Dehumidifier with Console and Pre-Programmed Modes

Abstract

A dehumidifier is pre-programmed with user-friendly modes. Each mode is named for a particular room in the house. Each mode has a pre-programmed default target humidity level most suitable for that kind of room. The default target humidity levels are determined by the manufacturer and need not be known to the end user. The names of the modes appear on the console of the dehumidifier. The human user controls the dehumidifier by reference to the names of the modes, rather than by setting particular percentage levels of relative humidity. The dehumidifier may offer optional features such as means to raise/lower the target humidity level by a fixed interval, and/or a continuous mode of operation.

Description

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of dehumidifiers, particularly the settings and user interface.

2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most dehumidifiers have a digital humidistat. It requires the user to preset a particular target humidity. Once the target humidity level is set, the dehumidifier will remove moisture from the air until the ambient humidity level reaches or falls below the target humidity.

Most users are not aware of what a desirable target humidity level is. Temperatures are part of everyday dialogue, but humidity levels are not. Most Americans understand the difference between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, but not the difference between 40 and 55 percent relative humidity. This is further complicated by the fact that different spaces may have different ideal humidity zones, as determined by comfort, mildew susceptibility, and room usage. Using an inappropriate humidity level can result in discomfort, irritation to the skin and breathing passages, airborne allergens, mold, or simply waste of energy.

A number of recent inventions disclose control panels for climate control throughout a house, commercial building, or complex. These include, for example, a console where a homeowner can program environmental parameters, including humidity level, in several rooms of his house (US Patent Application 20120310415, assigned to Zerogroup Holding OUE). However, in such products the ideal humidity level is still set numerically by the human user. The Zerogroup control system works by comparing the “current and desired” humidity levels.

What is needed is a dehumidifier whose settings are accurate and user-friendly.

3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an improved console and mode of operation for a dehumidifier. We do not claim any new features with regard to the engineering aspects of the dehumidification process itself, i.e. humidity detection or removal.

Our point of novelty is a set of pre-programmed modes with user-friendly names. In the best mode of use, these modes are “Sleeping Space,” “Living Space,” and “Basement.” Rather than setting the humidity to a specific number, such as 50% relative humidity, the user can simply indicate the type of room where the dehumidifier is being used. The names of these modes appear on the control panel.

Each mode has a default target humidity level. In the best mode of use, the default levels of relative humidity are 55% for a bedroom, 50% for a living room, and 45% for a basement. These numbers are pre-programmed by the dehumidifier's manufacturer, so the user does not need to know them.

In the event that the user does wish to adjust the default settings, he may override the pre-programmed modes in two different ways. One method is up/down arrows. Each press of an up/down button will raise or lower the target humidity level by 5%. A second method of override is “Continuous Mode.” This puts the dehumidifier in a state of constant operation until it is turned off by the user. Effectively, it establishes the target humidity level at 0%.

4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the dehumidifier console as the user sees it. The names of the modes are clearly displayed.

FIG. 2 shows the electronics that we implement beneath the console.

FIG. 3 is a state diagram of the dehumidifier.

5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Each feature of the invention is identified by a three-digit number. The first digit indicates the figure in which the feature is first referred to or most prominently featured.

FIG. 1 shows the console (101), where the human user controls operation of the dehumidifier. The point of novelty in this invention is the use of pre-set modes. Examples of such modes would be “Sleeping Space Mode,” “Living Space Mode,” “Basement Mode,” and “Continuous Mode.” The mode button (102) is used to switch from one mode to another. When the dehumidifier is in “Sleeping Space” mode, the Sleeping Space indicator light (103) is lit. When the mode button is pressed repeatedly, the dehumidifier cycles through the various modes, and the Living Space indicator light (104), Basement indicator light (105), and Continuous indicator light (106) are lit respectively for each mode.

Each mode is also indicated by the LED display (107). When the mode button is pressed and the dehumidifier enters a new mode, the LED display (107) momentarily displays the default target humidity for that mode. For example, in best practice, Sleeping Space mode has a default target humidity of 55%. Upon entering Sleeping Space mode, the LED display momentarily reads “55.” After a few seconds, the LED display may revert to display the actual humidity level in the room.

The purpose of each mode is to automatically select the best target level of humidity for the particular environment. Most people do not know what the humidity “should be” in a particular room. We find that for practical purposes the ideal settings are 55% for a sleeping space, 50% for a living space, and 45% for a basement. We call these levels the default target humidities for each mode. If the user would prefer to let the unit run continuously without stopping, he would select Continuous mode. This effectively sets the default target humidity level to 0%.

A user who is interested in fine-tuning the settings may use the up/down buttons. Each press of the up button (108) raises the target humidity level by 5%. Each press of the down button (109) lowers the target humidity level by 5%. For example, if the dehumidifier is being used in a bedroom and the user selected Sleeping Space mode, the dehumidifier would initially be set to its default target humidity of 55%. Then if the user pressed the up button, the target humidity would be raised to 60%. The LED display would show the updated target humidity level for a few seconds before reverting back to the actual current humidity level.

