Fabric cleaning appliance with performance enhancement selector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725326-B2
Application number	US-202117213696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2021
Priority date	Jul 6, 2017
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a tub, a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber, and a treating chemistry dispenser comprising multiple treating chemistry cups configured to dispense treating chemistry to the treating chamber. The method comprises performing a first wash cycle and dispensing a first dose of treating chemistry from one of the treating chemistry cups, receiving at a controller a user selection of an activation of a performance enhancement selector, and upon activation of the performance enhancement selector, activating a second wash cycle comprising dispensing a second dose of treating chemistry from another of treating chemistry cups.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cycle of operation for a laundry treating appliance having a tub and a rotatable drum located within the tub and operably coupled with a motor for rotating the drum, the drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment according to a cycle of operation, the cycle of operation comprising:
a first wash phase comprising forming a cold wash liquid comprising a mixture of water and a first dose of treating chemistry, filling to a first level of water, and washing for a first amount of time;
an activation of a performance enhancement selector; and
a second wash phase comprising forming a hot wash liquid comprising a mixture of water and a second dose of treating chemistry, filling to a second level of water, and washing for a second longer amount of time.

2. The cycle of operation of claim 1 wherein the first dose of treating chemistry comprises a detergent.

3. The cycle of operation of claim 2 wherein the second dose of treating chemistry comprises a detergent.

4. The cycle of operation of claim 3 wherein a concentration of the detergent in the second wash phase is different than a concentration of the detergent in the first wash phase.

5. The cycle of operation of claim 1 wherein the first wash phase is stopped after a fixed amount of time.

6. The cycle of operation of claim 1 wherein the cold wash liquid is drained before the second wash phase begins.

7. The cycle of operation of claim 6 wherein the first dose of treating chemistry in the first wash phase is dispensed from a first dedicated detergent cup.

8. The cycle of operation of claim 7 wherein the second dose of treating chemistry in the second wash phase is dispensed from a second dedicated detergent cup.

9. A method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a tub and a rotatable drum located within the tub and operably coupled with a motor for rotating the drum, the drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry for treatment according to a cycle of operation, and a treating chemistry dispenser comprising multiple treating chemistry cups configured to dispense treating chemistry to the treating chamber; the method comprising:
performing a first wash cycle comprising a cold wash liquid comprising a mixture of water and a first dose of treating chemistry from one of the treating chemistry cups, filling to a first level of water, and washing for a first amount of time;
receiving at a controller a user selection of an activation of a performance enhancement selector; and
upon activation of the performance enhancement selector, activating a second wash cycle comprising a mixture of water and a second dose of treating chemistry from another of the treating chemistry cups, filling to a second water level, and washing for a second amount of time.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving at a user interface a user selection of a preprogrammed wash cycle.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein selection of the preprogrammed wash cycle implements washing parameters of the first wash cycle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second wash cycle occurs after a completion of the first wash cycle.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second wash cycle is a hot liquid wash cycle.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second wash cycle is longer than the first wash cycle.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the treating chemistry cups include a bleach cup, a detergent cup, and a fabric softener cup.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bleach cup is configured to function as the another of the treating chemistry cups.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising changing a wash cycle parameter of the first wash cycle upon activation of the performance enhancement selector.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the wash cycle parameter includes one of an amount of water, water temperature, wash time, spin/tumble time, and agitator/tumble speed.

19. The method of claim 9 , further comprising activating a turbidity sensor in the laundry treating appliance to measure a turbidity of the wash liquid during the first wash cycle.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising starting the second wash cycle based on preprogrammed measured turbidity characteristics of the first wash cycle.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Aurora Amberdeep S
• Bauman Michael J
• Erickson Donald
• Ihne Sarah E
• Leep Nicholas
• Mcallister Karl David
• Polonsky Daniel
• Van Zoest Ryan James

Classifications

• D06F34/30 Primary

  characterised by mechanical features, e.g. buttons or rotary dials · CPC title

• D06F33/00

  Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers  (D06F31/00 takes precedence; details of control systems therefor D06F34/00; control of operations performed in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32) · CPC title

• D06F33/37

  of metering of detergents or additives · CPC title

• D06F34/18

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

• D06F34/22

  Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity · CPC title