U.S. patent application number 14/641492 was filed with the patent office on 2015-06-25 for laundry treating appliance with a static tub.
This patent application is currently assigned to WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION. Invention is credited to BENJAMIN E. ALEXANDER, BRENT M. BURGESS, MICHAEL K. CLUSKEY, DONALD E. ERICKSON, CHRISTOPHER A. JONES, LAUREN M. LALONDE, AARON A. LINDEN, KENNETH L. MCCONNELL, BRADLEY D. MORROW, DALE E. MUELLER, MICHELE A. PAUSTIAN, BRENNER M. SHARP, CHRISTINE L. STRAIN, DEAN L. TIETZ.
Application Number | 20150176166 14/641492 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53399397 |
Filed Date | 2015-06-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150176166 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ALEXANDER; BENJAMIN E. ; et
al. |
June 25, 2015 |
LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH A STATIC TUB
Abstract
A method of controlling a laundry treating appliance having a
rotatable wash basket defining a treating chamber for receiving
laundry items for treatment according to an automatic cycle of
operation, the method comprising supplying liquid to the wash
basket, draining liquid from the wash basket by gravity, and
filling the wash basket to a predetermined fill level based on an
amount of laundry, a type of laundry, a selected cycle of
operation, or combinations thereof.
Inventors: |
ALEXANDER; BENJAMIN E.;
(STEVENSVILLE, MI) ; BURGESS; BRENT M.;
(EDWARDSBURG, MI) ; CLUSKEY; MICHAEL K.; (SAINT
JOSEPH, MI) ; ERICKSON; DONALD E.; (STEVENSVILLE,
MI) ; JONES; CHRISTOPHER A.; (SAINT JOSEPH, MI)
; LINDEN; AARON A.; (SANDWICH, IL) ; MCCONNELL;
KENNETH L.; (LINCOLN, NE) ; MORROW; BRADLEY D.;
(STEVENSVILLE, MI) ; MUELLER; DALE E.; (BENTON
HARBOR, MI) ; PAUSTIAN; MICHELE A.; (KALAMAZOO,
MI) ; SHARP; BRENNER M.; (BRIDGMAN, MI) ;
STRAIN; CHRISTINE L.; (STEVENSVILLE, MI) ; TIETZ;
DEAN L.; (SAINT JOSEPH, MI) ; LALONDE; LAUREN M.;
(SAUGATUCK, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION |
Benton Harbor |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Benton Harbor
MI
|
Family ID: |
53399397 |
Appl. No.: |
14/641492 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13970733 |
Aug 20, 2013 |
|
|
|
14641492 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
8/137 ;
68/131 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 39/083 20130101;
D06F 39/087 20130101; D06F 39/088 20130101; D06F 39/085 20130101;
D06F 37/24 20130101; D06F 17/06 20130101 |
International
Class: |
D06F 17/06 20060101
D06F017/06; D06F 39/08 20060101 D06F039/08 |
Claims
1. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry items
according to an automatic cycle of operation comprising: a cabinet
defining an interior; a wash basket mounted within the cabinet for
rotation about a vertical axis and defining a treating chamber for
receiving laundry items for treatment; a plurality of drain holes,
provided in the wash basket, and configured to drain liquid
supplied to the wash basket at a predetermined volumetric drain
rate; a motor located within the cabinet drivingly coupled to the
wash basket for rotating the wash basket; a catch basin coupled
with the cabinet for accommodating liquid draining from the wash
basket through the plurality of drain holes; and a recirculation
pump configured to supply liquid from the catch basin to the wash
basket at a predetermined volumetric supply rate; wherein the
predetermined volumetric supply rate is controlled based on the
predetermined volumetric drain rate to control an amount of liquid
in the wash basket according to the automatic cycle of
operation.
2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the
predetermined volumetric supply rate is greater than the
predetermined volumetric drain rate such that liquid supplied to
the wash basket accumulates within the wash basket to a
predetermined fill level to treat laundry items according to the
automatic cycle of operation.
3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the
predetermined volumetric supply rate is the same as the
predetermined volumetric drain rate to maintain a liquid level in
the wash basket at a predetermined fill level to treat laundry
items according to the automatic cycle of operation.
4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the
predetermined volumetric drain rate is based on at least one of an
amount of the drain holes, a shape of the drain holes, at least one
dimension of the drain holes, or a location of the drain holes.
5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the wash
basket comprises an end wall and at least one side wall extending
from the end wall to define the treating chamber and wherein at
least a portion of the plurality of drain holes are provided in the
end wall of the wash basket.
6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the
predetermined fill level is based on an amount of laundry, a type
of laundry, a selected cycle of operation, or a combination
thereof.
7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the
predetermined fill level satisfies a predetermined
liquid-to-laundry ratio.
8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the
recirculation pump is operated to supply liquid to the wash basket
at least one of as a continuous supply or in multiple discrete
supplies.
9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a
valve coupled with the recirculation pump through a liquid supply
conduit to supply liquid to the wash basket, and wherein the valve
is operated to supply the liquid to the wash basket at the
predetermined volumetric supply rate.
10. A method of controlling a laundry treating appliance having a
rotatable wash basket defining a treating chamber for receiving
laundry items for treatment according to an automatic cycle of
operation, the method comprising: supplying liquid to the wash
basket at a predetermined volumetric supply rate; draining liquid
from the wash basket by gravity at a predetermined volumetric drain
rate; and filling the wash basket to a predetermined fill level
based on an amount of laundry, a type of laundry, a selected cycle
of operation, or combinations thereof; wherein the predetermined
volumetric supply rate is controlled based on the predetermined
volumetric drain rate to control an amount of liquid in the wash
basket according to the automatic cycle of operation.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined volumetric
supply rate is greater than the predetermined volumetric drain rate
such that liquid supplied to the wash basket accumulates within the
wash basket to a predetermined fill level to treat laundry items
according to the automatic cycle of operation.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined volumetric
supply rate is the same as the predetermined volumetric drain rate
to maintain a liquid level in the wash basket at a predetermined
fill level to treat laundry items according to the automatic cycle
of operation.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein the wash basket comprises a
plurality of drain holes configured to drain liquid supplied to the
wash basket, and wherein the predetermined volumetric drain rate is
based on at least one of an amount of the drain holes, a shape of
the drain holes, at least one dimension of the drain holes, a
location of the drain holes or combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the wash basket comprises an end
wall and at least one side wall extending from the end wall to
define the treating chamber and wherein the drain holes are
provided in the end wall of the wash basket.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined fill level is
based on an amount of laundry, a type of laundry, a selected cycle
of operation, or a combination thereof.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined fill level
satisfies a predetermined liquid-to-laundry ratio.
17. The method of claim 10 wherein the supplying liquid to the wash
basket comprises at least one of a continuous supply of liquid or
multiple discrete supplies of liquid.
18. The method of claim 10 wherein the supplying the liquid
comprises supplying the liquid through a liquid supply conduit and
a valve, and further comprising operating the valve at the
predetermined volumetric supply rate to supply the liquid to the
wash basket.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/970,733, filed Aug. 20, 2013, which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This is
application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.
14/156,928, filed Jan. 16, 2014, which is also a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/970,733, filed Aug. 20, 2013, which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Laundry treating appliances, such as vertical washing
machines, typically include a cabinet, a tub in the interior of the
cabinet, and a rotatable wash basket mounted in the tub that
receives laundry for treatment according to a cycle of operation.
The tub may suspend from the cabinet, and may be supported by one
or more suspension systems.
