GB2165267A

GB2165267A - Detergent dispenser for washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2165267A
Application number: GB08524481A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Piero Babuin
Original assignee: Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Current assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Priority date: 1984-10-05
Filing date: 1985-10-04
Publication date: 1986-04-09
Also published as: FR2571390B3; ES289420U; FR2571390A3; IT8434054V0; GB8524481D0; GB2165267B; ES289420Y; DE8528094U1

Abstract

In a detergent distributor for a washing machine, between feed and discharge openings of a basin the body portion of the basin (12) is of an asymmetric cross-section and in association therewith a vertical baffle (15) whose cross-section is the same as that of the basin (12) can be inserted removably by means of guide elements (17) within the basic (12) in a first operative position Fig. 2 for liquid detergent in which it closes off at least the lower part of the flow section of the basin (12) and constitutes a skimming wall for the fluids overflowing from the container defined between same and the feed opening of the basin (12), and in a second operative position, Figs. 3, 4, for solid detergent in which it is rotated through 180 DEG about its vertical axis and, by geometrical interference between its cross-section and that of the basin (12), its lower edge remains raised from the bottom of the basin and together therewith defines a flow aperture (18) for the fluids from the region between the baffle (15) and the feed opening of the basin (12). A siphon (16), included in the separation baffle has a suction intake aperture (19) and a discharge aperture (20) which are disposed in a plane that is almost parallel to the bottom of the basin (12) in each operative position of the baffle (15). The guide elements comprise two parallel ribs (17) which project from the bottom and from the sides of the compartment (12) for guiding therebetween the baffle and cooperating with the baffle, to form a seal when the baffle is in said first operative position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Distributor for detergents in washing machines The invention relates to a distributor for liquid and powder detergents for washing machines, particularly but not exclusively for domestic clothes washing machines.

Such distributors are generally provided with small basins or compartments, with open bottoms for detergents in powder form; at given times in the washing program, a flow of water passes through the compartments and entrains therewith the load of detergent which was deposited in the compartments towards the washing tub. With the development of liquid detergents and additives, distributors have been provided with suitable compartments, which however complicate the construction thereof and increase the amount of space taken up thereby.

Attempts have been made to rationalise distributors by making the basins or compartments thereof suitable both for using detergents in powder form and for using liquid detergents. The problem to be overcome was that of preventing the liquid detergents which are introduced into the compartments for powder detergents from escaping towards the washing tub immediately after having been introduced into the distributor.

Powder detergent distributors have thus been produced which, to comply with the above-indicated requirement, provide for using auxiliary compartments which are provided with a siphon and which can be fitted in superposed relationship to the dish for the powder detergents, as for example described in Italian utility model No. 145 490 to the present applicants.

However, that construction is not really an economical one because it requires a greater expenditure on material and labour, and in particular it is inconvenient because the user is required to remove the auxiliary container and keep it safe outside the machine when liquid detergents are not being used.

Therefore, distributors for detergent in powder form are known which have separation baffles provided with a siphon and adapted to separate the discharge opening from the remainder of the basin, when using liquid detergents, as described for example in German utility model No. 82 15268.

The separation baffles may be in the form of flap members which are oscillatingly fixed to the body of the basins in such a way that they can be displaced between a closure position which is suited to using liquid detergents and an open position which is suited to using powder detergents.

In that case, the construction of the basin is greatly complicated by the devices for producing the oscillatory movement of the flap member and the necessity for shaped elements for retaining the flap member in position during the various possible modes of use of the basin; in particular, the use of oscillating flap members does not make it possible to achieve reliable seals since they must necessarily be limited to only one side of the flap member. Furthermore, that construction makes the operations of maintaining and cleaning the entire basin particularly laborious, by virture of the impossibility of removing the separation baffle from the distributor. No less significant is the fact that the functionality of the siphon is not sufficiently preserved when using detergents in powder form.

In fact, in that situation of use, the flap member is opened towards the interior of the distributor, exposing the openings of the siphon towards the region in which the powder detergent is deposited. Consequently, the flow of water detergent which is produced during the operation of washing the basin encounters the openings of the siphon, thus giving rise to incrustation and blockages within the ducts thereof.

Alternatively, the separation members may be in the form of sliding members also provided with a siphon, which can be fitted into or removed from vertical guides provided in the distributor. This second type of construction also suffers from the disadvantage already referred to above, that it is necessary to remove the sliding member from the distributor and the clothes washing machine when using detergents in powder form.

