Household cleaning appliance with a dispensing system operable between a single use dispensing system and a bulk dispensing system
First Claim
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1. A household cleaning appliance configured to execute a cleaning cycle on an article, comprising:
- a cabinet defining an interior;
a rotatable drum located within the interior and defining a treating chamber for receiving an article for treating and wherein a rotational axis of the rotatable drum is vertical; and
a dispensing system configurable to operate with either single use dispensing functionality or bulk dispensing functionality based on user selection;
whereinthe dispensing system includes;
a single use dispensing chamber located within the cabinet, wherein the single use dispensing chamber is fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, and wherein the single use dispensing chamber stores a single dose of treating chemistry that the dispensing system dispenses to the treating chamber as part of the execution of the cleaning cycle;
a bulk dispensing chamber configured to store multiple doses of a liquid treating chemistry; and
a treating chemistry meter fluidly coupled with the bulk dispensing chamber and the single use dispensing chamber, wherein the treating chemistry meter is configured to control dosing of the treating chemistry from the bulk dispensing chamber to the single use dispensing chamber as part of the execution of the cleaning cycle;
wherein the treating chemistry meter is configured to dispense at least one of the multiple doses of the liquid treating chemistry into the single use dispensing chamber such that the single use dispensing chamber is provided with bulk dispensing functionality to define a bulk dispensing system.
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Abstract
A household cleaning appliance having a rotatable drum located within the interior and defining a treating chamber for receiving an article for treating and wherein a rotational axis of the drum is vertical and a method for operating the household cleaning appliance. The household cleaning appliance includes a dispensing system that includes and can be operated as a non-bulk dispensing system or as a bulk dispensing system in a household cleaning appliance.
135 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A household cleaning appliance configured to execute a cleaning cycle on an article, comprising:
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a cabinet defining an interior; a rotatable drum located within the interior and defining a treating chamber for receiving an article for treating and wherein a rotational axis of the rotatable drum is vertical; and a dispensing system configurable to operate with either single use dispensing functionality or bulk dispensing functionality based on user selection;
whereinthe dispensing system includes; a single use dispensing chamber located within the cabinet, wherein the single use dispensing chamber is fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, and wherein the single use dispensing chamber stores a single dose of treating chemistry that the dispensing system dispenses to the treating chamber as part of the execution of the cleaning cycle; a bulk dispensing chamber configured to store multiple doses of a liquid treating chemistry; and a treating chemistry meter fluidly coupled with the bulk dispensing chamber and the single use dispensing chamber, wherein the treating chemistry meter is configured to control dosing of the treating chemistry from the bulk dispensing chamber to the single use dispensing chamber as part of the execution of the cleaning cycle; wherein the treating chemistry meter is configured to dispense at least one of the multiple doses of the liquid treating chemistry into the single use dispensing chamber such that the single use dispensing chamber is provided with bulk dispensing functionality to define a bulk dispensing system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A household cleaning appliance configured to execute an automatic cleaning cycle, comprising:
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a cabinet defining an interior; a rotatable drum located within the interior and defining a treating chamber for receiving an article for treating and wherein a rotational axis of the rotatable drum is vertical; a dispensing system, comprising; a non-bulk dispensing system having a set of dispensing chambers spaced about the rotatable drum and fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, wherein the dispensing chamber stores a single dose of treating chemistry that the dispensing system dispenses to the treating chamber as part of execution of the automatic cleaning cycle; a bulk dispensing cartridge configured to store multiple doses of a treating chemistry; and a treating chemistry meter fluidly coupling the bulk dispensing cartridge and the one of the set of dispensing chambers and, wherein the treating chemistry meter is configured to control dosing of the treating chemistry from the bulk dispensing cartridge to the one of the set of dispensing chambers as part of execution of the automatic cleaning cycle; wherein when the bulk dispensing cartridge is fluidly coupled to the one of the set of dispensing chambers via the treating chemistry meter the non-bulk dispensing system is provided with functionality of a bulk dispensing system. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A household cleaning appliance configured to execute a cleaning cycle on an article, comprising:
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a cabinet defining an interior; a rotatable drum located within the interior and defining a treating chamber for receiving an article for treating and wherein a rotational axis of the rotatable drum is vertical; and a dispensing system configurable to operate with either single use dispensing functionality or bulk dispensing functionality based on user selection;
whereinthe dispensing system includes; a single use dispensing chamber located within the cabinet, wherein the single use dispensing chamber is fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, and wherein the single use dispensing chamber stores a single dose of treating chemistry that the dispensing system dispenses to the treating chamber as part of execution of the cleaning cycle; a bulk dispensing chamber configured to store multiple doses of a liquid treating chemistry; and a treating chemistry meter fluidly coupled with the bulk dispensing chamber and the single use dispensing chamber, wherein the treating chemistry meter is configured to control dosing of the treating chemistry from the bulk dispensing chamber to the single use dispensing chamber as part of execution of the cleaning cycle; wherein the treating chemistry meter is configured to dispense at least one of the multiple doses of the liquid treating chemistry into the single use dispensing chamber in response to a user selection of bulk dispensing functionality. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A household cleaning appliance configured to execute a cleaning cycle on an article, comprising:
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a cabinet defining an interior; a rotatable drum located within the interior and defining a treating chamber for receiving an article for treating and wherein a rotational axis of the rotatable drum is vertical; and a dispensing system having; a single use dispensing chamber located within the cabinet, wherein the single use dispensing chamber is fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, and wherein the single use dispensing chamber stores a single dose of treating chemistry that the dispensing system dispenses to the treating chamber as part of execution of the cleaning cycle; and a bulk dispensing chamber configured to store multiple doses of liquid treating chemistry, wherein the dispensing system is configured to dispense at least one of the multiple doses of liquid treating chemistry to the treating chamber as part of execution of the cleaning cycle; wherein the dispensing system is configured to meter, via a treating chemistry meter, the at least one of the multiple doses of liquid treating chemistry into the single use dispensing chamber such that the metered liquid is dispensed to the treating chamber via the single use dispensing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification