阅读说明：本技术 在组合式洗衣烘干机中清洁棉绒过滤器的方法 (Method for cleaning a lint filter in a combined washer dryer ) 是由 马科斯·贾维尔·里奥斯·阿塞巴尔 埃里克·G·格里斯沃尔德 布鲁克·M·冈德森 尼古拉斯·利普 于 2020-11-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种具有组合式洗衣机/烘干机的衣物处理器具的操作方法,该组合式洗衣机/烘干机具有限定内部的机壳、位于内部的桶及位于桶内部并限定处理室的可旋转滚筒、以及空气再循环导管,该方法包括向处理室供水、旋转滚筒以及从衣物处理器具中排出水。(A method of operating a laundry treatment appliance having a combination washer/dryer with a cabinet defining an interior, a tub located in the interior and a rotatable drum located in the tub and defining a treatment chamber, and an air recirculation duct, the method comprising supplying water to the treatment chamber, rotating the drum, and draining water from the laundry treatment appliance.)

1. A method of cleaning a lint filter in a combination washer dryer, the combination washer dryer having: a barrel; a controller; a drum rotatably mounted within the tub; an air conduit having a port fluidly connected to the tub; and a lint filter fluidly coupled to the port and located in the tub, the method comprising:

supplying a water load to the tub sufficient to at least partially immerse the drum without immersing the lint filter; and

rotating the drum for a predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the controller, whether a previous cycle performed by the combination washer-dryer is a drying cycle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining performed by the controller is completed before initiating the supply of the water load or rotating the drum.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the supplying of the water load and the rotating the drum do not occur if the drying cycle is not performed.

5. The method of one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising determining, by the controller, whether a single-dose dispenser is selected for a current cycle such that the single-dose dispenser comprises a treatment chemical.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selection of the single-dose dispenser comprises one of: a manual selection by a user via a selection of a cycle requiring manual addition of treatment chemical to the single-dose dispenser; manual selection of the single-dose dispenser by a user from a user interface; and by automatic selection upon sensing the presence of treatment chemical on the single dose dispenser.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a sensor senses the presence of treatment chemical in the single dose dispenser.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining by the controller whether operation of the single-dose dispenser is selected is done prior to initiating supply of the water load or rotating the drum.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein if the controller determines that a single dose dispenser is selected, the supplying of the water load and the rotating the drum do not occur.

10. The method of one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising determining, by the controller, whether the combined washer dryer includes a secondary water supply.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the secondary water supply bypasses a single dose dispenser.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the supplying of the water load occurs by the secondary water supply.

13. The method of one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising determining, by the controller, whether the combination washer-dryer includes a batch dispenser.

14. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the method is automatically implemented when a user selects the start of a wash cycle.

15. The method of one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the method is implemented manually when a user selects a lint removal routine at a user interface.

Technical Field

The present application relates to a method of cleaning a lint filter in a combination washer dryer.

Background

Laundry treatment appliances such as washing machines, combination washer/dryers, fresheners and non-water systems may have a construction based on a rotating drum that at least partially defines a treatment chamber in which laundry items are placed for treatment. The laundry treating appliance may have a controller that implements a plurality of user-selectable preprogrammed operating cycles having one or more operating parameters. Hot water, cold water, or mixtures thereof, and various treatment chemicals may be supplied to the treatment chamber according to the operating cycle. In addition, hot air, cold air, or a mixture thereof may be supplied to the process chamber via the airflow assembly according to an operation cycle.

In laundry treatment appliances having a drying system, typically, an air flow circuit moves process air through a process chamber to evaporate water from a load of laundry articles via an inlet and an outlet in the process chamber. A filter may be placed in the airflow circuit to help capture or reduce lint from the airflow within the laundry treatment appliance.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method of removing lint from a lint filter by rotating a drum within a tub to move liquid in the tub onto the lint filter. The speed profile can be controlled together with the amount of liquid to achieve lint removal from the lint filter.

In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method of cleaning a lint filter in a combination laundry dryer having a tub, a controller, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, an air conduit having a port fluidly connected to the tub, and a lint filter fluidly coupled to the port and located in the tub. The method determines whether a previous cycle performed by the combination washer-dryer is a drying cycle, determines whether a single-dose dispenser is selected for a current cycle, supplies a water load sufficient to at least partially immerse the drum without immersing the lint filter if the controller determines that the previous cycle is a drying cycle and that the single-dose dispenser is not selected, and rotates the drum for a predetermined period of time.

Drawings

In the drawings:

fig. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance, shown as a combination washer/dryer, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a control system of the laundry treating appliance of fig. 1 according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3A is a flowchart of a method of operating the laundry treating appliance of fig. 1 according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3B is a schematic diagram of the method of fig. 3A.

Fig. 4 is a diagram of a method of operating the laundry treatment appliance of fig. 1 in conjunction with the method of fig. 3A, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method of removing lint or fluff from portions of an interior of a combined washer and dryer after a drying cycle and before a washing cycle. The laundry treating appliance may be provided with a structure and function for washing and drying laundry within a single appliance. In the case of such a combined washing and drying appliance, in addition to the components provided in a conventional washing machine, additional components for drying laundry are provided within the appliance. Non-limiting examples of such drying components include air flow paths (including air inlets and air outlets to the tub interior), condensers, blowers, heating elements, and filters.

