Laundry washing machine with automatic laundry products dispensing

Abstract

A laundry washing machine with automatic laundry products dispensing comprises a plurality of tanks with each one containing one type of laundry product. Pumping means pump the required amount of laundry product into the tub at predetermined times during the wash cycle.

Description

This application claims priority based on provisional 60/850,111 filed Oct. 10, 2006

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to laundry washing machines but more particularly to a laundry washing machine that dispenses laundry products over several washings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There exists a number of laundry washing machines that dispense laundry products automatically and in a given sequence, for example a laundry detergent and bleach once the tub is filled and then a softening product later on during the wash cycle. What none of the prior art shows is a system that has tanks that can hold up laundry products for more than one wash cycle, so a user has to refill the tanks before each new wash cycle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a main advantage of this invention to provide for a washing machine that has tanks for various laundry products capable of containing products for several wash cycles.

It is another advantage of this invention to have a system for controlling the sequence, quantities and types of products required as per user selected options.

In order to do so, the invention comprises a plurality of tanks with each one containing one type of laundry product. Pumping means pump the required amount of laundry product into the tub at predetermined times during the wash cycle.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, by way of examples. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Front view of a washing machine.

FIG. 2 Front view of the panel.

FIGS. 3a-d Front, side, front cutaway and top views, respectively, of the tanks.

FIGS. 4a-c Front, side, and top views, respectively, of funnel conduits leading to the tanks for front loading washing machine.

FIGS. 5a-b Side and front views, respectively of the tanks in context with the funnel conduits leading to the tanks for both the front and top loading washing machine.

FIG. 6 Top view of the wasnhing machine showing the funnel conduits grouped together.

FIG. 7 Top view of the wasnhing machine showing an alternate embodiment with the funnel conduits separated and in different corners.

FIG. 8 Top view of the wasnhing machine showing the tubes and the tanks.

FIG. 9 Front view of a front loading washing machine showing the location of the tanks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A laundry washing machine with automatic dispensers (10) is comprised of a plurality of product tanks (12′, 12″, 12′″) with each one containing one type of laundry product. Pumping means (14′, 14″, 14′″) pump the required amount of laundry product into a tub (16) at predetermined times during the wash cycle.

Laundry products pumping means (14′, 14″, 14′″) are simple in design and are of the type known in the art. For excample pumping means (14′, 14″, 14′″) used in the automotive industry for spraying windshield cleaner could be readily used.

Besides the standard buttons found on typical clothes washing machines such as water level button (1), water temperature button (2), type of washing button (5) there is a new type of button located on a washing machine control panel (17) known as product dispensing button (18), with related monitoring lights (4), all controlled by an electronic PCB controller (not shown) which controls the type and amount of the various laundry products that need to be dispended in function of the wash load. Of course, in the case of a wasing machine having electronic controls instead of buttons, this function would be integrated as part of the available functions provided by the control panel. The user inputs the type of loads (small, medium, large) on the water level button (1) and a given amount of water fills the tub (16), this part is known in the art, what is new in the interrelation between the amount of water selected and the amount of laudry product dispensed. Given that the pumping means (14′, 14″, 14′″) have a set dispensing volume per second, by simply allowing the given one of the plurality of pumping means (14′, 14″, 14′″) to run a given amount of seconds will reliably dispense a given amount of laudry product. It is understood that the laundry detergent needs to be in liquid form as opposed to granular form. What is also relatively new is that at the same time that the user selects its load, the type of washing is also selected, that is detergent; detergent/bleach; detergent/softener; detergent/bleach/softener.

Products tanks (12′, 12″, 12′″) are advantageously positioned in the empty corners (20′, 20′, 20′″) of conventioanl washing machines (22). Those corners (20, 20′, 20″, 20′″) are usually empty since the tub (16) is round. For front loading washing machines (22′), corners (20′, 20″, 20′″) can also bu used except that the tanks (12′, 12″, 12′″) would be laid horizontally instead of vertically but would still be capable of holding the same amount of laundry products. The tanks (12′, 12″, 12′″) can be grouped together or can be spaced apart, one per each of the corners (20′, 20″, 20′″). A funnel conduit (21′, 21″, 21′″) leads a laundry product that is being poured into any given tank tank (12′, 12″, 12′″).

Products tank (20′, 20″, 20′″) are mare of compounds designed to withstand the long term chemical effect that laundry products can have and so are the hoses (24′, 24″, 24′″) and internal pump means components (not shown) that come in contact with the laundry products.

Sensors (19′, 19″, 19′″) in each tank (20′, 20″, 20′″) measures water level and light indicators (26, 26′, 26″), one for each tank (20′, 20″, 20′″), indicate when liquid level is low.

Each tank (20′, 20″, 20′″) has a removable cap (not shown) through which refilling is done. Since pumping means (14′, 14″, 14′″) will be emptying those tanks (20′, 20″, 20′″), it is obvious that a small hole (not shown) is made either in the cap (not shown) itself or some other location on the tank (20′, 20″, 20′″) so that air can replace the liquid being pumped out.

Claims

1. A laundry washing machine with automatic dispensers comprising:

a plurality of product tanks with each one containing one type of laundry product;

pumping means pump the required amount of laundry product into a tub at predetermined times during the wash cycle.