Self programming clothes dryer system

• US 6,519,871 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Wright, Kim L., Lafrenz, Michael D., Gardner, Douglas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, PAMELA ANNE
• Application Number:
  US09/864,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 344/91, 344/97, 344/93, 344/95, 345/27, 345/43, 345/50, 345/75, 346/00
• US Class Current: 34/497
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/16 Target humidity for the drying process, e.g. very-dry cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/18 Target temperature for the drying process, e.g. low-temperature cycles
• 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 2103/38 Time, e.g. duration
• 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 2105/56 Remaining operation time; Remaining operational cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/60 Audible signals
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/38 of drying, e.g. to achieve the target humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/46 Control of the operating time

Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating an automatic cycle of a clothes dryer wherein after initiation of an automatic cycle, a CPU displays the expected time remaining during the current cycle. At various times during the cycle, the expected time remaining is updated by comparing the time required to reach certain moisture levels of the articles contained therein to reference times. The comparison also results in the expected times being updated for future uses of the clothes dryer. Finally, the invention includes a system for updating the amount of time required to reach a desired final temperature during a cooldown sequence.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a clothes dryer comprising:

reading a desired dryness level selected by a user for articles of clothing to be dried in the clothes dryer;

establishing a drying cycle at a temperature for the clothes dryer in accordance with a drying schedule which is predetermined, depending upon the selected dryness level;

sensing an operational parameter of the drying cycle during the drying cycle; and

adjusting the drying schedule, for subsequent drying cycles established for at least the selected dryness level, based upon the sensed operating parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensing step includes detecting a moisture level of articles of clothing contained within the clothes dryer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the drying schedule from an algorithm.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

reading the drying schedule from a table of expected drying times for at least one operation temperature and at least one dryness level.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying a remaining drying time as read from the table.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a drying cycle time required to reach an intermediate dryness level as a sensed moisture level; and

calculating a time difference between the drying cycle time required to reach the intermediate sensed moisture level and the expected drying time as read from the table.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the intermediate dryness level is equal to the selected dryness level.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adding a percentage of the time difference to the expected drying time for subsequent drying cycles.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting the values of expected drying times for each dryness level and operation temperature based upon the sensed moisture levels during the cycle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the values of expected drying times are adjusted by respectively adding or subtracting a percentage of the time difference.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting values of expected drying times for the selected dryness level based upon the sensed moisture levels at at least one time during the cycle.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said drying cycle includes a cooldown step and the sensing of the operational parameter includes measuring a temperature of an exhaust air stream of said clothes dryer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

comparing the temperature of the exhaust air stream to a reference temperature to determine the duration of said cooldown steps of future cycles.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said adjusting step includes subtracting time from a cooldown segment of the drying schedule if the temperature of the air stream is less than the reference temperature or, in the alternative, adding time to the cooldown segment of the drying schedule if the temperature of the exhaust air stream is not less than the reference temperature.

15. A clothes dryer comprising:

an outer cabinet shell;

a drum rotatably mounted within said outer cabinet shell, said drum being adapted to receive articles of clothing to be heated and dried therein;

a system for sensing an operating parameter associated with the clothes dryer;

a control panel, attached to the outer cabinet shell, including at least one temperature selection member, a cycle selection element moveable through a first cycle zone during operation of said clothes dryer, and indicia, representative of said first cycle zone, extending adjacent at least a portion of said cycle selection element on said control panel;

a memory including a drying schedule; and

means for adjusting said drying schedule during a drying operation of said clothes dryer based on the sensed operating parameter.

16. The clothes dryer according to claim 15, wherein said operating parameter is a moisture level of articles placed in the drum.

17. The clothes dryer according to claim 16, wherein said drying schedule is determined from an algorithm.

18. The clothes dryer according to claim 16, wherein said drying schedule includes a table of expected drying times for at least one dryness level.

19. The clothes dryer according to claim 18, further comprising:

a display adapted to visually convey an expected drying time to a user of the clothes dryer.

20. The clothes dryer according to claim 16, wherein said cycle selection element is used to select a desired dryness level for the articles from among different dryness levels shown by said indicia.

21. The clothes dryer according to claim 20, further comprising:

a timer adapted to measure a time for a drying cycle; and

means for comparing a time required to reach said desired dryness level, as measured by said timer and said sensing system, to an expected drying time.

22. The clothes dryer according to claim 21, further comprising:

a display adapted to visually convey said expected drying time to a user of the clothes dryer.

23. The clothes dryer according to claim 21, wherein said comparing means is adapted to compare said expected drying time to said cycle time during said drying cycle.

24. The clothes dryer according to claim 18, wherein said table of expected drying times includes expected drying times for different desired final dryness levels.

25. The clothes dryer according to claim 15, wherein said drying operation includes a cooldown operation and said operating parameter is a temperature of an exhaust air stream of said clothes dryer.

26. The clothes dryer according to claim 25, further comprising:

means for comparing the temperature of the exhaust air stream to a reference temperature, and for subtracting time from said drying schedule if the temperature of the exhaust air stream is less than the reference temperature or, in the alternative, adding time to the drying schedule if the temperature of the exhaust air stream is not less than the reference temperature.