Washing machine one-step cycle dry time estimation

Abstract

A method of drying a load of articles in a wash basket of a washing machine appliance includes determining a drying time for the load of articles. The drying time may be determined based on a load type and/or load size of the load of articles. The method further includes rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance for the determined drying time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of drying a load of articles in a wash basket of a washing machine appliance, the method comprising:
 determining a drying time for the load of articles based on a load type of the load of articles; and   rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance for the determined drying time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the washing machine appliance comprises a cabinet, an aperture defined through the cabinet, a wash tub positioned within the cabinet, and a door pivotably mounted to the cabinet at an opening in the cabinet, whereby the door is pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the wash basket is rotatably mounted within the wash tub, wherein the door permits access to the wash basket through the opening when in the open position and encloses the wash basket within the cabinet when in the closed position, wherein the aperture is open to an ambient environment external to the cabinet when the door is in the closed position, and wherein rotating the wash basket for the determined drying time comprises drawing a flow of ambient air through the aperture from the ambient environment into the wash basket. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, prior to rotating the wash basket for the determined drying time, opening a damper positioned within the cabinet of the washing machine appliance between the door and the wash basket to provide fluid communication between the wash basket and the ambient environment external to the cabinet, wherein the damper is downstream of the aperture and upstream of the wash basket with respect to the flow of ambient air from the ambient environment external to the cabinet through the washing machine appliance. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising washing the load of articles in the wash basket prior to rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance for the determined drying time, wherein washing the load of articles in the wash basket comprises flowing a volume of water into a wash tub of the washing machine appliance, rotating the wash basket at an extraction speed after flowing the volume of water into the tub, and activating a drain pump of the washing machine appliance whereby wash liquid is removed from the wash tub of the washing machine appliance after flowing the volume of water into the tub. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined drying time is further based on a load size of the load of articles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising determining the load size based on an inertia of the load of articles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined drying time is further based on a user-selected dryness level. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after determining the drying time, providing a user notification of the determined drying time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the load type of the load of articles is a user-selected load type. 
     
     
         10 . A method of drying a load of articles in a washing machine appliance, the method comprising:
 determining a drying time for the load of articles based on a load size of the load of articles; and   rotating a wash basket within the washing machine appliance for the determined drying time.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the washing machine appliance comprises a cabinet, an aperture defined through the cabinet, a wash tub positioned within the cabinet, and a door pivotably mounted to the cabinet at an opening in the cabinet, whereby the door is pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the wash basket is rotatably mounted within the wash tub, wherein the door permits access to the wash basket through the opening when in the open position and encloses the wash basket within the cabinet when in the closed position, wherein the aperture is open to an ambient environment external to the cabinet when the door is in the closed position, and wherein rotating the wash basket for the determined drying time comprises drawing a flow of ambient air through the aperture from the ambient environment into the wash basket. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, prior to rotating the wash basket for the determined drying time, opening a damper positioned within the cabinet of the washing machine appliance between the door and the wash basket to provide fluid communication between the wash basket and the ambient environment external to the cabinet, wherein the damper is downstream of the aperture and upstream of the wash basket with respect to the flow of ambient air from the ambient environment external to the cabinet through the washing machine appliance. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising washing the load of articles in the wash basket prior to rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance for the determined drying time, wherein washing the load of articles in the wash basket comprises flowing a volume of water into a wash tub of the washing machine appliance, rotating the wash basket at an extraction speed after flowing the volume of water into the tub, and activating a drain pump of the washing machine appliance whereby wash liquid is removed from the wash tub of the washing machine appliance after flowing the volume of water into the tub. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the determined drying time is further based on a load type of the load of articles. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the load type of the load of articles is a user-selected load type. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining the load size based on an inertia of the load of articles. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the determined drying time is further based on a user-selected dryness level. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising, after determining the drying time, providing a user notification of the determined drying time.