Automatic detergent and fabric softener dispensing system

Claim 2

A new and improved automatic detergent and fabric softener dispensing system comprising, in combination: a washer having a hot water input conduit with an associated hot water solenoidal valve adapted to open upon the receipt of a hot water signal for allowing hot water to be supplied to the washer, the washer further having a cold water input conduit with an associated cold water solenoidal valve adapted to open upon the receipt of a cold water signal for allowing cold water to be supplied to the washer; a housing with a rectangular configuration with a front face, a rear face, a top face, a bottom face, and a pair of side faces defining an interior space, the housing having a pair of vertically oriented transparent strips for allowing a user to view the interior space; a pair of transparent cylindrical tanks situated within the housing adjacent opposite side faces thereof, each tank having a top opening extending through the top face of the housing with an associated cap for allowing the selective insertion of washing material therein whereby a user may view the amount of material therein through the transparent strips, the tanks each further including an output conduit each connected at first end thereof to a bottom of an associated tank and at second end thereof in communication with the washer, the pair of tanks comprising a detergent tank with an associated detergent pump situated within the housing in communication with the corresponding output conduit and adapted to effect the transmission of detergent to the washer only during the receipt of an activation signal and a fabric softener tank with an associated fabric softener pump situated within the housing in communication with the corresponding output conduit and adapted to effect the transmission of fabric softener to the washer only during the receipt of an activation signal; and control circuitry situated within the housing and connected between the solenoidal valves and the detergent pump and the fabric softener pump for transmitting an activation signal to the detergent pump upon the first receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoid valves and further transmitting an activation signal to the fabric softener pump upon the second subsequent receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoidal valves, the control circuitry comprising: pulse means connected to the solenoidal valves for delivering a pulse of a predetermined duration upon the receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoidal valves, the pulse means further including delay means for delaying the transmission of the pulse, control selection means connected to the pulse means for transmitting an activation signal to the detergent pump upon the first receipt of the pulse and further transmitting an activation signal to the fabric softener pump upon the second subsequent receipt of the pulse, and quantity control means connected between the control selection means and the solenoidal valves of the pumps for allowing a user to selectively determine the duration of the activation signal, thereby allowing the user to independently determine the quantity of the detergent and the fabric softener which is delivered to the washer.

Claim 3

A automatic detergent and fabric softener dispensing system comprising: a washer having a hot water input conduit with an associated hot water solenoidal valve adapted to open upon the receipt of a hot water signal for allowing hot water to be supplied to the washer, the washer further having a cold water input conduit with an associated cold water solenoidal valve adapted to open upon the receipt of a cold water signal for allowing cold water to be supplied to the washer; a housing with a rectangular configuration with a front face, a rear face, a top face, a bottom face, and a pair of side faces defining an interior space, the housing having a pair of vertically oriented transparent strips for allowing a user to view the interior space; a pair of transparent cylindrical tanks situated within the housing adjacent opposite side faces thereof, each tank having a top opening extending through the top face of the housing with an associated cap for allowing the selective insertion of washing material therein whereby a user may view the amount of material therein through the transparent strips, the tanks each further including an output conduit each connected at first end thereof to a bottom of an associated tank and at second end thereof in communication with the washer, the pair of tanks comprising a detergent tank with an associated detergent pump situated within the housing in communication with the corresponding output conduit and adapted to effect the transmission of detergent to the washer only during the receipt of an activation signal and a fabric softener tank with an associated fabric softener pump situated within the housing in communication with the corresponding output conduit and adapted to effect the transmission of fabric softener to the washer only during the receipt of an activation signal; and control circuitry situated within the housing and connected between the solenoidal valves and the detergent pump and the fabric softener pump for transmitting an activation signal to the detergent pump upon the first receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoid valves and further transmitting an activation signal to the fabric softener pump upon the second subsequent receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoidal valves, the control circuitry comprising: pulse means connected to the solenoidal valves for delivering a pulse of a predetermined duration upon the receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoidal valves, wherein the pulse means includes a pair of relays, an OR gate with inputs connected to the relay, and a one-shot multivibrator with an input connected to an output of the OR gate, the pulse means further including delay means for delaying the transmission of the pulse with the delay means connected between the OR gate and the one-shot multivibrator, control selection means connected to the pulse means for transmitting an activation signal to the detergent pump upon the first receipt of the pulse and further transmitting an activation signal to the fabric softener pump upon the second subsequent receipt of the pulse, wherein the control selection means includes a D-flip flop with an input connected to an output of the one-shot multivibrator and a multiplexer connected to an output of the D-flip flop, and quantity control means connected between the control selection means and the solenoidal valves of the pumps for allowing a user to selectively determine the duration of the activation signal, thereby allowing the user to independently determine the quantity of the detergent and the fabric softener which is delivered to the washer, wherein the quality control means includes a second one-shot multivibrator with an associated potentiometer.

Claim 4

A automatic detergent and fabric softener dispensing system comprising: a washer having a hot water input conduit with an associated hot water solenoidal valve adapted to open upon the receipt of a hot water signal for allowing hot water to be supplied to the washer, the washer further having a cold water input conduit with an associated cold water solenoidal valve adapted to open upon the receipt of a cold water signal for allowing cold water to be supplied to the washer; a housing with a rectangular configuration with a front face, a rear face, a top face, a bottom face, and a pair of side faces defining an interior space, the housing having a pair of vertically oriented transparent strips for allowing a user to view the interior space; a pair of transparent cylindrical tanks situated within the housing adjacent opposite side faces thereof, each tank having a top opening extending through the top face of the housing with an associated cap for allowing the selective insertion of washing material therein whereby a user may view the amount of material therein through the transparent strips, the tanks each further including an output conduit each connected at first end thereof to a bottom of an associated tank and at second end thereof in communication with the washer, the pair of tanks comprising a detergent tank with an associated detergent pump situated within the housing in communication with the corresponding output conduit and adapted to effect the transmission of detergent to the washer only during the receipt of an activation signal and a fabric softener tank with an associated fabric softener pump situated within the housing in communication with the corresponding output conduit and adapted to effect the transmission of fabric softener to the washer only during the receipt of an activation signal; and control circuitry situated within the housing and connected between the solenoidal valves and the detergent pump and the fabric softener pump for transmitting an activation signal to the detergent pump upon the first receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoid valves and further transmitting an activation signal to the fabric softener pump upon the second subsequent receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoidal valves, the control circuitry comprising: pulse means connected to the solenoidal valves for delivering a pulse of a predetermined duration upon the receipt of a water signal by one of the solenoidal valves, wherein the pulse means includes a pair of relays, an OR gate with inputs connected to the relay, and a one-shot multivibrator with an input connected to an output of the OR gate, the pulse means further including delay means for delaying the transmission of the pulse with the delay means connected between the OR gate and the one-shot multivibrator, control selection means connected to the pulse means for transmitting an activation signal to the detergent pump upon the first receipt of the pulse and further transmitting an activation signal to the fabric softener pump upon the second subsequent receipt of the pulse, wherein the control selection means includes a D-flip flop with an input connected to an output of the one-shot multivibrator and a multiplexer connected to an output of the D-flip flop, and quantity control means connected between the control selection means and the solenoidal valves of the pumps for allowing a user to selectively determine the duration of the activation signal, thereby allowing the user to independently determine the quantity of the detergent and the fabric softener which is delivered to the washer, wherein the quality control means includes a second one-shot multivibrator with an associated potentiometer.