1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laundry dryer, and more particularly, to a laundry dryer employing a unified sealing means in a door sealing assembly of the laundry dryer.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally speaking, a laundry dryer performs the drying of laundry using hot air circulating within a sealed space, which is in essence a drum having an entrance provided with a hinged door for accessing the drum. Typically, the door is provided with a glass window for observing the status of the drum's interior. During drying, hot and humid air is contained under an airtight seal between the various components of the laundry dryer, including the door, the glass window of the door, and components forming the front surface of the drum. Such a laundry dryer is illustrated in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a laundry dryer comprises a cabinet frame 11 forming the body of the laundry dryer and a frame cover 14 forming the front surface of the cabinet and having an entrance hole where a door frame 15 is installed. The door frame 15 has a door glass 15a through which a user can observe the state of drying. A drum 20 is mounted within the cabinet frame 11, and the front side of the drum is secured to the frame cover 14 using a front support 22 coupled to the frame cover.
During operation, the air circulating within the closed space, formed by the door frame 15 and door glass 15a closing the entrance hole of the frame cover 14 connected to the front support 22, may escape through gaps between the above-mentioned components of the laundry dryer. Accordingly, a laundry dryer according to a related art is provided with a door sealing assembly, as shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, a door sealing assembly is provided three separate seals or gaskets for establishing an airtight seal between respective components, namely, a first sealing member 41 for sealing a gap between the door frame 15 and door glass 15a, a second sealing member 42 for sealing a gap between the door frame 15 and a frame cover panel 14a of the frame cover 14, and a third sealing member 43 for sealing a gap between the frame cover panel and a front support panel 22a of the front support 22. In doing so, however, three distinctly shaped sealing members are required, which complicates fabrication and increases production costs accordingly. Moreover, with the use of multiple sealing members, there is an inherent increase in the probability of a leak to occur.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds