Washing machine appliance and a method for operating the same

Abstract

A washing machine and a method for operating a washing machine appliance. After the user selects a wash cycle, the washing machine appliance may perform a load sensing routine, during which a standard water fill amount and standard agitation intensity are determined. The washing machine appliance includes a controller that receives a user input of a supplemental water fill amount and provides the tub with an amount of water equal to the standard water fill amount plus the supplemental water fill amount. The controller determines an increased agitation intensity based at least in part on the supplemental water fill amount and operates the motor in order to rotate an agitation element according to the increased agitation intensity. The present subject matter thereby enables a user to adjust the water fill amount while maintaining the agitation stroke intensity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine appliance, comprising:
 a tub;   a basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the basket defining a wash chamber for receiving articles for washing;   an agitation element rotatably mounted within the basket;   a motor in mechanical communication with at least one of the basket and the agitation element, the motor configured for selectively rotating at least one of the basket and the agitation element within the tub; and   a controller in operative communication with the motor, the controller configured to:
 receive a user input of a user-selected wash cycle of the washing machine appliance; 
 determine a characteristic of a load in the wash chamber of the washing machine appliance; 
 determine a standard water fill amount and a standard agitation intensity associated with the user-selected wash cycle based on the determined characteristic of the load in the wash chamber; 
 receive a user input of a supplemental water fill amount; 
 provide the tub with an amount of water equal to the standard water fill amount plus the supplemental water fill amount; 
 determine an increased agitation intensity based at least in part on the supplemental water fill amount; and 
 operate the motor in order to rotate at least one of the basket and the agitation element according to the increased agitation intensity. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the user input of the supplemental water fill amount is received by a button. 
     
     
         3 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 2 , wherein when the button is pressed and released, the supplemental water fill amount is a predetermined amount of water. 
     
     
         4 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined amount of water is 3 gallons. 
     
     
         5 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 2 , wherein when the button is pressed and held for longer than 3 seconds, the supplemental water fill amount is the difference between a maximum fill water level and the standard water fill amount, such that the tub is filled to the maximum fill water level. 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the increased agitation intensity is defined by an agitation stroke having increased angular rotation or increased rotational velocity compared to the standard agitation intensity. 
     
     
         7 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the load in the wash chamber is a size or an absorbency of the load. 
     
     
         8 . A method of washing articles in a wash chamber of a washing machine appliance, the method comprising:
 receiving a user input of a user-selected wash cycle of the washing machine appliance;   determining a characteristic of a load in the wash chamber of the washing machine appliance;   determining a standard water fill amount and a standard agitation intensity associated with the user-selected wash cycle based on the determined characteristic of the load in the wash chamber;   receiving a user input of a supplemental water fill amount;   providing a tub with an amount of water equal to the standard water fill amount plus the supplemental water fill amount;   determining an increased agitation intensity based at least in part on the supplemental water fill amount; and   operating a motor in order to rotate at least one of a basket and an agitation element according to the increased agitation intensity.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user input of the supplemental water fill amount is received by a button. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein when the button is pressed and released, the supplemental water fill amount is a predetermined amount of water. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the predetermined amount of water is 3 gallons. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein when the button is pressed and held for longer than 3 seconds, the supplemental water fill amount is the difference between a maximum fill water level and the standard water fill amount, such that the tub is filled to the maximum fill water level. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the increased agitation intensity is defined by an agitation stroke having increased angular rotation or increased rotational velocity compared to the standard agitation intensity. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the characteristic of the load in the wash chamber is a size or an absorbency of the load. 
     
     
         15 . A washing machine appliance, comprising:
 a tub having a maximum fill water level;   a basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the basket defining a wash chamber for receiving articles for washing;   an agitation element rotatably mounted within the basket;   a motor in mechanical communication with at least one of the basket and the agitation element, the motor configured for selectively rotating at least one of the basket and the agitation element within the tub;   a user input button for adjusting a water level in the tub; and   at least one controller in operative communication with the motor, the controller configured to:
 provide the tub with a standard water fill amount based at least in part on a user-selected wash cycle and a determined load characteristic; 
 operate the motor at a standard agitation intensity based at least in part on a user-selected wash cycle and a determined load characteristic; 
 receive a user input of a supplemental water fill amount from the user input button; and 
 provide the tub with the supplemental water fill amount. 
   
     
     
         16 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 15 , wherein when the user input button is pressed and released, the supplemental water fill amount is 3 gallons. 
     
     
         17 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 15 , wherein when the user input button is pressed and held for longer than 3 seconds, the tub is filled to the maximum fill water level. 
     
     
         18 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate the motor in order to rotate at least one of the basket and the agitation element according to an increased agitation intensity based at least in part on the supplemental water fill amount. 
     
     
         19 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the increased agitation intensity is defined by an agitation stroke having increased angular rotation or increased rotational velocity compared to the standard agitation intensity. 
     
     
         20 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the characteristic of the load in the wash chamber is a size or an absorbency of the load.