Method of using turbidity measurements to detect wash additives in a washing machine appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsMark Banta, James Quentin Pollett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for operating a washing machine appliance includes stopping rotation of a wash basket, operating a dispensing assembly to add water into a wash tub, obtaining a baseline wash fluid turbidity of the water using a turbidity sensor, operating the dispensing assembly to dispense wash fluid into the wash tub, obtaining a wash fluid turbidity of the wash fluid using the turbidity sensor, determining that a volume of wash additive was added to the wash fluid based at least in part on the baseline wash fluid turbidity and the wash fluid turbidity, and implementing a responsive action in response to determining that the volume of the wash additive was added to the wash fluid.
Claims20
A washing machine appliance, comprising:
- a wash tub positioned within a cabinet and defining a sump for collecting wash fluid;
- a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub and defining a wash chamber configured for receiving a load of clothes;
- a motor assembly operably coupled to the wash basket for selectively rotating the wash basket;
- a dispensing assembly for selectively adding the wash fluid to the wash tub, the wash fluid comprising at least one of water or wash additive;
- a turbidity sensor mounted in the wash tub and positioned within the wash fluid;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the motor assembly, the dispensing assembly and the turbidity sensor, the controller being configured to:
- stop rotation of the wash basket;
- operate the dispensing assembly to add water into the wash tub;
- obtain a baseline wash fluid turbidity of the water using the turbidity sensor;
- operate the dispensing assembly to dispense the wash fluid into the wash tub;
- obtain a wash fluid turbidity of the wash fluid using the turbidity sensor;
- determine that a volume of wash additive was added to the wash fluid based at least in part on the baseline wash fluid turbidity and the wash fluid turbidity;
- and
- implement a responsive action in response to determining that the volume of the wash additive was added to the wash fluid.
A method for operating a washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance comprising a wash tub positioned within a cabinet, a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub, a dispensing assembly for selectively adding wash fluid to the wash tub, and a turbidity sensor mounted in the wash tub and positioned within the wash fluid, the method comprising:
- stopping rotation of the wash basket;
- operating the dispensing assembly to add water into the wash tub;
- obtaining a baseline wash fluid turbidity of the water using the turbidity sensor;
- operating the dispensing assembly to dispense the wash fluid into the wash tub;
- obtaining a wash fluid turbidity of the wash fluid using the turbidity sensor;
- determining that a volume of wash additive was added to the wash fluid based at least in part on the baseline wash fluid turbidity and the wash fluid turbidity;
- and
- implementing a responsive action in response to determining that the volume of the wash additive was added to the wash fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.