Laundry washing machine incorporating distance sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10273623-B2
Application number	US-201615273617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2016
Priority date	Sep 22, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A laundry washing machine and method may use a distance sensor to determine dry and wet distance values associated with a load disposed in a wash tub, and dynamically configure a wash cycle based upon the determined values. In some instances, the distance sensor may also be used to detect an excessive fluid level, excessive foaming, or a floating item in the wash tub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry washing machine, comprising:
a wash tub disposed within a housing;
a water inlet configured to dispense water into the wash tub;
a distance sensor oriented to sense a distance within the wash tub; and
a controller coupled to the water inlet and the distance sensor, the controller configured to perform a wash cycle on a load disposed in the wash tub, the controller further configured to:
determine dry and wet distance values associated with the load using the distance sensor, the dry distance value associated with a height of the load in the wash tub prior to dispensing of water into the wash tub by the water inlet and the wet distance value associated with a height of the load in the wash tub after water is dispensed into the wash tub; and
dynamically configure one or more settings of the wash cycle based upon the determined dry and wet distance values, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically configure the one or more settings based upon the determined dry and wet distance values by selectively enabling out-of-balance checking during a spin phase of the wash cycle based upon the determined dry and wet distance values.

2. The laundry washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the distance sensor is a laser distance sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor or a three-dimensional imaging sensor.

3. The laundry washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional sensors, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically configure the one or more settings of the wash cycle based upon data from one or more of the additional sensors.

4. The laundry washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the one or more additional sensors includes a digital camera configured to image a top profile of the load.

5. The laundry washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to detect a potential out-of-balance load based upon the imaged top profile.

6. The laundry washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the distance sensor is mounted on a hinged door coupled to the housing and oriented to sense the distance within the wash tub when the hinged door is in a closed position, and wherein the distance sensor is automatically disabled when the hinged door is in an open position.

7. The laundry washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable wash basket disposed in the wash tub, wherein the controller is configured to determine the dry and wet distance values based upon distances sensed by the distance sensor during rotation of the wash basket.

8. The laundry washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to average multiple sensed distances from the distance sensor during rotation of the wash basket.

9. The laundry washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a load size based upon the dry and wet distance values.

10. The laundry washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the load size by determining a predicted load size based upon the dry distance value and confirming the predicted load sized based upon the wet distance value.

11. The laundry washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a fabric type based upon a variation between the dry and wet distance values and dynamically configure the one or more settings based upon the determined fabric type.

12. The laundry washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to dynamically configure the one or more settings of the wash cycle to control an amount of water dispensed during a fill phase of the wash cycle.

13. The laundry washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect excessive fluid level in the wash tub, excessive foaming in the wash tub, or a floating item in the wash tub using the distance sensor.

14. A laundry washing machine, comprising:
a wash tub disposed within a housing;
a rotatable wash basket disposed in the wash tub;
a water inlet configured to dispense water into the wash tub;
a distance sensor oriented to sense a distance within the wash tub; and
a controller coupled to the water inlet and the distance sensor, the controller configured to perform a wash cycle on a load disposed in the wash tub, the controller further configured to:
determine dry and wet distance values associated with the load using the distance sensor, the dry distance value associated with a height of the load in the wash tub prior to dispensing of water into the wash tub by the water inlet and the wet distance value associated with a height of the load in the wash tub after water is dispensed into the wash tub; and
dynamically configure one or more settings of the wash cycle based upon the determined dry and wet distance values;

wherein the controller is further configured to determine the dry and wet distance values based upon distances sensed by the distance sensor during rotation of the wash basket, and wherein the controller is configured to sense a potential out-of-balance load based upon distance variations sensed by the distance sensor during rotation of the wash basket.

15. The laundry washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a load size by determining a predicted load size based upon the dry distance value and confirming the predicted load sized based upon the wet distance value.

16. The laundry washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a fabric type based upon a variation between the dry and wet distance values and dynamically configure the one or more settings based upon the determined fabric type.

17. The laundry washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to selectively enable out-of-balance checking during a spin phase of the wash cycle in response to sensing the potential out-of-balance load.

18. The laundry washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to dynamically configure the one or more settings of the wash cycle to control an amount of water dispensed during a fill phase of the wash cycle.

19. The laundry washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect excessive fluid level in the wash tub, excessive foaming in the wash tub, or a floating item in the wash tub using the distance sensor.

20. A laundry washing machine, comprising:
a wash tub disposed within a housing;
a rotatable wash basket disposed in the wash tub;
a water inlet configured to dispense water into the wash tub;
a distance sensor oriented to sense a distance within the wash tub; and
a controller coupled to the water inlet and the distance sensor, the controller configured to perform a wash cycle on a load disposed in the wash tub, the controller further configured to:
determine dry and wet distance values associated with the load using the distance sensor, the dry distance value associated with a height of the load in the wash tub prior to dispensing of water into the wash tub by the water inlet and the wet distance value associated with a height of the load in the wash tub after water is dispensed into the wash tub; and
dynamically configure one or more settings of the wash cycle based upon the determined dry and wet distance values;

wherein the controller is configured to determine the dry and wet distance values based upon distances sensed by the distance sensor during rotation of the wash basket, wherein the dry distance value is a first dry distance value, and whe

Assignees

• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hoppe Christopher G
• Hombroek Phillip C

Classifications

• D06F34/18 Primary

  Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight · CPC title

• D06F2204/088

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F33/02

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F2204/065

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F35/006

  for washing or rinsing only · CPC title