Household appliance with a bulk dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10760199-B2
Application number	US-201715835560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A household appliance includes a cabinet defining an interior, a tub located within the interior, and a basket located within the tub and having a loading opening confronting the tub opening. The appliance also includes a bulk dispenser with a dispensing opening, a first chamber in fluid communication with the dispensing opening, and a second chamber fluidly coupled to the first chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A household appliance comprising:
a cabinet defining an interior and having a wall defining an access opening;
a cover movable relative to the cabinet between opened and closed positions to selectively close the access opening;
a tub located within the interior and defining a tub opening confronting the access opening;
a basket located within the tub and having an edge defining a loading opening confronting the tub opening and the access opening;
a manually operable bulk dispenser comprising:
a dispensing opening;
a first chamber accessible from an exterior of the cabinet and in fluid communication with the dispensing opening and manualy moveable between a dispensing position and a filling position;
a biasing element biasing the first chamber toward the dispensing position; and
a second chamber located within the interior of the cabinet and fluidly coupled to the first chamber when the first chamber is in the filling position.

2. The household appliance of claim 1 further comprising an aperture located in the first chamber, wherein the aperture aligns with the dispensing opening when the first chamber is in the dispensing position.

3. The household appliance of claim 2 wherein a portion of the first chamber blocks the dispensing opening when the first chamber is in the filling position.

4. The household appliance of claim 1 further comprising a downward sloping bottom wall defining a portion of the first chamber.

5. The household appliance of claim 4 wherein the dispensing opening is located at a lower end of the downward sloping bottom wall.

6. The household appliance of claim 5 wherein the dispensing opening is located above the basket to allow dispensing liquid to feed into the tub by gravity when the first chamber is in the dispensing position.

7. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the first and second chambers are fluidly coupled by a filling opening in a wall of the second chamber.

8. The household appliance of claim 7 wherein the filling opening is obstructed by the first chamber when the first chamber is in the dispensing position.

9. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the second chamber is located above the first chamber to allow dispensing liquid to feed into the first chamber by gravity when the first chamber is in the filling position.

10. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the first chamber comprises a transparent portion to allow a user to see a liquid fill level.

11. The household appliance of claim 10 wherein the transparent portion of the first chamber is a sidewall.

12. The household appliance of claim 11 wherein the sidewall is marked with at least one liquid fill level.

13. A manually operable bulk dispenser comprising:
a dispensing opening;
a first chamber accessible from an exterior of the bulk dispenser and in fluid communication with the dispensing opening and manually moveable between a dispensing position and a filling position;
a biasing element biasing the first chamber toward the dispensing position; and
a second chamber fluidly coupled to the first chamber when the first chamber is in the filling position.

14. The bulk dispenser of claim 13 further comprising an aperture located in the first chamber, wherein the aperture aligns with the dispensing opening when the first chamber is in the dispensing position.

15. The bulk dispenser of claim 14 wherein a portion of the first chamber blocks the dispensing opening when the first chamber is in the filling position.

16. The bulk dispenser of claim 13 wherein the first and second chambers are fluidly coupled by a filling opening in a wall of the second chamber.

17. The bulk dispenser of claim 16 wherein the filling opening is obstructed by the first chamber when the first chamber is in the dispensing position.

18. The bulk dispenser of claim 13 wherein the first chamber comprises a transparent portion to allow a user to see a liquid fill level.

19. The bulk dispenser of claim 18 wherein the transparent portion of the first chamber is a sidewall.

20. The bulk dispenser of claim 19 wherein the sidewall is marked with at least one liquid fill level.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Cannon Marcus A
• Gallagher Eric A
• Nieh Jenn-Yeu
• Ramasco Bruno T
• Zeitler Mary E

Classifications

• D06F39/022 Primary

  in a liquid state (D06F39/024 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• G01F11/38

  for liquid or semiliquid · CPC title

• D06F13/00

  Washing machines having receptacles, stationary for washing purposes, with agitators therein contacting the articles being washed  (plungers or the like adapted for removable mounting on receptacles D06F5/04) · CPC title

• D06F37/38

  in opposite directions · CPC title