In conventional combined washing and drying machines, lint or fluff from the laundry may be deposited on the inner walls of the treatment chamber, as well as on one or more filters during the air flow path filter drying cycle. In a subsequent wash cycle, lint or fluff from a previous drying cycle may be deposited on the laundry during the wash cycle. Furthermore, the accumulation of lint on the filter during operation may adversely affect the performance of the laundry appliance, particularly during the drying phase. Lint may, for example, accumulate at an inlet of the drying air duct (e.g., an inlet of a recirculation system or a blower) and restrict an air flow from the tub to the drying air duct, thus reducing drying efficiency of the laundry treatment appliance and wasting energy. In the present disclosure, a combination washing and drying machine includes a lint removal routine to wash lint from the interior of the tub and filter and discharge the lint from the appliance prior to beginning a wash cycle. The lint removal routine may be implemented as a separate operation cycle or as an additional operation to another operation cycle.

The present disclosure also includes policies for when to implement lint removal routines. If there is no drying stage or cycle of operation, implementation of the lint removal routine is generally not required. While combination machines typically operate in a back-to-back wash and dry cycle of operation, they may operate in only a wash cycle of operation or only a dry cycle of operation. If the lint removal routine is run after the independent washing cycle operation, there is little lint to be removed, and implementing the lint removal routine is not an efficient use of resources. Accordingly, the present disclosure seeks to find various ways of determining when a drying cycle of operation occurs, whether alone or in combination with a washing cycle of operation. The lint removal routine may be run after a drying operation cycle has occurred or after a predetermined number of drying cycles.

Laundry treatment appliances are generally classified as either vertical axis laundry treatment appliances or horizontal axis laundry treatment appliances. As used herein, the term "horizontal axis" laundry treating appliance refers to a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum that rotates about a substantially horizontal axis relative to a surface supporting the laundry treating appliance. The drum may rotate about an axis that is tilted with respect to a horizontal axis, with a fifteen degree tilt being one example of such a tilt. Similar to a horizontal axis laundry treating appliance, the term "vertical axis" laundry treating appliance refers to a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum that rotates about a substantially vertical axis relative to a surface supporting the laundry treating appliance. However, the axis of rotation need not be completely perpendicular to the surface. The drum may rotate about an axis that is tilted with respect to a vertical axis, with a fifteen degree tilt being one example of such a tilt.

Regardless of the axis of rotation, the laundry treating appliance may be top-loaded or front-loaded. In the top loading laundry treating appliance, laundry is put into the drum through the access opening at the top of the cabinet, and in the front loading laundry treating appliance, laundry is put into the drum through the access opening at the front of the cabinet. If the laundry treating appliance is a top-loading horizontal axis laundry treating appliance or a front-loading vertical axis laundry treating appliance, the additional access opening is located on the drum.

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance shown as a horizontal axis combination washer/dryer 10. It should be understood that the laundry treatment appliance need not be a combined washing and drying laundry treatment appliance, but rather any suitable laundry treatment appliance for treating laundry placed therein, non-limiting examples of which include horizontal or vertical axis washing machines; horizontal or vertical axis dryers; a combined washing machine and dryer; a tumbling or stationary freshener/recovery machine (revitalizing machine); an extractor; a non-aqueous washing apparatus; and a restorer. Although the laundry treating appliance is illustrated herein as a horizontal-axis, front-loading laundry treating appliance, aspects of the present disclosure may have applicability in laundry treating appliances having other configurations. Laundry treating appliances share many features of conventional automatic washing machines and/or dryers, which will not be described in detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of exemplary aspects according to the present disclosure.

The combination washer/dryer 10 may include a structural support assembly including a cabinet 12, the cabinet 12 defining a housing in which the laundry retaining assembly is located. The cabinet 12 may be a housing having a chassis and/or frame to which decorative panels may or may not be mounted, thereby defining interior enclosure components such as motors, pumps, fluid lines, controls, sensors, transducers, and the like, typically found in conventional laundry treating appliances. Such components will not be described further herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the present disclosure.

The clothes holding assembly of the illustrated combination washer/dryer 10 includes a tub 14, the tub 14 being dynamically suspended within a structural support system of the cabinet 12 by a suitable suspension system 15, the tub 14 at least partially defining a treatment chamber 18. A rotatable drum 16 may be disposed within the tub 14 to further define at least a portion of a laundry treatment chamber 18. The drum 16 is configured to receive a load of clothing including items for treatment including, but not limited to, hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, coats, shirts, shorts, dresses, socks, and pants, shoes, undergarments, and coats.

The drum 16 may include a plurality of perforations 20 such that liquid may flow between the tub 14 and the drum 16 through the perforations 20. It is also within the scope of the present disclosure that the laundry holding system comprises only one container defining a laundry treatment chamber 18 for receiving a load to be treated. As the drum 16 rotates, at least one lifter 22 may extend from a wall of the drum 16 to lift a load of laundry received in the treatment chamber 18.

