HOUSEHOLD CLEANING APPLIANCE WITH A NON-BULK DISPENSING SYSTEM CONVERTIBLE TO A HOUSEHOLD CLEANING APPLIANCE WITH A BULK DISPENSING SYSTEM

• US 20150240407A1
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: LUCKMAN, JOEL A., HENDRICKSON, MICHAEL S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,920,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

A household cleaning appliance having a treating chamber and a non-bulk dispensing system coupled with the treating chamber and having a portion of material configured to be removable wherein the non-bulk dispensing system is configured to receive a removable cartridge containing a treating chemistry when such material is removed

Claims

1. A household cleaning appliance, comprising:

a treating chamber; and

a non-bulk dispensing system coupled with the treating chamber and having a portion of material configured to be removable wherein the non-bulk dispensing system is configured to receive a removable cartridge containing a treating chemistry when such material is removed.

2. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein when the cartridge is received the household cleaning appliance comprises a bulk dispensing system configured to deliver a charge of treating chemistry from the cartridge to the treating chamber.

3. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the non-bulk dispensing system comprises a drawer having the portion of material configured to be removed and configured to receive the removable cartridge.

4. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 3, further comprising a metering device coupled to the drawer and operably coupled to the removable cartridge to dispense treating chemistry when the removable cartridge is received within the drawer.

5. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the non-bulk dispensing system comprises a non-bulk dispensing drawer having at least a portion of the material configured to be removable and wherein the drawer is configured to receive a bulk dispensing cartridge and fluid outlet when such material is removed.

6. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 5, further comprising a metering device coupled to the drawer and operably coupled to the removable cartridge to dispense treating chemistry when the removable cartridge is received within the drawer.

7. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 6 wherein the metering device comprises a pump.

8. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 6 wherein the metering device comprises a venturi.

9. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 6 wherein the metering device comprises a pressurized cartridge.

10. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 6 wherein the metering device comprises a gravity drain.

11. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 6 wherein the metering device comprises a flowmeter.

12. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 6 wherein the metering device comprises a pumping air into the cartridge.

13. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 6, further comprising a fluid coupler fluidly coupling an outlet of the removable cartridge and an inlet of the metering device.

14. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 5 wherein the drawer comprises at least one dispensing cup and the removable cartridge is received within the at least one dispensing cup.

15. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 14, further comprising a water supply to the dispenser housing that bypasses the at least one dispensing cup.

16. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 14, wherein the at least one dispensing cup further comprises a dispenser siphon configured to remove liquid from the at least one dispensing cup.

17. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the portion of material configured to be removable is a punch-out.