# US 11,028,521 B2 · Fabric treating appliance comprising a bulk dispenser

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- Number: US 11,028,521 B2
- Document ID: US11028521B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/545,720
- Filed: 2019-08-20
- Published: 2019-12-05
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-27
- Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation
- Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation
- Inventors: Marcus A. Cannon; Bruno T. Ramasco
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028521B2

## CPC

- D06F 39/02: Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
- D06F 13/00: Washing machines having receptacles, stationary for washing purposes, with agitators therein contacting the articles being washed (plungers or the like adapted for removable mounting on receptacles D06F5/04)
- D06F 37/12: adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis
- D06F 23/04: and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis
- D06F 34/28: Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating programme parameters, e.g. the selected programme or its progress
- D06F 34/30: characterised by mechanical features, e.g. buttons or rotary dials
- D06F 39/022: {in a liquid state (D06F39/024 takes precedence)}
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES

## Abstract

A bulk dispenser for a fabric treating appliance wherein the fabric treating appliance has a tank defining a bulk dispensing reservoir and a timer valve that is fluidly coupled to the bulk dispensing reservoir. A time selector is located on the tank and operably coupled to the timer valve. The time selector has non-time selection indicia such as load amount, liquid volume, or soil level. The timer valve is a mechanical timer valve.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A bulk dispenser for a fabric treating appliance comprising:
a tank defining a bulk dispensing reservoir;
a timer valve fluidly coupled to the bulk dispensing reservoir; and
a time selector carried by the tank and operably coupled to the timer valve and having non-time selection indicia corresponding to at least one characteristic of load amount, liquid volume, or soil level;
wherein the timer valve is a mechanical timer valve and the time selector is an input movably mounted to the tank wherein the physical position of the input sets an activation time for the mechanical timer valve.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The bulk dispenser of claim 1 wherein the input is rotatably mounted to the tank and the rotational position sets the activation time.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The bulk dispenser of claim 2 wherein the input is at least one of a knob or wheel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The bulk dispenser of claim 1 wherein the tank comprises a side and the time selector is located on the side.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The bulk dispenser of claim 4 wherein the side is a face.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The bulk dispenser of claim 1 wherein the tank comprises an outlet and the timer valve fluidly connects the tank to the outlet.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The bulk dispenser of claim 6 wherein the timer valve is located within the tank.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The bulk dispenser of claim 1 wherein the dispenser tank has an outlet overlying a loading opening of the tank.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The bulk dispenser of claim 1 wherein the time selector comprises a pointer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The bulk dispenser of claim 9 wherein the time selector can be rotated to align with one of the non-time selection indicia.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The bulk dispenser of claim 1 wherein the non-time selection indicia are distributed around the periphery of the time selector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The bulk dispenser of claim 11 wherein the non-time selection indicia comprise a shape.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The bulk dispenser of claim 12 wherein the shape is one of a square, triangle, and circle.