HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE HAVING A SIGNAL RELAY

• US 20120125384A1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: BESHEARS, PAUL E. Jr., DELGADO, KRISTOPHER L., DEWEERD, BRENT A., SUNDARAM, SATHISH A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/56.D
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0047 Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0055 Metering or indication of used products, e.g. type or quantity of detergent, rinse aid or salt; for measuring or controlling the product concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/006 using wireless communication between internal components of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4445 Detachable devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/449 Metering controlling devices A47L15/4229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/023 Quantity or concentration of the consumable product
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/04 Crockery or tableware details, e.g. material, quantity, condition
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/10 Water cloudiness or dirtiness, e.g. turbidity, foaming or level of bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/12 Water temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/26 Loading door status, e.g. door latch opened or closed state
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/07 Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/26 Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/30 Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control

Abstract

A household appliance for performing a useful cycle of operation on a physical article may have a treating chamber for holding the physical article during performance of the useful cycle of operation. The household appliance may include a temporary controllable device located within the treating chamber where the temporary controllable device may be communicated with.

Claims

1. A household appliance for performing a useful cycle of operation on a physical article, comprising:

a treating chamber for holding the physical article during the performance of the useful cycle of operation;

at least one controllable component for use in implementing the useful cycle of operation;

a signal relay located within the treating chamber and having a signal receiver receiving a wireless transmission emanating from a temporary controllable device within the treating chamber and providing an output signal corresponding to the received wireless transmission; and

a controller operably coupled to the at least one controllable component, operably coupled to the signal relay to receive the output signal, and having a memory in which is stored a computer program for implementing the useful cycle of operation by at least in part controlling the at least one controllable component according to the computer program based at least in part on the output signal.

2. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the controller outputs a control signal for the temporary controllable device, and the signal relay emits the control signal into the treating chamber for receipt by the temporary controllable device.

3. The household appliance of claim 1, further comprising a storage element located within the treating chamber and configured to receive the physical article.

4. The household appliance of claim 3 wherein the appliance is a dishwasher and the storage element is a dish rack.

5. The household appliance of claim 4 wherein the signal relay is located in the treating chamber at an elevation either above or below the rack.

6. The household appliance of claim 4, further comprising a rotating spray arm and the signal relay is located on the rotating spray arm.

7. The household appliance of claim 3 wherein the appliance is a refrigerator and the storage element is at least one of a shelf and drawer.

8. The household appliance of claim 3 wherein the appliance is a laundry treating appliance and the storage element is a rotating drum.

9. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the signal relay is configured to receive a wireless signal that is at least one of a light wave signal or radio wave signal.

10. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the signal relay is configured to receive a low power wireless signal.

11. The household appliance of claim 10 wherein the signal relay is configured to receive a low power wireless signal less than 3 milliwatts.

12. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the signal relay includes a plurality of signal relays.

13. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the signal relay comprises at least one of a signal repeater and a signal antenna.

14. The household appliance of claim 13, wherein the signal repeater is configured to receive the wireless transmission and modify the transmission such that the output signal provided corresponds to the modified received wireless transmission.

15. The household appliance of claim 14 wherein the wireless transmission may be modified by at least one of amplifying the received transmission and duplicating the received transmission.

16. A household appliance for performing a useful cycle of operation on a physical article, comprising:

a treating chamber for holding the physical article during the performance of the useful cycle of operation;

a treating chemistry dispenser removably located within the treating chamber and emitting a wireless signal;

a signal relay located within the treating chamber and having a signal receiver receiving the wireless signal and providing an output signal corresponding to the received wireless signal; and

a controller having a memory in which is stored a computer program for implementing the useful cycle of operation and operably coupled to the signal relay to receive the output signal for use in implementing the useful cycle of operation according to the computer program.

17. The household appliance of claim 16 wherein the controller outputs a control signal for the treating chemistry dispenser, and the signal relay relays the control signal to the treating chamber for receipt by the treating chemistry dispenser.

18. The household appliance of claim 17 wherein the control signal comprises at least one of a type of treating chemistry to dispense and an amount of treating chemistry to dispense.

19. The household appliance of claim 16 wherein the treating chemistry dispenser is a bulk dispenser and the emitted wireless signal comprises information related to a treating chemistry in the bulk dispenser.

20. The household appliance of claim 19 wherein the information comprises at least one of an amount of the treating chemistry and a type of the treating chemistry.

21. The household appliance of claim 16 wherein the household appliance is at least one of a dishwasher, clothes washer, and clothes dryer.

22. The household appliance of claim 21 wherein the household appliance is a dishwasher having a rack located within the treating chamber, and the signal relay is located in the treating chamber at an elevation either above or below the rack.

23. The household appliance of claim 22, further comprising a rotating spray arm and the signal relay is located on the rotating spray arm.

24. The household appliance of claim 22, further comprising another rack located within the treating chamber and elevationally spaced from the rack and the signal relay is located in the treating chamber at an elevation between the racks.

25. The household appliance of claim 16 wherein the wireless signal is at least one of a light wave signal and a radio wave signal.

26. The household appliance of claim 16 wherein the wireless signal is a low power wireless signal.

27. The household appliance of claim 26 wherein the low power wireless signal is less than 3 milliwatts.

28. The household appliance of claim 16 wherein the signal relay comprises at least one of a signal repeater and a signal antenna.