US 12,123,123 B2
Device for dosing a detergent ingredient into the drum of an automatic washing machine
Carlos Amador Zamarreno, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (GB); Paul Gould, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (GB); Michael Leslie Groombridge, Newcastle upon Tyne (GB); Ahmad Khattab, Meldreth (GB); Craig Nelson, Baldock (GB); Michael David Sawford, Northamptonshire (GB); and William Frank Tyldesley, Norfolk (GB)
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on May 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/745,987.
Claims priority of application No. 21174524 (EP), filed on May 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0372683 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. D06F 33/37 (2020.01); D06F 39/02 (2006.01); D06F 105/42 (2020.01)
CPC D06F 33/37 (2020.02) [D06F 39/02 (2013.01); D06F 2105/42 (2020.02)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for dosing a detergent ingredient into the drum of an automatic washing machine, wherein the device comprises:
(a) a reservoir that comprises one or more detergent ingredients, wherein the reservoir feeds detergent ingredients into a dosing manifold via a second inlet;
(b) a one-way valve located downstream of the reservoir and upstream of the second inlet, wherein the valve prevents the flow of water from the dosing manifold (B) into the reservoir;
(c) the dosing manifold, wherein the dosing manifold is connected to:
(i) a first inlet;
(ii) the second inlet;
(iii) a first outlet; and
(iv) a second outlet;
(d) the first inlet, wherein the first inlet introduces water from a main water source into the dosing manifold;
(e) the second inlet, wherein the second inlet introduces a dose of the detergent ingredients from the reservoir into the dosing manifold such that an aqueous detergent solution is formed in the dosing manifold;
(f) a first outlet that feeds the aqueous detergent solution from the dosing manifold to the drum of the automatic washing machine via a main inlet valve of the automatic washing machine, so that a dose of the aqueous detergent solution fed through the first outlet into the drum is controlled by the automatic washing machine;
(g) the second outlet, wherein the second outlet feeds the aqueous detergent solution from the dosing manifold to the drum of the automatic washing machine via a device valve, so that the main inlet valve of the automatic washing machine is by-passed and a dose of the aqueous detergent solution fed through the second outlet into the drum is controlled by the device;
(h) the device valve, wherein the device valve is located downstream of the second outlet;
(i) a controller that controls a pump and the device valve, wherein the controller controls the dose of the detergent ingredients into the dosing manifold, and wherein the controller controls the release of the aqueous detergent solution from the dosing manifold via the second outlet;
(j) the pump, wherein the pump is located downstream of the reservoir and upstream of the second inlet and doses the detergent ingredients into the dosing manifold; and
(k) a flow meter that sends a signal to the controller to inform the controller what a flowrate is through the dosing manifold.