Laundry treating appliance and method of operation for a laundry treating appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9466439-B2
Application number	US-201313927148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2013
Priority date	Jun 26, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance and a method operating a laundry treating appliance having at least one automatic cycle of operation, a plurality of components selectively operable by a controller to implement the at least one cycle of operation on a load of laundry received within a treating chamber of the appliance with the controller having a user interface for receiving input from a user and a door for closing an open face of the treating chamber, the method comprising determining a movement of the door in a closing direction and actuating the user interface when it is determined the door is moved in the closing direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a laundry treating appliance having at least one automatic cycle of operation, a plurality of components selectively operable by a controller to implement the at least one cycle of operation on a load of laundry received within a treating chamber of the appliance with the controller having a user interface for receiving input from a user and a door for closing an open face of the treating chamber, the method comprising:
determine, by the controller, a movement of the door in a closing direction; and
actuate the user interface when it is determined the door is moved in the closing direction; and
wherein the user interface is inactive when the door is open or partially open and activated when it is determined the door is moved in the closing direction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the movement of the door in the closing direction comprises determining the door is in a closed position.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the movement of the door in the closing direction comprises determining the door is adjacent a seal near the open face.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the movement of the door includes determining that the door is moving towards the open face.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the determining that the door is moving towards the open face includes determining that the door is moving within a predetermined range of motion towards the open face.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the actuating the user interface comprises providing power to the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the actuating the user interface comprises illuminating a portion of the user interface.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the illuminating the portion of the user interface comprises illuminating the entire user interface.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the illuminating the portion of the user interface comprises illuminating the portion of the user interface on a window of the door.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the actuating the user interface comprises activating the user interface so it is responsive to user inputs.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically moving the door towards a closed position of the door.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the moving the door is in response to a user initiated stimulus.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein automatically moving the door comprises one of sliding the door towards the closed position of the door or pivoting the door towards the closed position of the door.

14. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry in accordance with a treating cycle of operation, comprising:
a treating chamber having an open face;
a door for selectively closing the open face of the treating chamber;
a user interface for communicating with a user of the laundry treating appliance; and
a controller for controlling operation of the laundry treating appliance and wherein the controller is configured to determine movement of the door in a closing direction and configured to actuate the user interface when it is determined the door is moved in the closing direction; and
wherein the user interface is inactive when the door is open or partially open and activated when it is determined the door is moved in the closing direction.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 , further comprising a sensor operably coupled with the controller and providing a signal to the controller regarding a position of the door.

16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 15 wherein providing the signal to the controller regarding a position of the door comprises providing a signal regarding a change in position of the door within a predetermined range of positions.

17. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 , further comprising an actuator operably coupled with the door to move the door towards a closed position of the door.

18. The laundry treating appliance of claim 17 wherein the actuator is configured to close the door.

19. The laundry treating appliance of claim 17 wherein the actuator is operably coupled with an input device separate from the user interface.

20. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 wherein the user interface comprises a circuit board having a plurality of switches that are accessible to the user and the controller activates the switches when it is determined the door is moving in the closing direction.

21. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of lights and where the controller illuminates at least some of the plurality of lights when it is determined the door is moving in the closing direction.

22. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 wherein the door moves in a pivoting manner to close the open face.

23. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 wherein the user interface is located in a window of the door.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Bodine Darryl C
• Erickson Donald E
• Flachs Michelle K
• Litaker Terry K
• Paraskevopoulos Chris W
• Albright Scott
• Blake Robert

Classifications

• G05B2219/2633

  Washing, laundry · CPC title

• D06F37/38

  in opposite directions · CPC title

• A47L15/4257

  Details of the loading door · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• D06F37/04

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis · CPC title