GB2136831A

GB2136831A - Liquid detergent supply syphon for washing machines

Info

Publication number: GB2136831A
Application number: GB08406301A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antonio Marangoni
Original assignee: Domar SA
Current assignee: Domar SA
Priority date: 1983-03-16
Filing date: 1984-03-09
Publication date: 1984-09-26
Also published as: GB2136831B; IT8420113A0; IT8421265V0; IT1206137B; FR2542771B3; GB8406301D0; FR2542771A1; DE3409141A1; ES270912U; ES270912Y

Abstract

There is disclosed a device suitable for fitting to the soap receptacle 1 of a clothes washing machine to facilitate the use of a liquid detergent as an alternative to powder detergents. The device 7 works on the principle of syphoning. It is open at its upper and lower ends and its base 9 fits into the outlet tube 5 of soap receptacle 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Detergent feed device This patent refers to a device designed for fitting to the soap receptacle of a clothes washing machine, with the object of facilitating the use of a detergent product in its liquid form as an akernative to the use of the detergent in its powder form.

It is common knowledge that the use of liquid detergents in washing machines is increasing due to a number of operational and practical reasons and this calls for the adaptation, consequently, of the machine, to this type of soap product. In the existing types of clothes washing machines the soap receptacles or the devices designed for holding and distributing the detergent, do not permit the indiscriminate use of powder or liquid detergent products as alternatives and since it has become desirable to provide for the use of the latter type of washing detergent, to the maximum extent possible, the syphonic device, object of this present patent has been designed.Its incorporation in a clothes washing machine necessitates no alteration in the structure of the machine, it being sufficient to fit the device to the soap receptacle, making use simply of the mouth of the outlet pipe which carries the water mixed with the detergent.

The utilization of the device described herein ensures that the addition of the liquid detergent to the washing water occurs at a uniform rate and ensures equally the perfect dissolution of the detergent in the water.

To facilitate the understanding of the description there are, attached to this specification, drawings which illustrate, solely by way of example, one embodiment of the said syphonic device for use in clothes washing machines, in accordance with the principles defined in the claims.

The drawings comprise; Figure 1, showing a sectional view of a soap receptacle of a washing machine to which has been fitted the device which is the object of this description and Figure 2 showing a horizontal cross-section of the device itself Figure 3, showing a view in perspective of the new syphonic device in its position ready for fitting to the soap receptacle of the clothes washing machine.

The numbered components in the drawings correspond to the reference numbers given below.

A body -1- of the soap receptacle or the detergent product dosifier, the bottom -2- of the same forming a mouth -3- to which is fitted the open end -4- of the flexible tube outlet -5-, the body having at its upper part-6an inlet for water, conventionally controlled by means of an electrovalve.

The device which is the object of this application for patent comprises a receptacle -7-, preferably cylindrical in shape extended vertically to an elevated section -8- and which has the form of a handle which provides for ease of placing in position and removal from its seating, the same being registered by means of its base -9- with respect to the open end 4- of the water outlet tube.

The device incorporates a re-entrant section -10-, as well as an elevated tubular extension -11- which communicates with the open lower end -9- of the device. There is provided also a component -12- in the form of a cylindrical closed-end cover, over the said elevated extension -11-, and resting on the same through a number of radial ribs -14-, and centred with respect to the extension by means of a number of ribs -13-, disposed vertically and symmetrically on the inner wall of the cover.

Fig. 1 shows the layout of the device, of which the functioning can be summarized as follows; When the washing water and the liquid detergent enters by the upper aperture -6-, the said mixture reaches a level in the soap receptacle which is governed by the height of the reentrant section -10-, then entering the receptacle -7-, through the sides and leaving by the outlet mouth. The water then remains at a level slightly lower than the re-entrant section -10-, which together with the tube -11- and the cover -12-, forms an elementary syphon which in accordance with the known principle of physics, produces a suction effect on the water - detergent mixture present in the soap receptacle -1- and the outflow of the said mixture to the outlet mouth, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1, leaving the soap receptacle virtually empty.

Anything not affecting the essentiality of the device as above described or altering, changing or modifying the same will be a variable for purposes of this present patent.

We claim as object of this Patent application: 1. A syphonic device for washing machines, characterized essentially in that it comprises a containing vessel, preferably cylindrical and open at its extremities, being provided at its upper end with means of retention to facilitate its positioning, locating itself accurately in the washing water outlet mouth due to the open lower end of the vessel being of a form and shape which registers with the said outlet, the height of the vessel corresponding to the level to which the soap receptacle is filled by the manual operation of feeding in the detergent product in its liquid state.