The console may contain additional features that are standard for dehumidifiers, such as a “Power” button, a timer, fan level settings, and alarms to indicate when the bucket is full or the filter needs to be replaced.

FIG. 2 shows the electronics underneath the console. The components labeled “CN” form the temperature/humidity sensors (201). Each component labeled “E” is a filtering electrolytic capacitor (202). Each component labeled “J” is a jump wire (203). Integrated Circuit 1 (204) is the main chip. Integrated circuit 2 (205) is the EEPROM, and integrated circuit 3 (206) is the reflector. The terminal strip (207) directs the flow of electricity. Here, “CS” refers to over current protection, “COMP” stands for compressor, “HF” stands for high fan, “MF” stands for medium fan, and “LF” stands for low fan.

FIG. 3 is a state diagram for the various modes of operation. It shows that the dehumidifier cycles through four modes as the mode button is pressed repeatedly. Suppose that the unit started in Sleeping Space Mode (301). One press of the mode button puts the unit into Living Space Mode (302). A second press of the mode button puts the unit into Basement Mode (303). A third press of the mode button puts the unit into Continuous Mode (304), and a fourth press of the mode button puts the unit back into Sleeping Space Mode (301). At the beginning of each mode, the unit is set to that mode's default target humidity. For example, the default target humidity for Living Space Mode is 50%. The unit will continue to remove condensation from the air as long as the relative humidity exceeds 50%. Once the ambient humidity reaches 50%, the unit will momentarily deactivate. FIG. 3 shows that each press of the up/down buttons raises or lowers the target humidity by 5%, without otherwise changing the current mode of operation. The unit remembers its current mode, even with a modified target humidity, so that it knows what mode to enter with the next press of the mode button.

The names and default target humidity levels of the modes described in this application are what we consider to be the best mode of practice. We do, however, claim the broader concept of using pre-programmed humidity modes with any names and/or default target humidity levels as our invention.

Claims

1. A dehumidifier with console and pre-programmed modes, comprising:

a dehumidifier with conventional parts such as humidistat and dehumidifying means;

at least one mode of operation pre-programmed into the dehumidifier by the manufacturer;

a default target humidity level for each mode of operation;

a name for each mode of operation;

a console displaying the name of each mode of operation;

a mode button for selecting the modes of operation in cyclical order.

2. The dehumidifier as disclosed in claim 1, additionally comprising up/down buttons for adjusting the target humidity level by a fixed interval.

3. The dehumidifier as disclosed in claim 1, additionally comprising a continuous mode of operation wherein the dehumidifier removes condensation from the air without end until it is turned off.

4. The dehumidifier as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the modes of operation include any number of modes selected from the set

sleeping space mode;

living space mode;

and basement mode.

5. The dehumidifier as disclosed in claim 4, additionally comprising up/down buttons for adjusting the target humidity level by a fixed interval.

6. The dehumidifier as disclosed in claim 4, additionally comprising a continuous mode of operation wherein the dehumidifier removes condensation from the air without end until it is turned off.

7. The dehumidifier as disclosed in claim 4, wherein

the default target humidity for sleeping space mode is within the range of 50-60% relative humidity;

the default target humidity for living space mode is within the range of 45-55% relative humidity;

the default target humidity for basement mode is within the range of 40-50% relative humidity.

8. The dehumidifier as disclosed in claim 7, additionally comprising up/down buttons for adjusting the target humidity level by a fixed interval.

9. The dehumidifier as disclosed in claim 7, additionally comprising a continuous mode of operation wherein the dehumidifier removes condensation from the air without end until it is turned off.

10. A method of controlling the humidity in a room, comprising

providing a dehumidifier with conventional parts such as a humidistat and dehumidifying means;

defining at least one mode of operation pre-programmed into the dehumidifier;

defining a default target humidity level for each mode of operation;

assigning a name to each mode of operation;

using the names of the modes of operation to set the dehumidifier.

11. The method as disclosed in claim 10, additionally comprising means for adjusting the target humidity level by a fixed interval.

12. The method as disclosed in claim 10, additionally comprising a continuous mode of operation wherein the dehumidifier removes condensation from the air without end until it is turned off.

13. The method as disclosed in claim 10, wherein the modes of operation include any number of modes selected from the set

sleeping space mode;

living space mode;

and basement mode.

14. The method as disclosed in claim 13, additionally comprising means for adjusting the target humidity level by a fixed interval.

15. The method as disclosed in claim 13, additionally comprising a continuous mode of operation wherein the dehumidifier removes condensation from the air without end until it is turned off.

16. The method as disclosed in claim 13, wherein

the default target humidity for sleeping space mode is within the range of 50-60% relative humidity;

the default target humidity for living space mode is within the range of 45-55% relative humidity;

the default target humidity for basement mode is within the range of 40-50% relative humidity.

17. The method as disclosed in claim 16, additionally comprising means for adjusting the target humidity level by a fixed interval.

18. The method as disclosed in claim 16, additionally comprising a continuous mode of operation wherein the dehumidifier removes condensation from the air without end until it is turned off.