GB2432577A

GB2432577A - Dispensing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2432577A
Application number: GB0523980A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Martin Reason; Mario Rabaiotti; James Osgood
Original assignee: Andrew Reason Ltd
Current assignee: Andrew Reason Ltd
Priority date: 2005-11-25
Filing date: 2005-11-25
Publication date: 2007-05-30
Also published as: GB0523980D0

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a dispensing apparatus for a laundry appliance and more particularly to an automatic dispensing apparatus for liquid substances such as detergents and fabric softener used in laundry appliances. The dispensing systems comprises at least one reservoir 102,106 for holding a number of doses of laundry substance, and a regulating means 114 for selectively opening the reservoir to release a pre-determined quantity of the laundry substance held therein in response to a control signal, wherein the control signal defines the pre-determined quantity and causes the regulating means to open the reservoir for a period of time sufficient to release a pre-determined quantity of the laundry substance.

Description

Dispensing Apparatus The present invention relates generally to

dispensing apparatus for a laundry appliance, and more particularly, to an automatic dispensing apparatus for liquid substances, such as detergent and fabric softener, used in laundry appliances.

The drawer of a laundry appliance, such as a washing machine, is designed to accept consumable substances such as washing powder, tablets or liquid detergent, as well as liquid fabric softener. When pouring liquid or particulate substances into the above-mentioned draw, it is possible to dispense too much or too little or to spill the substance. When using a consumable in a form other than tablet, such that the user has to gauge a dosage of the substance to be introduced to the wash, it is often difficult to determine the correct amount that is required relative to the amount and type of laundry being performed, which can lead to an inadequate wash, or unnecessary wastage.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing apparatus for automatically dispensing a suitable quantity of a laundry substance so as to alleviate at least is some of the problems outlined above.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided, a dispensing system for use in a washing machine, the system comprising at least one reservoir for holding a number of doses of a laundry substance, regulating means for selectively opening said reservoir to release a pre-determined quantity of said laundry substance held therein in response to a control signal, said control signal defining said predetermined quantity and causing said regulating means to open said reservoir for a period of time sufficient to release said predetermined quantity of said laundry substance.

Preferably, the dispensing system comprises a plurality of reservoirs, for holding respective different types of laundry substance.

Beneficially, said regulating means comprises a valve, or more preferably, a plurality of valves, the state of which are actuated by a control signal.

Preferably, said control signal is generated by a control program.

Said at least one reservoir may be supplied with a pump for pumping a laundry substance from within said reservoir to said regulating means, said pump preferably being controlled by a control program. The control program is preferably arranged and configured to control the parameters of a cycle of said washing machine, said parameters being at least partially definitive of said predetermined quantity of said laundry substance. Alternatively, a gravity-controlled feed system may be used instead of a pump.

Preferably, said at least one reservoir has a re-sealable hatch, for allowing the ingress of liquid, said at least one reservoir which may be of a transparent or translucent material, and preferably being removable and replaceable, to allow for cleaning of said reservoir, possibly by hand or in a dishwasher, for example. In a different embodiment, said at least one reservoir may be disposable and may be removed and discarded, to be replaced by a further disposable reservoir.

The present invention further extends to a washing machine having a receptacle for receiving a load of laundry and a dispensing system as defined above, wherein means are provided for causing said predetermined quantity of said laundry substance released from said reservoir to be introduced into said receptacle.

Thus, the above mentioned object is achieved by providing at least one, and more preferably two reservoirs for disposal in or on a washing machine, wherein electronic dosage regulation means, beneficially linked into the main control program of a washing machine, determines a quantity of liquid or particulate detergent and/or liquid fabric softener required for a particular size and/or type of laundry load, and automatically administers the substance accordingly during a laundry cycle. In addition, this arrangement eliminates the need for a user to manually administer detergent(s) in respect of every laundry cycle.

These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from, and elucidated with reference to, the embodiments described herein.

