Integrated single dose and bulk dispenser for a laundry treating appliance

• US 10,253,444 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ayers, Kevin B., Bixby, Seth E., Gresens, Richard K., Murphy, Sayer J., Schelling, Anna C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L.
• Application Number:
  US15/216,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20180023237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/006 for washing or rinsing only
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation includes a treating chamber and a dispenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber. The dispenser has a single dose reservoir, a bulk dispensing reservoir, and an overflow fluidly coupling the single dose reservoir to the bulk dispensing reservoir.

Claims

1. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, the laundry treating appliance comprising:

a treating chamber; and

a dispenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber and movable between an opened position and a closed position, the dispenser comprising;

a single dose reservoir having at least a bottom wall and a side wall;

a bulk dispensing reservoir having an opening; and

an overflow provided within the bottom wall or the side wall and fluidly coupling the single dose reservoir to the bulk dispensing reservoir such that the overflow overlies the opening in the opened position and does not overlie the opening in the closed position;

wherein the bulk dispensing reservoir can be filled by overfilling the single dose reservoir.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the overflow comprises a physical portion of the single dose reservoir.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 2, wherein the physical portion comprises a wall of the single dose reservoir.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the single dose reservoir is a cup having a sidewall, with at least a portion of the sidewall forming the wall.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 2 wherein the overflow comprises a siphon tube located within the single dose reservoir, which siphons the contents of the single dose reservoir into the bulk dispensing reservoir when the single dose reservoir is overfilled.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 wherein the overflow further comprises the physical portion of the single dose reservoir over which the contents of the single dose reservoir will flow when overfilled.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 6 wherein the physical portion comprises a wall of the single dose reservoir.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 7 wherein the single dose reservoir comprises a cup having a sidewall, at least a portion of which defines the wall, and the siphon tube is located within the cup.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the cup is movable relative to the bulk dispensing reservoir.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the bulk dispensing reservoir has an open top and the cup is slidable to overlie the open top.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 10 wherein the cup includes indicia indicating an overfill level for filling the bulk dispensing reservoir.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the single dose reservoir is movable relative to the bulk dispensing reservoir.

13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the bulk dispensing reservoir has an open top and the single dose reservoir overlies the open top.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the single dose reservoir includes indicia indicating an overfill level for filling the bulk dispensing reservoir.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the overflow further comprises a conduit coupling the single dose reservoir to the bulk dispensing reservoir.

16. A dispenser movable between an opened position and a closed position, the dispenser comprising:

a single dose reservoir having at least a bottom wall and a side wall;

a bulk dispensing reservoir having an opening; and

an overflow provided within the bottom wall or the side wall and fluidly coupling the single dose reservoir to the bulk dispensing reservoir such that the overflow overlies the opening in the opened position and does not overlie the opening in the closed position;

wherein the bulk dispensing reservoir can be filled by overfilling the single dose reservoir.

17. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the overflow comprises at least one of a physical portion of the single dose reservoir or a siphon tube located within the single dose reservoir.

18. The dispenser of claim 17 wherein the single dose reservoir comprises indicia indicating an overfill level for filling the bulk dispensing reservoir.

19. The dispenser of claim 18 wherein the single dose reservoir is moveable relative to the bulk dispensing reservoir.

20. The dispenser of claim 19 wherein the single dose reservoir is a cup.