Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.

General Electric Company

James Quentin Pollett

Fikreadam Abebe Damtew

Troy Marshall Wright

Alexander Boris Leibman

Haitian Hu

David Scott Dunn

Matthew David Mersch

Hairong Li

S Neil Malone

Jerrod Aaron Kappler

Steven Keith Root

Bryan James Beckley

Eric Ormsby Sakal

Darrin R Smith

Timothy Scott Shaffer

Ronald Scott Tarr

Brian Michael Schork

Stephen Robert Vasconcellos

John Joseph Roetker

Ryan James Scheckelhoff

Ryan Ellis Leonard

Stephen Edward Hettinger

Wonmyung Seo

Kyle Andrew Kozinski

Ionelia Silvia Prajescu

Shaun Michael Ward

Zhiquan Yu

Daniel Vincent Brosnan

Jivko Ognianov Djerekarov

Aaron Lee Welch

Manidhar V V S Yandamuri

Lucius Levon Cole

Rushikesh Nandkumar Salvi

Manidhar Vvs Yandamuri

Yoojeong Lee

Mark Banta

Gabriel Neculai Prajescu

A method for operating a washing machine appliance may comprise a step of monitoring, with a sensor, a conductivity measurement of a tub of the washing machine appliance. The method may also include a step of receiving an input indicative of a selection of a self-clean cycle of the washing machine appliance. The method may further include a step of activating the self-clean cycle of the washing machine appliance. The method may also include a step of recording the conductivity measurement of the tub in response to the self-clean cycle being activated. The method may further include a step of comparing the recorded conductivity measurement to a first reference conductivity value. The method may also include a step of determining, based on the compared recorded conductivity measurement and the first reference conductivity value, the presence of a cleaning agent within the tub.

Detecting a presence of a cleaning agent during a self-clean cycle of a washing machine appliance

A method for operating a washing machine appliance includes a step of initiating a rinse cycle of a washing machine appliance. The method also includes a step of sensing, with a conductivity sensor, a conductivity measurement of a rinse fluid within a tub of the washing machine appliance. The method further includes a step of determining, based on the sensed conductivity measurement and a baseline conductivity measurement, a change in conductivity value. The method also includes a step of detecting, based on the change in conductivity value, a presence of rinse additive within the rinse fluid.

Detecting a presence of a rinse additive during a rinse cycle of a washing machine appliance

A washing machine appliance includes a wash tub positioned within a cabinet, a water inlet fluidly coupled to a water supply for receiving wash fluid, a wireless communication module, and a controller operably coupled to the wireless communication module. The controller is configured to obtain an event notification of a water discoloration event associated with the water supply and implement a responsive action in response to obtaining the event notification of the water discoloration event, such as stopping an operating cycle and providing the user with an issue rectification guide for mitigating effects of the water discoloration event.

Method for detecting and addressing discolored water issues in a washing machine appliance

A washing machine appliance includes a wash tub positioned within a cabinet, a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub, a blower operably coupled to the wash basket, a motor assembly mechanically coupled to the wash basket for rotating the wash basket, and a controller. The blower is configured to introduce air into the wash basket. The controller is configured to initiate a wash cycle for cleaning the load of clothes, determine that air dry conditions are satisfied, and perform an air dry operation after completion of the wash cycle in response to determining that the air dry conditions are satisfied. The air dry operation may include operating the blower to circulate the air within the wash basket and operating the motor assembly to tumble the load of clothes. A method of operating a washing machine appliance is also provided.

Automatic wash and dry process in a washing machine appliance

Washing machine appliance ventilation systems and methods include rotating a wash basket of the washing machine appliance for an ON period, whereby a flow of ambient air is drawn through an aperture in the washing machine appliance from an ambient environment into the wash basket. The systems and methods also include comparing a humidity within the washing machine appliance to a reference humidity value. When a difference between the humidity within the washing machine appliance and the reference humidity value is greater than a threshold, the step of rotating the wash basket for the ON period is repeated. When the difference between the humidity within the washing machine appliance and the reference humidity value is less than or equal to the threshold, the ventilation cycle or method is terminated.

Washing machine ventilation systems and methods

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

An item-management system is provided having a household appliance, a camera assembly, and a controller. The household appliance may include a cabinet. The camera assembly may be directed at the cabinet to capture an image of the cabinet. The controller may be in operative communication with the camera assembly. The controller may have access to an item list of one or more stored items. The controller may be configured to direct an item-management operation. The item-management operation may include receiving the image from the camera assembly, identifying, automatically, based on the received image, a stored item from the item list, determining, based on identifying the stored item, an unsuitable status of the identified stored item to indicate the identified stored item is inappropriate for the household appliance, and directing, based on determining the unsuitable status, a responsive action at the household appliance.

