Patent Publication Number: US-11019982-B2

Title: Multiple use detergent dispenser

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Dishwashers are used in many single-family and multi-family residential applications to clean dishes, silverware, cutlery, cups, glasses, pots, pans, etc. (collectively referred to herein as “utensils”). Most conventional dishwashers rely on a single-use detergent dispenser, often located on the interior of the door of the dishwasher. Such conventional dispensers include an opening allowing for a volume of liquid, powder, or dissolvable pod or capsule detergent to be loaded for a single wash. During a wash cycle such a dispenser is opened allowing the entirety of the contents of be expelled; as such, a user is required to reload the dispenser before each wash cycle is started. In certain instances, it may be desirable to minimize the number of times user is required to fill the detergent dispenser. A need therefore exists in the art for a multi-use dispenser. 
     SUMMARY 
     The herein-described embodiments address these and other problems associated with the art by providing a dishwasher using a multiple use detergent dispenser. In some aspects, a dishwasher described herein includes: a wash tub; and a detergent dispenser positioned to dispense detergent into the wash tub including: a detergent carrier including a plurality of detergent units, each of the detergent units including: one or more walls defining a cavity having a dispensing opening, and a door movable between an open and a closed position; a housing configured to receive the detergent carrier, the housing including a dispensing outlet; a carrier driver configured to move the detergent carrier between a plurality of positions, each position orienting one of the plurality of dispensing units proximate the dispensing outlet, where when one of the plurality of dispensing units is proximate the dispensing outlet the door of the one of the plurality of dispensing units is open, otherwise the door is closed. 
     In some embodiments, each door further includes a guide and the housing further includes a track configured to receive the guide of each door. In such embodiments, the track may be arranged and configured such that for the door of each detergent unit that is not oriented proximate the dispensing outlet, the guide of such door is received within the track to position such door in the closed position. In some instances, the plurality of positions may include a first position where a first detergent unit among the plurality of detergent units is oriented proximate the dispensing outlet and a second position where a second unit among the plurality of detergent units is oriented proximate the dispensing outlet, where the track is arranged and configured such that when the carrier driver moves the detergent carrier from the first position to the second position, the track guides the door of the first detergent unit from the open position to the closed position and guides the door of the second detergent unit from the closed position to the open position. In other instances, each door may be biased to the open position, where the plurality of positions includes a first position where a first detergent unit among the plurality of detergent units is oriented proximate the dispensing outlet and a second position where a second unit among the plurality of detergent units is oriented proximate the dispensing outlet, where the track is arranged and configured such that when the carrier driver moves the detergent carrier from the first position to the second position, the track guides the door of the first detergent unit from the open position to the closed position and releases the door of the second detergent unit such that the bias of the door of the second detergent unit moves the door of the second detergent unit from the closed position to the open position. 
     In some embodiments, the housing further includes a cam disposed proximate the dispensing opening and configured to move the door from the open position to the closed position following dispensing of detergent. In other embodiments, the housing is coupled to a dishwasher door that provides external access to the dishwasher. 
     In some embodiments, each detergent unit includes a spring that biases the door for such detergent unit to the open position. In other embodiments, each detergent unit further includes a seal coupled to one of the door for such detergent unit and the dispensing opening for such detergent unit to seal the cavity of such detergent unit when the door of such detergent unit is in a closed position. In still other embodiments, the cavity of each detergent unit further includes a loading opening. In such instances, the detergent dispenser may further include a removable lid and a seal coupled to one of the detergent carrier and the removable lid to seal the loading opening of each detergent unit when the removable lid is secured to the detergent dispenser. Such a removable lid may secure to and move with the detergent carrier. 
     In some embodiments, the carrier driver includes a motor that rotates the detergent carrier between the plurality of positions. In such instances, the motor may be a stepper motor. In other embodiments, the carrier driver includes one or more micro switches configured to detect if one of the plurality of dispensing units is proximate the dispensing outlet. 
