NZ238504A

NZ238504A - Dispenser for dish washing machine having chamber with movable wall to vary volume of dispensed material, and having latched releasable cover

Info

Publication number: NZ238504A
Application number: NZ238504A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Adrian Sargeant; Philip John Brace
Original assignee: Fisher & Paykel
Priority date: 1991-06-12
Filing date: 1991-06-12
Publication date: 1995-03-28
Also published as: AU657540B2; IT1257237B; AU1823092A; ITTO920508A1; ITTO920508A0; DE4219146A1

Description

238504 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No.: 238504 Date: 12 June 1991 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "Improvements in or Relating to Dispensing Apparatus" We, FISHER & PAYKEL LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand, of 78 Springs Road, East Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- ^?cr, n / This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and has been devised particularly though not solely for use in dispensing detergents into the washing chamber of a dish washing or clothes washing machine.

Existing dish washer detergent dispensers have detergent chambers that do not have effective control over the amount to be added. Most have markings on the side of the chamber indicating both the maximum and minimum fill levels. Wash programme selection for the dish washer is carried out independently from the adding of detergent to the dispenser.

With such detergent dispensers, the quantity of detergent to be loaded for a particular wash load is not accurately measured by users in practice.

The indication of maximum and minimum loading level is normally inadequate for optimum detergent concentration in the various wash programmes offered for selection. An example of this is where a maximum load of detergent is used for a lightly soiled load. This could lead to an insufficiently rinsed wash load, thus residual detergent being present at the completion of the wash programme.

Conversely a minimum detergent load for a heavily soiled wash load could lead to a substandard wash result.

Because in the prior art there is no communication between the dispenser and the wash programme controller, it is possible for the quantity of detergent loaded to not correspond to the wash programme selected by the user. Again, this results in either there being residual detergent on the wash load or a poor wash result. It would be desirable to provide a dishwasher with a link between the volume of detergent loaded and the wash programme.

It is an object of the present invention to provide dispensing I 0 i j \ " apparatus which will go some way towards overcoming the above disadvantages and/or meet the above desideratum.

Accordingly in one aspect the invention consists in a method of dispensing materials, said method comprising the steps of: adjusting the size of an adjustable sized dispensing chamber to receive not more than a desired amount of material to be dispensed, filling the said adjusted chamber to a desired level with the material to be dispensed, closing a cover provided over the dispensed material within said chamber and initiating operation of an associated mechanism in a manner such that when required said cover can be automatically released to permit discharge of the desired amount of material to be dispensed from the chamber.

In a second aspect the invention consists in apparatus for dispensing materials comprising: a chamber, said chamber having at least one movable wall and adjusting means operable to adjust the position of said movable wall so that the volume of said chamber can be adjusted to a desired volume, a manually closable cover which is provided for said chamber and release means provided to release said cover for mechanical opening at an appropriate time.

In a third aspect the invention consists in dish washing machine having a wash cycle determined by a programmed controller which includes a detergent dispenser on the inside of a bottom-pivoted front loading door, wherein the dispenser includes a chamber which stores detergent for release into the washing chamber of the machine at a time determined by the controller, characterised in that the detergent chamber is provided with a manually movable wall to thereby alter the volume of the chajrf1a6r to - j ' \ «* • y% R * Referring to the drawings, one preferred form of the invention will now be described. A base plate 1 carries the dispenser and in use is mounted in a suitable position in the washing chamber of a clothes washing machine or preferably on the door or other part leading to the washing chamber of a dish washing machine. The preferred use of the invention is in relation to dishwashers and only dishwashers will be referred to hereforth. A detergent dispensing chamber 2 is mounted in the base 1, this chamber having a movable wall 3 which is slidable in or out to adjust the volume of the space 4. The chamber and movable wall may be formed from moulded plastics. Arrowheads or other markings 5 and 6 are provided on the movable wall and the base 2 respectively and these indicate "HI SOIL" for high soil, "MED" for medium soil and "LOW" for low soil and matching the arrowhead 5 with one or other of the arrowheads 6 will indicate the maximum quantity of detergent required in the dispensing chamber for a particular wash.

