System and method for reducing an instantaneous load in an appliance

• US 6,961,642 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2002
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Horst, Gale R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Von Buhr, Maria N.
• Application Number:
  US10/295,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700/276, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 705/7, 705/10, 307 31- 35, 307 38- 41, 702 57- 62
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

An appliance having at least one component, a receiver, and a controller. The component is configured to operate in a normal operation mode and a resource savings mode; wherein an instantaneous resource demand of the at least one component is greater during the normal operation mode than during the resource savings mode. The receiver is adapted to receive a curtailment signal. The controller is connected to the receiver and the component, and determines if a curtailment signal has been received by the receiver. If the curtailment signal was received, the controller determines whether the component should be operated in the resource savings mode, and if so, the controller operates the component in the resource savings mode, and if not, the controller operates the component operated in the normal operation mode.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

at least one component configured to operate in a normal operation mode and a resource savings mode, wherein a resource demand of the at least one component is greater during the normal operation mode than during the resource savings mode;

a controller configured to implement an operation cycle of the appliance and operably coupled to the at least one component to control the operation of the at least one component as needed to implement the operation cycle, the controller further configured to receive a curtailment signal representative of an external request to reduce the resources consumed by the appliance and determine if the at least one component should be operated in the resource savings mode in response to the receipt of a curtailment signal;

wherein when implementing the operation cycle, the controller operates the at least one component in the normal operation mode if the curtailment signal is not received or if the controller determines the at least one component should not be operated in the resource savings mode, and the controller operates the at least one component in the resource savings mode if the curtailment signal is received and the controller determines that the at least one component should be operated in the resource savings mode.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller determines whether to operate the component in the resource savings mode based on whether such operation would result in unacceptable consequences regarding the implementation of the operation cycle.

3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the unacceptable consequences comprise causing damage to any user content in the appliance or to the at least one component.

4. The appliance of claim 1 and further comprising multiple components configured to operate in a normal operation mode and a resource savings mode and the controller is operably coupled to the multiple components and determines which of the multiple components will be operated in the resource savings mode upon the receipt of a curtailment signal.

5. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller determines which of the multiple components in the resource savings mode based on whether such operation would result in unacceptable consequences regarding the implementation of the operation cycle.

6. The appliance of claim 5 wherein the unacceptable consequences comprise causing damage to any user content in the appliance or to any of the multiple components.

7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller further comprises a receiver configured to receive the curtailment signal.

8. The appliance of claim 1 further comprising a manual override device to enable a user to prevent the controller from operating the at least one component in the resource savings mode.

9. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the resource savings mode includes deactivating the at least one component.

10. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the resource savings mode includes operating the at least one component at a lower resource consumption level than in the normal operation mode.

11. The appliance of claim 10 wherein the resource savings mode includes increasing a duration of operation of the at least one component during at least a portion of the operation cycle.

12. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the resource savings mode includes reducing a duration of the operation of the at least one component during the operation cycle.

13. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the operation cycle comprises multiple steps, with at least one of the steps requiring the operation of the at least one component, and the resource savings mode includes skipping the step requiring the operation of the at least one component.

14. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the resource savings mode includes reducing a lighting intensity.

15. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the curtailment signal is directly received from a source external of the appliance.

16. The appliance of claim 15 wherein the curtailment signal is received via a powerline supplying power to the controller.

17. The appliance of claim 15 wherein the curtailment signal is received via a radio frequency signal.

18. The appliance of claim 1 further including a curtailment need detection device, wherein the curtailment need detection device transmits a curtailment signal to the controller if an instantaneous resource load exceeds a predetermined level.

19. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance is a clothes dryer having components including at least a motor, fan, heating element, and control panel.

20. A method for reducing resource demand of an appliance comprising:

providing an appliance comprising at least one component to perform at least a portion of an operation cycle and configured to operate in a normal operation mode and a resource savings mode, wherein a resource demand of the at least one component is greater during the normal operation mode than during the resource savings mode, and a controller operably coupled to the at least one component and configured to control the operation of the least one component to implement the operation cycle;

the controller receiving a curtailment signal;

the controller determining whether the at least one component can be operated in the resource savings mode without causing damage to any user content in the appliance or to the at least one component; and

the controller operating the at least one component in the resource savings mode if the determination is positive.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of operating the at least one component in the resource savings mode includes deactivating the at least one component.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of operating the at least one component in the resource savings mode includes operating the at least one component in the appliance at a lower resource consuming setting than in the normal operation mode.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of operating the at least one component in the resource savings mode includes increasing a duration of the operation cycle being performed by the appliance.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of operating the at least one component in the resource savings mode includes reducing a duration of the operation cycle being performed by the appliance.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of operating the at least one component in the resource savings mode includes skipping a step in an operation cycle being performed by the appliance.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the curtailment signal is transmitted from an external source.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the curtailment signal is transmitted from an internal source.

28. The method of claim 20 including the step of preventing an operation of the at least one component in the resource savings mode if a reduction of the instantaneous resource demand may cause an unacceptable consequence.