including fibreglass, plastics, sheet metal and dark glass. The box is preferably of oblong form, with elongate front and back members conventionally jointed or secured to end members, as by box jointing, butt jointing, dowelling, dovetail jointing, welding, glueing or the like. The openable cover is preferably a lid hinged to the open top of the box leaving, in the closed condition thereof, a ventilation slot that runs substantially the length of the box. The box may have additional ventilation openings in the form of perforations through the front wall thereof. Said perforations may be organized so as to form part of one or more decorative panels.

The bottom of the box is for preference a woven grid of heavy metal wire, such as stainless steel wire.

The grid may define square openings of side length 2-5 cm.

The drying cabinet may be designed to rest directly upon a central heating radiator/convector. For preference, however, the cabinet is designed for wall10 mounting; for example, its back may be adapted for support by a pair of screws fixed in a wall so that the cabinet, when hung thereon in use, overhangs a central heating radiator/convector mounted on the same wall.

In a useful embodiment of the invention, the interior of the cabinet (apart from the bottom) is coated or lined with a heat-reflecting layer, such as aluminium paint or foil, to reduce heat losses by conduction through the walls or cover.

Introduction of the drawings: The invention will be appreciated in greater detail from the following description of a particular and preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of nonlimiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig 1 is a front elevation of a garment drying cabinet; Fig 2 is a rear elevation of the cabinet of Fig 1; Fig 3 is an end elevation of the cabinet of Fig 1, viewed from the right-hand end as shown in that figure; Fig 4 is an elevation similar to Fig 3, but showing the lid in a partly open position; and Fig 5 is a partly cut away perspective view of the cabinet of Fig 4, and of a central heating convector with which said cabinet is associated for use.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment: Referring now to the drawings, a garment drying cabinet comprises a box 1 which in turn comprises a front wall 2, two rear slats 3, 4, two end walls 5, 6, a lid 7 and a woven grid 8 of stainless steel wire.

All said components except the grid 8 are fabricated from medium density fibreboard (MDF), cut to size and adhesively secured together. The grid 8 is attached to the box walls by stapling.

The front wall 2 is of restricted height as compared with the end walls 5, 6 which support the lid 7 in its closed condition. This preserves a ventilation slot 9 extending for the full length of the front wall 2. A pair of decorative panels 10 (Fig 1) each comprising a multiplicity of through perforations 11, further enhances the ventilating properties of the front wall 2. The end walls 5, 6 may also bear perforations, decorative or other, further to improve the throughput of convected air for drying.

The upper slat 4 bears a pair of slots 12, enabling the cabinet to be wall-mounted on a corresponding pair of screws 13 suitably anchored in the wall. Mounting is effected above a central heating radiator/convector (Fig 5) with a spacing, for preference, of 5-10 cm between the top of the convector and the bottom of the cabinet.

Operation and advantages: In use of the cabinet, damp-dried articles of clothing are loosely draped over the wire grid 8 which constitutes the bottom of the box 1. The box 1 is mounted on a wall over a functioning domestic central heating radiator/convector 14. While the radiator/convector is on, a convection current of warm air rises continuously therefrom, penetrates the grid 8, permeates the loosely draped clothing articles and, laden with moisture vapour, exits through the slot 9 and the various perforations in the walls 2, 5 and 6. The result, after an appropriate interval, is a small batch of dried and aired garments which, if trouble was taken to fold them neatly before they were placed in the box 1, will also be relatively free from creases, thereby facilitating any subsequent pressing operation.

The drying cabinet according to the invention is decorative and efficient, and furnishes an embellishment to a conventional central heating radiator/convector.

The invention is not limited by or to the details of the embodiment described, many of which can be widely varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS :

1. A garment-airing cabinet comprising a box adapted to be supported above a wall-mounted domestic central heating 5 radiator/convector, said box having an open top with an openable cover and a base capable of supporting garments while admitting air to the box, the box being further provided with voids for convected discharge to atmosphere of spent air previously admitted through the base of the 10 box, and optionally an interior of the cabinet, though not the base, is coated or lined with a heat-reflecting layer, such as aluminium paint or foil, to reduce heat losses by 15 conduction through the walls or cover.

2. A garment-airing cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the box is preferably of oblong form, with elongate front and back walls conventionally jointed or 20 secured to end walls; and optionally wherein the base of the box comprises a perforated panel and optionally the perforated panel is a woven grid of metal wire and optionally the grid defines 25 square openings of side length 2 to 5cm.

3. A garment-airing cabinet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the openable cover is preferably a lid hingedly attached to the open top of the box and wherein when the 30 lid is in the closed position, a ventilation slot is provided between the lid and the front wall of the box, the ventilation slot being provided along substantially the length of the box. 35

4. A garment-airing cabinet as claimed in claim 3, - 7 wherein the box has additional ventilation openings in the form of perforations through the front wall of the box, and optionally the perforations being organised so as to form part of one or more decorative panels.

5. A garment-airing cabinet as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.