Current systems for adding additives (e.g. soap, fabric softener, etc.) to an appliance (e.g. washing machine, dryer, etc.) utilize pumps to force air into a container housing the additive thereby increasing the pressure within the container, use a gravity feed to deliver the additive to the appliance, or use positive displacement pumps to draw the additive from either a rigid or flexible container. Currently, the containers are located inside an appliance cabinet and are not accessible to a user without disassembling the appliance, or are separated from the appliance and taking up additional floor and wall space. For example, if the internal container develops a leak, a homeowner or service person would be required to disassemble the washing machine to replace or repair the container.
Having the containers and other hardware (e.g. pumps, circuitry, and other connections) located inside the appliance cabinet also hinders routine maintenance such as cleaning the containers. In addition, having the containers located inside the appliance cabinet does not allow a user to alter the additive capacity. For example, the homeowner may want to load two gallons of soap and a half a gallon of fabric softener, but if the appliance only has two one-gallon containers, then the homeowner's wishes cannot be accommodated.
Having the above problems in mind, there exist a need for systems and methods for having removable storage tanks that occupy minimal additional space for use in delivering additives to appliances. The systems and methods should facilitate easy access to the containers, and customization based on user preferences, and easy maintenance.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds