HEATING SYSTEM, DRYING MACHINE HAVING THE HEATING SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE HEATING SYSTEM

• US 20080210769A1
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Go, Seog Ho, Yoo, Hea Kyung
• Granted Patent: US 8,042,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 237/2R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/26 Condition of the drying air, e.g. air humidity or temperature

Abstract

A heating system and a method of controlling the heating system are provided. When a heating unit and a switch are turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more, only some of heaters of the heating unit are turned on, thereby increasing service life of the heating unit and the switch.

Claims

1. A heating system comprising:

a heating unit having a plurality of heaters for heating air flowing into a drum;

switching units for turning on and off the respective heaters; and

a control unit for turning on only some of the heaters when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

2. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the heaters of the heating unit have different heat generation capacities.

3. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit turns on only the heater having a relatively small heat generation capacity when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

4. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by less than the predetermined number of times, the control unit maintains a predetermined temperature range while turning on and off repeatedly all of the heaters.

5. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit turns on only some of the heaters when it is determined that at least one of the heaters of the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

6. A heating system comprising:

a heating unit having high and low temperature heaters for heating air flowing into a drum;

switching units for turning on and off the respective high and low temperature heaters; and

a control unit for turning on only one of the high and low temperature heaters when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

7. The heating system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit turns on only the low temperature heater when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

8. The heating system according to claim 6, wherein, when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by less than the predetermined number of times, the control unit maintains a predetermined temperature range while turning on and off repeatedly all of the heaters.

9. The heating system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit turns on only one of the high and low temperature heaters when it is determined that at least one of the heaters of the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

10. A drying machine comprising:

a drum in which laundry is loaded;

an input unit for selecting an amount of the laundry and/or a kind of the laundry;

a heating unit having a plurality of heaters for heating air flowing into a drum;

switching units for turning on and off the respective heaters; and

a control unit for turning on only some of the heaters when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

11. The drying machine according to claim 10, wherein some of the heaters are preset in the control unit to be turned on the heaters in accordance with the amount of the laundry and the kind of the laundry.

12. A method of controlling a heating system, comprising:

drying laundry as a heating unit having a plurality of heaters is turned on and off;

determining the number of on/off times of the heating unit; and

maintaining an on-state of only some of the heaters of the heating unit when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the heaters that are maintained in the on-state have a relatively small heat generation capacity.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein, when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by less than the predetermined number of times, a predetermined temperature range is maintained as all of the heaters are turned on and off repeatedly.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein, when it is determined that at least one of the heaters of the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more, only some of the heaters are turned on.

16. A method of controlling a heating system, comprising:

drying laundry as a heating unit having high and low temperature heaters is turned on and off;

determining the number of on/off times of the heating unit; and

maintaining an on-state of only one of the heaters of the heating unit when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the heater that is maintained in the on-state is the low temperature heater.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein, when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by less than the predetermined number of times, a predetermined temperature range is maintained as all of the heaters are turned on and off repeatedly.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein, when it is determined that at least one of the heaters of the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more, only one of the heaters is turned on.

20. A method of controlling a heating system, comprising:

drying laundry as a heating unit having a plurality of heaters is turned on and off;

determining the number of on/off times of the heating unit; and

maintaining an on-state of only some of the heaters of the heating unit in accordance with an amount of the laundry and a kind of the laundry when it is determined that the heating unit is turned on and off repeatedly by the predetermined number of times or more.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, as the amount of the laundry increases, some of the heaters, which have a relative large heat generation capacity, are turned on.