EP0423044B1 - Liquid product dispensing device for washing machine or dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid product dispenser for a washing machine or dishwashing machine, according to the preamble of claim 1 or claim 9. This invention relates, more particularly, to a dispenser capable of metering and dispensing, to the request, 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 accommodated 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 dosage 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 odors unpleasant 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.

Also known, from document FR-A-2228129, is a liquid product dispenser for a washing machine, comprising a liquid product reservoir and in relation to this reservoir, a metering device with a hollow body, movable along a substantially vertical axis between a rest position, making the reservoir communicate with the interior of the hollowed-out body for filling the latter, and a working position, making the interior of this body communicate with the space located downstream of the dispenser to release a dose of liquid product in the washing machine, said body being integral with a mobile magnetic core cooperating with an electromagnet mounted fixed, the excitation of which causes the passage from the rest position to the working position.

This "volumetric" dispenser provides a more precise dosage than those made with traditional pumps. However, the position of the metering unit in the lower part of the washing machine, indicated in document FR-A-2228129, makes it practically inaccessible, and it excludes any distribution of liquid by simple gravity. Furthermore, the metering device according to this document remains dissociated from the reservoir, even if it is close to it. The latter distributor therefore retains some of the disadvantages of other known systems with metering pumps.

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, in the liquid product dispenser which is the subject of the present invention, the liquid product tank and the metering device, located under the tank, constitute a removable assembly designed to be placed in a corresponding housing of a block or module. for dispensing washing products or additives, or for being extracted from said housing, while the electromagnet is mounted fixed in the block or distribution 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 passage of the magnetic field for the attraction of the mobile core secured to the body mobile recess of the dispenser.

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 dispenser 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 dispenser, it becomes easy to clean periodically the tank and also the doser 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 tank 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 tank.

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 inner 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 à 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 distributor 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 vertically loaded laundry. 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 reservoir 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 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, seals 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 reservoir 6 and, on the other hand, against stops 25 formed on the material bridges of the hollow body 15 which exist between the side entry 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 contains a coil of electromagnet 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 disposed vertical pole pieces 30 and 31 respectively, which extend in the direction of the location of the metering device 7, while 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 mobile 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 entry 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 at once 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 handling 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.

FIG. 5 relates to a variant of this liquid detergent dispenser, suitable for a front-loading washing machine. 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, for example of a volume of 20 cm³. As soon as it leaves the doser 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 allowing this assembly to be put in place and easily removed. As clearly shown in Figure 6, the profile of said assembly corresponds to that of the door 35 of the dishwasher, so that it fits perfectly with this door in 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 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 electrical pulses coming from the programmer of the dishwasher.

• Toutes les parties fonctionnelles du distributeur sont facilement accessibles à l'utilisateur, notamment en vue de leur nettoyage ;
• Le doseur 7 est démontable et ne comporte aucun fil électrique, seul le champ magnétique étant utilisé à travers une paroi 26 en matière plastique, pour son actionnement ;
• Ce doseur 7, à principe volumétrique, délivre une dose précise de produit liquide à chaque sollicitation ;
• La dose totale de produit délivré est facilement ajustable par le nombre d'impulsions émises vers l'électro-aimant ;
• Installé dans une machine à laver, le dispositif selon l'invention conduit à un système simplifié de distribution de produit liquide, ne nécessitant ni pompe, ni tuyau plus ou moins long, ou autre partie inaccessible remplie de lessive pouvant coller ou colmater ;
• Le réservoir 6 de lessive liquide, étanche à l'air, évite la dégradation de la réserve de produit à distribuer.

Overall, this gives 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;
• 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 system for dispensing liquid product, requiring no pump, no longer or shorter hose, or other inaccessible part filled with detergent which can stick or clog;
• The air-tight liquid detergent tank 6 prevents 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 concerns the reservoir 6, the particular filling orifice 10 closed by a plug 11 can be eliminated, in which case the reservoir 6 is designed to be filled by the orifice on which the metering device 7 is mounted in a removable manner, especially by screwing.

Claims (9)

1. Liquid product dispenser for a clothes or dish washing machine, comprising a liquid product reservoir (6) and, in direct connection with this reservoir, a measurer (7) with a hollow body (15), movable along a substantially vertical axis (13) between an idle position, putting the reservoir (6) in communication with the inside of the hollow body (15) in order to fill the latter, and a working position, putting the inside of this body (15) in communication with the space situated downstream of the measurer (7) in order to release a measure of liquid product into the washing machine, the said body (15) being fixed to a movable magnetic core (18) cooperating with an electromagnet (27 to 31) mounted fixedly, whose energising causes the movement from the idle position to the working position, characterised in that the liquid product reservoir (6) and the measurer (7) situated below this reservoir (6) constitute a movable assembly, designed to be placed in a corresponding housing (5) in a dispensing block or module (1) for washing products or additives, or to be extracted from the said housing (5), whilst the electromagnet (27 to 31) is mounted fixedly in the dispensing block or module (1).
2. Liquid product dispenser according to Claim 1, characterised in that the aforementioned housing (5) includes, in order to delimit the position of the measurer (7), a wall made of plastic (26) providing electrical insulation and watertightness for the electromagnet (27 to 31), while allowing the magnetic field to pass through so as to attract the movable core (18) fixed to the movable hollow body (15) of the measurer (7).
3. Liquid product dispenser according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a connection which is separable, for example by screwing, is provided between the measurer (7) and the bottom of the reservoir (6).
4. Liquid product dispenser according to Claim 3, characterised in that the liquid product reservoir (6) has no special filling orifice, and is intended to be filled through the orifice on which the measurer (7) is detachably mounted, notably by screwing.
5. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised by its application to a top-loading clothes washing machine, with a housing (5) open at its top, intended to receive the movable assembly formed by the liquid detergent reservoir (6) and the measurer (7).
6. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised by its application to a front-loading clothes washing machine, with a housing (5) having a front opening, intended to receive the removable assembly formed by the liquid detergent reservoir (6) and the measurer (7), the lateral faces of the housing (5) having guide rails (33) intended for the introduction and sliding of guide pins (34) formed on the lateral walls of the reservoir (6).
7. Liquid product dispenser according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it is intended to be installed in the upper part of a washing machine, above the tank or drum of the machine, so that the product released by the measurer (7) reaches its area of use simply by gravity.
8. Liquid product dispenser according to Claim 7, characterised in that it is integrated into a dispensing block or module (1) for washing products or additives, also having one or more receptacles for storing or dispensing at least one other product, such as a powder product.
9. Liquid product dispenser for a clothes or dish washing machine, comprising a liquid product reservoir (6) and, in direct connection with this reservoir, a measurer (7) with a hollow body (15), movable along a substantially vertical axis (13) between an idle position, putting the reservoir (6) in communication with the inside of the hollow body (15) in order to fill the latter, and a working position, putting the inside of this body (15) in communication with the space situated downstream of the measurer (7) in order to release a measure of liquid product into the washing machine, the said body (15) being fixed to a movable magnetic core (18) cooperating with an electromagnet (27 to 31) mounted fixedly, whose energising causes the movement from the idle position to the working position, characterised in that the liquid product reservoir (6) and the measurer (7) situated below this reservoir (6) constitute a movable assembly, designed to be placed in a housing (5) formed in the door lining (35) of a dishwasher whose wall is permeable to the magnetic field, for the dispensing of liquid detergent into the said dishwasher.

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