DISPENSER AND DISPENSING METHOD FOR PULSATOR WASH SYSTEM
A dispenser and dispensing method for a pulsator wash system or machine includes an inner cup defining an inner chamber for receiving an additive and an outer cup defining an outer chamber annularly disposed about the inner cup. The inner and outer cups are disposed within a pulsator hub of the pulsator washing machine. In operation, an additive is added to the inner chamber and the wash tub of the pulsator washing machine is filled with water, wherein that water enters and rises within the outer chamber. A predetermined amount of the water in the outer cup is permitted to enter the inner cup to pre-dilute the additive.
This application is related to the U.S. patent application entitled “PULSATOR WASH SYSTEM” (Atty. Dkt. No. 228636 GECZ 2 00880), filed concurrently herewith, commonly assigned to General Electric Company, and expressly incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDThe present disclosure generally relates to washing machines, and more particularly relates to a dispenser and dispensing method for a pulsator wash system. In one embodiment, a dispenser for a pulsator washing machine includes an inner cup defining an inner chamber for receiving an additive and an outer cup defining an outer chamber annularly disposed about the inner cup, wherein the inner and outer cups are disposed within a pulsator hub of a pulsator washing machine. The dispenser and dispensing method will be described with particular reference to this embodiment, but it is to be appreciated that it is also amenable to other like applications.
Conventional vertical axis washing machines are known to include a center agitator disposed within a vertical axis wash basket, which is rotatably supported within a tub. Typically, the agitator extends upwardly from the bottom wall of the basket and has a height that is substantially equal to the height of the wash basket.
Several dispensers are known for agitator-type washing machines, including those that use a centrifugal force developed by a washing machine during a spin phase to effect release of a fabric softener or the like, which is typically most effective in the rinse cycle. In one known arrangement, the agitator-type dispenser is mounted on an agitator post and uses centrifugal force to transfer a fabric softener from a reservoir compartment to a release compartment. At the same time, a washing tub and an agitator are rotating to spin out wash water. As the agitator comes to a stop at the end of a spin cycle, the laundry additive drains into the tub. Dispensers of this type are disclosed, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,227 issued to Manthei; U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,574 issued to Sundstrom; U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,957 issued to Marcussen; U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,773 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,785 both issued to Waugh; U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,054 issued to Drews et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,480 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,135 issued to Douglas; U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,163 issued to Bochan et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,059 issued to Yates. Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,081 to Savkar et al. also discloses an agitator-type fabric softener dispenser. Other types of dispensers which utilize centrifugal force to release an additive but which are not attached to the agitator are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,515 to Townsend and U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,573 to Brenner et al.
Many of the prior art agitator-type fabric softener dispensers, particularly those received on the end of the agitator post, are designed to reside above, or at least partially above, a maximum water level within the washing machine. A second type of vertical axis washing machine is known wherein a pulsator or disc-like impeller is provided adjacent or along the bottom wall of the wash basket, the basket being rotatably supported within the tub of the washing machine. In the pulsator washing machine, there is no agitator post extending upward to a location above a maximum fill level for a dispenser to reside above, or at least partially above, a maximum water level within the washing machine.
In view of the lack of an agitator post extending upward to a location above or near a maximum fill level, many pulsator washing machines use a flow-through type fabric dispenser. Flow-through dispensers are disclosed, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,307 to Obata; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,168 to Smock. These types of dispensers are somewhat complex and therefore add substantially to the cost and overall complexity of the washing machine when employed.
SUMMARYAccording to one aspect, a dispenser for a pulsator washing machine is provided. More particularly, in accordance with this aspect, the dispenser includes an inner cup defining an inner chamber for receiving an additive. An outer cup defines an outer chamber annularly disposed about the inner cup. The inner and outer cups are disposed within a pulsator hub of the pulsator washing machine.
According to another aspect, a dispensing method for a pulsator washing machine is provided. More particularly, in accordance with this aspect, an additive is added to an inner chamber of a dispenser inner cup disposed within a pulsator hub of the pulsator washing machine. A wash tub of the pulsator washing machine is filled with water. The water enters and rises within an outer chamber defined about the inner cup by an outer cup. A predetermined amount of the water in the outer cup is permitted to enter the inner chamber of the inner cup to pre-dilute the additive.
According to yet another aspect, a submersible dispenser for a washing machine is provided. More particularly, in accordance with this aspect, the dispenser includes an outer cup disposed within or formed integrally with an agitator element of the washing machine at a submersible location thereon. An inner cup is disposed in the outer cup for receiving an additive to be dispensed during a wash cycle of the washing machine.
