Automatic dosing dispenser employing atmospheric vent to improve opening reliability

An improved dispenser that permits reliably adding a predetermined quantity of fluid rinse additive to the rinse water in an automatic washing machine, said dispenser comprising:

• (a) a container having an internal volume significantly greater than the volume of fluid additive to be dispensed to provide buoyancy and to prevent the dispenser becoming entangled within the articles being laundered;
• (b) a filling/dispensing aperture disposed within the uppermost portion of said container for adding said fluid additive to said dispenser and for allowing rinse water to enter and exit said dispenser;
• (c) a manually closable, centrifugally openable valve means for closing said filling/dispensing aperture in said container after said dispenser has been filled and for maintaining substantially all of said fluid additive within said dispenser throughout the wash cycle until said dispenser is subjected to a predetermined centrifugal force during the spin empty portion of the wash cycle, said predetermined centrifugal force being sufficient to cause said valve means to open, whereby said additive will be retained in said dispenser until it is flushed out by rinse water during the rinse portion of the laundry cycle;
• and
• (d) said valve means further including a vent means within said container to vent the interior of said container to the atmosphere whenever said valve means is in its closed position, said vent means being positioned within said container so that it cannot be submerged in said fluid additive regardless of the orientation of said container so long as said valve means remains in its closed position.