According to the present invention, there is provided a detergent distributor for a washing machine comprising at least one basin with a open top and which is provided with siphon means and which is capable of alternatively receiving liquid and powder detergents which, at given times in the washing process, are entrained by a flow of water coming from a feed opening and directed to a discharge opening of the basin, towards the interior of the washing tub of the machine, wherein said feed and discharge openings the body portion of tne basin is at least partially of an asymmetric cross-section and in association therewith a vertical baffle whose cross-section is the same as that of the basin can be inserted removably by means of guide elements within the basin in a first operative position in which it closes off at least the lower part of the flow section of the basin and constitutes a skimming wall for the fluids overflowing from the container defined between same and the feed opening of the basin, and in a second operative position in which it is rotated through 1800 about its vertical axis and, by geometrical interference between its crosssection and that of the basin, its lower edge remains raised from the bottom of the basin and together therewith defines a flow aperture for fluids from the region between the baffle and the feed opening of the basin.

As will become apparent from the following description, the illustrated embodiment of the invention provides a distributor which makes it possible to use a single compartment both for detergents in powder form and for liquid detergents, without providing for the addition of or removal of accessory components in the main body portion thereof, which avoids the necessity for separation devices which, besides being complicated, also make it necessary to modify the form of the basin with many retaining, abutment and sealing surfaces and which also has the advantages of protecting the siphon from clogging caused in particular by detergent in powder form and facilitating possible operations for maintaining the distributor.

The features and advantages of the detergent distributor according to the invention will be better apparent from the following description which is given by way of non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the detergent distributor according to the invention and in the position of use for liquid detergents, Figure 2 is a view of the discharge side of the distributor shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is again a view of the discharge side of the distributor during use with powder detergents, Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section of the distributor shown in Figure 3, and Figures 5 and 6 are views in longitudinal sections of an alternative embodiment of the distributor according to the invention in the position of use with liquid detergents and in the position of use with powder detergents respectively.

The detergent distributor 10 shown in the drawings is of the type which can be inserted in a cassette-like manner, by using a front handle 14, into a corresponding mounting seat provided in the upper part of the casing of a clothes washing machine (not shown).

The distributor 10 contains three basins 11, 12 and 13 which have an open top and whih are respectively provided for receiving detergent which is intended for the pre-wash and for the washing operation, and for particular agents for treating the laundry such as for example softening or bleaching agents. The water supply system of the machine,- at given moments in the washing program, provides a flow of water within the basins 11 and 12 so as to wash away the detergent which is deposited on the bottom thereof and to entrain it so that it drops towards the interior of the washing tub.While the basin 11 is of conventional type, the basin 12 has a vertical baffle 15 which is provided with an emptying siphon 16 (Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4) and which is inserted removably in parallel guides (17) which project from the inside walls of the basin 12 in the vicinity of the discharge region thereof.

The vertical baffle 15 may be inserted in the guides 17 in two operative positions as illustrated respectively in Figures 2 and 3, in which the user can respectively introduce either detergents in powder form or liquid detergents into the basin 12. For that purpose, the basin 12, at least in the region associated with the guides 17, and the vertical baffle 15 are of identical asymmetric cross-section which permits the user to fit them together as shown in Figure 2.

In that operative position, the baffle 15 closes off the flow section of the basin 12 to a level a little lower than that reached by the sides thereof to act as a retaining wall for the liquid detergents which are introduced into the basin 12 prior to the washing process and to form a skimming wall for the mixture of water and liquid detergents which overflow towards the discharge opening of the basin 12 during the washing process. The siphon 16, besides co-operating with the flow of liquid towards the discharge region of the basin, makes it possible, once the phase of introducing the water for entraining the detergent has been concluded, to empty out the liquid which is held back in the basin 12, thus predisposing the basin 12 for the subsequent washing process.

When using detergents in powder form, the baffle 15 must be removed from the basin 12, turned through 180 about its vertical axis and finally refitted into the guides 17 to take up the position shown in Figure 3.

In that situation of use, the cross-section of the baffle 15 does not tally closely to that of the basin 12, in other words, the downward movement of the baffle 15 within the guides 17 is stopped at the points of geometrical interference between the side surfaces of the baffle 15 and the sides of the basin 12.

In that way, defined between the baffle 15 and the bottom of the basin 12 is a shutterlike aperture 18 (see Figure 3) sufficient to permit the flow of water and powder detergents to pass directly to the washing tub.

