US3596480A

US3596480A - Lint filters and bleach-dispensing devices

Info

Publication number: US3596480A
Application number: US7031A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peyton W Douglas
Original assignee: Blackstone Corp
Current assignee: Valeo Engine Cooling Inc
Priority date: 1970-01-30
Filing date: 1970-01-30
Publication date: 1971-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-03

Abstract

A combination lint filter, bleach or other wash and rinse water additive dispenser and fabric conditioner dispenser adapted for mounting on the agitator post of a clothes washer having a recirculating system and a spin-rinse cycle which receives washrinse water from the recirculating system, filters it and dilutes and delivers the bleach to the tub of the clothes washer and thereafter dispenses fabric conditioner during the spin-rinse cycle.

Description

United States Patent inventor Peyton W. Douglas Bemus Point, NY.

Appl. No. 7.031

Filed Jan. 30, 1970 Division olSer. No. 749.482. Aug. 1. well. Pat. No. 3.520.156.

Patented Aug. 3, i971 Assignee Blackstone Corporation LlNT FILTERS AND BLEACH-DISPENSING DEVICES 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 68/17 A, 68/18 FA Int. Cl. 006139/02, D06f 39/10 Field of Search 68/17. 18

weemo [5o] lleiereneee Cited UNITED MATES PATENTS 3.085.418 4/1963 Douglas 68/17 A 3.l9'7.98l 8/1965 Morey etel... 68/18FA 3.466.900 9/1969 Elliott 68/18 FA X 3.481.163 l2/l969 Bochan ct esmnx Primary Examiner-William l. Price Assistant Examiner -Philip R. Coe Attorney-Butch. Blenlto end Zieeenheim AMTRACT: A combination lint filter. bleach or other wash and rinse writer additive dispenser and fabric conditioner dispeneer adopted for mounting on the agitator post of a clothes washer having a recirculating eyetem and a spin-rinse cycle which receives wash-rinne water from the recirculating system, filtere it and dilutes and delivers the bleach to the tub of the clothes washer and thereafter dispenses fabric conditioner during the epin-rineo cycle.

PATENTEU AUG 3197! IINIVIEN'I'OR Peyton W. Douglas LINT FILTERS AND BLEACH-DISPENSING lDEi/BCES This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 749,482 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,S20,l56 filed Aug. 1, 1968.

This invention relates to a combination lint filter and bleach-dispensing means and a fabric conditioner dispenser 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 introduoing bleach into a clothes-washing machine. in some patents, this is accomplished by adding liquid bleach to the outside tub of a dual tube 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 preselected 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. 1 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 in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,418 and others. These compartments act as a container for fabric conditioner or rinse agent which must be introduced into the water during the rinsing cycle which comes after the washing and the spin-out cyclc. duch 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 hill the detergent suds and the dirt-removing ability of the deter gent, thus destroying the entire effectiveness of the wash cy clc. 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, 1 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 soaprdry or liquid, may be added to the bleach compartment with the bleach if desired and it too will be diluted and sensors tially added to the wash water at the proper time. The present invention has very real advantages over devices 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 as 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, piclts up parti cles 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 having 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 objccts, purposes and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

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

FIG. 3 is a section on the line ll lll of Fifi. 11', and

FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, l have illustrated a washing machine having stub lit) and a central agitator post it. The agitator post is provided with the lint filter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agent dispenser according to my invention. The lint tiltcr wash-agent rinso-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 lilo form a cylindrical rinse agent cup 111th directly on top of the agitator. The member if; is surrounded by an annular cupchnpcd portion lb adapted to hold a wash agent. Above and outside the cup shaped portion lil is a flat annular lint filter member id having holes is provided with an outer vertically upstanding cylindrical wall is. The wall llti is provided with a spin out baffle 17 which fits over the outer wall lid and carries an inturncd flange llli which prevents lint from being thrown out during the spin operation. A recirculation nosalc hill is provided from the conventional pump mechanism of the washing machine to recirculatc 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 it is placed over the top of the agitator post ill. The wash agent such as bleach is added into the cup l3 and the rinse agent into cup lillb and the machine is started. its wash water is recirculated from the tub it] through nozzle 30. it is discharged onto lint filtcr member rs and cup portion M where a portion of it dilutes the wash additive in the cup-shaped portion i3. As the machine operates, the diluted wash agent overflows portion 113 onto filter member 1d and passes through holes 1h into tub it) 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 id to tub lit). The filter member id rcmovcs lint from the recirculating water and by reason of its reciprocating action, causes the list to form balls which roll baclr and forth heaping 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 Mb by centrifugal action and to be discharged into cup 113 from which it is carried over the holes iii, collected into ares lldib between flange 1th, wall to and flange M1- and upon stopping of the spinner tub it), the Rinse agent or Fabric conditioner will drop through holes 115 into the tub, later to be diluted in the deep rinse water. The area of flange id adjacent wall to is without holes equal to the inward flange tb. This lab area traps the Fabric conditioner in the spin cycle.

in FIG. 3 l have illustrated a second embodiment of my invention in which a hollow cylindrical agitator-engaging member 3?. is adapted to fit over an agitator post It: The member 3?. is surrounded by an annular cup-shaped portion 33 adapted to hold a wash agent. Above and outside the cup shaped portion dil is a flat annular lint filter member 3d having holes Sid and provided with an outer vertically upstanding cylindrical wall as. Preferably the wall 36 is provided with an inturncd flange 3'? at the top which acts as a spin-out baffle. A removable rinse holding compartment and cup assembly 3ft are removably attached to the agitator-engaging member 32. This assembly is made up of a holding compartment 39 having an opening 40 in the bottom adapted to slide over the member 32 and provided with drain opening 41. A central cup 42 is fixed with compartment 39 and is attached 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 compartment 39 where it is held against the peripheral 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 presently preferred embodiment of my invention in the foregoing specification. it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

lclaim:

l. A combination lint filter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agent dispenser for use in a washing machine having a recirculating water system, a reciprocating agitator member and a spin-rinse cycle comprising an annular filter member having I perforations in the surface thereof, a vertical upstanding outer rim on said filter member. an inner annular cup within the annulus of the filter area and beneath said filter area and an agitator engaging member within the annulus of the cup adapted to fit over the engage the agitator member.

2. A washing agent dispenser adapted to he removably positioned on a washing machine agitator in the path of a stream of entry water comprising an annular filter member having perforations in the surface thereof, a vertical upstanding outer rim on said filter member, an inner annular cup within the filter annulus adapted to receive a wash agent and an agitator engaging member within said annular cup, said agitator-engaging member being provided with a circular cup adjacent the agitator and within the inner annular cup and adapted to receive fabric-treating agent.

3. A washing agent dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the circular cup is surrounded by an annular compartment communicated with the upper edge of said cup adjacent the top of the compartment and with the inner annular cup adjacent the bottom of the compartment.

4. A washing agent dispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein the circular cup and annular compartment are unitary and are removable attached to the agitator-engaging member.

Claims

1. A combination lint filter, wash agent dispenser and rinse agent dispenser for use in a washing 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 filter member, an inner annular cup within the annulus of the filter area and beneath said filter area and an agitator engaging member within the annulus of the cup adapted to fit over the engage the agitator member.

2. A washing agent dispenser adapted to be removably positioned on a washing machine agitator in the path of a stream of entry water comprising an annular filter member having perforations in the surface thereof, a vertical upstanding outer rim on said filter member, an inner annular cup within the filter annulus adapted to receive a wash agent and an agitator engaging member within said annular cup, said agitator-engaging member being provided with a circular cup adjacent the agitator and within the inner annular cup and adapted to receive fabric-treating agent.