1. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet defining an exterior appearance thereof; and
a detergent storage box detachably installed to the cabinet, the detergent box having transparent appearance for a user to identify the amount of detergent introduced into the washing machine.
2. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detergent box comprises,
a front panel comprising a handle formed therein, the handle held by the user; and
a detergent storage part comprising a partition wall partitioning off storage space where the detergent is introduced and stored.
3. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detergent storage part is transparent.
4. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the front panel and the detergent storage part are transparent.
5. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein inner space of the detergent storage part is partitioned off into plural inner spaces for detergent for preliminary washing, detergent for washing and fabric softener to be introduced into.
6. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detergent box is formed of one of acrylic resin, transparent ABS, poly methyl metal acrylate (PMMA) and styrene acrylonitrile copolymers (SAN) resin.
7. The washing machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the partition wall comprises a first partition wall and a second partition wall to prevent the detergent for washing or preliminary washing from being introduced into the space for the fabric softener.
8. The washing machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the partition wall further comprises a third partition wall and a fourth partition wall that are movable horizontally to vary the inner space of each partitioned detergent storage part.
9. The washing machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein a coupling groove is formed in an inner surface of the detergent box for the partition wall to be detachable from the detergent storage part.
10. The washing machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein a cover movable along an upper surface of one of the partitioned inner spaces is provided in the detergent storage part.
11. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a guide path is formed in the detergent box to guide the fabric softener toward the inner space for the fabric softener stably.
12. The washing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein a seating groove is formed in a front end of the guide path to seat an opening of a fabric softener container therein.
13. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet defining an exterior appearance thereof;
a detergent box detachable from the cabinet, having transparent appearance for a user to identify the amount of detergent introduced into the detergent box; and
a display part installed in a predetermined portion of the detergent box to display the amount of detergent introduced into the detergent box according to the amount of laundry loaded into a drum provided in the cabinet.
14. The washing machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the display part displays different colors by using a luminescent diode to represent levels of the laundry amount.
15. The washing machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the display part represent informs levels of the laundry amount of a user by using sound.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of dynamically re-configuring an internal combustion engine coupled to operation of a vehicle, the internal combustion engine being operable in a plurality of modes, the method comprising:
electronically controlling one or more cylinder unit associated valve, fuel injection and fuel ignition component states;
electronically synchronizing cylinder unit piston position with cylinder unit associated component states to create selected cylinder unit strokes;
embodying sequences of strokes defining a plurality of modes into computer readable program logic in computer usable medium;
embodying computer readable program logic in computer usable medium to determine engine operation requirements based in part on sensed signals and vehicle operational parameters;
selecting cylinder unit operating modes based in part on the determined engine operation requirements and program logic; and
configuring cylinder unit component states based in part on the selected sequence of cylinder unit strokes in accordance with the computer programmed selected mode of operation.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the engine operation mode comprises the steps of:
determining if the vehicle engine is on, and if not, then selecting Compression Start Mode if there is sufficient available source of compressed air, and alternatively executing a battery engine start;
determining the vehicle power requirements from real-time vehicle operating parameters and selecting engine Power Mode and alternatively, Boost Power Mode if the magnitude of the vehicle power requirement exceeds a given threshold and there is sufficient available source of compressed air to provide the required engine power;
determining the vehicle braking requirements from real-time vehicle operating parameters and selecting Re-Generative Compression Braking Mode operation if there is available compressed air storage capacity and alternatively, Compression Braking Mode, to provide the required engine braking power;
determining if the vehicle is required to be in hot standby and selecting Compressed Air Idle Mode if there is sufficient available source of compressed air and alternatively, Power Mode, to provide engine idling; and
systematically and continuously cycling through the comprised steps until an engine stop signal is received.
3. The method according to claim 1, further selecting from a plurality of modes whether the engine Compressed Air Production Mode is required comprises the steps of:
determining if the vehicle engine is on, and if not, then selecting Compression Start Mode if there is sufficient available source of compressed air and alternatively, a battery powered start;
determining if the engine must provide a source of compressed air for standalone application and selecting Compressed Air Production Mode until standalone application stop signal is received.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein operation of Power Mode for a specified cylinder unit comprises the steps of:
determining engine speed required;
determining engine crankshaft position;
determining cylinder unit component state timing and duration from programmable logic for the power mode stroke sequence;
determining the cylinder unit inlet valve opening time and duration from engine parameters for the stroke sequence;
determining the cylinder unit exhaust valve opening time and duration from engine parameters for the stroke sequence;
determining the cylinder unit fuel injection time and duration for the engine speed required;
determining the cylinder unit fuel mixture ignition time and composition based on power stroke timing and engine speed requirements; and
sending output signals to cylinder unit components in accordance with determined timing and duration of component states for the intake, compression, power and exhaust stroke sequence.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a compressed air storage reservoir allows operation of, but not limited to, programmed modes of operation such as Regenerative Compression Brake Mode, Compressed Air Start Mode, Compressed Air Idle Mode, Boost Power Mode and Compressed Air Production Mode, comprising the steps of:
configuring one or more cylinder units to set component states in concert with a programmed sequence of strokes to expel compressed air from cylinder units to a compressed air storage reservoir; and
configuring one or more cylinder units to set component states in concert with a programmed sequence of strokes to received metered compressed air from a compressed air storage reservoir;
whereby programmed modes of engine operation which expel and receive compressed air have a respective storage and supply of compressed air.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the engine cylinder unit programmably alterable firing order comprises the steps of:
determining power requirements;
determining the cylinder units selected for power mode and boost power mode based partly on vehicle operating parameters; and
configuring cylinder unit operation by executing programmed logic defining power mode and boost mode cylinder unit component states with respect to selected stroke sequences;
wherein the firing order of the engine cylinder units which are programmed for power mode and boost power are independently controlled in accordance with program logic and vehicle parameter input.