Laundry Appliance

Abstract

A laundry machine configured to supply a first amount of water to the wash tub wherein a wash plate can be oscillated such that clothes items directly above and in contact with the impeller are frictionally dragged in a oscillatory manner with the wash chamber while continuing to oscillate said wash plate, an additional supply of water is added to said wash tub such that as cloth items lost frictional engagement with the wash plate, the cloth items continue to move along an inverse toroidal rollover path at higher water levels.

1 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor; and    a controller controlling supply of water to said wash tub and driving of said wash plate by said motor, such that a first amount of water is supplied to said wash tub, said wash plate is oscillated such that clothes items directly above and in contact with the impeller are frictionally dragged in a oscillatory manner and the cloth items roll over within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path, and while continuing to oscillate said wash plate, an additional supply of water is added to said wash tub such that as cloth items lose frictional engagement with the wash plate, the clothing continues to move along an inverse toroidal rollover path at higher water levels.    
     
     
         2 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor; and    a controller controlling supply of water to said wash tub and driving of said wash plate by said motor, said controller having:    a first operating mode wherein an amount of water is supplied to said wash tub, said wash plate is oscillated such that clothes items directly above and in contact with the impeller are frictionally dragged in a oscillatory manner and the cloth items roll over within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path, and the amount of water in said wash tub is not substantially increased through the wash portion of a wash cycle; and a second operating mode wherein a first amount of water is supplied to said wash tub, said wash plate is oscillated such that clothes items directly above and in contact with the impeller are frictionally dragged in a oscillatory manner and the cloth items roll over within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path, and while continuing to oscillate said wash plate, an additional supply of water is added to said wash tub such that as cloth items lose frictional engagement with the wash plate, the clothing continues to move along an inverse toroidal rollover path at higher water levels.    
     
     
         3 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said controller controls said motor to drive said wash plate in an initial drive profile when commencing a wash phase, and subsequently in a maintenance drive profile, and said initial drive profile is characterised by longer strokes and/or higher angular velocities than said maintenance drive profile.  
     
     
         4 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor; and    said wash plate including a plurality of substantially radial vanes raised above a lower portion extending between each vane and apertures through said wash plate in the lower areas between the vanes,    wherein the wash plate is oscillated such that the cloth items directly above the impeller are dragged in an oscillatory manner and the cloth items rollover within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path, and said cloth items are encouraged against said vanes by a suction induced through said apertures.    
     
     
         5 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said apertures are arranged in said lower areas to be immediately adjacent said vanes.  
     
     
         6 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 5  wherein there are no apertures through said wash plate except adjacent said vanes.  
     
     
         7 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said apertures are arranged in groups, each group adjacent the sidewall of a said vane.  
     
     
         8 . A laundry machine as claimed in any one of  claim 4  wherein each said aperture comprises a slot.  
     
     
         9 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the underside of the wash plate includes radial extending ribs.  
     
     
         10 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 4  wherein a base portion of said wash basket includes an annular series of openings passing therethrough in the region of the outer periphery of said wash plate.  
     
     
         11 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor; and    said wash plate including a plurality of vanes raised above the level of a lower portion between the vanes, each said vane substantially radially from the central hub also raised above said lower portion, each said vane including steeper side walls adjacent said lower portion and a broader top portion spanning between upper edges of said side walls, the pair of side walls of each vane diverging as they extend away from said hub,    wherein the impeller is oscillated such that the cloth items directly above and in contact with the impeller are frictionally dragged in an oscillatory manner and the cloth items rollover within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path.    
     
     
         12 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said side walls curve apart such that the rate of divergence of the side walls of each vane increases moving along the vane from the hub portion to the radially outer end.  
     
     
         13 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said side walls curve so as to be inclined in advance of a radius of said wash plate at the outer end of said vane.  
     
     
         14 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said vanes occupy between 0.33 and 0.66 of the plan area of said wash plate.  
     
     
         15 . A laundry machine as claimed  claim 11  wherein adjacent the outer end of each vane the height of said side walls decreases such that said upper portion converges to said lower level at the periphery of said wash plate.  
     
     
         16 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said upper portion of said vane is substantially flat in a circumferential direction extending between said side walls.  
     
     
         17 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said upper portion of each vane includes a ridge portion in the region of said hub, said ridge portion extending the height of said vane in said hub region.  
     
     
         18 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 17  wherein converging walls of said ridge portion are less steeply inclined than the said side walls outward of them.  
     
     
         19 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 17  wherein said ridge portion and said hub extend to a height (relative to the lowest portion of said upper surface of said wash plate), that is 50% to 150% greater than the height, relative to the lowest portion of said upper surface of said wash plate, of the substantially flat upper portion of said vane.  
     
     
         20 . A laundry machine as claimed in of  claim 11  wherein the upper surface of said wash plate is broadly defined by alternating sectors, said alternating sectors comprising raised sectors defining said vanes, and low sectors between said vanes.  
     
     
         21 . A laundry machine as claimed  claim 11  wherein said wash plate includes between 3 and 5 said vanes.  
     
