Clothes Dryer Moisture Feedback for User-Selected Dryness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of clothes dryers lack precise control over moisture levels during the drying cycle, leading to inefficient energy use and potential over-drying or under-drying of clothing.
Innovation Solution
A clothes dryer with a programmable dryness level selector, sensors to monitor moisture content, and a controller that automatically stops the drying cycle when a target moisture level is reached, allowing for customizable dryness settings and real-time display of remaining moisture content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the dryer operates with fixed drying cycles without moisture monitoring, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of moisture content control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors moisture content during the drying cycle and uses this feedback to adjust the drying process. The controller receives moisture content signals from sensors and automatically modifies the drying cycle parameters to achieve the desired remaining moisture level, resolving the contradiction by enabling precise control through closed-loop feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual monitoring and adjustment of drying cycles with an automated electronic control system. The controller, sensors, and display work together to substitute human intervention with an automated system that precisely tracks and controls moisture content, improving manufacturing precision while managing device complexity through integration.
2Measurement precision
If the dryer continuously monitors and displays remaining moisture content, then the measurement precision of moisture levels is improved, but the use of energy increases due to extended operation
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous monitoring provides real-time feedback on moisture content, allowing the system to detect when the target remaining moisture level is achieved. This precise measurement enables the controller to stop the drying cycle at the optimal moment, preventing both under-drying and unnecessary extended operation that would waste energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the moisture monitoring data to automatically determine when to stop the drying cycle without requiring user intervention. The display informs the user of the remaining moisture content, and the controller autonomously terminates the cycle when the target is reached, balancing measurement precision with energy efficiency.
3Productivity
If the dryer automatically stops when target moisture is reached, then the productivity of the drying process is improved, but the reliability of achieving desired dryness deteriorates without user oversight
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback through the display showing remaining moisture content and target moisture level. This transparency allows users to verify that the automatic stopping is achieving the desired dryness, maintaining reliability while benefiting from the productivity gains of automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The display acts as an intermediary between the automated controller and the user. It communicates the moisture content status and target levels, allowing users to monitor and verify the automatic stopping process, thereby maintaining trust and reliability in the automated system's ability to achieve desired dryness.
4Ease of operation
If the dryer provides real-time moisture content display and automatic stopping, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and controls
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions: it monitors moisture content from sensors, processes the data, controls the drying cycle, manages the display output, and executes the automatic stopping decision. By making the controller multi-functional, the system achieves ease of operation with relatively added complexity, as one component performs multiple roles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the moisture sensing, control logic, display management, and cycle termination functions into an integrated system. The controller, display, and sensors work as a unified automated control system that simplifies user interaction while managing the complexity of individual components through their coordinated integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling the clothes dryer includes offering one or more preset dryness levels that may be selected using a programmable dryness level selector to establish a drying cycle. Each of the preset dryness levels may correspond to a stored remaining moisture content. The method additionally includes sensing a remaining moisture content of a load of fabric in the clothes dryer and displaying the remaining moisture content of the load of fabric to a user. The method further includes automatically stopping the clothes dryer using a controller configured to determine when the remaining moisture content of the load of fabric reaches the selected preset dryness level. The one or more preset dryness levels may be customizable by saving a target remaining moisture content for each preset dryness level.