Importance

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Abstract

A microwave clothes dryer is disclosed. The dryer includes a rotatable drum that is supported at one of its ends by an annular driven pulley member which is rotatingly carried by and bears upon a cantilevered cylindrical bearing support member. A motor, drive pulley and drive belt rotate the annular driven pulley member and the drum to which it is attached. A magnetron provides microwave energy to the interior of the dryer and a blower circulates forced air through the dryer, cooling the magnetron and removing water vapor from the interior of the drum. The inner periphery of the annular pulley member includes a circumferential slot that communicates with a microwave energy leakage path that has a length approximately equal to one-quarter of the wave length of the microwave energy and which extends from the interior of the drum to and through the clearance space between the annular pulley member and the cylindrical bearing support member. The interior of the annular pulley member is so dimensioned as to form a microwave choke or trap that is in communication with the leakage path for attenuating the leakage of microwave energy via such path. Additional microwave gaskets may be employed in the leakage path, and an access door having microwave leakage sealing features therein is positioned adjacent to the drum at its end opposite to its end which is supported by the annular pulley member.

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First Claim