CLOTHES WASHER DEMAND RESPONSE WITH DUAL WATTAGE OR AUXILIARY HEATER

• US 20110061175A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kappler, Jerrod Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/52 related to electric heating means, e.g. temperature or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/54 Changing between normal operation mode and special operation modes, e.g. service mode, component cleaning mode or stand-by mode
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/46 Control of the energy or water consumption

Abstract

A clothes washer is provided comprising one or more power consuming functions and a controller in signal communication with an associated utility. The controller can receive and process a signal from the associated utility indicative of current state of an associated utility. The controller operates the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode in response to the received signal. In the case of a water heating clothes washer containing a heater assembly, the controller is configured to change the power consuming characteristics of the heater assembly to reduce power consumption of the clothes washer in an energy savings mode.

Claims

1. A clothes washer comprising:

at least one power consuming feature including a heater assembly;

a controller adapted to receive and process a signal indicative of the current cost of supplied energy, the controller operating the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes including at least a normal mode and an energy savings mode based on the received signal, the controller configured to change the operation of the heater assembly for a period of time based on input received from the signal.

2. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein the heater assembly includes a first heater and a second heater.

3. The clothes washer of claim 2 wherein in the normal operating mode only the first heater is used.

4. The clothes washer of claim 2 wherein in the normal operating mode both of the first and second heaters are used.

5. The clothes washer of claim 2 wherein in the energy savings mode only one of the first and second heaters is used.

6. The clothes washer of claim 2 wherein the first heater has a greater wattage rating than the second heater.

7. The clothes washer of claim 6 wherein in the normal operating mode the first heater is used.

8. The clothes washer of claim 6 wherein in the energy savings mode only the second heater is used.

9. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein the heater assembly is operatively associated with a water heating cycle of the clothes washer.

10. The clothes washer of claim 9 wherein in the normal operating mode the water heating cycle is active for a shorter period of time than in the energy savings mode.

11. The clothes washer of claim 10 wherein in the normal operating mode both first and second heaters are used.

12. The clothes washer of claim 10 wherein in the energy savings mode only one of first and second heaters are used.

13. The clothes washer of claim 10 wherein in the normal operating mode the heater assembly is operated at a higher wattage than in the energy savings mode.

14. A clothes washer comprising:

a housing;

a basket dimensioned to receive laundry items therein;

a motor received in the housing for imparting mechanical action to the basket;

an inlet adapted to selectively provide water to the basket;

an outlet adapted to selectively drain water from the basket;

a heater assembly for heating water supplied through the inlet; and

a controller operatively associated with the basket, inlet, outlet, and heater assembly for controlling operation of the clothes washer through various operating cycles, the controller adapted to receive and process a signal from a utility indicative of the current cost of supplied energy, the controller operating the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes including at least a normal mode and an energy savings mode based on the received signal, the controller operating the heater assembly at a lower wattage in the energy savings mode than in the normal mode.

15. The clothes washer of claim 14 wherein one of the operating cycles is a water heating cycle and the controller operates the heater assembly at the lower wattage for an extended period of time when compared to operating the heater assembly at a higher wattage in the normal mode.

16. The clothes washer of claim 14 wherein the heater assembly includes first and second heaters having different operation wattages.

17. The clothes washer of claim 16 wherein only the lower wattage heater is operated during a water heating cycle in an energy savings mode.

18. A method of operating a clothes washer having (i) a controller adapted to receive and process a signal from a utility indicative of the current cost of supplied energy, the controller operating the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes including at least a normal mode and an energy savings mode based on the received signal, and (ii) a heater assembly for raising a temperature of water introduced into the clothes washer in a selected cycle, the method comprising:

providing a dual wattage heater assembly;

operating the heater assembly at a lower wattage in the energy savings mode.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising operating the heater assembly at a higher wattage during a normal mode.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising extending a first time period of operating the selected cycle in the energy savings mode in comparison to a second time period of operating the selected cycle in the normal mode.