Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.

General Electric Company

Aaron Lee Welch

Ryan James Scheckelhoff

Alexander Boris Leibman

James Quentin Pollett

David Scott Dunn

Jerrod Aaron Kappler

Ryan Ellis Leonard

Bryan T Snook

Christopher Nils Naber

Fikreadam Abebe Damtew

Alaknanda Acharya

Todd Anthony Reger

S Neil Malone

Kenneth G Rudolph

Rushikesh Nandkumar Salvi

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.

Responsive spin cycle in a washing machine appliance

A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, a valve, a spout, a dispenser, a motor, and a controller. The basket may be rotatably mounted and define a chamber for receipt of articles for washing. The valve may be disposed upstream from the tub. The spout may be directed at the tub downstream from the valve. The dispenser may be upstream from the tub for dispensing detergent into the tub. The motor may be in mechanical communication with the basket. The controller may be configured for controlling the washing machine appliance. The controller may be configured to initiate an oversuds-sensitive operation. The oversuds-sensitive operation may include detecting one or more resultant conditions from one or more previous wash cycles of the washing machine appliance, determining an adjusted operating parameter based on the detected resultant conditions, and directing detergent dispensing according to the adjusted operating parameter.

Washing machine appliance and a method for preventing oversuds events

A washing machine appliance including a ventilation structure. A vent line is at a wash tub. A vent filter is provided to the vent line that allows air to flow from the wash tub, and through the vent line, the vent filter redirecting cleaning fluids impinging on the vent filter back toward the wash tub. The vent filter may include a plurality of louvers. The louvers may be located adjacent to one another so as to form a plurality of openings for the flow of air from the wash tub.

Washing machine ventilation structure

Additive dispensing, as provided herein, may include opening a water supply valve for a first index according to a predetermined fill index and directing a wash additive from an additive dispenser to a water supply conduit during an additive segment. The method may also include blocking the wash additive from the additive dispenser to the water supply conduit during a non-additive segment, detecting a fluid level within a wash tub following the first index, and comparing the detected fluid level to a target fluid level. The method may further include opening the water supply valve for a second index based on comparing the detected fluid level within the wash tub to the target fluid level, directing the wash additive from the additive dispenser to the water supply conduit during an additive segment, and blocking the wash additive from the additive dispenser to the water supply conduit during a non-additive segment.

Additive dispensing for washing machine appliances

A washing machine appliance and a method of selectively draining a sump of the washing machine appliance at the start of an operating cycle is provided. The method includes determining that the drain pump assembly has drained wash fluid from the sump, e.g., by checking to see whether an empty sump flag has been set in the controller. In addition, the method includes determining that a water supply valve has not been opened since the wash fluid was drained from the sump and that a sump pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure, e.g., indicating that water is in sump that was not intentionally added by the water supply valve. The drain pump assembly is then operated to perform a drain cycle at the beginning of a subsequent operating cycle.

Drain pump assembly for a washing machine appliance and methods of operating the same

A washing machine appliance includes a sump for collecting wash fluid and a drain pump assembly for selectively draining that wash fluid in response to sump pressures measured by a water level detection system. Specifically, a controller is configured for operating the drain pump assembly to perform a drain cycle and obtaining a sump pressure after the drain cycle. A variable flag is set to a first state if the measured pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure, which indicates that a certain amount of wash fluid is present in the sump. During a subsequent operating cycle, the drain pump assembly will be operated at the start of the cycle only if the variable flag was set to the first state during the prior operating cycle.

An appliance is provided with features for preventing fluid additive drying in a conduit of the appliance. The appliance includes a tip configured for receipt of a cover fluid. The cover fluid is disposed within the tip such that the cover fluid deters evaporation of fluid additive in the conduit.

Appliance with features for preventing additive drying

An apparatus is provided herein. The apparatus includes, a clothes basket rotatable about an axis, a motor coupled to the clothes basket, an additive tank, a Venturi component comprising a hole connecting to a water inlet, a hole connecting to the additive tank, and a hole connecting to the clothes basket, a first valve, a second valve, and a processor coupled to the first valve and the second valve, the processor being operative to carry out a dispensing phase of the apparatus, wherein the dispensing phase comprises dispensing additive to the clothes basket, and carry out a self-cleaning phase of the apparatus, wherein the self-cleaning phase comprises washing the additive tank.

Apparatus and method for using a dispensing system utilizing a Venturi component

Cleaning of a bulk dispense system of an appliance is provided. The appliance can include a user accessible compartment whereby the bulk dispense system is connected to a supply of a cleaning fluid. The appliance can be activated so as to flow the cleaning fluid through the bulk dispense system to help clean the system by e.g., removing particulates of detergent, fabric softener, and/or other undesirable matter that may be in the system.

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Louisville, KY, United States of America

Aaron Lee Welch