Method And Device For Drying Clothes

Abstract

A method for drying clothes in a device comprising a rotatable drum for agitating the clothes. Following a drying program, an anti-crease cycle is provided during which the clothes are intermittently agitated. Said anti-crease cycle protects the clothes from permanent creases by regularly agitating them. In order to save energy and to save the clothes and the device, the clothes are only agitated to such a degree during the anti-crease cycle that crease-formation is avoided.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A method for drying laundry in a dryer comprising a housing and a drum receiving the laundry and mounted for rotation with respect to the housing, the method comprising the acts of: 
 performing a drying program including a heating-up phase, a drying phase, and a cooling-down phase;    performing an anti-crease cycle having alternating intervals including rotary movement time intervals, in which the drum is rotated to agitate the laundry, and stoppage time intervals, in which the drum stops rotating and the laundry is at rest, the duration of the rotary movement intervals decreasing in relation to the stoppage time intervals in response to an operating parameter.    
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the operating parameter includes the length of time of the anti-crease cycle.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the act of detecting the temperature of the laundry with a sensor and the operating parameter includes a decrease in the temperature of the laundry.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the act of detecting the residual moisture of the laundry with a sensor and the operating parameter includes a decrease in the residual moisture of the laundry.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the operating parameter includes the pre-selected drying program selected by the user.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the act of receiving an amount of laundry in the dryer being preset by a user and the operating parameter includes the amount of the laundry.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the act of detecting an amount of laundry in the dryer with a sensor and the operating parameter includes the amount of the laundry.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the act of detecting at least one of a quantity of laundry, a heating-up time, a laundry moisture, a laundry moisture profile, a laundry specific conductance, a profile of the laundry specific conductance, a moisture content and/or the moisture profile, a temperature of the laundry, a temperature profile of the laundry, a temperature of the drying air, a temperature profile of the drying air in the drum of the laundry dryer, a comparison of the moisture content, a moisture profile, a temperature of the drying air, a temperature profile of the drying air in the drum of the laundry dryer between entry into the drum and exit from the drum, and a time before reaching a drying target.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the act of performing the anti-crease cycle includes rotating the drum in opposite directions during subsequent rotary movement time intervals.  
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the duration of the anti-crease cycle is between about one and five hours.  
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the act of performing the anti-crease cycle includes four subsequent time intervals starting with a first time interval and ending with a fourth time interval, each time interval including the rotary movement time intervals and stoppage time intervals, the rotary time interval comprising between about 20% and 90% of the first time interval, the rotary time interval comprising between about 10% and 70% of the second time interval, the rotary time interval comprising between about 1% and 60% of the third time interval, and the rotary time interval comprising between about 1% and 30% of the fourth time interval.  
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the duration of the rotary movement time interval remains substantially the same during each of the four subsequent time intervals and the duration of the stoppage time interval during the fourth time interval is greater than the duration of the stoppage time interval during the first time interval.  
   
   
       28 . A laundry dryer comprising; 
 a housing;    a drum receiving the laundry and mounted for rotation with respect to the housing;    a motor coupled to the drum for driving rotation of the drum;    an inlet duct providing an air flow to the drum and a heating device selectively heating air in the inlet duct;    an outlet duct receiving the air flow from the drum;    a control device coupled to the motor and controlling rotation of the drum, the control device performing an anti-crease cycle including alternatingly rotating the drum during rotary movement time intervals and stopping rotation of the drum during stoppage time intervals, the control device decreasing the duration of the rotary movement intervals decreasing in relation to the stoppage time intervals in response to an operating parameter.    
   
   
       29 . The laundry dryer of  claim 28 , further comprising a timing element providing a length of time of the anti-crease cycle to the control device and the operating parameter including an increase in the length of time of the anti-crease cycle.  
   
   
       30 . The laundry dryer of  claim 28 , further comprising a temperature sensor detecting the temperature of the laundry and providing a temperature signal to the control device indicating the temperature of the laundry, the operating parameter including the temperature signal.  
   
   
       31 . The laundry dryer of  claim 28 , further comprising a electrodes detecting a moisture level of the laundry and providing a moisture signal to the control device indicating the moisture level of the laundry, the operating parameter including the moisture signal.