     In other aspects, a dishwasher described herein includes: a wash tub; and a rotating detergent dispenser positioned to dispense detergent into the wash tub including: a detergent carrier including a plurality of detergent units, each of the detergent units including: one or more walls defining a cavity having a dispensing opening and a loading opening, a door movable between an open and a closed position, the door biased to the open position and having a guide, and a seal coupled to one of the door for such detergent unit and the dispensing opening for such detergent unit to seal the cavity of such detergent unit when the door of such detergent unit is in a closed position, a removable lid and a seal coupled to one of the detergent carrier and the removable lid to seal the loading opening of each detergent unit when the removable lid is secured to the detergent dispenser; a housing for receiving the detergent carrier, the housing including a dispensing outlet and a track for receiving the guide of each door; a carrier driver configured to rotate the detergent carrier between a plurality of positions, each position orienting one of the plurality of dispensing units proximate the dispensing outlet, and where when one of the plurality of dispensing units is proximate the dispensing outlet the door of the one of the plurality of dispensing units is open, otherwise the door is closed. 
     In some embodiments, the carrier driver includes one or more micro switches configured to detect if one of the plurality of dispensing units is proximate the dispensing outlet. In other embodiments, the carrier driver includes a stepper motor. 
     In some embodiments, the housing further includes a cam disposed proximate the dispensing opening and configured to move the door from the open position to the closed position following dispensing of detergent. 
     In still other aspects, a detergent dispenser positioned to dispense detergent into a household appliance described herein includes: a detergent carrier including a plurality of detergent units, each of the detergent units including: one or more walls defining a cavity having a dispensing opening, and a door movable between an open and a closed position; a housing for receiving the detergent carrier, the housing including a dispensing outlet; a carrier driver for moving the detergent carrier between a plurality of positions, each position orienting one of the plurality of dispensing units proximate the dispensing outlet; and where when one of the plurality of dispensing units is proximate the dispensing outlet the door of the one of the plurality of dispensing units is open, otherwise the door is closed. 
     In some embodiments, the household appliance is a dishwasher and the housing is coupled to a dishwasher door that provides external access to the dishwasher. In other embodiments, the household appliance is a washing machine. 
     These and other advantages and features, which characterize the invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto and forming a further part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages and objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the figures, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described example embodiments of the invention. This summary is merely provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description, and is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dishwasher consistent with some embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example control system for the dishwasher of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partial upper perspective view of an example detergent dispenser consistent with some embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is another perspective view of the example detergent dispenser of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the example detergent dispenser of  FIG. 3  disposed on a door of a dishwasher. 
         FIG. 6  is a lower perspective cross-sectional view of the example detergent dispenser of  FIG. 3  disposed on a door of a dishwasher. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a carrier driver of the example detergent dispenser of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the example detergent dispenser of  FIG. 3  disposed on a door of a dishwasher. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic of another example detergent dispenser consistent with some embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic of an example carrier driver of a detergent dispenser consistent with some embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now to the drawings, wherein like numbers denote like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  illustrates an example dishwasher  10  in which the various technologies and techniques described herein may be implemented. Dishwasher  10  is a residential-type built-in dishwasher, and as such includes a front-mounted door  12  that provides access to a wash tub  16  housed within the cabinet or housing  14 . Door  12  is generally hinged along a bottom edge and is pivotable between the opened position illustrated in  FIG. 1  and a closed position (not shown). When door  12  is in the opened position, access is provided to one or more sliding racks, e.g., lower rack  18  and upper rack  20 , within which various utensils are placed for washing. Lower rack  18  may be supported on rollers  22 , while upper rack  20  may be supported on side rails  24 , and each rack is movable between loading (extended) and washing (retracted) positions along a substantially horizontal direction. Control over dishwasher  10  by a user is generally managed through a control panel (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) typically disposed on a top or front of door  12 , and it will be appreciated that in different dishwasher designs, the control panel may include various types of input and/or output devices, including various knobs, buttons, lights, switches, textual and/or graphical displays, touch screens, etc. through which a user may configure one or more settings and start and stop a wash cycle. Additionally, dishwasher  10  may include one or more rotating spray arms, e.g., lower spray arms  26 , upper spray arm  28 , or other sprayers, including various combinations of wall-mounted sprayers, rack-mounted sprayers, oscillating sprayers, fixed sprayers, rotating sprayers, focused sprayers, etc. However, this positioning is not intended to be limiting, as various sprayers may be positioned through the dishwasher. 
     In addition, consistent with some embodiments of the invention, dishwasher  10  may include a movable detergent dispenser  29  with multiple dishwashing cycles&#39; worth of detergent within the dispenser  29 , so that it is not necessary for a user to add additional detergent before each dishwashing cycle. Such a detergent dispenser  29  may be positioned, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , on the interior if the door  12 . However, this positioning is not intended to be limiting, and in some embodiments the detergent dispenser may be positioned in other locations within the dishwasher. 
