Dryer appliances and methods for operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9371609-B2
Application number	US-201414313036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2014
Priority date	Jun 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

Dryer appliances and methods for operating dryer appliances are provided. A method includes flowing internal air from a drum chamber through a vent duct of the dryer appliance, selectively actuating a valve to flow external air through the vent duct from external to a cabinet of the dryer appliance, and alternately sensing humidity values of the internal air and the external air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dryer appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining an interior;
a drum positioned within the interior, the drum defining a chamber for receipt of articles for drying;
an outlet assembly positioned within the interior, the outlet assembly comprising a vent duct and an exhaust conduit in fluid communication with the vent duct, wherein internal air flows from the chamber through the vent duct to the exhaust conduit;
a valve selectively operable to flow external air to the vent duct from external to the cabinet; and
a humidity sensor positioned within the vent duct,
wherein selective operation of the valve causes the humidity sensor to alternately sense internal air humidity values and external air humidity values.

2. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the humidity sensor is downstream of the valve.

3. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the humidity sensor is disposed in a low pressure zone of the vent duct.

4. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the valve is at least partially disposed in the vent duct.

5. The dryer appliance of claim 4 , wherein the valve defines a restriction section of the vent duct.

6. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the vent duct comprises a filter portion and an exhaust portion downstream of the filter portion, and wherein the humidity sensor is positioned within the exhaust portion.

7. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a hose extending between the valve and an external surface of the cabinet, the hose in fluid communication with the valve such that external air flows through the hose to the valve.

8. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the valve is a solenoid valve.

9. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a controller in communication with the valve and the humidity sensor.

10. The dryer appliance of claim 9 , wherein the controller is operable for:
flowing internal air from a drum chamber through a vent duct of the dryer appliance;
selectively actuating a valve to flow external air through the vent duct from external to a cabinet of the dryer appliance; and
sensing humidity values of the internal air and the external air.

11. A method for operating a dryer appliance, the method comprising:
flowing internal air from a drum chamber through a vent duct of the dryer appliance;
selectively actuating a valve to flow external air through the vent duct from external to a cabinet of the dryer appliance; and
alternately sensing humidity values of the internal air and the external air with a humidity sensor positioned within the vent duct,
wherein selective actuation of the valve causes the humidity sensor to alternately sense internal air humidity values and external air humidity values.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising comparing humidity values of the internal air with humidity values of the external air.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the comparing step comprises calculating differences between humidity values of the internal air and sequential humidity values of the external air.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the comparing step further comprises calculating integrated areas by integrating the differences over time.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the comparing step further comprises calculating sums by summing the integrated areas.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the comparing step further comprises calculating changes in the sums.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising discontinuing operation of the dryer appliance when a change in a difference between humidity values of the internal air and sequential humidity values of the external air is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold level.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of alternately sensing humidity values of the internal air and the external air is performed by a humidity sensor, the humidity sensor disposed in a low pressure zone of the vent duct.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the valve is at least partially disposed in the vent duct.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the valve defines a restriction section of the vent duct.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Anderson Timothy Lee
• Dickerson Alisa Marie
• Kwon Lois Haeun

Classifications

• D06F2103/36

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• D06F2105/24

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• D06F58/02

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F2103/08

  Humidity · CPC title

• D06F2058/2864

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic