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US 8,206,512 B2Granted
Automatic and manual detergent type identification to select a wash algorithm based on detergent type
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsErrin Whitney Gnadinger, Mark Douglas Wattley, Mark A. Banta, James Christopher Roberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A detergent module for dispensing detergent during a wash-cycle is presented in which a sensor senses and indicates or a user via control input indicates whether the detergent in the module is a solid-type detergent or a liquid-type detergent, and the detergent-type indication is used by a dishwashing machine or a laundry washing machine to select a washing algorithm tailored to exploit the cleaning efficiency of the detergent.
Claims24
A detergent module or dispensing detergent during a wash-cycle, comprising:
- at least one compartment operative to store and dispense detergent,
- a sensor mounted in a sensor portion located at or near a bottom of the at least one compartment and proximate to a detergent stored in the at least one compartment, the sensor is operative to produce a detergent-type signal indicating whether the detergent stored in the at least one compartment is a solid-type detergent or a liquid-type detergent;
- the at least one compartment including an opening allowing fluid to enter the at least one compartment to rinse at least a portion of the at least one compartment proximate to the sensor during the wash cycle.
A dishwasher, comprising:
- a housing having a wash chamber, a connection to a water supply, a connection for water removal, and a heating element;
- a door;
- a detergent module operative to store and dispense detergent during a wash-cycle having a sensor located in a sensor portion of the detergent module, the sensor portion located at or near a bottom of a compartment of the detergent module, the sensor is operative to produce a detergent-type signal indicating whether the detergent stored in the compartment is a solid-type detergent or a liquid-type detergent;
- and
- a machine controller configured to implement different first and second detergent-type wash algorithms which determine an operation of the connection to the water supply, the connection for water removal, the heating element, and the detergent module during the wash-cycle, the machine controller operative to selectively employ a selected one of the first and second algorithms based at least in part on whether the detergent contained in the detergent module is a solid-type detergent or a liquid-type detergent.
2 more elements
A clothes washer, comprising:
- a housing having a wash chamber, a connection to a water supply, and a connection for water removal;
- a door;
- a detergent module operative to store and dispense detergent during a wash-cycle having a sensor operative to produce a detergent-type signal indicating whether the detergent stored in the detergent module is a solid-type detergent or a liquid-type detergent, the sensor located in a sensor portion of the detergent module, the sensor portion located at or near a bottom of the detergent module;
- and
- a machine controller configured to implement different first and second detergent-type wash algorithms which determine the operation of at least one of the connection to the water supply, the connection for water removal, and the detergent module during the wash-cycle, the machine controller being operative to selectively employ a selected one of the first and second algorithms based at least in part on whether the detergent contained in the detergent module is a solid-type detergent or a liquid-type detergent.
2 more elements
The clothes washer 17, wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.
A method of washing items comprising:
- providing detergent to at least one compartment of a detergent module in a machine;
- receiving a detergent-type signal or value from a sensor located in a sensor portion of the at least one compartment, the sensor portion located at or near a bottom of the at least one compartment which indicates whether the detergent in the at least one compartment of the detergent module is a solid-type detergent or a liquid-type detergent;
- selecting one of a plurality of different wash algorithms based at east in part on the detergent-type signal or value;
- and
- controlling the machine to perform a wash-cycle based on the selected wash algorithm.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.