[0003] During the operation of the vertical washing machine with
the suspended tub, the laundry load may be limited by the wash
basket size, which is limited by the adjacent suspending tub. In
case the laundry is non-uniformly distributed in the wash basket,
an unbalance during the rotation of the wash basket may cause it to
deviate off an anticipated rotational orbit, and in extreme cases,
induce collisions between the wash pedestal basket and the adjacent
tub such that spin extraction efficiency may be limited. Prior
solutions have focused on predicting imbalances, altering the
rotation, and applying rebalancers or counterbalancers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0004] A method of controlling a laundry treating appliance having
a rotatable wash basket defining a treating chamber for receiving
laundry items for treatment according to an automatic cycle of
operation, the method comprising supplying liquid to the wash
basket at a predetermined volumetric supply rate, draining liquid
from the wash basket by gravity at a predetermined volumetric drain
rate, and filling the wash basket to a predetermined fill level
based on an amount of laundry, a type of laundry, a selected cycle
of operation, or combinations thereof, wherein the predetermined
volumetric supply rate is controlled based on the predetermined
volumetric drain rate to control an amount of liquid in the wash
basket according to the automatic cycle of operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] In the drawings:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry
treating appliance with a static wash tub during a wash phase
according to a first embodiment of the invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a controller of the laundry
treating appliance of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a
laundry treating appliance with a static wash tub during a wash
phase according to a second embodiment of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the
laundry treating appliance with the static wash tub of FIG. 3
during a spin phase according to a third embodiment of the
invention.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry
treating appliance with a static wash tub during a wash phase
according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry
treating appliance with a static wash tub according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 7 is flow chart illustrating a cycle of operation
according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a wash phase according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 9 is graph illustrating an equilibrium fill level as a
function of volumetric supply rate according to an embodiment of
the invention.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry
treating appliance with a static wash tub according to an
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic view of
an exemplary laundry treating appliance 10 in the form of a washing
machine according to a first embodiment of the invention. While the
laundry treating appliance 10 is illustrated as a vertical axis,
top-fill washing machine, the invention may have applicability in
other laundry treating appliances, such as a horizontal axis
washing machine, a combination laundry treating appliance and
dryer, an extractor, a non-aqueous laundry treating appliance, and
a tumbling or stationary refreshing/revitalizing machine, for
example.
[0017] The washing machine 10 may include a cabinet or housing 12,
and a static wash tub 14 which is in fixed position with respect to
the cabinet 12. In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the
static wash tub 14 may be integrated to the cabinet 12, and define
an interior 16 of the washing machine 10. By "static wash tub," it
is not necessarily meant that the tub is fixedly integrated to the
cabinet 12. Alternately, the tub 14 may be referred to as the
static wash tub as long as the tub 14 is in a fixed position with
respect to the cabinet 12. For example, the static wash tub may be
spaced from the cabinet 12 by a predetermined distance.
[0018] A drum or wash basket 18 may be located within and rotatable
relative to the interior 16 of the tub 14 and may define a laundry
treating chamber 20 for receiving a laundry load. The wash basket
18 may include one or more drain holes 22 formed on the base
portion of the wash basket 18 to discharge the liquid from the wash
basket 18 through one or more drain holes 22. An agitator or
clothes mover 24 may be located within the laundry treating chamber
20 and rotatable relative to and/or with the wash basket 18. For
example, the agitator 24 may be commonly oscillated or rotated
about its axis of rotation during a cycle of operation in order to
provide movement to the fabric load contained within the laundry
treating chamber 20. A balance ring 26 may be coupled to a top
portion of the wash basket 18 for eliminating unbalance from the
rotation of laundry items that are non-uniformly distributed in the
wash basket 18.
[0019] An electrical motor assembly 28 may be provided to drive the
wash basket 18 and/or the agitator 24. The electrical motor
assembly 28 may be fixedly positioned on a pedestal 29, and may
include a motor 30, a shaft 32, and a motor housing 34 for
accommodating the motor 30. The electrical motor assembly 28 may be
operably connected to the wash basket 18 and/or the agitator 24.
For example, the shaft 32 may be rotatably coupled to the agitator
24.
[0020] The top of the cabinet 12 may include a selectively openable
lid 36 to provide access into the laundry treating chamber 20
through the open top of the wash basket 18.
[0021] A liquid trap system may be provided to the interior 16 of
the washing machine 10 for controlling the flow of liquid such as
water or a combination of water and one or more treating
chemistries from impinging into the electrical motor assembly 28. A
closure system 38 may be provided to the interior 16 of the washing
machine 10 for controlling the flow of liquid from the wash basket
18 to the exterior to the closure system 38. As illustrated in FIG.
1, the closure system 38 may be positioned under the wash basket
18, that is, between the motor assembly 28 and the static wash tub
14, to receive the liquid from the wash basket 18.
[0022] A first seal 40 may be positioned above the motor assembly
28, and a second seal 42 may be positioned below the motor assembly
28. The first and second seals 40, 42 may be in the form of a seal
bearing or stationary seal, and prevent the liquid from the static
wash tub 14 from impinging into the motor assembly 28.
[0023] One or more boots may be provided for attenuating the
vibration generated from the operation of the rotatable wash basket
18. As illustrated in FIG. 1, one end portion of a first boot 46
may downwardly extend from the first seal 40 to form a slanted
plane. One end portion of a second boot 48 may be coupled to and
extend from the second seal 42 to form an upwardly slanted plane.
The other end portions of the first and second boots 46, 48 may be
coupled to a seal 50 such as a labyrinth seal.
[0024] The closure system 38 may also include a closure 51
extending from the first seal 40 for coupling with the labyrinth
seal 50. The closure 51 may be positioned above the first and
second boots 46, 48. The closure 51 may include one or more drain
ports 54 formed at lower and/or periphery portion of the closure
51. The other end portion 56 of the closure 51 may extend upwardly
and may be coupled to a suspension system 58.
[0025] A plurality of suspension systems 58 may be provided in the
interior 16 of the washing machine 10 for damping the vibrations
generated during the rotational movement of the wash basket 18. The
suspension system 58 may include a rod 59, cap 60, elastic spring
62, and a damper 64. The suspension system 58 may be operably
coupled to the cabinet 12 via the rod 59. An elastic element 65 may
downwardly extend from the damper 64 to operably couple the
suspension system 58 to one of the first and second boots 46, 48
via the seal 50 for damping the vibrations from the first and
second boots 46, 48. The elastic element 65 may be made of metallic
material, and may be in the form of a rod, plate, spring or the
like.
[0026] A sump 66 may be fixedly positioned in the lower portion of
the cabinet 12. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the sump 66 may be in the
form of a catch basin having walls for accommodating a
predetermined amount of wash liquid draining from the wash basket
18. The sump 66 may be positioned underneath the closure system 38,
and the position of the sump 66 may be determined such that the
sump 66 may receive the liquid flowing downwardly by gravity
through the drain ports 54. The sump 66 may include first and
second walls 67, 68, with the second wall 68 sealably coupled to
the static wash tub 14 for preventing the leak of wash liquid
and/or vapour through the gap between the second wall 68 and the
static wash tub 14. While the sump 66 may be located within the
interior of the cabinet 12, it may be understood that positioning
the sump 66 exterior of the cabinet 12 may also be possible in
another embodiment.
[0027] The sump 66 may be provided with a liquid level sensor for
determining the liquid level in the catch basin 66. The sump 66 may
also be provided with a turbidity sensor for determining the
turbidity of the wash liquid received in the sump 66.
[0028] A spraying system may be provided to supply the liquid, such
as water or a combination of water and one or more treating
chemistries into the open top of the wash basket 18. The spraying
system may be configured to recirculate wash liquid from the sump
66, and spray it onto the laundry via a recirculation conduit 80
and a sprayer 76. The nature of the spraying system is not germane
to the invention, and thus any suitable spraying system may be used
with the washing machine 10.
[0029] A dispensing system may be provided to the washing machine
10 for supplying treating chemistry to the treating chamber 20
according to a cycle of operation. The dispensing system may
include a detergent dispenser 82 which may be a single use
dispenser, a bulk dispenser or a combination of a single and bulk
dispenser. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the detergent dispenser 82 may
be positioned within the static wash tub 14, and may be disposed
vertically above the sump 66 for providing one or more treating
chemistries to the sump 66 by gravity according to a cycle of
operation. The detergent dispenser 82 may include a conduit with a
predetermined dimension for guiding the supply of one or more
treating chemistries to the sump 66. The treating chemistries may
be in the form of at least one of liquid, powder, pod, compressed
puck, or combination thereof.
[0030] The treating chemistries may be provided without being mixed
with wash liquid from the recirculation conduit 80 or water from
the household water supply 78. In another embodiment, the detergent
dispenser 82 may be operably configured to dispense a treating
chemistry mixed with water supplied from the household water supply
78 through the sprayer 76. The sprayer 76 may be configured to
dispense the treating chemistry into the treating chamber 20 in a
desired pattern and under a desired amount of pressure. For
example, the sprayer 76 may be configured to dispense a flow or
stream of treating chemistry into the tub 14 by gravity, i.e. a
non-pressurized stream.
