Dryer appliance and a method for operating a dryer appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9920469-B2
Application number	US-201414282269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A dryer appliance is provided. The dryer appliance includes a filter assembly with a filter medium. A first portion of the filter medium is disposed within an exhaust conduit when the filter medium is in a first position. A second portion of the filter medium is disposed within the exhaust conduit when the filter medium is in a second position. A method for operating a dryer appliance is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dryer appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining a vent;
a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet, the drum defining a chamber for receipt of articles for drying;
an exhaust conduit extending between the chamber of the drum and the vent of the cabinet to direct an airflow therethrough;
a filter assembly positioned in fluid communication between the exhaust conduit and the vent, the filter assembly comprising
a filter medium having a first portion and a second portion, the filter medium rotatable between a first position and a second position, the first portion of the filter medium disposed within the exhaust conduit when the filter medium is in the first position, the second portion of the filter medium disposed within the exhaust conduit when the filter medium is in the second position, and
a motor coupled to the filter medium, the motor operable to rotate the filter medium between the first and second positions;

a supply duct extending within the cabinet in fluid isolation from the exhaust conduit to direct a flow of air through the supply duct that is separate from the airflow through the exhaust conduit; and
a lint duct in downstream fluid communication with the supply duct to receive at least a portion of the flow of air from the supply duct,
wherein the first portion of the filter medium is disposed between the supply duct and the lint duct when the filter medium is in the second position, and wherein the second portion of the filter medium is disposed between the supply duct and the lint duct when the filter medium is in the first position.

2. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter assembly further comprises a fan mounted in fluid communication with the supply duct, the fan operable to direct the flow of air across the second portion of the filter medium when the filter medium is in the first position or to direct the flow of air across the first portion of the filter medium when the filter medium is in the second position.

3. The dryer appliance of claim 2 , further comprising a lint collection bin disposed downstream of the filter medium and the lint duct relative to the flow of air from the fan, the lint collection bin configured for collecting lint blown off the filter medium by the flow of air from the fan.

4. The dryer appliance of claim 3 , wherein the lint collection bin defines a plurality of outlet holes, the flow of air exiting the lint collection bin through the plurality of outlet holes, the plurality of outlet holes sized for hindering lint from passing therethrough.

5. The dryer appliance of claim 3 , further comprising a drawer positioned at a bottom portion of the cabinet, the lint collection bin removably mounted within the drawer.

6. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter medium comprises a circular frame and a screen disposed within the circular frame, the first and second portions of the filter medium having a semicircular shape.

7. The dryer appliance of claim 6 , wherein the circular frame comprises a plurality of teeth disposed about a circumference of the circular frame, the motor having a gear meshed with the teeth of the plurality of teeth of the circular frame in order to couple the motor to the filter medium.

8. The dryer appliance of claim 6 , wherein the screen comprises metal screen.

9. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter assembly further comprises a shaft supporting the filter medium such that the filter medium is rotatable between the first and second positions.

10. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter assembly further comprises a pair of magnets, a magnetic sensor and a controller, a first one of the magnets mounted to the filter medium adjacent the first portion of the filter medium, a second one of the magnets mounted to the filter medium adjacent the second portion of the filter medium, the controller in operative communication with the motor and the magnetic sensor, the controller configured for operating the motor to move the filter medium until the magnetic sensor detects one of the pair of magnets.

11. The dryer appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a heater, a temperature sensor and a controller, the heater configured for heating air entering the chamber of the drum, the temperature sensor positioned for measuring a temperature the air entering the chamber of the drum, the controller in operative communication with the heater, the temperature sensor and the motor, the controller configured for deactivating the heater and operating the motor to move the filter medium when a temperature measurement from the temperature sensor exceeds a threshold temperature.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Ramprasad Lakkineni Venkat
• Kumar Shree

Classifications

• D06F58/22 Primary

  Lint collecting arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/04

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

• D06F2058/2858

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F58/28

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F2105/34

  Filtering, e.g. control of lint removal devices · CPC title