Patent Publication Number: US-11639576-B2

Title: Dispenser box for washer and dryer combination appliance

Description:
FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to laundry appliances and more particularly to a dispenser box assembly for a washer and dryer combination appliance. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     Laundry appliances (i.e., laundry machines, washing machines, and dryers) are prolific in both residential and commercial settings. Traditionally, separate washer and dryer machines have been used in tandem to clean and dry laundry. However, there is a growing market for washer and dryer combination appliances where a single machine performs both the washing and drying functions, thereby eliminating the need for two separate machines. There are a number of different names used to describe washer and dryer combination appliances, including without limitation, “washer/dryer combos” and “all-in-one washer dryers.” While these units save space compared to separate washer and dryer machines, combining the washing and drying functions into a single appliance presents a number of engineering challenges. 
     Many washer and dryer combination appliances have a front-load appliance configuration, where the washer and dryer combination appliance includes an appliance housing with a front appliance opening that is accessed by a front-mounted appliance door. A drum is positioned in and is rotatable with respect to the appliance housing. A motor housed within the appliance housing rotates the drum. The drum typically has a front end with a drum opening that provides access to a laundry compartment inside the drum and a rear end opposite the front end that is coupled to the motor. During wash cycles, laundry in the laundry compartment repeatedly tumbles into water in the lower part of the drum and is then lifted back out of the water as the drum rotates. During drying cycles, warm air is blown through perforations in the rear wall of the drum to permit air flow into the laundry compartment. 
     Front-load laundry appliances, including both washer and dryer combination appliances and traditional washing machines, also typically have a dispenser box in the upper left corner of the appliance housing with a drawer that can be pulled out from the front of the appliance. This drawer typically includes multiple compartments, windows, and/or trays for receiving a single dose of detergent, bleach, or fabric softener, which is mixed with water in the dispenser box during the wash cycle and then fed into the laundry compartment. 
     SUMMARY 
     This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a dispenser box assembly for a laundry appliance is provided where the dispenser box assembly includes a dispenser housing and a lid. The dispenser housing includes a bottom wall and one or more housing walls that cooperate to define a main chamber of the dispenser box assembly. The housing walls extend up from the bottom wall to an upper rim of the dispenser housing. One or more water inlet ports are positioned adjacent to the upper rim of the dispenser housing and a water outlet port is positioned adjacent to the bottom wall of the dispenser housing. The water outlet port is arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber of the dispenser box assembly. 
     The lid of the dispenser box assembly is attached to the upper rim of the dispenser housing. The lid includes an in-lid reservoir. The in-lid reservoir includes an inlet section that is arranged in fluid communication with the water inlet port(s) and a diffuser section with an outlet that is arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber. The dispenser box assembly also includes an air port that is open to the atmosphere and arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber. As a result, the main chamber is open to atmospheric pressure and therefore creates/produces a water pressure drop between the water inlet port(s) and the water outlet port. Advantageously, the air port also operates as an overflow spillway if the water outlet port becomes fully or partially blocked. This provides an anti-siphon function in this failure mode that prevents the back flow of water from the dispenser box assembly to the water inlet valve(s) at the rear of the laundry appliance in the event of a water outlet port and/or wash unit inlet blockage. 
     It should be appreciated that, in accordance with this configuration, the dispenser box assembly does not have a drawer for receiving doses of detergent, bleach, or fabric softener. Instead, the dispenser box assembly functions as an open to atmosphere pressure relief structure through which water flows from one or more water inlet valves of the laundry appliance to the wash unit inlet. The in-lid reservoir of the dispenser box assembly operates to deflect and diffuse the high pressure spray of water that is discharged from the water inlet valve(s). After the inlet water from the water inlet valve(s) is dispensed into the inlet section of the in-lid reservoir via the water inlet port(s), the water travels through the diffuser section of the in-lid reservoir and falls into the main chamber of the dispenser box assembly as it exits through the outlet of the in-lid reservoir. The water in the main chamber then drains through the water outlet port under the influence of gravity. Because the main chamber is open to the atmosphere via the air port, the water pressure at the water outlet port of the dispenser box assembly is simply the head pressure caused by the height of the water in the main chamber and is therefore considerably less than the water pressure at the water inlet port(s). 