[0031] Non-limiting examples of suitable dispensers are disclosed
in U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000022 to Hendrickson et al., filed Jul. 1,
2008, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,196,441, on Jun. 12, 2012,
entitled "Household Cleaning Appliance with a Dispensing System
Operable Between a Single Use Dispensing System and a Bulk
Dispensing System," U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000024 to Hendrickson et
al., filed Jul. 1, 2008, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,388,695,
on Mar. 5, 2013, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Controlling
Laundering Cycle by Sensing Wash Aid Concentration," U.S. Pub. No.
2010/0000573 to Hendrickson et al., filed Jul. 1, 2008, which
issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,397,328, on Mar. 19, 2013, entitled
"Apparatus and Method for Controlling Concentration of Wash Aid in
Wash Liquid," U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000581 to Doyle et al., filed
Jul. 1, 2008, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,813,526, on Aug. 26,
2014, entitled "Water Flow Paths in a Household Cleaning Appliance
with Single Use and Bulk Dispensing," U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000264 to
Luckman et al., filed Jul. 1, 2008, entitled "Method for Converting
a Household Cleaning Appliance with a Non-Bulk Dispensing System to
a Household Cleaning Appliance with a Bulk Dispensing System," U.S.
Pub. No. 2010/0000586 to Hendrickson, filed Jun. 23, 2009, which
issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,397,544, on Mar. 19, 2013, entitled
"Household Cleaning Appliance with a Single Water Flow Path for
Both Non-Bulk and Bulk Dispensing," and application Ser. No.
13/093,132, filed Apr. 25, 2011, which issued as U.S. Pat. No.
8,438,881, on May 14, 2013, entitled "Method and Apparatus for
Dispensing Treating Chemistry in a Laundry Treating Appliance,"
which are herein incorporated by reference in full.
[0032] Non-limiting examples of treating chemistries that may be
dispensed by the dispensing system during a cycle of operation
include one or more of the following: water, surfactants, enzymes,
fragrances, stiffness/sizing agents, wrinkle releasers/reducers,
softeners, antistatic or electrostatic agents, stain repellants,
water repellants, energy reduction/extraction aids, antibacterial
agents, medicinal agents, vitamins, moisturizers, shrinkage
inhibitors, dye transfer inhibitors, color fidelity agents, and
combinations thereof.
[0033] A recirculation and drain system may be provided to the
laundry treating appliance 10 for recirculating liquid within
and/or draining liquid from the laundry treating appliance 10. A
pump 84 may be housed below the closure system 38. The pump 84 may
have an inlet 86 fluidly coupled to the sump 66 and an outlet 88
configured to fluidly couple to a recirculation conduit 80 and a
drain conduit 90. It is understood that the pump 84 may be
configured to switch the pumping direction by operating the motor
coupled to the pump 84 in the reverse direction.
[0034] Alternatively, two separate pumps, such as a recirculation
pump and a drain pimp, may be used instead of the single pump as
previously described, in which case, at least one of the
recirculation pump or the drain pump may be fluidly coupled to a
drain conduit 90 for flushing the liquid out of the washing machine
10 according to a treating cycle of operation. It is understood
that the recirculation pump, similar to the pump 84, may be
configured to switch the pumping direction by operating the motor
in the reverse direction.
[0035] Additionally, the spraying system, the dispensing system,
and recirculation and drain system may differ from the
configuration shown in FIG. 1, such as by inclusion of other
valves, conduits, treating chemistry dispensers, sensors and the
like, to control the flow of liquid through the washing machine 10
and for the introduction of more than one type of treating
chemistries.
[0036] As used herein, the term "wash liquid" refers to water or a
combination of water and one or more treating chemistries such as
those capable of generating suds. The terms "rinse liquid" and
"rinse water" are interchangeable and refer to water supplied from
the household water supply 78 that has not been mixed with a
treating chemistries prior to being applied to the laundry.
[0037] The washing machine 10 also includes a control system for
controlling the operation of the washing machine 10 to implement
one or more cycles of operation. The control system may include a
controller 92 and a user interface 94 that is operably coupled with
the controller 92. The user interface 94 may include one or more
knobs, dials, switches, displays, touch screens and the like for
communicating with the user, such as to receive input and provide
output. The user may enter different types of information
including, without limitation, cycle selection and cycle
parameters, such as cycle options.
[0038] The controller 92 may include the machine controller and any
additional controllers provided for controlling any of the
components of the washing machine 10. For example, the controller
92 may include the machine controller and a motor controller. Many
known types of controllers may be used for the controller 92. The
specific type of controller is not germane to the invention. It is
contemplated that the controller 92 is a microprocessor-based
controller that implements control software and sends/receives one
or more electrical signals to/from each of the various working
components to effect the control software. As an example,
proportional control (P), proportional integral control (PI), and
proportional derivative control (PD), or a combination thereof, a
proportional integral derivative control (PID control), may be used
to control the various components.
[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the controller 92 may be provided
with a memory 96 and a central processing unit (CPU) 98. The memory
96 may be used for storing the control software that is executed by
the CPU 98 in implementing a cycle of operation using the washing
machine 10 and any additional software. Examples, without
limitation, of cycles of operation include: wash, heavy duty wash,
delicate wash, quick wash, pre-wash, refresh, rinse only, and timed
wash. A common wash cycle includes a wash phase, a rinse phase, and
a spin extraction phase. Other phases for cycles of operation
include, but are not limited to, intermediate extraction phases,
such as between the wash and rinse phases, and a pre-wash phase
preceding the wash phase, and some cycles of operation include only
a select one or more of these exemplary phases.
[0040] The memory 96 may also be used to store information, such as
a database or table, and to store data received from one or more
components of the washing machine 10 that may be communicably
coupled with the controller 92. The database or table may be used
to store the various operating parameters for the one or more
cycles of operation, including factory default values for the
operating parameters and any adjustments to them by the control
system or by user input.
[0041] The controller 92 may be operably coupled with one or more
components of the washing machine 10 for communicating with and
controlling the operation of the component to complete a cycle of
operation. For example, the controller 92 may be operably coupled
with the motor 30, the pump 84, and the detergent dispenser 82 to
control the operation of these and other components to implement
one or more of the cycles of operation.
[0042] The controller 92 may also be coupled with one or more
sensors 100 provided in one or more of the systems of the washing
machine 10 to receive input from the sensors, which are known in
the art and not shown for simplicity. Non-limiting examples of
sensors 100 that may be communicably coupled with the controller 92
include: a treating chamber temperature sensor, a moisture sensor,
a weight sensor, a chemical sensor, a position sensor, a motor
torque sensor, the liquid level sensor, and the turbidity sensor,
which may be used to determine a variety of system and liquid
characteristics. For example, when the turbidity of one of the wash
liquid or rinse liquid in the wash basket 18 or the sump 66
satisfies a predetermined threshold, the wash liquid or rinse
liquid may be drained by the activation of the pump 84, and fresh
water may be supplied to the wash basket 18 from the household
water supply 78.
[0043] Typically, a vertical axis washing machine having a tub
suspended from a cabinet, and a rotatable wash basket disposed in
the tub, may have multiple performance limitations. For example,
the size of the wash basket and corresponding capacity of laundry
load may be limited by the position of the suspended tub in the
vicinity of the rotatable wash basket and one or more suspension
systems exterior of the suspended tub in the cabinet. In another
example, the spin speed for the wash basket during a rinse phase
may not be maintained at a very high speed due to the potential
collision between the wash basket and the suspended tub from an
unbalance associated with non-uniformly distributed laundry load in
the wash basket. In yet another example, the treating efficiency of
laundry items is known to be limited due to discrete steps
comprising water supply, agitation, rinsing, compared to out of
water wash where wash liquid is continuously supplied to the
laundry load for continuously treating laundry items.
[0044] The operation of the washing machine 10 with the static wash
tub 14 may be different from the operation of a typical vertical
axis washing machine having a suspending tub. It is assumed that
laundry items may be received in the wash basket 18 prior to or
during a cycle of treating operation.
