Washing machine control system and methods

摘要

A washing machine system comprising an outer tub with a basket rotatably supported within the outer tub. The basket receives launderable items and wash water. The washing machine includes a drive motor that rotates the basket during the wash operation, and a balance ring associated with the basket containing counterweights that move within the balance ring to compensate for an imbalanced mass in the basket. The washing machine includes a controller communicating with the motor. The controller sends signals to the motor to rotate the basket at selective rotational speeds, and receives electronic signals indicating the power used to rotate the basket at selective speeds. The controller compensates for the imbalanced mass by preventing the drive motor from rotating the basket at a substantially constant speed between a predetermined minimum resonance speed and a predetermined maximum resonance speed for more than a predetermined maximum dwell time during the wash operation.

主权项

1. A washing machine system comprising:
an outer tub; a cylindrical basket rotatably supported within the outer tub, the basket shaped and sized to receive launderable items and wash water during a wash operation; a drive motor selectively rotating the basket during the wash operation; a balance ring associated with the basket, the balance ring containing at least one counterweight adapted to move within the balance ring to compensate for an imbalanced mass during rotation of the basket; and a controller in electronic communication with the drive motor, the controller programmed to:
send signals to the drive motor instructing the drive motor to rotate the basket at selective rotational speeds, andreceive electronic signals indicating an amount of power used by the drive motor to rotate the basket at the selective rotational speeds; wherein the controller determines a minimum resonance speed and a maximum resonance speed and compensates for the imbalanced mass during rotation of the basket; and wherein the controller causes the drive motor to rotate the basket according to a constantly variable rotational acceleration from the predetermined minimum resonance speed to the predetermined maximum resonance speed.