US 11,959,215 B2
Wash article entrapment detection for laundry washing machines
Alberto Moro, Porcia (IT); Andrea Franceschetti, Porcia (IT); Fabio Altinier, Porcia (IT); and Daniele Beninato, Porcia (IT)
Assigned to Electrolux Home Products, Inc., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by Electrolux Home Products, Inc., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Apr. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/237,554.
Prior Publication US 2022/0341077 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. D06F 33/47 (2020.01); D06F 34/14 (2020.01); D06F 103/02 (2020.01); D06F 103/24 (2020.01)
CPC D06F 33/47 (2020.02) [D06F 34/14 (2020.02); D06F 2103/02 (2020.02); D06F 2103/24 (2020.02)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting entrapment of a wash article within a laundry washing machine comprising a tub configured to hold a quantity of wash liquid, a drum rotatably mounted within the tub and configured to hold a quantity of wash articles, a door movable between an open position and a closed position, a bellows seal configured to seal the door to the tub when the door is in the closed position, and a drum motor configured to rotate the drum, the method comprising:
receiving an instruction to begin a laundry washing cycle;
operating the drum motor to accelerate the drum to a target rotation speed; and
upon reaching the target rotation speed, performing a first entrapment determination process comprising:
performing a first plurality of rotations at the target rotation speed,
determining at least one respective drum motor torque value for each of the first plurality of rotations,
determining at least one first distribution characteristic value of the drum motor torque values of the first plurality of rotations,
comparing the at least one first distribution characteristic value of the drum motor torque values of the first plurality of rotations to a respective first predetermined threshold value,
upon determining that the at least one first distribution characteristic value of the drum motor torque values of the first plurality of rotations is above the respective first predetermined threshold value, performing a correction operation to address an entrapment condition, and
upon determining that each at least one first distribution characteristic value of the drum motor torque values of the first plurality of rotations is below the respective first predetermined threshold value, proceeding with the laundry washing cycle.