A hinged cover or lid 10 is mounted on the base 1, preferably having a seal 11 which engages the upper surface of the chamber 2 and this lid is preferably spring loaded to the open position shown in figure 1. Lid 10 is manually turned to the closed position whereupon it is engaged by a convention electro-magnetically operated latch (not shown). ' ' ' 3 1 MAR 19941 In the preferred form of the invention the dispenser is intended for fitting in a front loading dishwasher having a door which pivots to a vertical closed position from a horizontal open position.

In use the movable wall 3 is moved to the desired position by the user who then places the required quantity of detergent in the chamber 2. This quantity is preferably such that the chamber is filled to a level to fill the chamber but of course to some extent the filling is dependent on the user's judgement. After filling the cover 10 is closed, the dishwasher door then closed and washing is commenced usually by giving a rinse with water, the rinse water being then drained and then the chamber refilled after which the cover latch is opened and the spring loading causes the cover to pivot to the horizontal position. This permits the contents of the chamber 2 to either fall out or be washed out by the washing action of the dish washing machine.

In a refinement of the above invention a series of switches such as magnetic reed switches 15a, 15b, 15c are provided on the "dry" side of the base plate 1, that is to say outside the washing chamber. The movable wall 3 is provided with a permanent magnet 16 and consequently movement of the magnet causes operation of the appropriate reed switch 15 when the movable wall 3 is in the set position. Thus a sensing means is provided to sense the position of the movable wall 3 and this sensing means indicates the set position of the movable wall to a programmed controller 17 included in the dishwasher (see figure 3). The program for the dishwasher stored in memory 18 causes the controller to alter either the required amount of water for washing or the required time of washing to suit the position of the adjusting wall which may indicate a light, medium or heavy indication of load or soiling of dishes to be washed. Where quantity of water is the controlled variable the controller 17 will cause the time for which water supply solenoid valve 19 is held on. Where washing time is the control1"^ 3 8 5 0 4 variable the wash cycle time as determined by the program is varied. Thus the volume of the chamber that is set is signalled to the dishwasher control system and the appropriate wash program automatically set by the dishwasher program.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention at least in the preferred form provides a construction which will at least go a considerable way towards meeting or overcoming the disadvantages above set forth.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense 1imiting.

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A method of dispensing materials, said method comprising the steps of: adjusting the size of an adjustable sized dispensing chamber to receive not more than a desired amount of material to be dispensed, filling the said adjusted chamber to a desired level with the material to be dispensed, closing a cover provided over the dispensed material within said chamber and initiating operation of an associated mechanism in a manner such that when required said cover can be automatically released to permit discharge of the desired amount of material to be dispensed from the chamber.

2. Apparatus for dispensing materials comprising: a chamber, said chamber having at least one movable wall and adjusting means operable to adjust the position of said movable wall so that the volume of said chamber can be adjusted to a desired volume, a manually closable cover which is provided for said chamber and release means provided to release said cover for mechanical opening at an appropriate time.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said chamber and said cover are provided as part of a dish washing machine.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said manually closable cover is associated with a latch means operable by automatic operation of machine controls to /' release said cover permitting release of said material placed in said chamber. ( 2*? r* / 0 d 3 0 4

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said movable wall is manually operable to be placed in a desired position.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein sensing means are provided to sense selected positions of said movable wall which provide signals to the machine controller so that the machine wash cycle is affected by the setting of said movable wall.

7. A dish washing machine having a wash cycle determined by a programmed controller which includes a detergent dispenser on the inside of a bottom-pivoted front loading door, wherein the dispenser includes a chamber which stores detergent for release into the washing chamber of the machine at a time determined by the controller, characterised m that the detergent chamber is provided with a manually movable wall to thereby alter the volume of the chamber to allow variable volumes of detergent to be loaded in said chamber, and wall position sensing transducers are provided which produce electrical signals indicative of the manually set volume of the detergent chamber for use by the washing machine controller.

8. A method of dispensing materials substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. Apparatus for dispensing materials substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS IrJ /DAY OF -8-