Whirlpool Corporation

Erol D Sumer

Brian P Janke

Bradley D Morrow

Nicholas C Fugal

Stephen L Keres

Fernando E De Oliveira

Ran Zhao

A method of estimating water mass extraction in a laundry treating appliance having a drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving a laundry load for treatment according to a cycle of operation, and a motor operably coupled with the drum to rotate the drum, where geometry changes in a laundry load affect inertia estimations. The method includes rotating the drum during a water extraction cycle to at least two distinct speeds, each for a dwell time, by way of at least one acceleration ramp and determining, during the rotation, by a controller communicably coupled with the motor, at least one of a torque of the motor, an acceleration of the drum, a speed of the drum, or an angular position of the drum. A parameter estimator estimates inertia values of a laundry load in the drum, based on at least one of the torque, acceleration, speed, or angular position of the drum at a beginning and an end of each dwell time. A water mass extraction is determined based on the estimated inertia values. The cycle of operation is adjusted based on the determined water mass extraction.

Laundry treating appliance and methods of operation

A method of estimating water mass extraction in a laundry treating appliance where the geometry changes in a laundry load affect inertia estimations includes accelerating rotation of the drum during a water extraction cycle to at least two distinct speeds, each for a dwell time, by way of acceleration ramps; determining, during the accelerating rotation, by a controller communicably coupled with the motor, a torque of the motor, an acceleration of the drum, a speed of the drum, and/or an angular position of the drum; and estimating with a parameter estimator inertia values of a laundry load in the drum, based on the torque, acceleration, speed, and/or angular position of the drum at the beginning and the end of each dwell time. The estimated inertia values are transformed based on differing geometries of the laundry load, and water mass extraction is determined based on the transformed estimated inertia values.

Methods of reducing a likelihood of contact between a rotating laundry-container, such as a basket or drum, located within a tub of a laundry treating appliance where the method includes accelerating a rotational speed of the rotating laundry-container during an extraction cycle speed ramp, monitoring the friction associated with the rotating laundry-container during the speed ramp and comparing to a threshold and altering the accelerating of the rotational speed of the rotating laundry-container when the comparing indicates the threshold is satisfied.

Laundry treating appliance and methods of reducing tub contact therein

A method of detecting high friction events in a laundry treating appliance includes rotating the drum, determining, during the rotation, a torque of the motor, an acceleration of the drum, a speed of the drum, and/or an angular position of the drum at each of multiple speeds, and repeatedly estimating with a parameter estimator, during the rotation, viscous friction, coulomb friction, and total friction based on the torque, acceleration, speed, and/or angular position of the drum. A high friction even is determined based on the estimated viscous friction, coulomb friction and/or total friction.

A method of removing effects of torque fluctuations caused by activation or deactivation of machine components in estimating inertia from a parameter estimator in a laundry treating appliance includes rotating the drum during a cycle of operation on a laundry load, determining a start time when a machine component is activated or deactivated during the cycle of operation, resetting covariance in a parameter estimator at a predetermined reset time after the start time, repeatedly estimating in the parameter estimator after the reset time, inertia of the laundry load, based on the torque, acceleration, speed, and/or angular position of the drum, processing estimated parameter values from the parameter estimator at a predetermined adjusting time after the predetermined reset time, and adjusting cycle parameters based on the processed estimated parameter values.

A method of estimating a water extraction profile in a laundry treating appliance includes accelerating rotation of the drum during a water extraction cycle, determining, during the accelerating rotation, a torque of the motor, an acceleration of the drum, a speed of the drum, and/or an angular position of the drum, and estimating with a parameter estimator, at multiple times during the accelerating rotation, inertia of a laundry load, based on the torque, acceleration, speed, and/or angular position of the drum to establish multiple inertia values. A water extraction profile is then estimated based on the inertia values.

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East Lansing, MI, United States of America

Erol D Sumer