US3359765A - Fluent material dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 26, 1967 J. A. TICHENOR ETAL 3,35

FLUENT MATERIAL DISPENSER Filed April 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGI - INVENTORS JAMES A.TlCHENOR CHARLES R. MISCHKE BY [My MA illw Jivll/wwd c I ATTORNEYS 1967 J. A. TICHENOR ETAL 3,359,765

FLUENT MATERIAL DISPENSER Filed April 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent tion of Delaware Filed Apr. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 546,393 17 Claims. (Cl. 68207) This invention relates to a dispenser for automatically discharging fluent material such as fabric softeners, conditioners or the like into a rotatable vessel subjected to varying speeds of rotation such as the spin basket of a washing machine.

In Patent 3,107,512 of Oct. 22, 1963, assigned to the same assignee as the present application, there is disclosed and claimed an automatic dispenser for discharging fluent material into a rotatable vessel. In the structure of the patent a movable container is provided that tends to move outwardly from the center of rotation on increasing speeds of rotation with the container being adapted to hold the fluent material and having a force displaceable cover which is released at a desired speed of rotation of the vessel to open an opening in the container so that when the vessel speed decreases gravity will cause the fluent material to flow from the container into the vessel. As is pointed out in this prior patent, such a device is ideally suited for automatically adding softeners or conditioners for fabric in a washing machine.

One of the features of the present invention is to provide a dispenser of this same general type as disclosed and claimed in the prior patent but which has improved mounting means for the dispenser with the result that the dispenser is more easily mounted in the vessel and once mounted in operating position cannot be accidentally released from its mounting bracket but can be easily removed by the user for recharging with fluent material and reinstalling on its mounting bracket.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be discussed hereinafter and will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary radial sectional view through a side wall of the spin basket of a washing machine taken forwardly of and looking toward a mounting bracket structure which in conjunction with the removable container embodies the invention. 7

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the bracket structure looking toward the bracket from the left of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the bracket structure separated from the spin basket.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view partially in section of the dispensing container for the fluent material arranged horizontally in the position it occupies on the bracket of FIGURES 15 and with the lid open in material dispensing position.

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of the container with the lid closed looking toward the container from the right of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 88 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along line 99 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the container installed in operating position on the bracket.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIGURE 6.

The dispenser illustrated in the accompanying drawings for automatically discharging fluent material into a rotatable vessel such as the spin basket 10 of a washing machine that is subjected to varying speeds of rotation comprises an inwardly extending mounting bracket 11 that is integral wtih a vertical member 12 normally arranged against the inner surface of the basket 10 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 10. The vertical member 12 has a top forwardly curved part 13 located within the confines of the rolled edge 14 of the basket.

Normally mounted on the bracket 11, as shown in FIG- URE 10, is a container 14 of cup shape with its bottom 15 located adjacent the basket 10 and its forward end 16 facing toward the center of the basket.

The container 14 is provided with a socket means 17 integral therewith and positioned on top of the container when the container is in operating position as shown in FIGURE 10. The socket means which is generally cylindrical has an open front end 18, an open rear end 19 and receives the bracket 11 as shown in FIGURE 10 for mounting the container on the vessel or basket 10 in operating position. In this position the container 14 hangs vertically as illustrated with the forward end 20 of the bracket 11 extending forwardly beyond the front end 18 of the socket 17. In this position the container 14 is freely movable rearwardly or to the right as shown in FIGURE 10 under the centrifugal forces set up by the rotation of the basket 14 The container, when the lid is in open position as shown in FIGURE 6, has a discharge opening 21 at the front or forward end 16. As the container 14 is of cup shape, the side 22 slopes forwardly as shown in FIGURE 10 to aid the gravity flow of fluent material from the container when the fluent contents (not shown) are discharge therefrom.