The laundry holding assembly may further include an enclosure, shown here as a door assembly 24, movably mounted or coupled to the cabinet 12 to selectively enclose both the tub 14 and the drum 16, as well as the treatment chamber 18. By way of non-limiting example, the door assembly 24 may be hingedly coupled to the housing 12 to move between an open state (not shown) and a closed state (as shown).

A bellows 26 may extend between the tub 14 and the cabinet 12 to couple the open face of the tub 14 with the cabinet 12, wherein the door assembly 24 seals against the bellows 26 or the cabinet 12, or both, when the door assembly 24 closes the tub 14. In the open state, the door assembly 24 may be spaced apart from the bellows 26 and may allow access to the processing chamber 18. The bellows 26 may sealingly couple the open face of the tub 14 with the cabinet 12 such that liquid is not permitted to move from the tub 14 into the interior of the cabinet 12.

The combined washer/dryer 10 may further include a wash circuit, which may include a liquid supply system for supplying water to the combined washer/dryer 10 for treating laundry during an operating cycle. The liquid supply system may include a water source, such as a domestic water supply 30, which may include separate valves 32, 34 for controlling the flow of hot and cold water, respectively. The valves 32, 34 may be opened individually or together to provide a mixture of hot and cold water at a selected temperature. The valves 32, 34 are selectively openable to supply water directly to the tub 14 or drum 16 through the inlet conduit 36 by controlling the first and second diverter mechanisms 38 and 40, respectively. The diverter mechanisms 38, 40 may each be a diverter valve having two outlets, such that each of the diverter mechanisms 38, 40 may selectively direct a flow of liquid to one or both of the two flow paths. Water from the domestic water supply 30 may flow through the inlet conduit 36 to the first diverter means 38, which first diverter means 38 may direct the flow of liquid to the supply conduit 42. The second diverter mechanism 40 on the supply conduit 42 may direct the liquid stream to a drum outlet conduit 44, which may be provided with a nozzle 46, the nozzle 46 being configured to inject the liquid stream into the drum 14 in a desired manner and at a desired amount of pressure. For example, the nozzle 46 may be configured to dispense water flow or stream (i.e., non-pressurized stream) into the barrel 14 by gravity. In this way, water from the domestic water supply 30 may be supplied directly to the tub 14. While the valves 32, 34 and inlet conduit 36 are shown on the exterior of the enclosure 12, it should be understood that these components may be located on the interior of the enclosure 12.

The combination washer/dryer 10 may also be provided with a dispensing system for dispensing treatment chemicals to the treatment chamber 18 according to an operating cycle for treating the load of laundry. The dispensing system may include a treatment chemical dispenser 52, which treatment chemical dispenser 52 may be a single dose dispenser, a batch dispenser, or an integrated single dose and batch dispenser, and is fluidly coupled to treatment chamber 18. Optionally, a sensor 53 may be positioned in or near the dispenser 52 to sense the presence of the treatment chemical. The treatment chemical dispenser 52 may be configured to dispense treatment chemical directly to the barrel 14 or to mix with water from the liquid supply system through a dispensing outlet conduit 54. In addition, water from the water supply 30 may also be supplied to the barrel 14 by the treatment chemical dispenser without the addition of treatment chemicals. The dispensing outlet conduit 54 may include a dispensing nozzle 56, the dispensing nozzle 56 being configured to dispense the treatment chemical into the barrel 14 in a desired manner and at a desired amount of pressure. For example, the dispensing nozzle 56 may be configured to dispense a flow or stream (i.e., a non-pressurized stream) of the treatment chemical into the barrel 14 by gravity. Water may be supplied to the treatment chemical dispenser 52 from the supply conduit 42 by directing the flow of water through the directing diverter mechanism 40 to the dispensing supply conduit 58.

The treatment chemical dispenser 52 may include multiple chambers or reservoirs for receiving doses of different treatment chemicals. The treatment chemical dispenser 52 may be implemented as a dispensing drawer that is slidably received within the cabinet 12 or received within a separate dispenser housing that may be disposed in the cabinet 12. The treatment chemical dispenser 52 is movable between a filling position in which the treatment chemical dispenser 52 is located outside the enclosure 12 and can be filled with treatment chemical, and a dispensing position in which the treatment chemical dispenser 52 is located inside the enclosure 12.

Non-limiting examples of treatment chemicals that may be dispensed by the dispensing system during an operating cycle include one or more of the following: water, detergents, surfactants, enzymes, fragrances, stiffening/sizing agents, wrinkle/reducing agents, softeners, antistatic or static agents, anti-soiling agents, water repellents, energy reduction/extraction aids, antimicrobial agents, medicaments, vitamins, humectants, anti-shrinkage agents, and color fidelity agents, and combinations thereof. The treatment chemical may be in the form of a liquid, a powder, or any other suitable phase or state of matter.

The combination washer/dryer 10 may also include a recirculation and drain system for recirculating liquid within the clothes retention system and draining liquid from the combination washer/dryer 10. Liquid supplied to the tub 14 through the tub outlet conduit 44 and/or the distribution supply conduit 58 generally enters a space 59 between the tub 14 and the drum 16 and may flow by gravity to a sump 60 formed in part by the lower portion of the tub 14. The sump 60 may also be formed by a sump conduit 62, which sump conduit 62 may fluidly couple a lower portion of the tub 14 to a pump 64. The pump 64 has an inlet fluidly coupled with the sump 60 and an outlet configured to fluidly couple to and direct liquid to a drain conduit 66 or recirculation conduit 68, the drain conduit 66 may drain liquid from the combination washer/dryer 10, and the recirculation conduit 68 may terminate at a recirculation inlet 70. The recirculation inlet 70 may direct liquid from the recirculation conduit 68 into the drum 16. The recirculation inlet 70 may introduce liquid into the drum 16 in any suitable manner, such as by spraying, dripping, or providing a steady flow of liquid. In this manner, liquid, with or without treatment chemicals, provided to the tub 14 may be recirculated into the treatment chamber 18 to treat the laundry load therein. The recirculation and discharge assembly may include other types of recirculation systems.

The liquid supply and/or recirculation and drain system may be provided with a heating system, which may include one or more devices for heating the laundry and/or liquid supplied to the tub 14, such as a steam generator 72, an in-line heater 73, and/or a sump heater 74. Liquid from the domestic water supply 30 may be supplied to the steam generator 72 through the inlet conduit 36 by controlling the first diverter mechanism 38 to direct the flow of liquid to the steam supply conduit 76. The steam generated by the steam generator 72 may be supplied to the tub 14 through the steam outlet conduit 77. The steam generator 72 may be any suitable type of steam generator, such as a flow-through steam generator or a canister steam generator. Alternatively, the sump heater 74 may be used in place of the steam generator 72 or in addition to the steam generator 72 to generate steam. In addition to or in lieu of generating steam, the steam generator 72 and/or sump heater 74 may be used to heat the laundry and/or liquid within the tub 14 as part of the operating cycle. A sump heater 74 may be disposed within the sump 60 to heat liquid collected in the sump 60. Alternatively, the heating assembly may include an in-line heater that heats the liquid as it flows through the liquid supply, distribution and/or recirculation assembly.

It should be noted that the suspension system, liquid supply system, recirculation and drain system, and distribution system shown are shown for exemplary purposes only and are not limited to the systems shown in the figures and described above. For example, the liquid supply, distribution and recirculation and pump systems may differ from the configuration shown in fig. 1, such as by including other valves, conduits, treatment chemical dispensers, sensors (such as water level sensors and temperature sensors), etc. to control the flow of liquid through the combination washer/dryer 10 and introduce more than one treatment chemical. For example, the liquid supply system may include a single valve for controlling the flow of water from a household water source. In another example, the recirculation and pump system may include two separate pumps for recirculation and discharge, rather than the single pump previously described. In another example, the liquid supply assembly may be configured to supply liquid to the inside of the drum 16 or to the inside of the tub 14 not occupied by the drum 16, so that the liquid may be directly supplied to the tub 14 without passing through the drum 16.

The combined washer/dryer 10 also includes a drive system for rotating the drum 16 within the tub 14. The drive system may include a motor 78, which motor 78 may be directly coupled with the drum 16 via a drive shaft 80 to rotate the drum 16 about an axis of rotation during an operating cycle. The motor 78 may be a Brushless Permanent Magnet (BPM) motor having a stator 82 and a rotor 84. Alternatively, the motor 78 may be coupled to the drum 16 by a belt and drive shaft to rotate the drum 16, as is known in the art. Other motors, such as induction motors or Permanent Split Capacitor (PSC) motors, may also be used. The motor 78 can rotate the drum 16 at various speeds in either rotational direction.

The motor 78 may rotate the drum 16 in opposite rotational directions at various speeds. In particular, the motor 78 may rotate the drum 16 at a tumbling speed, wherein the fabric articles in the drum 16 rotate with the drum 16 from the lowermost position of the drum 16 toward the uppermost position of the drum 16, but fall back to the lowermost position of the drum 16 before reaching the uppermost position of the drum 16. At least one lifter 22 may facilitate rotation of the fabric articles with the drum 16. Typically, the force applied to the fabric article at the tumbling speed is less than 1G. Alternatively, the motor 78 may rotate the drum 16 at a rotational speed wherein the fabric items rotate with the drum 16 without falling. The rotational speed may also be referred to as the satellite speed or the stick speed. Typically, the force applied to the fabric article at the rotational speed is greater than or about equal to 1G. As used herein, "tumbling" of drum 16 means rotating the drum at a tumbling speed, "spinning" drum 16 means rotating drum 16 at a spinning speed, and "spinning" of drum 16 means rotating drum 16 at any speed.

The combination washer/dryer 10 may further include a drying air circuit 90 fluidly coupled to the treatment chamber 18 for drying the laundry. The dry air circuit 90 may be a closed loop circuit or an open loop circuit. The drying air circuit 90 may include a process chamber air inlet 92 and a process chamber air outlet 94, and in particular may be fluidly coupled with the process chamber air inlet 92 and the process chamber air outlet 94 and configured to supply drying air through the process chamber 18 from the process chamber air inlet 92 to the process chamber air outlet 94. Although the process chamber air inlet 92 is shown herein as being disposed on the bellows 26, it should be understood that the process chamber air inlet 92 may be disposed at any suitable location of the process chamber 18, including as an opening in at least one of the drum 16 or the tub 14. The process chamber air outlet 94 is shown herein as being disposed at the tub 14, the drum 16, and the rear wall of the process chamber 18, but such locations are not limited. The chamber air outlet 94 may include a filter 93 to prevent lint from entering the dry air circuit 90. The process chamber air inlet 92 and the process chamber air outlet 94 may be disposed at any suitable location of the process chamber 18 so long as they are spaced apart from one another to allow dry air to flow through the process chamber 18.

