The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 10, 2013
Filed:
Mar. 21, 2011
David G. Beers, Louisville, KY (US);
Nicholas Okruch, Jr., Mt. Washington, KY (US);
Brent Alden Junge, Evansville, IN (US);
Amelia Lear Hensley, Louisville, KY (US);
David G. Beers, Louisville, KY (US);
Nicholas Okruch, Jr., Mt. Washington, KY (US);
Brent Alden Junge, Evansville, IN (US);
Amelia Lear Hensley, Louisville, KY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement having a working fluid and an evaporator, a condenser of adjustable surface area, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected and containing the working fluid. The apparatus also includes a drum to receive clothes to be dried, a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over the condenser and through the drum, a sensor located to sense at least one parameter, and a controller coupled to the sensor, condenser and/or the compressor. The controller is operative to adjust the condenser to increase surface area during a steady state drying rate period of the cycle, and adjust the condenser to decrease surface area during a start transient period of the cycle, wherein adjusting the condenser to decrease surface area during a start transient period of the cycle accelerates the start transient period of the cycle.