Line of sight temperature control and method for laundry ironers
AssigneeFinishTech, Ltd.
InventorsJames E. Mitchell, Bruce W. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and a method controls a heating device in a laundry ironer. The apparatus includes a frame and an ironer cylinder. The ironer cylinder rotatably connects to the frame and has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The interior and exterior surfaces extend substantially from a first end to a second end of the ironer cylinder. A line of sight temperature sensor connects to the frame near the first end wherein a line of sight of the sensor is directed at a portion of the interior surface of the cylinder. As the ironer cylinder rotates and is heated by a heating element, the temperature of a portion of the interior surface is sensed. Based on the temperature and a threshold, the state of the heating element is changed.
Claims21
An apparatus for ironing textiles and controlling the temperature applied to the textiles, comprising:
- a frame;
- an ironer cylinder rotatably connected to said frame and comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface, both the interior and exterior surfaces extending substantially from a first end to a second end of said ironer cylinder;
- and
- a line of sight temperature sensor operatively connected to said frame near said first end and directed to read a portion of said interior surface.
A method for ironing textiles and controlling a heating device comprising:
- rotating an ironer cylinder operatively connected to a frame, the ironer cylinder comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface, both the interior and exterior surface extending substantially from a first end to a second end of said ironer cylinder;
- heating the ironer cylinder with said heating device;
- sensing a temperature of a portion of said interior surface of said ironer cylinder with a non-contact, line of sight temperature sensor;
- and
- changing the state of the heating element in response to said temperature and a first threshold value.
An apparatus for controlling a heating device comprising:
- a frame;
- a cylinder rotatably connected to said frame and comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface and a center axis;
- and
- a temperature sensor comprising a line of sight and operatively connected to said frame with said line of sight directed at a portion of said interior surface at an acute angle to said center axis.
An apparatus for controlling a heating device in a laundry ironer comprising:
- a frame;
- an ironer cylinder rotatably connected to said frame and comprising an interior surface and an ironing exterior surface extending substantially from a first end to a second end of said ironer cylinder;
- a heating element extending into said cylinder;
- a shield in said cylinder comprising a heating element side and a shielded side;
- an infra-red temperature sensor operatively connected to said frame outside said ironer cylinder near said first end, wherein a line of sight of said infra-red temperature sensor is operatively directed at a portion of said interior surface adjacent said shielded side;
- and
- an operative electrical connection from said infra-red temperature sensor to said heating element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.