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US-12618190-B2 - Washing machine dry cycle efficacy prediction

US12618190B2US 12618190 B2US12618190 B2US 12618190B2US-12618190-B2

Abstract

A method of operating a washing machine appliance includes rotating a wash basket within the washing machine appliance and monitoring a humidity for a period of time while rotating the wash basket. The method also includes determining a slope of the monitored humidity over the period of time. In response to the determined slope being less than a minimum threshold, the method includes providing a user notification.

Inventors

  • Wonmyung Seo
  • Taehyun YOON

Assignees

  • HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20220928

Claims (18)

  1. 1 . A method of operating a washing machine appliance, the method comprising: rotating a wash basket within the washing machine appliance; monitoring a humidity for a period of time while rotating the wash basket; determining a slope of the monitored humidity over the period of time; and providing a user notification in response to the determined slope being less than a minimum threshold.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the washing machine appliance comprises a cabinet, an aperture defined through the cabinet, a wash tub positioned within the cabinet, and a door pivotably mounted to the cabinet at an opening in the cabinet, whereby the door is pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the wash basket is rotatably mounted within the wash tub, wherein the door permits access to the wash basket through the opening when in the open position and encloses the wash basket within the cabinet when in the closed position, wherein the aperture is open to an ambient environment external to the cabinet when the door is in the closed position, and wherein rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance comprises drawing a flow of ambient air through the aperture from the ambient environment into the wash basket.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising, prior to rotating the wash basket, opening a damper positioned within the cabinet of the washing machine appliance between the door and the wash basket to provide fluid communication between the wash basket and the ambient environment external to the cabinet, wherein the damper is downstream of the aperture and upstream of the wash basket with respect to the flow of ambient air from the ambient environment external to the cabinet through the washing machine appliance.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising washing a load of articles in the wash basket prior to rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance, wherein washing the load of articles in the wash basket comprises flowing a volume of water into a wash tub of the washing machine appliance, rotating the wash basket at an extraction speed after flowing the volume of water into the tub, and activating a drain pump of the washing machine appliance whereby wash liquid is removed from the wash tub of the washing machine appliance after flowing the volume of water into the tub.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein washing the load of articles in the wash basket prior to rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance and rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance are performed in a single continuous sequence.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising continuing to rotate the wash basket within the washing machine appliance after providing the user notification, monitoring the humidity for a second period of time while continuing to rotate the wash basket, determining a second slope of the monitored humidity over the second period of time, and providing a second user notification in response to the determined second slope being less than the minimum threshold.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the humidity comprises monitoring the humidity with a humidity sensor positioned in a vent line of the washing machine appliance.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the washing machine appliance does not include a heating element.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of time is about thirty minutes.
  10. 10 . A washing machine appliance, comprising: a wash basket rotatably mounted in the washing machine appliance; and a controller, the controller configured for: rotating the wash basket; monitoring a humidity for a period of time while rotating the wash basket; determining a slope of the monitored humidity over the period of time; and providing a user notification in response to the determined slope being less than a minimum threshold.
  11. 11 . The washing machine appliance of claim 10 , further comprising a cabinet, an aperture defined through the cabinet, a wash tub positioned within the cabinet, and a door pivotably mounted to the cabinet at an opening in the cabinet, whereby the door is pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the wash basket is rotatably mounted within the wash tub, wherein the door permits access to the wash basket through the opening when in the open position and encloses the wash basket within the cabinet when in the closed position, wherein the aperture is open to an ambient environment external to the cabinet when the door is in the closed position, and wherein rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance comprises drawing a flow of ambient air through the aperture from the ambient environment into the wash basket.
  12. 12 . The washing machine appliance of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured for, prior to rotating the wash basket, opening a damper positioned within the cabinet of the washing machine appliance between the door and the wash basket to provide fluid communication between the wash basket and the ambient environment external to the cabinet, wherein the damper is downstream of the aperture and upstream of the wash basket with respect to the flow of ambient air from the ambient environment external to the cabinet through the washing machine appliance.
