Fluid treatment system for use with a washing appliance
First Claim
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1. A wash appliance having an integral fluid treatment system comprising:
- a wash appliance housing; and
a fluid treatment system in the wash appliance housing, the fluid treatment system comprising;
one or more filtration stages for filtering water supplied from a fluid source inlet;
one or more additive dispensers in fluid communication with the one or more filtration stages and capable of adding one or more additives to the fluid; and
a controller for coordinating the flow of the fluid through one or more filtration stages and/or one or more additive dispensers.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to washing appliances making use of fluids and fluid delivery systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to washing appliances having a fluid treatment system for treating a fluid that can be used or delivered by the appliance, with suitable treatments including, for example, filtration and/or addition of additives, such as rinse aids, detergents and/or the like.
54 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A wash appliance having an integral fluid treatment system comprising:
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a wash appliance housing; and
a fluid treatment system in the wash appliance housing, the fluid treatment system comprising;
one or more filtration stages for filtering water supplied from a fluid source inlet;
one or more additive dispensers in fluid communication with the one or more filtration stages and capable of adding one or more additives to the fluid; and
a controller for coordinating the flow of the fluid through one or more filtration stages and/or one or more additive dispensers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A fluid treatment system for use in a washing appliance comprising:
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one or more filtration stages for filtering water supplied from a fluid source inlet;
an actuatable rinse valve in fluid communication with the one or more filtration stages for directing fluid into a washbasin of the washing appliance and operably connected to a controller;
one or more additive dispensers in fluid communication with the one or more filtration stages and capable of adding one or more additives to the fluid before the treated fluid is directed to the washbasin; and
at least one actuatable additive valve in fluid communication with the one or more filtration stages, the additive valve capable of directing fluid to the one or more additive dispensers, the at least one additive valve being operably connected to the controller. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An integral fluid treatment system for use in a washing appliance comprising:
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a fluid treatment system assembly in fluid communication with a fluid distribution manifold assembly, and a controller operably connected to the fluid distribution manifold, the fluid treatment system assembly comprising;
a prefilter assembly comprising a prefilter manifold and a prefilter cartridge replaceably attached to the prefilter manifold; and
a wash additive assembly comprising a wash additive introduction member having a fluid inlet, a wash additive inlet, and a fluid outlet for dispensing fluid containing wash additive, and a wash additive reservoir connected to the wash additive inlet of the wash additive introduction member;
ora rinse additive assembly comprising a rinse additive introduction member having a fluid inlet, an additive inlet, and a fluid outlet for dispensing fluid containing rinse additive, and a rinse additive reservoir connected to the rinse additive inlet of the rinse additive member;
orboth the wash additive assembly and the rinse additive assembly;
the distribution manifold assembly comprising a distribution manifold body having an internal distribution flow channel that operably fluidly interconnects a manifold fluid inlet and manifold fluid outlets, a fluid inlet valve, and fluid outlet valves operably, sealably mounted to the distribution manifold body to control fluid flow through the manifold fluid inlet and corresponding manifold fluid outlets, the manifold fluid outlets being fluidly connected to the fluid treatment system. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An adjustable venturi injector assembly and additive assembly for injecting an additive into a fluid comprising:
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an adjustable venturi body having a fluid mix portion operably, fluidly interconnecting a fluid inlet flow portion, a fluid outlet flow portion, and an additive inlet flow portion having an additive inlet, wherein the fluid inlet portion comprises an inlet internal surface defining a cavity and an adjustable inlet connector body having a tapered flow channel, wherein the adjustable inlet connector body is movable concentrically within the fluid inlet portion cavity; and
an additive assembly comprising an additive reservoir fluidly connected to the additive inlet of the adjustable venturi body. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A fixed venturi injector assembly and additive assembly for injecting an additive into a fluid comprising:
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a fixed venturi body having a fluid mix portion fluidly interconnecting a fluid inlet flow portion, a fluid outlet flow portion, and an additive inlet flow portion having an additive inlet fluidly connected to an additive connection assembly; and
an additive assembly comprising an additive reservoir fluidly connected to the additive inlet of the fixed venturi body. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A hydraulic injector assembly for injecting an additive into a fluid comprising:
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a body assembly comprising an injector having an interior and a fluid flow outlet, the injector comprising a fluid flow inlet fluidly connected to the injector interior, a biased piston assembly inside the injector interior, the piston assembly comprising a piston body having a major surface end and a distal injection surface end connected by a piston projection, the piston body capable of being moved in a direction opposite the fluid flow inlet when fluid contacts the major surface end of the piston, the distal surface of the piston in fluid communication with an additive inlet, the additive inlet in fluid communication with the fluid outlet via an additive flow channel. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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Specification