Laundry Appliance Self-Clean Cycle Triggered by Drying Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry appliances lack an effective and user-convenient method for automatically initiating a self-clean cycle, often due to lengthy cycle times and user neglect, leading to mold, mildew, and foul odors.
Innovation Solution
A laundry appliance with a controller that identifies the selected cycle and determines if a wash counter exceeds a predetermined threshold, automatically configuring and executing a combination cycle of a self-clean cycle followed by a drying cycle, ensuring timely maintenance without user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a self-clean cycle is automatically initiated after a predetermined time period or number of wash cycles, then the appliance maintains cleanliness, but the cycle may start at an inconvenient time for the consumer and is often prematurely terminated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by accumulating wash cycle information and preparing to initiate a self-clean cycle at an optimal time. The controller monitors wash cycles and schedules the self-clean cycle to begin only when the drum is next used for drying, ensuring both appliance maintenance and user convenience are achieved.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a self-clean cycle is run to eliminate mold and odors, then appliance hygiene is improved, but the cycle is lengthy extending up to eight hours thus precluding use of the machine
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the self-clean cycle with the drying cycle by executing them in sequence. The self-clean cycle is performed first to clean the drum, followed immediately by a drying cycle to dry the drum interior. This combination ensures thorough cleaning and drying while utilizing the machine's full capacity without extending total downtime beyond what would be required for a separate drying cycle anyway.
Solution Approach 2:
The system ensures continuous useful action by immediately transitioning from the self-clean cycle to a drying cycle without idle time. The drum is continuously utilized - first for cleaning, then for drying - maximizing the productivity of the maintenance operation and minimizing the period during which the machine is unavailable for its primary washing function.
3Loss of information
If visual indications are provided to users that it is time to run a self-clean cycle, then users are alerted, but such indications are often ignored by the user
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically initiating the self-clean cycle without requiring user attention or action. The controller autonomously monitors wash cycles, determines optimal timing based on drum usage, and executes the self-clean cycle automatically. This eliminates the need for user notification and response, ensuring the maintenance function is performed reliably while requiring minimal user involvement.
Data Source
AI summary
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.