2. A syphonic device for washing machines, as in the previous claim and characterized by the provision of an elementary syphon having a level which corresponds approxi

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Detergent feed device This patent refers to a device designed for fitting to the soap receptacle of a clothes washing machine, with the object of facilitating the use of a detergent product in its liquid form as an akernative to the use of the detergent in its powder form. It is common knowledge that the use of liquid detergents in washing machines is increasing due to a number of operational and practical reasons and this calls for the adaptation, consequently, of the machine, to this type of soap product. In the existing types of clothes washing machines the soap receptacles or the devices designed for holding and distributing the detergent, do not permit the indiscriminate use of powder or liquid detergent products as alternatives and since it has become desirable to provide for the use of the latter type of washing detergent, to the maximum extent possible, the syphonic device, object of this present patent has been designed.Its incorporation in a clothes washing machine necessitates no alteration in the structure of the machine, it being sufficient to fit the device to the soap receptacle, making use simply of the mouth of the outlet pipe which carries the water mixed with the detergent. The utilization of the device described herein ensures that the addition of the liquid detergent to the washing water occurs at a uniform rate and ensures equally the perfect dissolution of the detergent in the water. To facilitate the understanding of the description there are, attached to this specification, drawings which illustrate, solely by way of example, one embodiment of the said syphonic device for use in clothes washing machines, in accordance with the principles defined in the claims. The drawings comprise; Figure 1, showing a sectional view of a soap receptacle of a washing machine to which has been fitted the device which is the object of this description and Figure 2 showing a horizontal cross-section of the device itself Figure 3, showing a view in perspective of the new syphonic device in its position ready for fitting to the soap receptacle of the clothes washing machine. The numbered components in the drawings correspond to the reference numbers given below. A body -1- of the soap receptacle or the detergent product dosifier, the bottom -2- of the same forming a mouth -3- to which is fitted the open end -4- of the flexible tube outlet -5-, the body having at its upper part-6an inlet for water, conventionally controlled by means of an electrovalve. The device which is the object of this application for patent comprises a receptacle -7-, preferably cylindrical in shape extended vertically to an elevated section -8- and which has the form of a handle which provides for ease of placing in position and removal from its seating, the same being registered by means of its base -9- with respect to the open end 4- of the water outlet tube. The device incorporates a re-entrant section -10-, as well as an elevated tubular extension -11- which communicates with the open lower end -9- of the device. There is provided also a component -12- in the form of a cylindrical closed-end cover, over the said elevated extension -11-, and resting on the same through a number of radial ribs -14-, and centred with respect to the extension by means of a number of ribs -13-, disposed vertically and symmetrically on the inner wall of the cover. Fig. 1 shows the layout of the device, of which the functioning can be summarized as follows; When the washing water and the liquid detergent enters by the upper aperture -6-, the said mixture reaches a level in the soap receptacle which is governed by the height of the reentrant section -10-, then entering the receptacle -7-, through the sides and leaving by the outlet mouth. The water then remains at a level slightly lower than the re-entrant section -10-, which together with the tube -11- and the cover -12-, forms an elementary syphon which in accordance with the known principle of physics, produces a suction effect on the water - detergent mixture present in the soap receptacle -1- and the outflow of the said mixture to the outlet mouth, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1, leaving the soap receptacle virtually empty. Anything not affecting the essentiality of the device as above described or altering, changing or modifying the same will be a variable for purposes of this present patent. CLAIMS We claim as object of this Patent application:

1. A syphonic device for washing machines, characterized essentially in that it comprises a containing vessel, preferably cylindrical and open at its extremities, being provided at its upper end with means of retention to facilitate its positioning, locating itself accurately in the washing water outlet mouth due to the open lower end of the vessel being of a form and shape which registers with the said outlet, the height of the vessel corresponding to the level to which the soap receptacle is filled by the manual operation of feeding in the detergent product in its liquid state.

2. A syphonic device for washing machines, as in the previous claim and characterized by the provision of an elementary syphon having a level which corresponds approxi mately to that determined by the upper edges of the vessel and being in communication with the open lower extremity thereof, the said syphon being provided with a vertical tubular pipe and a component in the form of a cylindrical cover, fitted over the said pipe and co-axial with it, being held in the co-axial position by means of a plurality of upper radial ribs and longitudinal ribs on its inner wall.

"A Syphonic Device for Washing Machines".

3. A syphonic device substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.