Additive Dispensing Arrangement

Abstract

An additive dispensing arrangement for a washing machine, including removably mounting the dispenser above the filter pan, whereby the peripheral wall of the filter pan is utilized as a holding means in transferring the additive from the dispenser to the clothes washing receptacle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to fabric washing machines and, more particularly, to additive dispensing arrangements for such machines. In order for automatic machines to be truly automatic they should dispense additives such as rinse agents at the proper time in a machine cycle. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,006, Tingley, Jr., is an example of the approach of holding a rinse agent during a wash operation and then during the extraction operation cause the transfer of the rinse aid to the wash receptacle. However, prior art devices of the type like Tingley, Jr., are single purpose devices that are expensive to manufacture, and unduly complicated. The holding chambers provided in the prior art devices are usually inaccessible to the user and difficult to clean.

In prior art patents, additive dispensers are mounted on the agitator post to use centrifugal force to transfer an additive from a reservoir compartment to a release compartment as the tub and agitator are rotating to spin out wash water. As the basket and agitator come to a stop at the end of the spin cycle, the additive drains into the fabric receptacle from the release compartment. It is commonplace in washing machines of the type used in the present invention to mount a lint filter pan on the agitator. The present invention takes advantage of this arrangement wherein the filter pan rotates with the receptacle and agitator during the extraction operation and serves simultaneously as part of the additive dispensing arrangement.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for dispensing additives in a washing machine that is easy and sure in operation and can be readily cleaned.

Another object is to provide a new and improved dispensing arrangement which can be removably mounted on existing filter pans.

A further object is to provide an additive dispensing arrangement which can be selectively used with present unmodified filter pans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By my invention I provide an improved additive dispensing arrangement for use in a fabric washing machine of the type having an agitator vertically mounted in the wash tub and means for driving the agitator through a cycle of operations including a slow speed operation, followed by a high speed extraction operation followed by a slow speed operation, a filter pan mountable on the upper portion of said agitator for movement therewith. This arrangement includes an additive dispenser mountable above the filter pan and having a channel section formed therein to receive and hold the additive during the slow speed operation and an impervious peripheral section in the filter pan that is in communication with outlet openings arranged above said channel section for receiving and holding the additive during the high speed extraction operation and enabling the additive to filter into said receptacle at the termination of the extraction cycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a clothes washing machine incorporating one embodiment of the present invention, the view being partly broken away and partly in section for illustration; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the machine of FIG. 1 illustrating certain details of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the machine in FIG. 1 illustrating additional details.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a clothes washing machine incorporating one embodiment of the present invention. An outer appearance cabinet 1 is divided by a partition 2 to provide a water collection tub 3 and a machinery compartment 4. Disposed within the latter compartment is a motor 6 drivingly engaging a pump 7 which receives liquid from the compartment 3 and suitably discharges the liquid through an outlet 10. The motor 6 is of the reversible type commonly used in washing machines; as is well known in the art, when the motor operates in one direction it operates the agitator for washing and rinsing, and when operated in the other direction it rotates the fabric receptacle for centrifugal extraction of the liquid from the receptacle and the contents therein. The pump may be of any of the well-known type in which, when the motor is operating in the spin direction, it efficiently removes liquid, but when operated in the wash direction is generally ineffective as a pump.

The transmission 8 is of the type illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,553 --McMillan, assigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention. Generally, in one direction of rotation of the motor 6 the transmission is adopted to cause a sleeve 9 to oscillate. Mounted at the upper end of sleeve 9 is an agitator 11. A brake means (not shown) in the transmission holds the receptacle 12 from oscillating with said agitator. In the other direction of rotation a flange 13 is rotated through the transmission 8 to rotate receptacle 12 at extraction speed.

The receptacle is imperforate except for a row of apertures 14 through which liquid is ejected into compartment 3 during the extraction operation. Mounted on the cabinet 1 is a control compartment 16 in which are located control devices, including a cycle controller which conducts the washing machine through cycles of operation.

A lint collecting filter pan 17 having a perforated bottom is mounted at the upper end of the agitator 11. During the wash and rinse operations, liquid is recirculated through the filter pan 17 by means of a conventional pump mechanism 18 which draws liquid from the bottom of receptacle 12 through openings 15 in the lower portions of the agitator. The details of the pumping system are illustrated and described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. to McMillan No. 3,145,553.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an additive dispenser 21 constructed in accordance with the present invention is mounted on the filter pan 17. Typically dispenser 21 may be used for receiving and holding liquid rinse aid which is desired to be added after high speed extraction of the wash water is completed and while the slow speed rinse operation is in progress. The filter pan includes an imperforate outer wall 22 and a perforate bottom 20. The perforations in the bottom of pan 17 are spaced inwardly from the outer wall to provide a generally imperforate peripheral holding portion 24. As shown, the dispenser 21 is generally annular in shape and includes a lower wall 23, a radially outer wall 25, and a radially inner wall 26 to form a channel or reservoir section 27. The outer wall 25 projects upwardly and outwardly and is provided with at least one outlet such as openings 28 which confront the imperforate peripheral wall section 22 of the filter pan. The openings 28 are located above the channel section 27 so that rinse aid poured in a measured amount into the channel section 27 will not normally run out through said openings. Also the exit end of the openings are below upper rim of the filter pan side wall.

During the wash operation, the rinse aid is retained in the channel section 27 but the following extraction operation causes the rinse agent to be ejected from said channel through the openings 28 and into said imperforate holding portion 24 of the filter pan by centrifugal force as shown at 29 in FIG. 2.

