Top load washer spinning with water

Abstract

A washing machine appliance comprises a wash tub within a cabinet, a wash basket rotatably mounted in the wash tub, a pump fluidly coupled to the wash tub, and a motor mechanically coupled to the wash basket. A controller is configured to provide wash fluid for processing a laundry load, executing a laundry cycle, operate the pump to drain a portion of the wash fluid until the remaining portion partially submerges a bottom wall of the wash basket, accelerate the wash basket to a first rotational speed, and operate the drain pump while continuing to accelerate the wash basket to a dwell speed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the washing machine appliance comprising:
 a wash tub positioned within a cabinet;   a drain pump fluidly coupled to the wash tub;   a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub, the wash basket including a side wall and a bottom wall;   a motor mechanically coupled to the wash basket; and   a controller operably coupled to the drain pump, the motor, and a wash fluid supply, the controller configured to:
 provide the wash tub with a total amount of wash fluid for processing a laundry load in the wash basket; 
 execute a laundry cycle processing the laundry load in the wash basket with the total amount of wash fluid; 
 operate the drain pump to drain a portion of the total amount of wash fluid from the wash tub until a remaining portion of wash fluid remains in the wash tub wherein the remaining portion of wash fluid partially submerges the bottom wall; 
 initiate a spin cycle, wherein initiating the spin cycle comprises:
 operating the motor to accelerate the wash basket to a first rotational speed; and 
 operating the drain pump to an on condition, wherein operating the drain pump to the on condition coincides with the wash basket reaching the first rotational speed; and 
 
 continue to accelerate the wash basket to a dwell speed while operating the drain pump to drain the remaining portion of wash fluid. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor disposed in the wash tub and operably coupled to the controller, the sensor providing a sensor signal to the controller corresponding to a depth of the remaining portion of wash fluid in the wash tub. 
     
     
         3 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the controller selectively operates the drain pump to an on or off condition in response to the sensor signal to maintain the remaining portion of was water partially submerging the bottom wall. 
     
     
         4 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the spin cycle is initiated with the drain pump in an off condition. 
     
     
         5 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor disposed at a bottom of the wash tub. 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first rotational speed is less than the dwell speed. 
     
     
         7 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the wash basket is rotatably mounted within the wash tub for rotation about an axis parallel to the vertical direction. 
     
     
         8 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the laundry cycle is one of a wash cycle and a rinse cycle. 
     
     
         9 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate the wash basket at a dwell speed to drain the remaining portion of wash fluid from the wash tub in a continuous drain process. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance comprising a wash tub positioned within a cabinet, a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub, the wash basket including a side wall and a bottom wall, a drain pump fluidly coupled to the wash tub, a motor mechanically coupled to the wash basket, and a controller operably coupled to the motor and a wash fluid supply, the method comprising:
 providing the wash tub with a total amount of wash fluid for processing a laundry load in the wash basket;   executing a laundry cycle processing the laundry load in the wash basket with the total amount of wash fluid;   operating the drain pump to drain a portion of the total amount of wash fluid from the wash tub until a remaining portion of wash fluid remains in the wash tub, wherein the remaining portion of wash fluid partially submerges the bottom wall;   initiating a spin cycle, wherein initiating the spin cycle comprises:
 operating the motor to accelerate the wash basket to a first rotational speed; and 
 operating the drain pump to an on condition, wherein operating the drain pump to the on condition coincides with the wash basket reaching the first rotational speed; and 
 continuing to accelerate the wash basket to a dwell speed while operating the drain pump to drain the remaining portion of wash fluid. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the washing machine appliance further comprises a sensor disposed in the wash tub and operably coupled to the controller; and   the method further comprises receiving a sensor signal from the sensor corresponding to a depth of the remaining portion of wash fluid in the wash tub.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method comprises selectively operating the drain pump to an on or off condition in response to the sensor signal to maintain the remaining portion of wash water partially submerging the bottom wall. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method initiates the spin cycle with the drain pump in an off condition. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor disposed at a bottom of the wash tub and the method further comprises receiving a pressure signal corresponding to the depth of the wash fluid in the wash tub. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein draining the remaining portion of wash fluid comprises accelerating the rotational speed of the wash basket from the first rotational speed to a first dwell speed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate the wash basket at the first dwell speed and drain wash fluid from the wash tub in a continuous drain process. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein executing the laundry cycle processing the laundry load in the wash basket with the total amount of wash fluid comprises executing one of a wash cycle and a rinse cycle. 
     
     
         18 . A method of operating a spin cycle of a washing machine appliance comprising:
 initiating the spin cycle;   operating a motor to accelerate a wash basket in a wash tub to a first rotational speed, the wash tub containing a remaining portion of a total amount of wash fluid, wherein a bottom wall of the wash basket is partially submerged in the remaining portion;   operating a drain pump to drain the remaining portion of wash fluid in the wash tub;   continuing operation of the motor to accelerate the rotational speed of the wash basket from the first rotational speed to a first dwell speed;   operating the motor to accelerate the rotational speed of the wash basket from the first dwell speed to a second dwell speed;   operating the motor to accelerate the rotational speed of the wash basket from the second dwell speed to a third dwell speed; and   operating the drain pump to drain the remaining portion of wash fluid from the wash tub during at least one of the first dwell speed, the second dwell speed, or the third dwell speed.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the method comprises initiating the spin cycle subsequent to one of a wash cycle and a rinse cycle. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein operating the wash basket in the spin cycle comprises draining wash fluid during the first dwell speed, the second dwell speed, or the third dwell speed in a continuous drain process.