The container is provided with a displaceable closure 23 hingedly attached to an extending lip 24 on the bottom of the forward end 16 of the container when it is in position on the bracket 11. The closure 23 is normally in closed position as shown in FIGURE 10. It can be snapped into this closed position by engagement of the beaded rim 25 on the inner surface of the closure 23 engaging a similarly shaped annular groove 26 in the inner surface of the forward end 16 of the container 14. In order to prevent accidental spillage of the contents of the container 14 especially where a liquid is the fluent material, there is provided a rubber gasket 27 held in a groove 28 on the closure immediately behind the beaded rim 25.

The closure 23 which as stated is normally closed is provided with an upwardly extending flange 29 at the top when the container is in installed position which is aligned with the forward end 20 of the bracket 11. The forward end 20 comprises means on the bracket 11 engaging the closure at the flange 29 for displacing the closure 23 upon sliding movement of the container 14 to the rear, or to the right as seen in FIGURE 10, such movement caused by a predetermined centrifugal force due to the basket 10 reaching a predetermined speed of rotation.

The bracket 11 and container socket 17 are provided with cooperating means so that when the container is installed on the bracket by sliding it rearwardly, or to the right as shown in FIGURE 1, on the bracket this movement can only occur when the container is in an initial position which is extending downwardly in the lower right quadrant from the bracket 11 as viewed in FIGURE 2. The cooperating means on the container comprises an inwardly projecting part 30 on the socket 17. A guide surface 31 of this part 30 is essentially flat and slides on a flat guide surface 32 of bracket guide surface part 32a located on bracket 11. As can be seen in FIG- URE 2, this guide surface 32 is at an angle to the horizontal in the lower left quadrant of the bracket when viewed from its inner end.

As stated earlier, when the container 14 is in its operating position as shown in FIGURE it is suspended downwardly beneath the bracket 11. When in this position cooperating lock means on the container and the bracket prevent forward movement of the container while it is in its operating position. In the embodiment shown, this cooperating lock means is provided by the inwardly projecting part 30 at the rearward end of the socket 17 being located in a recessed portion 33 on the bracket 11. This recessed portion 33 is provided by terminating the bracket guide surface part 32a short of the rear end of the bracket as shown in FIGURE 3.

When installing the container 14 on the bracket 11 as described in which the container can only be moved rearwardly on the bracket when in the lower right quadrant position on the bracket as viewed in FIGURE 2, the rearward movement of the container on the bracket is continued until the bottom 15 of the container strikes a stop means 34 associated with the bracket. In the illustrated embodiment this stop means comprises a raised part integral with the bracket 11 and located to the right and slightly downwardly of the bracket 11 when viewed from the front as in FIGURE 2. The stop 34 is provided so that the container 14 can only be moved to a pre selected rearward position which is insufficient to cause the front end of the bracket 11 to accidentally displace and open the closure 23.

In order to retain the container in the initial position as described with its bottom 15 against the stop 34 there is provided a catch means on the bracket 11 engaged by the socket 17. This retention of the container in the initial position is preparatory to moving the container to its operating position shown in FIGURE 10. In the illustrated embodiment the yielding catch means comprises a raised portion 35 on the bracket 11 toward but short of the rear thereof separated from the rest of the bracket to provide yielding resiliency as by a slot 36 extending from side to side through the bracket beneath the raised portion 35. With this arrangement the portion 35 is on a thin strip 37 (FIGURE 4) separated from the remainder of the bracket by the slot 36. Adequate resiliency is provided in this manner particularly where the bracket 11 and the parts integral therewith are constructed of a resilient plastic material such as molded Delrin.

When the container has been moved rearwardly in this inner position until the resilient raised portion or catch is depressed and forced within the socket means 17 at the rear end 19 thereof, the resistance of the socket 17 passing over the top of the catch 35 causes the bottom 15 of the container 14 to snap against the stop 34 to create an audible signal to the user that the container 14 is in proper position. When in this position a longitudinally extending raised catch portion 38 or ridge within the socket 17 at the rear thereof is located adjacent the catch 35 and to the left thereof as viewed in FIGURE 2. Then the container 14 is rotated from its lower right quadrant initial position in a clockwise direction as viewed from the front or left of FIGURE 10 to the downwardly extending operating position as shown in FIGURE 10.

During this rotation, which is through an arc of approximately the ridge 38 on the socket 17 moves with a snap from the previously described left side of the catch 35 viewed from FIGURE 2 to the right side as viewed in this figure. This likewise gives an audible signal when completed to the user. In order to aid this passage of the ridge 38 over the catch 35 the forward or leading surface 39 of the catch 35 is smoothly sloped, as shown most clearly in FIGURE 5. Because of this smooth sloping the ridge 38 within the socket 17 rides easily over the peak of the catch and snaps down behind or to the right of the catch as viewed in FIGURE 5. In order to prevent reverse movement of the container or movement in a counterclockwise direction from the downwardly hanging operating position of FIGURE 10 to the previously described initial installing position, the rear surface 40 of the catch 35 drops off sharply, as shown most clearly in FIGURE 5, to thereby preclude it from acting as a camming surface. As the longitudinal ridge 38 is now adjacent this surface 40, the cooperation of the ridge 38 and the surface 40 effectively prevents the reverse rotation.

As stated earlier, the cooperation of the inwardly projecting guide 30 on the socket 17 and the recessed part 33 at the rear of the guide surface part 31 effectively prevents the container 14 being moved forwardly from the bracket 11 when in operating position. However, in order to release the container from its bracket there are provided lock release means on the container and the bracket operable on movement of the container arcuately forwardly of its downwardly extending normal operating position. In the disclosed embodiment, this forward movement is from the downward extending operating position into the lower left quadrant from the bracket 11 as viewed in FIGURE 2.

In the illustrated embodiment the lock release means on the container and the bracket comprises the inclined edge or surface 41 of the inwardly projecting part 30 (FIGURE 11) at the rear of the socket 17 and the forwardly rounded rear surface 42 (FIGURE 3) on the rear of the bracket guide surface part 32a on the bracket 11. With this arrangement, in removing the container 14 from its downwardly hanging position of FIGURE 10 which as described is the normal operating position it is only necessary to grasp the container 14 and pull it forwardly or to the left as shown in FIGURE 10 while turning it from its lower position to the previously described lower left quadrant position. During this forward and arcuate pulling the inclined socket surface 41 rides up and over the rounded rear surface 42 of the bracket to force the inwardly extending guide part 30 of the socket from the recess 33. This release from the recess 33 is aided by the resiliency of the bracket 11 in the area of the recess 33 provided by the previously described slot 36.

Also assisting in the release of the container 14 from the bracket 11 is the upwardly inclined surface 43 on the outwardly extending arm 44 of bracket 11. During the various machine operations this arm 44 functions to preclude the container 14 from moving to a lock release position due to the interference of the arm 44 with the side 22 of the container. However, when a manual forward and arcuate pulling force is applied to the container, the rearward extreme of the container side 22 strikes the inclined "surface 43 of the arm 44 thus camming the container forwardly and to thereby assist the previously described camming action taking place between the inclined socket surface 41 and the rounded rear surface 42 of the bracket 11.

The operation of the dispenser is as follows. With the container 14 removed from the bracket 11, it is filled to the desired level with a fluent material such as a laundry fabric conditioner and the closure 23 snapped to closed position. In this position the gasket 27 around the interior of the closure 23 prevents leakage if the fluent material is a liquid. The container is then placed on the front end of the bracket 11 while holding the container in the lower right quadrant as viewed from the front of the bracket. It is moved rearwardly in this position until the catch 35 enters the rear end 19 of the socket 17. Because some resistance to movement of the container is caused by the entering of the catch 35 into the socket the bottom 15 of the container snaps against the stop 34. The resilient catch 35 holds the container in this initial or lower right quadrant position. The container is then rotated clockwise on the bracket 11 approximately 45 or to a downwardly extending position as shown in FIGURE 10. During this movement the socket ridge 38 passes over the surface 39 to the rear surface 40 with this movement being permitted by the inward flexing of the catch 35 on its resilient strip 37.