Referring now to the drawings wherein showings are for purposes of illustrating one or more exemplary embodiments,
With additional reference to
The wash tub 64 includes a bottom wall 67 and a side wall 68, the basket 70 being rotatably mounted or supported within the tub 64 in spaced apart relation from the tub bottom wall 67 and the side wall 68. A pump assembly 72 is located beneath the wash tub 64 and the basket 70 for gravity assisted flow when draining the tub 64. The pump assembly 72 includes a pump 74, a motor 76, and in an exemplary embodiment a motor fan (not shown). A pump inlet hose 80 extends from a wash tub outlet 82 in tub bottom wall 67 to a pump inlet 84, and a pump outlet hose 86 extends from pump outlet 88 to an appliance washing machine water outlet 90 and ultimately to a building plumbing system discharge line (not shown) in flow communication with the outlet 90.
A hot liquid valve 102 and a cold liquid valve 104 deliver fluid, such as water, to the basket 70 and the wash tub 64 through a respective hot liquid hose 106 and a cold liquid hose 108. Liquid valves 102,104 and liquid hoses 106,108 together form a liquid supply connection for the washing machine 50 and, when connected to a building plumbing system (not shown), provide a water supply for use in the washing machine 50. Liquid valves 102,104 and liquid hoses 106,108 are connected to a basket inlet tube 110, and fluid is dispersed from the inlet tube 110 through a nozzle assembly 112 having a number of openings therein to direct washing liquid into basket 70 at a given trajectory and velocity. A known dispenser (not shown in
In an alternate embodiment a spray fill conduit 114 (shown in phantom in
In an exemplary embodiment, the basket 70 and the pulsator 116 are driven by a motor 120 through a transmission and clutch system 122. A transmission belt 124 is coupled to respective pulleys of a motor output shaft 126 and a transmission input shaft 128. Thus, as motor output shaft 126 is rotated, transmission input shaft 128 is also rotated. Clutch system 122 facilitates driving engagement of the basket 70 and the pulsator 116 (e.g., through shaft 172) for rotatable movement within the wash tub 64, and clutch system 122 facilitates relative rotation of the basket 70 and the pulsator 116 for selected portions of wash cycles. Motor 120, transmission and clutch assembly 122 and belt 124 can collectively be referred to as a machine drive system, the drive system for rotating the basket 70 and/or the pulsator 116. As shown, the pulsator 116 is disposed adjacent bottom 92 of the wash basket 70 and drivingly connected to the illustrated drive system. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the drive system 120,122,124 of the illustrated embodiment can be replaced by any other suitable drive system.
The washing machine 50 can also include a brake assembly (not shown) selectively applied or released for respectively maintaining the basket 70 in a stationary position within the tub 64 or for allowing the basket 70 to spin within the tub 64. Pump assembly 72 is selectively activated to remove liquid from the basket 70 and the tub 64 through drain outlet 90 during appropriate points in washing cycles as machine 50 is used. In an exemplary embodiment, as illustrated, the washing machine also includes a reservoir 132, a tube 134 and a pressure sensor 136. As fluid levels rise in the wash tub 70, air is trapped in the reservoir 132 creating a pressure in the tube 134 that pressure sensor 136 monitors. Liquid levels, and more specifically changes in liquid levels in the wash tub 70, may therefore be sensed, for example, to indicate laundry loads and to facilitate associated control decisions. In further alternative embodiments, load size and cycle effectiveness can be determined or evaluated using other known indicia, such as motor spin, torque, load weight, motor current, voltage, current phase shifts, etc. It is to be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the reservoir 132, tube 134 and pressure sensor 136 need not be employed in the washing machine 50 of the subject disclosure. In particular, it may be advantageous to simplify the washing machine 50 so as to reduce manufacturing costs and the ultimate end cost to a consumer by eliminating the reservoir 132, tube 134 and pressure sensor 136.
Operation of the machine 50 can be controlled by a controller 138, though this is not required (for example, simple electromechanical controls can be employed for controlling and operating the washing machine 50). The controller 138 can be operatively connected to the user interface input located on the washing machine backsplash 58 for user manipulation to select washing machine cycles and features. In response to user manipulation of the user interface input, the controller 138 operates the various components of the machine 50 to execute selective machine cycles and features. The controller 138 is operatively coupled to the drive system 120,122,124 and the nozzle assembly 112 (or alternatively the spray conduit 114).
