Laundry machines and/or methods of controlling the same

• US 5,271,116 A
• Filed: 01/13/1993
• Issued: 12/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Limited (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Limited (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Ensor, David J., Shacklock, Frank W., Williams, John Julian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/004,110
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 8/158, 8/159, 68/12.01, 68/12.04, 68/12.05, 68/12.19, 68/12.21, 68/23.7
• US Class Current: 8/159
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/24 Spin speed; Drum movements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/38 Time, e.g. duration
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/46 Drum speed; Actuation of motors, e.g. starting or interrupting
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/48 Drum speed
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight

Abstract

A method of providing a desired water level in a laundry machine by energising the motor of the machine intermittently to produce changes in velocity of the spin tub, agitator and a load of clothes in the spin tub.

The changes in velocity are measured and from the measurements the mass of the load of clothes is determined. A desired volume of water necessary for an optimum wash of the load of clothes is then determined and this volume of water is admitted to the washing container of the laundry machine.

Claims

1. A method of providing a desired level of washing liquid in a laundry machine having a cabinet, a washing container within said cabinet, a rotatable assembly having a spin tub within said container and an agitator within said spin tub, a motor driving said agitator conjointly with said spin tub or separately on disconnection of said spin tub from said agitator as required, and washing liquid level control means to control washing liquid level in said washing container, the method comprising:

placing a load of clothes in said spin tub;

initiating the supply of washing liquid to said container and energizing said motor intermittently to produce changes in the rotational speed of said rotatable assembly as washing liquid is being supplied to said container;

sensing the changes in speed of said rotatable assembly relative to energy input to said motor with a sensing means;

passing signals indicative of the resistance to rotation of said agitator to said control means which resistance to rotation is a measure of the viscosity of the mixture of clothes and washing liquid in said container;

comparing the viscosity of said mixture with a desired viscosity;

controlling the supply of further washing liquid to said container with said control means until said viscosity is equal to said desired viscosity to provide said desired level of washing liquid; and

causing continuous washing action to commence when said desired level is reached.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:

determining the point of disconnection of said spin tub from said agitator by passing signals indicative of the total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly including the washing liquid in said container and the clothes in said spin tub from said sensing means to said control means; and

detecting a sudden change in said total rotating mass.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

sensing said resistance to rotation of said agitator comprises controlling the supply of power to said motor with said control means so that said agitator is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, removing power from the motor, measuring the time taken for the agitator to attain zero rotational velocity, said time indicating said viscosity, passing said time to said control means as said signal and repeating said steps to obtain further time measurements as required.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

sensing said total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly comprises controlling the supply of power to said motor with said control means so that said rotatable assembly is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, removing power from the motor, measuring the time taken for the rotatable assembly to attain zero rotational velocity, said time indicating total rotating mass, passing said time to said control means and said signal, and repeating said steps to obtain further time measurements as required.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

sensing said resistance to rotation of said agitator comprises controlling the supply of power to said motor with said control means so that said agitator is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, measuring the time taken for said agitator to attain said desired velocity, said time indicating said viscosity, passing said time to said control means as said signal, and repeating said steps to obtain further time measurements as required.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

sensing said total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly comprises controlling the supply of power to said motor with said control means so that said rotatable assembly is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, measuring the time taken for the rotatable assembly to attain said desired velocity, said time indicating said total rotating mass, passing said time to said control means as said signal, and repeating said steps to obtain further time measurements as required.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:

using signals passed to said control means from said sensing means at the time of disconnection to determine the mass of the load of clothes, storing information of the mass of the load of clothes in information storage means and using the stored information to provide routines selected from giving an indication of a wash profile of agitation stroke times, desired speed of rotation and acceleration requested for the sensed selected load of clothes to be washed and to control the washing routine to give a desired degree of wash to the clothes.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

rotating said container slowly in one direction and supplying a desired quantity of washing liquid to said container before energizing said motor so that said load of clothes is damp before intermittent energization of said motor.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising commencing a gentle wash agitation of the clothes for a predetermined time after said control means have supplied washing liquid to said container to said desired level;

stopping said gentle wash agitation;

detecting the washing liquid level in said container; and

if said washing liquid level is below said desired level, supplying further washing liquid to said container so that said washing liquid level becomes said desired level, and when said washing liquid is at said desired level, causing continuous washing action to commence.

10. Control means for a laundry machine having a cabinet, a washing container within said cabinet, a rotatable assembly comprising a spin tub within said container and an agitator within said spin tub, and a motor driving said agitator conjointly with said spin tub or separately on disconnection of said spin tub from said agitator as required, and washing liquid admission means, said control means comprising:

sensing lneans to sense the changes in speed of said rotatable assembly including the mass of clothes load in said assembly relative to energy input to said motor; and

washing liquid level control means arranged to control washing liquid level in said washing container in response to signals passed by said sensing means to said control means, the construction and arrangement being such that said control means energize said motor intermittently to sense the resistance to rotation of said agitator relative to energy input to said motor, receive signals indicative of the resistance to rotation of said agitator from said sensing means which signals are a measure of the viscosity of the mixture of clothes and washing liquid in said container, compare the viscosity of said mixture with a desired viscosity, control the supply of further washing liquid to said container until said viscosity is equal to said desired viscosity to provide said desired level of washing liquid and cause continuous washing action to commence when said desired level is reached.

11. Control means as claimed in claim 10 and further comprising:

means for determining the point of disconnection of said spin tub from said agitator by receiving signals indicative of the total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly including the washing liquid in said container and the clothes in said spin tub from said sensing means, and detecting a sudden change in said total rotating mass.