[0045] When the wash phase in the wash cycle begins, water may be
provided from the household water supply 78. The water may
percolate through the laundry items in the wash basket 18, and
drain downwardly by gravity through the drain holes 22. The
agitator 24 may rotate in at least one of the clockwise or counter
clockwise directions for engaging the laundry with the agitator 24
at a predetermined speed according to a cycle of operation. The
drain holes 22 may be configured to open, therefore the water may
drain through the drain holes 22 when the basket 18 is either in a
stationary mode or rotates according to a cycle of operation. Once
passing through the drain holes 22, the water may be received
downwardly by the surface of the closure 51 until the water is
received in the sump 66 through one or more drain ports 54.
[0046] The level of wash liquid in the sump 66 may be determined by
the amount of water initially provided from the household water
supply 78 to the treating chamber 20 of the wash basket 18.
Therefore water may be supplied to the wash basket 18 until the
water level in the sump 66 satisfies a predetermined threshold. For
example, an output from the water level sensor may be monitored to
determine when the water supply to the wash basket 18 needs to be
stopped.
[0047] The water received in the sump 66 may be provided with one
or more treating chemistries supplied from the detergent dispenser
82 to the interior of the sump 66, and the water and one or more
treating chemistries may be physically and/or chemically mixed to
each other to form wash liquid. The wash liquid may subsequently be
supplied to the inlet 86 of the pump 84 for recirculation through
the recirculation conduit 80 back to the laundry items in the wash
basket 18. The wash liquid, now a mixture of water and one or more
treating chemistries may be percolated through the laundry items in
the wash basket 18 while the agitator 24 rotates according to a
cycle of operation.
[0048] It may be noted that, during the wash phase, the wash liquid
may be continuously recirculated from the wash basket 18, through
drain holes 22 of the wash basket 18, drain ports 54 of the closure
51, pump 84, recirculation conduit 80, and then back to the wash
basket 18. It may also be noted that treating laundry based on the
continuous or semi-continuous percolation of wash liquid may be
effective in improving the treating performance of laundry item,
compared to a traditional treating step comprising discrete steps
of water supply, agitation, and rinsing.
[0049] When the wash phase is complete, the wash liquid received in
the sump 66 may be drained out of the washing machine 10 by
activating the pump 84 in the drain mode. In another embodiment
where two separate pumps are operable, the drain pump may be
activated to drain wash liquid out of the washing machine 10. Prior
to the activation of the pump 70 for draining the wash liquid, the
liquid level of the catch basin 66 may be monitored by the water
level sensor, and the activation of the pump 84 for draining wash
liquid may continue until wash liquid level satisfies a
predetermined threshold range.
[0050] The wash phase may be followed by the rinse phase. During
the rinse phase, water may be provided to the laundry items in the
wash basket 18 through the sprayer 76. Similar to the wash phase,
the water supplied from the household water supply 78 may be
percolated through the laundry items while the laundry items are
agitated by the agitator 24 according to a cycle of operation.
During the rinse phase, the water may continuously drain out of the
wash basket 18 through one or more drain holes 22, pass through one
or more drain ports 54, and then recirculated back to the wash
basket via the recirculation conduit 80 by the pump 70. One or more
treating chemistries for rinse phase may be provided to the catch
basin 66 prior to the onset of or during the rinse phase.
[0051] Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic cross-sectional view of a
laundry treating appliance with a static wash tub according to a
second embodiment of the invention is illustrated, wherein the
laundry treating appliance is in the wash phase.
[0052] The primary difference between the first embodiment in FIG.
1 and second embodiment in FIG. 3 may be a flange 102 mounted to
the closure 51. As illustrated, the flange 102 may be coupled to a
low end portion of the closure 51 such that the flange 102 may
extend downwardly from the low end portion of the closure 51 until
one end portion of the flange 102 contacts the bottom of the sump
66 during the wash phase.
[0053] The flange 102 may be configured to form a seal when the
flange 102 contacts the bottom of the sump 66. As a result, the
flange 102 may act as a trap for confining the wash liquid and/or
vapour inside the interior 16 of the static wash tub 14. For
example, the flange 102 may form a trap seal with the bottom of the
catch basin 66 for blocking the wash liquid and/or vapour escaping
from the sump 66 and interior 16 of the static wash tub 14.
Confining wash liquid and/or vapour inside the static wash tub 14
may prevent the impingement of wash liquid and/or vapour into other
parts of the laundry treating appliance. In one example, the motor
assembly 28 may be protected from any impingements of wash liquid
and/or vapour that may adversely affect the operation of the motor
assembly 28 while wash liquid recirculates through the pump 84 and
recirculation conduit 80 back to the treating chamber 20.
[0054] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the laundry
treating appliance of FIG. 3 according to a third embodiment of the
invention, where the laundry treating appliance in FIG. 4 is in a
spin extraction phase. When the wash phase is complete, the wash
liquid may be drained out of the sump 66, followed by the spin
extraction phase where the wash basket 18 rotates at a high spin
speed.
[0055] It is understood that, during the high speed spin extraction
phase, the wash basket 18 may be subject to a translational and/or
vertical movement from any unbalance of non-uniformly distributed
laundry items in the wash basket 18. The translational and/or
vertical movement of the wash basket 18 may be transmitted to other
coupled components in the form of vibration. In one example,
vibration may transmit to the closure system 38, the flange 102,
the elastic element 65, and the suspension system 58.
[0056] The suspension system 58 may move horizontally and/or
vertically for damping out the vibrations of the wash basket 18
during the spin extraction phase. In one example, during the
vibration damping, the elastic spring 62 of the suspension system
58 may be compressed for damping out the vibrations, which may lift
up the elastic element 65 in an upward direction. As a result, the
closure 51 and first/second boots 46, 48, which are coupled to the
elastic element 65, and the flange 102, which is coupled to the
closure 51, may be also lifted up during the vibration damping.
[0057] Lifting up the flange 102 during the high speed rinse phase
may disengage the flange 102 from the bottom of the sump 66, and
the vibrations transmitted from the wash basket 18 may not be
transferred to the sump 66, as illustrated in FIG. 4. When the spin
extraction phase is complete, the elastic spring 62 may be extended
back to its original length, and the flange 102 may move downwardly
until the flange 102 contact the bottom of the sump 66.
[0058] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry
treating appliance 110 with a static wash tub 114 during the wash
phase according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. The laundry
treating appliance 110 may be different from a laundry treating
appliance 10 in FIG. 1 in that the laundry treating appliance 110
includes a rotatable tub 113 between a wash basket 126 and a static
wash tub 114.
[0059] As illustrated, the laundry treating appliance 110 comprises
a cabinet 112, and a static wash tub 114 which may be spaced from
the cabinet 112 by a predetermined distance. First end portion 115
of the static wash tub 114 may be coupled to the cabinet 112, while
the second end portion 116 may extend downwardly to form a drain
opening 117. A rotatable tub 113 may be located within and
rotatable relative to the interior 118 defined by the static wash
tub 114. The rotatable tub 113 may be in the form of a cylinder
with a closed bottom, and may include an opening 120 at the centre
of the closed bottom. The rotatable tub 113 may be rotatably
coupled to a first seal 122, which may be in the form of a seal
bearing. A first outlet portion 124 may extend from the first seal
122.
[0060] A rotatable drum or wash basket 126 may be located within
the rotatable tub 113 for defining a laundry treating chamber 128
for receiving a laundry load. The wash basket 126 may be configured
to rotate at a predetermined speed according to a cycle of
operation. It is understood that the wash basket 126 and rotatable
tub 113 may be configured to rotate at the same time. It is also
noted that the wash basket 126 and rotatable tub 113 may rotate
substantially at identical speed relative to each other. The wash
basket 126 may include one or more drain holes 130 formed on the
base portion of the wash basket 126, and one or more drain holes
130 may be fluidly coupled to the space 132 formed by the exterior
of the wash basket 126 and the inner wall of the rotatable tub
113.
[0061] An electrical motor assembly 134 may be provided to drive
the wash basket 126, rotatable tub 113, or an agitator 135
according to a cycle of operation. The electrical motor assembly
134 may include a motor 136, a shaft 137, and a motor housing 138
for accommodating the motor 136. The electrical motor assembly 134
may be positioned on the pedestal 139.