With reference to
With additional reference to
With additional reference to
As shown, the dispenser 180 can include a cap or cap assembly 190 closing an open end of the outer cup 186. The cap 190 of the illustrated embodiment includes a main body or portion 192 that closes the open end of the outer cup 186 and defines an aperture 194 therethrough, and further includes an openable lid 196 pivotally mounted to the main body or portion 192. The lid 196 is pivotally movable from a closed position (illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 4A-B) and an open position (illustrated in
As best shown in
The outer cup 186 includes a base portion 206 and a radial side wall or side wall portion 208 extending from the base portion or base wall 206. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer cup base portion 206 and the outer cup radial side wall 208 are formed integrally with the pulsator 116, and particularly the pulsator hub 152. That is, the wall defining the pulsator hub 152 also forms the radial side wall portion 208. In the illustrated embodiment, the base wall 206 has a raised central portion 210 that is configured to mount around the shaft 172 and includes an aperture 212 through which the fastener 176 secures the pulsator 116 to the shaft 172, though this configuration is not required. When so configured, a base wall or base wall portion 214 of the inner cup 182 likewise includes a raised portion 216, though again such a configuration is not required.
As best shown in
With additional reference to
Turning now to
From the receiving chamber 198, the additive A flows through the aperture 194 into the inner chamber 184 of the inner cup 182. Once the additive A is added to the inner chamber 184, the lid 196 can be closed and then the machine 50 can be operated through its normal wash cycles. More particularly, the wash tub 64 of the machine 50 is next filled with water W for washing and thus water begins rising up the pulsator 116 as shown in
As the water W continues to rise in the wash tub 64 and in the outer chamber 188, a predetermined amount of the water W from the outer cup 186 is permitted to enter the inner chamber 184 of the inner cup 182 to pre-dilute the additive A as shown in
Next, with the dispenser 190 submerged, the machine 50 is operated to wash any articles received therein. During the wash cycle, the water W in the inner cup 182 and the additive A mix to form a prediluted additive mixture PA. The dip tube 234 can extend into the inner chamber 184 of the inner cup 186 a sufficient distance so that the mixing of the additive A and the water W during the wash cycle results in little or no splashing or spilling into the outer chamber 186. After completion of the wash cycle, the water W is drained from the wash tub 64 and the machine 50 is operated in a wash spin cycle. During this spin cycle, the prediluted additive PA vacates the inner chamber 184 of the inner cup 182. More particularly, the prediluted additive PA is centrifugally forced from the inner chamber 184 over the radial side wall 204 and into the outer chamber 184 as illustrated in
At the end of the spin cycle, however, the centrifugal force on the pre-diluted additive PA ends and from the outer cup 186 it is gravitationally forced to flow into the wash tub 64 through the drain holes 220 fluidly connecting the outer chamber 188 to the wash tub 64. Thus, the pre-diluted additive PA is dispensed from the inner cup 182 into the wash tub 64. Next, after dispensing, the wash tub 64 is again filled with water W for the rinse cycle. The water W again enters and rises within the outer chamber 188 and enters the inner chamber 184 through the weep hole 228 to automatically rinse any residual additive remaining in the inner chamber 184 of the inner cup 182 (see
Turning to
Advantageously, the dispensers described herein, including the dispenser 180 and the dispenser 1800, provide a means by which a centrifugal-type dispenser can perform an automatic dilution of an additive, such as a fabric softener, and is self cleaning. Such automatic dilution eliminates the need for pre-diluting an additive prior to adding the same to a dispenser of a washing machine. The self-cleaning feature eliminates or at least reduces the need to periodically clean the dispenser due to additive build-up (e.g., repeat accumulations of residual additive). The dispensers described herein are also advantageous in that they are low cost, simple and reliable, and of course usable with a pulsator-type washing system, such as system 50. As water and energy usage regulations become more stringent, the inherently efficient pulsator wash system, such as system 50, will likely be required or encouraged for vertical axis washing machines. While high-end or more sophisticated washers with pulsators may be able to afford a more costly flow-through dispenser, lower end, cost competitive washers may not be able to afford such complex and expensive flow-through dispensers.
The exemplary embodiment or embodiments have been described with reference to preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiments be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. A dispenser for a pulsator washing machine, comprising:
- an inner cup defining an inner chamber for receiving an additive; and
- an outer cup defining an outer chamber annularly disposed about said inner cup, said inner and outer cups are disposed within a pulsator hub of the pulsator washing machine.
