Washing machine with oversuds detection and correction capability

A clothes washing appliance of the type having a plurality of normal operating cycles including wash and spin cycles, said appliance comprising:

• a substantially stationary tub;
• a clothes receiving basket movably supported in said tub;
• spray means for distributing fill water substantially over the topmost layer of articles received in said basket;
• fill valve means for controlling the delivery of fill water from an external supply to said spray means;
• motor means selectively operative in a wash mode and a spin mode to provide wash and spin operating cycles, respectively;
• pump means driven by said motor means for removing water from said tub when said motor means operates in its spin mode;
• control means comprising means for controlling the actuation of said fill valve means and said motor to provide the plurality of normal operating cycles, means for detecting an oversuds condition in said tub and said basket, and means responsive to said detection means, operative upon detection of an oversuds condition to deenergize said motor thereby interrupting the normal operating cycle, thereafter to actuate said water valve means for a first predetermined period causing fill water to be distributed over the clothes in said basket by said spray means, thereafter to pause for a second predetermined period, thereafter to energize said motor for operation in its spin mode for a third predetermined period, thereafter to resume the interrupted normal operating cycle.

A clothes washing appliance of the type having a plurality of normal operating cycles including wash and spin cycles, said appliance comprising:

• a substantially stationary tub;
• a clothes receiving basket movably supported in said tub;
• spray means for distributing fill water substantially over the topmost layer of articles received in said basket;
• fill valve means for controlling the delivery of fill water from an external supply to said spray means;
• a motor for selectively driving said basket for wash and spin operations;
• pump means for removing water from said tub;
• control means comprising means for controlling the actuation of said fill valve means, said pump means and said motor to provide the plurality of normal operating cycles, means for detecting an oversuds condition in said tub and said basket, and means responsive to said detection means and operative upon detection of an oversuds condition to de-energize said motor thereby interrupting the normal operating cycle, thereafter to actuate said water valve means for a first predetermined period causing fill water to be distributed over the clothes in said basket by said spray means, thereafter to pause for a second predetermined period, thereafter to activate said pump means to remove fill water from said tub, and thereafter resume the interrupted normal operating cycle.

A method for detecting and correcting an oversuds condition in an automatic washing appliance of the type having a plurality of normal operating cycles including wash and spin cycles, a stationary tub, a clothes receiving basket movably supported in the tub, spray means for distributing fill water substantially over the topmost layer of articles received in the basket, a motor selectively operative in a wash mode and a spin mode, pump means for removing water from the tub, and means for detecting an oversuds condition in the tub, the method comprising the steps of:

• monitoring an operating condition of the motor;
• detecting a change in the motor operating conditions indicative of an oversuds condition in the appliance;
• deenergizing the motor, thereby interrupting the normal operating cycle;
• thereafter actuating the spray means to distribute fill water over the clothes in the basket for a first predetermined period;
• thereafter pausing for a second predetermined period to permit the clothes load in the basket to cool and the suds to break down;
• thereafter energizing the drain pump;
• and thereafter resuming normal wash cycle operation.