EP0423044A1 - Liquid product dispensing device for washing machine or dishwasher - Google Patents

Abstract

This dispenser makes it possible to meter and deliver an exact quantity of liquid product on demand. It comprises, underneath a liquid-product reservoir (6), a metering device (7) having a recessed body (15) movable along a vertical axis (13) between a position of rest, putting the reservoir (16) in communication with the interior of the body (15), and a working position, putting the interior of this body in communication with the space located under the metering device (7). A movable core (18) fixed to the body (15) interacts with a stationary electromagnet (27), the energisation of which causes the change from the position of rest to the working position. The reservoir (6) and metering device (7) constitute a removable assembly. The invention is used as a dispenser of liquid washing liquor for a washing machine or as a dispenser of liquid detergent for a dishwasher. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid product dispenser for washing machines or dishes. This invention relates, more particularly, to a dispenser capable of dosing and dispensing, on demand, a precise and predetermined quantity of liquid detergent necessary for washing, in a washing machine. The invention also relates to a complete assembly, including not only the metering device itself but also a reserve of liquid product to be dispensed, which can be housed in a washing machine with vertical or front loading.

In a washing machine, in particular a washing machine, it is usual to add to the water directed to the tank, during the successive stages of a programmed washing cycle, various products or additives in the form of liquid or powder, such as: liquid detergent, fabric softener, detergent powder, etc. In this context, the invention is more particularly concerned with the problem of storage and distribution of liquid detergent.

Systems are known in which the user of the washing machine must, for each detergent, fill with liquid detergent a metering sphere, or any other volume provided for this purpose but having only the capacity corresponding to a single detergent , which is obviously very restrictive.

There are also more sophisticated systems, including a reserve of liquid detergent located in the washing machine and using a metering pump to raise the liquid detergent to the tank of the machine and ensure the dosing and distribution.

The latter systems, known with metering pumps of different types (see for example the documents: FR-A-2 475 079, EP-A-0 077 463, GB-A-2 113 255 and GB-A-2 113 256 ), generally have the disadvantage of being inaccessible to the user and, consequently, of presenting problems of drying, sticking and clogging, due to the behavior of liquid detergents, with more or less high viscosity. . The metering pump and its valves, if any, as well as the reservoir, become blocked or sticky under the effect of agglomerated detergent deposits, and the inaccessibility of these parts prevents easy removal of the deposits. In addition, agglomerated deposits cause unpleasant odors by their degradation over time.

Furthermore, the accuracy of the doses of liquid detergent dispensed is affected by the pump itself and by the lengths of ducts necessary for the various connections between the elements of the system.

The present invention aims to eliminate all of these drawbacks, by providing a liquid product dispenser for a washing machine, with a reserve of liquid avoiding filling with each detergent, which makes it possible to dose accurately and distribute directly the quantities of product necessary for washing , while allowing easy access to all the functional parts of the system so as to facilitate their cleaning if necessary.

To this end, the subject of the invention is essentially a liquid product dispenser for a washing machine or dishwashing machine which comprises, below a tank of liquid product and in direct relation with this tank, a metering device with a hollow body, movable along a substantially vertical axis between a rest position, communicating the reservoir with the interior of the hollow body for filling the latter, and a working position, communicating the interior of this body with the space located under the dispenser to release a dose of liquid product into the washing machine, said body being integral with a movable magnetic core cooperating with a fixed electromagnet, the excitation of which causes the passage from the rest position to the working position, the reservoir and the metering device constituting a removable assembly while the electromagnet is mounted fixed.

Advantageously, the movable hollow body of the dispenser is guided in sliding, between its rest position and its working position, in a tubular guide of substantially vertical axis, which is assembled at the bottom of the liquid product tank, preferably with interposition of 'a seal.

The mobile hollow body of the metering device also preferably comprises two seals situated respectively towards its two ends, with a seal intended to come, in the rest position, to apply against an integral part of the above-mentioned tubular guide in order to '' prevent the outflow of liquid product to the outside at the base of the dispenser, and another seal designed to come, in the working position, to apply against an annular part secured to the bottom of the tank, in order to close the communication between this tank and the doser.

In one embodiment of the invention, the removable assembly consisting of the reservoir and the metering device is designed to be placed in a corresponding housing of a block or module for dispensing washing products or additives, or to be extracted from said housing, while the electromagnet is mounted fixed in the distribution block or module. Advantageously, the aforementioned housing comprises, to delimit the location of the metering device, a plastic wall providing electrical insulation and sealing against the electromagnet, while allowing the magnetic field to pass through. the attraction of the mobile core secured to the mobile hollow body of the dispenser.

