Control and wash cycle for activation and deactivation of chemistry in the wash bath of an automatic washer

• US 8,047,024 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Riehle, Robert D., Yusuf, Zaki, Wright, Tremitchell, Aykroyd, Timothy Nicholas, Hendrickson, Michael Stephen, Luckman, Joel Adam, Doyle, Colleen M., Kaeding, Janice M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin; Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US11/745,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 68/120.1, 68/121.2, 68/121.8, 68/122.3, 134/56.R
• US Class Current: 68/12.12
• 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 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/36 of washing
• 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

Abstract

A control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle determined based upon various soils and stains in the substrate load to be washed with a wash liquor in a wash zone of the washer. The control has a plurality of stain/soil type entrées, which can be at least one of selected and detected, and cleaned with a particular wash cycle. The control has dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive. The control has operational control over activators and deactivators for members of the additives group. The control has operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at selected times during the wash cycle and operating the activators and deactivators at selected times during the wash cycle.

Claims

1. A control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle determined based upon various soils and stains in a substrate load to be washed with a wash liquor in a wash zone of the washer, the control comprising:

the control including a stain/soil sensor and an electronic input for receiving a signal indicative of detected stains/soils and displaying and also including a user interface for accepting a user input of a plurality of stain/soil type entré

es, the stains/soil types represented by the entré

es being able to be cleaned with a particular wash cycle,

the control having dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive from the group consisting of detergents, chlorine bleaches, color safe bleaches, cleaning boosters, oxidizing agents, pre-wash stain removers, pre-wash chemistries, switchable or tunable surfactants, wrinkle guard, color finishes, water repellency, stain guard, functional finishes, fabric softeners, water softeners, fragrances, anti-static agents, drying aids, de-wrinkling chemistries, deodorizers, surfactants, emulsifiers, enzyme activated stain removers, sudsing agents, builders, anti-redeposition polymers, in-wash stain removers and perfumes,

the control having operational control over activators and separate operational control over deactivators for members of the additives group, the activators and deactivators being from the group consisting of biological, chemical and electromagnetic, and

the control having operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at selected times during the wash cycle and operating the activators and deactivators at selected times during the wash cycle.

2. The control according to claim 1, wherein the stain/soil type entré

es are selected from the group consisting of grass, blood, coffee, tea, red wine, tomato-based, fruit juices, cocoa, carbon, perspiration, dirt, pigments, colors, foods, mud and oily stains and soils.

3. The control according to claim 1, wherein the additives dispensed by the control and the activators and deactivators are selected and used by the control based upon a classification of the stain/soil entré

es as falling into a class selected from the group consisting of proteins, fats, semisolids, complex, particular, soil, enzyme sensitive, pH sensitive and surfactant sensitive.

4. The control according to claim 1, wherein the biological activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of enzymes, microbes, plant extracts, lipase, amylase and protease.

5. The control according to claim 1, wherein the chemical activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of pH control, precious/noble metals, ionization, switchable surfactants, catalytic agents, hydrogen peroxide, and ozone.

6. The control according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of UV, microwave, electromagnetic radiation, electrolysis, visible light, laser light and magnetic field.

7. The control according to claim 1, further including mechanical action activators and deactivators, wherein the mechanical action activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of tumbling, impelling, nutating, agitating, flexing of the fabric load, sonic, acoustics, megasonics, cradle, spin and ultrasound.

8. The control according to claim 1, wherein the activators and deactivators are operated during a portion of the wash cycle selected from the group consisting of soak, pre-wash, standard wash, pre-rinse, rinse, fluid recovery and pre-drain.

9. The control according to claim 1, wherein the detection of the stains/soils occurs by at least one of reading a reflectivity of the substrate load, reading an emissivity of the substrate load, and a sensing a presence of proteins released into the wash liquor.