[0062] One or more boots may be provided to the laundry treating
appliance for attenuating the vibration generated from the
operation of the rotatable wash basket 126 and/or preventing wash
liquid impinging into the motor assembly 134. First end portion 140
of a first boot 142 may extend from a second seal 144. A second
outlet portion 146 may extend from the first end portion 140 of the
first boot 142, with the second outlet portion 146 combined with
the first outlet portion 124 to form an outlet 148.
[0063] The outlet 148 may be coupled to a recirculation conduit and
pump (not shown) for recirculating wash liquid back to the treating
chamber or draining wash liquid out of the laundry treating
appliance 110.
[0064] A second boot 152 may extend from a third seal 154 in a
horizontal direction until the second boot 152 may be coupled to
the first boot 142 to form a closure 156. The closure 156 may be
coupled to a suspension system 158, which may be operably coupled
to the cabinet 112 for damping out the vibration from the movement
of the wash basket 126 and/or the rotatable tub 113.
[0065] Other components and sensors such as the electric motor
assembly, the spraying system, the dispensing system, the
recirculation and drain system, the controller are well known, and
may not be described in detail unless otherwise necessary
hereof.
[0066] In operation, during a wash phase, wash liquid may be
provided to the treating chamber 128 of the wash basket 126,
percolate through the laundry items in the wash basket 126, and
drain downwardly through the drain holes 130. Wash liquid may be
further removed from the laundry items in the spin extraction phase
by rotating the wash basket 126 at a predetermined speed. When the
wash basket 126 rotates, the rotatable tub 113 may also rotate at a
substantially identical speed with the wash basket 126. While the
wash basket 126 and rotatable tub 113 rotate, wash liquid may be
extracted from laundry items through the drain holes 130 along the
inner wall of the rotatable tub 113 by a centrifugal force to form
a wash liquid layer along the height of the rotatable tub 113.
[0067] The distribution of the wash liquid layer on the inner wall
of the rotatable tub 113 may vary with treating parameters. In one
example, the drain holes 130 of the wash basket 126 may be
configured to control the flow direction and magnitude of wash
liquid extracted from drain holes 130 in the wash basket 126. For
example, by controlling the location and angle of the drain holes
130 relative to the rotational axis of the wash basket 126, the
wash liquid may be distributed such that the amount of wash liquid
may substantially compensate for the unbalance from laundry items
to spin the wash basket 126 at its maximum spin speed.
[0068] When the wash basket 126 is stationary, centrifugal force on
the wash liquid may not be effective any more. Wash liquid may flow
down to the lower portion of the rotatable tub 113 to be collected,
and may be drained through the opening 120 to the outlet 148, where
the wash liquid may be recirculated to the wash basket 126 via the
recirculation conduit and pump (not shown). Alternately wash liquid
may be drained out of the laundry treating appliance by the pump by
switching the pumping direction of the pump.
[0069] During the spin extraction phase, the wash liquid may spill
out of the top of the rotatable tub 113. The spilled wash liquid
may be confined to the interior 118 by the static wash tub 114. In
one example, the spilled wash liquid may flow down the space formed
between the rotatable tub 113 and the static wash tub 114, and may
be collected at the drain opening 117, where the wash liquid may be
either recirculated or drained.
[0070] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic of a vertical axis washing
machine 310 that is similar to the washing machine 10 of FIG. 1
except for the configuration of the wash basket 318. Therefore,
elements in the washing machine 310 similar to those of washing
machine 10 are labelled with the prefix 300. Only those elements
necessary for a complete understanding of the embodiments of the
invention are illustrated and it will be understood that the
clothes washer 310 may include additional elements traditionally
found in a clothes washer without deviating from the scope of the
invention.
[0071] Still referring to FIG. 6, the washing machine 310 may
include a structural support system comprising a cabinet 312 which
defines a housing within which a laundry holding system resides,
and a static wash tub 314 which is in fixed position with respect
to the cabinet 312. In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the
static wash tub 314 may be integrated to the cabinet 312, and
define an interior 316 of the washing machine 310. By "static wash
tub," it is not necessarily meant that the tub is fixedly
integrated to the cabinet 312. Alternately, the tub 314 may be
referred to as the static wash tub as long as the tub 314 is in a
fixed position with respect to the cabinet 312. For example, the
static wash tub may be spaced from the cabinet 312 by a
predetermined distance. The cabinet 312 may be a housing having a
chassis and/or a frame, defining an interior enclosing components
typically found in a conventional washing machine, such as motors,
pumps, fluid lines, controls, sensors, transducers, and the like.
Such components will not be described further herein except as
necessary for a complete understanding of the invention.
[0072] The wash basket 318 may include a first set of drain holes
322a provided in the base, also referred to as the end wall, of the
wash basket 318 and a second set of drain holes 322b provided in
the side wall of the wash basket 318 to naturally drain liquid from
the interior of the wash basket 318 by gravity (meaning without the
use of a pump). The first and second set of drain holes 322a and
322b may have the same or different volumetric drain rates
providing the wash basket 318 with a volumetric drain rate
Q.sub.out for the liquid that drains from the wash basket 318. The
liquid drained from the wash basket 318 through the first and/or
second set of drain holes 322a and 322b may pass through the drain
ports 354 in the closure 351 to the catch basin 366. Liquid
collected in the catch basin 366 may be pumped through the drain
conduit 390 to drain the liquid from the machine or pumped through
the recirculation conduit 380 and supplied to the treating chamber
320 by the pump 384.
[0073] The washing machine 310 may also be configured to supply
liquid to the treating chamber 320 at a predetermined volumetric
supply rate Q. The volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in is based on the
total amount of liquid provided to the treating chamber 320 over
time, including liquid that is recirculated from the catch basin
366 and/or liquid provided from the household water supply 378. The
rate at which liquid is supplied to the treating chamber 320
through the recirculation system and/or the household water supply
378 may be controlled in any number of ways to supply the liquid at
the predetermined volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in.
[0074] For example, the pump 384 may be a variable flow rate pump
such that pump 384 may be controlled to recirculate liquid to the
treating chamber 320 at the predetermined volumetric supply rate
Q.sub.in. While only a single pump 384 is illustrated, it will be
understood that the washing machine 310 may include any number of
pumps supplying recirculated liquid to the treating chamber 320, in
which case, each pump may be controlled such that the total flow
rate of liquid supplied to the treating chamber 320 satisfies the
predetermined volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in. For example, the
washing machine 310 may be provided with multiple recirculation
pumps, each recirculation pump configured to pump liquid at a
different volumetric supply rate than the others. The multiple
recirculation pumps may be operated such that the total flow rate
of liquid supplied to the treating chamber 320 by the recirculation
pumps satisfies the predetermined volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in.
The pump 384 may be operated to supply liquid to the wash basket
318 as a continuous supply of liquid at a predetermined volumetric
supply rate Q.sub.in or the pump 384 may supply liquid as multiple,
discrete supplies of liquid such that the rate of supply of liquid
over a predetermined period of time satisfies the predetermined
volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in.
[0075] Additionally, or alternatively, to a variable flow rate
pump, the recirculation system may be provided with one or more
valves or variable flow rate sprayers to control the supply of
liquid to the treating chamber 320 such that liquid is supplied at
the predetermined volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in. For example, the
recirculation conduit 380 may be provided with a valve 400 that is
operably coupled with the controller 392 such that the valve 400
may be controlled to supply liquid to the treating chamber 320
through the recirculation conduit 380 at the predetermined
volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in. In another example, the flow rate
of water supplied from the household water supply 378 may be
controlled using either the valve 400 or an additional valve (not
shown).
[0076] In yet another example, the sprayer 376 may be a variable
flow rate sprayer operably coupled with the controller 392 such
that the sprayer 376 may be controlled to supply liquid to the
treating chamber 320 through the recirculation conduit 380 at the
predetermined volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in. One or more sprayers
376 may be provided such that the total flow rate of liquid
supplied to the treating chamber 320 through the sprayers 376
satisfies the predetermined volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in.