The liquid product dispenser according to the invention, the main characteristics of which have just been stated, has in particular the following advantages:

Firstly, it provides a more precise dosage than those made by traditional pumps, thanks to a metering device whose principle is volumetric and which works only by the effect of gravity and an electromagnetic attraction. The invention thus eliminates all variable parameters, such as the variation in the speeds of the pump motors as a function of the temperature of their windings, or the variation in torque due to the viscosity, itself variable, of commercial liquid detergents.

The principle of the metering device proposed by the invention, constituted in such a way that it makes the quantity of air just necessary at the time of its actuation penetrate into the reservoir, makes it possible to eliminate the usual vent hole on the reservoir which is likely to cause drying and degradation of the liquid contained in this tank.

The removable nature of the reservoir, provided at its upper part with a simple filling orifice receiving a plug, greatly facilitates the introduction of the liquid detergent, and eliminates any additional filling device.

Preferably, the liquid product dispenser according to the invention is designed to be installed in the upper part of a washing machine, above the tank or the drum of the machine, so that the product released by the dispenser reaches gravity in its area of use. The metering device being located directly below the tank, and also just above the tank of the washing machine to which it can be connected by a conduit of short length and large diameter, the risks of sticking, clogging and odors are eliminated. In addition, the withdrawal of the tank being accompanied by that of the doser, it becomes easy to clean periodically the tank and also the dispenser by simple washing, if necessary, to prevent the usual problems of sticking or clogging. The cleaning of the dispenser can be further facilitated by providing a separable connection, for example by screwing, between this dispenser and the bottom of the tank, thus allowing total access to the tank and also to the functional parts of the dispenser. The upper position of the dispenser is also ergonomic, this position facilitating handling.

It should also be noted that the removable assembly, consisting of the reservoir and the metering device, does not include any part under electrical voltage, or even connected to electrical wires. The functional connection with the metering device is purely magnetic and takes place through a plastic wall permeable to the magnetic field, behind which the fixed electromagnet is protected with a total seal against the liquid present. at the metering location.

The capacity of the reservoir can be easily chosen so as to have a fairly large reserve of liquid detergent, sufficient for the distribution of several unit doses during the same washing, and also to carry out successive washes without refilling the reservoir.

The liquid product dispenser according to the invention can be integrated into a block or module for dispensing washing products or additives, further comprising one or more receptacles for the storage and distribution of at least one other product, such as a product or powder. A rational distribution assembly is thus obtained, which perfectly meets current requirements, namely to be able to operate with liquid detergent or powder detergent which is still very widespread, while limiting the number of solenoid valves and the number of solenoid valve channels.

The invention is also applicable to the distribution of liquid detergent in a dishwasher, in particular with a housing provided in the counter door of the dishwasher to receive the removable assembly consisting of the liquid detergent tank and the dispenser, the electromagnet being fixedly mounted in the storm door, the wall of which is permeable to the magnetic field.

• Figure 1 est une vue d'ensemble, en perspective, d'un distributeur de produit liquide conforme à l'invention, associé à des distributeurs d'autres produits de lavage ;
• Figure 2 est une vue en coupe verticale du distributeur de produit liquide seul, en position de repos ;
• Figure 3 est une vue partielle en coupe de ce distributeur, correspondant à figure 2 mais indiquant la position de marche ;
• Figure 4 est une vue en plan par dessus de la partie électro-magnétique du distributeur selon les figures 2 et 3 ;
• Figure 5 est une vue en perspective relative à une autre forme de réalisation du distributeur de produit liquide objet de l'invention;
• Figure 6 est une vue en perspective illustrant encore une autre forme de réalisation de ce distributeur de produit liquide, appliquée a un lave-vaisselle ;
• Figure 7 est une vue partielle, en coupe, de la porte du lave-vaisselle recevant le distributeur de figure 6.

In any case, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing showing, by way of nonlimiting examples, some embodiments of this liquid product dispenser for a wash :

• Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a liquid product dispenser according to the invention, associated with dispensers other detergents;
• Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the liquid product dispenser alone, in the rest position;
• Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of this dispenser, corresponding to Figure 2 but indicating the operating position;
• Figure 4 is a plan view from above of the electromagnetic part of the dispenser according to Figures 2 and 3;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view relating to another embodiment of the liquid product dispenser object of the invention;
• Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating yet another embodiment of this liquid product dispenser, applied to a dishwasher;
• Figure 7 is a partial view, in section, of the door of the dishwasher receiving the dispenser of Figure 6.

