TIMING CONTROL AND TIMED WASH CYCLE FOR AN AUTOMATIC WASHER

• US 20080276965A1
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: KAEDING, JANICE M., LUCKMAN, JOEL ADAM, DOYLE, COLLEEN M., HENDRICKSON, MICHAEL STEPHEN, WRIGHT, TREMITCHELL, AYKROYD, TIMOTHY NICHOLAS
• Granted Patent: US 8,490,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/00 Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/08 Control circuits or arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/008 for disinfecting the tub or the drum
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86187 Plural tanks or compartments connected for serial flow

Abstract

A control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle determined based upon various soils and stains in the substrate load to be washed with a wash liquor in a wash zone of the washer. The control has a plurality of stain/soil type entrées, which can be at least one of selected and detected, and cleaned with a particular wash cycle. The control has dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive. The control has a user input to permit the user to customize the operation of the control with regard to the dispensing of the various wash liquor additive and a timing mechanism. The control has operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at selected times during the wash cycle.

Claims

1. A control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle determined based upon various soils and stains in the substrate load to be washed with a wash liquor in a wash zone of the washer, the control comprising:

a plurality of stain/soil type entré

es, which can be at least one of selected and detected, and cleaned with a particular wash cycle,

dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive from the group consisting of detergents, chlorine bleaches, color safe bleaches, cleaning boosters, oxidizing agents, pre-wash stain removers, pre-wash chemistries, switchable or tunable surfactants, wrinkle guard, color finishes, water repellency, stain guard, functional finishes, fabric softeners, water softeners, fragrances, anti-static agents, drying aids, de-wrinkling chemistries, deodorizers, surfactants, emulsifiers, enzyme activated stain removers, sudsing agents, builders, anti-redeposition polymers, in-wash stain removers, perfumes, and activators and deactivators for other members of the group of additives,

a user input to permit the user to customize the operation of the control with regard to the dispensing of the various wash liquor additives,

a timing mechanism, and

operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at determined times during the wash cycle.

2. The control according to claim 1, further including a stain component sensor located in the wash zone to detect a particular type of stain on the substrate load to be cleaned.

3. The control according to claim 2, further including a plurality of predetermined wash cycles stored in a memory of the control, for use in operating the washer based upon a detected stain.

4. The control according to claim 1, further including a plurality of predetermined wash cycles stored in a memory of the control, for use in operating the washer based upon a user selected stain.

5. The control according to claim 1, wherein the timing mechanism comprises a timer used to dispense particular wash liquor additives at specific times during a particular wash cycle.

6. The control according to claim 1, wherein the timing mechanism comprises a sensor used to determine when a particular stain or soil is present and requires a particular wash liquor additive to be dispensed to remove that particular stain or soil.

7. The control according to claim 1, wherein the user input permits the user to elect whether to or not to dispense a particular type of wash liquor additive for a particular wash cycle.

8. The control according to claim 1, wherein the user input permits the user to determine a time for releasing a particular wash liquor additive during a particular wash cycle.

9. The control according to claim 1, wherein the user input comprises an electromechanical dial with multiple user selectable positions.

10. The control according to claim 1, wherein the stains to be cleaned are identified in the control as one of proteins, fats, semisolids, complex, particular, soil, enzyme sensitive, pH sensitive and surfactant sensitive.

11. The control according to claim 1, wherein the stain/soil type entré

es are selected from the group consisting of grass, blood, coffee, tea, red wine, tomato-based, fruit juices, cocoa, carbon, perspiration, dirt, pigments, colors, foods, mud and oily stains and soils.

12. A wash cycle comprising the steps:

loading a wash machine with a substrate load for cleaning,

selecting a wash cycle based on at least a stain/soil in the substrate load,

contacting the substrate load with a wash liquor,

after a first predetermined time, dispensing a first wash liquor additive into the wash liquor, from the group consisting of detergents, chlorine bleaches, color safe bleaches, cleaning boosters, oxidizing agents, pre-wash stain removers, pre-wash chemistries, switchable or tunable surfactants, wrinkle guard, color finishes, water repellency, stain guard, functional finishes, fabric softeners, water softeners, fragrances, anti-static agents, drying aids, de-wrinkling chemistries, deodorizers, surfactants, emulsifiers, enzyme activated stain removers, sudsing agents, builders, anti-redeposition polymers, in-wash stain removers and perfumes, and

after a predetermined time following the dispensing of the first wash liquor additive, dispensing a second wash liquor additive from the same group.

13. The wash cycle according to claim 12, wherein the selecting step includes a user inputting a stain/soil type into a control of the washer.

14. The wash cycle according to claim 12, wherein the first predetermined time is based on a selection made by the user.

15. The wash cycle according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined time following the dispensing of the first wash liquor additive is dependent upon one of the type of stain/soil in the substrate load and the temperature of the wash liquor.

16. A substrate treating appliance utilizing a plurality of different chemistries for different cycles or different wash loads and having a control for operating the appliance, comprising:

a wash zone for receiving a substrate load to be washed through contact with a wash liquor,

the control comprising;

a plurality of stain/soil type entré

es, which can be at least one of selected and detected, and cleaned with a particular wash cycle,

dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive from the group consisting of detergents, chlorine bleaches, color safe bleaches, cleaning boosters, oxidizing agents, pre-wash stain removers, pre-wash chemistries, switchable or tunable surfactants, wrinkle guard, color finishes, water repellency, stain guard, functional finishes, fabric softeners, water softeners, fragrances, anti-static agents, drying aids, de-wrinkling chemistries, deodorizers, surfactants, emulsifiers, enzyme activated stain removers, sudsing agents, builders, anti-redeposition polymers, in-wash stain removers, perfumes activators and deactivators for other members of the group of additives,

a user input to permit the user to customize the operation of the control with regard to the dispensing of the various wash liquor additives,

a timing mechanism, and

operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at determined times during the wash cycle.

17. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 16, wherein the user input permits selection of a wash liquor temperature.

18. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 16, wherein the user input permits selection of a stain/soil type.

19. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 16, wherein the user input permits selection of a delay period for dispensing the first wash liquor additive.

20. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 16, wherein the user input permits selection of a particular additive to be added or not added to the wash liquor.