Laundry dryer control method

• US 7,941,937 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Do, Gi Hyeong
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/717,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 344/93, 344/94, 344/95, 344/99, 345/95, 346/06, 345/27, 345/49, 343/81, 344/13, 345/13, 345/20, 738/621.92, 68/20, 68/13.R, 392/382, 392/384, 705/14, 219/201, 815/1, 815/8
• US Class Current: 34/381
• 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 2103/38 Time, e.g. duration
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/46 Control of the operating time

Abstract

A laundry drier control method reads a temperature variation rate per unit time, to enable drying according to the amount and type of an object being dried. The method includes steps of initiating a drying procedure; measuring a temperature variation rate per unit time over the drying procedure; calculating an overall drying time based on the measured temperature variation rate per unit time; and performing the drying procedure for the calculated overall drying time. The drying time determining step is repeated if a substantial increase in the temperature variation rate is detected.

Claims

1. A laundry dryer control method comprising the steps of:

initiating a drying procedure by driving a heater for heating air and a motor for rotating a drum;

measuring temperature by a temperature sensor;

calculating a plurality of temperature variation rates;

detecting whether there is a substantial increase in the temperature variation rate with respect to the temperature variation rate of initiating the drying procedure;

calculating a remaining drying time after the substantial increased is detected; and

performing the drying procedure for the calculated remaining drying time, wherein the drying procedure is divided by the difference of the temperature variation rate as the drying procedure proceeds.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drying procedure is divided by 3 time periods from initiating the drying procedure to completing the drying procedure.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first time period is a period for preheating a drying object, the second time period is a period for substantially drying the drying object, and the third time period is a period for completing the drying procedure.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the heater the a motor are differentially driven for the first and second time period and for the third time period.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the third time period is the remaining drying time.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cooling procedure after the drying procedure.