APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC SELF-WASHING

• US 20120144872A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kappler, Jerrod Aaron, Hoppe, Christopher, Rawson, James Rulon Young, Gascoyne, David Gilles, Ouseph, John
• Application Number:
  US12/967,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/12.02
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/14 Time settings
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/43 Control of cleaning or disinfection of washing machine parts, e.g. of tubs
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and techniques for automatic self-washing of a clothes washing machine are provided. The clothes washing machine includes one or more storage tanks, and a user interface, wherein the user interface enables a user to schedule an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle. The techniques include enabling the washing machine to automatically run the self-cleaning wash cycle according to schedule, wherein enabling the washing machine to automatically run the self-cleaning wash cycle comprises automatically dispensing an amount of self-cleaning additive from one of the one or more storage tanks into the cycle.

Claims

1. A method of operating a washing machine comprising one or more storage tanks and a user interface, wherein the user interface enables a user to schedule an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle, the method comprising:

enabling the washing machine to automatically run the self-cleaning wash cycle according to schedule, wherein the enabling step comprises automatically dispensing an amount of self-cleaning additive from one of the one or more storage tanks into the cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface enables a user to schedule an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle, the enabling step further comprising enabling a user to select a day of the week and frequency of cycle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface enables a user to schedule an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle, the enabling step further comprising enabling a user to select a time of day to run the self-cleaning wash cycle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the self-cleaning additive comprises bleach.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of self-cleaning additive dispensed from one of the one or more storage tanks into the cycle is based on one or more characteristics of the cycle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the washing machine to automatically run the self-cleaning wash cycle according to schedule comprises, at a scheduled time, automatically adjusting the user interface to self-cleaning wash cycle and beginning the cycle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle schedule entry in the user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling one or more separate wash cycles to be scheduled and run after a recurring self-cleaning wash cycle has been scheduled into the washing machine.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating a user to manually input self-cleaning additive into one of the one or more storage tanks on a per use basis.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a clothes basket rotatable about an axis;

a motor coupled to the clothes basket;

one or more storage tanks;

one or more conveyance mechanisms between the each of the one or more storage tanks and a washing chamber;

a user interface;

a sensor; and

a processor coupled to the motor, the one or more conveyance mechanisms, the user interface and the sensor, the processor being operative to;

enable a user to schedule an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle via the user interface; and

enable the self-cleaning wash cycle to automatically run according to schedule via automatically dispensing an amount of self-cleaning additive from one of the one or more storage tanks into the cycle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a touch-screen, and a combination of one or more knobs, one or more buttons and a display.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in automatically dispensing an amount of self-cleaning additive from one of the one or more storage tanks into the cycle, the processor is further operative to dispense an amount of self-cleaning additive from one of the one or more storage tanks into the cycle based on one or more characteristics of the cycle.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to enable one or more separate wash cycles to be scheduled and run after a recurring self-cleaning wash cycle has been scheduled.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in enabling a user to schedule an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle via the user interface, the processor is further operative to enable a user to select at least one of a day of the week, frequency of cycle, and a time of day to run the self-cleaning wash cycle.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a liquid level sensor incorporated in the one or more storage tanks.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a status of the liquid level sensor is displayed on the user interface.

17. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable recordable storage medium including computer useable program code, the computer program product including:

computer useable program code for enabling a user to schedule an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle; and

computer useable program code for enabling the self-cleaning wash cycle to automatically run according to schedule via automatically dispensing an amount of self-cleaning additive from one of the one or more storage tanks into the cycle.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer useable program code for enabling the self-cleaning wash cycle to automatically run according to schedule via automatically dispensing an amount of self-cleaning additive comprises computer useable program code for dispensing an amount of self-cleaning additive from one of the one or more storage tanks into the cycle based on one or more characteristics of the cycle.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer useable program code for enabling one or more separate wash cycles to be scheduled and run after a recurring self-cleaning wash cycle has been scheduled.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer useable program code for enabling a user to schedule an automatic recurring self-cleaning wash cycle comprises computer useable program code for enabling a user to select at least one of a day of the week, frequency of cycle, and a time of day to run the self-cleaning wash cycle.