     In accordance with other aspects of the present disclosure, the lid of the dispenser box assembly described above may include an upper wall, a lower wall that is spaced below the upper wall, and one or more sidewalls that extend from the upper wall to the lower wall. In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, the outlet of the in-lid reservoir is a plurality of apertures in the lower wall of the lid. Water flowing through the diffuser section of the in-lid reservoir exits through these apertures in the lower wall of the lid and falls into the main chamber as a shower. In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the diffuser section of the in-lid reservoir includes an upper step and a lower step that is deeper than the upper step. The lower step of the in-lid reservoir is separated from the upper step by a riser and the outlet of the in-lid reservoir is an opening in the riser between the upper and lower steps. As a result of this configuration, water flow through the in-lid reservoir reverses in the lower step, exits through the opening in the riser, and falls into the main chamber as a waterfall. Advantageously, both designs slow down the stream of inlet water and reduce the water pressure and splash in the main chamber of the dispenser box assembly to minimize foaming therein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other advantages of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a front perspective view of part of an exemplary laundry appliance where the laundry appliance includes an appliance housing that has been partially removed in  FIG.  1    to reveal several components of the laundry appliance, including an exemplary dispenser box assembly that has been constructed in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a front perspective view of the exemplary dispenser box assembly shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a side cross-sectional view of the exemplary dispenser box assembly shown in  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary lid of the dispenser box assembly shown in  FIG.  3   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a bottom section view of the exemplary lid of the dispenser box assembly shown in  FIG.  4   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a front perspective view of another exemplary dispenser box assembly that has been constructed in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  7    is a side cross-sectional view of the exemplary dispenser box assembly shown in  FIG.  6   ; and 
         FIG.  8    is a bottom section view of an exemplary lid of the dispenser box assembly shown in  FIG.  7   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a dispenser box assembly  20  for a laundry appliance  22  is illustrated. 
     Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. 
     When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments. 
     For purposes of description herein the terms “up,” “down,” “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the assembly as oriented in  FIGS.  1 - 8   . However, it is to be understood that the apparatus and assemblies described herein may assume various alternative orientations. In addition, the term “water” and “fluid” are used interchangeably herein to generally refer to wash water, which may be water or a water based mixture, solution, or suspension, such as water mixed with a detergent, bleach, and/or fabric softener for example and without limitation. 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , the laundry appliance  22  has a front-load configuration and includes an appliance housing  24  that is rectangular in shape. While not shown in  FIG.  1   , it should be appreciated that when the laundry appliance  22  is fully assembled, a front appliance door is pivotally connected to the laundry appliance  22  to open and close a front opening in the appliance housing  24 . A drum housing  26  having a cylindrical shape is mounted inside the appliance housing  24 . The drum housing  26  does not rotate relative to the appliance housing  24 , but does have limited degrees of freedom that allow the drum housing  26  to move/oscillate relative to the appliance housing  24  during tumbling. The drum housing  26  includes a front opening that leads to a cavity inside the drum housing  26 . 
     A drum  27  is positioned in the drum housing cavity and is supported such that the drum  27  is rotatable with respect to the drum housing  26  about a longitudinal axis. The drum  27  also has a cylindrical shape and includes a drum opening that provides access to a laundry compartment  29  inside the drum  27 . Thus, it should be appreciated that in use, laundry (e.g., clothes, towels, and bedding) is placed inside the laundry compartment  29  where it is first cleaned during a wash cycle and then dried during a drying cycle. A drive shaft (not shown), fixedly coupled to the drum  27 , is supported by a bearing pack (not shown) such that the drive shaft and the drum  27  rotate together as a single unit within the appliance housing  24 . A motor (not shown) is positioned in the appliance housing  24  and is coupled to the drive shaft. The motor drives rotation of the drive shaft and the drum  27  relative to the drum housing  26  and the appliance housing  24  during operation of the laundry appliance  22 , such as during washing and tumbling. 
     The dispenser box assembly  20  of the laundry appliance  22  is fixedly mounted inside the appliance housing  24  at a position in the upper left corner, towards the front of the laundry appliance  22 . As will be explained in greater detail below, the dispenser box assembly  20  is connected to three water inlet lines  28  that are connected in fluid communication with three water inlet valves  30  mounted at the rear of the laundry appliance  22 . The dispenser box assembly  20  is also connected to a wash unit inlet pipe  32 , which extends through a front wall of the drum housing  26  and terminates at a wash unit inlet. 
     With reference to  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the dispenser box assembly  20  includes a dispenser housing  34  and a lid  36 . The dispenser housing  34  has a bottom wall  38 , a front housing wall  40 , a rear housing wall  42 , a right housing wall  44 , and a left housing wall  46  that cooperate to define a main chamber  48  of the dispenser box assembly  20 . The front housing wall  40  faces the front of the laundry appliance  22 , the rear housing wall  42  faces the water inlet valves  30  at the rear of the laundry appliance  22 , the bottom wall  38  and the right housing wall  44  generally face toward the drum housing  26 , and the left housing wall  46  faces away from the drum housing  26 . However, it should be appreciated that other arrangements are possible where the dispenser housing  34  has a different number of walls than those illustrated in the Figures. 