10. A substrate treating appliance utilizing a plurality of different chemistries for different cycles or different wash loads and having a control for operating the appliance, comprising:

a wash zone for receiving a substrate load to be washed through contact with a wash liquor,

the control comprising;

a control including a stain/soil sensor and an electronic input for receiving a signal indicative of detected stains/soils and also including a user interface for displaying and accepting a user input of a plurality of stain/soil type entré

es, the stains/soil types represented by the entré

es being able to be cleaned with a particular wash cycle,

the control having dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive from the group consisting of detergents, chlorine bleaches, color safe bleaches, cleaning boosters, oxidizing agents, pre-wash stain removers, pre-wash chemistries, switchable or tunable surfactants, wrinkle guard, color finishes, water repellency, stain guard, functional finishes, fabric softeners, water softeners, fragrances, anti-static agents, drying aids, de-wrinkling chemistries, deodorizers, surfactants, emulsifiers, enzyme activated stain removers, sudsing agents, builders, anti-redeposition polymers, in-wash stain removers and perfumes,

the control having operational control over activators and separate operational control over deactivators for members of the additives group, the activators and deactivators being from the group consisting of biological, chemical and electromagnetic, and

the control having operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at selected times during the wash cycle and operating the activators and deactivators at selected times during the wash cycle.

11. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 10, wherein the stain/soil type entré

es are selected from the group consisting of grass, blood, coffee, tea, red wine, tomato-based, fruit juices, cocoa, carbon, perspiration, dirt, pigments, colors, foods, mud and oily stains and soils.

12. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 10, wherein the biological activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of enzymes, microbes, plant extracts, lipase, amylase and protease.

13. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 10, wherein the chemical activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of pH control, precious/noble metals, ionization, switchable surfactants, catalytic agents, hydrogen peroxide and ozone.

14. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of UV, microwave, electromagnetic radiation, electrolysis, visible light, laser light and magnetic field.

15. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 10, further including mechanical action activators and deactivators, wherein the mechanical action activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of tumbling, impelling, nutating, agitating, flexing of the fabric load, megasonics, cradle, spin, sonic, acoustics and ultrasound.

16. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 10, wherein the activators and deactivators are operated during a portion of the wash cycle selected from the group consisting of soak, pre-wash, standard wash, pre-rinse, rinse, fluid recovery and pre-drain.

17. The substrate treating appliance according to claim 10, wherein the detection of the stains/soils occurs by at least one of reading a reflectivity of the substrate load, reading an emissivity of the substrate load, and a sensing a presence of proteins released into the wash liquor.

18. A control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle determined based upon various soils and stains in a substrate load to be washed with a wash liquor in a wash zone of the washer, comprising:

the control including a stain/soil sensor and an electronic input for receiving a signal indicative of detected stains/soils and also including a user interface for displaying and accepting a user input of a plurality of stain/soil type entré

es, the stains/soil types represented by the entré

es being able to be cleaned with a particular wash cycle,

the control dispensing at least one wash liquor additive from the group consisting of detergents, chlorine bleaches, color safe bleaches, cleaning boosters, oxidizing agents, pre-wash stain removers, pre-wash chemistries, switchable or tunable surfactants, wrinkle guard, color finishes, water repellency, stain guard, functional finishes, fabric softeners, water softeners, fragrances, anti-static agents, drying aids, de-wrinkling chemistries, deodorizers, surfactants, emulsifiers, enzyme activated stain removers, sudsing agents, builders, anti-redeposition polymers, in-wash stain removers and perfumes,

the control operating activators and separately operating deactivators for members of the additives group, the activators and deactivators being from the group consisting of biological, chemical and electromagnetic, and

the control operating control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at selected times during the wash cycle and operating the activators and deactivators at selected times during the wash cycle.

19. The control according to claim 18, wherein the detection of the stains occurs by at least one of reading a reflectivity of the substrate load, reading an emissivity of the substrate load, and sensing a presence of proteins released into the wash liquor.

20. The control according to claim 18, wherein the biological activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of enzymes, microbes, plant extracts, lipase, amylase and protease.

21. The control according to claim 18, wherein the chemical activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of pH control, precious/noble metals, ionization, switchable surfactants, catalytic agents, hydrogen peroxide, and ozone.

22. The control according to claim 18, wherein the electromagnetic activators and deactivators are selected from the group consisting of UV, microwave, electromagnetic radiation, electrolysis, visible light, laser light and magnetic field.