Clothes washer demand response with at least one additional spin cycle

• US 8,869,569 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US12/899,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20110061177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 815/8, 68/120.2, 68/121.2, 68/121.4, 68/121.5, 68/121.6, 68/19, 68/191, 68/192, 68/20, 68/27
• US Class Current: 68/12.12
• 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. An appliance pair, comprising:

a clothes dryer for removing moisture from clothing by exposing the laundry to increased temperatures; and

a clothes washer in communication with the clothes dryer, the clothes washer comprising,

a housing;

a basket received in the housing;

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

a controller configured 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,

wherein, during the energy savings mode, the controller changes the operation of the motor to modify a spin profile for the basket to include an additional spin cycle to reduce moisture content of the clothing, and

wherein the clothes washer communicates the spin profile to the clothes dryer, and

wherein the clothes dryer defines an operating parameter in response to the additional spin cycle in the spin profile of the clothes washer.

2. The appliance pair of claim 1, wherein the controller changes the operation of the motor to include one of a tumbling cycle or an agitation cycle before the additional spin cycle.

3. The appliance pair of claim 2, wherein the tumbling cycle or agitation cycle occurs after completion of a final rinse cycle.