When in this downwardly extending position, the container 14 is ready for operation. The container cannot be drawn straight forwardly from the bracket 11 because of the engagement of the inwardly projecting end 30 of the socket 17 in the bracket recess 33 that is adjacent the rear thereof. The spin basket of the washing machine is then operated in the customary manner through its operating cycles and the fluent material is retained in the container 14. Then, at a predetermined high speed of rotation when it is time in the cycle to introduce the fluent material from the container 14 into the basket 10, the centrifugal force is great enough to cause the flange 29 to strike the forward end 20 of the bracket 11 and snap the closure 23 to open position as shown in FIGURE 6. When the speed falls sufiiciently so that gravity overcomes the centrifugal force on the fluent material, it thereupon flows by gravity from the container 14 into the basket 10.

In starting a new cycle of operation the container 14 is removed from the bracket 11 and refilled with fluent material. This removal is accomplished by arcuately moving the container 14 beyond its downwardly extending position or to the lower left quadrant of the bracket 11, as viewed in FIGURE 2, and pulling forwardly on the container at the same time. This causes the inclined surface 41 to ride up and over the rounded rear surface 42 to permit the guide part of the socket 17 to leave the recessed part 33. This release movement is aided by the resiliency of the strip'37 on which the catch is mounted and the camming action taking place between the upwardly inclined surface 43 on outwardly extending arm 44 of the bracket and the rearward extremes of the container side 22. Once the release has been effected in this manner, the container .is withdrawn easily from the bracket 11 while retaining the container in its lower left quadrant position duringthe withdrawal.

As can be seen from the above description, the dispenser of this invention permits easy installation on its supporting bracket and once installed cannot be accidentally dislodged. Furthermore, the opening of the container for automatic dispensing is smoothly and automatically accomplished at a preselected speed of rotation. Because of the sloped side of the container it drains rapidly and completely once the centrifugal force is low enough to be overcome by gravity. Then, at the completion of the cycle the dispenser is very easily withdrawn from its bracket preparatory to reloading and reinstalling for the next cycle of operation.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. A dispenser for automatically discharging fluent material into a rotatable vessel subjected to varying speeds of rotation, comprising: an inwardly extending mounting bracket on said vessel; a container for said fluent material having socket means with open front and rear ends and receiving said bracket for mounting the container on said vessel in operating position for rearward movement on the bracket under the forces of said rotation, said bracket extending forwardly beyond said socket front end and said container having a. discharge opening to permit flow of said material therethrough when said vessel is at rest; a normally closed displaceable closure for said opening; and means on said bracket engaging said closure for displacing the same on said rearward movement.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said container is slidable rearwardly on said bracket when installing said container, and there are provided cooperating means on said container and bracket permitting said sliding only when said container is in an initial position relative to said bracket that is spaced from said operating position, stop means associated with said bracket limiting said initial position sliding to a point short of said engagement of said bracket means with said closure, and means on said bracket for permitting arcuate movement of said container from said initial position to said operating position.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said cooperating means on the container and bracket permitting the sliding only when the container is in an initial position comprises a guide means on said container at said socket means engaging a second longitudinally extending guide means on said bracket.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said container is normally arranged at least approximately horizontally on said bracket when in operating position, said socket means is substantially at the top of said container and said discharge opening is at the forward end of said container.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said means on said bracket engaging said closure for displacing the same comprises an end portion of the bracket extending forwardly of the socket means but short of said closure when the container is in said operating position with said container being slidable rearwardly on the bracket at a preselected speed of rotation of said vessel for engagement of said bracket portion with said closure for displacing the same.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein there are provided cooperating lock means on said container and bracket for preventing forward movement of the container on said bracket when in said operating position.

7. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said cooperating lock means on the container and bracket preventing forward movement of the container on the bracket when in its operating position comprises a recessed portion on said bracket engaged by an inwardly projecting portion on said socket means when the container is in its operating position.

8. The dispenser of claim 7 wherein there are provided cooperating lock release means on said container and bracket operable on movement of said container beyond said operating position for releasing said lock means to permit inward removal movement of said container on said bracket.

9. The dispenser of claim 8 wherein said cooperating lock release means on the container and bracket comprises a first inclined surface portion on said socket means and a second rounded surface portion on the bracket means cooperating on said movement of said container beyond said operating position to remove said lock means from said recessed portion, thereby permitting forward removal of said container from said bracket.

