Embedded temperature sensors for monitoring temperature of articles and status of drying or cleaning cycles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Institutional laundry settings face challenges in accurately determining the dryness of textiles in clothes dryers, leading to inefficiencies, premature textile degradation, and increased energy consumption due to the variability in drying cycles and conditions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of embedded temperature sensors that measure and transmit temperature data to determine dryness levels, allowing for real-time monitoring and automatic control of dryer cycles to prevent overdrying, using a system comprising sensors, computing devices, and storage devices to analyze temperature data and generate indications of dryness and overdrying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a relatively long drying time is selected to ensure complete dryness, then the textiles will be fully dry, but the textiles may become overdried and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs temperature sensors embedded in textiles to provide real-time feedback on textile temperature during drying. The system monitors temperature changes and uses this feedback to determine when textiles reach optimal dryness, automatically adjusting or terminating the drying cycle to prevent overdrying and reduce energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical timing-based drying control with a sensor-based thermal monitoring system. Instead of relying on预设 time cycles, the system uses temperature sensors to detect actual drying status, substituting mechanical time-based control with intelligent thermal feedback control.
2Reliability
If temperature is set to medium or high with long drying time, then textiles will be completely dry, but premature textile degradation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Embedded temperature sensors provide continuous feedback on textile temperature, allowing the system to monitor drying progress in real-time. When the textile reaches the optimal dryness temperature threshold, the system automatically stops or reduces heating, preventing excessive thermal exposure that causes degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic temperature control that adjusts heating based on real-time textile temperature feedback. The system transitions from static high-temperature long-duration drying to dynamic adaptive drying, modifying temperature and time parameters based on actual drying status to preserve textile integrity.
3Measurement precision
If embedded temperature sensors are implemented, then accurate dryness determination is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the textile itself the sensing element by embedding temperature sensors directly in the fabric. The textile monitors its own drying status through integrated sensors, eliminating the need for external complex monitoring equipment and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedded temperature sensors serve multiple functions: monitoring drying progress, determining optimal shutdown timing, preventing overdrying, and providing data for energy optimization. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems for each function, thereby managing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables more accurate determination of dryness, reduces energy consumption, extends the life of textiles, and increases the efficiency of laundry facilities by automatically controlling dryer cycles based on real-time temperature data.
Implementation Method 1
at least one embedded temperature sensor that senses a temperature of a textile in the drying compartment of a clothes dryer
Data Source
AI summary
An embedded temperature sensor may be attached to or otherwise associated with a textile in order to measure one or more temperatures of the textile. Temperature information received from one or more embedded temperature sensor(s) throughout the course of a dryer cycle may be analyzed to determine dryness of one or more textiles in a dryer, determine whether one or more textiles in the dryer are overdry, generate an indication of the dryness of the one or more textiles in the dryer, and/or to control one or more dryer cycles of the dryer, such as by automatically turning-off the dryer when one or more of the textiles in the dryer are determined to be dry. The embedded temperature sensor may further be used to validate a cleaning process in a cleaning machine.