Washing machine with ultraviolet protection cycle

• US 20090145172A1
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Lubert, Thomas, Zhou, Ying
• Application Number:
  US12/001,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20090145172A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/12.120
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/16 Washing liquid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/006 for washing or rinsing only

Abstract

A controller for a washing machine includes a memory storing an ultraviolet protection wash cycle and another wash cycle, and a selector that selects one of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle and the another wash cycle.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

a housing;

a rotatable drum within the housing; and

a controller in the housing that that selects one of a ultraviolet protection wash cycle and another wash cycle.

2. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a memory that stores the ultraviolet protection wash cycle and the another wash cycle.

3. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein, one of a wash liquid temperature of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is higher than the another wash cycle, a cycle time of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is longer than the another wash cycle, a spin speed of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is lower than the another wash cycle, a spin pattern of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is graduated, the ultraviolet protection wash cycle prevents cold water from entering the washing chamber until after the main wash cycle, and a main wash cycle of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is longer than a main wash cycle of the another wash cycle.

4. A controller for a washing machine comprising:

a memory storing an ultraviolet protection wash cycle and another wash cycle; and

a selector that selects one of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle and the another wash cycle.

5. The controller of claim 4, wherein the ultraviolet protection wash cycle improves the ultraviolet protection of items over the another wash cycle.

6. The controller of claim 4, wherein a wash liquid temperature of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is higher than the another wash cycle.

7. The controller of claim 4, wherein a starting wash liquid temperature of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is about 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

8. The controller of claim 4, wherein a wash liquid temperature of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is about 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the wash liquid temperature of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is maintained at about 140 degrees Fahrenheit for about five minutes.

10. The controller of claim 4, wherein the cycle time of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is longer than the another wash cycle.

11. The controller of claim 4, wherein the spin speed of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is lower than the another wash cycle.

12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the final spin speed of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is lower than the another wash cycle.

13. The controller of claim 4, wherein the spin pattern of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle comprises a series of spin intervals of about thirty seconds each.

14. The controller of claim 4, wherein the spin pattern of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is graduated.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the spin pattern of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle comprises a plurality of spin speed spikes.

16. The controller of claim 15, wherein the spin speed of each of the plurality of spin speed spikes is different.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the spin speed of each of the plurality of spin speed spikes gradually increase.

18. The controller of claim 15, wherein the spin speed of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is about zero between the plurality of spin speed spikes.

19. The controller of claim 4, wherein ultraviolet protection wash cycle prevents cold water from entering the washing chamber until after the main wash cycle.

20. The controller of claim 4, wherein the main wash cycle of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle is longer than the main wash cycle of the another wash cycle.