Fluid control mechanism for appliances

Claim 2

A fluid control mechanism for selectively controlling the flow of a fluid from a supply pipe to a remotely located appliance using said fluid, said fluid control mechanism comprising in combination a supply pipe with only one exit port, an electrically actuatable valve assembly having an inlet port and an exit port, said inlet port of said electrically actuatable valve assembly being connected to said exit port of said supply pipe, said exit port of said electrically actuatable valve assembly being coupled to a pipe fitting which permits the detachable connection of said exit port of said valve assembly at a point in said appliance where a single conduit supplies the appliance with all of the fluid used therein and there are no controllable valves within said appliance which control the flow of fluid to said appliance, said electrically actuatable valve assembly comprising an electrically activated valve mounted within said electrically actuatable valve assembly for selectively controlling the flow of fluid from said inlet ports to said exit port of said electrically actuatable valve assembly, said electrically operated valve having control terminals adapted to be coupled to control terminals of a timer for said remotely located appliance which produce electrical control signals to selectively operate said valve.

Claim 3

A fluid control mechanism for selectively controlling the flow of a fluid from a plurality of fluid supply pipes to a remotely located appliance using said fluid, said fluid control mechanism comprising in combination at least two supply pipes with exit ports, an electrically actuatable valve assembly having at least a pair of inlet ports and only one exit port, said inlet ports of said electrically actuatable valve assembly being connecTed to said exit ports of said supply pipes, said exit port of said electrically actuatable valve assembly being coupled to a pipe fitting which permits the detachable connection of said exit port of said valve assembly at a point in said appliance where a single conduit supplies the appliance with all of the fluid used therein and there are no controllable valves within said appliance which control the flow of fluid to said appliance, said electrically actuatable valve assembly comprising at least a pair of electrically activated valves mounted within said electrically actuatable valve assembly for selectively controlling the flow of fluid from said inlet ports to said only one exit port of said electrically actuatable valve assembly, said electrically operated valves having control terminals which are adapted to be coupled to control terminals of a timer for said remotely located appliance which produces electrical control signals to selectively operate said valves.

Claim 4

A fluid control mechanism for selectively controlling the flow of a fluid from a plurality of fluid supply pipes to a remotely located appliance using said fluid, said fluid control mechanism comprising in combination at least two supply pipes with exit ports, an electrically actuatable valve assembly having at least a pair of inlet ports and only one exit port, said inlet ports of said electrically actuatable valve assembly being connecTed to said exit ports of said supply pipes, said exit port of said electrically actuatable valve assembly being coupled to a pipe fitting which permits the detachable connection of said exit port of said valve assembly at a point in said appliance where a single conduit supplies the appliance with all of the fluid used therein and there are no controllable valves within said appliance which control the flow of fluid to said appliance, said electrically actuatable valve assembly comprising at least a pair of electrically activated valves mounted within said electrically actuatable valve assembly for selectively controlling the flow of fluid from said inlet ports to said only one exit port of said electrically actuatable valve assembly, said electrically operated valves having control terminals which are adapted to be coupled to control terminals of a timer for said remotely located appliance which produces electrical control signals to selectively operate said valves.

Claim 5

A fluid control mechanism as recited in claim 2 wherein one of said fluid supply pipes is a hot water pipe and another of said fluid supply pipes is a cold water pipe, said appliance being a washing machine, said fluid control mechanism further comprising a single piece of flexible conduit having inlet and exit ports, said inlet port of said piece of flexible conduit being non-permanently connected to said pipe fitting of said electrically actuated valve assembly, and to said washing machine at a fitting located within said washing machine at a point where a single water line supplies the washing machine with both hot and cold water, said fluid supply mechanism further comprising an electrical circuit coupling said control terminals of said electrically activated valves respectively to the terminals of said timer which control the hot and cold water cycles in said washing machine.

Claim 6

A fluid control mechanism as recited in claim 2 further comprising in combination a housing enclosing said fluid control mechanism, said housing comprising a box-like structure with a front door permitting access to said fluid control mechanism.

Claim 7

A fluid control mechanism as recited in claim 4 wherein said housing and the enclosed fluid supply mechanism are mounted on a wall in a location which is remote from and not disposed within said appliance.

Claim 8

A fluid control mechanism as recited in claim 5 wherein one of said fluid supply pipes is a hot water pipe and another of said fluid supply pipes is a cold water pipe, said appliance being a washing machine, the fluid supply mechanism further comprising a single piece of flexible conduit having inlet and exit ports, said inlet port of said piece of flexible conduit being non-permanently connected to said pipe fitting of said electrically actuated valve assembly and to said washing machine at a fitting located within said washing machine at a point where a single water line supplies the washing machine with both hot and cold water, said fluid supply mechanism further comprising an electrical circuit coupling said control terminals of said electrically activated valves which control the flow of hot and cold water respectively to the terminals of said timer which control the hot and cold water cycles in said washing machine.

Claim 9

A fluid control mechanism as recited in claim 3 wherein said electrical circuit comprises an electrical conduit having three separate electrical leads disposed therein, each end of said electrical conduit having a three pronged plug wherein each prong is connected to a different one of said electrical leads and further comprising a pair of electrical sockets having three recesses to accept said three pronged plugs, one of said sockets being mounted on said housing and the other socket being mounted on the washing machine, each of said sockets having three terminals, the terminals of said socket mounted in said housing being coupled respectively to electrical ground, the terminal of the electrically activated valve which controls the flow of cold water and the terminal of the electrically activated valve which controls the hot water, the corresponding terminals of said socket mounted in said washing machine being respectively coupled to electrical ground, the terminal in said timer which controls the cold water cycle in said washing machine and the terminal in said timer which controls the hot water cycle in said washing machine.