# US 10,480,116 B2 · Drying appliance that performs after-care cycle on a load of laundry after completion of a primary drying cycle and method for performing the after-care cycle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,116 B2 - Document ID: US10480116B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/726,965 - Filed: 2017-10-06 - Published: 2019-04-11 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-06 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: Gianluca Benedetto; Giuseppina Pia Potena; Matthew D. Rhodes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480116B2 ## CPC - D06F 58/203: {Laundry conditioning arrangements} - D06F 58/206: {Heat pump arrangements} - D06F 58/24: Condensing arrangements - D06F 58/44: of conditioning or finishing, e.g. for smoothing or removing creases - D06F 2101/00: User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers - D06F 2103/32: Temperature - D06F 2103/36: Flow or velocity - D06F 2105/24: Flow or velocity - D06F 2105/26: Heat pumps - D06F 2105/28: Electric heating - D06F 2105/30: Blowers - D06F 2105/46: Drum speed; Actuation of motors, e.g. starting or interrupting - D06F 2105/62: Stopping or disabling machine operation - Y02B 30/52: Heat recovery pumps, i.e. heat pump based systems or units able to transfer the thermal energy from one area of the premises or part of the facilities to a different one, improving the overall efficiency - D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A method for processing laundry after completion of a drying cycle includes maintaining residual fluid within an airflow path of the appliance, wherein the residual fluid results from a primary drying cycle. A heat pump system is activated and a blower delivers the residual fluid to the drum. A drum temperature is maintained within the drum at a predetermined temperature range during performance of the after-care cycle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing laundry after completion of a drying cycle, the method comprising steps of: maintaining residual fluid within an airflow path of an appliance, wherein the residual fluid results from a primary drying cycle; activating a heat pump system and a blower to deliver the residual fluid to a drum; maintaining a drum temperature within the drum at a predetermined temperature range during performance of an after-care cycle; cooperatively operating the heat pump system and the drum in an active state of the after-care cycle until process air leaving the drum has a drum temperature that is approximately equal to an upper temperature limit of the predetermined temperature range; and deactivating a compressor of the heat pump system in an idle state of the after-care cycle until the drum temperature of the process air leaving the drum is approximately equal to a lower temperature limit of the predetermined temperature range. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating the heat pump system takes place at least when the drum temperature reaches a lower limit of the predetermined temperature range. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein after the heat pump system is activated, the heat pump system is deactivated when the drum temperature reaches an upper limit of the predetermined temperature range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the drum temperature is measured by a temperature probe disposed within the airflow path and downstream of the drum. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating the blower includes activating a rotation of the drum in at least one direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature range is from approximately 35 degrees Celsius to approximately 42 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the residual fluid is at least partially contained within a drain channel disposed beneath a heat exchanger of the heat pump system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heat pump system includes a compressor cooling fan and the compressor cooling fan remains deactivated while the drum temperature is within the predetermined temperature range. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein after completion of the primary drying cycle, the heat pump system and the blower are configured to be activated and deactivated in a repeating operation that continues for a predetermined after-care time period. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the repeating operation is configured to continue until an earlier of a manual termination of the repeating operation and an expiration of the predetermined after-care time period. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined after-care time period is approximately 6 hours. ### Claim 12 A method for processing laundry after completion of a drying cycle, the method comprising steps of: maintaining residual fluid at least within an airflow path that includes a drum for processing laundry; activating an after-care cycle that is configured to operate for a predetermined after-care time period; maintaining a drum temperature within the drum at a predetermined temperature range during performance of the after-care cycle; activating a heat pump system to define an active state of the after-care cycle when the drum temperature reaches a lower limit of the predetermined temperature range, wherein the residual fluid is delivered to the drum; deactivating the heat pump system to define an idle state of the after-care cycle when the drum temperature reaches an upper limit of the predetermined temperature range; repeating the active and idle states during the after-care cycle; and deactivating the after-care cycle at an earlier of a manual termination of the after-care cycle and an expiration of the predetermined after-care time period. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the after-care cycle includes a tumbling condition that is performed after the drum temperature reaches the upper limit and before the drum temperature reaches the lower limit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the step of activating the heat pump system also includes activating a motor that operates the drum about a rotational axis, and wherein the step of deactivating the heat pump system includes deactivating the motor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the motor that operates the drum also operates a blower for moving process air through the airflow path. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range is approximately 42 degrees Celsius, and the lower limit of the predetermined temperature range is approximately 35 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined after-care time period is approximately 6 hours. ### Claim 18 A laundry appliance comprising: a heat pump system having a compressor and a heat exchanger; a drum that is configured to process laundry; and a blower that delivers process air through an air flow path that includes the drum and the heat exchanger; wherein the compressor, the drum and the blower are configured to cooperatively operate to perform a drying cycle and an after-care cycle that is activated after completion of the drying cycle; the after-care cycle defines an active state wherein the compressor and the drum are configured to cooperatively operate until the process air leaving the drum has a drum temperature that is approximately equal to an upper temperature limit; the after-care cycle further defines an idle state wherein the compressor remains deactivated until the drum temperature of the process air leaving the drum is approximately equal to a lower temperature limit; and the after-care cycle is configured to operate for an after-care time period. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The laundry appliance of claim 18, wherein during the idle state, the drum and the blower define a tumbling condition wherein the drum and the blower are intermittently activated and deactivated. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The laundry appliance of claim 18, wherein the after-care time period is configured to end at an earlier of a manual termination of the after-care cycle and an expiration of the after-care time period.