Laundry appliance with adaptive drying cycle based on load size and load type

Abstract

A laundry appliance is configured for and/or methods of operating a laundry appliance include determining a load size of articles to be dried in the laundry appliance and determining a load type of the articles to be dried in the laundry appliance. A termination criterion for a dry operation of the laundry appliance is determined based on the load size and the load type. The laundry appliance is further configured for and/or the method further includes performing the dry operation in the laundry appliance. The dry operation is terminated when the termination criterion is reached.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a laundry appliance, comprising:
 determining a load size of articles to be dried in the laundry appliance;   determining a load type of the articles to be dried in the laundry appliance;   determining a termination criterion for a dry operation of the laundry appliance based on the load size and the load type;   performing the dry operation in the laundry appliance; and   terminating the dry operation when the termination criterion is reached.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the laundry appliance is a dryer appliance, wherein the step of determining the load size comprises receiving load size information from a washer appliance, and the step of determining the load type comprises receiving load type information from the washer appliance. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the laundry appliance is a combination appliance, wherein the step of determining the load size comprises determining the load size while the articles are in a laundry basket of the laundry appliance, and the step of determining the load type comprises determining the load type while the articles are in the laundry basket of the laundry appliance. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the load size comprises calculating a load score of the articles to be dried based on a power delivered to a motor while the motor is accelerating a basket with the laundry articles in the basket and correlating the load score of the articles to mass of articles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the load type comprises calculating a first load score of the articles, calculating a second load score of the articles, and determining the load type based on the mathematical difference between the first load score and the second load score. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first load score is a dry load score calculated prior to wetting the articles during a wash operation and the second load score is a saturated load score calculated after wetting the articles during the wash operation and before a spin cycle of the wash operation is complete, whereby the mathematical difference between the first load score and the second load score corresponds to an amount of water absorbed by the articles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first load score is a dry load score calculated prior to wetting the articles during a wash operation and the second load score is a post-extraction load score calculated after a max extraction phase of a spin cycle of the wash operation is complete, whereby the mathematical difference between the first load score and the second load score corresponds to an amount of water retained in the articles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first load score is a saturated load score calculated after wetting the articles during the wash operation and before a spin cycle of the wash operation is complete and the second load score is a post-extraction load score calculated after a max extraction phase of the spin cycle of the wash operation is complete, whereby the mathematical difference between the first load score and the second load score corresponds to an amount of water extracted from the articles. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the termination criterion is a termination relative humidity level, further comprising measuring relative humidity within the laundry appliance during the dry operation, and wherein the step of terminating the dry operation comprises terminating the dry operation when the measured relative humidity reaches the termination relative humidity level. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the termination criterion is a termination temperature level, further comprising measuring temperature within the laundry appliance during the dry operation, and wherein the step of terminating the dry operation comprises terminating the dry operation when the measured temperature reaches the termination temperature level. 
     
     
         11 . A laundry appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet defining an interior volume;   a laundry basket rotatably mounted within the interior volume of the cabinet, the laundry basket defining a chamber for the receipt of articles for treatment;   a heating system in thermal communication with the chamber whereby heated air flows from the heating system to the chamber; and   a controller, the controller configured for:
 determining a load size of articles to be dried in the laundry appliance; 
 determining a load type of the articles to be dried in the laundry appliance; 
 determining a termination criterion for a dry operation of the laundry appliance based on the load size and the load type; 
 performing the dry operation in the laundry appliance; and 
 terminating the dry operation when the termination criterion is reached. 
   
     
     
         12 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the laundry appliance is a dryer appliance, wherein the controller is configured for determining the load size by receiving load size information from a washer appliance, and the controller is configured for determining the load type by receiving load type information from the washer appliance. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the laundry appliance is a combination appliance, wherein the controller is configured for determining the load size while the articles are in a laundry basket of the laundry appliance, and the controller is configured for determining the load size while the articles are in the laundry basket of the laundry appliance. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein determining the load size comprises calculating a load score of the articles to be dried based on a power delivered to a motor while the motor is accelerating a basket with the laundry articles in the basket and correlating the load score of the articles to mass of articles. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein determining the load type comprises calculating a first load score of the articles, calculating a second load score of the articles, and determining the load type based on the mathematical difference between the first load score and the second load score. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the first load score is a dry load score calculated prior to wetting the articles during a wash operation and the second load score is a saturated load score calculated after wetting the articles during the wash operation and before a spin cycle of the wash operation is complete, whereby the mathematical difference between the first load score and the second load score corresponds to an amount of water absorbed by the articles. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the first load score is a dry load score calculated prior to wetting the articles during a wash operation and the second load score is a post-extraction load score calculated after a max extraction phase of a spin cycle of the wash operation is complete, whereby the mathematical difference between the first load score and the second load score corresponds to an amount of water retained in the articles. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the first load score is a saturated load score calculated after wetting the articles during the wash operation and before a spin cycle of the wash operation is complete and the second load score is a post-extraction load score calculated after a max extraction phase of the spin cycle of the wash operation is complete, whereby the mathematical difference between the first load score and the second load score corresponds to an amount of water extracted from the articles. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the termination criterion is a termination relative humidity level, further comprising measuring relative humidity within the laundry appliance during the dry operation, and wherein the step of terminating the dry operation comprises terminating the dry operation when the measured relative humidity reaches the termination relative humidity level. 
     
     
         20 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the termination criterion is a termination temperature level, further comprising measuring temperature within the laundry appliance during the dry operation, and wherein the step of terminating the dry operation comprises terminating the dry operation when the measured temperature reaches the termination temperature level.