  13. 13 . The washing machine appliance of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured for washing a load of articles in the wash basket prior to rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance, wherein washing the load of articles in the wash basket comprises flowing a volume of water into a wash tub of the washing machine appliance, rotating the wash basket at an extraction speed after flowing the volume of water into the tub, and activating a drain pump of the washing machine appliance whereby wash liquid is removed from the wash tub of the washing machine appliance after flowing the volume of water into the tub.
  14. 14 . The washing machine appliance of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured for washing the load of articles in the wash basket and rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance after washing the load of articles in a single continuous sequence.
  15. 15 . The washing machine appliance of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured for continuing to rotate the wash basket within the washing machine appliance after providing the user notification, monitoring the humidity for a second period of time while continuing to rotate the wash basket, determining a second slope of the monitored humidity over the second period of time, and providing a second user notification in response to the determined second slope being less than the minimum threshold.
  16. 16 . The washing machine appliance of claim 10 , further comprising a humidity sensor positioned in a vent line of the washing machine appliance, wherein the controller is configured for monitoring the humidity with the humidity sensor.
  17. 17 . The washing machine appliance of claim 10 , wherein the washing machine appliance does not include a heating element.
  18. 18 . The washing machine appliance of claim 10 , wherein the period of time is about thirty minutes.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present subject matter relates generally to washing machine appliances, and more particularly to washing machine appliances operable to perform a drying cycle, such as a one-step wash and dry cycle in a single, continuous cycle of a single appliance. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Washing machine appliances generally include a wash tub for containing water or wash fluid (e.g., water, detergent, bleach, or other wash additives). A basket is rotatably mounted within the wash tub and defines a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. During normal operation of such washing machine appliances, the wash fluid is directed into the wash tub and onto articles within the wash chamber of the basket. The basket or an agitation element can rotate at various speeds to agitate articles within the wash chamber, to wring wash fluid from articles within the wash chamber, etc. Some existing washing machine appliances, such as horizontal axis washing machines, are provided with one or more ventilation features. Such features may allow a washing machine appliance to exchange air between the wash tub and the ambient environment. The exchange of air may be useful to dry the wash tub, wash basket, and/or articles therein. Although such ventilation features may by used to dry articles in a washing machine appliance, the drying process may take an excessively long time and/or may not dry the articles to the extent desired. For example, a drying cycle in a washing machine appliance may be recommended only for smaller loads, whereas attempting to run the drying cycle in the washing machine appliance on a larger load may result in underdrying the load or other suboptimal drying performance. As a result, it is desired in the art to provide a predicted efficacy for a drying cycle in a washing machine appliance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. In one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a washing machine appliance is provided. The method includes rotating a wash basket within the washing machine appliance and monitoring a humidity for a period of time while rotating the wash basket. The method also includes determining a slope of the monitored humidity over the period of time. The method further includes providing a user notification in response to the determined slope being less than a minimum threshold. In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a washing machine appliance is provided. The washing machine appliance includes a wash basket rotatably mounted in the washing machine appliance and a controller. The controller is configured for rotating the wash basket and monitoring a humidity for a period of time while rotating the wash basket. The controller is also configured for determining a slope of the monitored humidity over the period of time. The controller is further configured for providing a user notification in response to the determined slope being less than a minimum threshold. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures. FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of a washing machine appliance according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 provides a cross-sectional side view of the exemplary washing machine appliance. FIG. 3 provides a schematic side view of an exemplary washing machine appliance according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 provides an enlarged view of a portion of the washing machine appliance of FIG. 3 according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 provides an enlarged view of a portion of the washing machine appliance of FIG. 3 according to one or more additional exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 provides an enlarged view of a portion of the washing machine appliance of FIG. 3 according to one or more further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 provides an exemplary plot of humidity over time for an exemplary operation which includes washing and drying a load of articles in a washing machine appliance according to one or more additional exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 provides another exemplary p