Apparatus for sensing dryness degree in exhaust type clothes dryer and control method using same

• US 6,931,759 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2002
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Soon-Jo, Jeong, Hae-Deog
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/466,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20040060197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 344/85, 344/86, 344/91, 344/95, 345/96, 346/00, 346/04, 346/06, 324/654, 700/208
• US Class Current: 34/485
• 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 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/26 Condition of the drying air, e.g. air humidity or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/38 of drying, e.g. to achieve the target humidity

Abstract

An apparatus for sensing a dryness degree in an exhaust type clothes dryer and a control method using the same, includes an electrode sensor for sensing a clothes drying state based on the humidity of the clothes in the drum, and a thermistor for sensing the temperature of the air discharged after drying the clothes. By comparing the clothes drying state and discharged air temperature, the operation of the dryer is controlled, so that the drying of clothes can be accurately performed, thus to improve efficiency and performance of an exhaust type clothes dryer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing dryness degree in exhaust type clothes dryer comprising:

a humidity sensing unit positioned inside a drum and sensing a dryness state of clothes by allowing a voltage value to be changed according to the humidity of clothes;

a temperature sensing unit positioned at the side of an exhaust duct of the drum, drying the clothes and sensing a temperature of the air being exhausted; and

a control unit for receiving sense signals from the humidity sensing unit and the temperature sensing unit and determining a dryness degree of the clothes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an exhaust duct is connected to one side of the drum to outwardly discharge air used for drying the clothes, and the temperature sensing unit is positioned in the exhaust duct.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a blower is installed in the exhaust duct to forcibly discharge the air used for drying the clothes in the drum, and the temperature sensing unit is positioned at the side of a discharge portion of the blower.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the humidity sensing unit is positioned at an entrance of the exhaust duct.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the humidity sensing unit refers to an electrode sensor formed as two metal plates are positioned side by side and a voltage value is varied according to humidity, and the temperature sensing unit is formed as a thermistor that an electric resistance value differs according to a temperature change.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a suction air sensing unit disposed at the side of the suction hole of the drum, sensing a temperature of air sucked into the drum and inputting it to the control unit.

7. A drying control method of an exhaust type dryer, comprising the steps of:

sensing a dryness state value of clothes by a humidity sensing unit;

sensing a temperature value of air being discharged after drying the clothes by a temperature sensing unit disposed in a side of an exhaust duct of the dryer;

computing a change in the dryness state value;

computing a change in the temperature value; and

controlling an operation of the dryer using the change in the dryness value and the change in the temperature value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

comparing the dryness state value and the temperature value; and

determining when drying is complete as a function of the comparison.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein after the clothes drying operation starts, the operation of the dryer is controlled as a function of the dryness state value-until the clothes in the drum reach a set dryness degree value, and at values above the set dryness degree value, the operation of the dryer is controlled as a function of the temperature value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the dryness degree value reached when the clothes are 80% dry.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein drying is complete when the discharged air temperature value reaches a set temperature.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

turning off a heater when the discharged air temperature value reaches a set upper limit temperature;

turning on the heater when the discharged air temperature value reaches a set lower limit temperature; and

repeatedly turning the heater on and off a set number of times to complete the drying.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the set number of times the heater is turned on and off depends on the amount of clothes to be dried.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the set number of times the heater is turned on and off depends on the quality of clothes to be dried.