[0077] The previously described washing machine 310 may be used to
implement one or more embodiments of the invention for implementing
an automatic cycle of operation in a washing machine in which the
wash basket is not encompassed by a liquid holding tub having walls
coextensive with the walls of the wash basket. The embodiments of
the invention provide a method to control the liquid level within
just the wash basket itself in a manner that does not require
filling a coextensive liquid tub to the same fill level, as occurs
in a traditional washing machine. The volumetric supply rate
Q.sub.in relative to the volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out of the
wash basket may be controlled to control the supply of liquid such
that liquid can accumulate within the wash basket, be maintained at
a constant liquid level, or drain from the wash basket as needed
according to the selected cycle of operation.
[0078] Generally, cleaning of laundry items is dependent on a
variety of factors, one of which includes how the laundry items
move within the wash liquid. One variable that effects how the
laundry items move within the wash liquid is the fill level of
liquid within which the laundry is treated. Both the amount and
type of laundry may affect the behavior of the laundry for a given
fill level. If too little liquid is present, the laundry may
aggregate and not move well within the liquid. If too much liquid
is present, the load may float, which may affect the ability of the
agitator to move the laundry within the liquid as desired.
[0079] In a traditional washing machine in which the wash basket is
encompassed within a rotatable liquid holding tub in which the tub
walls are coextensive with the wash basket walls, the tub can be
supplied with liquid up to the desired fill level and the apertures
within the wash basket allow the liquid to fill the wash basket to
the same fill level. In washing machines in which the wash basket
is not encompassed by a liquid holding tub, such as illustrated in
FIG. 6, the desired fill level within the wash basket cannot be
obtained simply by filling the tub to the desired fill level in the
same manner as in a traditional washing machine. The embodiments of
the invention provide a method to control the liquid level within
just the wash basket itself based on controlling the volumetric
supply rate Q.sub.in relative to the volumetric drain rate
Q.sub.out of the wash basket as needed according to the selected
cycle of operation.
[0080] Referring now to FIG. 7, an exemplary method for treating
laundry according to a wash cycle 500 is illustrated. While the
methods are described with respect to the washing machine 310 of
FIG. 6, it will be understood that the methods may be implemented
with any of the washing machines 10, 110, or 710 described herein.
In addition, it will be understood that the sequence of steps
depicted is for illustrative purposes only, and is not meant to
limit any of the methods described herein in any way as it is
understood that the steps may proceed in a different logical order,
additional or intervening steps may be included, or described steps
may be divided into multiple steps, without detracting from the
invention.
[0081] The wash cycle 500 starts with assuming that the user has
placed one or more laundry items for treatment within the treating
chamber 320 and selected a cycle of operation through the user
interface 394. The wash cycle 500 may be implemented during any
portion of a cycle of operation or may be implemented as a separate
cycle of operation. For example, the wash cycle 500 may be
implemented as part of a cycle of operation that includes a
pre-treatment or pre-soak phase and/or may be implemented as an
independent cycle.
[0082] The wash cycle 500 may begin with a wash phase at 502 that
includes washing the laundry with a detergent-based laundry
composition. The wash phase at 502 may be followed by an optional
extraction phase 504 in which liquid is removed from the wash
basket 318. The optional extraction phase 504 may include spinning
the laundry at high speeds to remove extraneous liquid from the
laundry. Alternatively, the optional extraction phase 504 may
include a pause in the supply of liquid to the wash basket 318
while the wash basket 318 is stationary or rotating to allow liquid
to drain from the wash basket 318 by gravity. At rinse phase 506,
the laundry load may be treated with water from the household water
supply 378 that optionally may include one or more treating
chemistries, a non-limiting example of which includes a fabric
softener. The rinse phase 506 may be followed by an extraction
phase at 508, which may include spinning the laundry at high speeds
to remove extraneous liquid from the laundry load prior to ending
the cycle at 510.
[0083] The wash cycle 500 may also include an optional laundry load
detection phase 512. The amount of laundry may be determined at 512
according to any suitable method for determining the amount of
laundry prior to the addition of liquid to the laundry treating
chamber. One example of a suitable method for automatically
determining the amount of laundry prior to the application of
liquid may include using a load amount sensor coupled with the wash
basket 318 or the suspension system 358. Non-limiting examples of
load amount sensors for determining the amount of laundry may
include load volume, pressure, IR or optical based sensors, or
force transducers which may include, for example, load cells and
strain gauges.
[0084] Another example of a suitable method may include rotating
the wash basket 318 with the motor 330 and using feedback from the
motor or one or more sensors associated with the motor 330 or the
wash basket 318 to determine the amount of laundry. One example of
determining the amount of laundry by rotating the wash basket 318
with laundry therein is disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 2011/0247148 to
Chanda et al., filed Apr. 12, 2011, entitled "Laundry Treating
Appliance with Load Amount Detection," which is herein incorporated
by reference in full. Additional exemplary methods include U.S.
Pub. U.S. Pat. No. 8,176,798 to Ashrafzadeh et al., issued May 15,
2012, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Determining Laundry Load",
U.S. Pat. No. 8,381,569 to Lilie et al., issued Feb. 26, 2013,
entitled "Method and Apparatus for Determining Load Amount in a
Laundry Treating Appliance," U.S. Pat. No. 8,166,590 to Ashrafzadeh
et al., issued May 1, 2012, entitled "Method and Apparatus for
Determining Laundry Load Size," and U.S. Pat. No. 8,215,134 to
Ashrafzadeh et al., issued Jul. 10, 2012, entitled "Method and
Apparatus for Determining Laundry Load Size," all of which are
herein incorporated by reference in full. Alternatively, the
laundry load may be determined automatically by the controller 392
based on user input through the user interface 394.
[0085] The amount of laundry may be qualitative or quantitative and
may be determined based on user input through the user interface
394 or automatically by the washing machine 310, as described
above. For example, a qualitative determination of the laundry
amount may include determining whether the laundry is a small,
medium or large load. A quantitative determination may include
determining a weight or volume of the laundry within the treating
chamber 320. The manner in which the amount of laundry is
determined is not germane to the embodiments of the invention.
[0086] The type of laundry may also optionally be determined
manually based on user input through the user interface 394 or
automatically by the washing machine 310. Non-limiting examples of
types of laundry include cotton, silk, polyester, delicates,
permanent press and heavy duty. In one example, the controller 392
may determine the type of laundry based on the cycle of operation
selected by the user and optionally one or more settings of the
cycle of operation selected by the user. Alternatively, one or more
sensors may be used to determine the type of laundry. The manner in
which the type of laundry is determined is not germane to the
embodiments of the invention.
[0087] FIG. 8 illustrates a method 600 for controlling the liquid
level within just the wash basket itself based on controlling the
volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in relative to the volumetric drain
rate Q.sub.out of the wash basket during a wash phase 502 of a
selected cycle of operation. For the purposes of discussion, the
wash phase 502 may be considered as having two stages, a fill stage
602 in which liquid is supplied to the wash basket 318 to increase
the amount of liquid in the wash basket 318 to satisfy a
predetermined liquid fill level, and an agitate stage 604 in which
mechanical energy is supplied to the laundry to facilitate treating
the laundry during the wash phase 502 to remove soils and stains
from the laundry. Satisfying the predetermined liquid fill level
may include comparing a determined liquid fill level to a
predetermined reference value that may be a range of reference
values, an upper threshold or a lower threshold stored in the
memory of the controller 392. The term "satisfies" the threshold is
used herein to mean that the variation satisfies the predetermined
threshold, such as being equal to, less than, or greater than the
threshold value. It will be understood that such a determination
may easily be altered to be satisfied by a positive/negative
comparison or a true/false comparison. For example, a less than
threshold value can easily be satisfied by applying a greater than
test when the data is numerically inverted. Typically, at the
beginning of a wash phase there will be little to no liquid within
the wash basket 318 and thus the wash phase 502 will begin with a
fill stage 602 in which liquid is supplied to the wash basket 318
to increase the amount of liquid within the wash basket 318.
However, if the amount of liquid is determined to satisfy or exceed
the predetermined liquid fill level, the fill stage 602 may include
decreasing the amount of liquid within the wash basket 318 as
described below, without deviating from the scope of the
invention.