10. The dispenser of claim 7 wherein said cooperating means on the container and bracket permitting the sliding only when the container is in an initial position comprises a guide means on said container at said socket means engaging a second longitudinally extending guide means on said bracket, said second longitudinally extending guide means on said bracket terminating short of the rear end of said bracket to provide said recessed portion.

11. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said container is slidable rearwardly on said bracket when installing said container, and there are provided cooperating means on said container and bracket permitting said sliding only when said container is in an initial position relative to said bracket that is spaced from said operating position, stop means associated with said bracket limiting said initial position sliding to a point short of said engagement of said bracket means with said closure, and yielding catch means on said bracket engaged by said socket means 7 when said container is at said stop means to retain said container in said initial position preparatory to movement of the container to said operating position.

12. The dispenser of claim 11 wherein said yielding catch means comprises a raised portion on said bracket separated from the rest of the bracket to provide yielding resiliency in said catch means.

13. The dispenser of claim 11 wherein said socket means is provided with a raised catch portion at one side of said yielding catch means when the container is in said initial position, said catch portion passing over said yielding catch means in arcuately moving said container on said bracket to said operating position.

14. The dispenser of claim 7 wherein said container is slidable rearwardly on said bracket when installing said container, and there are provided cooperating means on said container and bracket permitting said sliding only when said container is in an initial position relative to said bracket that is spaced from said operating position, stop means associated with said bracket limiting said initial position sliding to a point short of said engagement of said bracket means with said closure, yielding catch means on said bracket engaged by said socket means when said container is at said stop means to retain said container in said initial position preparatory to movement of the container to said operating position, said yielding catch means comprises a raised portion on said bracket separated from the rest of the bracket to provide yielding resiliency in said catch means, said socket means is provided with a raised catch portion at one side of said yielding catch means when the container is in said initial position, said catch portion passing over said yielding catch means in arcuately moving said container on said bracket to said operating position.

15. The dispenser of claim 14 wherein there are provided cooperating lock means on said container and bracket for preventing forward movement of the container on said bracket when in said operating position,

said lock means comprising a recessed portion on said bracket engaged by an inwardly projecting portion on said socket means when the container is in its operating position, said cooperating means on the container and bracket permitting the sliding only when the container is in an initial position comprising a guide means on said container at said socket means engaging a second longitudinally extending guide means on said bracket, said inwardly projecting portion of said lock means that is on said socket means comprising a part of said guide means.

16. The dispenser of claim 15 wherein there are provided cooperating lock release means on said container and bracket operable on movement of said container beyond said operating position for releasing said lock means to permit inward removal movement of said container on said bracket.

17. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein said cooperating lock release means on the container and bracket com- 20 prises a first inclined surface portion on said socket means and a second rounded surface portion on the bracket means cooperating on said movement of said container beyond said operating position to remove said lock means from said recessed portion, thereby permitting forward removal of said container from said bracket, said first inclined surface portion on said socket means comprises an edge of said inwardly projecting portion, and said second rounded surface portion comprises the rear end of said second guide means on said bracket that is adjacent said recessed portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,048,993 8/1962 Lucas et a1. 68-17 3,095,722 7/1963 Fox 68-17 X 3,107,512 10/1963 Cobb 68--17 IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DISPENSER FOR AUTOMATICALLY DISCHARGING FLUENT MATERIAL INTO A ROTATABLE VESSEL SUBJECTED TO VARYING SPEEDS OF ROTATION, COMPRISING: AN INWARDLY EXTENDING MOUNTING BRACKET ON SAID VESSEL; A CONTAINER FOR SAID FLUENT MATERIAL HAVING SOCKET MEANS WITH OPEN FRONT AND REAR ENDS AND RECEIVING SAID BRACKET FOR MOUNTING THE CONTAINER ON SAID VESSEL IN OPERATING POSITION FOR REARWARD MOVEMENT ON THE BRACKET UNDER THE FORCES OF SAID ROTATION, SAID BRACKET

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