Dryer outlet grill with sensor
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsKeith E. Carr, Karl Jautakis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A moisture sensor assembly is provided for an automatic dryer wherein sensor strips are secured directly to the drum outlet grill for engagement by the materials being dried. The sensor strips pivotally engage at one end with the grill and have an interference friction fit at an opposite end so that the strips are held in place without additional fasteners. Electrical connection of the sensor strips occurs in a protected zone, physically separated from the moist exhaust air stream.
Claims22
A sensor assembly for use in an automatic dryer having a rotatable dryer drum for containing a supply of material to be dried, and an exhaust duct opening for exhausting an air stream from said drum, said sensor assembly comprising:
- an electrically non-conductive exhaust outlet grill covering said exhaust duct opening and having a plurality of openings formed therein;
- and
- a pair of spaced apart elongated sensor strips each secured directly to said exhaust outlet grill closely adjacent said plurality of openings and closely adjacent said rotatable dryer drum and exposed to the interior of said drum for intermittent contact by said material.
A flow-through dryer, comprising:
- a cabinet;
- a dryer drum rotatably mounted in said cabinet for receiving articles to be dried and accessible by said openable door;
- means for rotating said dryer drum;
- a first bulkhead including air inlet means in communication with the interior of said dryer drum;
- means of providing heated air to said air inlets;
- a second bulkhead including an openable door;
- an electrically non-conductive exhaust outlet grill mounted to said second bulkhead below said door, said exhaust outlet grill having a plurality of air outlets formed therein, each of said air outlets communicating with the interior of said dryer drum;
- and
- a pair of spaced apart elongated sensor members each secured directly to said exhaust outlet grill closely adjacent said air outlets and closely adjacent said dryer drum, said sensor members being exposed to the interior of said drum for intermittent contact by said articles.
An exhaust outlet grill assembly for use in an automatic dryer including a rotatable drum having a cylindrical wall for receiving a supply of material to be dried, an inlet to said drum for admission of an air stream and an exhaust duct opening for exhausting said air stream from said drum, said exhaust outlet grill assembly comprising:
- an electrically non-conductive exhaust outlet grill main body covering said exhaust duct opening and having a plurality of exhaust apertures formed thereon;
- and
- a pair of spaced apart arcuately shaped sensor members each attached directly to said outlet grill without the use of additional fasteners, each of said sensor members being disposed closely adjacent to such plurality of exhaust apertures and closely adjacent to the cylindrical wall of said drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.