Laundry treating appliance with controlled oscillating movement

Abstract

Disclosed is a laundry treating appliance having a drum and a torsionally flexible drive mechanism. The drum simultaneously rotates in a first rotational direction and oscillates about an axis of rotation.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method of applying mechanical energy to a load of laundry in a treating chamber of a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable drum defining the treating chamber and rotatable about an axis of rotation, a motor configured to rotate the drum, and a controller configured to supply the motor with a control signal to control the rotational speed of the drum, the method comprising:
 rotating the drum in a first rotational direction at a predetermined operating speed; and   oscillating the drum about an axis of rotation to effect a sliding of the laundry relative to the drum while the drum is rotated in the first rotational direction at the predetermined operating speed.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the predetermined operating speed is a constant speed. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the predetermined operating speed is a tumbling speed. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the oscillating the drum comprises oscillating the drum at a frequency greater than the tumbling speed. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the supplying the motor with a control signal comprises supplying superimposed first and second control signals, with the first control signal effecting the rotation of the drum at the predetermined operating speed and the second control signal effecting the oscillating of the drum. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second control signal is selected to oscillate the drum at a frequency causing excitation of a torsional resonance of a drive shaft coupling the motor and the drum. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the torsional resonance is determined based on the collective rotational inertia of the drum and the load of laundry in the treating chamber. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second control signal comprises a sinusoidal wave form. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second signal comprises a step wave form to cycle the motor between ON and OFF states. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second signal accelerates and decelerates the motor. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the oscillating the drum about an axis of rotation occurs at a frequency causing excitation of a resonance of a drive shaft coupling the motor and the drum. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the oscillation about the axis of rotation comprises rotation between the first and a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction.