The present invention relates to heat recovery systems and more particularly to a unique apparatus for filtering and recovering for use the heated, moist air exhausted from conventional clothes dryers.
Typically, clothes dryers whether of the electric or gas type are vented exteriorly of the residence or building. Clothes dryers normally include some form of lint trap or filter for removing the flammable lint from the hot, moist air. Usually, the lint trap takes the form of a mesh or screen which does not effectively remove all of the lint and other particles from the air prior to venting directly to the atmosphere exteriorly of the building.
The average clothes dryer has an air requirement of between 150-250 cubic feet per minute during operation. This means that the dryer will exhaust approximately one-half of the air in a 1500 sq/ft home. This represents a substantial waste of energy in that this intake air has been heated by the existing home heating system. Also, this air must be replaced and typically the make-up air comes into the home from the outside. As a result, the make-up air must again be heated by the existing home heating system.
Further, in order to increase the comfort levels within a residence or building and to reduce the heating costs, humidifiers are installed. The humidifiers increase the moisture level of the heated, dry air put out by the existing heating system therefore increasing the comfort levels and preventing damage to the structure, furnishings and carpet which may result from the dry, unhumidified air.
In order to reduce the energy loss resulting from the venting of the heated, humid air exteriorly of the building and to increase the humidity levels within the home, it has been proposed to vent this air directly into the space within which the dryer is located. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,925, entitled HUMIDIFIER ATTACHMENT FOR CLOTHES DRYERS, issued Feb. 20, 1973 to Ray E. Hartung, a humidifying chamber is disclosed as part of the vent pipe of the clothes dryer. The chamber includes a wrap around filter and a damper control. The heated, moist air normally vented exteriorly from the dryer may be passed through the chamber and filter. The air, however, is delivered only to the area within which the dryer is located.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,624, entitled LINT CATCHER, issued on Jan. 6, 1970 to G. Tignanelli, is representative of prior art lint catchers connectable to a clothes dryer and which also permits the filtered air to be vented directly into the area within which the dryer is located. The Tignanelli patent discloses a box-shaped enclosure having an inlet connectable to the vent outlet of the dryer from which filtered, dryer exhaust air is vented. A primary filter extends through the enclosure and a secondary filter is positioned within a tube defining a heated air outlet.