Patent Description:
The use of automated laundry washing machines is widespread. Such machines include both relatively simple laundry washing machines that can only wash and rinse laundry, and more complex laundry washing machines that can also dry laundry. The term "laundry washing machine" is used herein to refer to both types of laundry washing machine, and other laundry washing machines as may be known or later made available.

Laundry washing machines typically use a liquid solution to help remove soil from fabrics. The liquid solution usually is water-based, and may comprise water alone, or water mixed with additives (e.g., detergent, fabric softener, bleach, etc.). The cleaning solution may be provided at a variety of different temperatures.

A laundry washing machine typically includes a tub configured to receive and hold the cleaning solution and a drum rotatably mounted inside the tub to receive and hold fabric laundry products, such as clothing, bed sheets and other linens, curtains, and the like. The drum is perforated or otherwise configured to allow cleaning solution to pass between the tub and the drum. In "front-loading" washing machines, the drum rotates on a horizontal or nearly horizontal axis, and the cleaning solution is provided in the lower end of the tub, and as the drum rotates, the laundry is repeatedly raised and lowered into and out of the cleaning solution. In "top-loading" washing machines, the drum rotates on a vertical or nearly vertical axis, and the cleaning solution is provided, during the wash phase, at a level at which the laundry is immersed within the solution. The drum may be reciprocated back and forth to agitate the laundry and cleaning solution, or the drum may remain still while a separate agitator located inside the drum moves to perform the agitation.

The laundry washing machine may have a number of operation programs, which may be selected by the user or selected automatically based on detected conditions (e.g., load weight). In a typical wash phase, the laundry washing machine may determine the amount of wash water and rinse water according to a user's selection of a particular washing program, and then proceed to supply the appropriate amount of cleaning solution to the tub, operate the drum, and otherwise control the laundry washing machine components to execute the selected washing program.

Laundry washing machine additives may be provided in various forms, such as loose powder, liquid and gel. It is also known to provide additives in the form of a unit dose package (also known as a "UDP" or "pod"). The UDP typically comprises a pre-measured amount of treating agent, such as detergent, incorporated into a water-soluble pouch. The detergent may be, for example powder, liquid, paste, waxy or gel compositions, and the pouch typically comprises a water-soluble film. In some cases, the pouch may have multiple compartments containing different compositions. Suitable pouch materials can vary, but they typically comprise polymeric materials, copolymers, or mixtures of materials.

UDPs can be inserted directly into the laundry washing machine drum with the laundry load. However, the Applicants have found that UPDs provided in this way can suffer from various drawbacks.

One drawback is that the UDP might be dissolved only partially. For example, the UDP can become trapped within the laundry in a way that it is only partially-dissolved, which can lead to incomplete or inefficient cleaning and the formation of spots or stains on the laundry. The UDP also can become trapped in or on the bellows seal that surrounds the drum door, again leading to incomplete or inefficient cleaning. The Applicants have also found that pieces of undissolved UDP pouches often remain in the laundry or in the bellows.

A further drawback that the Applicants have identified is that the UDP can be loaded into the drum and dissolved to release the active ingredients before the washing cycle effectively begins. For example, a UDP may be loaded into the drum and begin dissolving in water present within the drum or in the clothing being cleaned. Then, if the washing cycle starts with a draining phase, which is typically performed for safety and/or hygienic reasons at the very beginning of the cycle, some of all of the active ingredients of the UDP may be flushed away during the initial draining phase.

Another drawback can occur if the washing cycle begins after a delay following insertion of the UDP. In such cases, the UDP may break down or its pouch may dissolve before the washing cycle begins, resulting on undesired spots or stains on the laundry due to contact of the highly concentrated detergent emitted from the UDP with the load of laundry. When this happens, the detergent also may fall to the bottom of the drum and be washed away during an initial draining cycle.

Still another drawback the Applicants have identified is that the effective time of breakage of the UDP and the release of detergent cannot be accurately predicted. Thus, the cleaning cycle cannot be optimized to provide the desired duration of contact between the detergent and the laundry.

