Automatic clothes dryer
First Claim
1. A method of operating a clothes dryer comprising a rotating drum defining a clothes drying chamber, an air flow system for supplying air to the clothes drying chamber and exhausting air from the clothes drying chamber, a motorized blower for moving air from an inlet to the drying chamber, through the clothes drying chamber, and through an exhaust inlet, and a heater for heating the air, the method comprising:
- supplying air through the air flow system to define a supply air flow;
determining at least one parameter of the supply air flow;
calculating from the at least one parameter a supply air flow value indicative of a volumetric flow rate of air supplied to the clothes drying chamber;
calculating an exhaust air flow value indicative of a volumetric flow rate of air exhausted from the clothes drying chamber; and
determining a volumetric flow rate of the air flow through the air flow system based on the supply air flow value and the exhaust air flow value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic clothes dryer comprises a cabinet defining an interior space in which is rotatably mounted a drum that defines a drying chamber, a heater assembly having a heating element for heating air, and a motor for rotating the drum. A blower is mounted within the interior space and is fluidly coupled to the drying chamber for moving heated air through the drying chamber. A first temperature sensor is mounted upstream of the heating element. A second temperature sensor is mounted downstream of the blower. Outputs from the temperature sensors are utilized with one or more methods to determine the air flow characteristics through the dryer.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of operating a clothes dryer comprising a rotating drum defining a clothes drying chamber, an air flow system for supplying air to the clothes drying chamber and exhausting air from the clothes drying chamber, a motorized blower for moving air from an inlet to the drying chamber, through the clothes drying chamber, and through an exhaust inlet, and a heater for heating the air, the method comprising:
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supplying air through the air flow system to define a supply air flow; determining at least one parameter of the supply air flow; calculating from the at least one parameter a supply air flow value indicative of a volumetric flow rate of air supplied to the clothes drying chamber; calculating an exhaust air flow value indicative of a volumetric flow rate of air exhausted from the clothes drying chamber; and determining a volumetric flow rate of the air flow through the air flow system based on the supply air flow value and the exhaust air flow value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification