WATER FLOW PATHS IN A HOUSEHOLD CLEANING APPLIANCE WITH SINGLE USE AND BULK DISPENSING

• US 20100000581A1
• Filed: 07/01/2008
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: LUCKMAN, JOEL ADAM, DOYLE, COLLEEN M., HENDRICKSON, MICHAEL S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/99.2
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments

Abstract

An apparatus with water flow paths suitable for a household cleaning appliance having both a non-bulk dispensing system and a bulk dispensing system.

Claims

1. A household cleaning appliance configured to execute a cleaning cycle on an article, comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior;

a treating chamber located within the interior configured to receive the article for cleaning; and

a dispensing system comprising;

a single use dispensing system configured to dispense a charge of treating chemistry and fluidly coupled to the treating chamber;

a bulk dispensing system fluidly configured to dispense a charge of treating chemistry and fluidly coupled to the treating chamber;

a first water flow path configured to direct the charge of treating chemistry dispensed from the single use dispensing system into the treating chamber; and

a second water flow path configured to direct the charge of treating chemistry dispensed from the bulk dispensing system into the treating chamber

wherein when the system is operated in a manual-dispensing mode the water is directed into the first flow path and when the system is operated in a bulk-dispensing mode the water is directed into the second flow path.

2. The household cleaning appliance of claim 1 wherein the first and second water flow paths direct the treating chemistry to the treating chamber by flushing.

3. The household cleaning appliance of claim 1, further comprising a dispensing line fluidly coupling the dispensing system to the treating chamber such that water flushed from the single use dispensing system and the bulk dispensing system is directed to the treating chamber by the dispensing line.

4. The household cleaning appliance of claim 1 wherein the first and second water flow paths are independent prior to reaching the dispensing system.

5. The household cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the dispensing system further comprises a housing fluidly coupling the dispensing system to the treating chamber such that output from the single use dispensing system and the bulk dispensing system is directed to the treating chamber.

6. The household cleaning appliance of claim 5 wherein the single use dispensing system comprises a dispensing cup configured to hold the treating chemistry.

7. The household cleaning appliance of claim 6 wherein the dispensing cup is located within the housing.

8. The household cleaning appliance of claim 7 wherein the first water flow path comprises a path configured to supply water to the housing through the dispensing cup.

9. The household cleaning appliance of claim 8 wherein the second water flow path comprises a path configured to supply water to the housing and to bypass the dispensing cup.

10. The household cleaning appliance of claim 9 wherein the single use dispensing system further comprises a drawer configured to carry the dispensing cup and to be slideably mounted to the cabinet for movement between a closed position for dispensing and an opened position for refilling.

11. The household cleaning appliance of claim 10 wherein the bulk dispensing system is fluidly coupled to the housing to supply the treating chemistry to the housing.

12. The household cleaning appliance of claim 11 wherein the bulk dispensing system is configured to be carried by the drawer.

13. The household cleaning appliance of claim 12 wherein the second water flow path comprises a path configured to supply water to the housing and to bypass the drawer.

14. The household cleaning appliance of claim 1 further comprising a controller operably coupled to the dispensing system and configured to determine whether to operate the dispensing system in the manual-dispensing mode or the bulk dispensing mode.

15. The household cleaning appliance of claim 14 wherein the controller is configured to receive input regarding the presence of the bulk dispensing cartridge to determine whether to operate in the manual-dispensing mode or bulk dispensing mode.

16. The household cleaning appliance of claim 1, further comprising a water diverter configured to selectively fluidly couple a water supply to one of the first water flow path and the second water flow path.

17. A household cleaning appliance configured to execute a cleaning cycle on an article, comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior;

a treating chamber located within the interior for receiving the article for cleaning;

a drawer slideably mounted to the cabinet for movement between a closed position at least in part interior of the cabinet and an opened position at least in part exterior of the cabinet;

a single use dispensing system comprising a dispensing cup coupled with the drawer and fluidly coupled to the treating chamber;

a bulk dispensing system coupled with the drawer and fluidly coupled to the treating chamber;

a first water flow path configured to supply water to the treating chamber through the dispensing cup to direct treating chemistry from the dispensing cup to the treating chamber;

a second water flow path configured to direct a charge of treating chemistry dispensed from the bulk dispensing system into the treating chamber;

wherein when manual dispensing is desired water is directed down the first flow path and when bulk dispensing is desired water is directed down the second flow path.

18. The household cleaning appliance of claim 17 wherein the bulk dispensing system is configured to be fluidly coupled to the treating chamber to dispense the treating chemistry to the treating chamber while bypassing the drawer.

19. The household cleaning appliance of claim 18 wherein the second water flow path is configured to supply water to the treating chamber while bypassing the drawer.

20. The household cleaning appliance of claim 17, further comprising a housing fluidly coupling the single use dispensing system and the bulk dispensing system to the treating chamber when the drawer is in the closed position.

21. The household cleaning appliance of claim 20 wherein the first waterflow path provides water to the single use dispensing system and the second water flow path provides water the bulk dispensing system while bypassing the drawer.

22. The household cleaning appliance of claim 17, further comprising a water diverter configured to selectively fluidly couple a water supply to one of the first water flow path and the second water flow path.

23. A household cleaning appliance configured to execute a cleaning cycle on an article, comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior;

a treating chamber located within the interior for receiving the article for cleaning;

a single use dispensing system fluidly coupled to the treating chamber for dispensing a charge of treating chemistry to the treating chamber;

a bulk dispensing system fluidly coupled to the treating chamber for dispensing a charge of treating chemistry to the treating chamber; and

a water supply system comprising;

a first water flow path fluidly coupled to the single use dispensing system configured to direct treating chemistry from the single use dispensing system to the treating chamber, and

a second water flow path fluidly coupled to the bulk dispensing system configured to direct treating chemistry from the bulk dispensing system to the treating chamber;

wherein when dispensing is desired from the single use dispensing system, water is directed down the first flow path and when dispensing is desired from the bulk dispensing system water is directed down the second flow path.

24. The household cleaning appliance of claim 23 wherein the first and second water flow paths direct the treating chemistry to the treating chamber by flushing.

25. The household cleaning appliance of claim 23 wherein the first and second water flow paths are configured to be independent prior to reaching the single use dispensing system and the bulk dispensing system.

26. The household cleaning appliance of claim 23 wherein the single use dispensing system and bulk dispensing system are integrated to form a common dispensing system.

27. The household cleaning appliance of claim 26 wherein the single use dispensing system comprises at least two dispensing cups and the bulk dispensing system comprises a bulk dispensing cartridge located within one of the at least two cups to integrate the single use dispensing system and the bulk dispensing system into a common dispensing system.

28. A method of operating a household cleaning appliance comprising a cabinet defining an interior, a treating chamber located within the interior configured to receive the article for cleaning, a dispensing system having a single use dispensing system and a bulk dispensing system the method comprising:

determining a first factor indicative of a desire to use one of the single use dispensing system and the bulk dispensing system; and

supplying water to the single use dispensing system through a first water flow path, when the first factor indicates a desire to use the single use dispensing system, and supplying water to the bulk dispensing system through a second water flow path, when the first factor indicates a desire to use the bulk dispensing system.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein the first factor is a user input.

30. The method according to claim 28 wherein the first factor comprises and indication of the presence of treating chemistry in at least one of the single use dispensing system or the bulk dispensing system.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the first factor comprises an indication of the presence of an insufficient amount of chemistry in the bulk dispensing system.