Air flow pressure compensator system for clothes dryers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016244907-A1
Application number	US-201414906098-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	Jul 19, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air flow pressure compensator system maintains substantially constants air flow within a clothes dryer system and adjusts the speed of one or more exhaust fans by monitoring one or more sensors/transmitters positioned in one or more exhaust ducts and/or one or more incoming air ducts. The system includes a compensator controller; a variable frequency drive electrically coupled to the compensator controller; and an anemometer and/or a differential pressure sensor/transmitter electrically coupled to the compensator controller that allow for real-time monitoring and system adjusting, which improve clothing drying time and dryer efficiency.

First claim

1 . An air flow pressure compensator system for a clothes dryer, comprising:
a compensator controller; a variable frequency drive electrically coupled to the compensator controller; and an anemometer or a differential pressure sensor/transmitter electrically coupled to the compensator controller.

2 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 1 , wherein the anemometer or the differential pressure sensor/transmitter controls motor speed of a dryer blower and maintains substantially constant air flow in the clothes dryer.

3 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 1 , wherein the anemometer or the differential pressure sensor/transmitter controls motor speed of a dryer blower.

4 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 3 , wherein the motor speed is controlled based on inputs received from one or more differential pressure sensors/transmitters.

5 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 1 , further comprising circuitry that electrically couples the compensator controller, the variable frequency drive, and the anemometer or the differential pressure sensor/transmitter.

6 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 3 , wherein the variable frequency drive is programmed to control the running frequency of the blower motor.

7 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 1 , further comprising programming controls incorporated into the air flow pressure compensator system.

8 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 7 , wherein the programming controls are located on the variable frequency drive.

9 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust fan coupled to the variable frequency drive.

10 . The air flow pressure compensator system of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust fan is coupled the anemometer or the differential pressure sensor/transmitters.

11 . A clothes dryer, comprising:
a dryer control panel coupled to programmable controls; a tumbler configured to house clothing materials; a dryer blower coupled to the dryer control panel; and the air flow pressure compensator system, as claimed in claim 1 .

12 . A method of maintaining substantially constant air flow within a clothes dryer or clothes dryer system, comprising:
providing the air flow pressure compensator system, as claimed in claim 1 ; adjusts the speed of one or more exhaust fans; and monitoring one or more sensors/transmitters positioned in one or more exhaust ducts and/or one or more incoming air ducts.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Villella Bruce R
• Beaudreault James

Classifications

• D06F2105/24

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• D06F2103/36

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• D06F58/20 Primary

  General details of domestic laundry dryers  (D06F59/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F58/28 Primary

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F58/02

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title