Dispensing assembly for appliance

Abstract

A dispensing assembly for a laundry appliance includes a cabinet defining a cartridge port. A dispensing device is coupled to the cabinet and extends into the cartridge port. A dispensing cartridge is selectively received by the cartridge port. The dispensing cartridge selectively engages the dispensing device when in an installed position within the cartridge port. The dispensing cartridge includes a nesting portion configured to house a first laundry chemistry. An insert portion is configured to house a second laundry chemistry. The nesting portion selectively receives the insert portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a cartridge port;   a dispensing actuator coupled to the cabinet and extending into the cartridge port; and   a dispensing cartridge selectively received by the cartridge port, wherein the dispensing cartridge selectively engages the dispensing actuator when in an installed position within the cartridge port, and wherein the dispensing cartridge includes:
 an engagement panel including a supplemental receiver; 
 a nesting portion coupled to the engagement panel, wherein the nesting portion includes a first reservoir configured to house a first laundry chemistry; and 
 an insert portion including a second reservoir configured to house a second laundry chemistry, wherein the insert portion is configured to selectively engage the supplemental receiver to couple with the engagement panel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first reservoir has a greater volume than the second reservoir. 
     
     
         3 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the engagement panel has a width that is greater than a width of the nesting portion to provide a receiving space for the nesting portion. 
     
     
         4 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the nesting portion is disposed adjacent to and extends along a sidewall of the insert portion. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second laundry chemistries are configured to be dispensed in different quantities during a wash cycle. 
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cover operably coupled with the cabinet and configured to at least partially retain the dispensing cartridge in the cartridge port.   
     
     
         7 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the engagement panel includes a handle extending along an edge thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cover operably coupled with the cabinet; and   a switch coupled to the cabinet proximate to the cover, wherein the cover is configured to engage the switch when in an opened position, and wherein the switch is communicatively coupled to the dispensing actuator to apply a force to an insertion end of the dispensing actuator to move the dispensing cartridge at least partially through an opening into the cartridge port.   
     
     
         9 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cartridge port includes at least two adjacent grooves to receive the insert portion and the nesting portion of the dispensing cartridge. 
     
     
         10 . An appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a cartridge port;   a dispensing cartridge selectively received in the cartridge port, wherein an outer wall of the dispensing cartridge defines an engagement feature;   a dispensing actuator coupled to the cabinet and configured to selectively engage the dispensing cartridge when the dispensing cartridge is in an installed position in the cartridge port; and   an engagement assembly coupled with the cabinet proximate to the cartridge port, and wherein the engagement assembly is configured to engage the engagement feature of the dispensing cartridge to bias the dispensing cartridge toward the dispensing actuator and the installed position.   
     
     
         11 . The appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the engagement feature is a rack gear defined by the outer wall of the dispensing cartridge, and wherein the engagement assembly includes a mating gear coupled with the cabinet and configured to engage the rack gear as the dispensing cartridge is moved toward the installed position. 
     
     
         12 . The appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the mating gear is configured as a pinion gear, and wherein the engagement assembly includes a latch coupled to the cabinet, a first biasing member coupled to the latch, and a second biasing member coupled to the pinion gear, and wherein an outward biasing force of the first biasing member is configured to rotate the pinion gear to pull the dispensing cartridge into the cartridge port via engagement with the rack gear, and further wherein an inward biasing force of the second biasing member is configured to return the pinion gear to an initial state upon removal of the dispensing cartridge from the cartridge port. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the engagement assembly includes:
 a first biasing member coupled to the cabinet; and   a second biasing member coupled to an insertion end of the dispensing cartridge, wherein the first and second biasing members are biased toward one another, wherein the mating gear includes a viscous damper configured to control resistance of movement of the dispensing cartridge in the cartridge port.   
     
     
         14 . The appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the engagement feature is a notch defined by the outer wall of the dispensing cartridge. 
     
     
         15 . The appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the notch is disposed proximate to an outer end of the dispensing cartridge, and wherein the engagement assembly includes a latch coupled to a front surface of the cabinet, and further wherein the latch is configured to engage the notch to retain the dispensing cartridge in the installed position. 
     
     
         16 . The appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the notch is disposed proximate to an insertion end of the dispensing cartridge, and wherein the engagement assembly includes a latch coupled with the cabinet via a biasing member configured to bias the latch toward and interior of the cabinet. 
     
     
         17 . The appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the latch is configured to slidably engage a channel that extends along the cartridge port, and wherein the channel includes a sloped portion to retain the latch toward an opening into the cartridge port and against an inward biasing force of the biasing member. 
     
     
         18 . The appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the engagement feature is a rack gear defined by the outer wall of the dispensing cartridge, and wherein the engagement assembly includes a cover coupled to the cabinet and defining a mating gear configured to engage the rack gear as the cover moves between opened and closed positions to, consequently, move the dispensing cartridge within the cartridge port. 
     
     
         19 . An appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a cartridge port;   a dispensing cartridge selectively received in the cartridge port;   a dispensing actuator coupled to the cabinet and configured to selectively engage the dispensing cartridge when the dispensing cartridge is in an installed position in the cartridge port; and   a cover assembly coupled with the cabinet and operable between opened and closed positions, wherein the cover assembly includes:
 a cover; and 
 a biasing member coupled to the cover proximate to a rotational axis, wherein the biasing member couples the cover to the cabinet and is configured to bias the cover to the opened position and the closed position with an inward biasing force. 
   
     
     
         20 . The appliance of  claim 19 , wherein the dispensing cartridge includes upper openings forming single-dose chemistry reservoirs.