CLOTHES WASHER DEMAND RESPONSE BY DUTY CYCLING THE HEATER AND/OR THE MECHANICAL ACTION

• US 20110061176A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Frazer, Daniel S., Helms, Chad Michael, Finch, Michael F., Root, Steven Keith, Kappler, Jerrod Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/52 related to electric heating means, e.g. temperature or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/48 Drum speed
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/54 Changing between normal operation mode and special operation modes, e.g. service mode, component cleaning mode or stand-by mode
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/46 Control of the energy or water consumption

Abstract

A clothes washer is provided comprising one or more power consuming functions and a controller in signal communication with an associated utility. The controller can receive and process a signal from the associated utility indicative of current state of an associated utility. The controller operates the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode in response to the received signal. The controller is configured to change the power consuming functions by changing the duty cycling profile of the heater and/or mechanical action of the basket in the energy savings mode.

Claims

1. A clothes washer comprising:

at least one power consuming feature including a heater assembly, a basket for receiving laundry articles therein, and a motor for imparting mechanical action to the basket;

a controller adapted to receive and process a signal indicative of the cost of supplied energy, the controller operating the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes including at least a normal mode and an energy savings mode based on the received signal, the controller configured to modify a duty cycle of at least one of the heater assembly and movement of the basket in response to a signal representing the energy savings mode.

2. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein the modified duty cycle reduces the average power used by the heater assembly during the energy savings mode.

3. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein the controller intermittently operates the heater assembly during the energy savings mode.

4. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein in the energy savings mode the mechanical action of the basket is modified.

5. The clothes washer of claim 4 wherein in the energy savings mode the mechanical action of the basket is modified in at least one of reducing an angular speed of rotation of the mechanical action, altering a time between direction reversal of the mechanical action, altering an angular rotation of mechanical action, and duty cycling the mechanical action by intermittently pausing during any mechanical action portion of a cycle.

6. The clothes washer of claim 5 wherein in the energy savings mode the amount of change of the mechanical action is dependent on the level of signal received.

7. The clothes washer of claim 4 wherein in the energy savings mode the mechanical action is intermittent.

8. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein in the energy savings mode the average power used by the heater assembly is reduced.

9. The clothes washer of claim 8 wherein the controller intermittently operates the heater assembly during the energy savings mode.

10. The clothes washer of claim 8 wherein in the energy savings mode an amount of change of an average power of the heater assembly is dependent on the level or duration of the signal received.

11. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein in the heater assembly is operatively associated with a water heating cycle of the clothes washer.

12. A clothes washer of claim 11 wherein in the not trial operating mode the water heating cycle is active for a shorter period of time than in the energy savings mode.

13. A clothes washer comprising:

a housing;

a basket dimensioned to receive laundry items therein;

a motor received in the housing for imparting selective mechanical action to the basket;

an inlet adapted to selectively provide water to the basket;

an outlet adapted to selectively drain water from the basket;

a heater assembly for heating water supplied through the inlet; and

a controller operatively associated with the basket, inlet, outlet, and heater assembly for controlling operation of the clothes washer through various operating cycles, the controller adapted to receive and process a signal indicative of the cost of supplied energy, the controller operating the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes including at least a normal mode and an energy savings mode and configured to modify a duty cycle of at least one of the heater assembly or movement of the basket in response to a signal representing the energy savings mode.

14. The clothes washer of claim 13 wherein one of the operating cycles is a water heating cycle and the controller operates the heater assembly at a lower average power for an extended period of time when compared to operating the heater assembly at a higher average power in the normal mode.

15. The clothes washer of claim 13 wherein the average wattage associated with movement of the drum is reduced during the energy savings mode.

16. The clothes washer of claim 13 wherein the controller increases a period of time in a particular operating cycle in response to a reduction in the average power consumption by either the basket or the heater assembly.

17. A method of operating a clothes washer having (i) a controller adapted to receive a signal indicative of the cost of a utility, the controller operating the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes including at least a normal mode and an energy savings mode based on the received signal, (ii) a basket that selectively receives laundry articles placed in the clothes washer, and (iii) a heater assembly for raising a temperature of water introduced into the clothes washer in a selected cycle, the method comprising:

operating at least one of the heater assembly and movement of the basket at a reduced average power in the energy savings mode.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising intermittently operating the heater assembly during the energy savings mode.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein a duration of on and off operations of the heater is dependent on the signal received.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising intermittently moving the basket during the energy savings mode.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein a duration of dwell time between rotation or agitation direction changes is dependent on the signal received.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising reducing a rotational speed of the basket during the energy savings mode.