Household appliances and methods of control

• US 9,416,482 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Alexander, Benjamin E., Black, Brian A., Latack, Thomas A., Rhodes, Matthew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHATLEY, KATELYN B
• Application Number:
  US13/596,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20140060581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 134/18, 134/56.D, 134/56.R, 68/17.R, 68/17.A, 426 77- 84, 426/115, 992/95, 993/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0049 Detection or prevention of malfunction, including accident prevention arrangements to prevent clogging of filters A47L15/4208; safety arrangements for preventing water damage A47L15/421
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/006 using wireless communication between internal components of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4219 Water recirculation A47L15/0078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4225 Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/428 Rotary nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4285 Water-heater arrangements steam generating arrangements A47L15/4234
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4409 by tipping containers or opening their lids, e.g. with the help of a programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4463 Multi-dose dispensing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4472 Blister packaging or refill cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/449 Metering controlling devices A47L15/4229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/00 User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/08 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• 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 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/083 Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/40 : Steam generating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 : based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

A household appliance having a treating chamber in which is received an article for treatment, a treating chemistry dispenser configured to receive a unit dose container for the treating chemistry, and a controller for executing at least one cycle of operation and a method of operating the household appliance to physically alter a unit dose container in conjunction with a at least one cycle of operation and sensing same.

Claims

1. A method of operating a household appliance having a laundry or dish treating chamber in which is received an article for treatment, a treating chemistry dispenser configured to receive a single unit dose container of treating chemistry, and a controller for executing at least one cycle of operation, the method comprising:

physically altering the container of the single unit dose container in conjunction with a first execution of at least one cycle of operation and where the container is altered in a location that does not release stored treating chemistry;

sensing, by a sensor, a physical alteration of the container of the single unit dose container, physically altered during the first execution, in conjunction with a second execution of another at least one cycle of operation or sensing a physical alteration of a container of another single unit dose container in conjunction with a second execution of another at least one cycle of operation;

determining a presence of a physically altered single unit dose container based on the sensing; and

providing an indication of the determined presence of the physically altered single unit dose container.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the physically altering the single unit dose container comprises cutting a portion of the single unit dose container.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein cutting the portion of the single unit dose container comprises forming a less stiff portion of the single unit dose container.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the sensing the physical alteration comprises sensing the less stiff portion of the single unit dose container.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein sensing the less stiff portion comprises contacting the less stiff portion with a pressure switch.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the determining the presence of the physically altered single unit dose container comprises determining a state of the pressure switch.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein cutting a portion of the single unit dose container comprises cutting a top of the container.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the sensing the physical alteration comprises sensing the cutting force.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the determining the presence of a physically altered unit dose container comprises comparing the sensed cutting force to a predetermined cutting force.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein cutting a portion of the unit dose container comprises severing an electrical conductor provided on the single unit dose container.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein sensing the physical alteration comprises applying an electric potential between the two ends of the electrical conductor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing the physical alteration comprises sensing the electrical current through the electrical conductor produced by the electric potential applied between the two ends of the electrical conductor to sense the conductance between the two ends of the electrical conductor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the determining the presence of a physically altered unit dose container comprises comparing the sensed conductance to a reference conductance.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the physically altering comprises reducing a structural integrity of at least a portion of the single unit dose container.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the physically altering comprises altering a conductance of at least a portion of the single unit dose container.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing the physical alteration comprises sensing a rigidity of at least a portion of the single unit dose container.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing the physical alteration comprises sensing a conductance of at least a portion of the single unit dose container.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the indication comprises failing to further implement the second execution.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the indication comprises ceasing the second execution after implementing the second execution.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the indication comprises providing an indication via a user interface of the appliance.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the providing an indication via the user interface comprises providing at least one of a visual indication or an aural indication via the user interface.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the physically altering the single unit dose container comprises piercing a portion of the single unit dose container.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the sensing the physical alteration comprises optically sensing the physical alteration of the single unit dose container caused by the piercing.