Laundry washing machine for use with unit dose detergent packages

A laundry washing machine comprising:

• a housing having a lower end configured to support the housing on a support surface, an upper end opposite the lower end, and an access opening at an upper end;
• a door movably attached to the housing and configured to selectively open and close the door;
• a basket located in the housing and comprising a bottom wall and a sidewall extending upwards from the bottom wall to an open basket end opposite the bottom wall, the basket being mounted to the housing to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending from the lower end of the housing to the upper end of the housing;
• a post located in the basket and extending along and being rotatable relative to the rotation axis, the post comprising:
• a chamber located inside the post, at least a portion of the chamber extending between a first location along the rotation axis and a second location along the rotation axis, the second location being above the first location and having vent opening configured to vent air to and from the chamber, wherein the portion of the chamber extending between the first location and the second location is dimensioned in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis to allow a unit dose package to move between the first location and the second location, and
• one or more chamber passages extending from the chamber to an internal volume of the basket;
• a tub surrounding the bottom wall of the basket and at least a portion of the sidewall of the basket;
• a water supply system having an outlet configured to direct a flow of water into the tub or the basket;
• a valve system configured to selectively control the flow of water through the water supply system;
• a motor system configured to selectively rotate at least one of the basket and the post about the rotation axis;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the valve system and the motor system and configured to:
• (a) operate the valve system to supply water to fill the basket to a first basket water level, whereupon a first quantity of the water passes through the one or more chamber passages from the internal volume of the basket to fill the chamber to a first chamber water level,
• (b) operate the motor system to rotate one or both of the basket and the post about the rotation axis to cause the water in the basket to rise to a second basket water level, whereupon a second quantity of the water in the chamber passes through the one or more chamber passages to the internal volume of the basket to cause the water in the chamber to lower to a second chamber water level, and to cause the unit dose package within the chamber to move downwards towards the first location,
• (c) operate the motor system to stop rotating or reduce the rotation speed of one or both of the basket and the post about the rotation axis to cause the water in the basket to drop to a third basket water level, whereupon a third quantity of the water in the internal volume of the basket passes through the one or more chamber passages to the chamber to cause the water in the chamber to rise to a third chamber water level, and to cause the unit dose package within the chamber to move upwards towards the second location, and
• (d) repeat steps (b) and (c) for a predetermined duration selected to cause the unit dose package to break open and at least partially dissolve.