Whirlpool Corporation

Whirpool Corporation

Kathleen M La Belle

Kurt Werner

Jenn-Yeu Nieh

Bennett J Cook

Laura C Oskins

Robert J Pinkowski

Matthew Craig Parsons

Rick A Schneider

Pamela Smith

In a washing machine comprising a tub, an agitator, and a pressure sensor, a size of a fabric load may be determined and/or an operational water level may be set based on a time of supplying water to reach a timing water level in the tub and on variation in an output from the pressure sensor during agitation of the water and fabric load with the water at a agitation water level in the tub.

Method for determining load size and/or setting water level in a washing machine

In a washing machine comprising a tub, an agitator, and a pressure sensor, a size of a fabric load may be determined and/or an operational water level may be set based on an amount of water supplied to reach a first level in the tub and on variation in an output from the pressure sensor during agitation of the water and fabric load with the water at a second level in the tub.

A vane for a washing machine agitating device is provided. The agitating device includes a skirt and a center shaft extending upwardly from the skirt. The vane extends radially from the center shaft of the agitating device toward an outer perimeter of the skirt. One end of the vane includes at least two supports defining a cavity there between to lower stress experienced by a hinge point of the vane, thereby minimizing vane breakage.

Cored vane for an agitating device

An automatic clothes washer has a wash basket defining a wash chamber for receiving a clothes load and a clothes mover provided in the wash chamber for reciprocal rotation. The automatic clothes washer performs a laundering of a clothes load by wetting a portion of the clothes load to form a clothes load with both wetted and unwetted articles of clothes. The clothes load is then reoriented by moving at least some of the wetted articles of clothing into at least some of the unwetted articles of clothing.

Method for repositioning articles in a washing machine

An automatic washing machine comprises a wash tub and a wash plate movably mounted within the wash tub for imparting mechanical energy to articles of fabric in the wash tub. The wash plate comprises a base and a blade that extends from the base and terminates in a tip. According to the invention, at least the tip of the blade is formed by an insert. The insert is made from a relatively hard and wear resistant material that is different than the material of the impeller body. As a result, the wear resistance and performance of the impeller is improved without significantly increasing the overall cost of the impeller.

Wash plate for an automatic clothes washer

A method and apparatus for washing cloth items in an automatic washer is provided wherein the automatic washer includes a wash basket defining a wash chamber and an impeller located within the bottom of the wash chamber. The method includes loading cloth items into the wash chamber and then supplying a quantity of wash liquid into the wash chamber sufficient to moisten the cloth items but insufficient to cause the cloth items to lose frictional engagement with the impeller as the impeller oscillates. The impeller is oscillated to apply a drag force to the cloth items in contact with the impeller such that the cloth items in contact with the impeller move angularly along an arc-like path. Angular movement of the cloth items disposed along the bottom of the wash chamber beyond the outer periphery of the impeller is impeded such that relative angular motion is created between the cloth items disposed along the periphery of the impeller and the cloth items disposed immediately above the impeller. Cloth items move radially inward along the impeller, move upwardly in the center of the wash chamber, move radially outwardly along the top of the wash chamber and move downwardly along the side wall of the wash chamber in a pattern which may be referred to as an inverse toroidal rollover path or pattern. This inverse toroidal rollover pattern is created by direct contact between the oscillating impeller and the cloth items supported above the impeller.

Growing community of inventors

Lawrence, MI, United States of America

Kathleen M La Belle