     The front, rear, right, and left housing walls  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46  extend up from the bottom wall  38  to an upper rim  50  of the dispenser housing  34  and may include a variety of different attachment features  52  used for fixedly mounting the dispenser box assembly  20  inside the appliance housing  24 . Although the number and location may vary, in the illustrated embodiment, the dispenser housing  34  includes three water inlet ports  54  that are integral (e.g., co-molded) with the rear housing wall  42  at spaced apart positions adjacent to the upper rim  50  of the dispenser housing  34 . The three water inlet ports  54  in the dispenser housing  34  are configured to be connected in fluid communication with the three water inlet valves  30  via the three water inlet lines  28  shown in  FIG.  1   . The dispenser housing  34  also includes a water outlet port  56  that is integral (e.g., co-molded) with the front housing wall  40  at a position adjacent to the bottom wall  38  of the dispenser housing  34 . The water outlet port  56  of the dispenser housing  34  is arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber  48  and is configured to be connected in fluid communication with the wash unit inlet pipe  32  shown in  FIG.  1   . As a result, water in the main chamber  48  drains down through the water outlet port  56 , travels through the wash unit inlet pipe  32 , and into the drum housing  26  during a wash cycle. 
     The dispenser box assembly  20  also has an air port  58  that is open to the atmosphere and arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber  48  of the dispenser box assembly  20 . While the air port  58  of the dispenser box assembly  20  could be placed in a number of different locations on the dispenser box assembly  20  and/or the lid  36 , in the illustrated example, the air port  58  is located in and extends through the front housing wall  40  of the dispenser housing  34  at a location adjacent to the upper rim  50  of the dispenser housing  34 . More specifically, the air port  58  in the illustrated example is configured as a scoop that protrudes from the front housing wall  40  and has an upwardly directed opening. This particular location and configuration of the air port  58  is advantageous should water in the main chamber  48  overflow and spill out through the air port  58 , which doubles as an overflow spillway and anti-siphon feature. For example, if the water outlet port  56  in the dispenser housing  34  becomes fully or partially blocked, the air port  58  will act as an overflow spillway and direct water out through the front housing wall  40 , where it is less likely to interfere with or damage the electrical components of the laundry appliance  22 . Should this failure mode occur, the air port  58  also provides an important anti-siphon functionality that prevents the back flow of water from the dispenser box assembly  20  to the water inlet valves  30  at the rear of the laundry appliance  22 . This greatly reduces the risk of back-feeding water into the water supply lines of a home or building. 
     The lid  36  of the dispenser box assembly  20  includes an upper wall  60  with a perimeter  62  that mates with and is fixedly attached to the upper rim  50  of the dispenser housing  34 . Optionally, the lid  36  may include a double lip interface  64  along the perimeter  62  of the upper wall  60  with an elastomeric seal or gasket to create a fluid-tight seal between the upper wall  60  of the lid  36  and the upper rim  50  of the dispenser housing  34 . Unlike conventional dispenser boxes that include a drawer with compartments for receiving single doses of detergent, bleach, and/or fabric softener, the dispenser box assembly  20  described herein is configured to be fixedly secured within the laundry appliance  22  and has a drawer-less configuration. No part of the dispenser box assembly  20 , including no part of the dispenser housing  34  or lid  36 , is configured to move out from inside the appliance housing  24 . Stated differently, the lid  36  and the dispenser housing  34  described herein do not include user accessible compartments for receiving a dose of detergent, bleach, or fabric softener and are inaccessible from outside the laundry appliance  22 . Instead, the dispenser box assembly  20  functions as an open to atmosphere, pressure relief structure through which water flows from the water inlet valves  30  of the laundry appliance  22  to the wash unit inlet pipe  32 . 
     With additional reference to  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the lid  36  of the dispenser box assembly  20  includes an in-lid reservoir  66 . The in-lid reservoir  66  has an inlet section  68  that is arranged in fluid communication with the water inlet ports  54  on the dispenser housing  34  and a diffuser section  70  with an outlet  72  that is arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber  48  of the dispenser box assembly  20 . In addition to the upper wall  60 , the lid  36  includes a lower wall  74  that is spaced below the upper wall  60  and one or more sidewalls  76  that extend down from the upper wall  60  to the lower wall  74  of the lid  36 . The lower wall  74  of the lid  36  includes a ramped area  78  in the inlet section  68  that terminates at a leading edge  80 . The leading edge  80  of the lower wall  74  is positioned adjacent to the water inlet ports  54 , but is spaced from the rear housing wall  42  by a clearance gap  82 . This clearance gap  82  combined with the ramped area  78  allows water to drain from the inlet section  68  of the in-lid reservoir  66  when no water is entering the dispenser box assembly  20  through the water inlet ports  54 . 
