Method and apparatus for controlling a laundering process

• US 20070143933A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Morris, William, Pastecki, Patrick, Potyrailo, Radislav, Watkins, Derek, Fortin, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,690,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/22 Content of detergent or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/64 Radiation, e.g. microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/56 Remaining operation time; Remaining operational cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/22 Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity

Abstract

A method for controlling a laundering process includes determining a concentration of a detergent within a wash fluid during at least one cycle of an article laundering process, and dynamically adjusting at least one characteristic of the laundering process based at least in part upon the determined concentration of the detergent. An apparatus for controlling a laundering process includes a fluid chamber to contain a wash fluid, a sensor coupled to the fluid chamber to determine a detergent concentration within the wash fluid, and a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to dynamically adjust at least one characteristic of the laundering process based at least in part upon the determined detergent concentration.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a concentration of a detergent within a wash fluid during at least one cycle of an article laundering process; and

dynamically adjusting at least one characteristic of the laundering process based at least in part upon the determined concentration of the detergent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a concentration of a detergent comprises performing a photometric analysis of the wash fluid during at least one cycle of the article laundering process.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein performing a photometric analysis of the cleaning solution comprises identifying fluorescent properties of the wash fluid.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying fluorescent properties of a wash fluid comprises:

exposing the wash fluid to first radiation; and

detecting second radiation emitted by the wash fluid responsive to the first radiation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first radiation comprises wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 500 nm.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first radiation comprises wavelengths ranging from about 220 nm to about 450 nm.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first radiation comprises wavelengths ranging from about 300 nm to about 410 nm.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second radiation comprises wavelengths ranging from about 300 nm to about 650 nm.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the second radiation comprises wavelengths ranging from about 330 nm to about 630 nm.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the second radiation comprises wavelengths ranging from about 350 nm to about 600 nm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting at least one characteristic of the laundering process comprises adjusting a rinse cycle duration or wash cycle duration based at least in part upon the determined concentration of the detergent.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein dynamically adjusting at least one characteristic of the laundering process further comprises adjusting a water usage level within a rinse cycle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein dynamically adjusting a water usage level during a rinse cycle comprises decreasing water usage during the rinse cycle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the water usage level is adjusted until the detergent concentration reaches a predetermined concentration level.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein dynamically adjusting at least one characteristic of the laundering process further comprises adjusting a rinse cycle time and a number of rinse cycles performed.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein dynamically adjusting at least one characteristic of the laundering process further comprises adjusting a rinse cycle time and an amount of water used in each rinse cycle.

17. A washing machine comprising:

a fluid chamber to contain a wash fluid;

a sensor coupled to the fluid chamber to determine a detergent concentration within the wash fluid; and

a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to dynamically adjust at least one characteristic of the laundering process based at least in part upon the determined detergent concentration.

18. The washing machine of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor optically coupled to the fluid chamber to detect a fluorescence level of the detergent.

19. The washing machine of claim 18, wherein the optical sensor further comprises a radiation emitting element, a radiation detecting element, excitation optical filter, and emission optical filter, wherein the radiation emitting element is configured to emit radiation having wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 500 nm, and the radiation detecting element is configured to detect radiation having wavelengths ranging from about 300 nm to about 650 nm.

20. The washing machine of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a wash cycle or a rinse cycle based at least in part upon the determined detergent concentration.

21. The washing machine of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a wash cycle duration or a rinse cycle duration based at least in part upon the detected fluorescence level.

22. The washing machine of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a water usage level within a rinse cycle.

23. The washing machine of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to decrease the water usage level within the rinse cycle.

24. The washing machine of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a number of rinse cycles to be performed and a duration for each rinse cycle based at least in part upon the determined detergent concentration.

25. The washing machine of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor optically coupled to the fluid chamber to detect a level of an optical property of the detergent, wherein the optical property is selected from the group consisting of fluorescence, absorbance, scatter, or a combination thereof.