Laundry treating appliance having multiple wash systems and multiple-chamber dispensing

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance containing at least one wash system and a dispenser for each wash system disposed therein, wherein each dispenser may be divided into multiple chambers, and also containing a bulk dispensing cartridge with at least one pump in fluid connection with a chamber of each dispenser.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes washer comprising:
 a single cabinet defining an interior and having a top opening providing access to the interior and a front opening providing access to the interior;   a lid pivotally mounted to the cabinet to pivot between opened and closed positions to selectively open and close the top opening;   a drawer slidably mounted to the cabinet to extend from and retract into the interior through the front opening between opened and closed positions;   a first vertical axis wash system located within the interior above the drawer;   a second vertical axis wash system located within the drawer;   a first dispenser located within the interior and fluidly coupled to the first vertical axis wash system;   a second dispenser located within the interior and fluidly coupled to the second vertical axis wash system; and   a water distribution system comprising a distribution header located within the interior and having a supply inlet extending to an exterior of the cabinet, at least one first distribution outlet directly fluidly coupling the distribution header to the first dispenser, and at least one second distribution outlet directly fluidly coupling the distribution header to the second dispenser.   
     
     
         2 . The clothes washer of  claim 1  wherein the second vertical axis wash system is carried by the drawer. 
     
     
         3 . The clothes washer of  claim 1 , wherein the second dispenser is carried by the drawer. 
     
     
         4 . The clothes washer of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the first and second dispensers are located above the corresponding one of the first and second vertical axis wash systems. 
     
     
         5 . The clothes washer of  claim 2  wherein the first dispenser is located above the first vertical axis wash system and the second dispenser is located above the second vertical axis wash system. 
     
     
         6 . The clothes washer of  claim 1  wherein the first vertical axis wash system comprises a first basket defining a first treating chamber with an open top and the second vertical axis wash system comprises a second basket defining a second treating chamber with an open top. 
     
     
         7 . The clothes washer of  claim 6  wherein the first basket is rotatable about a first vertical axis and the second basket is rotatable about a second vertical axis. 
     
     
         8 . The clothes washer of  claim 7  wherein the first and second axes are aligned when the drawer is in the closed position. 
     
     
         9 . The clothes washer of  claim 6  further comprising a lid mounted to the drawer for movement between opened and closed positions to selectively open and close the open top of the second basket. 
     
     
         10 . The clothes washer of  claim 1  wherein the first dispenser comprises multiple first treating chemistry chambers, the at least one first distribution outlet comprises multiple first distribution outlets, each fluidly coupled to one of the multiple first treating chemistry chambers. 
     
     
         11 . The clothes washer of  claim 10  wherein the second dispenser comprises multiple second treating chemistry chambers and the at least one second distribution outlet is divided into at least two distribution branches, with a different distribution branch supplying a different one of the multiple second treating chemistry chambers. 
     
     
         12 . The clothes washer of  claim 1  wherein the at least one first distribution outlet comprises multiple distribution branches. 
     
     
         13 . The clothes washer of  claim 12  further comprising a valve array comprising a first set of valves for each of the branches and a second valve for the second distribution outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The clothes washer of  claim 13  wherein the second distribution outlet comprises at least two second distribution branches downstream of the second valve. 
     
     
         15 . The clothes washer of  claim 14  further comprising at least one third valve controlling the liquid flow between the at least two second distribution branches. 
     
     
         16 . The clothes washer of  claim 1  further comprising a bulk dispensing reservoir having a first dispensing branch fluidly coupled to the first dispenser and a second dispensing branch fluidly coupled to the second dispenser. 
     
     
         17 . The clothes washer of  claim 16  further comprising a first pump fluidly coupled to the first dispensing branch and a second pump fluidly coupled to the second dispensing branch. 
     
     
         18 . The clothes washer of  claim 17  wherein the first dispenser comprises at least three dispensing chambers, with the first dispensing branch fluidly coupled to one of the at least three dispensing chambers, and the second dispenser comprising at least two dispensing chambers, with the second dispensing branch fluidly coupled to one of the at least two dispensing chambers. 
     
     
         19 . The clothes washer of  claim 18  further comprising a set of valves selectively fluidly coupling the at least three dispensing chambers and the second distribution outlet to the supply inlet. 
     
     
         20 . The clothes washer of  claim 19  wherein the second distribution outlet comprises at least two second distribution branches and a second set of valves controlling liquid flow between the at least two distribution branches. 
     
     
         21 . The clothes washer of  claim 20  wherein the bulk dispensing reservoir is located within the interior and above the drawer. 
     
     
         22 . The clothes washer of  claim 20  wherein the bulk dispensing reservoir is located within the drawer. 
     
     
         23 . The clothes washer of  claim 1  wherein the first basket is taller than the second basket. 
     
     
         24 . The clothes washer of  claim 23  wherein the single cabinet is of a standard size or smaller. 
     
     
         25 . The clothes washer of  claim 24  wherein the first basket is of a larger volume than the second basket. 
     
     
         26 . The clothes washer of  claim 25  wherein the first basket is located above the second basket. 
     
     
         27 . The clothes washer of  claim 26  wherein the first basket has a volume less than 4.5 cubic feet, the second basket has a volume less than 1.5 cubic feet, and the total volume of the first and second baskets are less than 5 cubic feet.