     As best seen in  FIGS.  3  and  5   , the inlet section  68  of the in-lid reservoir  66  includes three inlet channels  84  for each of the water inlet ports  54 . During a wash cycle, the water inlet ports  54  discharge water into the three inlet channels  84  in the inlet section  68  of the in-lid reservoir  66  in a first flow direction  86 . In the illustrated example, the first flow direction  86  that is substantially horizontal, meaning that the first flow direction  86  extends in a direction that is aligned with the upper wall  60  of the lid  36 , plus or minus ten degrees. The inlet channels  84  are defined by two fins  88  that extend from the upper wall  60  of the lid  36  to the lower wall  74  of the lid  36  and are substantially parallel to the first flow direction  86  (i.e., plus or minus ten degrees). The diffuser section  70  of the in-lid reservoir  66  includes a plurality of diffuser posts  90  that extend from the upper wall  60  of the lid  36  to the lower wall  74  of the lid  36 . These diffuser posts  90  are positioned in a staggered arrangement inside the diffuser section  70  of the in-lid reservoir  66 . In addition to these features, the inlet section  68  of the in-lid reservoir  66  includes a first cross-sectional area  92  that is perpendicular to the first flow direction  86  and the diffuser section  70  of the in-lid reservoir  66  includes a second cross-sectional area  94  that is also perpendicular to the first flow direction  86 . The second cross-sectional area  94  of the diffuser section  70  of the in-lid reservoir  66  is larger than the first cross-sectional area  92  of the inlet section  68 . Taken together, these features slow down and organize the flow of water exiting the water inlet ports  54  and produce an associated drop in water pressure. 
     As best seen in  FIGS.  3  and  4   , the outlet  72  of the in-lid reservoir  66  in this illustrated example is a plurality of apertures  96  that extend through the lower wall  74  of the lid  36 . During a wash cycle, water in the diffuser section  70  exits the in-lid reservoir  66 , exits through the plurality of apertures  96  in the lower wall  74  of the lid  36  in a second flow direction  98 , and falls into the main chamber  48  under the influence of gravity as a shower of fluid. The second flow direction  98  is substantially vertical, meaning that the second flow direction  98  extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the upper wall  60  of the lid  36 , plus or minus ten degrees (i.e., the second flow direction  98  is arranged at an 80 to 100 degree angle relative to the upper wall  60  of the lid  36 ). Because the air port  58  that is open to the atmosphere and arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber  48 , the main chamber  48  is open to atmospheric pressure and therefore creates/produces an additional water pressure drop between the water inlet ports  54  and the water outlet port  56 . By way of example and without limitation, the water pressure at the water inlet ports  54  may have a nominal pressure of about 80 pounds per square inch (PSI). The water in the main chamber  48  is not under any external/supply dependent pressure and simply drains through the water outlet port  56  under the influence of atmospheric pressure and gravity since the main chamber  48  is open to the atmosphere via the air port  58 . As a result, the water pressure at the water outlet port  56  of the dispenser box assembly  20  is simply the head pressure caused by the height  100  of the water in the main chamber  48  and is therefore considerably less than the water pressure at the water inlet ports  54 . 
       FIGS.  7  and  8    illustrate another exemplary dispenser box assembly  20 ′, which has a lid  36 ′ and an in-lid reservoir  66 ′ that are constructed in accordance with an alternative configuration. Many of the elements of the dispenser box assembly  20 ′ shown in  FIGS.  7  and  8    are the same or similar to the elements of the dispenser box assembly  20  shown in  FIGS.  1 - 6   , including the dispenser housing  34 , and therefore share the same reference numbers, but have been annotated with a prime symbol (′) after the reference numerals. 
     The in-lid reservoir  66 ′ in this embodiment also has an inlet section  68 ′ that is arranged in fluid communication with the water inlet ports  54 ′ on the dispenser housing  34 ′ and a diffuser section  70 ′ with an outlet  72 ′ that is arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber  48 ′ of the dispenser box assembly  20 ′. The lid  36 ′ includes an upper wall  60 ′, a lower wall  74 ′ that is spaced below the upper wall  60 ′, and one or more sidewalls  76 ′ that extend down from the upper wall  60 ′ to the lower wall  74 ′ of the lid  36 ′. The lower wall  74 ′ of the lid  36 ′ includes a ramped area  78 ′ in the inlet section  68 ′ that terminates at a leading edge  80 ′. The leading edge  80 ′ of the lower wall  74 ′ is positioned adjacent to the water inlet ports  54 ′, but is spaced from the rear housing wall  42 ′ by a clearance gap  82 ′. This clearance gap  82 ′ combined with the ramped area  78 ′ allows water to drain from the inlet section  68 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ when no water is entering the dispenser box assembly  20 ′ through the water inlet ports  54 ′. 
