IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,351,966
Granted Patent B2
US 12,351,966 · App. 18/350,082 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Laundry treating system and kit for use with a laundry treating appliance

Inventors: Philip J. Czarnecki (Saugatuck, MI); Pamela R. Klyn (Benton Harbor, MI); Eric W. Merrow (Benton Harbor, MI); Jon Strait (St. Joseph, MI); Mary E. Zeitler (St. Joseph, MI)
Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
D06F31/00D06F13/00D06F17/10D06F34/28D06F37/12D06F37/40D06F2101/00D06F2101/20D06F2103/00D06F2105/58
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,351,966
App. No.
18/350,082
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A laundry treating system includes a laundry treating appliance having a first basket for receiving a first laundry load and a first clothes mover disposed in the first basket. The laundry treating system is user configurable between first, second, and third configurations. A kit for customizing a laundry treating appliance can include a second clothes mover and a second basket configured to removably couple with the laundry treating appliance.

Claims (23)

1. A laundry treating appliance, comprising:

a sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of presence or absence of a removable clothes mover;

a user interface; and

a controller configured to

receive the signal indicative of the presence or absence of the removable clothes mover, and

control the user interface to display a first set of predetermined selectable cycles of operation when the removable clothes mover is present and a second set of predetermined selectable cycles of operation when the removable clothes mover is absent.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to complete a circuit when the removable clothes mover is present, such that the completion of the circuit is the signal indicative of the presence of the removable clothes mover.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an optical detector, and a light source is configured to provide illumination that is detected by the detector when the removable clothes mover is absent but is blocked when the removable clothes mover is present, such that the signal is based on whether or not the illumination reaches the detector.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is integrated into the laundry treating appliance.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is integrated into the removable clothes mover.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is an electro-mechanical sensor configured to determine whether or not the removable clothes mover is coupled to the laundry treating appliance.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is a light sensor configured to determine whether or not the removable clothes mover is coupled to the laundry treating appliance.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , further comprising an indicator, wherein the controller is configured to selectively illuminate the indicator to communicate whether the removable clothes mover is present or absent.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate a predetermined cycle of operation based on the presence or absence of the removable clothes mover.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate a predetermined cycle option based on the presence or absence of the removable clothes mover.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of predetermined selectable cycles of operation differ by one or more cycles of operations.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of predetermined selectable cycles of operation differ based on one or more selectable options for a given set of the selectable cycles of operation.

13. A laundry treating appliance comprising:

a sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of presence or absence of a removable clothes mover;

a first indicator configured to recommend a first configuration having the removable clothes mover present;

a second indicator configured to recommend a second configuration having the removable clothes mover absent; and

a controller is configured to illuminate the first indicator or the second indicator to recommend the first or second configuration based on a selected cycle of operation and/or one or more selected cycle options.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 , further comprising a user interface configured to display selectable cycles of operation and/or one or more selectable cycle options, wherein the selected cycle of operation and/or the one or more selected cycle options are selected via input to the user interface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2023
From: CZARNECKI, PHILIP J.; KLYN, PAMELA R.; MERROW, ERIC W.; STRAIT, JON; ZEITLER, MARY E.
To: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064210/0778 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17823841 · Aug 31, 2022
Continuation 17009556 · Sep 1, 2020
Continuation 15683170 · Aug 22, 2017
Related Publication 20230357975A1 · Nov 9, 2023
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