DRYING DRAWER AND METHOD OF DRYING

• US 20110047814A1
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electronics Company
• Inventors: Kirchoff, Sarah Lynn, Watkins, Derek Lee, Kollengode, Subhash Viswanathan, Besore, John K., WATSON, ERIC K., Warmuth, David D., Allimalli, Yogesh Kumar, Dunn, David Scott, Eden, Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/507
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/08 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/36 Flow or velocity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/00 Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/24 Flow or velocity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/32 Air flow control means
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/52 Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/54 Changing between normal operation mode and special operation modes, e.g. service mode, component cleaning mode or stand-by mode
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/10 Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/38 of drying, e.g. to achieve the target humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/02 Circulating air or gases in closed cycles, e.g. wholly within the drying enclosure F26B21/08, F26B21/14, F26B23/022 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/10 Temperature; Pressure F26B23/026 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/066 the products to be dried being disposed on one or more containers, which may have at least partly gas-previous walls, e.g. trays or shelves in a stack F26B9/003 takes precedence; in combination with duct systems F26B21/00

Abstract

A dryer drawer system is provided comprising a generally multisided drying chamber having opposed side walls, a rear wall, and at least one access door, wherein the door is sealable to the chamber. The dryer drawer further comprises a heater for heating air circulating in the chamber and at least one fan for circulating air in the chamber. The multisided drying chamber includes an air inlet and an air outlet, a sensor for sensing the temperature of the air in the chamber, a first damper for selectively opening and closing the air inlet, a second damper for selectively opening and closing the air outlet, and a controller for controlling operation of the fan, the heater and the dampers. The controller is operative in a first operational mode to open the air inlet and the air outlet to provide air flow through the chamber and in a second operational mode to close the air inlet and the air outlet to provide a recirculating air flow within the chamber. The controller can selectively switch between the first and second modes as a function of the sensed temperature in the chamber.

Claims

1. A dryer drawer system, comprising:

a generally multisided drying chamber having opposed side walls, a rear wall, and at least one access door, wherein said door is sealable to said chamber;

a heater for heating air circulating in said chamber;

at least one fan for circulating air in said chamber;

said multisided drying chamber including an air inlet and an air outlet;

a sensor for sensing the temperature of the air in said chamber;

a first damper for selectively opening and closing said air inlet;

a second damper for selectively opening and closing said air outlet;

a controller for controlling operation of said fan, said heater and said dampers, said controller being operative in a first operational mode to open said air inlet and said air outlet to provide air flow through said chamber and in a second operational mode to close said air inlet and said air outlet to provide a recirculating air flow within said chamber; and

,

said controller selectively switching between said first and second operational modes as a function of the sensed temperature in said chamber.

2. The dryer drawer system according to claim 1, wherein said controller turns said heater on for said first operational mode and off for said second operational mode.

3. The dryer drawer system according to claim 1, wherein:

said controller switches from said first operational mode to said second operational mode when a first predetermined temperature is sensed and switches from said second operational mode to said first operational mode when a second predetermined temperature is reached, said second predetermined temperature being lower than said first predetermined temperature.

4. The dryer drawer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said air inlet and said air outlet includes a variable orifice aperture.

5. The dryer drawer system according to claim 3, wherein said intake duct aperture includes a size and said exhaust duct aperture includes a size, wherein said intake duct size and said exhaust duct size are varied during at least a portion of at least one of said first operational mode and said second operational mode.

6. The dryer drawer system according to claim 3, wherein said intake duct aperture includes a size and said exhaust duct aperture includes a size, wherein said intake duct size is greater than said exhaust duct size.

7. The dryer drawer system according to claim 6, wherein said intake duct aperture size is in the range of 2 to 6 times said exhaust duct aperture size.

8. The dryer drawer system according to claim 1, wherein each subsequent cycle duration is less than a previous cycle duration.

9. The dryer drawer system according to claim 1, wherein an end of cycle is detected based on a predeterminable percentage of a remaining moisture content (RMC) of the articles.