Embodiments of the present will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a representation of the system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a representation of the system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a representation of the system according to a third embodiment of the present io invention, being characterised by removable pods.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, a dispensing system 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, comprises a detergent pod 106 containing liquid detergent 108 and a liquid fabric softener pod 102 containing liquid fabric softener 104. The two pods 106, 102 may be made of a rigid, light weight polymer, however any similar material, resistant to the intended contents, would be suitable and the present invention is not necessarily intended to be limited in this regard. The pods 106, 102 are mounted in or on a washing machine at a suitable location. The size of the pods 106, 102 are limited by the free space available, but beneficially, each pod 106, 102 might be large enough to hold enough of the respective substance for several washes. The two pods 106, 102 are commonly connected to a regulating means 114 by way of a detergent transfer pipe 112 and a softener transfer pipe 110 respectively. A respective motor 122, 124 (in communication with an internal pump (not shown)) at the back of each reservoir 106, 102 enables the contents of each to be introduced to the drum 116 in accordance with a control signal generated by the regulating means 114.

The regulating means 114 is a valve that is, by default, closed such that neither the detergent 108 or the softener 104 flow. The regulating means 114 has a first input to which the detergent transfer pipe is connected and a second input to which, the softener transfer pipe 110 is connected, as well as an outlet channel 120 leading into the drum! 16 of the washing machine. The regulating means 114 may an actuated valve or any other means for ensuring that the respective substances 108, 104 do not enter the drum 116 when it is not desired. The regulating means 114, in the case of it being an actuated valve, is connected to and controlled by the programming system 118 that signals when and for how long the valve 114 should be open and accordingly, how long the motors 122, 124 should be driven to dispense a desired Jo quantity of consumable 108, 104, based on the specific size and/or type of load to be washed (as indicated by the program selected by the user and/or any additional information input by the user). Voice recognition means may be provided for this purpose, so that a user who may be visually impaired or otherwise disabled may provide the required information to the programming system controlling the regulating means 114.

Feedback means is present both at a software and hardware level, with an integral computer program that checks the state of components, such as the valve 114 and motors 122, 124 to ensure compliance with the program states, and buoyant means may be provided inside the pods 106, 102 that can register a decrease in the level of the respective substances 108, 104, as well as signal the programming system 118 when a pod is nearly empty, so that a warning signal, such as an indicator light visible to the user, can be switched on.

The system 100 dispenses the correct quantity of liquid detergent 108 and/or liquid softener 104 directly into the wash at the correct times in accordance with the programming system 118 that operates the underlying components 122, 124, 114 relative to a user's input relating to a particular load to be washed. Means may be provided to measure or otherwise input the weight of the load to be washed, and it is this weight that the programming system uses to determine the quantity of laundry substance to be dispensed.

Referring now to Figure 2, as second exemplary embodiment of the present invention shows a similar system 200 to that described in Figure 1. The system 200 again comprises two pods 206, 202, containing consumable substances 108, 104 as in the previous embodiment. In this embodiment, however, no motors are used to convey the respective substances 208, 204 into the drum 216. The detergent transfer pipe 212 and a softener transfer pipe 210 each terminate in an actuated valve 224, 222, controlled by a signal generated by the programming system 218 that signals when they should open and for how long. Both valves 224,222 are closed by default, therefore allowing no substance 208, 204 to pass into the drum 216. When a signal is sent by the programming system 218, in relation to a chosen input by a user, the relevant valves 224, 222 will open, resulting in a quantity of substance 208, 204 flowing, by way of gravity, through the open valve and into the drum. The quantity dispensed is determined by the viscosity of the substance and the duration that the valve is open. The programming io system 218 will have information relating to the viscosity of the substances 208, 204, and thereby stipulates the correct time for the valve(s) to remain in an open state. The programming system may have a range of such values so that different types of substance 208, 204 can be used and the user is not restricted in this regard to one particular type/brand. The user may manually identifying the type of substance 208,204 is being used to fill the pods 106, 102 at the time of doing so.

