Clothes dryer adaptive heater control

• US 6,751,888 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lueckenbach, William Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): RINEHART, KENNETH
• Application Number:
  US10/065,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20040060196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 345/52, 345/95, 346/06, 344/86, 345/49, 345/53, 345/27, 345/62, 345/50, 344/91, 621/49, 621/766, 132/217, 236/51, 219/492, 116/216
• US Class Current: 34/595
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/08 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/02 having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/38 of drying, e.g. to achieve the target humidity

Abstract

A control system for a clothes dryer including a temperature sensor and a thermostat for regulating at least one dryer heating element is provided. The control system includes a microcomputer programmed to compensate for a conflict between the thermostat temperature regulation and the temperature sensor temperature regulation during dryer operation at a selected operating temperature.

Claims

1. A control system for a clothes dryer including a temperature sensor and a thermostat for regulating at least one dryer heating element, said control system comprising a microcomputer programmed to compensate for a conflict between the thermostat temperature regulation and the temperature sensor temperature regulation during dryer operation at a selected operating temperature and to adjust a set point of the temperature sensor.

2. A control system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said microcomputer is programmed to compensate if a sensed temperature from the temperature sensor has decreased by a predetermined amount.

3. A control system for a clothes dryer including a temperature sensor and a thermostat for regulating at least one dryer heating element, said control system comprising a microcomputer programmed to compensate for a conflict between the thermostat temperature regulation and the temperature sensor temperature regulation during dryer operation at a selected operating temperature, wherein said microcomputer is programmed to compensate if a sensed temperature from the temperature sensor has decreased by a predetermined amount over a predetermined time period when, according to a reading of the temperature sensor, the heating elements should be activated to raise a temperature of circulated air.

4. A control system for a clothes dryer including a temperature sensor and a thermostat for regulating at least one dryer heating element, said control system comprising a microcomputer programmed to compensate for a conflict between the thermostat temperature regulation and the temperature sensor temperature regulation during dryer operation at a selected operating temperature, wherein the dryer operates at the selected temperature according to a heat setting, said microcomputer is programmed to reduce the heat setting when the thermostat temperature regulation is in conflict with the temperature sensor temperature regulation.

5. A control system for a clothes dryer including a temperature sensor and a thermostat for regulating at least one dryer heating element, said control system comprising a microcomputer programmed to compensate for a conflict between the thermostat temperature regulation and the temperature sensor temperature regulation during dryer operation at a selected operating temperature, said microcomputer programmed to reduce a high temperature setpoint of the temperature sensor when the thermostat temperature regulation is in conflict with the temperature sensor temperature regulation.

6. A control system for regulating activation and deactivation of heating elements in a clothes dryer, said control system comprising:

a temperature sensor in communication with a heated air source;

a thermostat in communication with the heating air source and operatively coupled to the heating elements; and

a microcomputer operatively coupled to said temperature sensor and to the dryer heating elements, said microcomputer configured to adjust a set point of said temperature sensor to compensate for premature deactivation of the heating elements during operation of the dryer.

7. A control system for regulating activation and deactivation of heating elements in a clothes dryer, said control system comprising:

a temperature sensor in communication with a heated air source;

a thermostat in communication with the heating air source and operatively coupled to the heating elements; and

a microcomputer operatively coupled to said temperature sensor and to the dryer heating elements, said microcomputer configured to adjust a setpoint of said temperature sensor to compensate for premature deactivation of the heating elements during operation of the dryer.

8. A control system for regulating activation and deactivation of heating elements in a clothes dryer, said control system comprising:

a temperature sensor in communication with a heated air source;

a thermostat in communication with the heating air source and operatively coupled to the heating elements; and

a microcomputer operatively coupled to said temperature sensor and to the dryer heating elements, said microcomputer configured to compensate for premature deactivation of the healing elements during operation of the dryer and to adjust a heat setting during operation of the dryer to compensate for premature deactivation of the heating elements.

9. A control system for regulating activation and deactivation of heating elements in a clothes dryer, said control system comprising:

a temperature sensor in communication with a heated air source;

a thermostat in communication with the beating air source and operatively coupled to the heating elements; and

a microcomputer operatively coupled to said temperature sensor and to the dryer heating elements, said microcomputer configured to compensate for premature deactivation of the heating elements during operation of the dryer, wherein said microcomputer is configured to determine whether actual air temperature is decreasing when, based upon a reading from said temperature sensor, the heating elements should be activated.

