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US 6,493,963 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for dryness detection in a clothes dryer
AssigneeMaytag Corporation
InventorBrent A. England
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of programming and controlling an automatic cycle of a clothes dryer provides that, after positioning of a selection dial, a motor associated with the selection dial is rapidly moved to a predetermined location at a constant speed, while the time to do so is measured. With the rotational velocity being known, the exact, initially setting position of the dial is determined in advance.
Claims18
A clothes dryer comprising:
- an outer cabinet shell;
- a drum rotatably mounted within said outer cabinet shell, said drum being adapted to receive articles of clothing to be heated and dried within said drum;
- a system for sensing a moisture level of articles of clothing placed within said drum;
- a control panel including at least one temperature selector member, a cycle selection element adapted to be initially positioned by a user to a desired dryness level setting while being movable through a first cycle zone during operation of said clothes dryer, and indicia, representative of said first cycle zone, extending adjacent at least a portion of said cycle selection element on said control panel;
- and
- means for determining the desired dryness level setting based on movement of the selection element through the first cycle zone during operation of said clothes dryer.
3 more elements
A method of operating a clothes dryer comprising:
- initiating a dryer operation based on a desired dryness level setting established by a user through a positioning of a cycle selection element in a first cycle zone;
- determining the desired dryness level based on advanced movement of the cycle selection element through the first cycle zone;
- sensing a moisture level of clothing articles in the clothes dryer during the drying operation;
- and
- halting operation of at least a heater of said clothes dryer when the moisture level is substantially equal to the desired dryness level.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.