The Applicants have developed alternative laundry washing machines that address these drawbacks. For example, the Applicants have provided a laundry washing machine that is configured to receive a UDP in a multipurpose additive dispenser compartment (i.e., within a dispenser drawer with compartments that receives detergent and other additives) having adjacent water inlets that are configured to shape the incoming liquid as a jet that can wet and pierce the UDP's water-soluble outer pouch. In this device, the UDP may be conveniently loaded into a compartment in a dispenser that can alternatively receive loose powdered detergent for the main wash phase, and the water jets break open the UDP while it is still in the drawer compartment. This provides more predictable dissolution of the detergent and the opportunity for improved cleaning. While such configurations have been successful and effective, the Applicants have determined that they have possible shortcomings. For example, the water jets that are supposed to break open the UDP pouch may be located in a fluid line having an air break that prevents reverse flow and siphoning, and this air break can limit the amount of hydraulic pressure available to create an effective water jet. In other cases, no air break may be in the water line, but the water pressure provided at the installation location may be insufficient to provide a water jet that can reliably break open different UDPs.

As another example, the Applicants have provided a system in which the UDP can be flushed from a multipurpose additive drawer to a sump located below the tub, where the UDP's contents mix with the water to provide a more dilute and uniform cleaning solution before being deposited on the laundry. This does not rely on the UDP being actively broken apart be water jets in the drawer, but instead relies on conventional dissolution of the UDP's water-soluble outer membrane. However, the Applicants have determined that relying on such dissolution can have shortcomings. For example, different UDP compositions may take different amounts of time to passively dissolve, and the overall time of the wash cycle may need to be increased to accommodate such passive dissolution to ensure complete mixing of the detergent. <CIT> discloses a method for operating a laundry washing machine equipped with a treating agents dispenser comprising a drawer having a compartment suitable to receive a unit dose package comprising a pre-measured amount of treating agent incorporated into a water-soluble pouch. The method comprises a step of conveying a first amount of water to the compartment to wet the unit dose package, a step of making a pause and a step of conveying a second amount of water to the compartment for breaking the water-soluble pouch of the unit dose package. <CIT> discloses a washing machine having a washing tub to accommodate the laundry and configured to receive a UDP in a multipurpose additive dispenser compartment. The compartment is provided with mechanical breaking means for breaking the UDP.

As a result of the Applicant's study of its earlier works, the Applicant has determined that there is a need to provide alternative configurations for laundry washing machine UDP loading and processing systems.

This description of the background is provided to assist with an understanding of the following explanations of exemplary embodiments, and is not an admission that any or all of this background information is necessarily prior art.

In one exemplary aspect, there is provided a laundry washing machine having a casing, a washing tub located within the casing, a drum mounted within the washing tub and configured to rotate relative to the casing, a door attached to the casing and being openable to provide access to the drum, an additive loading and supply system configured to receive one or more cleaning products therein, a soaking chamber configured to receive and hold a unit dose package and at least a first volume of liquid, the unit dose package comprising a water soluble pouch containing a dose of cleaning product, a tub supply pipe fluidly connecting an outlet of the soaking chamber to the washing tub, one or more water supply valves configured to dispense water into the soaking chamber, and a control unit operatively connected to the one or more water supply valves. The control unit has instructions that, when executed: cause the one or more supply valves to supply the first volume of liquid to the soaking chamber, allow the first volume of liquid to reside in the soaking chamber for a predetermined amount of time, and release the first quantity of liquid from the soaking chamber to the tub supply pipe after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

The additive loading and supply system may have an openable receptacle, and the soaking chamber may be located in the additive loading and supply system. The soaking chamber may be a siphon chamber having a siphon tube fluidly connected to the outlet of the siphon chamber. The instructions to release the first quantity of liquid from the soaking chamber to the tub supply pipe may include instructions to cause the one or more supply valves to supply a second volume of liquid to the soaking chamber, the second volume of liquid being sufficient to cause a level of liquid in the soaking chamber to reach the siphon outlet tube to cause the first volume of liquid and the second volume of liquid to siphon out of the soaking chamber and into the tub supply pipe.

A heater or an agitator may be provided and configured to stir the contents of the soaking chamber.

The tub supply pipe may have a first portion fluidly connecting an outlet of the additive loading and supply system to an inlet of the soaking chamber, and a second portion fluidly connecting the outlet of the soaking chamber to at least one of the washing tub and the drum, and the first portion of the tub supply pipe may be dimensioned to allow an unbroken unit dose package to pass from the additive loading and supply system to the soaking chamber. The second portion of the tub supply pipe may be dimensioned to not allow an unbroken unit dose package to pass from the additive loading and supply system to the soaking chamber. In this example, the soaking chamber may be a siphon chamber having a siphon tube fluidly connected to the outlet of the siphon chamber, and the instructions to release the first quantity of liquid from the soaking chamber to the tub supply pipe may include instructions to cause the one or more supply valves to supply a second volume of liquid to the soaking chamber, the second volume of liquid being sufficient to cause a level of liquid in the soaking chamber to reach the siphon outlet tube to cause the first volume of liquid and the second volume of liquid to siphon out of the soaking chamber and into the tub supply pipe. Such a siphon chamber may be received in a receptacle in the laundry washing machine, the receptacle being separate from the additive loading and supply system.

