Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Patents Company

Tremitchell L Wright

Joel Adam Luckman

Daniel C Conrad

Michael Stephen Hendrickson

Mark Bradley Kovich

Karl David McAllister

Colleen Marie Doyle

Kurt A Estes

Janice M Kaeding

Timothy Nicholas Aykroyd

Andrew Leitert

Robert D Riehle

Zaki Yusuf

Dennis L Kehl

Richard A Sunshine

Michael T Dalton

Vicki Lyn Wyatt-Smith

Alexander V Minkin

Brooke Lindsay-Steel Lau

Katherine E Warner

Bruce C Beihoff

Elliott V Stowe

Paul E Beshears, Jr

Donald Mark Tomasi

Kristina K Underly

Mark M Senninger

Robert J Rolek

Fredrick E Chernetski

Vicki Lyn Wyatt

Joseph W Adams

Stephen David Krefman

Prithi Rao

Hank Robert Reinhoudt

Brian W May

Brandon R Hengesbach

Jacob R Karhoff

Cinnamon S Brown-Green

Holli Krumbein

Kenyata Joi Maki

Machial Goedhart

Jan Hendrik Verbeek

Fred Kerpels

Pieter E Overdevest

Gary J Irving

Thomas E Kubash

Christopher C Deboer

Ld Metcalfe

A laundry treating appliance having a tub having an open face and at least partially defining a treating chamber in which laundry may be received for treatment according to an automatic cycle of operation, a door for closing the open face of the tub, a perforated rotatable drum located within the tub and a method of operating such that the rotation of the drum is accelerated at a rate sufficient to cause an inrush of supplied liquid into the treating chamber from the tub via the perforations that locates a unit dose treating chemistry within the treating chamber.

Laundry treating appliance and method of operating a laundry treating appliance

A dishwasher comprising a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber in which liquid may be sprayed from at least one sprayer for the treating of dishes within the treating chamber. A liquid recirculation system may be provided for recirculating the sprayed liquid back to the at least one sprayer. An ozone generator may be provided in communication with the treating chamber to supply ozone to the treating chamber.

Dishwasher and ozone generator

A washer and a control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle selected based upon a range of conditions of a fabric load to be washed. The control has a plurality of selectable stain type entr&#xe9;es, each with a particular dedicated wash cycle. The control also has dispensing control over at least two wash liquor additives, one being a detergent and the other being an oxidizing agent. The control operates the dedicated wash cycles, as selected, using both the detergent and the oxidizing agent, however, the detergent and the oxidizing agent may be dispensed in different orders and at different times and in different amounts, depending on the stain type selected.

Washer and washer control with cycles for laundry additives and color safe bleaches/in-wash stain removers

A method of operating a laundry treating appliance by capturing and reusing at least a portion of the liquid supplied during a cycle of operation.

Method of operating a laundry treating appliance capable of saving liquid for reuse

A modular system according to one embodiment of the invention for treating a fabric load comprises a first module and a second module. The first module can include a chamber having an interior for holding a fabric load, and the second module can have at least one of a fluid delivery system, a fluid removal system, and a fluid recycling system. The modular system can further include conduits for coupling the systems of the second module with the first module.

Modular fabric revitalizing system

A wash cycle for a clothes washer with a wash zone defined within a rotating drum having an outer wall, for receiving a fabric load. The steps include dispensing a volume of a first wash liquor to the wash zone, rotating the drum to move the fabric load toward the outer wall and recirculating the first wash liquor through the fabric load and wash zone, all during a first time period. The fabric load is flexed during a second time period. The cycle continues with dispensing a volume of a second, different wash liquor to the wash zone, rotating the drum to move the fabric load toward the outer wall and recirculating the second liquor through the fabric load and wash zone during a third time period. One of the two wash liquors is an oxidizing agent wash liquor. Then the remainder of the wash cycle is completed.

Wash cycle for oxidizing agents

A control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle determined based upon various soils and stains in the substrate load to be washed with a wash liquor in a wash zone of the washer. The control has a plurality of stain/soil type entr&#xe9;es, which can be at least one of selected and detected, and cleaned with a particular wash cycle. The control has dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive. The control has a user input to permit the user to customize the operation of the control with regard to the dispensing of the various wash liquor additive and a timing mechanism. The control has operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at selected times during the wash cycle.

