Washing machine appliances with shortened supplementary spin and drain cycles

Abstract

A washing machine appliance includes a cabinet, a tub, a wash basket, a motor, a pump, and a controller. The wash basket is rotatably mounted within the tub. The motor is configured to rotate the wash basket within the tub. The pump is configured to drain fluid from the tub. The controller is in operative communication with the pump and the motor and may direct a primary spin and drain cycle, which includes an initial drain of the tub prior to a first spin cycle. The controller may further receive a supplemental spin and drain cycle request, identify a drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance, and perform a spin and drain cycle without the initial drain of the tub following identifying the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance. A method of directing a washing machine appliance to perform supplemental spin and drain cycles is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine appliance having a vertical direction, a transverse direction, and a lateral direction, the washing machine appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining an opening;   a tub disposed within the cabinet;   a wash basket rotatably mounted within the tub;   a motor in mechanical communication with the wash basket and configured to rotate the wash basket within the tub;   a pump configured to drain fluid from the tub; and   a controller in operative communication with the pump and the motor, the controller further configured to:
 perform a primary spin and drain cycle, the primary spin and drain cycle comprising operating the pump to perform an initial drain of the tub, and subsequently operating the motor to rotate the wash basket while continuing operation of the pump to discharge fluid extracted during rotation of the wash basket; 
 receive a request for a supplemental spin and drain cycle following the primary spin and drain cycle; and 
 perform the supplemental spin and drain cycle, the supplemental spin and drain cycle comprising operating the motor to rotate the wash basket and operating the pump to discharge fluid from the tub following receipt of the supplemental spin and drain cycle request and without performing an initial drain of the tub. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , the controller is further configured to:
 detect a spin anomaly during the primary spin and drain cycle prior to receiving the request for the supplemental spin and drain cycle.   
     
     
         3 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the spin anomaly detected during the primary spin and drain cycle is an out of balance wash basket load condition. 
     
     
         4 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 detect fluid in the tub below a predetermined threshold following receiving the request for the supplemental spin and drain cycle,   wherein the controller is configured to perform the supplemental spin and drain cycle without the initial drain of the tub in response to detecting fluid in the tub below the predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         5 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 4 , wherein a pressure sensor is used to detect fluid in the tub. 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , the controller further configured to:
 start a drain timer in response to directing the wash basket to perform the primary spin and drain cycle,   determine a drain time remaining on the drain timer, and   perform a spin and drain cycle without the initial drain of the tub for all spin and drain cycle requests in response to determining the drain time remains on the drain timer.   
     
     
         7 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one water valve for regulating a flow of fluid into the tub, the controller further in operative communication with the at least one water valve, wherein the controller is further configured to:
 perform a spin and drain cycle without the initial drain of the tub for all spin and drain cycle requests when the at least one water valve has been closed following performing the primary spin and drain cycle.   
     
     
         8 . A washing machine appliance having a vertical, a transverse, and a lateral direction, the washing machine appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining an opening;   a tub disposed within the cabinet;   a wash basket rotatably mounted within the tub;   a motor in mechanical communication with the wash basket and configured to rotate the wash basket within the tub;   a pump configured to drain fluid from the tub; and   a controller in operative communication with the pump and the motor, the controller configured to direct a primary spin and drain cycle which includes an initial drain of the tub prior to a first spin cycle, the controller further configured to:
 receive a supplemental spin and drain cycle request; 
 determine that an immediately prior primary spin and drain cycle was performed with an initial drain of the tub; 
 identify a drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance; and 
 perform a spin and drain cycle without the initial drain of the tub following identifying the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance. 
   
     
     
         9 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by detecting an interruption during the primary spin and drain cycle. 
     
     
         10 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by detecting an out of balance wash basket during the primary spin and drain cycle. 
     
     
         11 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by determining a directly prior cycle ending in a state identified as a state having fluid below a predetermined threshold in the tub. 
     
     
         12 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by a detection of fluid below a predetermined threshold in the tub. 
     
     
         13 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 12 , wherein a pressure sensor is used to detect a fluid level in relation to the predetermined threshold in the tub. 
     
     
         14 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by a current time frame being within a predetermined drain omission time period, the predetermined drain omission time period beginning at an end of the primary spin and drain cycle. 
     
     
         15 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 8 , further comprising at least one water valve to direct water into the wash basket, the controller in operative communication with the at least one water valve to operate the at least one water valve,
 wherein identifying the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance includes determining that the at least one water valve has not been opened following performance of the immediately prior primary spin and drain cycle.   
     
     
         16 . A method of directing a washing machine appliance to perform supplemental spin and drain cycles, the washing machine appliance having a wash basket, a tub, and a pump configured to drain fluid from the tub, the method comprising:
 receiving a supplemental spin and drain cycle request;   determining an immediately prior primary spin and drain cycle was performed with an initial drain of the tub;   identifying a drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance; and   performing a spin cycle without the initial drain of the tub following identification of the drain omission condition.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by detecting an interruption during the immediately prior primary spin and drain cycle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by detecting an out of balance wash basket. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by determining a directly prior cycle ending in a state identified as having a fluid level in the tub below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the drain omission condition of the washing machine appliance is identified by determining a directly prior cycle performed before receiving the supplemental spin and drain cycle request is a spin and drain cycle.