10. The dryer drawer system according to claim 1, wherein said cycles correspond to a remaining moisture content (RMC) of contents inside said drying chamber.

11. The dryer drawer system according to claim 8, wherein deceasing durations between each temperature peak of each said cycle corresponds to a decreasing RMC of contents inside said drying chamber.

12. The dryer drawer system according to claim 1, further comprising a first damper operative to selectively open and close said air outlet;

and

a second damper operative to selectively open and close said air inlet;

said first damper and said second damper are operative to open said air outlet and said air inlet respectively in said first operational mode; and

,

at least one of said first damper and said second damper are operative to close said air outlet and said air inlet respectively in said second operational mode.

13. A dryer drawer, comprising:

a generally multisided drying chamber having opposed side walls, a rear wall, and at least one access door;

said drying chamber including an air inlet and an air outlet;

a sensor for measuring temperature in said chamber;

said multisided drying chamber including a air flow through said chamber in a first operational mode when said chamber is at a first temperature;

said multisided drying chamber including a recirculating air flow within said chamber in a second operational mode when said chamber is at a second temperature; and

,

a heater for heating the air circulating in said chamber to evaporate moisture from articles in said chamber, wherein said heater alternates between on for said first operational mode and off for said second operational mode.

14. The dryer drawer according to claim 13, further comprising:

at least one baffle disposed on a wall of said drying chamber for directing air.

15. The dryer drawer according to claim 13, further comprising:

at least one drying frame rack spaced along said opposed walls of said drying chamber; and

,

at least one rack spaced above said bottom wall.

16. The dryer drawer according to claim 15, wherein said rack comprises a basket frame that is foldable or removable from said chamber.

17. The dryer drawer according to claim 13, further comprising:

a drip shield located proximal to the bottom wall of said dryer chamber, wherein said drip shield separates a low pressure side from a high pressure side of the fan.

18. The dryer drawer according to claim 17, wherein said drip shield includes a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, glass, and metal including a heat source for generating local heat to the articles proximal to said shield.

19. The dryer drawer according to claim 13, wherein said dryer drawer comprises an integral drip shield including air return paths therearound for increasing air circulation with said chamber.

20. The dryer drawer according to claim 13, further comprising:

at least a second dryer drawer stacked upon said at least one dryer drawer wherein said at least one dryer drawer is mounted to said at least second dryer drawer.

21. The dryer drawer according to claim 13, wherein said temperature change corresponds to a remaining moisture content (RMC) of articles inside said drying chamber.

22. The dryer drawer according to claim 13, further comprising a first damper for selectively opening and closing said air outlet;

a second damper for selectively opening and closing said air inlet opening;

said first damper and said second damper are operative to open said outlet opening and said inlet opening respectively in said first operational mode; and

,

at least one of said first damper and said second damper are operative to close said outlet opening and said inlet opening respectively in said second operational mode.

23. A method of drying articles, comprising:

heating a drying chamber with a heater, wherein said chamber includes a generally multisided drying drawer having opposed side walls, a rear wall, and at least one access door;

exhausting air from said drawer through an air outlet including a first damper for selectively opening and closing said air outlet;

drawing air into said drawer through an air inlet including a second damper for selectively opening and closing said air inlet;

measuring a temperature in said drawer;

streaming air through said drawer in a first operational mode when said first damper and said second damper are opened;

recirculating air within said drawer in a second operational mode when said first damper and said second damper are closed; and

,

switching in a series of cycle durations from said first operational mode to said second operational mode when a first predetermined criteria is reached and from said second operational mode to said first operational mode when a second predetermined criteria is reached.

24. The method of drying articles according to claim 23, further comprising:

alternating said heater between on and off for said first operational mode and said second operational mode, respectively.

25. The method of drying articles according to claim 24, wherein said cycle duration corresponds to a remaining moisture content (RMC) of articles inside said drying chamber including a first predeterminable RMC and a second predeterminable RMC.