Method and control unit for operating a cleaning device in a delicate wash cycle, and cleaning device

Abstract

A cleaning appliance and method for operating a cleaning appliance having a suds container and a rotatable drum, wherein the drum is arranged in the suds container, and wherein an inside of a drum casing of the drum is smooth, apart from a plurality of nubs, for causing the cleaning liquid in the drum to execute a wave motion during a cleaning process. The cleaning appliance has a feed unit and a drive. The method includes supplying a feed signal to the feed unit, wherein the feed signal causes a cleaning liquid to be fed into the suds container until a predetermined target fill level is reached. The target fill level causes the textiles to float inside the drum. The method includes supplying a motion signal to the drive when the target fill level is reached in order to cause a rotational motion of the drum.

1 . A method for operating a cleaning appliance in a gentle wash cycle, wherein the cleaning appliance comprises a suds container for holding cleaning liquid, a rotatable drum for holding the textiles, a feed unit for feeding the cleaning liquid into the suds container, and a drive for causing the drum to execute a rotational motion, wherein the drum is arranged in the suds container, and wherein an inside of a drum casing, of the drum is smooth, apart from a plurality of nubs, wherein the nubs are shaped in order to cause the cleaning liquid in the drum to execute a wave motion during a cleaning process, the method comprising the following steps:
 supplying a feed signal to an interface of the feed unit, wherein the feed signal causes a cleaning liquid to be fed into the suds container until a predetermined target fill level is reached, wherein the target fill level causes the textiles to float within the drum; and   supplying a motion signal to an interface of the drive when the target fill level is reached in order to cause the rotational motion of the drum.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a step of reading in an amount signal via an interface of an amount determination device, wherein the amount signal represents an amount of the textiles, and further comprising a step of determining the target fill level using the amount signal. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the target fill level causes at least one lower third of the drum to be filled with the cleaning liquid. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the motion signal is supplied in the step of supplying in order to cause the rotational motion of the drum in a wave washing rhythm that is suitable for causing the wave motion of the cleaning liquid. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the motion signal is supplied in the step of supplying in order to cause a motion frequency, a drum speed, and/or a rotational pause value of the rotational motion suitable for implementing the wave washing rhythm. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the motion signal is supplied in the step of supplying in order to cause the rotational motion of the drum in a rocking rhythm with successive rotations of the drum at increasing rotational speeds without a complete revolution of the drum. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the motion signal in the step of supplying causes the rocking rhythm with a frequency between 0.1 Hz and 0.3 Hz. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the motion signal is supplied in the step of supplying in order to cause the rotational motion of the drum for a predetermined period of time in one direction, wherein the predetermined period of time is at least long enough for a horizontal rotational motion of the textiles to be achieved during a cleaning process due to frictional contact of the textiles with a drum base of the drum. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the period of time is at least five minutes. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the feed signal causes the cleaning liquid to be fed in the step of supplying until the predetermined target fill level is reached if a program signal indicates that the user has selected the gentle program, and causes the feeding of the cleaning liquid until a minimum fill level is reached, which is lower than the target fill level and prevents the textiles from floating inside the drum if the program signal indicates that the user has selected the normal program. 
     
     
         11 . A control unit designed to execute the steps of the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code for executing the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A cleaning appliance for cleaning textiles, which has the following features:
 a suds container for holding cleaning liquid;   a rotatable drum for holding the textiles, wherein the drum is arranged in the suds container wherein an inside of a drum casing of the drum is smooth, apart from a plurality of nubs wherein the nubs are shaped in order to cause the cleaning liquid in the drum to execute a wave motion during a cleaning process;   a feed unit for feeding the cleaning liquid into the suds container;   a drive for causing the drum to execute a rotational motion; and   the control unit according to  claim 11  for controlling the feed unit and the drive in order to operate the cleaning appliance.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning appliance according to  claim 13 , wherein the nubs are arranged offset to one another. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning appliance according to  claim 13 , wherein the nubs are shaped as a dome-like enlargement, and wherein the nubs protrude into an interior space of the drum.