Washing machine with adaptive one-step wash and dry cycle

Abstract

A method of drying a load of articles in a wash basket of a washing machine appliance includes rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance. The method may also include monitoring a humidity within the washing machine appliance while rotating the wash basket and comparing the monitored humidity within the washing machine appliance to a humidity threshold. The method may also include estimating a remaining moisture content of the load of articles. The method further includes terminating the drying in response to at least one of the monitored humidity and the estimated remaining moisture content.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating a load of articles in a wash basket of a washing machine appliance, the method comprising:
 drying the load of articles in the washing machine appliance by rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance;   monitoring a humidity within the washing machine appliance while rotating the wash basket;   comparing the monitored humidity within the washing machine appliance to a humidity threshold; and   terminating the drying in response to the monitored humidity within the washing machine appliance less than or equal to the humidity threshold.   
     
     
         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 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, 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, 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 , further comprising determining a remaining moisture content of the load of articles, wherein terminating the method is in response to the monitored humidity within the washing machine appliance less than or equal to the humidity threshold and in response to the determined remaining moisture content. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the remaining moisture content of the load of articles is determined based on a weight of the load of articles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein determining the remaining moisture content of the load of articles comprises comparing a weight of the load of articles with a dry weight of the load of articles, the weight of the load of articles measured after the monitored humidity within the washing machine appliance less than or equal to the humidity threshold, and the dry weight of the load of articles measured in the washing machine appliance prior to washing the load of articles in the washing machine appliance. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of determining the remaining moisture content of the load of articles is performed in response to the monitored humidity within the washing machine appliance less than or equal to the humidity threshold. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein humidity threshold is based on a user-selected dryness level. 
     
     
         10 . A method of treating a load of articles in a washing machine appliance, the method comprising:
 drying the load of articles in the washing machine appliance by rotating a wash basket within the washing machine appliance;   estimating a remaining moisture content of the load of articles; and   terminating the drying in response to the estimated remaining moisture content of the load of articles less than or equal to a dry threshold.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the remaining moisture content of the load of articles is determined based on a dry weight of the load of articles and a saturated weight of the load of articles. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising monitoring a humidity within the washing machine appliance while rotating the wash basket and comparing the monitored humidity within the washing machine appliance to a humidity threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein estimating the remaining moisture content of the load of articles is performed in response to the monitored humidity less than or equal to the humidity threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining a dry weight of the load of articles in the washing machine appliance, further comprising washing the load of articles in the washing machine appliance after determining the dry weight of the load of articles and prior to drying the load of articles in the washing machine appliance, wherein estimating the remaining moisture content of the load of articles comprises determining a weight of the load of articles and comparing the determined weight of the load of articles with the dry weight of the load of articles. 
     
     
         15 . 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 comprises drawing a flow of ambient air through the aperture from the ambient environment into the wash basket. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising, prior to rotating the wash basket, 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. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising washing the load of articles in the wash basket prior to drying the load of articles in the washing machine appliance by rotating the wash basket within the washing machine appliance, 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. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein dry threshold is based on a user-selected dryness level.