Automatic laundry treatment appliance with load height detection

Abstract

An automatic laundry treating appliance having at least one sensor configured to detect the height of laundry in a treating chamber of the automatic laundry treating appliance is disclosed. Based upon the output of the sensors, a human-perceptible signal is generated to indicate whether the laundry load is below, within or above an optimal range for the laundry load. Further, the automatic laundry treating appliance may communicate to the user after completion of a drying function information related to whether the amount of laundry treated during the drying function exceeded an upper limit for an optimal amount of laundry based upon data acquired during the drying function.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic laundry treating appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a treating chamber located inside the cabinet, the treating chamber configured to receive laundry;   at least one sensor mounted in the automatic laundry treating appliance and configured to generate a signal indicative of a height of the laundry at a location within the treating chamber; and   a communication device configured to communicate to a user whether the height of the laundry in the treating chamber is below, within or above a determined optimal range.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 1 , wherein the communication device is at least one of a visual display and an audible device. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a time of flight (TOF) sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is multiple sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is multiple time of flight (TOF) sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 1 , wherein the communication device is configured to communicate to a user whether the amount of laundry in the treating chamber is below, within or above a determined optimal range before initiation of treatment of the laundry. 
     
     
         7 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 1 , wherein the treating chamber is defined by a drum that rotates about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 7 , wherein the at least one sensor is mounted to a non-rotating portion of the automatic laundry treating appliance. 
     
     
         9 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 8 , further comprising a tub located within the cabinet, and wherein the at least one sensor is mounted to the tub. 
     
     
         10 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 8 , further comprising a bellows positioned between a tub and an opening in the automatic laundry treating appliance configured to permit the passage of laundry, and wherein the last one sensor is mounted to the bellows. 
     
     
         11 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 7 , wherein the automatic laundry treating appliance is configured to wash and dry laundry in the treating chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 1 , wherein the communication device is further configured to communicate to a user at the completion of a drying function information related to whether the amount of the laundry treated was more than an optimal amount of laundry based upon data acquired during the drying function. 
     
     
         13 . The automatic laundry treating appliance in  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the determined optimal range based upon the data acquired during the drying function. 
     
     
         14 . An automatic washer/dryer combination appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a drum located inside the cabinet and configured to rotate about a horizontal axis;   a treating chamber defined by the interior of the drum, the automatic washer/dryer combination being configured to both wash and dry laundry received in the treating chamber;   a plurality of time of flight (TOF) sensors mounted on a non-rotating portion of the automatic washer/dryer combination appliance and positioned to detect a height of the laundry at various locations within the treating chamber; and   a communication device configured to generate a human-perceptible signal related to the load size of the laundry prior to initiation of washing of the laundry.   
     
     
         15 . A method of indicating laundry load size in an automatic laundry treating appliance, comprising:
 determining the height of laundry in a treating chamber of the automatic laundry treating appliance;   calculating a parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage from the height of the laundry;   determining whether the drum fill percentage is below, within, or above an optimal range.   generating a human-perceptible signal indicative of whether the parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage is below, within, or above the optimal range before treatment of the laundry.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the human-perceptible signal is at least one of a visual signal and an audible signal. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein determining the parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage comprises calculating an average laundry height by averaging the output signals of multiple sensors configured to determine the height of the laundry at locations within the treating chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage further comprises applying a parametric regression function to the average laundry height. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one sensor is a time of flight (TOF) sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises multiple sensors. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of communicating to a user at the completion of a drying function information related to whether the amount of the laundry treated was more than an optimal amount of laundry based upon data acquired during the drying function. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of adjusting the determined optimal range based upon the data acquired during the drying function.