A drying appliance includes a cabinet. A drum processes articles of laundry. The drum is positioned for rotational operation within the cabinet. A blower directs process air through a recirculating airflow path that includes the drum. The drum and the blower are activated in an operating state and deactivated in an idle state. A first operable vent is positioned proximate a front of the cabinet. A second operable vent is positioned proximate a rear of the cabinet. The first and second operable vents define an open position after the drum and the blower define the idle state. The first and second operable vents define a closed position after the drum and the blower define the operating state.

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 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.

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 treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation includes a cabinet defining a cabinet interior. A drum is rotatable within the cabinet interior, and at least partially defines a treating chamber. The treating chamber has a treating chamber air inlet and a treating chamber air outlet. A drying air circuit is fluidly coupled to the treating chamber air inlet and to the treating chamber air outlet. The laundry treating appliance can include first and second air temperature sensors, at least a first humidity sensor, and a controller operably coupled with the sensors.

A disclosed dryer includes a receptacle configured to contain material to be dried, an air duct configured to route recirculating air and/or fresh air to the receptacle, a heating device configured to heat the recirculating air, and at least one sensor. The sensor is configured to determine a relative humidity and/or temperature, and the air duct includes at least one adjusting element configured to modify a portion of recirculating air routed to the receptacle. The dryer further includes a control or regulating device configured to control or regulate the portion of recirculating air routed to the receptacle and/or a heating capacity of the heating device during a drying process. A disclosed method includes controlling a portion of recirculating air routed to the receptacle and/or a heating capacity of the heating device. Further, a mixture of recirculating air and fresh air are varied during heat-up, drying, and cool-down phases.

A fire extinguishing arrangement for integration into a domestic clothes dryer, washing machine, refrigerator, freezer, fridge-freezer or dishwasher. The fire extinguishing arrangement has a fire extinguisher that is sized and shaped to be set in the free internal space around the inner workings of a domestic clothes dryer, washing machine, refrigerator, freezer, fridge-freezer or dishwasher. The fire extinguishing arrangement further has a trigger mechanism that is operable to trigger the fire extinguisher to release an extinguishant, a heat detector capable of operating the trigger mechanism when pre-set temperature is reached. The heat detector is further placeable at a remote location to the fire extinguisher. The fire extinguishing arrangement also can also break an electrical circuit (e.g. to cut the power source to the appliance) when the heat detector detects a pre-set temperature.

An apparatus for controlling a clothes treating apparatus, the clothes treating apparatus, and a method for controlling the clothes treating apparatus configured to sterilize an evaporator by stopping an operation of a compressor under a specific condition to allow a surface temperature of the evaporator to be at or above a reference temperature due to thermal equilibrium caused by the stopping of the operation of the compressor.

A dryer appliance may include a cabinet, a drum, a heater assembly, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The heater assembly may be in upstream fluid communication with a drying chamber. The temperature sensor may be in upstream fluid communication with the drying chamber. The controller may be in operable communication with the heater assembly and the temperature sensor. The controller may be configured to initiate a test cycle. The test cycle may include activating the heater assembly, detecting a first temperature upstream of the drum at a first moment following activating the heater assembly, detecting a second temperature upstream of the drum at a second moment following the first moment, determining a temperature delta as a difference between the second temperature and the first temperature, comparing the temperature delta to a delta threshold, and initiating an alert message based on comparing the temperature delta to the delta threshold.

A drying air duct, a clothing treatment device and a method for cleaning a drying air duct are provided. The drying air duct includes a condensing section air duct, a heating section air duct and a fan; the fan is provided at a connection position of the condensing section air duct and the heating section air duct, a cleaning device is provided in the condensing section air duct, the cleaning device is provided at an end of the condensing section air duct adjacent to the fan and is capable of cleaning a side of the condensing section air duct away from the fan. The drying air duct can effectively clean the pipe sudden expansion area of the condensing section air duct, preventing the accumulation of soft flocks in the condensing section air duct.