System and method for monitoring scalar property of liquid during a laundry machine treatment cycle

Abstract

A laundry machine is provided including a cabinet having an interior and a tub within the interior. The tub has an interior volume with a drum positioned within the tub. A motor engages the drum. The laundry machine also includes a sensor in operative engagement with the interior volume and sensing a scalar property of liquid within the tub. The laundry machine also includes an output device communicatively coupled to the sensor that reports the scalar property or an indexed value thereof over time to an environment outside of the cabinet. A method is also provided for displaying the effectiveness of the laundry machine. The method includes initiating a laundry treatment cycle, sensing the scalar property of the liquid within the tub at multiple times during the laundry treatment cycle and displaying the scalar property or indexed value thereof to the environment outside of the cabinet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry machine comprising:
 a cabinet having an interior;   a tub positioned within said interior, wherein said tub has an interior volume;   a drum within said tub; and   a motor engaged with said drum;   a sensor in operative engagement with said interior volume and sensing a scalar property of a liquid within said tub;   an output device communicatively coupled to said sensor that reports said scalar property or an indexed value thereof as a function of time to an environment that is outside of said cabinet.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said cabinet has an exterior surface opposite said interior, wherein said output device is communicatively coupled to a display engaged with said exterior surface. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said output device is communicatively coupled to a wireless device having a display. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a turbidity sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a conductivity sensor. 
     
     
         6 . A process for displaying the effectiveness of the laundry machine according to  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 initiating a laundry treatment cycle of said laundry washing machine; 
 sensing said scalar property of said liquid within said tub at multiple times during said laundry treatment cycle; 
 displaying said scalar property or indexed value thereof to said environment that is outside of said cabinet. 
 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said cabinet has an exterior surface opposite said interior, wherein said output device is communicatively coupled to a display engaged with said exterior surface. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said output device is communicatively coupled to a wireless device having a display. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said sensor is a turbidity sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said sensor is a conductivity sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said scalar property or indexed value thereof is displayed as an instantaneous value at a particular time. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said scalar property or indexed value thereof is displayed as a graph of said scalar property as a function of time. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein when said scalar property at the end of said laundry treatment cycle is in nonconformance with a threshold value or acceptable range of values, displaying an indicia to a user of a supplemental action to be taken by said user. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said laundry treatment cycle is a function of said scalar property. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 14 , wherein said laundry machine is configured to disseminate a user stimulus when said scalar property operably determines a next process step in said laundry treatment cycle. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said laundry treatment machine is configured to disseminate a user stimulus when said scalar property or indexed value thereof reaches a predetermined acceptable value. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein said laundry treatment cycle is a function of said scalar property, wherein said laundry treatment machine is configured to compute and disseminate an estimated or computed time remaining in said laundry treatment cycle based at least partially on said scalar property.