Washing machine appliance and methods of operation
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorDavid Scott Dunn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A washing machine appliance and methods of operation are provided. The washing machine appliance generally includes an apron and a sub-washer unit suspended within the apron by a plurality of dampers. A measurement device is mounted on the sub-washer unit to measure the movement of the sub-washer unit. The movement of each damper is calculated based on the relative position of the damper and the measurement device. By monitoring the movement of each damper, the amount of energy dissipated by each damper during operation may be calculated and the operation of the washing machine appliance may be adjusted when the amount of energy dissipated and/or power level exceeds a predetermined energy threshold.
Claims20
A washing machine appliance comprising:
- an apron defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually orthogonal;
- a sub-washer unit positioned within the apron, the sub-washer unit comprising a wash basket defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing and being rotatable about an axis of rotation;
- a motor assembly operably coupled with the wash basket for rotating the wash basket;
- a suspension system comprising a plurality of dampers extending between the apron and the sub-washer unit for suspending the sub-washer unit within the apron;
- a measurement device mounted to the sub-washer unit;
- and
- a controller in operative communication with the motor assembly and the measurement device, the controller being configured for:
- monitoring a movement of the sub-washer unit using the measurement device;
- calculating an amount of energy dissipated in at least one of the plurality of dampers as a result of the movement of the sub-washer unit;
- determining that the amount of energy dissipated has exceeded a predetermined energy threshold;
- and
- adjusting the operation of the washing machine appliance in response to determining that the amount of energy dissipated has exceeded the predetermined energy threshold.
A method for operating a washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance comprising an apron and a sub-washer unit positioned within the apron and suspended by a plurality of dampers, the sub-washer unit comprising a wash basket defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing and being rotatable about an axis of rotation, and a measurement device mounted to the sub-washer unit, the method comprising:
- monitoring a movement of the sub-washer unit using the measurement device;
- calculating an amount of energy dissipated in at least one of the plurality of dampers as a result of the movement of the sub-washer unit;
- determining that the amount of energy dissipated has exceeded a predetermined energy threshold;
- and
- adjusting the operation of the washing machine appliance in response to determining that the amount of energy dissipated has exceeded the predetermined energy threshold.
A washing machine appliance comprising:
- an apron defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually orthogonal;
- a sub-washer unit positioned within the apron, the sub-washer unit comprising a wash basket defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing and being rotatable about an axis of rotation;
- a motor assembly operably coupled with the wash basket for rotating the wash basket;
- a measurement device mounted to the sub-washer unit;
- and
- a controller in operative communication with the motor assembly and the measurement device, the controller being configured for:
- measuring an acceleration of the sub-washer unit using the measurement device;
- calculating a displacement of the sub-washer unit at a location remote from the measurement device;
- calculating an amount of cyclic stress at the location remote from the measurement device based on the calculated displacement;
- determining that the amount of cyclic stress has exceeded a predetermined cyclic stress threshold;
- and
- adjusting the operation of the washing machine appliance in response to determining that the amount of cyclic stress has exceeded the predetermined cyclic stress threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.