10. A control system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said microcomputer is configured to monitor actual air temperature over a predetermined time period to determined whether said thermostat is interfering with temperature regulation via said temperature sensor.

11. A clothes dryer comprising:

a cabinet;

a rotatable drum mounted in said cabinet;

a drive system for rotating said drum;

an air circulation system;

a temperature sensor in communication with said air circulation system;

a thermostat in communication with said air circulation system;

at least one heating element in communication with said air circulation system and operatively coupled to said thermostat; and

a controller operatively coupled to said temperature sensor and to said heating element, said controller configured to activate and deactivate said heating clement in response to an output from said temperature sensor to regulate air circulation temperature between an upper and lower bound, said controller further configured to adjust a set point of said temperature sensor to compensate for deactivation of said heater element before said upper bound has been reached.

12. A clothes dryer comprising:

a cabinet;

a rotatable drum mounted in said cabinet;

a drive system for rotating said drum;

an air circulation system;

temperature sensor in communication with said air circulation system;

a thermostat in communication with said air circulation system;

at least one heating element in communication with said air circulation system and operatively coupled to said thermostat; and

a controller operatively coupled to said temperature sensor and to said heating element, said controller configured to activate and deactivate said heating element in response to an output from said temperature sensor to regulate air circulation temperature between an upper and lower bound, said controller further configured to compensate for deactivation of said heater element before said upper bound has been reached, wherein said controller comprises a microcomputer, said microcomputer programmed to activate said heater when air circulation temperature falls below said lower bound.

13. A clothes dryer in accordance with claim 12 wherein said microcomputer is programmed to monitors circulation air temperature for a predetermined time period after said healer is activated.

14. A clothes dryer in accordance with claim 13 wherein said compensation is enabled if air circulation temperature has decreased by a predetermined amount within said predetermined time period.

15. A clothes dryer comprising:

a cabinet;

a rotatable drum mounted in said cabinet;

a drive system for rotating said drum;

an air circulation system;

a temperature sensor in communication with said air circulation system;

a thermostat in communication with said air circulation system;

at least one heating element in communication with said air circulation system and operatively coupled to said thermostat; and

a controller operatively coupled to said temperature sensor and to said heating element, said controller configured to activate and deactivate said heating element in response to an output from said temperature sensor to regulate air circulation temperature between an upper and lower bound, said controller further configured to compensate for deactivation of said heater element before said upper bound has been reached, wherein said controller is programmed to adjust said upper bound when said thermostat deactivates said heater element before said upper bound has been reached.

16. A clothes dryer comprising:

a cabinet;

a rotatable drum mounted in said cabinet;

a drive system for rotating said drum;

an air circulation system;

a temperature sensor in communication with said air circulation system;

a thermostat in communication with said air circulation system;

at least one heating element in communication with said air circulation system and operatively coupled to said thermostat; and

a controller operatively coupled to said temperature sensor and to said heating element, said controller configured to activate and deactivate said heating element in response to an output from said temperature sensor to regulate air circulation temperature between an upper and lower bound, said controller further is configured to compensate for deactivation of said heater element before said upper bound has been reached only for a designated number of times per dryer cycle.

17. A method of operating a clothes dryer including a microcomputer, a temperature sensor, and a thermostat for regulating a temperature of air circulating in the dryer, said method comprising:

determining when the thermostat is interfering with temperature regulation via the temperature sensor; and

adjusting setpoints of the temperature sensor when the thermostat is interfering with temperature regulation via the temperature sensor.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein said adjusting setpoints of the temperature sensor comprises reducing a heat level setting.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising determining whether air circulation temperature has decreased by a predetermined amount over a predetermined time period.

20. A method of operating a clothes dryer including a microcomputer, a temperature sensor, and a thermostat for regulating a temperature of air circulating in the dryer by activating and deactivating at least one heating element, said method comprising:

regulating activation of the heating element in response to temperature feedback from the temperature sensor;

monitoring circulation air temperature over a period of time when the heating element is activated in response to feedback from the temperature sensor;

determining whether the air circulation temperature decreases by a predetermined amount within the predetermined time; and

adjusting an operating setpoint of the temperature sensor when the air circulation temperature decreases by the predetermined amount within the predetermined time.