It should be noted that, in that position of use, the apertures 19 and 20 of the siphon 16 (Figure 4) are disposed in a plane which is almost parallel to the bottom of the basin 12 and they are sufficiently protected from incrustation or blockages caused by flow of water and detergent. In addition, any operations for maintenance of the siphon 16 are facilitated by virtue of the possibility of removing the baffle 15 from the body portion of the distributor 10.

It will be apparent that the above-described embodiment of the distributor 10 according to the invention achieves the main aims of being able to use both types of detergents without having to have recourse to the addition or removal of accessory components and without fitting the basin with complicated barricade members which cannot be removed from the distributor 10. In addition, that construction makes it possible to provide sealing arrangements which are formed by the parallel guides 17 and which act on both sides of the baffle 15, ensuring a more reliable labyrinth-type seal.

An alternative embodiment of the distributor 10 according to the invention is shown in Figure 5 and 6. This construction differs from the construction described hereinbefore in that it has an emptying siphon 21 comprising an internal tube 22 which extends vertically upwardly from the bottom of the basin 12, and an external cap 23 produced integrally on the inward side of the separation baffle 15.

The lower aperture of the internal tube 22 opens to the outisde in the region beneath the basin 12 while the upper aperture is disposed at a height such that it can be capped by the cap 23 of the baffle 15 when the latter is in the position of use for liquid detergents as shown in Figure 5, and can complete in conjunction therewith the suction duct of the emptying siphon 21.

When using detergent in powder form, the baffle 15 must be removed from the position shown in Figure 5, rotated through 180 about its vertical axis and finally refitted into the guides 17 as illustrated in Figure 6. In that operative position which is similar to the position shown in Figure 3, a horizontal plate portion 24 formed integrally with the baffle 15 on the side thereof opposite to that on which the cap 23 is disposed is arranged in superposed relationship to close off the upper aperture of the tube 22 to protect it from undesirable ingress of detergent in powder form. Liquid or powder detergents may also be used in this alternative embodiment of the distributor 10, without the addition or removal of accessory components in the main body portion thereof or without providing complicated separation arrangements.

It will also be apparent that the fuctionality of the siphon is effectively maintained and that any maintenance operations thereof are facilitated.

It will be clear that the distributor according to the invention may be subject of modifications according to circumstances, for example the siphon for emptying out the basin 12 may be produced completely separately from the baffle 15, subject however to the basic characteristics claimed hereinafter.

Claims

1. A detergent distributor for a washing machine comprising at least one basin with a open top and which is provided with siphon means and which is capable of alternatively receiving liquid and powder detergents which, at given times in the washing process, are entrained by a flow of water coming from a feed opening and directed to a discharge opening of the basin, towards the interior of the washing tub of the machine, wherein said feed and dischrge openings the body portion of the basin is at least partially of an asymmetric cross-section and in association therewith a vertical baffle whose cross-section is the same as that of the basin can be inserted removably by means of guide elements within the basin in a first operative position in which it closes off at least the lower part of the flow section of the basin and constitutes a skimming wall for the fluids overflowing from the container defined between same and the feed opening of the basin, and in a second operative position in which it is rotated through 1800 about its vertical axis and, by geometrical interference between its crosssection and that of the basin, its lower edge remains raised from the bottom of the basin and together therewith defines a flow aperture for fluids from the region between the baffle and the feed opening of the basin.

2. A distributor according to claim 1 and including siphon means included in the separation baffle and disposed in such a way as to extend thereover, and wherein said siphon has a suction intake aperture and a discharge aperture which are disposed in a plane that is almost parallel to the bottom of the basin in each operative position of the baffle and that said guide elements for the baffle comprise two parallel ribs which project from the bottom and from the sides of the compartment for guiding therebetween the contour of the baffle and for performing hydraulic sealing functions, in co-operation with the baffle, when the baffle is in said first operative position.

3. A distributor according to claim 1 wherein said siphon means comprise a tube which rises vertically from the bottom of the basin and which has a lower aperture which opens to the outside of the basin and an upper aperture disposed at a height at which a cap and a horizontal plate portion disposed on opposite sides of the baffle are alternatively in superposed relation therewith for producing respectively a discharge siphon for the liquids which are held back in the basin by the baffle and a protective closure means for protecting the tube from the intrusion of powder detergent which is deposited in the basin.

4. A detergent distributor constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

5. A washing machine incorporating a detergent distributor according to any one of the preceding claims.