Laundry treating appliance with pre-filter backwashing
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsGregory R. Fulmer, Kaustav Ghosh, Nicholas E. Leep, William L. Murch, Matthew C. Parsons, Robert J. Pinkowski, Nicholas E. Righetti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for operating a laundry treating appliance comprising a treating chamber for receiving a load of laundry for treatment according to at least one cycle of operation wherein a dye containing liquid is generated in the treating chamber during the operation, the method comprising backwashing the pre-filter to remove the non-dye material from the pre-filter.
Claims22
A method of operating an aqueous-based laundry treating appliance comprising a treating chamber for receiving a load of laundry for treatment according to at least one cycle of operation, the method comprising:
- performing the at least one cycle of operation on the load of laundry wherein an aqueous-based dye-containing liquid is generated in the treating chamber;
- pumping the aqueous-based dye-containing liquid from the treating chamber through an upstream end of a pre-filter to remove non-dye material from the aqueous-based dye-containing liquid and then from a downstream end of the pre-filter through a valve to a dye filter to remove dye from the aqueous-based dye-containing liquid;
- and
- backwashing the pre-filter to remove the non-dye material from the pre-filter by diverting liquid from the treating chamber to the downstream end of the pre-filter;
- wherein the diverting step comprises enabling flow of liquid from the upstream end of the pre-filter to a drain, and directing flow from the treating chamber to the downstream end of the pre-filter and to the upstream end to the drain, and wherein the flow does not traverse the dye filter;
- and
- wherein the diverting step occurs upon determining there is a decrease in the adhesion force between the dye from the aqueous-based dye-containing liquid and the dye filter.
An aqueous-based laundry treating appliance comprising:
- a treating chamber for receiving a load of laundry for treatment according to at least one cycle of operation wherein a dye-containing liquid is generated in the treating chamber during the operation,
- a pre-filter having an upstream end and a downstream end and located downstream from the treating chamber, having a pre-filter medium that removes non-dye material from the dye-containing liquid,
- a dye filter downstream from the pre-filter, having a dye filter medium that removes dye from the dye-containing liquid,
- means to backwash the pre-filter to remove the non-dye material from the pre-filter, the means comprising at least one valve and a drain;
- a pump in fluid communication with the upstream end of the pre-filter for pumping the dye-containing liquid from the treating chamber through the upstream end of the pre-filter and through the downstream end of the pre-filter through the valve to the dye filter, and
- a sensor for determining if an adhesion force between the dye from the aqueous-based dye-containing liquid and the dye filter has decreased below a threshold;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- determine whether there is a decrease in the adhesion force;
- upon determining a decrease in the adhesion force, divert liquid from the treating chamber to the downstream end of the pre-filter,
- enable a flow of liquid from the upstream end of the pre-filter to the drain, and
- direct flow from the treating chamber to the downstream end of the pre-filter and to the upstream end to the drain, wherein the flow does not traverse the dye filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.