Method and apparatus for drying articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029088-B2
Application number	US-201916418160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2019
Priority date	Oct 2, 2013
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A method and apparatus for drying a wet textile article with a radio frequency (RF) applicator and a controller, the method includes energizing the RF applicator to generate a field of electromagnetic radiation (e-field), determining a dynamic drying cycle of operation in the controller, and controlling the energization of the RF applicator according to the determination of the dynamic drying cycle of operation, wherein the wet article is dried.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for dehydrating a wet article with a radio frequency (RF) applicator having an anode element, a cathode element, and a controller, the method comprising:
capacitively coupling the anode element to the cathode element;
energizing the RF applicator to generate a field of electromagnetic radiation (e-field) within the radio frequency spectrum between the anode and cathode elements;
determining in the controller a dynamic drying cycle of operation; and
controlling the energization of the RF applicator according to the determination of the dynamic drying cycle of operation wherein liquid in the wet article residing within the e-field will be dielectrically heated to effect a drying of the wet article.

2. The method of claim 1 further including measuring a parameter related to the energization of the RF applicator by way of at least one of the anode or cathode elements.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the parameter is at least one of voltage or current.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the determining the dynamic drying cycle of operation further comprises modifying at least one energizing parameter.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the determining step is based on a comparison of the measured parameter to at least one reference parameter value.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying characteristics of the wet article, and wherein the determining the dynamic drying cycle of operation is based in part on the identification of the wet article characteristics.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the dynamic drying cycle of operation further comprises defining at least one of a maximum RF power or voltage to be applied during the controlling step.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the defining the dynamic drying cycle of operation further comprises defining at least one of a maximum RF power or voltage for each of a plurality of power levels to be applied during the controlling step.

9. A textile material treating applicator for dehydrating a wet article according to a dynamic drying cycle of operation, comprising:
an anode element and a cathode element;
a capacitive couple between the anode element and the cathode element;
a radio frequency (RF) generator coupled to the anode element and the cathode element and selectively energizable to generate electromagnetic radiation in the radio frequency spectrum wherein the energization of the RF generator sends electromagnetic radiation through the applicator via the capacitive couple to form a field of electromagnetic radiation (e-field) in the radio frequency spectrum to dielectrically heat liquid within the wet article proximate to at least one of the anode element or the cathode element; and
a controller coupled with the RF generator to determine the dynamic drying cycle of operation and to control the energization of the RF generator according to the determination of the dynamic drying cycle of operation.

10. The textile material treating applicator of claim 9 , further including a rotatable drum with inner and outer surfaces, wherein the anode element and the cathode element are supported by the rotatable drum, and wherein the wet article is supported on the inner surface.

11. The textile material treating applicator of claim 9 wherein the controller is configured to receive at least one generator energization signal comprising at least one of power level, reflected power, anode voltage, cathode voltage, or impedance.

12. The textile material treating applicator of claim 11 , further comprising an impedance matching circuit wherein the at least one generator energization signal further includes a signal transmitted from the impedance matching circuit to the controller.

13. The textile material treating applicator of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to receive at least one input associated with at least one wet article characteristic, wherein the at least one wet article characteristic comprises at least one of textile material size, quantity, material, or heat level.

14. The textile material treating applicator of claim 13 wherein the controller determines the at least one wet article characteristic from the at least one generator energization signal.

15. The textile material treating applicator of claim 11 wherein the controller is configured to compare the at least one generator energization signal to at least one least one reference parameter value.

16. The textile material treating applicator of claim 9 wherein the controller is configured to control the dynamic drying cycle of operation by control of the selective energization of the RF generator.

17. The textile material treating applicator of claim 16 wherein the dynamic drying cycle of operation further defines at least one of a power level, a reflected power, an anode voltage, a cathode voltage, or an impedance profile for the RF generator.

18. The textile material treating applicator of claim 17 wherein the dynamic drying cycle of operation defines at least one of a maximum power level, a maximum reflected power, a maximum anode voltage, a maximum cathode voltage, or a maximum impedance profile for the RF generator.

19. The textile material treating applicator of claim 18 wherein the at least one maximum power level, maximum reflected power, maximum anode voltage, maximum cathode voltage, or maximum impedance profile is defined such that electrical arcing is prevented.

20. The textile material treating applicator of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of capacitive couplings between a plurality of anode elements and cathode elements, and wherein the RF generator is selectively energizable to generate electromagnetic radiation via individual capacitive couplings.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Herman Mark L
• Putnam Daniel M

Classifications

• D06F58/30

  Drying processes  (controlling a series of operations in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32) · CPC title

• D06F58/266

  Microwave heating equipment · CPC title

• F26B3/347 Primary

  Electromagnetic heating, e.g. induction heating or heating using microwave energy · CPC title

• D06F58/04 Primary

  Details  (controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00) · CPC title

• D06F58/38

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