Laundry appliance

• US 6,843,079 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dyson Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Hird, Malcolm John
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/221,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 68/120.2, 68/13.R, 68/24, 68/27, 68/58, 681/39, 681/40, 681/42
• US Class Current: 68/13.00R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/52 Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 23/04 and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/30 characterised by mechanical features, e.g. buttons or rotary dials
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/04 adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis

Abstract

A laundry appliance comprises a drum for receiving articles to be laundered, the drum comprising at least two rotatable drum portions and a drive capable of operating the drum in a plurality of different drum modes. The drum modes include a mode in which the rotatable drum portions are driven so as to cause relative rotation between them. A controller (100) controls the appliance to perform a plurality of different wash programs, each wash program having an associated drum mode. Each wash program comprises a sequence of stages, with a drum mode being associated with each stage. The drum modes can differ in respect of (a) use (or non-use) of relative rotation between the drum portions (b) the ratio of time that the drum portions rotate compared to the time that they are at rest, and (c) the speed at which the drum portions are rotated. The intensity of a wash program can be varied, inter alia, by varying the length of the wash stage.

Claims

1. A laundry appliance comprising:

a drum for receiving articles to be laundered, comprising at least two rotatable drum portions and a drive capable of operating the drum in a plurality of different drum modes, including a drum mode in which the rotatable drum portions are driven so as to cause relative rotation between adjacent rotatable drum portions, and

a controller which is capable of controlling the appliance to perform a plurality of different wash programs, each wash program having an associated drum mode.

2. A laundry appliance according to claim 1, wherein each wash program comprises a sequence of stages, and wherein a drum mode is associated with each stage.

3. A laundry appliance according to claim 1, wherein the drum modes comprise a sequence of steps in which, in one of the steps, the drum portions are rotated relative to one another and which, in another of the steps, the drum portions are not rotated, at least two of the drum modes differing in the durations of the steps.

4. A laundry appliance according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the drum modes differ from other drum modes in the speeds at which the drum is rotated.

5. A laundry appliance according to claim 1, wherein, in at least some of the drum modes, the drum portions are rotated in opposite directions to one another.

6. A laundry appliance according to claim 1, wherein, in one of the wash programs, the controller controls the appliance to operate in a drum mode in which the drum portions are not rotated relative to one another at any point during the wash program.

7. A laundry appliance according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the drum mode according to the load of articles to be laundered in the drum.

8. A laundry appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a control panel for allowing a user to select a wash program, and wherein the controller is responsive to a selection made by a user on the control panel.

9. A laundry appliance according to claim 8, wherein the control panel allows a user to select an intensity for the chosen wash program, and wherein the controller is configured to vary the intensity of the wash program in accordance with the selection made by a user.

10. A laundry appliance according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to vary the intensity of the wash program by varying the length of a wash portion of the wash program.

11. A laundry appliance according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to vary the intensity of the wash program by varying a ratio of times during which the drum portions are rotated relative to one another to times during which the drum portions are not rotated.

12. A laundry appliance according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to vary the intensity of the wash program by varying the speed of relative rotation between the drum portions.

13. A control apparatus for a laundry appliance comprising a drum for receiving articles to be laundered, the drum comprising at least two rotatable drum portions and a drive capable of operating the drum in a plurality of different drum modes, including a drum mode in which the rotatable drum portions are driven so as to cause relative rotation between adjacent rotatable drum portions, the control apparatus being configured to control the appliance to perform a drum portions.