Timing control and timed wash cycle for an automatic washer

A control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle determined based upon various soils and stains in the substrate load to be washed with a wash liquor in a wash zone of the washer. The control has a plurality of stain/soil type entr&#xe9;es, which can be at least one of selected and detected, and cleaned with a particular wash cycle. The control has dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive. The control has operational control over activators and deactivators for members of the additives group. The control has operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at selected times during the wash cycle and operating the activators and deactivators at selected times during the wash cycle.

Control and wash cycle for activation and deactivation of chemistry in the wash bath of an automatic washer

Methods and apparatuses for washing fabric loads without water or using water only as a co-solvent are disclosed. One method of non-aqueous clothes washing includes the steps of disposing clothing in a wash container, delivering a wash liquor to the fabric load, the wash liquor comprising a substantially non-reactive, non-aqueous, non-oleophilic, apolar working fluid and at least one washing additive, applying mechanical energy to the clothing and wash liquor for a sufficient amount of time to provide fabric cleaning and, thereafter, substantially removing the wash liquor from the fabric load. The working fluid may be selected from the group consisting of perfluorocarbons, hydrofluoroethers, fluorinated hydrocarbons and fluoroinerts.

Non-aqueous washing apparatus and method

A wash cycle for a clothes washer, the clothes washer having a wash zone defined within a rotating drum having an outer wall, for receiving a load of fabric. The steps include dispensing a volume of a first wash liquor to the wash zone, rotating the drum to move the fabric load toward the outer wall and recirculating the first wash liquor through the fabric load and wash zone, all during a first period of time. The fabric load is then flexed during a second period of time. The cycle continues with the steps of dispensing a volume of a second, different wash liquor to the wash zone, rotating the drum to move the fabric load toward the outer wall and recirculating the second liquor through the fabric load and wash zone during a third period of time. One of the two wash liquors is an oxidizing agent wash liquor. Then the remainder of the wash cycle is completed.

A method and apparatus for drying a fabric load which has been wetted with a working fluid including the steps of flowing drying gas through a container holding the fabric load, sensing the non-aqueous working fluid concentration and the aqueous working fluid concentration in the wash liquor or in the headspace above the fabric within the container and controlling drying in response to the sensed working fluid concentration.

Methods and apparatus to accelerate the drying of aqueous working fluids

A substrate treating appliance utilizing a plurality of different chemistries for different cycles or different wash loads with a plurality of receptacles for receiving a plurality of cartridges containing the different chemistries. Each receptacle has one half of a lock and key connection arrangement providing a unique interconnection configuration at each receptacle, relative to the remaining receptacles, permitting only a selected type of chemistry cartridge to be accepted at a particular receptacle. A connection effected between the cartridge and the receptacle occurs by rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle between an insertion orientation and a locking orientation. Each receptacle is shaped to receive a cylindrical mouth wall of a particular type of chemistry cartridge. Each receptacle may also be uniquely sized, relative to the remaining receptacles, to accept only a selected type of chemistry cartridge. The plurality of receptacles may be arranged adjacent to one another with each cartridge having a configuration that prevents insertion of a cartridge into a receptacle unless every cartridge located in an adjacent receptacle is rotated to the locking orientation.

Wash cycles using oxidizing agents and sensors

A wash cycle is provided for a clothes washer, the clothes washer having a wash zone for receiving a substrate load to be cleaned. The wash cycle includes a step of providing a wash liquor for applying to the substrate load. Another step is loading the wash zone with the substrate load. Another step is mixing metal ions with an inactive bleaching agent as catalyst agents to catalyze an activation reaction to produce an active bleaching agent. Another step is combining the active bleaching agent with the wash liquor. Another step is applying the wash liquor with the active bleaching agent to the substrate load. Another step is capturing the metal ions prior to a disposal of the wash liquor.

Recapture of ions applied in a wash process

The present invention provides a safe method for cleaning fabric articles, comprising the step of treating the fabric articles with a working cyclosiloxane dry cleaning solvent to remove contaminants from the articles, wherein the working solvent is contacted and mixed with a solidifying catalyst in case of an increased temperature event. The present invention also provides a dry cleaning system suitable for carrying out the method of the invention. Since said method has improved safety, it is very suitable for in-home use.

Dry cleaning method

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Granger, IN, United States of America

Tremitchell L Wright