Method for controlling a spin cycle in a washing machine
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorKurt Mitts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for spinning clothes in an automatic washing machine comprises determining the size of the fabric load in the washing machine and determining a plaster speed based on the size of the fabric load. A motor gradually increases the rotational speed of the drum to the plaster speed while a balance condition monitor monitors the balanced condition of the fabric load. When the rotational speed of the drum reaches the plaster speed and the load is balanced, the motor rapidly increases the rotational speed of the drum from the plaster speed to an extraction speed. If the load becomes imbalanced at the extraction speed, the rotational speed of the drum is rapidly decreased to a redistribution speed less than the plaster speed to redistribute the load.
Claims23
A method for spinning clothes in an automatic washing machine comprising a rotatable drum defining a wash chamber for receiving a fabric load to be cleaned, the method comprising:
- determining the size of the fabric load;
- determining a plaster speed based on the size of the fabric load;
- gradually increasing the rotational speed of the drum to the plaster speed;
- monitoring the balanced condition of the fabric load;
- and
- rapidly increasing the rotational speed of the drum from the plaster speed to an extraction speed if the fabric load is balanced.
An automatic washing machine comprising:
- a rotatable drum defining a wash chamber sized to receive a fabric load;
- a motor operably coupled to the drum to rotate the drum;
- a balance condition monitor outputting a balanced condition signal representative of the balanced condition of the fabric load in the drum;
- a load size detector outputting a load size signal representative of the size of the load in the drum;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the motor, the balance condition monitor, and the load sized detector;
- wherein the controller determines a plaster speed based on the load size signal and controls the motor to gradually increase the rotational speed of the drum to the plaster speed and then rapidly increase the rotational speed of the drum from the plaster speed to an extraction speed if the balance monitoring signal indicates a balanced fabric load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.