Detecting degree of dryness in a heat pump laundry appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsJivko Ognianov Djerekarov, David Scott Dunn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of operating a laundry appliance in a drying cycle includes motivating a flow of process air from a drum of the laundry appliance across an evaporator of a sealed system. Refrigerant in the evaporator of the sealed system absorbs heat from the flow of process air and the refrigerant circulates through the sealed system. The method also includes receiving, by a controller of the laundry appliance, an input indicative of a characteristic of the sealed system. The method further includes determining, by the controller, a dryness level of articles in the drum of the laundry appliance based on the received input indicative of the characteristic of the sealed system.
Claims19
A method of operating a laundry appliance in a drying cycle, the method comprising:
- motivating a flow of process air from a drum of the laundry appliance across an evaporator of a sealed system, whereby refrigerant in the evaporator of the sealed system absorbs heat from the flow of process air and the refrigerant circulates through the sealed system;
- receiving, by a controller of the laundry appliance, an input indicative of a characteristic of the sealed system;
- and
- determining, by the controller, a dryness level of articles in the drum of the laundry appliance based on the received input indicative of the characteristic of the sealed system.
A laundry appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet;
- a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet, the drum defining a chamber for receipt of articles for drying, the drum defining a drum outlet and a drum inlet to the chamber;
- a sealed system configured to heat and remove moisture from process air flowing therethrough;
- a duct system for providing fluid communication between the drum outlet and the sealed system and between the sealed system and the drum inlet, the duct system, the sealed system, and the drum defining a process air flow path;
- a blower fan operable to move process air along the process air flow path;
- and
- a controller, the controller configured for:
- activating the blower fan to motivate a flow of process air along the process air flow path and across an evaporator of the sealed system, whereby refrigerant in the evaporator of the sealed system absorbs heat from the flow of process air and the refrigerant circulates through the sealed system;
- receiving an input indicative of a characteristic of the sealed system;
- and
- determining a dryness level of articles in the chamber of the drum of the laundry appliance based on the received input indicative of the characteristic of the sealed system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.