     The embodiments discussed hereinafter will focus on the implementation of the hereinafter-described techniques within a hinged-door dishwasher. However, it will be appreciated that the herein-described techniques may also be used in connection with other types of dishwashers in some embodiments. For example, the herein-described techniques may be used in commercial applications in some embodiments. Moreover, at least some of the herein-described techniques may be used in connection with other dishwasher configurations, including dishwashers utilizing sliding drawers or dish sink dishwashers, e.g., a dishwasher integrated into a sink. 
     Now turning to  FIG. 2 , dishwasher  10  may be under the control of a controller  30  that receives inputs from a number of components and drives a number of components in response thereto. Controller  30  may, for example, include one or more processors and a memory (not shown) within which may be stored program code for execution by the one or more processors. The memory may be embedded in controller  30 , but may also be considered to include volatile and/or non-volatile memories, cache memories, flash memories, programmable read-only memories, read-only memories, etc., as well as memory storage physically located elsewhere from controller  30 , e.g., in a mass storage device or on a remote computer interfaced with controller  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , controller  30  may be interfaced with various components of the dishwasher  10 , including an inlet valve  32  that is coupled to a water source to introduce water into wash tub  16 , which when combined with detergent, rinse agent and/or other additives, forms various wash fluids. Controller may also be coupled to a heater  34  that heats fluids, a pump  36  that recirculates wash fluid within the wash tub by pumping fluid to the wash arms and other spray devices in the dishwasher, an air supply  38  that may provide a source of pressurized air for use in drying utensils in the dishwasher, a drain valve  40  that is coupled to a drain to direct fluids out of the dishwasher, and a diverter  42  that controls the routing of pumped fluid to different spray arms and/or other sprayers during a wash cycle. 
     Controller  30  may also be coupled to the detergent dispenser  29  to trigger the dispensing of detergent into the wash tub at appropriate points during a wash cycle. More particularly, the controller  30  may be coupled to a carrier driver of the detergent dispenser  29 , which may include one or more micro switches or a stepper motor in order to control and/or determine the positioning of the various detergent cavities (discussed in greater detail herein). Additional sensors and actuators may also be used in some embodiments, including a temperature sensor  46  to determine a wash fluid temperature, a door switch  48  to determine when door  12  is latched, and a door lock  50  to prevent the door from being opened during a wash cycle. Moreover, controller  30  may be coupled to a user interface  52  including various input/output devices such as knobs, dials, sliders, switches, buttons, lights, textual and/or graphics displays, touch screen displays, speakers, image capture devices, microphones, etc. for receiving input from and communicating with a user. In some embodiments, controller  30  may also be coupled to one or more network interfaces  54 , e.g., for interfacing with external devices via wired and/or wireless networks such as Ethernet, Bluetooth, NFC, cellular and other suitable networks. 
     Moreover, in some embodiments, at least a portion of controller  30  may be implemented externally from a dishwasher, e.g., within a mobile device, a cloud computing environment, etc., such that at least a portion of the functionality described herein is implemented within the portion of the controller that is externally implemented. In some embodiments, controller  30  may operate under the control of an operating system and may execute or otherwise rely upon various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data structures, etc. In addition, controller  30  may also incorporate hardware logic to implement some or all of the functionality disclosed herein. Further, in some embodiments, the sequences of operations performed by controller  30  to implement the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented using program code including one or more instructions that are resident at various times in various memory and storage devices, and that, when read and executed by one or more hardware-based processors, perform the operations embodying desired functionality. Moreover, in some embodiments, such program code may be distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that the invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of computer readable media used to actually carry out the distribution, including, for example, non-transitory computer readable storage media. In addition, it will be appreciated that the various operations described herein may be combined, split, reordered, reversed, varied, omitted, parallelized and/or supplemented with other techniques known in the art, and therefore, the invention is not limited to the particular sequences of operations described herein. 
     Numerous variations and modifications to the dishwasher  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, as will become apparent from the description below. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific implementations discussed herein. 
