US 5,392,618 A · Low cost liquid chemical dispenser for laundry machines

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing liquid chemicals into a laundry machine is described. An operator interface with a small number of programming/execution buttons is provided. The programming/execution buttons are pressed to define a liquid dispensing program which is stored as a compact set of instructions which can be executed with minimal computing power. Each step of the liquid dispensing program is defined by either delay information or chemical volume dispensing information, and a synchronization flag. When enabled, the synchronization flag in a program step causes the apparatus to wait for a synchronization signal before executing the program step. Synchronization signals are produced by a sensor that identifies water flows either into or from the laundry machine. A microcontroller, in conjunction with a program execution module, executes the liquid dispensing program by waiting through time delay periods dictated by the cycle delay information, generating pump activation commands based upon the chemical volume dispensing information, and waiting for a synchronization signal for each program step that includes a synchronization flag. A pump interface receives the pump activation commands and forces a defined volume of liquid chemicals from a chemical container into a receptacle positioned on the laundry machine.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An apparatus for dispensing liquid chemicals into a laundry machine, said apparatus comprising;

a synchronization signal receiver that receives synchronization signals from a sensor that detects water flows associated with operation of said laundry machine;
a memory unit storing a liquid dispensing program that includes a sequence of program steps, said program steps including chemical volume dispensing information and synchronization instructions to wait for ones of said synchronization signals;
an interface that receives a start program execution signal;
a logic circuit coupled to said memory unit, said synchronization signal receiver, and said interface that executes said liquid dispensing program when said interface receives said start program execution signal;
said logic circuit generating pump activation commands based upon said chemical volume dispensing information, and waiting for a next one of said received synchronization signals before executing program steps having synchronization instructions;
and
a pump interface coupled to said logic circuit to receive said pump activation commands, said pump interface activating a plurality of liquid chemical dispensing pumps in accordance with said pump activation commands to dispense liquid chemicals from supplies thereof into said laundry machine.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Low cost liquid chemical dispenser for laundry machines

Life of this patent

Low cost liquid chemical dispenser for laundry machines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13