     Again, the inlet section  68 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ includes three inlet channels  84 ′ for each of the water inlet ports  54 ′. During a wash cycle, the water inlet ports  54 ′ discharge water into the three inlet channels  84 ′ in the inlet section  68 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ in a first flow direction  86 ′, which is substantially horizontal. The inlet channels  84 ′ are defined by two fins  88 ′ that extend from the upper wall  60 ′ of the lid  36 ′ to the lower wall  74 ′ of the lid  36 ′ and are substantially parallel to the first flow direction  86 ′ (i.e., plus or minus ten degrees). The diffuser section  70 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ includes a plurality of diffuser posts  90 ′ that extend from the upper wall  60 ′ of the lid  36 ′ to the lower wall  74 ′ of the lid  36 ′. These diffuser posts  90 ′ are positioned in a staggered arrangement inside the diffuser section  70 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′. In addition to these features, the inlet section  68 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ includes a first cross-sectional area  92 ′ that is perpendicular to the first flow direction  86 ′ and the diffuser section  70 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ includes a second cross-sectional area  94 ′ that is also perpendicular to the first flow direction  86 ′. The second cross-sectional area  94 ′ of the diffuser section  70 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ is larger than the first cross-sectional area  92 ′ of the inlet section  68 ′. Taken together, these features slow down and organize the flow of water exiting the water inlet ports  54 ′ and produce an associated drop in water pressure. 
     In this embodiment, the lower wall  74 ′ of the lid  36 ′ has a stepped profile. In accordance with this arrangement, the diffuser section  70 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ includes an upper step  102 ′ and a lower step  104 ′. The lower step  104 ′ of the diffuser section  70 ′ is deeper than the upper step  102 ′ and separated from the upper step  102 ′ by a riser  106 ′, similar in location to the risers of a staircase. In this example, the outlet  72 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ is an opening  108 ′ in the riser  106 ′ between the upper and lower steps  102 ′,  104 ′. The opening  108 ′ in the riser  106 ′ faces the rear housing wall  42 ′ and it should be appreciated that the riser  106 ′ may or may not be a wall, since the opening  108 ′ may extend across the full width and height of the riser  106 ′ between the upper and lower steps  102 ′,  104 ′. 
     During a wash cycle, water flows through the in-lid reservoir  66 ′, reverses direction in the lower step  104 ′ and exits through the opening  108 ′ in in the riser  106 ′ between the upper and lower steps  102 ′,  104 ′ where it falls into the main chamber  48 ′ as a waterfall of fluid. More specifically, the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ is arranged such that water flows into the inlet section  68 ′ of the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ and through the upper step  102 ′ in the first flow direction  86 ′, flows from the upper step  102 ′ to the lower step  104 ′ in the in-lid reservoir  66 ′ in a second flow direction  98 ′, and exits through the opening  108 ′ in the lid  36 ′ in a third flow direction  110 ′. The first flow direction  86 ′ is substantially horizontal, the second flow direction  98 ′ is substantially vertical, and the first and third flow directions  86 ′,  110 ′ point in substantially opposite directions (i.e., they are arranged 180 degrees apart, plus or minus 10 degrees). Because the air port  58 ′ that is open to the atmosphere and arranged in fluid communication with the main chamber  48 ′, the main chamber  48 ′ is open to atmospheric pressure and therefore creates/produces an additional water pressure drop between the water inlet ports  54 ′ and the water outlet port  56 ′. As a result, the water pressure at the water outlet port  56 ′ of the dispenser box assembly  20 ′ is simply the head pressure caused by the height  100 ′ of the water in the main chamber  48 ′ and is therefore considerably less than the water pressure at the water inlet ports  54 ′. 
     In the illustrated example, the laundry appliance  22 ′ is a washer and dryer combination appliance that performs both a wash cycle and a drying cycle; however, it should be appreciated that the dispenser box assembly  20 ′ described herein may also be used in laundry appliances that only perform a wash cycle (i.e., in washing machines). 
     Many modifications and variations of the apparatus and assemblies described in the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings and may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described while within the scope of the appended claims. These antecedent recitations should be interpreted to cover any combination in which the inventive novelty exercises its utility.