Washer with bio prevention cycle
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsMir A. Quddus, Hamid Ghanei, Imtiaz S. Shaha, Anthony H. Hardaway
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An appliance having an enclosure arranged to receive articles to be treated also includes a water container and a steam chamber with a steam outlet. A water dispenser is arranged to dispense water from the water container to the steam chamber. A heating element is thermally associated with the steam chamber. A control is arranged to selectively operate the heating element. A steam path extends between the steam outlet and the enclosure. A chemical dispenser is positioned along the steam path. The heating element heats water in the steam chamber to create steam, and the chemical dispenser adds a chemical to the steam as the steam passes through the steam path.
Claims19
An appliance comprising:
- an enclosure arranged to receive articles to be treated;
- a water container,
- a steam chamber having a steam outlet, a water dispenser arranged to dispense water from the water container to the steam chamber;
- a heating element thermally associated with the steam chamber;
- a control arranged to selectively operate the heating element;
- a steam path between the steam outlet and the enclosure;
- a chemical dispenser positioned along the steam path;
- wherein the heating element heats water in the steam chamber to create steam, and the chemical dispenser adds a chemical to the steam as the steam passes through the steam path.
An automatic washer comprising:
- a wash tub arranged to receive articles to be treated;
- a water container;
- a steam chamber located below the water container and having a steam outlet,
- a water dispenser arranged to dispense water from the water container to the steam chamber;
- a heating element located in a floor of the steam chamber;
- a control arranged to selectively operate the heating element;
- a chemical container;
- a mixing chamber located below the chemical container, communicating with the steam outlet of the steam chamber and forming a portion of a steam path between the steam outlet and the wash tub;
- a chemical dispenser arranged to dispense chemical from the chemical container to the mixing chamber;
- wherein the heating element heats water in the steam chamber to create steam, and the chemical dispenser adds a chemical to the steam as the steam passes through the steam path.
A method of killing microorganisms in an appliance having an enclosure arranged to receive articles to be treated comprising:
- generating a flow of steam by controllably dripping drops of water from a water container onto a surface heated by a heating element,
- adding a chemical to the flow of steam by controllably dispensing drops along a projection which is located in the flow of steam, and
- directing the flow of steam with the added chemical into the enclosure by confining the flow of steam in a conduit leading from an area where the chemical is added to the flow of steam to the enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.