     Now turning to  FIGS. 3-5 , which illustrate an example detergent dispenser  300  in which the various technologies and techniques described herein may be implemented. In some embodiments, the detergent dispenser  300  may include a detergent carrier  302  and a housing  330  (described in greater detailer below) for receiving the detergent carrier. The detergent carrier  302  may include multiple detergent units  304   1-n , each of which configured to hold a single wash cycle&#39;s worth of detergent. Each detergent unit  304   1-n  may include one or more walls defining a cavity  306 ; for example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3-4 , each detergent unit  304   1-n  includes a first side wall  308 , a second side wall  310 , a third side wall  312 , and a lower wall  314 . The first side wall  308 , second side wall  310 , third side wall  312 , and lower wall  314  collectively define the cavity  306  having two openings: a loading opening  316  and a dispensing opening  318 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 , the loading opening  316  is disposed so as to be easily accessible to a user when the door  320  of the dishwasher is open in order to facilitate the loading process; however, the dispensing opening  318  is disposed so that when the door  320  of the dishwasher is closed the detergent contained therein will drop into the proper location within the wash tub when in a dispensing position. In some embodiments, each detergent unit  304   1-n  may additionally include an ejection mechanism used to eject the detergent into the proper location within the wash tub. In other embodiments, the dishwasher may spray water or other liquid into the cavity  306  in order to wash the detergent from the cavity  306 . 
     In some embodiments, each detergent unit  304   1-n  of the detergent carrier  302  may additionally contain an upper wall, such that only a single opening is defined. In such an embodiment, a single wash cycle worth of detergent may be loaded into the cavity and dispensed from the cavity using the same opening. 
     In some embodiments, the detergent carrier  302  may be removable from the housing  330  so that a user may load the dispensing units  304   1-n  with detergent or clean the detergent carrier  302  at a secondary location (e.g. a kitchen countertop, etc.). However, in other embodiments, the detergent carrier  302  may be permanently affixed to the housing  330 . 
     As stated, each detergent unit  304   1-n  may be configured to hold one dishwashing cycle&#39;s worth of detergent; this includes detergent of all varieties, including, but not limited to, liquid detergent, powder detergent, and/or dissolvable pod or capsule detergent. As illustrated in  FIGS. 3-4 , one of the detergent units  304   2  contains a dissolvable dishwashing pod/capsule  322 . In some embodiments, the detergent carrier  302  may include seven detergent units  304   1-n , for example to correspond to the seven days of the week. In other embodiments, the detergent carrier may include five detergent units  304   1-n . In still other embodiments, the detergent carrier  302  may include any number of detergent units as is practical. 
     Furthermore, each detergent unit  304   1-n  may include a door  324  or closure configured to cover the dispensing opening  318 . Each door  324  may be moveable between an open position (e.g. when the detergent contained therein may be released) and a closed position. In some embodiments, each door  324  may be spring-operated (for example through use of a torsional spring) for movement between the open and closed positions. In other embodiments, the door  324  may be moved between the open and closed positions by an actuator, solenoid, or any other mechanical means known in the art. In still other embodiments, the door  324  may be moved between the open and closed positions via a track that guides a guide, pin, wheel or other structure on the door coincident with movement of the carrier between different positions. 
     In some embodiments, each door  324 , loading opening  316 , and/or dispensing opening  318  of the detergent unit  304   1-n  may additionally include a seal  326  designed to minimize or prevent entry of water or other liquid into each of the cavities  306  when the door  324  is in a closed position. In some instances, these seals  326  may utilize compression forces in order to seal the opening and prevent leakage. As a non-limiting example, these seals  326  may be face seals, which are typically utilized to prevent leakage in the radial direction with respect to the axis of the seal. 
     In some embodiments, such as illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 , the detergent dispenser  300  may include a track and guide system for facilitating movement of the door  324  of each detergent unit  304   1-n  between the open and closed positions. In such a system, each door  324  may additionally include a guide  334 , and the housing  330  may additionally include a track  336  that is configured to receive the guide  334  of each door  324 . In such embodiments, when a door  324  of detergent unit  304   1-n  is closed, the guide  334  is in contact with the track  336 , thus holding the door  324  in a closed position. In contrast, when a particular door  324  is open the guide  334  is no longer in contact with the track  336 , and as such the track  336  is no longer holding the door  324  in a closed position. In other embodiments, however, a track and guide may transition a door from a closed position to an open position, or vice versa, and as such a spring or other bias mechanism may not be used to bias a door to the open position in some embodiments. 
