WASHING MACHINE APPLIANCE AND A METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20150000047A1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Obregon, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,758,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/137
• 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 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/24 Spin speed; Drum movements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements

Abstract

A washing machine appliance and a method for operating a washing machine appliance are provided. The method includes estimating a mass of articles within a wash chamber of a drum based at least in part on an inertia of the drum and articles within the wash chamber of the drum, gauging the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on a volume of water within a tub, and establishing a load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from the step of estimating and the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from the step of gauging.

Claims

1. A method for operating a washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance having a drum positioned within a tub, the drum defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing, a motor of the washing machine appliance configured for rotating the drum within the tub, the method comprising:

rotating the drum with the motor;

adjusting an angular velocity of the drum during said step of rotating;

determining a first or second derivative of the angular velocity of the drum after said step of adjusting;

estimating a mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on the first or second derivative of the angular velocity of the drum from said step of determining;

directing liquid into the tub until a volume of liquid fills the tub to a predetermined height; and

establishing a load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of estimating and the volume of liquid from said step of establishing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of adjusting the angular velocity of the drum comprises deactivating the motor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of deactivating the motor comprises shorting windings of the motor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of rotating the drum with the motor comprises rotating the drum with the motor at a predetermined frequency.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined frequency is about one hundred and twenty rotations per minute.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of estimating the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum further comprises establishing a tolerance range for the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of establishing the load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum comprises:

providing a plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations, each absorption correlation of the plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations corresponding to a respective load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum;

ascertaining predicted masses of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on the plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations from said step of providing, each predicted mass of the predicted masses of articles within the wash chamber of the drum corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations from said step of providing; and

comparing the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of estimating and the predicted masses of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of ascertaining.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations comprises a first liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlation and a second liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of establishing the load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum further comprises selecting one of a first load type or a second load type based at least in part on differences between the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of estimating and the predicted masses of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of ascertaining.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising directing a first volume of water into the tub of the washing machine appliance during a wash cycle of the washing machine appliance if the load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum is the first load type at said step of selecting or directing a second volume of water into the tub of the washing machine appliance during the wash cycle of the washing machine appliance if the load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum is the second load type at said step of selecting, the first and second volumes being different.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first volume is greater than the second volume.

12. A washing machine appliance, comprising:

a tub;

a drum rotatably mounted within the tub, the drum defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing;

a valve;

a spout extending between the valve and the tub, the spout configured directing liquid from the valve into the tub;

a motor in mechanical communication with the drum, the motor configured for selectively rotating the drum within the tub; and

a controller in operative communication with the valve and the motor, the controller configured for

operating the motor in order to rotate the drum;

adjusting an angular velocity of the drum with the motor after said step of operating;

determining a first or second derivative of the angular velocity of the drum after said step of deactivating;

estimating a mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on the first or second derivative of the angular velocity of the drum from said step of determining;

opening the valve in order to direct a flow of liquid into the tub;

closing the valve in order to terminate the flow of liquid into the tub after a level of liquid within the tub reaches a predetermined height;

calculating a volume of liquid within the tub after said step of closing;

establishing a load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of estimating and the volume of liquid within the tub from said step of calculating.

13. The washing machine appliance of claim 12, wherein said step of adjusting the angular velocity of the drum comprises deactivating the motor.

14. The washing machine appliance of claim 12, wherein said step of operating the motor in order to rotate the drum comprises rotating the drum with the motor at a predetermined frequency.

15. The washing machine appliance of claim 12, wherein said step of establishing the load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum comprises:

ascertaining predicted masses of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on a plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations, each absorption correlation of the plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations corresponding to a respective load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum, each predicted mass of the predicted masses of articles within the wash chamber of the drum corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations; and

comparing the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of estimating and the predicted masses of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of ascertaining.

16. The washing machine appliance of claim 15, wherein the plurality of liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlations comprises a first liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlation and a second liquid volume-liquid level absorption correlation.

17. The washing machine appliance of claim 16, wherein said step of establishing the load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum further comprises selecting one of a first load type or a second load type based at least in part on differences between the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of estimating and the predicted masses of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of ascertaining.

18. The washing machine appliance of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured for actuating the valve in order to direct a first volume of water into the tub during a wash cycle of the washing machine appliance if the load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum is the first load type at said step of selecting or actuating the valve in order to direct a second volume of water into the tub during the wash cycle of the washing machine appliance if the load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum is the second load type at said step of selecting, the first and second volumes being different.

19. The washing machine appliance of claim 12, wherein the first volume is greater than the second volume.

20. A method for operating a washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance having a drum positioned within a tub, the drum defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing, a motor of the washing machine appliance configured for rotating the drum within the tub, the method comprising:

estimating a mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on an inertia of the drum and articles within the wash chamber of the drum;

gauging the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on a volume of water within the tub, the volume of water filling the tub to a predetermined level; and

establishing a load type of articles within the wash chamber of the drum based at least in part on the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of estimating and the mass of articles within the wash chamber of the drum from said step of gauging.