The present application encompasses methods and apparatus for heating a load such as clothes immersed in a medium such as water during a heating period. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises heating the load and medium within an enclosure by subjecting said load and medium to heated air originated from a conventional energy source; and applying heat to said load and medium within the enclosure via an AC electrical field, embodied as a capacitor, originated from an RF power source.

A laundry treating appliance and method for controlling the operation of a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment in accordance with a treating cycle of operation by determining the presence of a bulky laundry item based on image data of the laundry within the treating chamber.

A washing machine and a control method therefor are disclosed. The washing machine according to the present invention comprises: a drum for receiving laundry; a drying unit for adjusting the temperature of air in the drum so as to dry the laundry; a filter unit for filtering lint generated from the laundry; a cleaning unit for cleaning the filter unit; and a control unit for controlling the cleaning unit such that the filter unit is periodically cleaned during rotation of the drum. Accordingly, the washing machine can reduce the amount of lint generated from laundry during a drying process. Further, the washing machine according to the disclosure periodically cleans a filter for filtering lint generated from laundry, so as to facilitate circulation of air in the drum during a drying process, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

The present application encompasses methods and apparatus for heating a load such as clothes immersed in a medium such as water during a heating period. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises heating the load and medium within an enclosure by subjecting said load and medium to heated air originated from a conventional energy source; and applying heat to said load and medium within the enclosure via an AC electrical field, embodied as a capacitor, originated from an RF power source.

A garment dryer may include a vehicle mounting arrangement (e.g., a cup holder insert, a magnet, an eyelet, a docking station) such that the garment dryer may be maintained in an upright orientation while an associated vehicle is accelerating, turning, traveling over bumps, decelerating, etc. A garment dryer may include an internal air plenum for ducting air from an air blower through a heating element toward air outlets. A garment dryer may include an automatic controller.

A washing machine includes: a tub; a drum of metal material configured to be rotated in the tub; an induction heater configured to be fixed to the tub in a state of being separated from the drum, and to heat the drum; a first temperature sensor configured to have a tube of metal material heated by the induction heater and a thermistor disposed in the tube, at least a part of the tube being exposed between the tub and the drum; a second temperature sensor configured to be disposed in a position further away than the first temperature sensor from the induction heater in a circumferential direction, and detect a temperature of air between the tub and the drum; and a controller configured to control the induction heater based on a first detection value of the first temperature sensor and a second detection value of the second temperature sensor.

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.

Disclosed herein is a method of controlling a laundry dryer for generating high-temperature steam through a steam part and controlling each of rotation of a drum and rotation of a circulation fan. The method includes a steam drying procedure drying operation of increasing an internal temperature of the drum to dry an object to be dried, a steam drying procedure steam supply operation of supplying steam into the drum after the steam drying procedure drying operation, and a re-drying operation of supplying hot air into the drum after the steam drying procedure steam supply operation. When steam is sprayed from the steam part, the rotation of the drum is maintained, the rotation of the circulation fan is stopped, such that the steam is evenly supplied to the object to be dried, damage to the object is prevented, and sterilization of the object is enhanced.

A laundry appliance includes a blower that selectively delivers process air through an airflow path. A rotating drum defines a portion of the airflow path. The rotating drum is attached to a drive shaft that rotates the rotating drum about a rotational axis. The blower and the drive shaft are operated by a common motor. A heater selectively delivers heat to the airflow path. The heater defines an energizing state when a motor current delivered to the common motor is within a predetermined motor current range that is indicative of the common motor operating. The heater defines an idle state when the motor current is outside of the predetermined motor current range.

A laundry appliance includes a blower that selectively delivers process air through an airflow path. A rotating drum defines a portion of the airflow path. The rotating drum is attached to a drive shaft that rotates the rotating drum about a rotational axis. The blower and the drive shaft are operated by a common motor. A heater selectively delivers heat to the airflow path. The heater defines an energizing state when a motor current delivered to the common motor is within a predetermined motor current range that is indicative of the common motor operating. The heater defines an idle state when the motor current is outside of the predetermined motor current range.