Item management system for connected appliances

A method of operating a laundry treatment includes receiving an input for a selected washing operation for a laundry load; determining a filtration requirement of the laundry load of the selected washing operation; implementing a responsive action in response to determining the filtration requirement of the laundry load, the responsive action including an activation state of a selector input on a user interface; and performing the selected washing operation according to a determined set of operating parameters.

Method of controlling a filtration system in a laundry treatment appliance

A system and method for data transmission and performance improvement for an appliance is provided. The system includes an appliance including a controller operably connected to a network computing device. The controller is configured to transmit a packet to a network computing device. The packet includes genealogical data for the appliance encoded in a positional numeral system. The network computing device is configured to receive the packet and decode the genealogical data for the appliance. Decoding includes translating the positional numeral system to an appliance configuration.

System and method for data transmission for appliance

A washing appliance having a cabinet and a wash tub positioned in the cabinet and defining a wash chamber. A wash drum is rotatably mounted within the wash chamber and is configured for receiving articles for washing. An impeller is positioned in the wash drum. An agitator post is removably received into a an impeller recess using depressible features for releasable attachment. A removable cap can be placed on the top end of the agitator or into the impeller recess.

Washer appliance with removable agitator post and depressible features for releasable attachment

A washing machine appliance, as provided herein, may include a fluid additive dispenser and a controller. The fluid additive dispenser may include a housing, a dispenser drawer, a water supply conduit, a first water valve, a shower plate, and a second water valve. The water supply conduit may be directed to the pod compartment defined by the dispenser drawer and define a water inlet. The shower plate may be disposed upstream from a primary compartment and the pod compartment. The controller may be configured to initiate a washing operation that includes initiating a wetting water flow at the second water valve to the pod compartment through the shower plate, initiating a break water flow to the pod compartment through the water supply conduit following the wetting water flow, and initiating a fill water flow through the shower plate following the break water flow.

Additive dispenser for varying the types of additives within a washing machine appliance

A method of operating a dryer appliance includes directing a flow of hot dry air into a chamber defined within a drum of the dryer appliance. The method also includes receiving a signal indicative of an atmospheric condition external to the dryer appliance and determining whether the indicated atmospheric condition is less than a threshold. The method may further include directing a flow of air from the chamber to an interior space when the indicated atmospheric condition external to the dryer is less than the threshold, and activating a component of an environmental control system in communication with the interior space when the indicated atmospheric condition of the ambient environment external to the dryer is less than the threshold.

Dryer appliances and venting methods for dryer appliances

A washing machine appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet, a tub disposed within the cabinet, a basket, and a fluid additive dispenser. The fluid additive dispenser may include a housing, a dispenser drawer, and a pod cup. The housing may extend between an open front end and a closed rear end. The housing may be disposed within the cabinet. The dispenser drawer may be slidably received in the housing above the basket. The dispenser drawer may extend from a forward end to a rearward end. The dispenser drawer may define a primary compartment and a pod compartment adjacent to the primary compartment between the forward end and the rearward end. The pod cup may be selectively received on the dispenser drawer within the pod compartment to hold an additive pod. The pod cup may define an opening therein to permit a wash fluid therethrough.

A washing machine appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet, a tub, a basket, and a fluid additive dispenser. The fluid additive dispenser may include a housing and a dispenser drawer. The housing may extend between an open front end and a closed rear end. The housing may be disposed within the cabinet. The dispenser drawer may be selectively received in the housing above the basket. The dispenser drawer may extend from a forward end proximate to the rotation axis to a rearward end distal to the rotation axis. The dispenser drawer may define a primary compartment and a pod compartment adjacent to the primary compartment between the forward end and the rearward end. The dispenser drawer may further define a pod outlet extending through a wall of the pod compartment to direct a wash fluid therefrom.

A washing machine appliance as provided herein, may include a cabinet, a tub, a fluid additive dispenser, and a controller. The tub may be disposed within the cabinet. The fluid additive dispenser may include a housing, a dispenser drawer, a water supply conduit, a conduit water valve, and an optical sensor. The optical sensor may be mounted to a housing and directed at a pod compartment. The controller may be operably coupled to the fluid additive dispenser and may be configured to initiate a washing operation. The washing operation may include receiving an image signal from the optical sensor, determining a pod characteristic within the pod compartment based on the received image signal, and directing water to the pod compartment based on the determined pod characteristic.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

James Quentin Pollett