     In some instances, a spring-operated door  324  that is biased to an open position may complement the use of such a guide  334  and track  336  system. For example, the physical contact of the guide  334  with the track  336  may provide the compression necessary to hold the spring-operated door  324  (biased to an open position) in a closed position. Once compression provided by the track  336  is removed, the spring-operated door  324  will move (e.g. spring to its biased position) to an open position. As illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 , in some embodiments, the guide  334  may be in the form of a wheel affixed to the door  324 , and the track  336  may be in the form of a groove constructed as a part of the housing  330 . In such instances, the use of a wheel may be reduce the friction generated by the contact of the guide  334  and the track  336 , allowing the detergent carrier  302  to more easily and smoothly move along the track  336  of the housing  300 . 
     In other instances, the door  324  may not be spring-operated. In such instances, the track  336  may be shaped so as to guide the door  324  to an open position. For example, the broken line illustrated in  FIG. 3  indicates where the track  336  may be extended for use with a non-spring-operated door  324 . 
     In some instances, it may be desirable to close a particular door  324  after the detergent contained therein has been dispensed into the washtub of the dishwasher. As such, in some embodiments, the track  336  may additionally include a cam  338  located near the dispensing opening  332  that is configured to engage the door  324  of the now-empty detergent unit  304   1-n  and facilitate the door  324  in moving from a from an open position to a closed position by providing force against the spring-operated door. 
     As briefly described previously, a housing  330  may (removably or fixedly) receive the detergent carrier  302 . In some embodiments, the housing  330  may be a separate component of the detergent dispenser  300  separable from the dishwasher and the detergent carrier  302 ; while in other embodiments, the housing  330  may in incorporated (e.g. by molding or the like) directly into the door  320  of the dishwasher. The housing  330  may additionally include a dispensing outlet  332  configured to guide or direct the detergent contained in each detergent unit  304   1-n  to the proper location within the washtub when dispensed. 
     The detergent dispenser  300  may further include a carrier driver  602  (described in more detail with respect to  FIGS. 6-8 ) for moving the detergent carrier  302  between multiple positions. For example, the detergent carrier  302  is capable of being moved to position one of the detergent units  304   1-n  near the dispensing outlet  332 . When a particular detergent unit  304   1-n  is located near the dispensing outlet  332  the door  324  of that particular detergent unit  304   1-n  may be open so as to allow for dispensing of the detergent contained therein. When a particular detergent unit  304   1-n  is not located near the dispensing outlet  332  the door  324  of that particular detergent unit  304   1-n  may be closed and sealed so as to prevent the premature exit of the detergent contained therein, as well as to prevent the entry of water or other liquid into the cavity  306 . Transitioning the detergent carrier between first and second positions may therefore move one detergent unit that is open and located near the dispensing outlet to a closed position in which the door is closed, while simultaneously moving the next detergent unit that is currently closed into the open position near the dispensing outlet to allow the door to open and dispense the detergent retained inside. 
     In some embodiments, such as illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 , the detergent carrier  302  may rotate between the plurality of positions, such that the detergent units  304   1-n  are positioned in a generally circular manner. 
     In some embodiments, such as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the movement of the detergent carrier  902  between the plurality of positions may be linear, such that each of the detergent units  904   1-n  is disposed along a line. Similar to the embodiments described with reference to  FIGS. 3-5 , in a linear embodiment of a detergent dispenser  900  each detergent unit  904   1-n  may include a cavity defined by one or more walls and a door  924  for holding detergent. In such an embodiment, the detergent carrier  902  may slide along a housing  930  as opposed to rotating in a generally circular manner. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 6-8 , each of which illustrate a different view of the detergent dispenser  300 . As mentioned previously, the detergent dispenser  302  may include a carrier driver  602  that drives the movement of the detergent carrier  302  between a plurality of positions. In some embodiments, the carrier driver  602  may be a rotating motor that rotates the detergent carrier  302  between multiple positions, so that at any point during the rotation one of the detergent units  304   1-n  may positioned near the dispensing opening  332 . In some instances, it may be desirable to use a stepper motor, which divides a full rotation into equal numbers of steps. In such instances, each detergent unit  304   1-n  may span a predetermined angle about the axis of rotation. Such an arrangement allows the stepper motor to control which one of the detergent units  304   1-n  is near the dispensing outlet  332  by advancing the carrier a predetermined number of steps corresponding to that predetermined angle. In other embodiments, the carrier driver  602  may be a motor that slides the detergent carrier  302  linearly between multiple positions. 