FIG. 1 represents a block or module 1 for dispensing washing products or additives, for a washing machine with a vertical load. The block 1 includes powder receptacles 2,3 and for a softening product 4, belonging to metering systems not concerned by the present invention. Above all, this block 1 has a housing 5 open at its upper part, receiving a removable reservoir 6 for liquid detergent, the reservoir 6 being associated with a metering device 7 described in detail below. The block 1 is provided with at least one lateral inlet 8, for the water with which the products to be dispensed must be mixed, and with a lower outlet 9 serving to direct these products, mixed with the water, to the tank. of the washing machine.

The liquid detergent tank 6, the shape of which corresponds to that of the housing 5 formed in the block 1, has at its upper part a filling orifice 10 for the introduction of the liquid detergent, orifice normally closed by a plug 11 , as also shown in FIG. 2. In its lower part, the reservoir 6 is extended by a guide 12 of tubular shape, of vertical axis 13, in which the movable part of the metering device 7 is slidably mounted. An O-ring 14, interposed between the bottom of the reservoir 6 and the top of the guide 12, provides sealing between this reservoir 6 and the metering device 7. The wall of the reservoir 6 can be made of flexible plastic, to facilitate the flow of the dose by action of atmospheric pressure.

The movable part of the metering device 7 comprises a hollow body 15, the upper region 16 has a cruciform section and is guided in vertical sliding in an annular part 17 attached to the bottom of the tank 6. The cylindrical central region of the body 15 is guided in vertical sliding in the tubular guide 12, and this central region carries a ring metallic 18. The lower region 19 of the body 15 has a conical, rounded shape.

Side liquid inlet openings 20 are formed in the hollow body 15 of the movable part of the metering device 7, between its upper region 16 and its central region. Side liquid outlet openings 21 are formed in the lower region 19 of this hollow body 15. A first annular lip seal 22 is mounted on said body 15, above the lateral inlet openings 20. A second annular seal 23 is mounted on the same body 15, in the lower region 19 just below the lateral outlet openings 21.

A return spring 24 of the movable part of the metering device 7 is supported, on the one hand, under the bottom of the tank 6 and, on the other hand, against stops 25 formed on the bridges of material of the hollow body 15 which exist between the side inlet openings 20.

When the reservoir 6 is placed in its housing 5, the metering device 7 takes place in a cylindrical extension of this housing 5, delimited by a wall 26 of plastic material belonging to block 1.

Referring also to FIG. 4, the block 1 encloses an electromagnet coil 27, of horizontal axis 28, disposed near the wall 26 and supplied with electrical energy by conductors not shown, connected to terminals 29. On either side of the electromagnet coil 27 are arranged vertical pole pieces 30 and 31 respectively, which extend in the direction of the location of the metering device 7, however remaining isolated from the latter by the wall 26. A magnetic circuit is thus created, capable of closing through the metal ring 18 of the metering device 7, which here plays the role of a movable magnetic core, the wall 26 of plastic being permeable to the magnetic field.

In the rest position illustrated in FIG. 2, the electromagnet coil 27 not being excited, the movable part of the metering device 7 occupies its lowest position under the effect of gravity and the return spring 24. The lower lip seal 23 closes the outlet of the metering device 7, by applying against a frustoconical wall 32 which is connected internally to the lower part of the guide 12. The liquid detergent, contained in the reservoir 6, then fills by gravity the interior of the hollow body 15, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2, by crossing the vertical passages which exist in the region 16 of cruciform section, as well as the lateral inlet openings 20.

In the operating position illustrated in FIG. 3, that is to say when the electromagnet coil 27 is excited by a brief pulse of electric current, the movable core constituted by the metal ring 18 is drawn upwards. . This movable core being integral with the body 15, the entire movable part of the metering device 7 is quickly moved upwards. In this movement, the lower lip seal 23 moves away from the frustoconical wall 32, so that the liquid contained in the hollow body 15, and also present in the annular space delimited between the guide 12 and the part 17, is released and flows through the outlet openings 21, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. At the same time, the upper lip seal 22 is applied against the annular part 17 and obtains a seal between the reservoir 6 and the dispenser 7, thus avoiding dispensing in one time more liquid than the amount determined by the dispenser.

To fill the reservoir 6, the user extracts this removable reservoir from the housing 5, the reservoir 6 carrying with it the metering device 7. The return spring 24, which always biases the movable part of the metering device 7 towards its rest position , prevents liquid from escaping during the filling operation and the operations accompanying this operation. The extraction of the reservoir 6 also facilitates its cleaning. The dispenser 7 can be linked to the reservoir 6 by a thread making the dispenser 7 itself removable by unscrewing to allow complete cleaning if necessary.

