Washing machine appliance and method of determining the remaining moisture content of a load of clothes

Abstract

A washing machine appliance includes a wash basket that is rotatably mounted within a wash tub and is selectively rotated by a motor assembly. A controller is operably coupled to a water supply and the motor assembly and is configured to estimate a dry load weight of the load of clothes, determine a cloth type of the load of clothes, determine a remaining moisture content of the load of clothes based at least in part on the dry load weight and the cloth type, and transmit the remaining moisture content to a dryer appliance for improved operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine appliance, comprising:
 a wash tub positioned within a cabinet;   a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub and defining a wash chamber configured for receiving a load of clothes;   a water supply for selectively adding water to the wash tub;   a motor assembly mechanically coupled to the wash basket for selectively rotating the wash basket; and   a controller operably coupled to the water supply and the motor assembly, the controller being configured to:
 estimate a dry load weight of the load of clothes; 
 determine a cloth type of the load of clothes; and 
 determine a remaining moisture content of the load of clothes based at least in part on the dry load weight and the cloth type. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein estimating a dry load weight of the load of clothes comprises:
 initiating a dry load sensing procedure after the load of clothes has been added to the wash tub but before the water is added to the wash tub.   
     
     
         3 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the dry load sensing procedure comprises:
 rotating the wash basket at a predetermined spin speed; and   monitoring a force generated by the motor assembly to rotate the wash basket at the predetermined spin speed.   
     
     
         4 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein determining a cloth type comprises:
 initiating a wet load sensing procedure after the load of clothes has been added to the wash tub and the water is added to the wash tub.   
     
     
         5 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 4 , further comprising a pressure sensor for monitoring a pressure of the water in the wash tub, and wherein the wet load sensing procedure comprises:
 adding water to the wash tub;   monitoring the pressure within the wash tub using the pressure sensor; and   determining a cloth type based at least in part on an amount water added before the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure threshold.   
     
     
         6 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein determining the remaining moisture content comprises subtracting the dry load weight from a wet load weight. 
     
     
         7 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the wet load weight is determined using a linear regression equation with the dry load weight and the cloth type as inputs. 
     
     
         8 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the linear regression equation is as follows:
   wet load weight=A+Bx+Cy;   where: A, B, and C are fixed constants;
 x is a quantitative value corresponding to the dry load weight; and 
 y is a quantitative value corresponding to the cloth type. 
   
     
     
         9 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 6 , wherein estimating the wet load weight comprises obtaining a manual load size input from a user of the washing machine appliance. 
     
     
         10 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 transmit the remaining moisture content to a dryer appliance.   
     
     
         11 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein adding water to the wash tub comprises utilizing a precise fill process, and wherein estimating a wet load weight comprises using data obtained during the precise fill process. 
     
     
         12 . A method of operating a washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance comprising a wash basket rotatably mounted within a wash tub, a water supply for selectively adding water to the wash tub, and a motor assembly mechanically coupled to the wash basket for selectively rotating the wash basket, the method comprising:
 estimating a dry load weight of a load of clothes;   determining a cloth type of the load of clothes; and   determining a remaining moisture content of the load of clothes based at least in part on the dry load weight and the cloth type.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein estimating a dry load weight of the load of clothes comprises:
 initiating a dry load sensing procedure after the load of clothes has been added to the wash tub but before the water is added to the wash tub.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the dry load sensing procedure comprises:
 rotating the wash basket at a predetermined spin speed; and   monitoring a force generated by the motor assembly to rotate the wash basket at the predetermined spin speed.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining a cloth type comprises:
 initiating a wet load sensing procedure after the load of clothes has been added to the wash tub and the water is added to the wash tub.   
     
     
         16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the wet load sensing procedure comprises:
 adding water to the wash tub;   monitoring a pressure within the wash tub using a pressure sensor; and   determining a cloth type based at least in part on an amount water added before the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure threshold.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining the remaining moisture content comprises subtracting the dry load weight from a wet load weight. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the wet load weight is determined using a linear regression equation with the dry load weight and the cloth type as inputs. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the linear regression equation is as follows:
   wet load weight=A+Bx+Cy;   where: A, B, and C are fixed constants;
 x is a quantitative value corresponding to the dry load weight; and 
 y is a quantitative value corresponding to the cloth type. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 transmitting the remaining moisture content to a dryer appliance.