Chemistry dispensing system for a laundry appliance having removable chemistry cartridges

Abstract

A cartridge for a laundry appliance includes an outer housing having an interior chamber therein. The outer housing includes a primary axis and a secondary axis that is perpendicular to the primary axis. A pump is contained within the outer housing that selectively delivers a laundry chemistry from the interior chamber to a dispensing outlet of the outer housing. The dispensing outlet is defined within a contoured edge of the outer housing and orients the dispensing outlet at an oblique angle with respect to the primary and secondary axes. A rotational drive is operated by an external actuator. The rotational drive is positioned within the outer housing and in operable communication with the pump. The rotational drive aligns with a drive aperture defined within a wall of the outer housing for receiving the external actuator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cartridge for a laundry appliance, the cartridge comprising:
 an outer housing having an interior chamber separated into a pumping portion and a chemistry portion, wherein the outer housing includes a drive aperture defined within a drive wall and a dispensing outlet defined within an oblique section of the outer housing; and   a chemistry module selectively enclosed within the interior chamber to define a pumping state, the chemistry module comprising:
 a flexible container that is positioned within the chemistry portion in the pumping state; and 
 a pump housing positioned within the pumping portion in the pumping state, the pump housing including an internal peristaltic pump and a rotational drive that are operable to deliver a chemistry from the flexible container to an outlet port defined within the pump housing, wherein, 
 the rotational drive of the pump housing aligns with the drive aperture in the pumping state and the outlet port of the pump housing aligns with the dispensing outlet to further define the pumping state; 
 the outer housing includes first and second portions that enclose the interior chamber in an enclosed position; and 
 the first and second portions in the enclosed position bias the pump housing into the pumping state. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the oblique section includes a chamfered edge of the outer housing, and wherein the outer housing and the pump housing in the pumping state include a primary axis and a secondary axis that is perpendicular to the primary axis and oblique to the oblique section. 
     
     
         3 . The cartridge of  claim 2 , wherein the outer housing in the pumping state is configured to be installed within the laundry appliance in either of a horizontal orientation that defines a dispensing direction parallel with the secondary axis and a vertical orientation that defines a dispensing direction parallel with the primary axis. 
     
     
         4 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the pump housing includes an interference structure and the outer housing includes a securing structure that engage one another to secure the pump housing in the pumping state. 
     
     
         5 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions are rotationally operable about a hinge to selectively enclose the interior chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the chemistry module is a disposable module that is selectively received within the interior chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the pump housing includes a drive opening that aligns with the drive aperture to further define the pumping state, wherein the rotational drive is aligned with the drive opening. 
     
     
         8 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the outer housing includes an interior support wall that separates the pumping portion of the interior chamber from the chemistry portion of the interior chamber. 
     
     
         9 . A laundry chemistry module comprising:
 a flexible container that selectively holds a laundry chemistry;   a pump housing having a rotational drive and a dispensing port defined within an oblique wall of the pump housing; and   an internal pump positioned within the pump housing, the internal pump placing the flexible container in flow communication with the dispensing port, wherein the dispensing port within the oblique wall of the pump housing is configured to open downward when the pump housing is in a vertical and horizontal orientation with respect to a primary pump axis of the pump housing.   
     
     
         10 . The laundry chemistry module of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 an outer housing that selectively receives the flexible container and the pump housing.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry chemistry module of  claim 10 , wherein the outer housing includes first and second portions that bias the pump housing to a pumping state characterized by the rotational drive aligning with a drive aperture and the dispensing port aligning with a dispensing aperture of the outer housing. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry chemistry module of  claim 11 , wherein the pumping state is further characterized by a sealed engagement between the dispensing port and the dispensing aperture. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry chemistry module of  claim 12 , wherein the outer housing includes an oblique section that matingly receives the oblique wall of the pump housing and aligns the dispensing port with the dispensing aperture. 
     
     
         14 . A cartridge for an appliance, the cartridge comprising:
 an outer housing having an interior chamber therein, the outer housing having a primary axis and a secondary axis that is perpendicular to the primary axis; and   a pump contained within the outer housing that selectively delivers a treating chemistry from the interior chamber to a dispensing outlet of the outer housing, wherein the dispensing outlet is defined within a contoured edge of the outer housing and orients the dispensing outlet at an oblique angle with respect to the primary and secondary axes, wherein the outer housing is configured to be selectively and alternatively installed in each of a vertical orientation of the primary axis and a horizontal orientation of the primary axis, wherein the dispensing outlet opens in a downward direction in each of the vertical and horizontal orientations.   
     
     
         15 . The cartridge of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a rotational drive that is operated by an external actuator, the rotational drive positioned within the outer housing and in operable communication with the pump.   
     
     
         16 . The cartridge of  claim 15 , wherein the rotational drive aligns with a drive aperture defined within a wall of the outer housing that receives the external actuator. 
     
     
         17 . The cartridge of  claim 14 , further comprising a pump housing that is positioned within a pumping portion of the interior chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The cartridge of  claim 17 , wherein the pump housing includes the pump and a rotational drive in communication with the pump for delivering the treating chemistry from a chemistry portion of the interior chamber to an outlet port that is positioned adjacent to the dispensing outlet, and wherein the outlet port in a pumping state aligns with the dispensing outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The cartridge of  claim 18 , wherein the pump housing is attached to a flexible container that is positioned within the chemistry portion of the interior chamber, and wherein the pump housing and the flexible container define a disposable chemistry module that is selectively received within the interior chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The cartridge of  claim 14 , wherein the pump is a peristaltic pump.