System for detecting the position of a washing machine subwasher
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsNicholas Dillon, Darrin Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laundry appliance includes a subwasher suspended within a cabinet by one or more suspension elements, and one or more linear position sensors fixed to the cabinet for determining the position of the subwasher within the cabinet. A controller is configured to receive input from the one or more position sensors and determine the position of the subwasher from the position sensor input.
Claims20
A laundry appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the laundry appliance comprising:
- a subwasher suspended within a cabinet;
- one or more suspension elements fixed at a first end to the cabinet and at a second end to the subwasher;
- one or more position sensors fixed to the cabinet, the one or more position sensors non-colinear with the one or more suspension elements, wherein the one or more position sensors are string potentiometers;
- and
- a controller in operative communication with the one or more sensors, the controller configured to:
- receive input from the one or more position sensors;
- and
- determine a static position of the subwasher from the input.
A method of operating a washing machine comprising a cabinet, a subwasher comprising a tub, a wash basket configured for receipt of a load of laundry articles and supported for rotation within the tub, and a motor mechanically coupled to the basket, one or more suspension elements positioning the subwasher within the cabinet, and one or more position sensors fixed to the cabinet, the one or more position sensors non-colinear with the one or more suspension elements, wherein the one or more position sensors are string potentiometers, the method comprising:
- obtaining a first input from the one or more sensors;
- determining a static position of the subwasher from the first input;
- rotating the wash basket with the load of laundry articles;
- obtaining a second input from the one or more sensors;
- determining a dynamic position of the subwasher;
- determining a change in position based on the static position and the dynamic position;
- and
- identifying an out of balance condition of the subwasher when at least one of the dynamic position and the change in position exceeds a prescribed value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.