Cartridge system for dispensing substances into a washing machine

• US 20130175293A1
• Filed: 11/03/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronald Burgess
• Original Assignee: Ronald Burgess
• Inventors: Burgess, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/23
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/12 Casings; Tubs

Abstract

A cartridge system for dispensing substances into a washing machine is disclosed. One or more preferably different sized or shaped cartridges are located within removable drawers contained in a washing machine. Each cartridge contains a particular substance, such as laundry detergent, bleach, or fabric softener, that is released into the washing machine. The cartridge system also includes a means to identify the substance contained within the cartridge as well as when and how much of the substance should be released into the washing machine. At the appropriate time, the system dispenses an appropriate amount of substance into the washing machine. A pump pulls the substance out of the container and into the washing basin of a washing machine. Alternatively, a valve is opened and the substance pours into the washing basin due to gravitational forces.

Claims

1. A cartridge system for dispensing a substance into a washing machine comprising:

at least one cartridge, where the at least one cartridge comprises;

six sides that define an inner space, a handle, a barcode, a vent, a delivery tube adapter, and a delivery tube,

where the delivery tube adapter mates with the delivery tube, where a substance is contained within the inner space of the cartridge, where the substance may flow through the delivery tube, where the substance that flows through the delivery tube is inserted into a washing machine,

where each barcode can contain three or more pieces data, where the three or more pieces of data relate to an identity of the substance, a delivery time which is the time during a washing machine cycle that the substance is to be delivered, and a delivery amount which is the amount of substance to be delivered.

2. The cartridge system of claim 1, further comprising a barcode reader, where the barcode reader reads data from the barcode of the cartridge.

3. The cartridge system of claim 2, where the barcode reader destroys the barcode on the cartridge after reading it.

4. The cartridge system of claim 1, further comprising a level indicator, where the level indicator mates with the vent of a cartridge.

5. The cartridge system of claim 4, where the level indicator measures the amount of substance in the inner space, and displays one or more results from that measurement.

6. The cartridge system of claim 1, further comprising a barcode reader, where the barcode reader reads data from the barcode of the cartridge, where the barcode reader destroys the barcode on the cartridge after reading it, and further comprising a level indicator, where the level indicator mates with the vent of a cartridge, where the level indicator measures the amount of substance in the inner space, and displays one or more results from that measurement.

7. The cartridge system of claim 1, where the number of cartridges is at least two in number.

8. The cartridge system of claim 7, where one of the cartridges comprises a sprayer, where the sprayer comprises a tube that extends from the delivery tube adapter to a spraying device, where the spraying device comprises a trigger that can be pulled to dispense a substance in the cartridge, a handle portion, where the handle portion is shaped like the grip on a handgun, and a dispensing nozzle, where a user can pull the trigger and dispense the substance onto clothes prior to the clothes being inserted into the washing machine.

9. The cartridge system of claim 8, where the substance is stain remover.

10. The cartridge system of claim 8, wherein each cartridge holds a different substance.

11. The cartridge system of claim 10, wherein each cartridge holds a different volume of a substance.

12. The cartridge system of claim 1, wherein the cartridge further comprises a vent cap, where the vent cap must be removed before inserting the cartridge into the system.

13. A method of dispensing a substance into a washing machine through a cartridge system, comprising the steps of:

accepting a cartridge, where the cartridge comprises;

six sides that define an inner space, a handle, a barcode, a vent, a delivery tube adapter, and a delivery tube,

where the delivery tube adapter mates with the delivery tube, where a substance is contained within the inner space of the cartridge, where the substance may flow through the delivery tube, where the substance that flows through the delivery tube is inserted into a washing machine,

where each barcode can contain three or more pieces data, where the three or more pieces of data relate to an identity of the substance, a delivery time which is the time during a washing machine cycle that the substance is to be delivered, and a delivery amount which is the amount of substance to be delivered;

scanning the barcode of the cartridge;

destroying the barcode of the cartridge such that it cannot be read again;

inserting a level indicator through the vent and into the cartridge; and

dispensing a substance contained within the cartridge into a washing machine;

whereby data collected from scanning the barcode is used to determine the volume and timing of dispensing the substance contained within the cartridge into the washing machine.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of querying a remote database for more data on the substance contained within the cartridge.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the cartridge further comprises a handle.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a second cartridge, where the second cartridge comprises a vent and a barcode;

scanning the barcode of the second cartridge;

destroying the barcode of the second cartridge such that it cannot be read again;

inserting a level indicator through the vent and into the second cartridge; and

dispensing a substance contained within the second cartridge into a washing machine;

whereby data collected from scanning the barcode of the second cartridge is used to determine the volume and timing of dispensing the substance contained within the second cartridge into the washing machine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the substance within the cartridge is different than the substance contained within the second cartridge.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the substance of the cartridge is dispensed at a different time than the substance of the second cartridge.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the volume of substance dispensed from the cartridge is different than the volume of substance dispensed from the second cartridge.

20. A cartridge system for dispensing a substance comprising:

a barcode reader, a level indicator, a cartridge, a second cartridge, a third cartridge, and a dispensing tube,

where the cartridge comprises;

six sides that define an inner space, a handle, a barcode, a vent, a delivery tube adapter, and a delivery tube,

where the delivery tube adapter mates with the delivery tube, where a substance is contained within the inner space of the cartridge, where the substance may flow through the delivery tube, where the substance that flows through the delivery tube is inserted into a washing machine,

where each barcode can contain three or more pieces data, where the three or more pieces of data relate to an identity of the substance, a delivery time which is the time during a washing machine cycle that the substance is to be delivered, and a delivery amount which is the amount of substance to be delivered;

where the barcode reader reads the barcode of the cartridge, where the barcode reader destroys the barcode of the cartridge after the barcode reader has read the barcode,

where the level indicator is inserted through the vent and determines the level of a substance remaining within the cartridge,

wherein the cartridge further comprises a dispensing adapter,

where the dispensing adapter of the cartridge mates with the dispensing tube,

whereby a substance contained within the cartridge may flow through the dispensing adapter and through the dispensing tube,

where the second cartridge and the third cartridge each comprise a barcode and a vent, where the second cartridge is smaller than the cartridge, where the third cartridge is smaller than the second cartridge, wherein the cartridge, second cartridge, and third cartridge each contain a substance, where the substance of the cartridge is laundry detergent, where the substance of the second cartridge is fabric softener, and where the substance of the third cartridge is bleach.