Household appliance having a physical alteration element
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsThomas L. Burger, Thomas A. Latack, Rachel A. Maghas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation includes a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container and having a door moveable between an opened position and a closed position, a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and having a piercer that is moveable between a non-piercing position and a piercing position where the piercer is moved to perforate a unit dose container received within the treating chemistry dispenser.
Claims9
A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation, comprising:
- a treating chemistry dispenser for receiving a unit dose container;
- and
- a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and comprising:
- a crank having an opening and moveable between a first position and a second position;
- a piercer that is moveable between a non-piercing position and a piercing position where the piercer is moved to perforate the unit dose container located within the treating chemistry dispenser;
- and
- a pin operably coupled to the piercer and retained within the opening;
- and
- wherein when the crank is moved between the first position and the second position, the pin moves within the opening and the pin controls a movement of the piercer between the non-piercing position and the piercing position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.