General Electric Company

William W Wead

Thomas R Payne

Steven Andrew Rice

Richard E McKnight, Jr

An electronic control system, particularly adaptable to coin-operated laundry appliances, which enables owners of such machines to customize machine operation. Laundry parameters are stored in random access memory, and timing functions are performed in control logic. Thus, the owner may simply update the information on a computer and download the parameters to individual laundry machines. A portable receiver/transmitter may be utilized to transfer information to the laundry machine controller by way of an infrared communications link. Also disclosed is a reconfigurable fuzzy logic control which is general purpose, having a functionality that may be easily altered in accordance with the type of machine. The structure of the fuzzy logic controller is identical for all applications. Definitions of both fuzzy logic membership functions and fuzzy logic rules are input to the controller as a set of parameters, such that the fuzzy logic controller is programmably reconfigurable without any change in the actual fuzzy logic. In the disclosed embodiment, the reconfigurable and reprogrammable fuzzy logic controller is used for two different purposes, one relating to the control of a washing machine and the other to control of a clothes dryer.

Appliance electronic control system with programmable parameters

Appliance electronic control system with programmable and reconfigurable

A fabric washing machine includes a container to receive fabrics and washing fluid. An SRM is operatively connected to oscillate and rotate the container. Ribs formed on the center post of the container agitate the fabrics and fluid as the container is oscillated. Just prior to a spin extraction operation the container is oscillated with an asymmetric pattern that travels further in one direction than in the other. To minimize wrapping of the fabrics about the center post the asymmetric pattern is periodically reversed. Also, just prior to the spin operation the motor is operated at a constant torque and the time to accelerate the container from one speed to a higher speed is measured one or more times. The inertia of the load, and thus the size of the fabric load, is calculated from the time measurements. The motor then is operated at a constant torque to accelerate the container from a threshold speed for a predetermined period of time and the final speed of the container is measured. This speed measurement is compared to the predetermined terminal speed of a comparable balanced load to determine the degree of unbalance in the load of fabrics. The terminal speed of the spin operation is then set based upon the determined load size and degree of unbalance.

Electronic washer control including automatic balance, spin and brake

A fabric washing machine includes a container to receive fabrics and fluid to wash the fabrics. A switched reluctance motor is operatively connected to oscillate and rotate the container. A control operates the machine by providing commutation signals to the motor to energize the stator phases in a predetermined sequence as corresponding rotor phases approach the stator phase being energized. To stop the machine the control repeatedly senses the instantaneous alignment of the stator and rotor phases and supplies commutation signals to the motor to energize the stator phases in the same sequence but as corresponding rotor phases have become aligned with the stator phase being energized.

An appliance electronic control system which tends to maintain a constant total cycle time, and thus an accurate 'Time Remaining' display, notwithstanding variations in the actual time required for a water fill operation. The control system includes a count down timer and a time remaining display indicating cycle time remaining based on the state of the count down timer. The count down timer is initialized to a state representing nominal total cycle time, which includes the sum of a nominal fill time for water filling operations, a nominal time duration for each of several pause intervals, and the time durations of operational modes under the direct control of the control system, such as agitate time and spin time. During operation, the count down timer is decremented at regular predetermined intervals. The first time the machine fills, the actual time for the filling operation is measured. If the machine takes time less than the nominal fill time to fill (fast fill), the pause intervals are lengthened to compensate for the unused time allocated for the fill. If the machine takes more time than the nominal fill time to fill (slow fill), the pause intervals are shortened to compensate for the extra time required for the fill. In situations where the actual fill time exceeds the compensation capability, a one-time adjustment of the 'Time Remaining' count down timer occurs at an appropriate point in the cycle. A safety feature to prevent excessive flooding due to faulty water level sensors is included.

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Louisville, KY, United States of America

William W Wead