Household appliance having a physical alteration element
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsThomas L. Burger, Thomas A. Latack, Rachel A. Maghas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation includes a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container and having a door moveable between an opened position and a closed position, a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and having a piercer that is moveable between a non-piercing position and a piercing position where the piercer is moved to perforate a unit dose container received within the treating chemistry dispenser.
Claims18
A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation, comprising:
- a treating chemistry dispenser for receiving a unit dose container and having a door moveable between an opened position and a closed position and a drawer operably coupled to the door and slidable between a load position that corresponds to the opened position of the door and where the unit dose container may be loaded into the drawer, and a use position corresponding to the closed position of the door and where the unit dose container is positioned for dispensing;
- a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and having a piercer that is moveable between a non-piercing position and a piercing position where the piercer is moved to perforate the unit dose container located within the treating chemistry dispenser and where the piercing mechanism includes a follower operably coupled to the piercer that is configured to guide the piercer between the non-piercing position and the piercing position;
- and
- wherein when the door is in the opened position it is physically spaced from the piercing mechanism and when the door is moved to the closed position the door contacts a portion of the piercing mechanism such that as the drawer is slid to the use position and the unit dose container is positioned for dispensing the piercer is simultaneously moved to the piercing position such that the unit dose container is perforated by sliding of the drawer to the use position.
A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation, comprising:
- a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container and having one of a drawer or door moveable between an opened position and a closed position;
- a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and having a piercer that is moveable between a non-piercing position and a piercing position where the piercer is moved to perforate the unit dose container located within the treating chemistry dispenser and where the piercing mechanism includes a follower operably coupled to the piercer that is configured to guide the piercer between the non-piercing position and the piercing position, the piercer including a needle having a hollow interior through which the treating chemistry may be withdrawn, the piercing mechanism including a pin operably coupled to the needle and guides the needle between the non-piercing position and the piercing position when the door is moved to the closed position;
- and
- a biasing element operably coupled to the piercer to provide a biasing force to return the piercer to the non-piercing position when the drawer or door is moved to the opened position;
- wherein when the drawer or door is moved to the closed position the drawer or door contacts a portion of the piercing mechanism and the piercer is simultaneously moved to the piercing position by the door moving to the closed position.
A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation, comprising:
- a treating chemistry dispenser for receiving a unit dose container;
- a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and comprising:
- a moveable body having an opening and moveable between a first position and a second position;
- a needle having a hollow interior through which treating chemistry may be withdrawn and wherein the needle is adapted to be moveable between a non-piercing position, where the needle resides exteriorly of the unit dose container, and a piercing position where the needle is moved into the unit dose container located within the treating chemistry dispenser;
- and
- a pin operably coupled to the needle and retained within the opening;
- and
- a pump fluidly coupled to the hollow interior of the needle;
- wherein when the moveable body is moved between the first position and the second position, the pin moves within the opening and the pin controls a movement of the needle between the non-piercing position and the piercing position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.