Washing machine appliances and methods for addressing out-of-balance states

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12060670-B2
Application number	US-202117245849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2021
Priority date	Apr 30, 2021
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A washing machine appliance may include a cabinet, a tub, a wash basket, and a controller. The tub may be positioned within the cabinet. The tub may define a tub outlet and a tub inlet. The wash basket may be rotatably mounted within the tub. The wash basket may define a chamber for receipt of articles for washing. The controller may be mounted to the cabinet and configured to initiate a washing operation. The washing operation may include flowing a volume of liquid to the tub, initiating a spin phase requiring rotation of the wash basket following flowing the volume of liquid to the tub, determining an out-of-balance (OOB) state within the wash basket, determining a user OOB preference following determining the OOB state, and adjusting the spin phase according to the determined user OOB preference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub positioned within the cabinet, the tub defining a tub outlet and a tub inlet;
a wash basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the wash basket defining a chamber for receipt of articles for washing; and
a controller mounted to the cabinet and configured to initiate a washing operation, the washing operation comprising:
flowing a volume of liquid to the tub,
initiating a spin phase requiring rotation of the wash basket following flowing the volume of liquid to the tub,
determining an out-of-balance (OOB) state within the wash basket to indicate a center of mass is not aligned with a shaft center,
determining an earlier OOB state has not previously been detected during the spin phase, wherein determining the earlier OOB state follows determining the OOB state,
generating a notification indicating determining the OOB state in response to determining the OOB state and following determining the earlier OOB state has not been detected,
initiating a timer for a predetermined time period of waiting for an intervention signal in response to generating the notification, wherein an abatement sequence is prevented from being initiated during the predetermined time period and planned to be initiated following expiration of the predetermined time period, the abatement sequence comprising steps for rebalancing articles within the chamber after the predetermined time period,
determining a user OOB preference following determining the OOB state, the determination of the OOB preference being based on a signal evaluation during or following the predetermined time period of the initiated timer, and
adjusting the spin phase according to the determined user OOB preference.

2. The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein determining the user OOB preference comprises receiving a dismissal input signal from the timer indicating expiration of the predetermined time period.

3. The washing machine appliance of claim 2 , wherein adjusting the spin phase comprises initiating the abatement sequence following receiving the dismissal input signal.

4. The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein determining the user OOB preference further comprises receiving a dismissal input signal from a user interface.

5. The washing machine appliance of claim 4 , wherein adjusting the spin phase comprises initiating the abatement sequence following receiving the dismissal input signal.

6. The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein determining the user OOB preference comprises receiving the intervention input signal from a user interface prior to expiration of the predetermined time period.

7. The washing machine appliance of claim 6 , wherein adjusting the spin phase comprises halting rotation of the wash basket.

8. The washing machine appliance of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the spin phase further comprises receiving a resumption signal following halting rotation of the wash basket.

9. The washing machine appliance of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the spin phase further comprises reinitiating the spin phase in response to receiving the resumption signal.

10. A method of operating a washing machine appliance comprising a cabinet, a tub mounted within the cabinet, and a wash basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the method comprising:
flowing a volume of liquid to the tub;
initiating a spin phase requiring rotation of the wash basket following flowing the volume of liquid to the tub;
determining an out-of-balance (OOB) state within the wash basket to indicate a center of mass is not aligned with a shaft center;
determining an earlier OOB state has not been during the spin phase, wherein determining the earlier OOB state follows determining the OOB state;
generating a notification indicating determining the OOB state in response to determining the OOB state and following determining the earlier OOB state has not been detected;
initiating a timer for a predetermined time period of waiting for an intervention signal in response to generating the notification, wherein an abatement sequence is prevented from being initiated during the predetermined time period and planned to be initiated following expiration of the predetermined time period, the abatement sequence comprising steps for rebalancing articles within the chamber after the predetermined time period;
determining a user OOB preference following determining the OOB state, the determination of the OOB preference being based on a signal evaluation during or following the predetermined time period of the initiated timer; and
adjusting the spin phase according to the determined user OOB preference.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the user OOB preference comprises receiving a dismissal input signal from the timer indicating expiration of the predetermined time period.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the spin phase comprises initiating the abatement sequence following receiving the dismissal input signal.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the user OOB preference further comprises receiving a dismissal input signal from a user interface.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the spin phase comprises initiating the abatement sequence following receiving the dismissal input signal.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the user OOB preference comprises receiving the intervention input signal from a user interface prior to expiration of the predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein adjusting the spin phase comprises halting rotation of the wash basket.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein adjusting the spin phase further comprises receiving a resumption signal following halting rotation of the wash basket.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein adjusting the spin phase further comprises reinitiating the spin phase in response to receiving the resumption signal.

19. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
generating a notification indicating determining the OOB state prior to adjusting the spin phase.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Kellow Jeffrey

Classifications

• D06F33/48 Primary

  Preventing or reducing imbalance or noise · CPC title

• D06F2103/26

  Imbalance; Noise level · CPC title

• D06F2105/58

  Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user · CPC title

• D06F2105/48

  Drum speed · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title