Method and system for drying laundry in a laundry treating appliance

1 . A method of drying laundry in a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber in which the laundry is received for drying, the method comprising:

supplying air to the treating chamber to define supplied air;

exhausting the supplied air from the treating chamber to define an exhaust air flow;

actuating a heater to a first temperature value, the heater heating the air supplied to the treating chamber until a maximum evaporation rate is met to define a first phase;

actuating the heater to a second temperature value after actuating the heater to the first temperature value, the second temperature value being less than the first temperature value;

maintaining the maximum evaporation rate during a second phase for a duration of time by actuating the heater between at least the first temperature value and the second temperature value;

turning on the heater at least twice during the second phase, wherein turning on of the heater defines at least two on cycles defining at least two on times of the heater, wherein each of the at least two on times correspond to a time it takes for a temperature of the exhaust air flow to reach a predetermined trip temperature, and wherein each subsequent on cycle is shorter than a previous on cycle; and

turning off the heater for a predetermined period of time at least twice during the second phase, wherein turning off the heater defines at least two off cycles defining at least two off times of the heater, and wherein each subsequent off cycle is shorter than a previous off cycle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising turning off, the heater at least twice during the second phase, with the predetermined time being a function of at least one of a mass of the laundry treating appliance, a mass of the laundry, or a laundry type.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined trip temperature is below a maximum temperature reached during the first phase.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising meeting the maximum evaporation rate when a maximum evaporation threshold value related to at least one of a temperature and a humidity of the exhaust air flow is satisfied or a maximum evaporation threshold value related to a rate of change of at least one of the temperature and the humidity of the exhaust air flow is satisfied.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising satisfying the maximum evaporation threshold value upon a passing of a predetermined time experimentally determined to provide the maximum evaporation rate for a given load of the laundry and an output of the heater.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising continuing the second phase until a predetermined moisture percentage level is satisfied.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising satisfying the predetermined moisture percentage level is satisfied when a time of the heater being cycled on during the second phase is below a predetermined time threshold.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

actuating the heater at full output during at least one of the first phase or the second phase; or

actuating the heater at multiple output levels during at least one of the first phase or the second phase.

9 . A method of drying laundry in a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber in which the laundry is received for drying, the method comprising:

supplying air to the treating chamber to define supplied air;

exhausting the supplied air from the treating chamber to define an exhaust air flow;

actuating a heater to a first temperature value, the heater heating the air supplied to the treating chamber until a maximum evaporation rate is met to define a first phase;

actuating the heater to a second temperature value after actuating the heater to the first temperature value, the second temperature value being less than the first temperature value;

maintaining the maximum evaporation rate during a second phase for a duration of time by actuating the heater between at least the first temperature value and the second temperature value; and

continuing the second phase until a predetermined moisture percentage level is satisfied, wherein the predetermined moisture percentage level is satisfied when a time of the heater being cycled on during the second phase is below a predetermined time threshold.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising turning off the heater for a predetermined time.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

turning on the heater at least once during the second phase to define at least one on cycle; and

turning off the heater at least once during the second phase to define at least one off cycle.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising turning off, for a predetermined time, the heater at least once during the second phase, with the predetermined time being a function of at least one of a mass of the laundry treating appliance, a mass of the laundry, or a laundry type.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

turning on the heater at least once during the second phase to define an on time of the heater, with the on time corresponding to a time it takes for a temperature of the exhaust air flow to reach a predetermined trip temperature; and

turning off the heater at least once during the second phase to define an off time of the heater.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

turning on the heater at least once during the second phase to define at least two on cycles, with each subsequent on cycle being shorter than a previous on cycle; and

turning off the heater at least once during the second phase to define at least two off cycles, with each subsequent off cycle being shorter than a previous off cycle.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined trip temperature is below a maximum temperature reached during the first phase.

16 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising meeting the maximum evaporation rate when a maximum evaporation threshold value related to at least one of a temperature and a humidity of the exhaust air flow is satisfied or a maximum evaporation threshold value related to a rate of change of at least one of the temperature and the humidity of the exhaust air flow is satisfied.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising satisfying the maximum evaporation threshold value upon a passing of a predetermined time experimentally determined to provide the maximum evaporation rate for a given load of the laundry and an output of the heater.

18 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising at least one of:

actuating the heater at full output during at least one of the first phase or the second phase; or

actuating the heater at multiple output levels during at least one of the first phase or the second phase.