Combination smart dose dispenser system for a laundry treatment appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11851802-B2
Application number	US-202117474192-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2021
Priority date	Sep 14, 2021
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A laundry treatment appliance includes a cabinet forming a receiving space therein, a tub provided within the receiving space, and a dispenser assembly provided within the receiving space, the dispenser assembly being in fluid communication with the tub. The dispenser assembly includes a dispenser body coupled to the cabinet and provided adjacent to the tub, a first drawer slidably inserted into the dispenser body along the transverse direction, and a second drawer slidably inserted into the dispenser body along the transverse direction, the second drawer being provided beneath the first drawer along the vertical direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the laundry treatment appliance configured to perform a washing operation and a drying operation, the laundry treatment appliance comprising:
a cabinet forming a receiving space therein;
a tub provided within the receiving space; and
a dispenser assembly provided within the receiving space, the dispenser assembly being in fluid communication with the tub, the dispenser assembly comprising:
a dispenser body coupled to the cabinet and provided adjacent to the tub, the dispenser body defining a front face and a rear face;
a first drawer slidably inserted into the dispenser body along the transverse direction between a withdrawn position and a retracted position;
a second drawer slidably inserted into the dispenser body along the transverse direction between a withdrawn position and a retracted position, the second drawer being provided beneath the first drawer along the vertical direction, wherein a rear end of the first drawer is provided behind a rear end of the second drawer along the transverse direction when each of the first drawer and the second drawer are in the retracted position; and
an outlet defined at a lower portion of the dispenser body, the outlet protruding from the front face of the dispenser body and facing toward a front of the cabinet, wherein contents from each of the first drawer and the second drawer exit the dispenser body via the outlet, wherein the first drawer and the second drawer are immediately adjacent to each other, and wherein a length of the front face from a top edge of the dispenser body to a bottom edge of the dispenser body is greater than a length of the rear face along the vertical direction from the top edge of the dispenser body to the bottom edge of the dispenser body.

2. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first drawer comprises:
a first drawer body defining a plurality of cups therein, the first drawer body having a first length along the transverse direction; and
a first tank nested within the first drawer body, the first tank having a first volume and being configured to hold a liquid.

3. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 2 , wherein the first tank is provided behind the plurality of cups along the transverse direction.

4. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 2 , wherein the second drawer comprises:
a second drawer body having a second length along the transverse direction; and
a second tank nested within the second drawer body, the second tank having a second volume.

5. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 4 , wherein the first length is greater than the second length, and the first volume is greater than the second volume.

6. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first Venturi nozzle fluidly connected to the first tank; and
a second Venturi nozzle fluidly connected to the second tank.

7. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 6 , further comprising:
a water supply valve; and
a controller operatively connected to the water supply valve, wherein the controller is configured to selectively supply water from the water supply valve to at least one of the first Venturi nozzle or the second Venturi nozzle according to a predetermined schedule.

8. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first drawer and the second drawer are retractable from the front face along the transverse direction.

9. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 1 , wherein the laundry treatment appliance is a front load laundry treatment appliance.

10. A laundry treatment appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the laundry treatment appliance comprising:
a cabinet forming a receiving space therein;
a tub provided within the receiving space; and
a dispenser assembly provided within the receiving space, the dispenser assembly being in fluid communication with the tub, the dispenser assembly comprising:
a dispenser body coupled to the cabinet and provided adjacent to the tub, the dispenser body having a wedge shape along the transverse direction from a front face toward a rear face thereof;
a first drawer slidably inserted into the dispenser body along the transverse direction into the front face between a withdrawn position and a retracted position;
a first supply conduit selectively allowing fluid contained within the first drawer to flow into the dispenser body;
a second drawer slidably inserted into the dispenser body along the transverse direction into the front face between a withdrawn position and a retracted position, the second drawer being provided beneath the first drawer along the vertical direction wherein a rear end of the first drawer is provided behind a rear end of the second drawer along the transverse direction when each of the first drawer and the second drawer are in the retracted position;
a second supply conduit selectively allowing fluid contained within the second drawer to flow into the dispenser body, wherein the fluid contained within the first drawer flows into the dispenser body without passing through the second drawer; and
an outlet defined at a lower portion of the dispenser body, the outlet protruding from the front face of the dispenser body and facing toward a front of the cabinet, wherein contents from each of the first drawer and the second drawer exit the dispenser body via the outlet, and wherein a length of the front face from a top edge of the dispenser body to a bottom edge of the dispenser body is greater than a length of the rear face along the vertical direction from the top edge of the dispenser body to the bottom edge of the dispenser body.

11. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 10 , wherein the first drawer comprises:
a first drawer body defining a plurality of cups therein, the first drawer body having a first length along the transverse direction; and
a first tank nested within the first drawer body, the first tank having a first volume and being configured to hold a liquid, wherein the first supply conduit is in fluid communication with the first tank.

12. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 11 , wherein the first tank is provided behind the plurality of cups along the transverse direction.

13. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 11 , wherein the second drawer comprises:
a second drawer body having a second length along the transverse direction; and
a second tank nested within the second drawer body, the second tank having a second volume, and wherein the second supply conduit is in fluid communication with the second tank.

14. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 13 , wherein the first length is greater than the second length, and the first volume is greater than the second volume.

15. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 13 , further comprising:
a water supply valve; and
a controller operatively connected to the water supply valve, wherein the controller is configured to selectively mix water from the water supply valve with contents of at least one of the first tank or the second tank according to a predetermined schedule.

16. The laundry treatment appliance of claim 10 , wherein the laundry treatment appliance is a front load laundry treatment appliance.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Dunn David Scott
• James Alexander Daniel
• Rudolph Kenneth G
• Schuster Rainer

Classifications

• D06F39/022 Primary

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

• D06F25/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title

• D06F33/57

  of metering of detergents or additives · CPC title

• D06F39/028

  Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments · CPC title

• D06F2105/42

  Detergent or additive supply · CPC title