In one example, the drying air circuit 90 may be provided as a closed loop or recirculation drying air circuit 90, as shown herein. The closed loop drying air circuit 90 may define a drying air flow path, as indicated by arrow 95, to recirculate air through the process chamber 18. The closed loop dry air circuit 90 may include a condenser 96, a blower 98, a heating section 100, and a dry air conduit 102. The condenser 96 may be provided with a condenser discharge conduit (not shown) that fluidly couples the condenser 96 with the pump 64 and the discharge conduit 66. The condensed liquid collected in the condenser 96 may flow through a condenser discharge conduit to the pump 64, where it may be provided to a recirculation and discharge assembly. A blower 98 is fluidly coupled to the process chamber 18 such that actuation of the blower 98 supplies or circulates air through the process chamber 18 by flowing the air from the process chamber air inlet 92 to the process chamber air outlet 94. The heating section 100 may include at least one heater or heating element (not shown) configured to heat the recirculation air flowing through the drying air circuit 90. In one example, the drying air circuit 90 may be disposed adjacent an upper portion of the tub 14, but it should be understood that the drying air circuit 90 need not be disposed adjacent an upper portion of the tub 14 and may be disposed at any suitable location adjacent the tub 14 or the process chamber 18.

In one example, the drying air flow path 95 may pass through components of the closed loop drying air circuit 90 such that air exiting the process chamber 18 through the process chamber air outlet 94 flows through a condenser 96, through a blower 98, through a heating portion 100 to be heated to become drying air, and then through a drying air conduit 102 to enter the process chamber 18 through the process chamber air inlet 92. However, although the blower 98 is shown herein as being disposed between the condenser 96 and the heating section 100, and specifically between downstream of the condenser 96 and upstream of the heating section 100, it should be understood that the blower 98 may be disposed at any suitable location within the drying air circuit 90 so as to drive the supply of air along the drying air flow path 95. By way of non-limiting example, a blower 98 may be disposed between the process chamber air outlet 94 and the condenser 96, or between the heating portion 100 and the process chamber air inlet 92. Further, although the closed-loop drying air circuit 90 is illustrated herein as including both the condenser 96 and the heating portion 100, it should be understood that the closed-loop drying air circuit 90 may also include the condenser 96 but not the heating portion 100, or may include the heating portion 100 but not the condenser 96.

When the drying air circuit 90 is set to the open-loop drying air circuit 90, the condenser 96 is not necessary. Alternatively, rather than fluidly coupling the condenser 96, the blower 98 may be fluidly coupled with a source of ambient air that may draw in ambient air from within the enclosure 12 or from outside the enclosure 12. Ambient air may be provided from blower 98 to heating section 100 to provide heating through dry air conduit 102 to enter process chamber 18 through process chamber air inlet 92. The air that flows through the treating chamber 18 and collects moisture from the laundry within the treating chamber 18 is then discharged through the treating chamber air outlet 94, and may be discharged to the outside of the cabinet 12. Since the drying air is not recirculated to the process chamber 18, condensation is not required. In such examples, although blower 98 is shown as being disposed upstream of heating section 100, it will also be understood that blower 98 may be disposed between heating section 100 and process chamber air inlet 92. Additionally or alternatively, the same blower 98 or an additional blower 98 may be provided downstream of the process chamber air outlet 94 to draw exhaust gases from the process chamber 18.

The combined washer/dryer 10 also includes a control system for controlling the operation of the combined washer/dryer 10 to effect one or more cycles of operation. The control system may include a controller 106 located within the enclosure 12 and a user interface 108 operatively coupled to the controller 106. The user interface 108 may provide input and output functionality for the controller 106. In one example, the user interface 108 may be provided with the door assembly 24 or integrated with the door assembly 24. In another example, as shown, the user interface 108 may be disposed on a front panel of the chassis 12.

The user interface 108 may include one or more knobs, dials, switches, displays, touch screens, etc. for communicating with a user, such as receiving input and providing output. For example, the display may include any suitable communication technology, including a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an array of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), or any suitable display that may communicate messages to a user. The user may enter different types of information including, but not limited to, loop selections and loop parameters, such as loop options. Other communication paths and methods may also be included in the combination washer/dryer 10 and may allow the controller 106 to communicate with the user in various ways. For example, the controller 106 may be configured to send a text message to the user, send an email to the user, or provide audio information to the user through the combination washer/dryer 10 or using another device such as a mobile phone.

Controller 106 may include a machine controller and any additional controllers configured to control any components of combined washer/dryer 10. For example, the controller 106 may include a machine controller and a motor controller. The controller 106 may use many known types of controllers. It is contemplated that the controller is a microprocessor-based controller that implements control software and sends/receives one or more electrical signals to/from each of the working components to affect the control software. For example, proportional control (P), proportional integral control (PI), and proportional derivative control (PD), or a combination thereof (proportional integral derivative control (PID control)) may be used to control various components.

