US3520156A

US3520156A - Lint filters and bleach dispensing devices

Info

Publication number: US3520156A
Application number: US749482A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peyton W Douglas
Original assignee: Blackstone Corp
Current assignee: Valeo Engine Cooling Inc
Priority date: 1968-08-01
Filing date: 1968-08-01
Publication date: 1970-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-14
Also published as: JPS495984B1; FR2014813A1; GB1201254A

Description

July 14, 1970 P. w. DOUGLAS LINT FILTERS AND BLEACH DISPENSING DEVICES Filed Aug. 1, 1968 luv! r INVENTOR Peyton W. Douglas United States Patent 3,520,156 LINT FILTERS AND BLEACH DISPENSING DEVICES Peyton W. Douglas, Bemus Point, N.Y., assignor to Blackstone Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 749,482 Int. Cl. D06 29/00, 39/08 US. Cl. 68-17 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE penser and particularly to a removable apparatus-for. placement on the agitator of a washing machine to act as a filter for recirculating water and, at the same time,

as a feeder for bleach or other wash'water additive.

There are many patents in the art relating to devices for introducing bleach into a clothes washing machine. In some patents, this is accomplished by adding liquid bleach to the outside tub of a dual tub arrangement 'to be diluted before it enters into the wash water in the inside tub. In other-cases, it is accomplished by actuating a solenoid controlled container and directing the bleach into the wash water at a pre-selected time. Still another form of bleach adding means is that in which the liquid bleach is introduced into the wash water through recirculation compartments by means of the recirculating pump. I do not know of any apparatus in which a bleach compartment and a rinse agent compartment are attached to the agitator in combination with a lint filter. There have been rinse agent compartments attached to the lint filter as in my Pat. 3,085,418 and others. These compartments act as a container for fabric conditioner or rinse agent which must be intoduced into the water during the rinsing cycle which comes after the washing and the spin out cycle. Such rinse agents cannot be introduced into the wash water during the washing cycle and these devices of the prior art are not designed to accomplish this purpose. As a matter of fact, if one were to add the rinse agent to the wash water, it would kill the detergent suds and the dirt removing ability of the detergent, thus destroying the entire effectiveness of the wash cycle. In these prior art structures, the fabric conditioners must be held in the dispenser during both the wash and the spin cycle without any of the material being introduced into the washer and they must then be introduced into the first or second clear rinse water in order to soften clothes, remove static electricity and give the user a soft wash. In the present invention, I provide not only a dispenser which adds bleach or other wash water additive such as detergent in a diluted condition directly into the wash cycle using either the liquid or the granular form of additive at a delayed time with the assistance of the recirculating water which passes through the lint filter when the washer begins its washing cycle but also a rinse agent dispenser. At the same time as bleach is added, detergent or soap, dry or liquid, may be added to the bleach compartment with the bleach if desired and it too will be diluted and sequentially added to the wash water at the proper time. The present invention has very real advantages over de 3,520,156 Patented July 14, 1970 vices of the prior art. It adds the bleach or soap, or both, as the case may be, in gradual amounts as needed in the appropriate cycle of the wash operation and thereafter adds the rinse additive during the deep rinse cycle. Since the wash additive is introduced through an oscillating lint filter as it is here, it helps to keep the filter area clean and free from stickiness as distinguished from those instances where a rinse additive is added through the lint filter in the rinse cycle. It eliminates the problem of clogging which characterizes many bleach and detergent additive devices of the prior art and by reason of its oscillating motion, it keeps the whole apparatus clean through the fact that the lint, rolling up into a ball as it does on the filter, picks up particles and maintains the holes of the filter clean at all times.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention, I provide a combined lint filter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agent dispenser comprising an annular filter member hav ing perforations in the surface thereof, a vertical upstanding outer rim on said lint filter, an inner annular cup within the annulus of the filter area and beneath said filter area, a cylindrical post engaging member within the annulus of the cup adapted to fit over the top of the agitator of a washing machine and having an upstanding rim forming a cylindrical cup. An inturned flange is preferably provided at the top of the upstanding outer rim to prevent the lint from being thrown out during the spinning operation.

In the foregoing general description, I have set out certain objects, purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan of a combination filter and wash agent dispensing device according to my invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. '3 is a second embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, I have illustrated a washing machine having a tub 10 and a central agitator post 11. The agitator post is provided with the lint filter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agent dispenser according to my invention. The lint filter wash-agent rinse-agent dispenser is made up of a hollow cylindrical center post engaging member 12 adapted to fit over the top of the agitator post having an intermediate plate 12a form a cylindrical rinse agent cup 12b directly on top of the agitator. The member 12 is surrounded by an annular cupshaped portion 13 adapted to hold a wash agent. Above and outside the cup-shaped portion 13 is a flat annular lint filter member 14 having holes 15 provided with an outer vertically upstanding cylindrical wall 16. The wall 16 is provided with a spin out bafiie 17 which fits over the outer wall 16 and carries an inturned flange 18 which prevents lint from being thrown out during the spin operation. A recirculation nozzle 20 is provided from the conventional pump mechanism of the washing machine to recirculate water back to the lint filter and through the filter area into the wash tub proper in the usual manner of recirculating washers.