The soaking chamber may be a receptacle that is movable between a first position in which the receptacle is oriented to hold the unit dose package and the first volume of fluid, and a second position in which the receptacle is oriented to allow the contents of the receptacle to fall into the second portion of the tub supply pipe. Such receptacle may be rotatable about a pivot axis, and the instructions to release the first quantity of liquid from the soaking chamber to the tub supply pipe comprise instructions to cause the one or more supply valves to supply a second volume of liquid to the soaking chamber, the second volume of liquid being sufficient to cause the receptacle to pivot about the pivot axis to cause the first volume of liquid and the second volume of liquid to pour out of the receptacle chamber and into the tub supply pipe. Alternatively, such receptacle may be rotatable about a pivot axis, and the instructions to release the first quantity of liquid from the soaking chamber to the tub supply pipe may be instructions to operate a motor to rotate the receptacle from the first position to the second position.

The tub supply pipe may include a first portion, a second portion located downstream of the first portion, and a valve located between the first portion and the second portion. The valve may be movable to a first position in which the valve obstructs flow through the tub supply pipe such that the first portion and the valve form the soaking chamber, and a second position in which the valve does not obstruct flow through the tub supply pipe. In such an embodiment, the instructions to cause the one or more supply valves to supply the first volume of liquid to the soaking chamber may include instructions to position the valve in the first position, and the instructions to release the first quantity of liquid from the soaking chamber to the tub supply pipe after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed may be instructions to position the valve in the second position. The valve may completely block fluid flow from the first portion of the tub supply pipe to the second portion of the tub supply pipe when the valve is in the first position.

In another exemplary aspect, there is provided a method for operating a laundry washing machine. The method includes receiving a unit dose package comprising a water soluble pouch containing a dose of cleaning product in a soaking chamber of the laundry washing machine, providing a first quantity of liquid to the soaking chamber, allowing the first quantity of liquid and the unit dose package to reside in the soaking chamber for a predetermined amount of time, and releasing the first quantity of liquid to a tub supply pipe of the laundry washing machine to flow into a washing tub of the laundry washing machine after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

Releasing the first quantity of liquid to the tub supply pipe to flow into the washing tub after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed may include providing a second quantity of liquid to the soaking chamber, the second quantity of liquid being sufficient to cause the first quantity of liquid and the second quantity of liquid to siphon out of the soaking chamber.

Releasing the first quantity of liquid to the tub supply pipe to flow into the washing tub after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed may include providing a second quantity of liquid to the soaking chamber, the second quantity of liquid being sufficient to cause the first quantity of liquid and the second quantity of liquid to pour out of the soaking chamber.

Releasing the first quantity of liquid to the tub supply pipe to flow into the washing tub after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed may include rotating the soaking chamber to allow the first quantity of liquid and the second quantity of liquid to pour out of the soaking chamber.

Releasing the first quantity of liquid to the tub supply pipe to flow into the washing tub after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed may include opening a valve to allow the first quantity of liquid to pass from a first portion of the tub supply pipe to a second portion of the tub supply pipe.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, strictly by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

The exemplary embodiments described herein provide apparatus and methods for introducing UDPs into laundry washing machines. The exemplary embodiments are expected to provide advancements in one or more of efficiency, convenience, cleaning effectiveness, or other performance aspects for laundry washing machines, but the invention is not intended to be limited to any particular performance benchmark requirements.

Exemplary embodiments are described in the context of certain laundry washing machines, as described below. It will be understood that the laundry machines, may be regular washing machines or combined washing-drying machines. However, it will be understood that embodiments of the inventions are not limited to the particular structures or features of the described laundry washing machines, and that embodiments of the inventions may be conveniently applied to other types of laundry cleaning equipment. Such modifications will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings provided herein.