2. The dispenser of claim 1 further including:
- a cap closing an open end of said outer cup while allowing communication between said inner chamber and said outer chamber over a radial sidewall defining said inner cup.
3. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said outer cup includes a base portion defining a bottom of said outer chamber and a radial sidewall portion extending from said base portion.
4. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein said base portion and said radial sidewall portion of said outer cup are formed integrally with said pulsator hub.
5. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein said base portion is formed integrally with said pulsator hub and said radial sidewall is formed integrally with said cap.
6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said inner cup is removable from said outer cup.
7. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said outer cup includes drain holes that allow said additive to drain into a wash tub of the pulsator washing machine from said outer chamber.
8. The dispenser of claim 7 wherein said outer cup includes a base portion formed integrally with said pulsator hub and said drain holes extend axially and radially through said pulsator hub.
9. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said inner cup includes a weep hole for admitting water into said inner chamber to mix with said additive.
10. The dispenser of claim 9 further including:
- a cap closing an open end of said outer cup while allowing communication between said inner chamber and said outer chamber over a radial sidewall defining said inner cup, an orifice defined through at least one of said cap and said pulsator that communicates with said inner chamber.
11. The dispenser of claim 10 further including a dip tube extending into said inner chamber from said orifice.
12. A dispensing method for a pulsator washing machine, comprising:
- adding an additive to an inner chamber of a dispenser inner cup disposed within a distal end of a pulsator hub of the pulsator washing machine;
- filling a wash tub of the pulsator washing machine with water, said water entering and rising within an outer chamber defined about said inner cup by an outer cup; and
- permitting a predetermined amount of said water in said outer cup to enter said inner chamber of said inner cup to predilute said additive.
13. The dispensing method of claim 12 further including:
- opening a lid over said inner chamber prior to adding said additive; and
- closing said lid after adding said additive and allowing said additive to enter said inner chamber prior to filling said wash tub.
14. The dispensing method of claim 12 wherein said water entering and rising within said outer chamber occurs by said water passing from said wash tub to said outer cup through drain holes defined in said pulsator that fluidly connect said wash tub and said outer cup.
15. The dispensing method of claim 12 wherein said permitting said predetermined amount of said water in said outer cup to enter said inner chamber includes:
- providing a weep hole through a radial sidewall of said inner cup disposed axially below an open end of said inner cup; and
- providing a dip tube depending downwardly into said inner cup from a cap disposed over said inner and outer cups, said water from said outer chamber entering said inner chamber through said weep hole until said water fills said inner cup to a level of a distal end of said dip tube.
16. The dispensing method of claim 12 further including:
- dispensing said prediluted additive from said inner cup into said wash tub.
17. The dispensing method of claim 16 wherein said dispensing includes:
- centrifugally forcing said prediluted additive in said inner chamber over a radial sidewall of said inner cup and into said outer chamber; and
- gravitationally forcing said prediluted additive of said outer chamber to flow into said wash tub through drain holes fluidly connecting said outer chamber to said wash tub.
18. The dispensing method of claim 17 further including:
- after dispensing, again filling said wash tub with water for a rinse cycle, said water again entering and rising within an outer chamber and entering said inner chamber to automatically rinse any residual additive remaining in said inner chamber.
19. A submersible dispenser for a washing machine, comprising:
- an outer cup disposed within or formed integrally with an agitator element of the washing machine at a submersible location thereon; and
- an inner cup disposed in said outer cup for receiving an additive to be dispensed during a wash cycle of the washing machine.
20. The dispenser of claim 19 further including:
- a cap closing an open end of said outer cup while allowing fluid communication between an inner chamber of said inner cup with an outer chamber of said outer cup when said cap closes said open end of said outer cup.
21. The dispenser of claim 19 wherein said inner cup defines a weep hole along a radial sidewall thereof to allow water filling said outer chamber to enter said inner chamber.
22. The dispenser of claim 20 wherein at least one of said cap and said pulsator includes a dip tube extending down into said inner chamber of said inner cup to prevent water entering said inner chamber through said weep hole from filling said inner cup above a distal end of said dip tube.
23. The dispenser of claim 20 wherein said outer cup is formed by said cap.
Type: Application
Filed: May 30, 2008
Publication Date: Dec 3, 2009
Inventors: Stephen E. Hettinger (Louisville, KY), James Quentin Pollett (Louisville, KY)
Application Number: 12/130,565
International Classification: D06F 39/02 (20060101);