In operation, the lint filter and wash agent dispenser of my invention operates as follows. The cap member 12 is placed over the top of the agitator post 11. The wash agent such as bleach is added into the cup 13 and the rinse agent into cup 12b and the machine is started. As wash water is recirculated from the tub 10 through nozzle 20, it is discharged onto lint filter member 14 and cup portion 13 where a portion of it dilutes the wash additive in the cupshaped portion 13. As the machine operates, the diluted wash agent overflows portion 13 onto filter member 14 and passes through holes 15 into tub 10 where it mixes with the clothes and wash water.

This dilution and addition is continuous until the wash agent is entirely transferred from cup portion 13 to tub The filter member 14 removes lint from the recirculating water and by reason of its reciprocating action, causes the lint to form balls which roll back and forth keeping the filter surface clear of particles which retard filtration and water flow.

When the wash cycle is concluded the usual spin and rinse cycle is begun with the whole tub and agitator unit rotating at increased speed. This causes the rinse agent to be forced upwardly over the upper edge of cup 12b by centrifuga'l action and to be discharged into cup 13 from which it is carried over the holes 15, collected into area 1612 between flange 18 wall 16 and flange 14 and upon stopping of the spinner tub 10, the rinse agent or fabric conditioner will drop through holes 15 into the tub-later to be diluted in the deep rinse water. The area of flange 14 adjacent wall 16 is without holes equal to the inward flange 18 this 16b area traps the fabric conditioner in the spin cycle. v

In FIG. 3 I have illustrated a second embodiment of my invention in which a hollow cylindrical agitator engaging member 32 is adapted to fit over an agitator post 11: The member 32 is surrounded by an annular cupshaped portion 33 adapted to hold a Wash agent. Above and outside the cup-shaped portion 33 is a flat annular lint filter member 34 having holes 35 and provided with an outer vertically upstanding cylindrical wall 36. Prefer ably the wall 36 is provided with an inturned flange 37 at the top which acts as a spin out bafile. A removable rinse holding compartment and cup assembly 38 are removably attached to the agitator engaging member 32. This assembly is made up of a holding compartment 39 having an opening 40 in thebottom adapted to slide over the member 32 and provided with drain opening 41. A

central cup 42 is fixed with compartment 39 and is at-' tached thereto by spaced arms 43 separated by openings 44 communicating with the interior of compartment 39.

In operation the device of FIG. 3 operates in generally the same fashion as that of FIGS. 1 and 2 except that when the Wash cycle is completed and the spin cycle begins, a rinse agent in cup 42 is forced up and over the edge of cup 42 through openings 44 into holding 4: ompartment, where it ,is. held ageinstthelperipherq wall by centrifugal force. When the spin stops the rinse agent flows through openings 41 into annular cup 33 from which it is discharged in the next spin cycle as described in connection with FIGS; 1 and 2.

While I have illustrated and described. a 'pre'sently preferred embodiment ofmy invention in the foregoing specification, it will be understood that this inventio'n rnayi be otherwise embodied within the scop je 'ofthe following claims.

I claim: I z l 1. A combination lint filter, Wash agenfdispen s e'r and rinse agent dispenser for use inawashing machine having a recirculating water system, a reciprocating agitator member and a spin-rinse cycle comprising an annular filter member having perforations in the surface thereof, a vertical upstanding outer rim on said"filt'e'r'merriber* an" inner annular 'cup' within the annulusof "the-filter area and beneath said filter'ara and 'an ag'i'tator en agin meni: ber within the annulus of the 'c'up separated intofupper and lower cup-shaped members;-"the]upperradaptecl -tof receive rinse agent and thelower adapted to fit over-"and engage the agitatorr'nember: i

2. A combination lintfilter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agent dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outer rim is-providedwith an intu'rne d topfi'ang'e.

3. A combination lint filter; wash" agent-dispenser and rinse agent dispenser as claimed in claim -Lwherein the inner2-annular cup is joined to the'filter by'aslopirrg' side wallr v 1 7 References Cited- "'1 f i IT D S AI e AiB T 3,6 6- 3/1961 Devery et al,- v 68 t]; 3,085,418 4/1963 Douglas 3,197,981 8/1965 MoreyetaL 3 1 3,248,914 5/1966v Tingley 17 v p-Ellio tt- 68- 18 xR ROBERT L. BLEUTGEjlrimary Eiannnr US. 01. X. R.