Dual drain path for washing machine appliances

Abstract

A washing machine appliance includes a cabinet, a wash tub positioned within the cabinet, at least one pump in fluid communication with the wash tub, and a dual drain path connected to the at least one pump. The dual drain path may include a first drain path from the at least one pump, an unfiltered second drain path from the at least one pump in fluid parallel to the first drain path, and a water filter located along the first drain path. Some washing machine appliances may further include a controller configured to initiate a drain cycle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a wash tub positioned within the cabinet;   at least one pump in fluid communication with the wash tub; and   a dual drain path connected to the at least one pump, comprising
 a first drain path from the at least one pump, 
 an unfiltered second drain path from the at least one pump in fluid parallel to the first drain path, and 
 a water filter located along the first drain path. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , the at least one pump comprising a first pump and a second pump, the first pump in fluid communication with the first drain path and the second pump in fluid communication with the unfiltered second drain path. 
     
     
         3 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 2 , further comprising a common manifold disposed in downstream fluid communication the wash tub, wherein the first pump and the second pump are connected to the wash tub through the common manifold. 
     
     
         4 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , the at least one pump comprising a pump connected to a diverter valve, wherein the first drain path is connected to a first side of the diverter valve and the unfiltered second drain path is connected to a second side of the diverter valve. 
     
     
         5 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the water filter is disposed outside the cabinet. 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the water filter further comprises a synthetic fiber filtering medium. 
     
     
         7 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first drain path and the unfiltered second drain path are connected to a unitary exit, the unitary exit permitting wash fluid to exit the washing machine appliance. 
     
     
         8 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the water filter is disposed within the cabinet, the cabinet further comprising a filter hatch, the water filter attached to the filter hatch, the filter hatch permitting access to the water filter. 
     
     
         9 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller in operative communication with the at least one pump, the controller being configured to initiate a drain cycle comprising   detecting synthetic fibers within the wash tub, and   directing drain fluid through the first drain path based on detecting synthetic fibers.   
     
     
         10 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller in operative communication with the at least one pump, the controller being configured to initiate a drain cycle comprising   detecting the absence of synthetic fibers within the wash tub, and   directing fluid through the unfiltered second drain path based on detecting the absence of synthetic fibers.   
     
     
         11 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller in operative communication with the at least one pump, the controller being configured to initiate a drain cycle comprising:   detecting an obstruction in the water filter, and   directing fluid through the unfiltered second drain path based on detecting the obstruction in the water filter.   
     
     
         12 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user interface and a controller in operative communication with the at least one pump and the user interface, the controller being configured to initiate a drain cycle comprising:   receiving an input for drain path selection from a user interface, the drain path selection corresponding to the first drain path or the unfiltered second drain path, and   directing wash fluid to a selected drain path of the dual drain path based on the received input.   
     
     
         13 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 3 , the washing machine appliance further comprising a drain manifold, the drain manifold comprising a first manifold inlet,
 the first pump further comprising a first pump outlet,   the water filter further comprising a water filter inlet and a water filter outlet,   the first drain path further comprising a first drain line and a second drain line, the first drain line comprising a first drain line inlet and a first drain line outlet, and the second drain line comprising a second drain line inlet and a second drain line outlet,   wherein the first drain line is connected to the first pump outlet at the first drain line inlet and connected to the water filter inlet at the first drain line outlet,   wherein the second drain line is connected to water filter outlet at the second drain line inlet and to the first manifold inlet at the second drain line outlet.   
     
     
         14 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 13 , the drain manifold further comprising a second manifold inlet,
 the second pump further comprising a second pump outlet, and   the unfiltered second drain path further comprising an unfiltered drain line, the unfiltered drain line comprising an unfiltered drain inlet and an unfiltered drain outlet,   wherein the unfiltered drain line is connected to the second pump outlet at the unfiltered drain inlet and connected to the second manifold inlet at the unfiltered drain outlet.   
     
     
         15 . A washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a wash tub positioned within the cabinet;   at least one pump in fluid communication with the wash tub;   a dual drain path connected to the at least one pump, comprising
 a first drain path from the at least one pump, 
 an unfiltered second drain path from the at least one pump in fluid parallel to the first drain path, and 
 a water filter located along the first drain path and disposed outside the cabinet; and 
   a controller in operative communication with the at least one pump, and the wash tub, the controller configured to initiate a drain cycle, the drain cycle comprising
 receiving an input for drain path selection corresponding to the first drain path or the unfiltered second drain path, and 
 directing wash fluid to a selected drain path of the dual drain path based on the received input. 
   
     
     
         16 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 15 , the at least one pump comprising a first pump and a second pump physically connected by a common manifold, the first pump in fluid communication with the first drain path and the second pump in fluid communication with the unfiltered second drain path. 
     
     
         17 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the common manifold is disposed in downstream fluid communication with the wash tub, and wherein the first pump and the second pump are connected to the wash tub through the common manifold. 
     
     
         18 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 15 , the drain cycle further comprising receiving an indication that synthetic fibers are present in a cleaning fluid of the washing machine appliance and selecting the first drain path to drain the cleaning fluid through the water filter.