Liquid flow diversion arrangement

• US 3,952,556 A
• Filed: 05/19/1975
• Issued: 04/27/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gakhar, Ved P., Dendinger, Lawrence P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilreath, Stanley N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US05/578,634
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 68/12 R, 68/17 R, 68/207, 137/806, 137/825, 137/832, 137/836, 137/837, 137/841, 134/93
• US Class Current: 68/12.18
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/083 Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/224 With particular characteristics of control input

Abstract

An improved liquid flow diversion arrangement for use with an additive dispensing system in an automatic washer. Included is a liquid flow diverter of the transverse pressure differential type having control ports coupled to atmosphere by tubes whose open ends terminate at the machine sequence control timer. Means are provided associated with the timer for closing the open ends of the tubes and thereby the control ports at predetermined times to effect liquid flow diversion. A check valve is provided at the outer end of each control port for preventing liquid from escaping from the fluid diverter. A chamber is coupled by a segment of the tubing between each control port and the timer for accumulating liquid that may bypass the check valves and further, for preventing audible sonic oscillations which may occur in the liquid flow diversion arrangement due to the inherent ability of the diverter to amplify resonance in the system.

Claims

1. In an automatic washer having an additive dispensing system including a multi-compartmented dispenser, a liquid flow diversion arrangement having a liquid diverter for selectively diverting liquid into preselected dispenser compartments for flushing the additives into the washer at predetermined times during a cycle of the washer, the liquid diverter having a main inlet for liquid to enter, a liquid outlet providing a plurality of exit paths for the liquid, and at least two control ports coupled respectively to ambient, the arrangement further including means for selectively closing each of the control ports respectively from ambient at predetermined times for determining through which exit path and thereby into which dispenser compartment liquid entering the main inlet will emerge, wherein the improvement comprises:

a check valve associated with each control port for preventing the emergence of liquid from the respective control ports; and

a chamber coupled respectively between each control port and its respective closing means for accumulating liquid that may bypass the respective check valves, the chambers being dimensioned for preventing sonic oscillations in the liquid flow diversion arrangement.

2. In the automatic washer of claim 1 wherein the liquid diverter is the transverse pressure differential type.

3. In the automatic washer of claim 1 wherein there is a cycle control timer and the liquid diverter is responsive to the timer for selectively diverting liquid into preselected dispenser compartments.

4. In the automatic washer of claim 3 wherein the means for closing from atmosphere each of the coupling means is responsive to the timer.

5. In the automatic washer of claim 1 wherein there is a pair of control ports and means coupling the control ports respectively to ambient.