Method and apparatus for dispensing treating chemistry in a laundry treating appliance

• US 8,713,737 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Vallejo Noriega, Alvaro, Ihne, Sarah E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US13/782,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 815/8, 815/9, 68/17.R, 682/07
• US Class Current: 8/159
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance and method for dispensing treating chemistry, where the laundry treating appliance includes a treating chamber, a single use dispenser and a bulk dispenser. Water may be supplied to the single use dispenser through a first water flow path, which directs a dose of treating chemistry dispensed from the single use dispenser into the treating chamber. Water may be supplied to the bulk dispenser through a second water flow path, which is configured to spray a dose of treating chemistry dispensed from the bulk dispenser into the treating chamber. The laundry treating appliance may determine the presence of treating chemistry within at least one of the single use dispenser and the bulk dispenser, and, based on this determination, supply water to the flow path associated with the dispenser which contains treating chemistry.

Claims

1. A method of operating a laundry treating appliance comprising a cabinet defining an interior, a tub located within the interior, a drum located within the tub and defining a treating chamber configured to receive an article for cleaning, a single use dispensing system, a bulk dispensing system, and a controller configured to control the operation of the laundry treating appliance the method comprising:

determining, with the controller, the presence of treating chemistry within the bulk dispensing system;

upon the determining by the controller that treating chemistry is not present within the bulk dispensing system, supplying water to the single use dispensing system through a first water flow path and directing a charge of treating chemistry from the single use dispensing system into the treating chamber; and

upon the determining by the controller that treating chemistry is present within the bulk dispensing system, supplying water to the bulk dispensing system through a second water flow path and spraying a charge of treating chemistry from the bulk dispensing system into the treating chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising fluidly communicating the first water flow path with a source of water when treating chemistry is determined to be not present within the bulk dispensing system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising fluidly communicating the second water flow path with the source of water when treating chemistry is determined to be present within the bulk dispensing system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining, with the controller, the presence of treating chemistry comprises determining the presence of a cartridge with the bulk dispensing system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the directing the charge of treating chemistry comprises feeding the charge by gravity.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the directing the charge of treating chemistry comprises flushing treating chemistry from the single use dispensing system with the water supplied to the single use dispensing system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the spraying the charge of treating chemistry comprises spraying the charge under pressure.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rotating the drum to effect a first tumbling pattern when treating chemistry is determined to be not present within the bulk dispensing system; and

rotating the drum to effect a second tumbling pattern that is different than the first tumbling pattern when treating chemistry is determined to be present within the bulk dispensing system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second tumbling pattern comprises intermittently rotating the treating chamber.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first tumbling pattern comprises intermittently rotating the treating chamber.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising spraying water into the treating chamber prior to the directing the charge of treating chemistry when treating chemistry is determined to be not present within the bulk dispensing system.