Figure 5 relates to a variant of this liquid detergent dispenser, suitable for a washing machine with front loading laundry. There is always a removable reservoir 6 for liquid detergent, which is placed in a housing 5 and associated with a metering device 7, the structure and operation of which correspond to the preceding description. Guide rails 33 are formed here on the lateral faces of the housing 5, these rails 33 starting from the front opening of the housing 5 through which the reservoir 6 is introduced or extracted. The reservoir 6 itself comprises, formed on its side walls, guide fingers 34 intended to be introduced and slide in the guide rails 33.

In all cases, the distributor delivers, on each actuation, a constant dose of liquid detergent, of a volume for example equal to 20 cm³. As soon as it leaves the metering device 7, and just below the latter, the dose of detergent is mixed with a jet of water introduced by the water inlet 8, and the mixture thus obtained is directed by the outlet 9 to the washing machine tub. This dispenser being installed in the upper part of the washing machine, above the drum, the detergent reaches the drum by simple gravity.

The electrical pulses, sent to the electromagnet coil 27, are either emitted directly by the programmer of the washing machine, or supplied by an electronic assembly, not shown, itself controlled by the programmer of the washing machine. The electronic assembly can send a series of pulses to the electromagnet, for the delivery of several unit doses which, added up, make the total dose of detergent desired according to the washing program or the quality of the laundry.

Figures 6 and 7 show a liquid detergent dispenser, specially designed for a dishwasher, but produced and operating on a principle identical to that of the dispenser described so far and applied to a washing machine.

Thus, the reservoir 6 of liquid detergent and the dispenser 7 always constitute a removable assembly, which takes place in an additional housing 5. The housing 5 is here formed in the door 35 of the dishwasher. Maintaining the tank 6 - metering unit 7 assembly in the housing 5 can be achieved by snap-fastening, or by any fixing means making it possible to set up and remove this assembly easily. As clearly shown in Figure 6, the profile of said assembly corresponds to that of against the door 35 of the dishwasher, so that it fits perfectly with this door against the mounted position.

Referring to Figure 7, the electromagnet 27 is mounted in a fixed position inside the door 36 of the dishwasher, with pole pieces 30 and 31 which extend towards the door 35 , on either side of the housing 5. The operation of the metering device 7 is thus obtained by passing the magnetic field through the wall of the storm door 35, made of non-magnetic material such as stainless steel sheet, or material plastic.

The washing water participates in the flow of the dose of liquid detergent, by producing the water-detergent mixture and simultaneously washing the dispenser 7. The reservoir 6 contains a reserve of liquid detergent which can thus be distributed in the dishwasher at the desired time and in a metered manner, by means of electric pulses originating from the programmer of the dishwasher.

Overall, this results in a liquid product dispenser for a washing machine, which has many advantages:
- All the functional parts of the dispenser are easily accessible to the user, in particular for cleaning purposes;
- The metering device 7 is removable and has no electrical wire, only the magnetic field being used through a wall 26 of plastic material, for its actuation;
- This metering device 7, with volumetric principle, delivers a precise dose of liquid product on each request;
- The total dose of product delivered is easily adjustable by the number of pulses emitted to the electromagnet;
- Installed in a washing machine, the device according to the invention leads to a simplified liquid product distribution system, requiring no pump, no longer or shorter hose, or other inaccessible part filled with detergent that can stick or clog;
- The liquid detergent tank 6, airtight, avoids the degradation of the reserve of product to be dispensed.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiments of this liquid product dispenser for a washing machine which have been described above, by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments and applications respecting the same principle. Thus, one would not depart from the scope of the invention by constructive modifications of the metering detail. A particular variant relates to the reservoir 6, the particular filling orifice closed by a plug 11 can be eliminated, in which case the reservoir 6 is provided to be filled by the orifice on which the metering device 7 is mounted in a removable manner, in particular by screwing.

Claims (18)

1. Liquid product dispenser for washing machine or dishes, characterized in that it comprises, below a tank (6) of liquid product and in direct relation with this tank, a metering device (7) with a hollow body (15), movable along a substantially vertical axis (13) between a rest position, making the reservoir (6) communicate with the interior of the hollow body (15) for filling the latter, and a position working, making the interior of this body (15) communicate with the space located under the dispenser (7) to release a dose of liquid product in the washing machine, said body (15) being integral with a movable core magnetic (18) cooperating with an electromagnet (27 to 31), the excitation of which causes the passage from the rest position to the working position, the reservoir (6) and the metering device (7) constituting a removable assembly while that the electromagnet (27 to 31) is mounted fixed. 2. A liquid product distributor according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable hollow body (15) of the metering device (7) is guided in sliding, between its rest position and its working position, in a tubular guide (12) of substantially vertical axis (13), which is assembled at the bottom of the reservoir (6) of liquid product, preferably with the interposition of a seal (14). 3. liquid product dispenser according to claim 2, characterized in that the movable hollow body (15) of the metering device (7) has two seals (22,23) located respectively towards its two ends, with a seal (23 ) intended to come, in the rest position, to apply against a part (32) integral with the aforementioned tubular guide (12) in order to prevent the exit of liquid product towards the outside at the base of the metering device (7) another seal (22) provided to come, in the working position, to be applied against an annular part (17) integral with the bottom of the tank (6), in order to close the communication between this tank (6) and the metering device (7 ). 4. Liquid product dispenser according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the movable hollow body (15) of the metering device (7) has an upper region (16) of cruciform section guided in sliding in an annular part (17) attached at the bottom of the reservoir (6), a cylindrical central region guided in sliding in the aforementioned tubular guide (12) and a lower region (19) of conical shape, lateral liquid inlet openings (20) being formed between the region upper (16) and the middle region of the hollow body (15), and lateral openings of liquid outlet (21) being provided in the lower region (19) of this body (15), while the movable magnetic core (18) is a metal ring carried by the middle region of said body (15). 5. Liquid product dispenser according to all of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that a first annular lip seal (22) is mounted on the movable hollow body (15) of the metering device (7), above the lateral inlet openings (20), and in that a second annular lip seal (23) is mounted in the lower region (19) of this body (15) just below the lateral outlet openings (21) . 6. A liquid product dispenser according to claim 5, characterized in that the second annular lip seal (23) is designed to apply, in the rest position, against a frustoconical wall (32) which is connected internally to the part lower of the tubular guide (12). 7. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a return spring (24) is provided to urge the movable part (15,18) of the metering device (7) towards its position of rest. 8. Liquid product dispenser according to all of claims 4 and 7, characterized in that the return spring (24) is supported, on the one hand, under the bottom of the reservoir (6) and, on the other hand, against stops (25) formed on material bridges of the hollow body (15) which exist between the lateral inlet openings (20). 9. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the removable assembly consisting of the reservoir (6) and the metering device (7) is designed to be placed in a corresponding housing (5 ) of a block or module (1) for dispensing washing products or additives, or for being extracted from said housing (5), while the electromagnet (27 to 31) is fixedly mounted in the block or module ( 1) distribution. 10. Liquid product dispenser according to claim 9, characterized in that the aforementioned housing (5) comprises, to delimit the location of the metering device (7), a plastic wall (26) providing electrical insulation and sealing against the electromagnet (27 to 31), while allowing the passage of the magnetic field for the attraction of the movable core (18) secured to the movable hollow body (15) of the metering device (7). 11. Liquid product dispenser according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that a separable connection, for example by screwing, is provided between the metering device (7) and the bottom of the tank (6). 12. Liquid product dispenser according to claim 11, characterized in that the liquid product tank (6) has no particular filling orifice, and is designed to be filled by the orifice on which the metering device (7) is removably mounted, in particular by screwing. 13. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the wall of the liquid product tank (6) is made of flexible plastic. 14. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized by its application to a washing machine with a vertical load, with a housing (5) open at its upper part, designed to receive the assembly removable consisting of the liquid detergent tank (6) and the dispenser (7). 15. A liquid product dispenser according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized by its application to a washing machine with front loading, with a housing (5) with front opening, designed to receive the removable assembly constituted of the liquid detergent tank (6) and of the metering device (7), the lateral faces of the housing (5) comprising guide rails (33) provided for the introduction and the sliding of guide fingers (34) formed on the walls sides of the tank (6). 16. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it is intended to be installed in the upper part of a washing machine, above the tank or the drum of the machine, so that the product released by the dispenser (7) arrives by simple gravity in its area of use. 17. Liquid product dispenser according to claim 16, characterized in that it is integrated in a block or module (1) for dispensing washing products or additives, also comprising one or more receptacles for the storage and distribution of '' at least one other product, such as a powder product. 18. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by its application to the distribution of liquid detergent in a dishwasher, with a housing (5) provided in the door against (35) of the washer tableware for receiving the removable assembly consisting of the reservoir (6) of liquid detergent and the metering device (7), the electromagnet (27 to 31) being fixedly mounted in the inner door (35), the wall is permeable to magnetic field.

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