Washing machine incorporating detergent tray
AssigneeMaytag Corporation
InventorsFrancis C. Cheo, Ted L. Hansen, James B. Hull, Evan R. Vande Haar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A detergent collection tray is provided at a position spaced above a drain port in the sump area of an outer tub of a washing machine, particularly a horizontal axis washing machine. As detergent enters the washing machine during an initial fill operation, the detergent will be caused to flow into the tray and will be prevented from flowing directly into the drain. Therefore, the tray prevents the loss of detergent into the drain by functioning to capture or collect the detergent for use during the washing operation.
Claims31
A clothes washing machine comprising:
- a cabinet shell including a door;
- an outer tub mounted within the cabinet shell;
- a drain port leading from the outer tub;
- an inner tub mounted for rotary movement within the outer tub, said inner tub being adapted to receive a washing medium, including a combination of water and detergent, and articles of clothing to be laundered in the washing medium;
- and
- a tray positioned above the drain port in the outer tub, said tray being adapted to collect at least a portion of the detergent during an initial fill operation of the clothes washing machine in order to prevent the detergent from flowing directly into the drain port.
A clothes washing machine comprising:
- a cabinet shell including a door;
- an outer tub mounted within the cabinet shell;
- a drain port leading from the outer tub;
- an inner tub mounted for rotary movement within the outer tub, said inner tub being adapted to receive a washing medium, including a combination of water and detergent, and articles of clothing to be laundered in the washing medium;
- and
- means, provided in a lower portion of the outer tub, for collecting at least a portion of the detergent during initiation of a wash cycle, wherein the collecting means includes a base and a plurality of upstanding side walls projected from the base.
A method of performing a washing operation on articles of clothing within a washing machine including an inner tub and an outer tub comprising:
- initiating a fill operation by introducing both water and a detergent into the washing machine;
- directing at least a portion of the water and detergent toward a drain port of the washing machine;
- causing the portion of the water and detergent to flow into a tray prior to reaching the drain port;
- collecting in the tray at least a substantial portion of the detergent from the portion of the water and detergent, while permitting the water to flow from the tray and to the drain port;
- and
- directing detergent collected in the tray into the inner tub during a wash cycle of the washing operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.