As shown in fig. 2, the controller 106 may be provided with a memory 110 and a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 112. The memory 110 may be used to store control software and any additional software executed by the CPU 112 in completing an operating cycle using the combination washer/dryer 10. Examples of operating cycles include, but are not limited to: wash, heavy duty wash, fine wash, quick wash, pre-wash, refresh, rinse only, timed wash, dry, heavy duty dry, fine dry, quick dry, or auto dry, which may be selected at the user interface 108. The memory 110 may also be used to store information, such as a database or table, as well as tables received from one or more components of the combination washer/dryer 10 that may be communicatively coupled with the controller 106. A database or table may be used to store various operating parameters for one or more operating cycles, including factory default values for the operating parameters and any adjustments made thereto by the control system or user input.

The controller 106 may be operatively coupled with one or more components of the combination washer/dryer 10 to communicate with the components and control operation of the components to complete an operating cycle. For example, the controller 106 may be operatively coupled with the valves 32, 34 and the diverter mechanisms 38, 40 for controlling the temperature and flow rate of the treatment liquid into the treatment chamber 18; coupled to the motor 78 for controlling the rotational direction and speed of the drum 16; coupled to the pump 64 for controlling the amount of treatment liquid in the treatment chamber 18 or the sump 60; coupled to the process chemical dispenser 52 for controlling the flow of process chemicals into the process chamber 18; coupled to the user interface 108 for receiving user-selected input and communicating information to the user; coupled with the steam generator 72, the sump heater 74, and the dry air circuit 90 (including the blower 98 and the heating section 100) to control the operation of these and other components to achieve one or more operating cycles.

The controller 106 may also be coupled to one or more sensors 104 disposed in one or more components of the combination washer/dryer 10 to receive inputs from the sensors 104, which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity. Non-limiting examples of sensors 104 that may be communicatively coupled with controller 106 include: a process chamber temperature sensor, such as a thermistor, which can detect the temperature of the process liquid in the process chamber 18 and/or the temperature of the process liquid supplied to the process chamber 18; a humidity sensor; a weight sensor; a chemical sensor; a position sensor; an imbalance sensor; a load size sensor; and a motor torque sensor that can be used to determine various assembly and laundry characteristics, such as laundry load inertia or mass. In one example, the characteristic determined by controller 106 based on input from sensor 104 may include determining whether treatment chemical has been added to the single-dose dispenser before beginning the operating cycle.

Fig. 3A is a flow chart of a method of operating lint removal routine (LCR)130 in the combination washer/dryer 10. It is contemplated that LCR130 may be implemented automatically as part of a wash cycle, or may be implemented manually when a user selects LCR130 at user interface 108. For example, the user interface may have a user input that allows the user to select the LCR, thereby allowing the user to run the routine at any time. LCR130 includes fill 132, spin 134, and drain 136. At fill 132, a water load is added to the bucket 14. Rotation 134 includes rotating drum 16 at a predetermined speed for a predetermined length of time, resulting in dynamic or turbulent water flow through filter 93, causing lint to fall off filter 93. At drain 136, lint and water from lint removal routine 130 is drained from sump 60 by pump 64 via drain conduit 66.

Fig. 3B schematically illustrates the LCR130 in the combined washer/dryer 10. By way of non-limiting example, LCR130 begins with fill 132, wherein a load of water 138 is added to tub 14, the water being sufficient to partially immerse drum 16, but not filter 93. For a typical machine, it is contemplated that such a water load will be 60 deciliters (about 1.58 U.S. gallons), which is less than the amount of water that is circulated for a typical treatment operation. Of course, the amount of water depends on the size of the tub and drum, the position of the drum in the tub, and the position of the filter 93 relative to the drum.

After filling 132 is complete, or even during filling 132, rotation is initiated at 134, where the drum 16 rotates such that the drum 16 interacts with the water 138 to shake a portion 140 of the water 138 onto the filter 93. For a typical machine, it is conceivable to rotate the drum in a direction towards the bottom of the filter, which is counterclockwise in fig. 3B, for about 30 seconds. Although the movement of water is described as "sloshing," any movement that removes lint from the filter 93 is acceptable. The rotation 134 is intended to create some type of water movement that will cause lint to be removed from the filter. While the movement of the water is accomplished by rotating the drum 16, it is contemplated that other means may be used to accomplish such movement of the water, including specialized devices such as baffles, agitators, or compressed air.

During or after completion of the rotation 134, a drain 136 is effected to remove lint-laden water from the tub. This draining may be accomplished by energizing the drain pump and draining the lint-laden water out of the drain conduit 66.

