Washing machine appliance with a smart additive bulk dispensing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876245-B2
Application number	US-201815992260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A washing machine appliance configured with a smart additive bulk dispensing assembly is provided. The washing machine appliance includes a large capacity or bulk tank and features for dispensing an appropriate amount of additive in accordance with the selected wash cycle. The washing machine appliance also includes features for managing the additive supply within the tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A horizontal axis washing machine appliance, comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub positioned within the cabinet;
a basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the basket defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing;
a water inlet valve in fluid communication with a water source; and
a dispensing assembly, comprising:
a manifold;
a drawer assembly slidably received within the manifold and movable between a withdrawn position and a retracted position, the drawer assembly comprising a drawer defining one or more additive compartments and a filling compartment configured for receipt of a fluid additive;
a bulk tank in fluid communication with the filling compartment;
a tub supply conduit, the tub supply conduit providing fluid communication between the one or more additive compartments and the tub;
a pump in fluid communication with the bulk tank and the tub supply conduit for selectively directing the fluid additive from the bulk tank to the tub, and
a liquid level sensor at least partially disposed within the bulk tank, the liquid level sensor configured to sense a liquid level of the fluid additive within the bulk tank.

2. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bulk tank is sized to hold at least seven tenths of a gallon (0.7 gallons) of the fluid additive.

3. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bulk tank is sized to hold at least one gallon (1 gallon) of the fluid additive.

4. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet extends between a top and a bottom, and wherein the bulk tank is positioned at or adjacent the top of the cabinet.

5. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bulk tank is in fluid communication with the filling compartment when the drawer assembly is in the retracted position and when the drawer assembly is in the withdrawn position.

6. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 5 , wherein the cabinet extends between a front and a back, and wherein the bulk tank is positioned at or adjacent the back of the cabinet.

7. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein when the drawer assembly is in the withdrawn position, the manifold provides fluid communication between the filling compartment and the bulk tank.

8. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the pump is an aspirator, and wherein the aspirator is in fluid communication with the bulk tank via a suction line, and wherein the aspirator is in fluid communication with the water inlet valve via a water supply line, and wherein the aspirator is in fluid communication with the tub supply conduit via a discharge line.

9. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller communicatively coupled with the liquid level sensor, the controller configured to:
receive a signal generated by the liquid level sensor, the signal indicative of the liquid level of the fluid additive within the bulk tank;
determine whether the liquid level of the fluid additive is less than a predetermined liquid level based at least in part on the signal; and
generate, if the liquid level of the fluid additive is less than the predetermined liquid level, a notification descriptive of a low liquid level condition of the fluid additive within the bulk tank;
communicate the notification to a user.

10. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 9 , wherein the controller comprises a communication interface, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
prompt the user to determine whether the user desires a new supply of the fluid additive; and
order the new supply of the fluid additive if the user desires the new supply of the fluid additive.

11. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bulk tank is fixed relative to the cabinet.

12. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the manifold extends between a front and back, and wherein the manifold comprises a bottom wall extending between the front and the back, and wherein the bottom wall of the manifold is angled downward from the front to the back.

13. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the washing machine appliance defines a vertical direction, and wherein the bulk tank comprises a tank body and an extension portion projecting upward along the vertical direction from the tank body, and wherein the extension portion defines a cutout configured to receive one or more supply lines.

14. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 13 , wherein the cabinet extends between a front and a back, and wherein the horizontal axis washing machine appliance further comprises:
a structural member extending between and connecting the front and the back of the cabinet;
wherein the dispensing assembly further comprises a support bracket extending between a first side and a second side, and wherein the first side of the support bracket is connected to the cabinet, the second side of the support bracket is connected to the structural member, and the support bracket is connected to the extension portion of the bulk tank.

15. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the bulk tank is formed by a blow molding process.

16. The horizontal axis washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filling compartment defined by the drawer is in fluid communication with a delivery channel defined along a bottom of the drawer, and wherein the delivery channel is in fluid communication with the manifold and the manifold is in fluid communication with the bulk tank when the drawer assembly is in the withdrawn position.

17. A washing machine appliance, comprising:
a cabinet extending between a front and a back and between a top and a bottom;
a tub positioned within the cabinet;
a basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the basket defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing;
a water inlet valve in fluid communication with a water source; and
a dispensing assembly, comprising:
a manifold;
a drawer assembly slidably received within the manifold and movable between a withdrawn position and a retracted position, the drawer assembly comprising a drawer defining one or more additive compartments and a filling compartment configured for receipt of a fluid additive;
a bulk tank fixed relative to the cabinet and in fluid communication with the filling compartment, the bulk tank positioned at or adjacent the top and the back of the cabinet, wherein the fluid additive flows from the filling compartment to the bulk tank;
a tub supply conduit, the tub supply conduit providing fluid communication between the one or more additive compartments and the tub; and
a pump in fluid communication with the bulk tank and the tub supply conduit for selectively directing the fluid additive from the bulk tank to the tub.

18. The washing machine appliance of claim 17 , wherein when the drawer assembly is in the withdrawn position, the manifold provides fluid communication between the filling compartment and the bulk tank.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Channal Rajendra
• Yandamuri Manidhar V V S
• Seela Hanuman Devadatha

Classifications

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• D06F39/022 Primary

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

• D06F34/04 Primary

  Signal transfer or data transmission arrangements · CPC title

• D06F33/37

  of metering of detergents or additives · CPC title

• D06F2105/58

  Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user · CPC title