     The carrier driver  602  may, in some embodiments, be positioned partially (as illustrated in  FIG. 6 ) or wholly within an interior compartment of the door  320  of the dishwasher. In some instances, such a position may be desirable as a way of saving space and minimizing the overall size of the detergent dispenser  300 ; such a position may also provide additional protection for the carrier driver  602  from water or other liquid. In other embodiments, the carrier driver  602  may be disposed on the interior surface of the door  320  of the dishwasher with the remainder of the detergent dispenser  300 . 
     In some embodiments, the carrier driver  602  may include one or more micro switches  604  that are configured to detect if one of the detergent units  304   1-n  is near the dispensing outlet  332 . These micro switches, if present, may be actuated through minimal physical force by use of a tipping-point mechanism, and as such they may, in some instances, be desirable for the detection of a location of a detergent unit  304   1-n . In such embodiments, therefore, a motor other than a stepper motor may be used to rotate the carrier. Further, in some embodiments, other drives may be used to perform the rotation, e.g., a solenoid and ratchet arrangement that indexes the carrier to a next position upon each actuation of the solenoid. 
     In other embodiments, such as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the carrier driver  1000  may be a user-pretensioned spring  1005  (e.g. a clock spring) that may allow energy to be provided by a user and then be stored and used in order to change the position of a detergent unit (not illustrated in  FIG. 10 ) between an open position and a closed position or vice versa. In such an embodiment, a user may “wind up” the pretensioned-spring  1005  at the time the detergent units of the detergent carrier are loaded. A solenoid  1010  may then push a pawl  1015  in order to release a ratcheted segment  1020   1-n , where each ratcheted segment  1020   1-n  corresponds to a detergent unit, which is in either an open or a closed position. For example,  FIG. 10  illustrates six ratcheted segments  1020   1-n , which would correspond to six detergent units; this is not to be understood as limiting, as the number of ratcheted segments  1020   1-n  and corresponding detergent units may vary. 
     In some instances, particularly in embodiments where the detergent units  304   1-n  include a loading opening  316 , the detergent dispenser  300  may additionally include a removable lid  606 . Such a removable lid  606  may be configured to seal the cavity  306  at each of the loading openings  316  and minimize and/or prevent the entry of water or other liquid into each cavity  306  of the detergent units  304   1-n . In some instances, the lid  606  may use compression sealing, which may reduce friction while also ensuring that the cavities  306  of the detergent units  304   1-n  are sealed. Additionally, the lid  606  may also include one or more latching protrusions  608  that are configured to be received by a corresponding void  340  of the detergent carrier  302  in order to form a watertight seal. In some embodiments, the void  340  and latching protrusion  608  are shaped so as to require movement (e.g. twisting, rotation, or the like) of the lid  606  by a user in order for a seal to be formed, which allows for a user to easily apply and remove the lid  606  with a simple motion. As such, it may be desirable in some instances for the lid to further contain a handle  610  or a gripping point for a user. Additionally, the lid  606 , particularly when attached through the use of latching protrusions  608 , may move with the detergent carrier  302  as it moves. In some embodiments, such as illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 , each detergent unit  304   1-n  includes a void  340  corresponding to a latching protrusions  608  on the lid  606 , so that there is a seal at each detergent unit  304   1-n . 
     In some embodiments, the lid  606  may be constructed of a translucent material so that a user may be able to view the contents of each detergent unit  304   1-n . In other embodiments, the lid  606  may be colored so as to match the remainder of the detergent dispenser  300  and/or the door  320  of the dishwasher so as to be aesthetically pleasing to a user. In still other embodiments, the lid  606  may be any other color or opacity desired. In still other embodiments, the carrier may be permanently mounted to and enveloped by the housing, and no separate lid may be used. In such embodiments, each detergent unit may be loaded sequentially, e.g., through the dispensing outlet or through a separate loading outlet disposed at another radial position around the housing (e.g., proximate a top of the dishwasher door to facilitate loading by the user). 
     Although described herein with respect to a dishwasher, this is not intended to be limiting. The technology and techniques disclosed herein may be utilized in any household appliance that requires dispensing of a detergent, such as, for example a washing machine. 
     Various additional modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments consistent with the invention. Therefore, the invention lies in the claims hereinafter appended.