Automatic self-clean cycle prior to drying cycle in a laundry appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12344982-B2
Application number	US-202217742604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2022
Priority date	May 12, 2022
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet and defining a chamber configured for receiving a load of clothes, a door pivotally mounted to the cabinet for providing selective access to the chamber, and a user interface for controlling operation of the laundry appliance. A controller is configured to monitor the number of wash cycles that have occurred in the laundry appliance since the last self-clean cycle. Once the laundry appliance reaches a predetermined number of wash cycles without an intervening self-clean cycle, an automatic self-clean cycle is initiated upon the next selection of a drying cycle by the user, wherein the drying cycle provides an indication that the chamber is empty of article of laundry and that the user has no further immediate washing needs. In these circumstances, the controller is configured to reconfigure the selected drying cycle into a combination cycle including a self-clean cycle which is automatically followed by the desired drying cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a washing machine having a cabinet, a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet and defining a chamber, a user interface for controlling operation of the laundry appliance, and a controller operably coupled to the user interface, the method comprising:
identifying a selected cycle from one or more selectable cycles based on an input from the user interface;
determining whether a wash counter exceeds a predetermined threshold if the selected cycle is a maintenance cycle comprising a drying cycle for drying an interior of the chamber;
configuring an execution cycle based on the selected cycle and the determination whether the wash counter exceeds the predetermined threshold if the selected cycle is a drying cycle, wherein the execution cycle includes the maintenance cycle and one or more of the selectable cycles other than the selected cycle; and
executing the execution cycle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the execution cycle further includes configuring a combination cycle that includes a self-clean cycle and a drying cycle if the wash counter exceeds the predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the drying cycle is automatically executed at the conclusion of the self-clean cycle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the execution cycle further includes executing a drying cycle if the wash counter does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising determining if the most recent executed cycle was a self-clean cycle if the selected cycle is a wash cycle.

6. The method of claim 5 , the method further comprising resetting the wash counter if the most recent executed cycle included a self-clean cycle.

7. The method of claim 5 , the method further comprising incrementing the wash counter if the most recent executed cycle did not include a self-clean cycle.

8. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising configuring an execution cycle if the selected cycle is a self-clean cycle, wherein the execution cycle is a combination cycle that includes a self-clean cycle and a drying cycle.

9. The method of claim 8 , the method further comprising automatically executing the drying cycle at the conclusion of the self-clean cycle.

10. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising
configuring an execution cycle based on the selected cycle and the determination whether a dryer counter exceeds the predetermined threshold if the selected cycle is a self-clean cycle, wherein the execution cycle includes a self-clean cycle followed by a drying cycle if the dryer counter exceeds a predetermined threshold and wherein the execution cycle includes only a self-clean cycle if the dryer counter does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the dryer counter is incremented each time the washing machine executes a cycle that does not include a drying cycle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dryer counter is reset upon execution of a drying cycle.

13. A method of operating a washing machine having a cabinet, a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet and defining a chamber, a user interface for controlling operation of the laundry appliance, and a controller operably coupled to the user interface, the method comprising:
identifying a maintenance cycle comprising a drying cycle for drying an interior of the chamber based on an input from the user interface;
determining whether a wash counter exceeds a predetermined threshold;
configuring an execution cycle based on the identification of the maintenance cycle and the determination whether the wash counter exceeds the predetermined threshold that includes the drying cycle; and
executing the execution cycle.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein configuring the execution cycle further includes configuring a combination cycle that includes a self-clean cycle and a drying cycle if the wash counter exceeds the predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the drying cycle is automatically executed at the conclusion of the self-clean cycle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein configuring the execution cycle further includes executing only a drying cycle if the wash counter does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

17. The method of claim 15 , the method further comprising automatically executing the drying cycle at the conclusion of the self-clean cycle.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wash counter is incremented after each wash cycle and reset after each self-clean cycle.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Yoon Je Kwon
• Ryu Seonghoon
• Seo Wonmyung
• Jo Jaewon

Classifications

• D06F2101/20

  Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles · CPC title

• D06F2105/54

  Changing between normal operation mode and special operation modes, e.g. service mode, component cleaning mode or stand-by mode · CPC title

• D06F2105/52

  Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps · CPC title

• D06F2103/70

  Number of operational cycles · CPC title

• D06F33/69 Primary

  Control of cleaning or disinfection of washer-dryer parts, e.g. of tubs · CPC title