Laundry treating appliance and method of operation for a laundry treating appliance

• US 10,273,619 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ashrafzadeh, Farhad, Civanelli, Claudio, Ihne, Sarah E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/936,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20150007394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 8137, 8158, 8159, 68 1202, 68 1227, 68 1212, 68 1207, 68 3 R, 356406, 356410, 356439, 356442, 356448, 700 12, 700 83, 700130, 700143, 700 17
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/60 Audible signals
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance and a method operating a laundry treating appliance having a dye sensor configured to output a signal indicative of the amount of dye within liquid in the treating chamber, a controller having a memory in which is stored a set of executable instructions including at least one user-selectable cycle of operation, and a user interface operably coupled with the controller and providing an input and output function for the controller and provide information related to a dye release.

Claims

1. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry in accordance with a treating cycle of operation, comprising:

a treating chamber receiving laundry for treatment;

a dye sensor configured to output a signal indicative of an amount of dye within liquid in the treating chamber;

a controller having a memory in which is stored a set of executable instructions comprising the treating cycle of operation; and

a user interface operably coupled with the controller and providing an input and output function for the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to receive the output from the dye sensor and compare it with an amount threshold stored in the memory to determine when the amount of the dye satisfies the amount threshold and defines a determined dye release and is configured to correspondingly activate an output on the user interface so that the user interface provides textual information related to the dye release based on the determined dye release and where the textual information is separate from an alert that the released dye has been determined and where the textual information comprises text regarding at least one consequence of at least one action taken by the laundry treating appliance including at least one of;

that the treating cycle of operation used more water, that the treating cycle of operation was less energy efficient, that the treating cycle of operation time will be longer, or that there was reduced performance during the treating cycle of operation.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a LCD.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 2 wherein the LCD provides a user with multiple screens of information related to the textual information.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising an audible alert that the released dye has been determined.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to send a text message to a user, send an electronic mail to a user, or provide audio information to a user.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the text regarding at least one action taken by the laundry treating appliance in response to the determined dye release comprises text indicating information including at least one of:

draining of liquid from the treating chamber, stopping of the treating cycle of operation, altering of a tumble pattern, adding of cool water to the treating chamber, or adding a rinse or a spin phase.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one action includes draining of liquid from the treating chamber, stopping of the treating cycle of operation, altering of a tumble pattern, adding of cool water to the treating chamber, or adding a rinse or a spin phase.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one action taken comprises the controller altering the treating cycle of operation to drain treating liquid when the released dye has been determined and repeat a wash phase or repeat a rinse phase of the treating cycle of operation.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the text regarding the at least one consequence includes that the treating cycle of operation utilized more water and that the cycle length is longer.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 7 wherein the at least one action taken further comprises the controller modifying a parameter of the treating cycle of operation including at least one of:

a temperature of the treating liquid, a pH of the treating liquid, or an amount of a treating agent to add.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to activate an output on the user interface so that the user interface provides educational information to prevent future dye releases based on the determined dye release.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the educational information comprises at least one of:

information on proper laundry article separation, information related to label care information, or information on selection of a cycle parameter to reduce dye release.

13. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry in accordance with a cycle of operation, comprising:

a treating chamber receiving laundry for treatment;

a dye sensor configured to output a signal indicative of an amount of dye within liquid in the treating chamber;

a controller having a memory in which is stored a set of executable instructions comprising the cycle of operation; and

a user interface operably coupled with the controller and providing an input and output function for the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to receive the output from the dye sensor and compare it with an amount threshold stored in the memory to determine when the amount of the dye satisfies the amount threshold and defines a determined dye release and is configured to correspondingly activate an output on the user interface so that the user interface provides information related to the dye release based on the determined dye release and where the information is separate from an alert that the released dye has been determined and where the information comprises educational information to prevent future dye releases including at least one of;

information on proper laundry article separation, information related to label care information, color catcher information, or information on selection of a cycle parameter to reduce dye release.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 wherein the text regarding at least one consequence of the at least one action taken by the laundry treating appliance comprises text indicating information including that the treating cycle of operation used more water, that the treating cycle of operation was less energy efficient, that the treating cycle of operation time will be longer, or that there was reduced performance during the treating cycle of operation.