APPLIANCE WITH UNIQUE LOCKING RECEPTACLES

• US 20080276969A1
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: LUCKMAN, JOEL ADAM, HENDRICKSON, MICHAEL STEPHEN, VANANTWERP, TIMOTHY PATRICK, AYKROYD, TIMOTHY NICHOLAS
• Application Number:
  US11/744,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276969A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/25.1
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents

Abstract

A substrate treating appliance utilizing a plurality of different chemistries for different cycles or different wash loads with a plurality of receptacles for receiving a plurality of cartridges containing the different chemistries. Each receptacle has one half of a lock and key connection arrangement providing a unique interconnection configuration at each receptacle, relative to the remaining receptacles, permitting only a selected type of chemistry cartridge to be accepted at a particular receptacle. A connection effected between the cartridge and the receptacle occurs by rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle between an insertion orientation and a locking orientation. Each receptacle is shaped to receive a cylindrical mouth wall of a particular type of chemistry cartridge. Each receptacle may also be uniquely sized, relative to the remaining receptacles, to accept only a selected type of chemistry cartridge. The plurality of receptacles may be arranged adjacent to one another with each cartridge having a configuration that prevents insertion of a cartridge into a receptacle unless every cartridge located in an adjacent receptacle is rotated to the locking orientation.

Claims

1. A substrate treating appliance utilizing a plurality of different chemistries for different cycles or different wash loads with a plurality of receptacles for receiving a plurality of cartridges containing the different chemistries, comprising:

one half of a lock and key connection arrangement provided at each receptacle providing a unique interconnection configuration at each receptacle, relative to the remaining receptacles, permitting only a selected type of chemistry cartridge to be accepted at a particular receptacle, with a connection effected between the cartridge and the receptacle occurring by means of a rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle,

each receptacle having a unique characteristic, in addition to the unique interconnection configuration, relative to the remaining receptacles, to alert a user to insert only a correct type of chemistry cartridge into a particular receptacle.

2. The substrate treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the one half of the lock and key arrangement at each receptacle comprises one or more slots in each receptacle arranged to receive one or more projections located on the cylindrical mouth wall of the cartridges.

3. The substrate treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance comprises one of a clothes washer, a clothes refresher, a clothes dryer and a dish washer.

4. The substrate treating appliance of claim 1, wherein a locking detent arrangement is provided at each receptacle to lock the cartridge to the receptacle upon a predetermined rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle.

5. The substrate treating appliance of claim 4, wherein the locking detent arrangement causes the cartridge to lock to the receptacle upon a 90 degree rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle.

6. The substrate treating appliance of claim 1, wherein a stop wall is provided at each receptacle to prevent the cartridge from being rotated beyond a predetermined rotational amount relative to the receptacle.

7. The substrate treating of claim 1, wherein the unique characteristic is one of size and color.

8. A system for use with a substrate treating appliance utilizing a plurality of different chemistries for different cycles or different wash loads, comprising:

a plurality of cartridges containing the different chemistries,

a plurality of receptacles arranged adjacent to one another for receiving the plurality of cartridges,

one half of a lock and key connection arrangement provided at each receptacle providing a unique interconnection configuration at each receptacle, relative to the remaining receptacles, permitting only a selected type of chemistry cartridge to be accepted at a particular receptacle, with a connection effected between the cartridge and the receptacle occurring by means of a rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle between an insertion orientation and a locking orientation,

each cartridge having a configuration that prevents insertion of a cartridge into a receptacle unless every cartridge located in an adjacent receptacle is rotated to the locking orientation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each receptacle is shaped to receive a cylindrical mouth wall of a particular type of chemistry cartridge, and being uniquely sized, relative to the remaining receptacles, to accept only a selected type of chemistry cartridge.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein each cartridge is provided with a handle that protrudes laterally beyond an extent of a remainder of the cartridge, which handle interferes with the handle of an adjacent cartridge unless the adjacent cartridge is rotated to the locking orientation.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein each cartridge is provided with a projection that protrudes laterally beyond an extent of a remainder of the cartridge, which projection interferes with the projection of an adjacent cartridge unless the adjacent cartridge is rotated to the locking orientation.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the one half of the lock and key arrangement at each receptacle comprises one or more slots in each receptacle arranged to receive one or more projections located on the cylindrical mouth wall of the cartridges.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the substrate treating appliance comprises one of a clothes washer, a clothes refresher, a clothes dryer and a dishwasher.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein a locking detent arrangement is provided at each receptacle to lock the cartridge to the receptacle upon a predetermined rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the locking detent arrangement causes the cartridge to lock to the receptacle upon a 90 degree rotation of the cartridge relative to the receptacle.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein a stop wall is provided at each receptacle to prevent the cartridge from being rotated beyond a predetermined rotational amount relative to the receptacle.

17. A method of supplying a substrate treating appliance with a plurality of different chemistries for different treatment cycles or different wash loads, comprising:

providing a plurality of cartridges containing the different chemistries, each with a cylindrical mouth wall through which the chemistry in the cartridge is dispensed to the substrate treating appliance, and each cylindrical mouth wall sized to correspond with the particular type of chemistry contained in that cartridge,

providing a plurality of receptacles for receiving the cylindrical mouth wall of a particular one of the plurality of cartridges,

sizing a diameter of each receptacle uniquely relative to the remaining receptacles to accept the cylindrical mouth wall of only a selected type of chemistry cartridge,

providing one half of a lock and key connection arrangement at each receptacle providing a unique interconnection configuration at each receptacle, relative to the remaining receptacles, permitting only a selected type of chemistry cartridge to be accepted at a particular receptacle,

providing a second half of the lock and key connection arrangement at each cartridge configured to be accepted only at a selected receptacle,

inserting each cartridge into its particular receptacle with a first axial insertion motion and then a rotational locking motion until the cartridge reaches a locking orientation.

18. The method of claim 17, including the steps of

arranging the plurality of receptacles adjacent to one another, and

configuring each cartridge to prevent insertion of a cartridge into a receptacle unless every cartridge located in an adjacent receptacle is rotated to the locking orientation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of configuring each cartridge comprises providing each cartridge with a projection that protrudes laterally beyond an extent of a remainder of the cartridge, which projection interferes with the projection of an adjacent cartridge unless the adjacent cartridge is rotated to the locking orientation.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of configuring each cartridge comprises providing each cartridge with a handle that protrudes laterally beyond an extent of a remainder of the cartridge, which handle interferes with the handle of an adjacent cartridge unless the adjacent cartridge is rotated to the locking orientation.