High efficiency washing method with water savings

摘要

The present invention relates to a top loading household washer comprising a cabinet supporting a tub which houses a basket being driven by a motor mechanically coupled to an agitator and to said basket, a clutch, an electric control, a level sensor or pressure switch and a rotor position sensor within the motor (preferably a Hall sensor), a spraying system, characterized by a washing method comprising: check on the water level, initiate a load pre-sensing sequence to later initiate a reshuffling of load sequence, act followed by initiating a load sensing sequence, which determines the water level required to admit, once said water level is reached, a normal agitation sequence is begun; once the normal agitation sequence concludes, it is followed by a load reshuffling sequence to continue with the dehydrating and later rinsing.

主权项

1. In a washer comprising a cabinet which supports a tub which houses a concentrically rotatable basket within said tub, the basket being driven by a motor which is mechanically coupled to an agitator and to said basket, a clutch which allows the coupling and un-coupling between the basket and the agitator, an electric control, a level sensor or pressure switch, a position sensor of a rotor within the motor, and a spray system, a washing method comprising:
a. checking a water level, b. performing a load pre-sensing sequence, in which the following steps are performed:
i. coupling the basket and agitator in dehydrating form;ii. determining water level within the tub by way of the level sensor or the pressure switch;iii. transmitting a pulse to a motor driver for a determined amount of time in a range from approximately 100 milliseconds to approximately 700 milliseconds to energize said motor so that in turn said motor drives the agitator and the basket in unison in a first direction of rotation;iv. counting a stream of pulses over a determined period of time in a range from approximately 200 milliseconds to approximately 900 milliseconds by means of the electric control, said stream pulses being emitted by the rotor position sensor, when the first determined time has lapsed in step b, iii; andv. comparing a number of pulses counted in the determined period of time of step b, iv, against a determined value to determine if an overload condition exists; c. performing a reshuffling agitating sequence, in which the following steps are performed:
i. coupling the basket and agitator in dehydrating form;ii. transmitting a pulse to a pump driver for a determined period of time in a range from approximately 2 seconds to approximately 20 seconds to spray objects to be washed in the basket with washing mixture until the objects are soaked; andiii. transmitting a pulse to the motor driver for a determined time in a range from approximately 5 seconds to approximately 15 seconds to rotate the basket, agitator and objects within the basket in unison until reaching a determined velocity and then decelerating the basket until reaching a resting state; d. performing a load sensing sequence, in which the following steps are performed:
i. determining if in the pre-sensing load sequence an overload condition was detected;ii. verifying that the clutch is in agitating form;iii. transmitting a signal to an admission valve driver to allow water ingress into the tub until at least a desired water level is reached;iv. agitating the agitator to a determined arc with a determined frequency for a determined time in a range from approximately 30 seconds to approximately 50 seconds or for a determined number of strokes in a range from approximately 10 strokes to approximately 40 strokes;v. transmitting a signal to the motor driver after step d, iv to energize said motor so that in turn the motor can cause the agitator to rotate in a first direction through a determined arc;vi. discontinuing the signal to the motor driver to de-energize the motor, and counting pulses emitted by the rotor position sensor until the agitator reaches the resting state;vii. storing in a memory of the electronic control the number of pulses emitted by the rotor position sensor in step d, vi;viii. transmitting a signal to the motor driver to energize said motor so that the motor causes the agitator to rotate in a second direction through a determined arc;ix. discontinuing the signal to the motor driver to de-energize the motor, and counting the pulses emitted by the rotor position sensor until the agitator has reached the resting position;x. storing in the memory of the electronic control the number of pulses emitted by the rotor position sensor during step d, ix; andxi. averaging and comparing the number of pulses stored against a set determined value to determine a required water level; e. performing a normal agitating sequence, in which the following steps are performed:
i. verifying that the clutch is in agitating form;ii. generating a series of strokes in respective clockwise and anti-clockwise directions which cause agitation of the objects to be washed within the basket for a determined period of time;iii. monitoring a length of arc of each stroke while the motor is energized; andiv. comparing the length of arc obtained in each stroke while the motor is energized against a desired normal arc; and (f) performing a reshuffling of the objects, in which the following steps are performed:
i. verifying that the clutch is in agitating form; andii. generating a series of strokes in clockwise and counterclockwise directions with a desired arc which varies in a range from approximately 400 degrees to approximately 550 degrees with a frequency in a range from approximately 30 swats or strokes per minute to approximately 60 swats or strokes per minute so that agitation can be performed for a period of time in a range from approximately 1 minute to approximately 20 minutes and causing agitation of the objects to be washed within the basket.