Responsive spin cycle in a washing machine appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machine appliances often experience premature termination of wash operations due to imbalanced loads or power interruptions, leading to incomplete spin cycles and excessive moisture content in laundry, which results in diminished performance and residual detergent.
Innovation Solution
A method and system in a washing machine that detects remaining moisture content above a threshold after a wash operation and automatically initiates a supplemental spin cycle before starting a subsequent wash operation, ensuring optimal moisture extraction and preventing residual detergent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spin cycle is paused or restarted without reaching terminal rotational speed due to out of balance condition or power interruption, then the wash operation can be completed, but the remaining moisture content of laundry articles becomes excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The controller detects early termination conditions (power interruption, out of balance) during the spin cycle and automatically initiates a supplemental spin cycle after the next wash operation completes. This preliminary detection and subsequent corrective action ensures that laundry moisture content is reduced to acceptable levels even when the original spin cycle was interrupted before reaching terminal speed.
2Ease of operation
If the spin cycle is limited or prevented from reaching terminal rotational speed, then the wash operation can proceed under constrained conditions, but spin performance is diminished and residual detergent remains in laundry articles
Solution Approach 1:
The controller monitors spin cycle progression and detects when terminal rotational speed is not achieved due to constraints such as out of balance conditions or power interruptions. Based on this feedback, the system automatically determines the need for and executes a supplemental spin cycle, ensuring that spin performance requirements are met even when the primary cycle is constrained.
3Quantity of substance
If a supplemental spin cycle is automatically initiated after detecting high remaining moisture content, then moisture extraction is optimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller automatically detects early termination conditions and determines when a supplemental spin cycle is needed without requiring user intervention. The system self-manages the entire process: monitoring spin cycle completion, assessing the need for supplemental spinning, and automatically initiating the corrective spin cycle, thereby optimizing moisture extraction while minimizing the need for complex user-facing controls.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures that laundry is thoroughly dried and detergent-free by performing an additional spin cycle when necessary, enhancing wash performance and user satisfaction by addressing premature termination issues.
Implementation Method 1
the spin cycle may be paused, e.g., in response to an out of balance condition, and restarted without reaching a terminal or preferred rotational speed
Data Source
AI summary
Washing machine appliances and methods of operating the same are provided. Such methods may include, and/or appliances may be configured for, performing a wash operation on laundry articles received in the wash chamber of the wash basket. After the wash operation, it may be determined that the load of articles is still wet, e.g., that a remaining moisture content of the laundry articles is above a threshold. Based on and in response to determining that the load is still wet, a spin cycle is performed before a beginning of a subsequent wash operation.