Apparatus and method for controlling a clothes dryer

• US 20080052951A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MABE Canada Incorporated (Controladora MABE SA de CV)
• Original Assignee: MABE Canada Incorporated (Controladora MABE SA de CV)
• Inventors: Beaulac, Sebastien
• Granted Patent: US 7,971,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/549
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/08 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/10 expressed as capacitance or resistance
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/36 Flow or velocity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/24 Flow or velocity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/38 of drying, e.g. to achieve the target humidity

Abstract

A clothes dryer has a degree of dryness control system that is responsive to moisture level of clothing articles tumbling in a drum and a target moisture value to control the drying cycle of the clothes dryer. The clothes dryer has a load size parameter producing module and an air flow detection parameter module. These modules generate one of two parameter conditions used by the processor to modify or select an appropriate moisture target value. The load size producing parameter module generates one of a small load input parameter and a large load input parameter. The air flow detection module produces one of a first and second air flow parameter to be utilized by the degree of dryness processor. As a result, the processor selects one of four target moisture values from these conditions.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. An appliance for drying clothing articles, the appliance comprising:

a drum for receiving the clothing articles;

a motor for rotating the drum about an axis;

a heater for supplying heated air to the drum during a drying cycle;

a moisture sensor for providing a moisture signal indicative of the moisture content of the clothing articles;

an outlet temperature sensor for sensing temperature of air exiting from the drum;

a processor coupled to the moisture sensor for estimating the stop time of the dry cycle as the dry cycle is executed based on a signal representative of the moisture content of the clothing articles and a selected target signal, the processor selecting the selected target signal based on an input parameter received from a second parameter generating modules;

the second parameter generating module comprising a first sub-module for generating one of a first small load signal and a first large load signal and comprising a second sub-module for generating one of a second small load signal and a second large load signal;

the first sub-module coupled to the outlet temperature sensor for sensing outlet temperature of air exiting from the drum, measuring a second slope corresponding to rise of the outlet temperature of air exiting from the drum during a second initial time period of operation of the dryer comparing the second slope with a second value stored therein indicative of a second predetermined slope for rise of the outlet temperature during the second initial period, generating the first small load signal when the second slope is greater than the second value, and generating the first large load signal when the second slope is less than the second value; and

the second sub-module coupled to the moisture sensor for determining an extremum filtered moisture value from filtered moisture values determined in the processor, comparing the extremum filtered value with a filtered voltage limit and depending on the comparison, generating one of the second small load signal and the second large load signal and

the second parameter generating module generating the small load input parameter when the first small load signal and the second small load signal both are generated and generating the large load input parameter when the first large load signal and the second large load signal both are generated.

28. The appliance of claim 27 wherein the second parameter generating module when the first small load signal and the second large load signal are generated, determining which one of the second slope and the extremum filtered voltage is respectively furthest from the second value and the filtered voltage limit and utilizing the furthest one to generate a corresponding one of the small load input parameter and the large load input parameter;

and, when the first large load signal and the second small load signal are generated, determining which one of the second slope and the extremum filtered voltage is respectively furthest from the second value and the filtered voltage limit and utilizing the furthest one to generate a corresponding one of the large load input parameter and the small load input parameter.

29-30. -30. (canceled)