초록 ▼

An automatic clothes dryer comprises a cabinet defining an interior space in which is rotatably mounted a drum that defines a drying chamber, a heater assembly having a heating element for heating air, and a motor for rotating the drum. A blower is mounted within the interior space and is fluidly co

An automatic clothes dryer comprises a cabinet defining an interior space in which is rotatably mounted a drum that defines a drying chamber, a heater assembly having a heating element for heating air, and a motor for rotating the drum. A blower is mounted within the interior space and is fluidly coupled to the drying chamber for moving heated air through the drying chamber. A first temperature sensor is mounted upstream of the heating element. A second temperature sensor is mounted downstream of the blower. Outputs from the temperature sensors are utilized with one or more methods to determine the air flow characteristics through the dryer.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of determining an air flow rate in an air flow system of a clothes dryer comprising a rotating drum defining a clothes drying chamber, with the air flow system supplying and exhausting air from the clothes drying chamber, and a heater to heat the air in the air flow s

What is claimed is: 1. A method of determining an air flow rate in an air flow system of a clothes dryer comprising a rotating drum defining a clothes drying chamber, with the air flow system supplying and exhausting air from the clothes drying chamber, and a heater to heat the air in the air flow system, the method comprising:supplying air through the air flow system to define a supply air flow;determining a temperature of the supply air flow to define a supply air temperature;determining an air flow rate value indicative of the volumetric flow rate of supply air flowing through the air flow system from the supply air temperature; andcomparing the air flow rate value to a predetermined air flow rate value to determine a condition of the air flow through the air flow system.