To ensure that the additive is not forced over the wall 22 during the high speed extraction cycle the upper portion of the wall is provided with a lip portion 31 which projects inwardly and slightly downward and above the openings 28. While the present embodiment shows a lip for holding the rinse aid during the high speed extraction operation it will be understood that other configurations of the wall 22 may be provided to accomplish the same results. When the speed or extraction operation terminates, the rinse agents flow into the remaining perforate portions of the filter pan and into receptacle 12. With the start of the rinse cycle and the recirculation of liquid any residue left in the pan is flushed away.

Referring now to FIG. 3 the extreme outer edge 32 of the dispenser 21 extends over and engages the upper face of lip 31 to vertically locate the openings 28 below the lip 31. The inner portion of the lip 31 and a section 33 of the wall 25 below the outer edge 32 of the dispenser are suitably dimensioned to permit the dispenser 21 to be readily removed from the pan. In order to insure that the dispenser 21 rotates with the filter pan 17 during the high speed extraction operation holding tabs 34 are provided at spaced intervals on section 33 and engage under lip 31 to capture lip 31 between edge 32 and tabs 34 when the dispenser is located on the pan 17.

As can readily be understood from the foregoing description the present dispenser 21 when used with existing filter pans 17 of the type shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. to McMillan No. 3,145,553 form an efficient and economical additive dispensing arrangement. Due to this unique arrangement of the present invention the reservoir 27 and the holding cavity 24 are both readily accessible and may therefore be cleaned with a minimum of effort by the user. While the filter self cleans during subsequent recirculation operations the user of the washing machine can remove the dispenser when not using it to clean the pan and holding cavity, if necessary. However, the user can leave the dispenser mounted on the filter pan without affecting the filtering action of the pan.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practical otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

I claim:

1. An additive dispenser for an automatic fabric washer of the water recirculation type having an agitator vertically mounted in the wash tub and means for driving the agitator through a cycle of operations including a slow speed operation followed by a high speed extraction operation followed by a slow speed operation; the additive dispenser comprising:

a filter pan to receive the recirculation water, said pan being mountable on the upper portion of the agitator for movement therewith and having an impervious peripheral wall;

and an additive storage container mountable on the filter pan out of the path of the recirculating water flow and having a channel section formed therein to receive said additive and an outlet disposed above said channel for discharging the additive into said filter pan and against said peripheral wall substantially only during the high speed extraction operation;

whereby said peripheral wall receives and holds the additive during the extraction operation and releases the additive to filter into the wash tub at the termination of the extraction operation.

2. An additive dispenser for an automatic fabric washer of the water recirculation type having an agitator vertically mounted in the wash tub and means for driving the agitator through a cycle of operations including a slow speed operation followed by a high speed extraction operation followed by a slow speed operation; the additive dispenser comprising:

a filter pan to receive the recirculation water, said pan being mountable on the upper portion of the agitator for movement therewith and having an impervious peripheral retaining cavity;

and an additive storage container mountable on the filter pan above the recirculation flow and having a channel section formed to receive said additive and an outlet disposed above said channel for discharging the additive into said filter pan retaining cavity substantially only during the high speed extraction operation following said slow speed operation;

whereby said filter pan retaining cavity receives and holds the additive during the extraction operation and releases the additive to filter into the wash tub at the termination of the extraction operation.

3. An additive dispenser for an automatic fabric washer of the water recirculation type having an agitator vertically mounted in the wash tub and means for driving the agitator through a cycle of operations including a slow speed operation followed by a high speed extraction operation followed by a slow speed operation; the additive dispenser comprising:

a filter pan to receive the recirculation water, said pan being mountable on the upper portion of the agitator for movement therewith and having an impervious peripheral wall;

and an additive storage container mountable on the filter pan above the recirculation flow and having a channel section formed therein to receive said additive and an outlet disposed above said channel for discharging the additive into said filter pan and against said peripheral wall substantially only during the high speed extraction operation following said slow speed operation;

said peripheral wall being provided with inwardly projecting holding means for receiving and holding the additive during the extraction operation and releasing the additive to filter into the wash tub at the termination of the extraction operation.

4. An additive dispenser for an automatic fabric washer of the type having an agitator vertically mounted in the wash tub and means for driving the agitator through a cycle of operations including a slow speed operation followed by a high speed extraction operation followed by a slow speed operation; the additive dispenser comprising:

a filter pan mountable on the upper portion of the agitator for movement therewith and having an impervious peripheral wall;

and an additive storage container mounted on the filter pan and having a channel section formed therein to receive said additive and an outlet disposed above said channel for discharging the additive into said filter pan and against said peripheral wall cavity during the high speed extraction operation;

said container including circumferentially disposed detent means cooperating with the peripheral wall of said filter pan for holding said container on said filter pan for rotation with said filter pan during said extraction operation;

said peripheral wall being provided with inwardly projecting holding means for receiving and holding the additive during the extraction operation and releasing the additive to filter into the wash tub at the termination of the extraction operation.

5. In a fabric washing machine adapted to operate through a cycle of operations including a washing operation, an extraction operation, a rinsing operation and a second extraction operation, a rotatable receptacle to receive liquid and fabrics to be washed in the liquid; an agitator mounted within said receptacle; drive means for driving said agitator for washing fabrics and rotating said receptacle and agitator to centrifugally extract liquid from the fabrics, an open top filter pan mounted on the upper portion of said agitator for movement therewith; an additive dispensing arrangement including:

an additive storage container removably mounted on said filter pan, said container including a channel section formed therein to receive said additives;

said container including circumferentially disposed detent means cooperating with the peripheral wall of said filter pan for holding said container on said filter pan for rotation with said filter pan during said extraction operation;

and outlet means disposed above said channel section for discharging said additive during said extraction operation;

said filter pan including an impervious peripheral section having inwardly projecting retaining means for receiving and holding said rinse additive during said extraction operation and enabling said additive to filter into said receptacle at the termination of said extraction operation.