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US 2019/0055690 A1Published application
Adaptive fill system and method
AssigneeAlliance Laundry Systems LLC
InventorsWayne M. Sharkey, Jeffrey R. Hochtritt, Benjamin R. Patri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine and method for washing fabric articles adaptively fills a wash basin with water based on a time period between rotation reversal of the wash basin and a load present in the wash basin.
Claims20
A machine for washing fabric articles, the machine comprising:
- a chassis;
- a wash basin rotatably mounted in the chassis, the wash basin being adapted to accommodate therein a load, the load comprising one or more fabric items suspended in water;
- a water inlet valve adapted to allow water from a supply to be added to the load;
- a motor associated with the chassis and operably connected with the wash basin, the motor drawing a current during operation to generate a torque tending to rotate the wash basin in a first or a second direction at a predefined speed;
- and
- an electronic controller associated with the motor, the electronic controller being programmed and operating to:
- command the motor to rotate in the second direction when the wash basin and the load are rotating in the first direction;
- monitor the current drawn by the motor to determine presence of a first peak in the current drawn by the motor after commanding the motor to rotate in the second direction;
- initiate a timer when the first peak is determined to be present;
- monitor the current drawn by the motor to determine presence of a second peak in the current drawn by the motor after determining presence of the first peak;
- terminate the timer when the second peak is determined to be present, the timer having a time period elapsed;
- correlate the time period to a wash-fill level;
- compare the wash-fill level to a desired wash-fill level;
- and
- operate the water inlet valve to add water to the wash basin when the wash-fill level is below the desired wash-fill level.
12 more elements
A method for adaptively setting a water level in a washer for fabric items, the method comprising:
- rotating a wash basin containing a load at a predefined speed in a first direction, the load comprising one or more items to be washed and water;
- reversing a rotation of the wash basin from the first direction to a second direction;
- monitoring a torque applied to rotate the basin in the second direction at the predefined speed for a first peak torque;
- monitoring the torque applied to rotate the basin in the second direction for a second peak torque;
- measuring a time between presence of the first peak torque and the second peak torque to determine a time period between peak torques;
- correlating the time period between peak torques with a wash-fill parameter;
- and
- adding water to the load when the wash-fill parameter is below a desired wash-fill parameter.
5 more elements
A method for adaptively setting a desired water level in a washer for fabric items, the method comprising:
- applying a torque in a first direction to rotate a wash basin containing a load in the first direction, the load comprising one or more items to be washed and water;
- reversing a direction of application of the torque from the first direction to a second direction;
- monitoring a waveform indicative of a current drawn by an electric motor applying the torque to rotate the wash basin at a predefined speed using an electronic controller to determine:
- a first time instant at which the wash basin begins rotating in the second direction;
- and
- a second time instant at which the load begins rotating in the second direction;
- measuring a time elapsed between the first time instant and the second time instant;
- correlating the time elapsed with a slip parameter;
- and
- adding water to the load when the slip parameter is below a desired slip parameter.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.