12. Control means as claimed in claim 11 and further comprising:

means for sensing said total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly by controlling the supply of power to said motor so that said rotatable assembly is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, removing power from the motor, measuring the time taken for the rotatable assembly to attain zero rotational velocity, said time indicating said total rotating mass, and passing said time to said control means as said signal.

13. Control means as claimed in claim 11 and further comprising:

means for sensing said total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly by controlling the supply of power to said motor so that said rotatable assembly is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, measuring the time taken for the rotatable assembly to attain said desired velocity, said time indicating said total rotating mass, and passing said time to said control means as said signal.

14. Control means as claimed in claim 11 and further comprising:

means for commencing a gentle wash agitation of the clothes for a predetermined time after said washing liquid has been supplied to said container to said desired level;

stopping said gentle wash agitation;

detecting the washing liquid level in said container; and

if said washing liquid level is below said desired level, supplying further washing liquid to said container so that said washing liquid level becomes said desired level, and when said washing liquid is at said desired level, causing continuous washing action to commence.

15. Control means as claimed in claim 10 and further comprising:

means for sensing said resistance to rotation of said agitator by controlling the supply of power to said motor such that said agitator is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, removing power from the motor, measuring the time taken from the agitator to attain zero rotational velocity, said time indicating said resistance to rotation, and passing said time to said control means as said signal.

16. Control means as claimed in claim 10 and further comprising:

means for sensing said resistance to rotation of said agitator by controlling the supply of power to said motor so that said is accelerated to a desire rotational velocity, measuring the time taken for the agitator to attain said desired velocity, said time indicating said resistance to rotation, and passing said time to said control means as said signal.

17. Control means as claimed in claim 10 and further comprising:

information storage means for storing of information of the mass of the load of clothes responsive to said signals passed to said control means from said sensing means at the time of disconnection and using the stored information to provide routines selected from giving an indication of a wash profile of agitation stroke times, desired speed of rotation and acceleration required for the sensed selected load of clothes to be washed and to control the washing routine to give a desired degree of wash to the clothes.

18. Control means as claimed in claim 10 and further comprising:

means for rotating said container slowly in one direction and supplying a desired quantity of washing liquid to said container before energizing said motor intermittently so that said load of clothes is damp before intermittent energization of said motor.

19. A laundry machine comprising:

a cabinet;

a washing container within said cabinet;

a rotatable assembly comprising a spin tub within said container and an agitator within said spin tub;

a motor driving said agitator conjointly with said spin tub or separately on disconnection of said spin tub from said agitator as required;

control means comprising sensing means to sense the changes in speed of said rotatable assembly including the mass of clothes load in said assembly relative to energy input to said motor; and

washing liquid level control means arranged to control washing liquid level in said washing container in response to signals passed by said sensing means to said control means, the construction and arrangement being such that said control means energize said motor intermittently to sense the resistance to rotation of said agitator relative to energy input to said motor after sensing said disconnection, receive signals indicative of the resistance to rotation of said agitator from said sensing means which signals are a measure of the viscosity of the mixture of clothes and washing liquid in said container, compare the viscosity of said mixture with a desired viscosity, control the supply of further washing liquid to said container until said viscosity is equal to said desired viscosity to provide said desired level of washing liquid and cause continuous washing action to commence when said desired level is reached.

20. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 19 wherein:

said control means further comprises means for determining the point of disconnection of said spin tub from said agitator by receiving signals indicative of the total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly including the washing liquid in said container and the clothes in said spin tub from the sensing means, and detecting a sudden change in said total rotating mass.

21. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 20 wherein:

said control means further comprise means for sensing said total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly by controlling the supply of power to said motor so that said agitator is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, removing power from the motor, measuring the time taken for the agitator to attain zero rotational velocity, said time indicating said resistance to rotation, and passing said time to said control means as said signal.

22. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 20 wherein:

said control means further comprise means for sensing said total rotating mass of said rotatable assembly by controlling the supply of power to said motor so that said rotatable assembly is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, measuring the time taken for the rotatable assembly to attain said desired velocity, said timer indicating said total rotating mass, and passing said time to said control means as said signal.

23. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 19 wherein:

said control means further comprise means for sensing said resistance to rotation of said agitator by controlling the supply of power to said motor so that said agitator is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, removing power from the motor, measuring the time taken for the agitator to attain zero rotational velocity, said time indicating said resistance to rotation, and passing said time to said control means as said signal.

24. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 19 wherein:

said control means further comprise means for sensing said resistance to rotation of said agitator by controlling the supply of power to said motor so that said agitator is accelerated to a desired rotational velocity, measuring the time taken for the agitator to attain said desired velocity, said timer indicating said resistance to rotation, and passing said time to said control means as said signal.

25. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 19 and further comprising:

information storage means for storing of information of the mass of the load of clothes responsive to said signals passed to said control means from said sensing means at the time of disconnection and using the stored information to provide routines selected from giving an indication of a wash profile of agitation stroke times, desired speed of rotation and acceleration required for the sensed selected load of clothes to be washed and to control the washing routine to give a desired degree of wash to the clothes.

26. A laundry lnachine as claimed in claim 19 and further comprising:

means for rotating said container slowly in one direction and supplying a desired quantity of washing liquid to said container before energizing said motor intermittently so that said load of clothes is damp before intermittent energization of said motor.

27. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 19 and further comprising:

means for commencing a gently wash agitation of the clothes for a predetermined time after said washing liquid has been supplied to said container to said desired level;

stopping said gentle wash agitation;

detecting the washing liquid level in said container; and

when said washing liquid level is below said desired level, supplying further washing liquid to said container so that said washing liquid level becomes said desired level, and when said washing liquid is at said desired level, causing continuous washing action to commence.