Clogging detecting system for dryer

• US 8,387,272 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yang-hwan, Kim, Kyung-hun, Koo, Ja-in, Kim, Ju-hyun, Bae, Sun-cheol, Min, Ju-young, Hu, Jin-seok
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/849,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20080072450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 345/24, 345/27, 342/01, 34/82, 34/88, 346/02, 346/09, 346/10, 344/80, 165/166, 392/465, 738/615
• US Class Current: 34/524
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/00 User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/56 related to air ducts, e.g. position of flow diverters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/04 Signal transfer or data transmission arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/20 Parameters relating to constructional components, e.g. door sensors
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens

Abstract

The present invention discloses a clogging detecting system for a dryer which can display a clogging degree or state of an air passage to the user through a remote controlling device. The clogging detecting system for the dryer includes the dryer for judging the clogging degree of the air passage, and sending the clogging degree to a remote controlling device, and the remote controlling device for receiving the clogging degree from the dryer, and displaying the clogging degree through a display unit.

Claims

1. A clogging detecting system for a dryer, comprising:

a processor to judge a state of an air passage of the dryer and to send a signal indicative of the state to a remote controlling device; and

a remote controlling device to receive the signal indicative of the state and to display an indication of the state through a display unit, wherein;

the remote controlling device sends a request command for the state of the air passage to the dryer,

the processor judges and sends information indicative of the state to the remote controlling device, and

the remote controlling device displays an indication of the state wherein the state is one of a clogging degree and a non-clogging state and wherein display unit displays the indication of the clogging degree by at least two steps or the indication of the non-clogging state.

2. The clogging detecting system of claim 1, wherein the remote controlling device comprises an input unit for acquiring the request command for the state of the air passage from a user.

3. The clogging detecting system of claim 1, wherein the dryer comprises an input unit for acquiring a request command for the state of the air passage from the user.

4. The clogging detecting system of claim 1, wherein the dryer and the remote controlling device perform power line communication or radio frequency communication.

5. The clogging detecting system of claim 1, wherein the display unit visibly or audibly displays the indication of the state.

6. The clogging detecting system of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the clogging degree of a lint filter or the clogging degree of an exhaust duct by the at least two steps.

7. The clogging detecting system of claim 6, wherein, when the clogging degree is judged to be over a critical step, the display unit displays a warning message.

15. The clogging detecting system of claim 1, wherein the processor judges the state of a lint filter or the state of an exhaust duct based on a duty cycle of a control signal used to control power to a heater of the dryer.

16. The clogging detecting system of claim 15, wherein the processor judges that the lint filter is clogged and the exhaust duct is not clogged when an off duty ratio of the control signal used to control power to the heater is above a first value and lower than a second value, and wherein the second value is greater than the first value.

17. The clogging detecting system of claim 16, wherein the processor judges that the exhaust duct is clogged when the off duty ratio of the control signal is above the second value.

8. An interface device for a remote controlling device, comprising:

a communication circuit to receive a signal indicative of an air passage of a dryer;

a display to display an indication of the clogging degree;

a controller to apply a display signal corresponding to the received clogging degree to the display; and

a user input device to request the clogging degree of the air passage to the dryer, wherein the state includes a clogging degree and a non-clogging state and wherein the display displays the clogging degree by at least two steps and the non-clogging state.

9. The interface device of claim 8, wherein the display displays the indication of the state of a lint filter or the clogging degree of an exhaust duct by the at least two steps.

10. The interface device of claim 9, wherein, when the clogging degree of at least one of the lint filter or the clogging degree of the exhaust duct is over a critical step, the display displays a warning message.

11. The interface device of claim 8, wherein the display displays a presumed energy consumption amount corresponding to the clogging degree.

12. A remote controlling device, comprising:

a communication circuit to communicate with a dryer;

a controller to control the communication circuit to receive a signal indicative of a clogging degree of an air passage from the dryer;

a display, interworking with the controller, to display an indication of the clogging degree; and

an input device to acquire a request command for the clogging degree of the air passage from a user, wherein the state is one of a clogging degree and a non-clogging state and wherein display unit displays the indication of the clogging degree by at least two steps or the indication of the non-clogging state.

13. The remote controlling device of claim 12, wherein the controller converts the signal indicative of the state into a display signal, and applies the display signal to the display.

14. The remote controlling device of claim 12, wherein the controller computes a presumed energy consumption amount corresponding to the clogging degree of at least one of the lint filter or clogging degree of the exhaust duct, and displays the presumed energy consumption amount on the display.