Universal dispenser for dispensing of laundry additives during automatic machine laundering of fabrics
First Claim
1. A system for dispensing laundry additive materials into one or more stages of a laundering cycle which occurs during the operation of a drum-containing automatic fabric laundering washing machine, which system comprises:
- A) a housing structure positioned within the washing machine in a fixed spatial relationship to the washing machine drum, which housing structure comprises a base and an openable and closable lid for the base;
B) an insert having at least one compartment which can be placed within the housing structure, the insert containing a laundry additive; and
C) a selectively actuatable puncturing element that controls the time at which a compartment containing a laundry additive is punctured, the selectively actuatable puncturing element being movable between a first position in which the selectively actuatable means does not pierce the insert to a second position in which the selectively actuatable puncturing element pierces the insert, and wherein the selectively actuatable puncturing element cooperates with a feature in the insert such that the selectively actuatable puncturing element pierces the insert when the lid is closed after placing the insert in the housing structure, or the selectively actuatable puncturing element does not pierce the insert when the lid is closed depending upon whether the feature is present or absent in the insert.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and kits for dispensing laundry additive materials into the drum of an automatic washing machine as that machine is used to carry out a fabric laundering operation. To bring about such dispensing of additives, a lidded housing structure is placed within the drum of an automatic washing machine, an insert, containing one or more laundry additives in each compartment, is placed within the lidded housing structure, the lid is closed and the machine is run through the several stages of its laundering cycle. Selectively actuatable puncturing element are provided to optionally open at least one compartment of the insert upon closing of the housing structure lid, thereby dispensing the contents of that opened compartment into the washing machine drum as wash additive materials and/or to open one or more compartments of the insert later in the laundering cycle to dispense contents of those compartments into the washing machine drum as rinse additive materials. The selectively actuatable puncturing element being activated by centrifugal force arising during the spin cycle of the laundering operation. In a multiple rinse cycle laundering operation, selectively actuatable puncturing element has a track and cam that allows for the dispensing of additives into the desired rinse cycle.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system for dispensing laundry additive materials into one or more stages of a laundering cycle which occurs during the operation of a drum-containing automatic fabric laundering washing machine, which system comprises:
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A) a housing structure positioned within the washing machine in a fixed spatial relationship to the washing machine drum, which housing structure comprises a base and an openable and closable lid for the base; B) an insert having at least one compartment which can be placed within the housing structure, the insert containing a laundry additive; and C) a selectively actuatable puncturing element that controls the time at which a compartment containing a laundry additive is punctured, the selectively actuatable puncturing element being movable between a first position in which the selectively actuatable means does not pierce the insert to a second position in which the selectively actuatable puncturing element pierces the insert, and wherein the selectively actuatable puncturing element cooperates with a feature in the insert such that the selectively actuatable puncturing element pierces the insert when the lid is closed after placing the insert in the housing structure, or the selectively actuatable puncturing element does not pierce the insert when the lid is closed depending upon whether the feature is present or absent in the insert. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for providing dispensing of laundry additive materials into the several stages of the laundering cycle which occur during the operation of an drum-containing automatic fabric laundering washing machine, which method comprises:
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A) positioning a housing structure within the washing machine in a fixed spatial relationship to the washing machine drum, which housing structure comprises a base and an openable and closable lid for the base; B) placing within the housing structure with its lid open at the beginning of the laundering operation, an insert having at least one compartment containing a laundry additive; and C) providing at least one selectively actuatable puncturing element that in conjunction with the insert controls the time at which the compartment containing the laundry additive is punctured wherein the selectively actuatable puncturing element cooperates with a feature in the insert or a such that the selectively actuatable puncturing element pierces a compartment of the insert when the lid is closed after placing the insert in the housing structure or, the selectively actuatable puncturing element does not pierce the compartments of the insert when the lid is closed depending upon whether the feature is present or absent in the insert. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification