Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100155415 | SELECT FILL SENSOR SYSTEM FOR REFRIGERATOR DISPENSERS - A refrigerator includes a dispenser having a dispenser well, a control for regulating a product dispensing operation, and a select fill sensor system for automatically initiating and terminating the dispensing operation. An optical sensing system includes a camera within the dispenser well in communication with a controller for sensing the fill rate of a container within the dispenser well. The dispensing rate of product is adjusted depending on the product fill rate of the container such that optimum fill rates are obtained without overflow or spilling events. In this manner, a hands-free dispenser is provided that can be utilized regardless of the shape or size of container utilized. | 06-24-2010 |
20110214441 | SELECT-FILL DISPENSING SYSTEM - A select-fill dispensing system and method for a dispenser assembly utilizes a camera to sense a desired fill level based on the location of a user's finger with respect to a container. In use, a consumer places his or her finger along a container to indicate the desired fill level of the container. Image data from the camera is transmitted to a controller and processed for distortion correction, edge based image segmentation and morphological operations are carried out to remove background noise. The processed image data is utilized to detect the presence of the container, as well as the shape of the container, the position of the container opening, and the top and bottom points of the container. The controller provides a means for controlling the dispensing operation, including a fill rate, based on the desired fill level and the shape of the container. | 09-08-2011 |
20120144600 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDISTRIBUTING AN IMBALANCE IN A LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE - An apparatus and method for detecting an imbalance in the laundry load and effecting a redistribution of the imbalance by reducing the rotational speed of the treating chamber such that part of the load may redistribute while part of the load remains satellized, without ceasing rotation, and increasing the rotational speed back to a spin speed after redistribution. | 06-14-2012 |
20120246835 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A COUNTERBALANCE TO AN IMBALANCE IN A LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE - An apparatus and method for detecting an imbalance in the laundry load within the treating chamber and forming a counterbalance to the imbalance. | 10-04-2012 |
20130008556 | SELECT-FILL DISPENSING SYSTEM - A select-fill dispensing system and method for a dispenser assembly utilizes a camera to sense a desired fill level based on the location of a user's finger with respect to a container. In use, a consumer places his or her finger along a container to indicate the desired fill level of the container. Image data from the camera is transmitted to a controller and processed for distortion correction, edge based image segmentation and morphological operations are carried out to remove background noise. The processed image data is utilized to detect the presence of the container, as well as the shape of the container, the position of the container opening, and the top and bottom points of the container. The controller provides a means for controlling the dispensing operation, including a fill rate, based on the desired fill level and the shape of the container. | 01-10-2013 |
20130152311 | CONTINUOUS HIGH SPEED INERTIA DETECTION - A laundry treating appliance has a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving a laundry load for treatment according to at least one cycle of operation and operated such that the extraction of liquid from the laundry load is controlled based on the inertia of the laundry load. | 06-20-2013 |
20130152312 | METHOD FOR DETECTING SATELLIZATION SPEED OF CLOTHES LOAD IN A HORIZONTAL AXIS LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE - A laundry treating appliance may include a rotatable treating chamber for receiving a laundry load for treatment, and a motor for rotating the treating chamber, and may be operated such that during the acceleration of the laundry load toward a satellizing speed, the satellizing of the laundry load may be detected, whereby subsequent operation of the laundry treating appliance may be controlled based on the detection. | 06-20-2013 |
20130160219 | EFFICIENT ENERGY USAGE FOR A LAUNDRY APPLIANCE - A laundry treating appliance has a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving a laundry load for treatment according to at least one cycle of operation and operated such that the extraction of liquid from the laundry load is controlled based on the inertia of the laundry load so that the total energy usage by the laundry treating appliance and a laundry drying appliance with which it is operably coupled may be minimized. | 06-27-2013 |
20130160220 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING AN INERTIA OF A LAUNDRY LOAD IN A LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE - An apparatus and method for determining an inertia of a laundry load for a laundry treating appliance during an acceleration phase. | 06-27-2013 |
20130160221 | METHOD FOR MAXIMIZING DRUM ROTATIONAL SPEED BY CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING INERTIA DURING EXTRACTION - A laundry treating appliance may have a rotatable drum defining a treating chamber for receiving a laundry load, a motor rotatably driving the drum, and a controller controlling the operation of the motor. The laundry treating appliance may be operated by accelerating the drum with the motor toward a final speed greater than a satellizing speed, determining a mass value indicative of the mass of the rotating drum and contents within the treating chamber during the accelerating, determining a current rotational speed during the acceleration, calculating a force value indicative of a force acting on the drum based on the determined mass value and the current rotational speed, comparing the force value to a reference force value, and repeating the determining, calculating, and comparing during the acceleration, and ceasing the accelerating when the force value obtains a predetermined relationship with the reference force value. | 06-27-2013 |
20140013517 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A laundry treating appliance for treating a laundry load according to at least one cycle of operation and a method of operating a laundry treating appliance to determine a speed at which the laundry satellizes, comparing the same to a given amount or range, and altering execution of the at least one cycle of operation based on comparison such that the laundry treating appliance may be operated in an effective and efficient manner. | 01-16-2014 |
20140013518 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A laundry treating appliance for treating a laundry load according to at least one cycle of operation and a method of operating a laundry treating appliance to determine an amount of imbalance of the laundry load in the drum based on a determined average peak-to-peak value and taking corrective action when the determined amount of imbalance does not satisfy a threshold. | 01-16-2014 |
20140020482 | DETECTING SATELLIZATION OF A LAUNDRY LOAD - A method of determining satellization of a laundry load in a washing machine by filtering a drum motor torque signal to block drum frequencies and pass high frequencies to enable further conditioning of the high frequencies and facilitate efficient and accurate determination of satellization. | 01-23-2014 |
20140090181 | LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A laundry treating appliance for treating a laundry load according to at least one cycle of operation and a method of operating a laundry treating appliance to control the rotation of the drum to distribute the laundry load with an acceptable amount of imbalance such that the laundry treating appliance may be operated in an effective and efficient manner. | 04-03-2014 |
20140366586 | EFFICIENT ENERGY USAGE FOR A LAUNDRY APPLIANCE - A laundry treating appliance has a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving a laundry load for treatment according to at least one cycle of operation and operated such that the extraction of liquid from the laundry load is controlled based on the inertia of the laundry load so that the total energy usage by the laundry treating appliance and a laundry drying appliance with which it is operably coupled may be minimized. | 12-18-2014 |