Variations on the described LCR are contemplated. For example, the amount of water 138 required to fill 132 may be different than the described amount of water. The amount of water required may depend on the machine and is the amount of water 138 required to interact with the drum 16 or other water moving device to sufficiently shed at least some of the lint from the filter 93. For machines that use a rotating drum to move water, the amount of water should be sufficiently immersed in the drum so that rotation of the drum will move the water to wash the lint from the filter. No additional water is required and this creates an additional load on the motor when attempting to rotate the drum through the water. That is, if a sufficiently powerful motor is available, the amount of water may be fully or partially immersed in the filter 93. However, such immersion of the filter 93 undesirably consumes more resources because more water is used than a water level that is not immersed in the inlet, and the motor will consume more power to move a greater amount of water. Furthermore, since the filter 93 is located at the process chamber air inlet 94 that is fluidly connected to the condenser 96, immersing the filter 93 in the water 138 may cause the water to enter the process chamber air outlet 94 or the condenser 96, which may result in reduced efficiency of the drying air circuit 90 due to the presence of water in the drying air circuit 90 or damage to portions of the drying air circuit 90.

The rotation 134 may be different than that described. The rotation 134 may comprise a single rotation cycle or multiple rotation cycles, which may be paused or paused apart before the ejection 136 occurs. The length of time, speed and direction of each rotation cycle may be the same or different. The length of time, speed, and direction of rotation for each revolution or combination of revolutions may be determined by the degree of interaction between the water 138 filled 132 and the filter 93 required to impart the desired amount of sloshing to the lint shed from the filter 93. The turbulence of the water 138 required to dislodge the lint from the filter 93 may also determine the speed and direction of rotation of the drum 16 during each rotation. The drum 16 may rotate counterclockwise, clockwise, in a reciprocating manner alternating between counterclockwise and clockwise, or a combination.

Depending on the type of laundry treatment appliance, when or whether LCR130 is implemented may be a problem. Some laundry treatment appliances include only a single water supply fluidly connecting the domestic water supply to the treatment chamber, wherein the single water supply passes through the treatment chemical dispenser for delivering the treatment chemical to the treatment chamber. In this type of laundry treatment appliance, since performing LCR involves supplying water to the tub, any treatment chemical in the dispenser will be flushed from the dispenser into the tub during filling 132 and expelled from the appliance during draining 136. Flushing the treatment chemical prior to the wash cycle results in running the cycle without the need for treatment chemical and wastes treatment chemical by simply flushing it from the ware. Given that it is not desirable to flush treatment chemical from a laundry treatment appliance prior to the wash cycle, it is advisable to determine whether the treatment chemical dispenser contains treatment chemical prior to starting the LCR. If the treatment chemical dispenser does contain treatment chemical, the LCR may be delayed to avoid premature flushing of the treatment chemical from the dispenser.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a method 120 of operating the controller 106 to determine when or whether to run a lint removal routine (LCR)130 is described. The method 120 begins when the user selects any type of wash cycle at 122. At 124, the controller 106 determines whether the previous cycle performed by the combination washer/dryer 10 is or includes any type of drying cycle. If the drying cycle was not previously run, there would not be any significant lint collection on the filter, and LCR130 would not need to be run. When it is determined that a drying cycle has not been previously run, then LCR is not achieved and the selected wash cycle is run at 128.

If any type of drying cycle was previously run, LCR130 would need to be performed, and decision control is passed to a check at 126 to determine if treatment chemical is present in the unit dose dispenser that would be undesirably rinsed away by performing LCR 130. The check at 126 may be made for any machine, but is most suitable for machines having one water supply through the dispenser. For the check at 126, controller 106 determines whether a single-dose dispenser has been "selected" for the current cycle. The user may manually select a single-dose dispenser via selecting a cycle that requires manual addition of treatment chemical to the single-dose dispenser, or the user may manually select a single-dose dispenser from user interface 108. The unit dose dispenser may also be automatically selected when the treatment chemical is added to the unit dose dispenser, for example, sensor 53 in or near the unit dose dispenser may sense the presence or addition of the treatment chemical in the unit dose dispenser and send a signal to controller 106 indicating the presence of the treatment chemical in the unit dose dispenser. If a single dose dispenser is not selected, LCR130 is activated, after which the method enters the selected wash cycle at 128. If a single dose dispenser is selected, LCR130 will not be activated and the method continues to the selected wash cycle 128.

Some laundry treatment appliances may include a secondary water supply or "fresh fill" that is not fluidly connected to the treatment chemical dispenser. In this type of laundry treatment appliance, if the supply of water to tub 14 during the filling 132 of LCR130 can be performed by a secondary water supply, LCR130 can be activated without prematurely rinsing the treatment chemical in the dispenser. For example, the combined washer/dryer 10 may have a secondary water supply via the second diverter mechanism 40 and the nozzle 46 configured to supply water from the domestic water supply 30 directly to the tub 14 or the condenser valve inlet. Since the secondary water supply may be configured to bypass the single-dose dispenser, method 120 may simply determine at 124 whether the previous cycle is a drying cycle, and if so, the method may proceed to LCR130 prior to running the selected wash cycle 128.

