Clothes drying systems having control based on surrounding temperature detection

Abstract

A clothes drying system includes an apparatus that comprises a drying air circuit. A temperature sensor provides a signal indicative of a temperature of an environment outside the apparatus. A memory and processing circuitry is coupled to the memory. The memory includes logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, directs at least one of: (i) a vent air control valve to change an amount of heated air flowing from the drum through the vent air control valve and into the environment based on the signal from the temperature sensor, (ii) a fan to change a flow rate of air flowing through the drying air circuit based on the signal from the temperature sensor, and (iii) a heater to change an amount of heat provided to the air flowing through the drying air circuit based on the signal from the temperature sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes drying system comprising an apparatus that comprises a drying air circuit, the system comprising:
 a drum in communication with the drying air circuit;   a condenser in communication with the drying air circuit and located downstream of the drum, the condenser comprising a cooled water inlet that directs cooled water into the heated air to remove moisture from the heated air, the condenser comprising a condenser water outlet for egress of water from the condenser, the cooled water inlet of the condenser configured to receive water from a tap water source;   a temperature sensor that provides a signal indicative of a temperature of an environment outside the apparatus; and   a memory and processing circuitry coupled to the memory, the memory including logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, directs at least one of
 (i) a vent air control valve to change an amount of heated air flowing from the drum through the vent air control valve and into the environment based on the signal from the temperature sensor; 
 (ii) a fan to change a flow rate of air flowing through the drying air circuit based on the signal from the temperature sensor; and 
 (iii) a heater to change an amount of heat provided to the air flowing through the drying air circuit based on the signal from the temperature sensor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory includes logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, directs the vent air control valve to increase or decrease an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment based on the signal from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the memory includes logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, directs the vent air control valve to reduce an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment based on the signal when a detected temperature is above a default temperature and to increase an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment when a detected temperature is below the default temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory includes logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, directs an intake air control valve to control an amount of air flowing into the drying air circuit from the environment at a location downstream of the condenser to an intake flow rate that is about equal to an outtake flow rate that the vent control valve vents into the environment. 
     
     
         5 . The system  claim 1  further comprising a user input that allows a user to provide a user selected temperature, wherein the memory includes logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, directs the vent air control valve to reduce an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment based on the signal when a detected temperature is above the user selected temperature and to increase an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment when a detected temperature is below the user selected temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is located outside of the apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a proximity sensor that provides a signal indicative of a distance of the proximity sensor to one or more walls that at least partially define a boundary of the environment. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory includes logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, controls a flow rate of air through the condenser using the vent air control valve, an intake air control valve and/or the fan. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising another temperature sensor at an air vent of an HVAC system that provides a signal indicative of a temperature at the air vent, the memory includes logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, directs the vent air control valve to control an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment based on the signal from the another temperature sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , the memory includes logic that, when executed by the processing circuitry, directs the air control valve to control an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment based on weather information received over a wireless network for a geographic area where the apparatus is located. 
     
     
         11 . A method of controlling a clothes drying system comprising an apparatus that comprises a drying air circuit, the method comprising:
 directing air through the drying air circuit to a drum;   directing heated air from the drum to a condenser in communication with the drying air circuit and located downstream of the drum, the condenser comprising a cooled water inlet directing cooled water into the heated air thereby removing moisture from the heated air, the cooled water inlet of the condenser configured to receive water from a tap water source;   providing a signal using a temperature sensor indicative of a temperature of an environment outside the apparatus; and   based on the signal from the temperature sensor, a controller directing at least one of:
 (i) a vent air control valve to change an amount of heated air flowing from the drum through the vent air control valve and into the environment based on the signal from the temperature sensor; 
 (ii) a fan to change a flow rate of air flowing through the drying air circuit based on the signal from the temperature sensor; and 
 (iii) a heater to change an amount of heat provided to the air flowing through the drying air circuit based on the signal from the temperature sensor. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  comprising directing the air control valve using the controller to increase or decrease an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment based on the signal from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  comprising directing the vent air control valve using the controller to reduce an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment based on the signal when a detected temperature is above a default temperature and to increase an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment when a detected temperature is below the default temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising changing the default temperature to a user selected temperature that is different from the default temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises directing an intake air control valve to control an amount of air flowing into the drying air circuit from the environment at a location downstream of the condenser to an intake flow rate that is about equal to an outtake flow rate that the vent air control valve vents air into the environment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor is located outside of the apparatus. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising providing a signal indicative of a distance of a proximity sensor to one or more walls that at least partially define a boundary of the environment using a sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising heating air in the drying circuit using the heater downstream of the condenser. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising providing a signal indicative of a temperature at an air vent of an HVAC system using another temperature sensor at the air vent, and the controller directing the vent air control valve to control an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment using the processing circuitry based on the signal from the another temperature sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising directing the vent air control valve to control an amount of heated air flowing from the drum into the environment using the processing circuitry based on weather information received over a wireless network.