Steam washing machine operation method having a dual speed spin pre-wash

• US 7,765,628 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Nyik Siong, Hardaway, Anthony H., Vaidhyanathan, Raveendran, Luckman, Joel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIGGLEMAN, JASON PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/450,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 814/93, 815/8, 815/9
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/006 for washing or rinsing only

Abstract

A method for operating a washing machine having a tub with a drum rotatably mounted in the tub and configured to hold a fabric load comprises a pre-wash step; a heating step comprising introducing steam into at least one of the tub and the drum; and a washing step. The pre-wash step comprises recirculating liquid between the tub and the drum; rotating the drum at a first spin speed to distribute the clothing within the drum; and rotating the drum at a second spin speed greater than the first spin speed to draw the liquid through the fabric load.

Claims

1. A method for operating a washing machine having a tub with a drum rotatably mounted in the tub and configured to hold a fabric load, the method comprising:

a pre-wash step comprising;

a) rotating the drum at a first spin speed to generate a force greater than or equal to 1 G acting on the fabric load to distribute the fabric load within and hold the fabric load against the drum;

b) recirculating detergent solution between the tub and the drum to wet the fabric load during at least a portion of the rotation of the drum at the first spin speed;

c) rotating the drum at a second spin speed greater than the first spin speed to draw the detergent solution through the fabric load while the detergent solution is recirculated; and

repeating a, b, and c until a ratio of fabric load weight to detergent solution weight is within a range of about 1;

0.5 and about 1;

2.7;

after the pre-wash step, a heating step comprising;

rotating the drum at a tumbling speed to tumble the fabric load within the drum;

introducing steam into at least one of the tub and the drum to heat the fabric load;

after the heating step, a washing step comprising;

supplying additional liquid to the tub to form a wash detergent solution of a volume such that at least a portion of the drum is submerged; and

rotating the drum at a tumbling speed in the detergent solution to tumble the fabric load in the detergent solution within drum.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the supplying the additional detergent solution comprises recirculating the additional detergent solution.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recirculating of the liquid occurs during the rotating of the drum to the first spin speed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recirculating of the liquid does not occur during the rotating of the drum at the second spin speed.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the pre-wash step further comprises introducing liquid into at least one of the tub and the drum prior to the recirculating and rotating.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first speed is about 100 rpm, and the second speed is greater than about 250 rpm.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-wash step comprises repeating a, b, and c until a ratio of fabric load weight to liquid weight is within a range of about 1:

1 and about 1;

2.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-wash step further comprises compensating for liquid absorbed by the fabric load.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the compensating comprises collecting the liquid in the tub and introducing additional liquid to achieve a predetermined level in the tub if the collected liquid is below the predetermined level.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising repeating a, b, and c until the collected liquid achieves the predetermined level without introducing additional liquid.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the compensating comprises determining a pressure of the liquid and introducing liquid if the pressure is not substantially stable.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising repeating a, b, and c until the pressure stabilizes without introducing additional liquid.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotating of the drum in the heating step occurs during the introducing of the steam.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a rinsing step and an extraction step following the washing step.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises a detergent solution.