Alternatively, if the combination washer/dryer 10 is equipped with batch dispensing, the controller 106 may determine whether a batch dispenser has been selected for the current cycle. Selecting a batch dispenser to dispense the treatment chemical for the operating cycle may passively indicate to the controller 106 that a single dose dispenser is not selected. The user may select a batch dispenser via selecting a cycle that requires batch dispensing, manually select a batch dispenser from the user interface 108, or the controller 106 may automatically select a batch dispenser if the sensor does not detect the presence of treatment chemical in a single dose dispenser. In a combination washer/dryer 10 having only a single water inlet configured to enter a single-dose dispensing chamber, selection of a batch dispenser may provide the following indications to the controller 106: the monodose dispenser is not selected for the operating cycle, allowing water to enter the monodose dispensing chamber without premature addition of treatment chemicals to the operating cycle, and thus, the method 120 may initiate the lint removal routine (LCR)130 prior to the wash cycle 128. Conversely, the non-selection of a batch dispenser may passively indicate selection of a single dose dispenser, in which case method 120 does not initiate LCR130, but rather continues the selected wash cycle 128.

Alternatively, method 120 may include both a single dose dispenser and a batch dispenser selection check, where controller 106 may first determine whether a batch dispenser has been selected and then determine whether a single dose dispenser has been selected at 126, or vice versa, before determining whether to activate LCR 130.

To the extent not already described, the various features and structures of the various aspects may be used in combination with other aspects as desired. The failure to show a feature in all respects is not meant to be an interpretation of it, but for simplicity of description. Thus, the various features of the different aspects can be mixed and matched as desired to form new aspects, whether or not such aspects are explicitly described. Combinations or permutations of features described herein are covered by this disclosure.

It is intended that the following concepts may define at least part of the scope of the disclosure and that devices and/or methods within the scope of these concepts and their equivalents be covered thereby. It should be understood that this disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and that these concepts may be presented in this or a later application as any novel and non-obvious combination of these elements. Any aspect of any embodiment may be combined into any aspect of any of the other embodiments. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be included in this or a later application. For example, other inventions arising from the present disclosure may include any combination of the following concepts set forth in summary form:

1. a method of cleaning a lint filter in a combination washer-dryer having a tub, a controller, a drum rotatably mounted within the tub, an air conduit having a port fluidly connected to the tub, and a lint filter fluidly coupled to the port and located in the tub, the method comprising:

supplying water to the tub sufficient to at least partially immerse the drum without immersing the lint filter; and

the drum is rotated for a predetermined period of time.

2. The method according to the preceding clause, further comprising determining, by the controller, whether a previous cycle performed by the combination washer dryer is a drying cycle.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding clauses wherein the determining operation performed by the controller is completed before starting the supply of the water load or rotating the drum.

4. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the supplying of the water load and the rotating the drum do not occur if the drying cycle is not performed.

5. The method of any of the preceding clauses further comprising determining, by the controller, whether a single-dose dispenser is selected for the current cycle such that the single-dose dispenser comprises the treatment chemical.

6. The method of any of the preceding clauses wherein the selection of the single-dose dispenser comprises one of: a manual selection by a user via selection of a cycle requiring manual addition of treatment chemical to the single-dose dispenser; manual selection of a single-dose dispenser from a user interface by a user; and by automatic selection upon sensing the presence of treatment chemical on the single dose dispenser.

7. The method of any one of the preceding clauses wherein the sensor senses the presence of the treatment chemical in the single dose dispenser.

8. The method of any one of the preceding clauses wherein determining by the controller whether operation of the single-dose dispenser is selected is done prior to initiating the supply of the water load or rotating the drum.

9. The method according to any of the preceding clauses wherein the supplying of the water load and rotating the drum does not occur if the controller determines that a single-dose dispenser is selected.

10. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising determining, by the controller, whether the combination washer dryer includes a secondary water supply.

11. The method of any one of the preceding clauses wherein the secondary water supply bypasses a single dose dispenser.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the supply of the water load occurs by secondary water supply.

13. The method of any of the preceding clauses further including determining, by the controller, whether the combination washer dryer includes a batch dispenser.

14. The method of any of the preceding clauses wherein the method is automatically implemented upon user selection of the start of a wash cycle.

15. The method of any of the preceding clauses wherein the method is implemented manually when a user selects a lint removal routine at a user interface.

16. A method of cleaning a lint filter in a combination washer-dryer having a tub, a controller, a drum rotatably mounted within the tub, an air conduit having a port fluidly connected to the tub, and a lint filter fluidly coupled to the portion and located in the tub, the method comprising:

determining, by the controller, whether a previous cycle performed by the combined laundry dryer is a drying cycle;

determining, by the controller, whether a single-dose dispenser is selected for the current cycle;

supplying a water load to the tub sufficient to at least partially immerse the drum without immersing the lint filter; and

if the controller determines that the previous cycle is a drying cycle and the single-dose dispenser is not selected, the drum is rotated for a predetermined period of time.

17. The method of the preceding clause, wherein the method is automatically implemented upon user selection of the start of a wash cycle.

18. The method of any of the preceding clauses wherein the method is implemented manually when a user selects a lint removal routine at a user interface.

19. The method of any of the preceding clauses wherein the selection of the single-dose dispenser comprises one of: a manual selection by a user via selection of a cycle requiring manual addition of treatment chemical to the single-dose dispenser; manual selection of a single-dose dispenser from a user interface by a user; and by automatic selection upon sensing the presence of treatment chemical on the single dose dispenser.

20. The method of any one of the preceding clauses wherein the sensor senses the presence of the treatment chemical in the single dose dispenser.

While the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain specific aspects thereof, it should be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure and the drawings without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the aspects disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.