Feedback means is again included, both at a software and hardware level, with an integral computer program that checks the state of the valves 224, 222 to ensure compliance with the program states, and buoyant means may be provided inside the pods 206,202 that can register a decrease in the level of the respective substances 208, 204, as well as signal the programming system 218 when a pod is nearly empty, so that a warning signal, such as an indicator light visible to the user, can be switched on. As there are no motors included in this embodiment, the integral computer program receives signals from the buoyant means as a check that the levels are indeed decreasing as the valves 224, 222 are open to ensure an alarm is sounded if no flow' is detected.

Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, a system is shown according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The system in this embodiment is essentially the same as that of embodiment 1, with the exception that the pods 302, 306, in this instance, are not fixed within the machine. The pods 302,306 here are designed to be removable from the washing machine with a view to allowing them to be washed out before refilling to prevent the substance within congealing and hindering the dispensing capability. The pods 302, 306 are accepted into an orifice in the body of the washing machine (not shown) which is of similar dimension to the circumference, or general outer dimensions, of the pods 302, 306, such that they are comfortably accepted therein. A dispensing nozzle at one end of the pod 302, 306 interfaces with a housing 326 (within the orifice in the exterior of the washing machine) that has a further small orifice 328 within that clamps the nozzle and may act as an interlock, enabling power to be supplied to the system pumps 322, 324 and valve 314 as well as signalling the programming system 318 that a pod is in place. The pods 302, 306 can be of different shape to one another so that there is no confusion when filling them with substance, as it is known that when liquid detergent and fabric softener are mixed it provides a solution extremely habitable for bacterial growth. If this is the case then the respective orifices in the washing machine body for accepting the pods 302, 304 will be of corresponding shape. It is preferable that the pods 302, 306 comprise of a clear or transparent material to aid a user to see the colour of the substance inside, to further reduce the chance of confusion when re-filling. In a preferred alternative embodiment, the system pumps 322, 324 may be metering pumps that actually meter the amount of respective substance being dispensed. In this case, the valve could be omitted and there may be two dispensing tubes to avoid crosscontamination between laundry substances, or a separating valve may be provided for the same purpose.

The pods may be off the shelf items that are disposable once empty, removing the need for any cleaning and also reducing the probability of cross-contamination. Again, these pods may be of a different shape to one another to further reduce the possibility of confusion between them.

Although the above-described embodiments include two pods, it will be appreciated that any number of pods may be provided, depending on the type and number of substances, required to be administered during a laundry cycle.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrates rather than limits the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be capable of designing many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" and "comprises", and the like, does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in any claim or the specification as a whole. The singular reference of an element does not exclude the plural reference of such elements and vice-versa. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A dispensing system for use in a washing machine, the system

comprising at least one reservoir for holding a number of doses of a laundry substance, regulating means for selectively opening said reservoir to release a pre -determined quantity of said laundry substance held therein in response to a control signal, said control signal defining said predetermined quantity and causing said regulating means to open said reservoir for a period of time sufficient to release said predetermined quantity of said laundry substance.

2. A dispensing system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of reservoirs, for holding respective different types of laundry substance.

3. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said regulating means comprises a valve, the state of which is actuated by a control signal.

4. A dispensing system according to claim 2, wherein said regulating means comprises a plurality of valves, the state of which are actuated by a control signal.

5. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said control signal is generated by a control program.

6. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said at least one reservoir is supplied with a pump for pumping a laundry substance from within said reservoir to said regulating means.

7. A dispensing system according to claim 6, wherein said pump is controlled by a control program.

8. A dispensing system according to claim 7, wherein said control program arranged and configured to control the parameters of a cycle of said washing machine, said parameters being at least partially definitive of said predetermined quantity of said laundry substance.

9. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said at least one reservoir has a re-sealable hatch, for allowing the ingress of liquid.

10. A dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said at least one reservoir is removable and replaceable, to allow for cleaning of said reservoir.

11. A dispensing system according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein said at least one reservoir is disposable and may be removed and discarded, to be replaced by a further disposable reservoir.

12. A washing machine having a receptacle for receiving a load of laundry and a dispensing system as defined above, wherein means are provided for causing said predetermined quantity of said laundry substance released from said reservoir to be introduced into said receptacle.