[0088] The wash phase 502 may begin with supplying liquid to the
wash basket 318. Supplying liquid to the wash basket 318 may
include supplying liquid directly to the wash basket from the
household water supply 378 and/or supplying liquid collected in the
catch basin 366 through the recirculation conduit 380. The liquid
supplied to the wash basket 318 may include a treating chemistry
supplied by the detergent dispenser 382 through the dispensing
system during at least a portion of the supply of liquid at 606. At
608, the supply of liquid may be controlled such that the
volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in is greater than the volumetric
drain rate Q.sub.out for at least a portion of the supply of the
liquid to the wash basket at 608.
[0089] At 610, it may be determined whether the liquid level inside
the wash basket 318 satisfies a predetermined fill level. The
predetermined fill level may be determined based on the amount
and/or type of laundry and/or the selected cycle of operation. In
one example, the fill level may correspond to a predetermined
liquid-to-laundry ratio (e.g. kilograms of liquid per kilogram of
laundry). If the liquid level does not satisfy the predetermined
fill level, then the method may return to 608 and continue to
supply liquid to the wash basket 318. If the liquid level does
satisfy the predetermined fill level, then the method may continue
to supply liquid to the wash basket 318 such that the volumetric
supply rate Q.sub.in is generally equal to the volumetric drain
rate Q.sub.out at 612 to maintain the liquid level at the desired
fill level for a predetermined period of time. The determination at
610 may be repeated intermittently at predetermined intervals or
continuously until it is determined that the liquid fill level is
satisfied.
[0090] During the agitate stage 604 of the wash phase 502, liquid
may continue to be supplied to the wash basket 318 to maintain the
liquid level at or near the predetermined fill level. Maintaining
the liquid level may include intermittently or continuously
supplying liquid to the wash basket 318 such that the volumetric
supply rate Q.sub.in is generally equal to the volumetric drain
rate Q.sub.out to maintain the liquid level at the fill level
according to the cycle of operation. The liquid may be fresh liquid
from the household water supply 378 and/or recirculated liquid from
the catch basin 366. The recirculated liquid carrying a treating
chemistry may be recirculated onto the laundry in the wash basket
318 to facilitate treating the laundry with the treating chemistry.
It will be understood that the liquid level inside the wash basket
318 may vary throughout the wash phase 502 and that maintaining the
liquid level at the predetermined fill level includes maintaining
the liquid level within a predetermined range of fill levels above
and below the predetermined fill level.
[0091] At 614, mechanical energy may be supplied to the laundry to
facilitate the removal of soils and stains from the laundry.
Applying mechanical energy may include activating the clothes mover
324, rotating the wash basket 318 and/or recirculating liquid onto
the laundry. At the conclusion of the wash phase 502, the method
may proceed at 616 to the next phase of the wash cycle 500.
[0092] The manner in which the liquid is initially supplied to the
system at 606 may vary depending on the configuration of the
washing machine 310. In one scenario, water from the household
water supply 378 may be supplied to the catch basin 366 to dilute
treating chemistry supplied to the catch basin 366 to form a wash
liquid and then the wash liquid may be supplied to the laundry
through the recirculation conduit 380 to treat the laundry. Water
may continue to be supplied to the catch basin 366 as needed in
order to continue circulating liquid such that the volumetric
supply rate Q.sub.in is greater than the volumetric drain rate
Q.sub.out to increase the liquid level in the wash basket 318.
Alternatively, water from the household water supply 378 may be
supplied directly to the wash basket 318. Water that drains into
the catch basin 366 may be recirculated back into the wash basket
318 during and/or after the supply of water from the household
water supply 378 begins to increase the liquid level in the wash
basket 318.
[0093] The total amount of water in the system is equal to the
amount of water within the wash basket 318 and the amount of water
stored in the catch basin 366 and recirculation system. Water from
the household water supply 378 may be supplied intermittently or
continuously until the fill level in the wash basket 318 is
satisfied at 610. Water from the household water supply 378 may
also be added as needed after the fill level is satisfied to keep
the liquid level within the catch basin 366 from falling below a
predetermined liquid level to avoid running the pump 384 dry and to
provide enough liquid to continue recirculating liquid such that
the volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in is generally equal to the
volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out to maintain the liquid level in the
wash basket 318 at 612.
[0094] The volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out relates to the rate at
which liquid naturally drains by gravity from the wash basket 318
through the drain holes 322a, b. The volumetric supply rate
Q.sub.in may be controlled at 608 based on the known volumetric
drain rate Q.sub.out to supply liquid to the wash basket 318 at a
greater volumetric rate than the liquid is draining from the wash
basket 318 such that the liquid may accumulate within the wash
basket 318 to a predetermined fill level. The rate at which liquid
is supplied to the wash basket 318 through the recirculation system
and/or the household water supply 378 may be controlled in any
manner, as described above, to supply the liquid at the
predetermined volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in.
[0095] The controller 392 may be pre-programmed with a control
program that includes one or more algorithms or databases relating
the volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in with a predetermined fill level
based on the known volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out for the system.
The volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out may be determined for a given
wash basket configuration and is related to constant variables,
such as the configuration of the drain holes in the wash basket
318, including shape, size, amount, and location, and the size of
the wash basket 318, as well as non-constant variables, such as the
amount and type of laundry in the wash basket 318 and the speed at
which the wash basket 318 is rotating. In one example, for a given
wash basket size and drain hole configuration, the controller 392
may be provided with a database of volumetric supply rates Q.sub.in
based on load amount to reach the predetermined fill level. In
another example, the controller 392 may be provided with an
algorithm based on the predetermined volumetric drain rate
Q.sub.out, and input variables such as load amount, load type,
and/or the selected cycle of operation may be provided as inputs to
the algorithm to determine the rate at which to supply liquid to
the wash basket 318 to reach the predetermined fill level. The
volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in may also be determined such that
the predetermined fill level is satisfied within a predetermined
period of time.
[0096] The determination of when the liquid level satisfies the
predetermined fill level at 610 may be based on sensor data or on
empirical data. One or more liquid level sensors, non-limiting
examples of which include optical sensors or pressure sensors, may
be used to determine when the liquid level in the wash basket 318
satisfies the predetermined fill level. Alternatively, the
predetermined fill level may be determined to be satisfied by the
controller 392 using pre-programmed algorithms or stored databases
relating the predetermined fill level to one or more
characteristics of the system. For example, a predetermined volume
of liquid may be supplied to the washing machine 310 based on the
load amount and/or type and recirculated to the wash basket 318 and
the fill level may be determined to be satisfied after a
predetermined period of time has passed according to a
pre-programmed algorithm provided to the controller 392.
[0097] Controlling the supply of liquid at 612 such that the
volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in is generally equal to the
volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out in order to maintain the liquid
level at the predetermined fill level may be based on sensor data
or on empirical data. For example, the washing machine 310 may be
provided with a flow rate sensor that determines the rate at which
the liquid is draining from the wash basket 318 and liquid may be
supplied to the wash basket 318 by the pump 384 or the controllable
valve 400, for example, at a flow rate generally equal to the rate
at which the liquid is draining from the wash basket 318.
Alternatively, the controller 392 may be pre-programmed with one or
more algorithms or a stored databases relating the predetermined
fill level with a volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in that will
maintain the fill level.
[0098] FIG. 9 demonstrates the relationship between an equilibrium
fill level for a given wash basket and the volumetric supply rate.
The graphs in FIG. 9 are based on the assumption that the drain
rate is proportional to the square root of the fill level within
the wash basket and that at equilibrium, the volumetric supply rate
Q.sub.in is generally equal to the volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out.
The graphs in FIG. 9 are provided for the purposes of discussion
only and not necessarily representative of real data. Graphs 650,
652, and 654 illustrate the relationship between the volumetric
supply rate Q.sub.in and the equilibrium fill level for a wash
basket configuration in which the base includes a set of drain
holes and a single row of drain holes is provided in the side wall
of the wash basket. As the number of holes in the side wall
increases, the volumetric supply rate required to reach a given
equilibrium fill level also increase.
