Wash cycles using oxidizing agents and sensors

• US 7,904,985 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Wright, Tremitchell, Aykroyd, Timothy Nicholas, Hendrickson, Michael Stephen, Luckman, Joel Adam, Doyle, Colleen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin; Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US11/745,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 815/8, 815/9, 68/120.2, 68/121.8, 68/122.3, 68/122.7
• US Class Current: 8/159
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/04 Quantity, e.g. weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/20 Washing liquid condition, e.g. turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight

Abstract

A substrate treating appliance utilizing a plurality of different chemistries for different cycles or different wash loads with a plurality of receptacles for receiving a plurality of cartridges containing the different chemistries. Each receptacle has one half of a lock and key connection arrangement providing a unique interconnection configuration at each receptacle, relative to the remaining receptacles, permitting only a selected type of chemistry cartridge to be accepted at a particular receptacle. A connection effected between the cartridge and the receptacle occurs by rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle between an insertion orientation and a locking orientation. Each receptacle is shaped to receive a cylindrical mouth wall of a particular type of chemistry cartridge. Each receptacle may also be uniquely sized, relative to the remaining receptacles, to accept only a selected type of chemistry cartridge. The plurality of receptacles may be arranged adjacent to one another with each cartridge having a configuration that prevents insertion of a cartridge into a receptacle unless every cartridge located in an adjacent receptacle is rotated to the locking orientation.

Claims

1. A method of washing a fabric load in a wash zone of a wash machine comprising the steps:

selecting a wash cycle based on at least an automatically sensed color of the fabric load including;

lighting an interior of the wash zone once the fabric load has been loaded and capturing a digital image of the fabric load,

translating pixels of the resultant image into specific red, green and blue components,

determining an intensity of each component,

dispensing a wash liquor into the wash machine,

determining an amount of detergent to add into the wash liquor and a length of time for the wash liquor to be presented to the wash load based on the determined intensities,

determining an amount of oxidizing agent to add into the wash liquor and a time for adding the oxidizing agent to the wash liquor based on the determined intensities,

performing washing steps of recirculating the wash liquor through the fabric load, rinsing the fabric load and extracting liquid from the fabric load, while dispensing the detergent and oxidizing agent in accordance with the determinations made.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined intensity of each component is measured in a scale of 0 to 1 and ranges for 0-0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-0.75, and 0.75-1.0 are used to determine the amounts of detergent and oxidizing agent to be added to the wash liquor.

3. The method of claim 1, including the steps of determining a load size and type and sensing a quality of the wash liquor, and wherein the steps of determining an amount of detergent to add and determining an amount of oxidizing agent to add are based on the selecting, determining and sensing steps.

4. The method of claim 1, further including a step of controlling at least one of the pH and ORP of the wash liquor during the performing step.

5. The method of claim 1, further including a step of sensing a quality of the wash liquor by sensing at least one of pH, ORP, temperature, conductivity and turbidity of the wash liquor.

6. The method of claim 1, including a step of sensing a quality of the wash liquor during each of the washing steps.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of sensing quality of the wash liquor comprises sensing at least one of pH, ORP, temperature, conductivity and turbidity of the wash liquor.

8. A method of washing a fabric load in a wash zone of a wash machine comprising the steps:

selecting a wash cycle based on at least an automatically sensed color of the fabric load including;

illuminating an interior of the wash zone once the fabric load has been loaded separately with a red, green and blue light,

scanning the fabric load separately for each of the red, green and blue illuminations,

determining an intensity of each scanned color,

dispensing a wash liquor into the wash machine,

determining an amount of detergent to add into the wash liquor and a length of time for the wash liquor to be presented to the wash load based on the determined intensities,

determining an amount of oxidizing agent to add into the wash liquor and a time for adding the oxidizing agent to the wash liquor based on the determined intensities,

performing washing steps of recirculating the wash liquor through the fabric load, rinsing the fabric load and extracting liquid from the fabric load, while dispensing the detergent and oxidizing agent in accordance with the determinations made.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined intensity of each component is measured in a scale of 0 to 1 and ranges for 0-0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-0.75, and 0.75-1.0 are used to determine the amounts of detergent and oxidizing agent to be added to the wash liquor.

10. The method of claim 8, including the steps of determining a load size and type and sensing a quality of the wash liquor, and wherein the steps of determining an amount of detergent to add and determining an amount of oxidizing agent to add are based on the selecting, determining and sensing steps.

11. The method of claim 8, further including a step of controlling at least one of the pH and ORP of the wash liquor during the performing step.

12. The method of claim 8, further including a step of sensing a quality of the wash liquor by sensing at least one of pH, ORP, temperature, conductivity and turbidity of the wash liquor.

13. The method of claim 8, including a step of sensing a quality of the wash liquor during each of the washing steps.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of sensing a quality of the wash liquor comprises sensing at least one of pH, ORP, temperature, conductivity and turbidity of the wash liquor.

15. A method of washing a fabric load in a wash zone of a wash machine comprising the steps:

selecting a wash cycle based on at least an automatically sensed color of the fabric load including;

illuminating an interior of the wash zone once the fabric load has been loaded,

determining a separate intensity of for each of red, blue and green colors in the fabric load,

dispensing a wash liquor into the wash machine,

determining an amount of detergent to add into the wash liquor and a length of time for the wash liquor to be presented to the wash load based on the determined intensities,

determining an amount of oxidizing agent to add into the wash liquor and a time for adding the oxidizing agent to the wash liquor based on the determined intensities,

performing washing steps of recirculating the wash liquor through the fabric load, rinsing the fabric load and extracting liquid from the fabric load, while dispensing the detergent and oxidizing agent in accordance with the determinations made.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined intensity of each component is measured in a scale of 0 to 1 and ranges for 0-0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-0.75, and 0.75-1.0 are used to determine the amounts of detergent and oxidizing agent to be added to the wash liquor.

17. The method of claim 15, including the steps of determining a load size and type and sensing a quality of the wash liquor, and wherein the steps of determining an amount of detergent to add and determining an amount of oxidizing agent to add are based on the selecting, determining and sensing steps.

18. The method of claim 15, further including a step of controlling at least one of the pH and ORP of the wash liquor during the performing step.

19. The method of claim 15, further including a step of sensing a quality of the wash liquor by sensing at least one of pH, ORP, temperature, conductivity and turbidity of the wash liquor.

20. The method of claim 15, including a step of sensing a quality of the wash liquor during each of the washing steps.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of sensing a quality of the wash liquor comprises sensing at least one of pH, ORP, temperature, conductivity and turbidity of the wash liquor.