Dosing device
AssigneeUnilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
InventorsPaul Robertson Sherratt, Mark Shickle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for dosing rinse conditioner to a drum of a washing machine comprises three chambers connected in series to an interior of a drum of a washing machine. The first chamber receives the composition prior to a start of the wash cycle and includes an outlet through which the composition is transferred to a holding chamber under centrifugal forces generated during a first spin cycle. During a second spin cycle the treatment composition is similarly transferred from the holding chamber to a dispensing chamber from which the composition is delivered onto the fabrics upon completion of the second spin cycle. A washing process employing the device of the invention is also disclosed.
Claims15
A device for dosing a fabric treatment composition to a drum of a top loading automatic washing machine of the type comprising a washing stage and at least two spin cycles, the device comprising at least three interconnected chambers mounted to a drum of the washing machine, namely:
- a reservoir chamber having filling opening means and an outlet;
- a holding chamber communicating with the reservoir chamber outlet for receiving said composition from said reservoir chamber during a first of said spin cycles;
- and
- a dispensing chamber communicating with a holding chamber outlet for receiving said composition from said holding chamber during a second of said spin cycles, the dispensing chamber further including an outlet for dispensing said composition upon substantial completion of said second spin cycle, said holding chamber comprising an upper region which receives and holds treatment composition from the reservoir chamber during the first spin cycle, a lower region which delivers treatment composition to the dispensing chamber during the second spin cycle, and an intermediate region connecting the upper and lower regions such that between the first and second spin cycles the treatment composition is transferred under the force of gravity from the upper to the lower region, said upper and lower regions comprising distinct upper and lower compartments and wherein the intermediate region comprises a conduit connecting the compartments.
A device for dosing fabric treatment composition to a drum of a top loading automatic washing machine of the type comprising a washing stage and at least two spin cycles, the device comprising at least three interconnected chambers mounted to a drum of the washing machine, namely:
- a reservoir chamber having filling opening means and an outlet;
- a holding chamber communicating with the reservoir chamber outlet for receiving said composition from said reservoir chamber during a first of said spin cycles;
- and
- a dispensing chamber communicating with a holding chamber outlet for receiving said composition from said holding chamber during a second of said spin cycles, the dispensing chamber further including an outlet for dispensing said composition upon substantial completion of said second spin cycle, at least three of said interconnected chambers being connected in series said, reservoir chamber having a rear portion adjacent the drum of the machine, an opposed front portion, and a top portion, wherein the reservoir chamber outlet means is disposed adjacent the rear and top portions of the chamber.
A device for dosing fabric treatment composition to a drum of a top loading automatic washing machine of the type comprising a washing stage and at least two spin cycles, the device comprising at least three interconnected chambers mounted to a drum of the washing machine, namely:
- a reservoir chamber having filling opening means and an outlet;
- a holding chamber communicating with the reservoir chamber outlet for receiving said composition from said reservoir chamber during a first of said spin cycles;
- and
- a dispensing chamber communicating with a holding chamber outlet for receiving said composition from said holding chamber during a second of said spin cycles, the dispensing chamber further including an outlet for dispensing said composition upon substantial completion of said second spin cycle, said holding chamber comprising an upper region which receives and holds treatment composition from the reservoir chamber during the first spin cycle, a lower region which delivers treatment composition to the dispensing chamber during the second spin cycle, and an intermediate region connecting the upper and lower regions such that between the first and second spin cycles the treatment composition is transferred under the force of gravity from the upper to the lower region, the holding chamber outlet means being disposed adjacent an upper rear portion of the lower region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.