[0099] Graph 656 represents a scenario in which the configuration
of drain holes is similar to the configuration represented by graph
652 except for that the basket includes an additional second row of
drain holes provided in the side wall of the basket. As illustrated
in FIG. 9, when the fill level reaches a predetermined fill level
658 within the wash basket that corresponds to the second row of
drain holes, the relationship between the volumetric supply rate
Q.sub.in and the equilibrium fill level changes. As illustrated by
graph 660, the configuration of drain holes within the wash basket
can be varied to provide a linear relationship between the
volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in and the equilibrium fill level. The
data represented in FIG. 9 demonstrates that the relationship
between the volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in and the equilibrium
fill level for a given washing machine configuration can be
determined and used to provide a data table or pre-programed
control algorithm to the controller 392 for use by the washing
machine 310 in maintaining the liquid level in the wash basket 318
at the predetermined fill level.
[0100] While the method 600 is described in the context of the wash
phase 502, it will be understood that the method 600 may be used
during any phase of a cycle of operation in which it is desired to
fill the wash basket to a predetermined fill level. For example,
the method 600 may be used in a pre-treatment phase or a rinse
phase in which it is desired to fill the wash basket to a
predetermined fill level with a treating liquid having one or more
treating chemistries, non-limiting examples of which include a
stain pre-treater, dye transfer inhibitor, and water repellent
chemistry.
[0101] Referring again to FIG. 7, following the wash phase 502, an
optional extraction phase 504 may be implemented to drain liquid
from the wash basket 318 prior to supplying rinse liquid to the
wash basket 318 in the rinse phase 506. The extraction phase 504
may include stopping the supply of liquid to the wash basket 318
and allowing the liquid to drain through the drain holes 322a, b
while the wash basket 318 is stationary or rotating. In one
example, the wash basket 318 may be rotated at high spin speeds to
facilitate removal of liquid from the laundry by centrifugal force,
as is known in the art.
[0102] While the extraction phase 504 is illustrated as a separate
phase from the wash phase 502, the extraction phase 504 may also
overlap with the end of the wash phase 502. For example, towards
the end of the agitate stage 604 of the method 600, the rate at
which liquid is supplied to the wash basket 318 may be decreased or
stopped such that the volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in is less than
the volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out. When the volumetric supply
rate Q.sub.in is less than the volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out, the
liquid level in the wash basket 318 will decrease because liquid is
draining from the wash basket 318 at a faster rate than it is being
supplied. The extraction phase 508 may be implemented in a similar
manner to drain liquid from the wash basket 318 and to extract
liquid from the laundry.
[0103] Liquid may be supplied to the wash basket 318 during the
rinse phase 506 such that the volumetric supply rate Q.sub.in is
less than the volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out to keep too much
liquid from accumulating within the wash basket 318. The volumetric
supply rate Q.sub.in may be selected to allow rinse liquid to
percolate through the laundry to rinse away soils and stains that
have been lifted from the laundry items during the wash phase
502.
[0104] FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic of a vertical axis washing
machine 710 that is similar to the washing machine 310 of FIG. 6
except for the connection between the pump 784 and the closure 751.
Therefore, elements in the washing machine 710 similar to those of
washing machine 310 are labelled with the prefix 700. Only those
elements necessary for a complete understanding of the embodiments
of the invention are illustrated and it will be understood that the
clothes washer 710 may include additional elements traditionally
found in a clothes washer without deviating from the scope of the
invention.
[0105] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the pump 784 may be coupled
directly with the closure 751 through a conduit 800. Liquid may
drain from the wash basket 718 through the drain holes 722a, b in a
manner similar to that described above for the washing machine 310
of FIG. 6. Liquid drained from the wash basket 718 may collect in
the closure 751 and be pumped to either the recirculation conduit
780 or the drain conduit 790 through the drain port 754 and conduit
800. While only a single drain port 754 is illustrated, the closure
751 may be provided with multiple drain ports 754 fluidly coupled
with the pump 784 through one or more conduits 800 to pump liquid
from the closure 751. The conduit 800 may be a flexible conduit to
accommodate movement of the closure 751 relative to the pump 784
during operation of the washing machine 710. In this manner, the
washing machine 710 may be provided with a single structure that
performs the functions of the closure 51, 151, 351 and catch
basin/sump 66, 166, 366. When a single structure is used, the
closure 751 may also be referred to as the catch basin/sump.
[0106] The methods described herein may be used with any of the
washing machines 10, 110, 310, and 710 to control the volumetric
supply rate Q.sub.in of liquid supplied to the wash basket relative
to the volumetric drain rate Q.sub.out of liquid draining from the
wash basket such that liquid can accumulate within the wash basket,
be maintained at a constant liquid level, or drain from the wash
basket as needed according to the selected cycle of operation. The
embodiments of the invention provide a method to control the liquid
level within just the wash basket itself in a manner that does not
require filling a coextensive liquid tub to the same fill level, as
occurs in a traditional washing machine.
[0107] In some static-tub washing machines, a hole-less wash basket
is used. Liquid is removed from the holeless wash basket by
spinning the wash basket such that the liquid travels up the sides
of the wash basket and spills out over the top of the wash basket
or through holes located near the top of the wash basket. However,
in this type of wash basket, heavy soils can be difficult to remove
and thus may accumulate in the bottom of the wash basket. In
addition, spinning a wash basket with a large amount of liquid
therein can lead to an unstable dynamic condition which can extend
cycle time and potentially result in undesirable movement and noise
from the wash basket. Furthermore, extracting liquid from the
laundry by having the liquid move up the sides of the wash basket
can result in higher remaining moisture content in the laundry,
which may lead to longer drying times.
[0108] The wash basket 18, 118, 318, and 718 described herein
includes drain holes in the end and side walls of the wash basket,
allowing heavy soils to drain out of the wash basket. In addition,
liquid can be drained from the wash basket without spinning the
wash basket at high speeds, thus minimizing the potential for an
unstable dynamic condition that can occur when a wash basket with a
large amount of liquid therein is rotated at higher speeds.
[0109] The previously described washing machines 10 and 110 with
the static wash tub may be used to implement one or more
embodiments of the invention. The embodiment of the invention may
be used in increasing the size of the wash basket and
correspondingly the treating capacity of laundry items by
eliminating the clearance between the wash basket and the
suspending tub. The embodiments of the invention may also be used
to control the operation of the washing machines 10, 110 to improve
the treating efficiency of the laundry items during the wash cycle
by continuously or semi-continuously percolating the wash liquid
through the laundry items in the wash basket. The embodiments of
this invention may also be used in attaining the maximum rotational
speed of the wash basket for high dehydration efficiency and/or
eliminating the mechanical contact between the basket and tub
during the dehydrating step. The embodiments of this invention may
also be used in designing the washing machine 110 to which any
balancing system is not provided by means of the rotatable tub that
may rotate at substantially identical speeds with the wash basket.
The embodiments of this invention may further be used in blocking
the wash liquid and/or vapor escaping from the interior of the
static wash tub such that mechanical parts such as the motor
assembly, may not be impinged by the wash liquid and/or vapor.
[0110] To the extent not already described, the different features
and structures of the various embodiments may be used in
combination with each other as desired. That one feature may not be
illustrated in all of the embodiments is not meant to be construed
that it may not be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus,
the various features of the different embodiments may be mixed and
matched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the new
embodiments are expressly described. All combinations or
permutations of features described herein are covered by this
disclosure. The primary differences between the exemplary
embodiments relate to the location of the static wash tub relative
to the cabinet, presence of a rotatable tub, numbers and location
of drain holes in the basket, the coupling of first and second
boots to the seal bearings, the location and number of suspension
system, the location and configuration of the catch basin and pump,
and these features may be combined in any suitable manner to modify
the above embodiments and create new embodiments. As examples, the
detergent dispenser may be provided with one or more conduits for
providing one or more treating chemistries to the catch basin. The
seal may not be limited to the labyrinth seal, and may include any
mechanical seals providing seals preventing leakage. It is also
noted that the rotatable tub may be provided to the washing machine
with a closure system having the sump provided with the flange. In
addition, the methods 500 and 600 may be used with any of the
washing machines 10, 110, 310, and 710.
[0111] While the invention has been specifically described in
connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be
understood that this is by way of illustration and not of
limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible
within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without
departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the
appended claims.
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