Retrofittable bulk dispensing system for household appliances

• US 10,422,071 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2019
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• 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:
  US16/359,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20190218704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 188 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 household appliances is described wherein the device can monitor appliance health, regulate appliance function, and send the user useful data.

Claims

1. A retrofit auxiliary device for supporting the washing operations of at least one household appliance having a water line and a power line operably coupled to an appliance controller with at least one pre-programmed cycle of operation, the retrofit auxiliary device comprising:

at least one water pass through channel coupling a household water supply to the water line of the household appliance;

a water flow meter operably coupled to the water pass through channel;

a power pass through channel coupling a household power supply to the power line of the household appliance;

a power consumption monitor operably coupled to the power pass through channel; and

a device controller programmed with a learning cycle where the device controller receives input from the water flow meter and the power consumption monitor during the operation of the household appliance according to the least one pre-programmed cycle as controlled by the appliance controller and the device controller learns the at least one pre-programmed cycle of operation to define a learned cycle of operation.

2. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 1 wherein the device controller comprises a memory and the learned cycle of operation is stored in the memory.

3. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 2 wherein the device controller stores at least one of the rate or duration of at least one of the water passing the water pass through channel and power passing through the power pass through channel for the learned cycle of operation.

4. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 3 wherein the device controller subsequently controls the operation of the household appliance based on the learned cycle of operation.

5. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 4 further comprising a laundry treating chemistry reservoir operably controlled by the device controller to supply laundry treating chemistry.

6. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 5 further comprising a treating chemistry channel through which the treating chemistry reservoir is fluidly coupled to the household appliance.

7. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 6 further comprising a treating chemistry flow meter operably coupled to the device controller.

8. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 7 wherein the device controller stores at least one of the rate and duration of the supplied treating chemistry during the learning cycle.

9. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 1 wherein the device controller subsequently controls the operation of the household appliance based on the learned cycle of operation.

10. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 1 further comprising a wired or wireless internet connection.

11. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 10 wherein the device controller is operably coupled to an online database.

12. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 11 wherein the device controller uploads the learned cycle of operation to the online database.

13. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 11 wherein the device controller downloads a cycle of operation from the online database and controls the operation of the household appliance based on the downloaded cycle of operation.

14. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 11 wherein the device controller uploads to the online database consumption data for at least one of power, water, or treating chemistry.

15. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 11 wherein the device controller uploads to the online database data related to the health of the household appliance.

16. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 11 wherein the device controller issues an alert over the internet connection regarding a need for treating chemistry.

17. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 16 wherein the alert is at least one of displayed on a display of the retrofit auxiliary device or the household appliance, or sent as a text message to a remote device of a user.

18. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 11 wherein the device controller issues an alert over the internet connection regarding a predetermined appliance start time.

19. The retrofit auxiliary device of claim 16 wherein the alert is at least one of displayed on a display of the retrofit auxiliary device or the household appliance, or sent as a text message to a remote device of a user.