Laundry treating appliance with a sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260194-B2
Application number	US-201615210952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus and method towards a laundry treating appliance for drying laundry comprising a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber and having a front and a rear where at least one conductivity sensor is located within the treating chamber, and a motor rotating the drum tumbles laundry within the treating chamber to ensure contact of the laundry with the conductivity sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating appliance for drying laundry comprising:
a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber and having a front and a rear;
a first conductivity sensor located on a lower portion of a rear of the laundry treating appliance;
a second conductivity sensor located at a lower portion of the front of the treating chamber; and
a motor rotating the drum at a predetermined speed to tumble laundry within the treating chamber such that a trajectory of the laundry passes over the first and second conductivity sensors.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the first conductivity sensor is located at one of a lower right or lower left quadrant of the rear.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising an air system having a supply conduit through which air is supplied to the treating chamber, an exhaust conduit through which air is exhausted from the treating chamber, and at least one thermistor located in the supply conduit or exhaust conduit and generating an output signal indicative of a temperature.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the at least one thermistor comprises a first thermistor located in the supply conduit and generating a third output signal indicative of an air temperature in the supply conduit, and a second thermistor located in the exhaust conduit and generating a fourth output signal indicative of an air temperature in the exhaust conduit.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the drum comprises an open rear and a rear wall closes the open rear.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 further comprising a rear bulkhead defining the rear wall and rotationally supporting the open rear of the drum.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 6 , wherein the second conductivity sensor is located on a front bulkhead rotationally supporting an open front of the drum.

8. A method of controlling a drying cycle of operation in a laundry treating appliance for drying laundry, the method comprising rotating a treating chamber at a predetermined speed such that a trajectory of laundry within the treating chamber passes over a first conductivity sensor located at a lower rear of the treating chamber and a second conductivity sensor located at a lower front of the treating chamber.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising using a first output signal from the first conductivity sensor to control a duration of the drying cycle of operation.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising continuously updating the duration of the drying cycle of operation.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising selecting by a controller one of the first output signal and a second output signal.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising using the selected one of the first and second output signals to control the duration of the drying cycle of operation.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the selecting comprises selecting the one of the first and second output signals that have a greater number of conductivity sensings.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the treating chamber is rotated about an axis that is angled relative to a horizontal.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving at the controller a third and fourth output signal from a first thermistor coupled to a supply conduit and a second thermistor coupled to an exhaust conduit forming at least a portion of an air system.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising selecting by the controller at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth output signals to control the duration of the drying cycle of operation.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the controller selecting less than all of the first, second, third and fourth output signals.

18. A method of controlling a drying cycle of operation in a laundry treating appliance for drying laundry, the method comprising:
receiving at a controller for the laundry treating appliance a first conductivity signal from a first conductivity sensor at a lower rear of treating chamber and a second conductivity signal from a second conductivity sensor at a lower front of the treating chamber;
rotating the treating chamber such that a trajectory of laundry in the treating chamber passes over the first and second conductivity sensors;
selecting by the controller one of the first conductivity signal or the second conductivity signal having a greater number of conductivity sensings; and
controlling duration of the drying cycle of operation based on a selected first conductivity signal or second conductivity signal.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising repeatedly selecting between the first and second conductivity signals.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving at the controller a third and fourth output signal from a first and second thermistor forming at least a portion of an air system proximate the treating chamber.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Green Jason A
• Halbleib Alexander
• Masters Roy E
• Rajendran Arun
• Traylor Wesley P

Classifications

• D06F2103/08

  Humidity · CPC title

• D06F58/38

  of drying, e.g. to achieve the target humidity · CPC title

• D06F2103/02

  Characteristics of laundry or load · CPC title

• D06F2103/10

  expressed as capacitance or resistance · CPC title

• D06F58/02

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title