     
         22 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said wash plate includes apertures through said wash plate in the lower areas between the vanes, said apertures arranged in said lower areas to be immediately adjacent said vanes, and when the wash plate is oscillated such that the cloth items directly above the impeller are dragged in an oscillatory manner and the cloth items rollover within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path, said cloth items are encouraged against said vanes by a suction induced through said apertures.  
     
     
         23 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 22  wherein there are no apertures through said wash plate except adjacent said vanes.  
     
     
         24 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said apertures are arranged in groups, each group adjacent the sidewall of a said vane.  
     
     
         25 . A laundry machine as claimed in any one of  claim 22  wherein each said aperture comprises a slot.  
     
     
         26 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor; and    said wash plate including a plurality of vanes raised above the level of a lower portion between the vanes, each said vane extending substantially radially from a central hub also raised above said lower portion, each said vane including steeper side walls adjacent said lower portion and a broader top portion spanning between upper edges of said side walls, with said upper portion of said vane being substantially flat in a circumferential direction extending between said side walls and having a ridge portion in the region of said hub, said ridge portion extending the height of said vane in said hub region;    wherein the impeller is oscillated such that the cloth items directly above the impeller are dragged in an oscillatory manner and the cloth items rollover within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path.    
     
     
         27 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor; and    a controller controlling supply of water to said wash tub and driving of said wash plate by said motor, such that a first amount of water is supplied to said wash tub, said wash plate is oscillated in an initial drive profile when commencing a wash phase such that clothes items directly above the impeller are dragged in a oscillatory manner and the cloth items roll over within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path, and subsequently in a maintenance drive profile, and said initial drive profile is characterised by longer strokes and/or higher angular velocities than said maintenance drive profile.    
     
     
         28 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 27  wherein said controller controls driving of said wash plate such that a drive profile more vigorous than said maintenance drive profile is applied intermittently during a wash phase.  
     
     
         29 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 28  wherein said intermittent drive profile is substantially the same as said initial drive profile.  
     
     
         30 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor;    a wash liquid path from a lower portion of said wash tub to an upper portion of said wash tub above said spin basket;    a pump for moving liquid through said liquid path; and    a controller controlling supply of water to said wash tub, driving of said wash plate by said motor and moving of said liquid by said pump, such that a first amount of water is supplied to said wash tub, liquid is moved from the lower portion of said wash tub through said liquid path to exit above said spin basket, and subsequently said wash plate is oscillated such that laundry items directly above the impeller are dragged in a oscillatory manner and the cloth items roll over within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path.    
     
     
         31 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor;    a wash liquid path from a lower portion of said wash tub to an upper portion of said wash tub above said spin basket;    a pump for moving liquid through said liquid path; and    a controller controlling supply of water to said wash tub, driving of said wash plate by said motor and moving of said liquid by said pump, such that a first amount of water is supplied to said wash tub, said wash plate is oscillated such that laundry items directly above the impeller are dragged in a oscillatory manner and the cloth items roll over within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path, and while continuing said oscillation of said wash plate, liquid is intermittently moved from the lower portion of said wash tub through said liquid path to exit above said spin basket.    
     
     
         32 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor; and    a controller controlling supply of water to said wash tub and driving of said wash plate by said motor a such that a first amount of water is supplied to said wash tub, said wash plate is oscillated such that laundry items directly above the impeller are dragged in a oscillatory manner and the cloth items roll over within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path; and wherein a base portion of said wash basket includes an upwardly facing annular surface surrounding said wash plate, said upwardly facing annular surface including a general flat surface and a plurality of raised portions extending radially inward from adjacent a cylindrical wall of said wash basket, said raised portions being wider, in a circumferential direction of said basket, than the extent of their height above the surrounding flat surface.    
     
     
         33 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 32  wherein said raised portions extend to a height less than 3 cm above the surrounding surface of said base portion.  
     
     
         34 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 32  wherein said raised portions taper as they extend radially toward said wash plate.  
     
     
         35 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a wash tub supported within the cabinet;    a motor suspended beneath the wash tub;    a wash basket rotatably supported within the wash tub and being drivingly connected to the motor;    a wash plate disposed in the bottom of the wash basket and driving the connector to the motor; and    a controller controlling supply of water to said wash tub and driving of said wash plate by said motor, such that a first amount of water is supplied to said wash tub, said wash plate is oscillated such that laundry items directly above the impeller are dragged in a oscillatory manner and the cloth items roll over within the wash chamber along an inverse toroidal rollover path; and wherein said controller generates a drive profile for oscillations of said wash plate according to an indication of size of load of laundry in said wash basket.    
     
     
         36 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 35  wherein said controller generates a profile that is increasingly vigorous with increasing load size.  
     
     
         37 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 36  wherein said controller generates a profile that includes a target maximum rotational speed, and said target maximum rotational speed increases with increasing load size.  
     
     
         38 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 37  wherein said target maximum speed increases from about between 70 to 90 RPM to about 100 to 140 RPM with increasing load size.  
     
     
         39 . A laundry machine as claimed in  36  wherein said controller generates a profile in which said wash plate rotates through an increasing angle with increasing load size.