Fluid-dispenser device conducive to reduced water consumption in a washing machine

Abstract

A fluid-dispenser device for a washing machine having a wash basket is provided. The basket may define radii extending in a horizontal plane relative to a circumference in correspondence with respect to the wash basket. The device includes at least two outlet ports positioned to direct respective jets of fluid into the wash basket. Each of the jets may have a distinctive exit angle relative to a respective radius in such a horizontal plane and passing through the respective outlet ports. In another aspect thereof, each of the jets may have a generally parallel relationship with respect to one another.

1 . A fluid-dispenser device for a washing machine having a wash basket movable about an axis and defining radii extending in a horizontal plane relative to a circumference in correspondence with respect to said wash basket, the device comprising: 
 at least two outlet ports positioned to direct respective jets of fluid into the wash basket, each of the jets having a distinctive exit angle relative to a respective radius in said horizontal plane and passing through the respective outlet ports.    
   
   
       2 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  wherein each of the outlet ports is configured to provide a distinctive exit velocity to the respective jets of fluid.  
   
   
       3 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  wherein each of the outlet ports is configured to have a distinctive inclination angle relative to said horizontal plane.  
   
   
       4 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  wherein the at least two outlet ports are adjacent to one another.  
   
   
       5 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 4  comprising multiple sets of at least two adjacent ports distributed along the circumference in correspondence with the wash basket.  
   
   
       6 . The fluid-dispenser of  claim 5  wherein each of the multiple sets of adjacent ports is equidistantly distributed along the circumference in correspondence with the wash basket.  
   
   
       7 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  comprising a pressurized annular ring.  
   
   
       8 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 7  wherein said pressurized annular ring comprises a segmented annular ring.  
   
   
       9 . The fluid dispenser device of  claim 7  wherein said pressurized annular ring comprises a single-piece ring.  
   
   
       10 . The fluid dispenser device of  claim 1  comprising a multi-branched network.  
   
   
       11 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  comprising fluid conducting means for passing pressurized fluid from an inlet port to the outlet ports therein.  
   
   
       12 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  comprising fluid conducting means for passing different fluids from a plurality of inlet ports to the outlet ports therein.  
   
   
       13 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  wherein the at least two ports are situated at different points along the circumference in correspondence with the wash basket.  
   
   
       14 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  wherein the at least two ports are situated at different points along a common radius.  
   
   
       15 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  coupled to a controller configured to impart relative motion between the outlet ports and the wash basket as the jets of fluid are directed into the wash basket.  
   
   
       16 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 15  wherein said controller is further configured to command a spin cycle for extracting rinse-cycle fluid from the wash basket, said rinse-cycle fluid used during a rinse cycle.  
   
   
       17 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 16  wherein said controller is further configured to command a sequence of said rinse and spin cycles, and, during each of said rinse cycles, is configured to command delivery of a sufficiently lesser amount of fluid that would otherwise be required to fill said wash basket to appropriately wet articles positioned along a side wall of the basket.  
   
   
       18 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 12  coupled to a controller configured to command passing said different fluids during an operational cycle of the washing machine, said different fluids passed in one of the following two modes: simultaneously and selectively.  
   
   
       19 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 1  coupled to a device selected from the group consisting of a fluid-pressurizing device, a pressure-regulating device, and a flow regulating device.  
   
   
       20 . A fluid-dispenser device for a washing machine having a wash basket rotatable about a vertical axis and defining radii extending in a horizontal plane relative to a circumference in correspondence with respect to said wash basket, the device comprising: 
 at least two ports positioned to direct respective jets of fluid into a wash basket, each of the jets having a generally parallel relationship with respect to one another.    
   
   
       21 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  wherein each of the outlet ports is configured to provide a distinctive exit velocity to the respective jets of fluid.  
   
   
       22 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  wherein each of the outlet ports is configured to have a distinctive inclination angle relative to said horizontal plane.  
   
   
       23 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  wherein each of the outlet ports is configured to provide a distinctive exit angle to the respective jets of fluid relative to a respective radius in said horizontal plane passing through said ports.  
   
   
       24 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  the at least two outlet ports are adjacent to one another.  
   
   
       25 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 24  comprising multiple sets of adjacent ports distributed along the along the circumference in correspondence with the wash basket.  
   
   
       26 . The fluid-dispenser of  claim 25  wherein each of the multiple sets of adjacent ports is equidistantly distributed along the circumference in correspondence with the wash basket.  
   
   
       27 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  comprising a pressurized annular ring.  
   
   
       28 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  wherein said pressurized annular ring comprises a segmented annular ring.  
   
   
       29 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  wherein the at least two ports are situated at different points along the circumference in correspondence with the wash basket.  
   
   
       30 . The fluid dispenser device of  claim 27  wherein said pressurized annular ring comprises a single-piece ring.  
   
   
       31 . The fluid dispenser device of  claim 20  comprising a multi-branched network.  
   
   
       32 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  wherein the at least two ports are situated along a common radius.  
   
   
       33 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 20  coupled to a controller configured to impart relative rotation between the outlet ports and the wash basket as the jets of fluid are directed into the wash basket.  
   
   
       34 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 33  wherein said controller is further configured to command a spin cycle for extracting rinse-cycle fluid from the wash basket, said rinse-cycle fluid used during a rinse cycle.  
   
   
       35 . The fluid-dispenser device of  claim 34  wherein said controller is further configured to command a sequence of said rinse and spin cycles, and, during each of said rinse cycles, is configured to command delivery of a sufficiently lesser amount of fluid that would otherwise be required to fill said wash basket to appropriately wet articles positioned along a side wall of the basket.  
   
   
       36 . A method for delivering rinsing fluid to articles in a washing machine having a wash basket rotatable about a vertical axis, the wash basket defining radii extending in a horizontal plane relative to a circumference in correspondence with respect to said wash basket, the method comprising: 
 directing respective jets of fluid into the wash basket from at least two outlet ports; and    configuring each of the jets to have a generally parallel relationship with respect to one another.    
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising providing a distinctive exit velocity to the respective jets of fluid.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising configuring each of the outlet ports to have a distinctive inclination angle relative to said horizontal plane.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising configuring each of the outlet ports to provide a distinctive exit angle to the respective jets of fluid relative to a respective radius in said horizontal plane passing through said ports.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising imparting relative motion between the outlet ports and the wash basket as the jets of fluid are directed into the wash basket.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 36  wherein each jet of fluid is configured to directly impinge on articles that may be positioned along a sidewall of the wash basket.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising a spin cycle for extracting rinse-cycle fluid from the wash basket, said rinse-cycle fluid used during a rinse cycle.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising a sequence of said rinse and spin cycles, and, during each of said rinse cycles, delivering a lesser amount of fluid that would otherwise be required to fill said wash basket to sufficiently wet the articles positioned along the side wall of the basket.