Dispensing treating chemistry in a laundry treating appliance

• US 10,385,499 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Hendrickson, Michael S., Kaeding, Janice M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osterhout, Benjamin L
• Application Number:
  US15/867,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20180135225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• 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 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/57 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents

Abstract

An appliance and method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment and a dispensing system having a dispensing pump for dispensing a treating chemistry for use in treating the laundry, the method comprising determining a soil level of laundry in the treating chamber and determining a dispensing parameter based on the determined soil level.

Claims

1. A method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment and a dispensing system having a dispensing pump for dispensing a treating chemistry for use in treating the laundry, the method comprising:

determining a soil level of laundry in the treating chamber;

determining a dispensing parameter based on the determined soil level; and

wherein the dispensing parameter is defined by one or more of a delivery rate of the treating chemistry, a dilution rate of the treating chemistry, a flow rate of a water supply, a flow rate of the dispensing pump, or a length of a dispensing interval.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying water to the treating chamber and supplying the treating chemistry into the supplied water according to the dispensing parameter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the dispensing parameter is the dilution rate of the treating chemistry.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the dispensing parameter is the delivery rate of the treating chemistry.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising supplying water and the treating chemistry is delivered at the delivery rate for a duration of the supply of water.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the supplying water comprises supplying a predetermined amount of water.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the treating chemistry is delivered intermittently at an at least one intermittent delivery rate for the duration of the supplying of water.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one intermittent delivery rate is equal to the delivery rate.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the treating chemistry is delivered at the at least one intermittent delivery rate two or more times and an average of the intermittent delivery rates is equal to the delivery rate.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the soil level comprises receiving input from a user via a user interface.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the determining the soil level further comprises receiving a cycle of operation selection.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the determining the soil level further comprises receiving a parameter selection.

13. A laundry treating appliance, comprising:

a treating chamber configured for receiving laundry for treatment;

a dispensing system having a dispensing pump for dispensing a treating chemistry for use in treating the laundry; and

a controller configured to determine a soil level of laundry in the treating chamber, determine a dispensing parameter based on the determined soil level wherein the dispensing parameter is defined by one or more of a delivery rate of the treating chemistry, a dilution rate of the treating chemistry, a flow rate of a water supply, a flow rate of the dispensing pump, or a length of a dispensing interval and operate the dispensing system in accordance with the determined dispensing parameter.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13, further comprising a user interface operably coupled to the controller, the user interface configured to output a soil level indication to the controller.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 wherein the user interface further comprises a cycle selector and outputting the soil level indication comprises outputting a user selected cycle.

16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 wherein the user interface further comprises a parameter selector and outputting the soil level indication comprises outputting a user selected parameter selection.

17. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13, further comprising a mixing chamber fluidly located between the dispensing system and the treating chamber and wherein dispensing the treating chemistry comprises supplying the treating chemistry into the mixing chamber.

18. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13, further comprising a water supply system configured to supply water to at least one of the treating chamber, the dispensing system, or a mixing chamber.

19. The laundry treating appliance of claim 18, further comprising a flow meter operably coupled to the water supply system and configured to output a signal to the controller indicative of the flow rate of a flow of water within the water supply system.

20. The laundry treating appliance of claim 19 wherein the controller is further configured to determine the dispensing parameter based on signal output by the flow meter.