Retrofittable bulk dispensing system for household appliances

• US 10,273,625 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Alexander, Benjamin E., Sells, Joel M., Schuh, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ko, Jason Y
• Application Number:
  US15/363,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20180148881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/04 from separate hot and cold water inlets
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/00 Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers D06F31/00 takes precedence; details of control systems therefor D06F34/00; control of operations performed in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32
• 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 retrofit auxiliary laundry device for supporting laundry operations in various makes and models of laundry treating appliances is described wherein the device can monitor appliance health, regulate appliance function, and send the user useful data.

Claims

1. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device for supporting the washing operations of laundry treating appliances, comprising:

a treating chemistry reservoir, located inside a housing of the device, and adapted to hold one of liquid treating chemistry or powder treating chemistry;

at least one treating chemistry outlet configured to connect to the laundry treating appliance to deliver the treating chemistry to a laundry treating appliance;

at least one water inlet configured to connect to a household supply of water;

at least one water outlet configured to connect to the laundry treating appliance and deliver at least one of hot and cold water to the laundry treating appliance;

at least one water channel located inside the housing of the device and fluidly coupling the water inlet to the water outlet;

a treating chemistry channel, located inside the housing of the device, fluidly coupling the treating chemistry reservoir with the treating chemistry outlet and configured to deliver treating chemistry to the at least one treating chemistry outlet; and

a controller configured to control distribution of the at least one of the water and the treating chemistry to the laundry treating appliance according to a cycle of operation being executed by one of the controller or the laundry treating appliance;

wherein at least one of the water outlet and the treating chemistry outlet is capable of connecting to different types of laundry treating appliances, each of the different types of laundry treating appliances supporting respective cycles of operation.

2. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1, further comprising a power inlet configured to connect to a source of power and a power outlet capable of delivering power to any of the different types of laundry treating appliances.

3. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 2 wherein the controller is coupled to the power outlet to monitor power consumption of the laundry treating appliance to which the at least one of the water outlet and the treating chemistry outlet connects.

4. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1, further comprising a drain connection capable of connecting to drain lines of any of the different types of laundry treating appliances.

5. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 4 wherein the controller is coupled to the drain connection to monitor flow through the drain line of any of the laundry treating appliances to which the at least one of the water outlet and the treating chemistry outlet connects.

6. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is capable of coupling with any of the different types of laundry treating appliances.

7. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor that monitors an amount of treating chemistry in the treating chemistry reservoir.

8. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to send a notification of at least one of cycle information data, water usage, power usage, detergent usage, or efficiency.

9. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1 wherein the treating chemistry is one of detergent, fabric softener, bleach, or other treating chemistry.

10. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to connect to a network and automatically order treating chemistry when treating chemistry in the treating chemistry reservoir reaches a predetermined level according to any of the laundry treating appliances to which the at least one of the water outlet and the treating chemistry outlet connects.

11. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface wherein a user can input data related to a cycle of operation.

12. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one interface configured to connect to the supply of at least one of hot water or cold water to provide water pretreatment.

13. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 1 wherein the treating chemistry reservoir is one of internal to the retrofit auxiliary laundry device, external to the retrofit auxiliary laundry device, disposable, or multipod.

14. A retrofit auxiliary assembly for supporting the washing operations of household appliances, comprising:

at least one bulk treating chemistry reservoir, located inside a retrofit auxiliary housing device;

the retrofit auxiliary housing device, comprising;

at least one treating chemistry outlet configured to connect to at least one household appliance to deliver the treating chemistry to the at least one household appliance;

at least one water inlet configured to connect to a supply of water; and

at least one water outlet fluidly coupled to the water inlet and configured to connect to the at least one household appliance and deliver at least one of hot and cold water to the at least one household appliance;

a metering device located inside the retrofit auxiliary housing device and fluidly coupling the treating chemistry reservoir with the treating chemistry outlet and configured to deliver treating chemistry to the at least one treating chemistry outlet;

a water flow control valve located inside the retrofit auxiliary housing device and selectively fluidly coupling the at least one water inlet and the at least one water outlet;

a controller operably coupled to the retrofit auxiliary housing device and configured to control the water flow control valve and the metering device to correspondingly control water flow and a charge of treating chemistry from the at least one bulk treating chemistry reservoir to the at least one household appliance via the retrofit auxiliary housing device according to a cycle of operation being executed by the at least one household appliance or the retrofit auxiliary assembly.

15. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 14 further comprising a user interface wherein a user can input data to the controller to adjust flow through the treating chemistry meter.

16. A retrofit auxiliary laundry device according to claim 15 wherein the data includes one of detergent concentration or soil level of a load in the laundry treating appliance to which the at least one of the water outlet and the treating chemistry outlet connects.

17. The retrofit auxiliary assembly of claim 14, further comprising a sensor coupled to one of the water outlet or the treating chemistry outlet and outputting a signal based upon a flow there through.

18. The retrofit auxiliary assembly of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to monitor the signal and wherein the controller is further configured to output an indication based thereon.

19. A retrofit auxiliary assembly for supporting the washing operations of household appliances, comprising:

at least one bulk treating chemistry reservoir, located inside a retrofit auxiliary housing device;

the retrofit auxiliary housing device, comprising;

at least one treating chemistry outlet configured to connect to at least one household appliance to deliver the treating chemistry to the at least one household appliance;

at least one water inlet configured to connect to a supply of water;

at least one water outlet configured to connect to the at least one household appliance and deliver at least one of hot and cold water to the at least one household appliance;

at least one water channel located inside the retrofit auxiliary housing device and fluidly coupling the water inlet to the water outlet;

a power inlet configured to connect to a household source of power; and

a power outlet capable of delivering power to the at least one household appliance;

a metering device fluidly coupling the treating chemistry reservoir with the treating chemistry outlet and configured to deliver treating chemistry to the at least one treating chemistry outlet; and

a controller configured to control distribution of the at least one of the water and a charge of treating chemistry from the at least one bulk treating chemistry reservoir to the at least one household appliance via the retrofit auxiliary housing device;

wherein the controller is configured to supply control signals to the household cleaning appliance via the power outlet to operate the at least one household appliance according to a cycle of operation and wherein the controller is configured to control the supply of water and the supply of treating chemistry to the at least one household appliance according to the cycle of operation.

20. The retrofit auxiliary assembly of claim 19 wherein the water outlet and the treating chemistry outlet are capable of connecting to different types of household appliances and wherein the controller includes multiple cycles of operation in a memory of the controller and is configured to operate the at least one household appliance based on a type of the at least one household appliance.