Bellows-Mounted Dispenser for Pod Dissolution in Laundry Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry treating appliances face issues with treating chemistry pods becoming lodged and not fully dissolving, preventing complete dispensing into the treating chamber.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where a liquid supply system delivers liquid to a reclosable receptacle of a treating chemistry dispenser on the bellows, ensuring a mixture of liquid and treating chemistry is supplied to the treating chamber during operation, effectively dissolving pod packaging and preventing lodging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pod with dissolvable packaging is used to supply treating chemistry, then the user convenience and consistent amount of treating chemistry is improved, but the pod can become lodged in an undesirable location that prevents complete dissolution of the packaging
Solution Approach 1:
The dissolvable pod packaging is extracted from the treating chamber before the wash cycle begins. The pod is placed in a separate pod dissolving chamber where it is dissolved by water or steam, and only the dissolved treating chemistry is then transferred to the treating chamber. This prevents the pod from becoming lodged in undesirable locations while ensuring complete dissolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The pod dissolution process is performed in advance, before the main wash cycle. The pod is dissolved in a dedicated dissolving chamber using water or steam, and the resulting treating chemistry solution is then transferred to the treating chamber. This preliminary action ensures complete dissolution before the pod could potentially become lodged during the wash cycle.
2Productivity
If liquid is supplied directly to the treating chamber, then the treating cycle can proceed, but treating chemistry may not be fully dissolved if supplied as pod without proper liquid contact
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated pod dissolving chamber acts as an intermediary between the pod and the treating chamber. Water or steam is supplied to this intermediate chamber to dissolve the pod, and only after complete dissolution is the treating chemistry transferred to the treating chamber. This intermediary step ensures complete dissolution while maintaining treating cycle efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The treating chamber is segmented into a dedicated pod dissolving chamber and the main treating chamber. The dissolving chamber is specifically designed to receive and dissolve pods using water or steam, while the main treating chamber receives only the dissolved treating chemistry. This segmentation ensures complete dissolution while maintaining overall cycle efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures consistent and complete dispensing of treating chemistry, preventing pod lodging and ensuring effective treatment of laundry by ensuring the treating chemistry is fully dissolved and dispersed.
Implementation Method 1
supplying liquid to a reclosable receptacle of a treating chemistry dispenser located on the bellows to provide a mixture of liquid and treating chemistry to the treating chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a laundry treating appliance is provided. The laundry treating appliance comprises a chassis having a front panel with an opening, a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber and having an opening at least partially aligned with the front panel opening, a bellows connecting the front panel and the tub at their respective openings, and a liquid supply system supplying liquid to the treating chamber. The method comprises supplying liquid to a treating chemistry dispenser to provide a mixture of liquid and treating chemistry to the treating chamber for a treating cycle of operation.