HOUSEHOLD CLEANING APPLIANCE WITH A SINGLE WATER FLOW PATH FOR BOTH NON-BULK AND BULK DISPENSING

• US 20160287051A1
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: HENDRICKSON, MICHAEL S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,231,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4214 Water supply, recirculation or discharge arrangements; Devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4418 in the form of liquids A47L15/4409, A47L15/4436, A47L15/4445 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4463 Multi-dose dispensing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/449 Metering controlling devices A47L15/4229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/02 Characteristics of laundry or load
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/06 Recirculation of washing liquids, e.g. by pumps or diverting valves
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus with a single water flow path 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 for receiving the article for cleaning;

a dispensing system having multiple dispensing cups fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, with a first of the multiple dispensing cups defining a single use dispenser; and

a store of bulk treating chemistry configured to hold multiple liquid treating chemistry doses for respective ones of multiple cleaning cycles and having an outlet fluidly coupled to at least one of the multiple dispensing cups to define a bulk dispenser; and

a single water flow path supplying water to the dispensing system to flush treating chemistry from the single use dispenser or the bulk dispenser to the treating chamber.

2. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the dispensing system further comprises a water diverter fluidly coupling the single water flow path to any one of the multiple dispensing cups.

3. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the outlet is fluidly coupled to any one of the multiple dispensing cups to dispense the liquid treating chemistry thereto.

4. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the outlet is fluidly coupled to another one of the multiple dispensing cups.

5. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 4, further comprising a through port defined between the another one of the multiple dispensing cups and the first of the multiple dispensing cups.

6. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the dispensing system further comprises a housing fluidly coupled to the treating chamber and underlying the multiple dispensing cups to direct the flushed treating chemistry into the treating chamber.

7. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 6, wherein the dispensing system further comprises a water diverter overlying the multiple dispensing cups and fluidly coupling the single water flow path to any one of the multiple dispensing cups.

8. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 7, wherein the dispensing system further comprises a drawer containing the multiple dispensing cups and slideably mounted to the cabinet for movement between a closed position overlying the housing and an opened position exterior of the housing.

9. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the first of the multiple dispensing cups comprises a chamber with a siphon or outlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber.

10. 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 dispensing system having a single use dispensing cup fluidly coupled to the treating chamber; and

a store of bulk treating chemistry configured to hold multiple liquid treating chemistry doses for respective ones of multiple cleaning cycles and having an outlet fluidly coupled to the single use dispensing cup to provide the dispensing system with functionality of a bulk dispensing system; and

a single water flow path supplying water to the dispensing system to flush treating chemistry from the dispensing system to the treating chamber.

11. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 10 wherein the single use dispensing cup comprises a chamber with a siphon or outlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber.

12. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 10, further comprising a treating chemistry meter operable to couple the store of bulk treating chemistry to the non-bulk dispensing system.

13. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 12, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the treating chemistry meter to control dosing of the liquid treating chemistry from the store of bulk treating chemistry.

14. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 10 wherein the dispensing system further comprises a water diverter fluidly coupling the single water flow path to any one of the multiple dispensing cups.

15. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 10 wherein the dispensing system further comprises a housing fluidly coupled to the treating chamber and underlying the multiple dispensing cups to direct the flushed treating chemistry into the treating chamber.

16. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 15, wherein the dispensing system further comprises a water diverter overlying the multiple dispensing cups and fluidly coupling the single water flow path to any one of the multiple dispensing cups.

17. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 16, wherein the dispensing system further comprises a drawer containing the multiple dispensing cups and slideably mounted to the cabinet for movement between a closed position overlying the housing and an opened position exterior of the housing.

18. 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 dispensing system having at least one single use dispensing cup fluidly coupled to the treating chamber;

a store of bulk treating chemistry configured to hold multiple liquid treating chemistry doses for respective ones of multiple cleaning cycles and having an outlet fluidly coupled to at least one single use dispensing cup;

a treating chemistry meter operable to couple the store of bulk treating chemistry to the non-bulk dispensing system to control the dosing of the liquid treating chemistry to the non-bulk dispensing system such that the non-bulk dispensing system is provided with functionality of a bulk dispensing system; and

a single water flow path supplying water to the dispensing system to flush treating chemistry from the dispensing system to the treating chamber.

19. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 18 wherein the single use dispensing cup comprises a chamber with a siphon or outlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber.

20. The household cleaning appliance according to claim 19, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the treating chemistry meter to control dosing of the liquid treating chemistry to the single use dispensing cup.