METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING LOAD SIZE IN A WASHING MACHINE

• US 20100024490A1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: COOK, BENNETT JAMES, NIEH, JENN-YEU, OSKINS, JAMES ANDREW
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/12.20
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/06 Type or material
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/08 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/34 of water filling
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/14 Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/087 Water level measuring or regulating devices

Abstract

A method for determining the laundry load size according to one embodiment of the invention in an automatic clothes washer comprising supplying water to a reference water level to define a first amount of water, supplying water from the reference water level to a second water level above the reference water level and sufficient to submerge the laundry load to define a second amount of water, and determining a load size for the laundry load based on the second amount of water such that errors associated with the first amount of water are not considered in the load size determination based on the second amount of water.

Claims

1. A method for determining the laundry load size in an automatic clothes washer having an imperforate tub with a sump, a perforated drum located within the tub and defining a laundry chamber for receiving the laundry load, and a water level sensor associated with the tub for detecting a water level in the tub, the method comprising:

supplying water to a reference water level in the tub to define a first amount of water;

supplying water to the tub from the reference water level to a second water level above the reference water level and sufficient to submerge the laundry load to define a second amount of water; and

determining a load size for the laundry load based on the second amount of water such that errors associated with the first amount of water are not considered in the load size determination based on the second amount of water.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a displacement value for the laundry load based on the second amount of water.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the determining the load size is based on comparing the displacement value to a reference displacement value.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an absorption value of the laundry load based on the first amount of water.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining a load size based on the absorption value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying water to the tub from the second water level to a third water level to define a third amount of water and determining a load size for the laundry load based on the third amount of water.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the determining a load size based on the second and third water amounts further comprises determining the load size based on the sum of the second and third water amounts.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the laundry load during the supplying of water to the second water level.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the supplying water to the reference water level and the supplying of water to the second water level are continuous.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference water level is at least at a lowest water level detectable by the water level sensor.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the water level sensor is a pressure sensor with an inlet, and the supplying of the water to the reference water level comprises supplying the water to at least a level in fluid communication with the inlet.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference water level is a level where the sump is filled.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference water level is a level above any residual water that may be present in the tub from a previous operation of the clothes washer.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the reference water level is a level where the sump is filled.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the errors associated with the first amount of water comprise at least one of residual water in the sump from previous operation of the clothes washer, uneven orientation of the clothes washer, and aging suspension for the tub.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the laundry is effectively saturated when the supplied water reaches the reference water level.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining fabric type of the laundry load based on a comparison of the first amount of water and the second amount of water.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the determination of the fabric type comprises determining a ratio of the first amount of water to the second amount of water.

19. A method for determining the laundry load size in an automatic clothes washer having an imperforate tub with a sump, a perforated drum located within the tub and defining a laundry chamber for receiving the laundry load, and a water level sensor associated with the tub for detecting a water level in the tub, the method comprising:

supplying water to the tub to a sensing water level that is at least at a water level detectable by the water level sensor;

supplying water to the tub to a first water level in the tub sufficient to effectively saturate the laundry load;

determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a first qualitative load size based on the water supply to the first water level;

supplying water to the tub to a second water level in the tub sufficient to submerge the laundry load and completely saturate the laundry load if not completely saturated at the first water level when the laundry load does not correspond to the first qualitative load size; and

determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a second qualitative load size based on the water supply between the first and second water levels.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a first qualitative load size comprises determining a first amount of water supplied to the first water level and basing the determination of the first qualitative load size on the first amount of water.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a second qualitative load size comprises determining a second amount of water supplied between the first and second water levels and basing the determination of the second qualitative load size on the second amount of water.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising supplying water to the tub to a third water level in the tub greater than the second water level when the laundry load does not correspond to the second qualitative load size and determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a third qualitative load size based the water supply between the first and third water levels.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a third qualitative load size comprises determining a third amount of water supplied between the first and third water levels and basing the determination of the third amount of water.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a first qualitative load size comprises determining whether the laundry load is one of multiple qualitative load sizes.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a first qualitative load size comprises determining whether the laundry load is one of an extra small load size and an extra large load size.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a second qualitative load size comprises determining whether the laundry load is a small load size.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising supplying water to the tub to a third water level in the tub greater than the second water level when the laundry load does not correspond to the second qualitative load size and determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a third qualitative load size based the water supply between the first and third water levels.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a third qualitative load size comprises determining whether the laundry load is one of multiple qualitative load sizes.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein determining whether the laundry load corresponds to a third qualitative load size comprises determining whether the laundry load is one of a medium load size, and a large load size.

30. The method of claim 19 wherein the supplying water to the first water level and the supplying of water to the second water level are continuous.

31. The method of claim 19 wherein the water level sensor is a pressure sensor with an inlet, and the supplying of the water to the sensing water level comprises supplying the water to a level covering the inlet.

32. The method of claim 19 wherein the first water level is a level where at least a sump of the tub is filled.

33. The method of claim 19, further comprising moving the laundry load during the supplying of water to the second water level.

34. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining fabric type of the laundry load based on a comparison of the amount of water supplied to reach the first water level and the amount of water supplied between the first and second water levels.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the determination of the fabric type comprises determining a ratio of the amount of water supplied to reach the first water level to the amount of water supplied between the first and second water levels.

36. A automatic clothes washer, comprising:

an imperforate tub with a sump;

a perforated drum located within the tub and defining a laundry chamber for receiving the laundry load;

a water level sensor associated with the tub for detecting a water level in the tub;

a water supply system configured to supply water into the tub; and

a controller operably coupled to the water level sensor and the water supply system and configured to execute a load size determination by controlling the operation of the water supply system to supply water to a reference water level in the tub to define a first amount of water, supply water to the tub from the reference water level to a second water level above the reference water level and sufficient to submerge the laundry load to define a second amount of water, and determine a load size for the laundry load based the second amount of water such that errors associated with the first amount of water are not considered in the load size determination based on the second amount of water.

37. The automatic clothes washer according to claim 36 wherein the water supply system comprises a spraying system for spraying water into the tub.

38. The automatic clothes washer according to claim 37 wherein the drum is cylindrical with an open top and the spraying system comprises at least one nozzle configured to spray water into the open top.

39. The automatic clothes washer according to claim 38, further comprising a selectively controllable agitator located within the drum and operably coupled to the controller.

40. A automatic clothes washer, comprising:

an imperforate tub with a sump;

a perforated drum located within the tub and defining a laundry chamber for receiving the laundry load;

a water level sensor associated with the tub for detecting a water level in the tub;

a water supply system configured to supply water into the tub; and

a controller operably coupled to the water level sensor and the water supply system and configured to supply water to the tub to a sensing water level that is at least at a water level detectable by the water level sensor, supply water to the tub to a first water level in the tub sufficient to effectively saturate the laundry load, determine whether the laundry load corresponds to a first qualitative load size based on the water supply to the first water level, supply water to the tub to a second water level in the tub sufficient to submerge the laundry load and completely saturate the laundry load if not completely saturated at the first water level when the laundry load does not correspond to the first qualitative load size, and determine whether the laundry load corresponds to a second qualitative load size based on the water supply between the first and second water levels.

41. The automatic clothes washer according to claim 40 wherein the water supply system comprises a spraying system for spraying water into the tub.

42. The automatic clothes washer according to claim 41 wherein the drum is cylindrical with an open top, and the spraying system comprises at least one nozzle configured to spray water into the open top.

43. The automatic clothes washer according to claim 42, further comprising a selectively controllable agitator located within the drum and operably coupled to the controller.