CLOTHES WASHER DEMAND RESPONSE WITH AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL SPIN CYCLE

• US 20110061177A1
• 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: Kappler, Jerrod Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/00 Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• 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 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 modifying the spin cycle to achieve a lower remaining moisture content in the clothes load prior to going into a dryer, thus reducing overall total energy consumption to completely wash and dry a clothes load.

Claims

1. A clothes washer comprising:

a housing;

a basket received in the housing;

a motor for selectively moving the basket relative to the housing; and

a controller adapted to receive and process a signal indicative of the current cost of a 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 spin profile of the basket in response to a signal representing the energy savings mode.

2. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein the controller modifies the basket spin profile by adding at least one additional spin cycle in the energy savings mode to the number of spin cycles used in the normal mode in order to reduce a remaining moisture content of laundry items in the basket.

3. The clothes washer of claim 2 wherein the controller signals the motor to tumble or agitate the clothes load at least one additional time before the at least one additional spin cycle.

4. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein the controller signals the motor to tumble or agitate the clothes load at least one additional time and subsequently spin the laundry items one additional cycle.

5. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein the controller modifies mechanical action of the motor and basket in the energy savings mode.

6. The clothes washer of claim 5 wherein in the energy savings mode the mechanical action is increased.

7. The clothes washer of claim 6 wherein the increased mechanical action includes adding a tumbling and/or agitation cycle after completion of a final rinse cycle.

8. The clothes washer of claim 7 wherein the controller signals the motor to add an additional spin cycle in the energy savings mode after the additional tumbling and/or agitation cycle.

9. The clothes washer of claim 1 wherein in the energy savings mode, the controller signals the motor to eliminate one of multiple spin cycles used in the normal mode.

10. The clothes washer of claim 9 wherein the controller signals the motor to eliminate the spin cycle before the rinse portion of the cycle.

11. The clothes washer of claim 10 wherein the controller signals the motor to add a spin cycle.

12. The clothes washer of claim 10 wherein the controller signals the motor to add the spin cycle after the rinse cycle and normal final spin are complete.

13. A clothes washer comprising:

a housing;

a basket dimensioned to receive laundry items therein;

a motor received in the housing for selectively moving the basket; and

a controller operatively associated with the motor for controlling operation of the clothes washer through various operating cycles, the controller adapted to receive and process a signal indicative of the current 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 and configured to further reduce a remaining moisture content in response to a signal representing the energy savings mode.

14. The clothes washer of claim 13 wherein the controller is configured to modify a spin profile of the basket to reduce the remaining moisture content of the laundry items in the energy savings mode.

15. The clothes washer of claim 14 wherein the controller signals the motor to modify the spin profile by adding at least one additional spin cycle in the energy savings mode to the number of spin cycles used in the normal mode

16. The clothes washer of claim 14 wherein the controller signals the motor to modify a mechanical action of the basket in the energy savings mode.

17. The clothes washer of claim 16 wherein the controller signals the motor to tumble and/or agitate the laundry items at least one additional time before the at least one additional spin cycle.

18. A method of operating a clothes washer having (i) a controller adapted to receive and process a signal indicative of the current 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, and (ii) a basket that selectively rotates to spin and tumble laundry articles placed therein, the method comprising:

monitoring the utility cost;

adding at least one additional spin cycle in the energy savings mode in order to reduce remaining moisture content in the laundry articles and thereby reduce a total cost of operating an associated clothes dryer.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising including an additional tumble and/or agitation cycle before additional spin cycle in the energy savings mode.