<FIG> schematically illustrates a laundry washing machine <NUM> of the front loading variety. <FIG> illustrate details of the embodiment of <FIG>, as discussed in more detail below. The laundry washing machine <NUM> has an external housing or casing <NUM>, in which a washing tub <NUM> is provided. The washing tub <NUM> contains a rotatable perforated drum <NUM> in which laundry <NUM> to be washed can be loaded. The washing tub <NUM> and the drum <NUM> both preferably have a generally cylindrical shape, and the drum <NUM> may include various internally-projecting or externally-projecting agitators or wash-enhancing structures, as known in the art. The casing <NUM> includes a door <NUM> (<FIG>) that allows access to the drum <NUM> for loading and unloading laundry <NUM>. A bellows <NUM> (<FIG>) is provided around an open end of the tub <NUM> and drum <NUM> to form a water-tight seal with the casing <NUM> and the door <NUM>, when the door <NUM> is closed, as known in the art. The washing tub <NUM> is preferably suspended in a floating manner inside the casing <NUM>, such as by a number of springs and shock-absorbers (not illustrated). The drum <NUM> may be rotated by an electric motor <NUM> that is operatively connected to the drum <NUM> by a belt and pulley system <NUM> or other power transmission mechanisms (e.g., gears, chains, etc.). In some cases, the motor <NUM> can be directly connected to the drum <NUM> by a common shaft.

The laundry washing machine <NUM> includes an additive loading and supply system <NUM> that is connectable to a water supply system <NUM>, such as household hot and cold water taps. The additive loading and supply system <NUM> and water supply system <NUM> preferably are in the upper part of the laundry washing machine <NUM>, but other locations are possible. The additive loading and supply system <NUM> and water supply system <NUM> are structured to supply water and washing/rinsing products into the washing tub <NUM>. Such cleaning products, as they are generically called, may include, for example, detergents, stain treatments, rinse additives, fabric softeners or fabric conditioners, waterproofing agents, fabric enhancers, rinse sanitization additives, chlorine-based additives, bleach, etc..

The additive loading and supply system <NUM> may include a dispenser tray with one or more compartments designed to be filled or loaded with washing and/or rinsing products. Such compartments may include, for example, a main wash detergent compartment 114a, a stain treatment detergent compartment 114b, a bleach compartment 114c, and a fabric softener compartment 114d. The main wash detergent compartment 114a may be configured to receive powdered detergent and/or detergent contained in a dissolvable UDP. A liquid detergent cup may be provided that is adapted to be received in the main wash detergent compartment for loading and dispensing liquid detergent for the main wash phase. It will be appreciated that there may be more or fewer compartments in the additive loading and supply system <NUM> as may be appropriate for the desired feature level of the washer and in the market in which the washer will be sold.

The dispenser tray containing the compartments may be integrated into a movable drawer <NUM> or a removable container. For example, the additive loading and supply system <NUM> may comprise a sliding drawer having separate compartments for detergent, bleach and softener. Such a slidable drawer <NUM> is shown in the opened position in <FIG>, and in the closed position in <FIG>. Alternatively, the additive loading and supply system <NUM> may comprise one or more compartments that are fixed in place within the casing <NUM>, and the casing <NUM> may include an openable door in the front of the washer or an openable lid in the top of the washer through the case <NUM>. The additive loading and supply system <NUM> may also be located behind the door in a front load washer or under the lid in a top load washer. In such embodiments, the user can load detergent and the like into the additive loading and supply system <NUM> through the opened door.

The additive loading and supply system <NUM> also may be connected to one or more controllable supply valves <NUM> by one or more main inlet pipes <NUM> (it will be understood that the term "pipe" includes rigid pipes, flexible hoses, open channels, and any other structure configured to convey liquid from one location to another). The supply valves <NUM> are selectively operable to provide hot and/or cold water to one or more of the compartments. Where multiple compartments are used, the supply valves <NUM> may be operated separately or simultaneously to dispense fluid into and through each compartment, either individually or in one or more groups, as known in the art, in order to dispense each washing/rinsing product into the washing tub <NUM> at the appropriate time in the wash cycle. As the water provided by the water supply system <NUM> passes through the compartments, it combines with the contents of the compartments, thus forming a liquid cleaning solution.

The water supply system <NUM> is connected to the washing tub <NUM> by one or more tub supply pipes <NUM>. For example, the tub supply pipe <NUM> may comprise a passage that terminates at a lateral side or lower potion of the tub <NUM>, as shown in the example of <FIG>. Alternatively the tub supply pipe <NUM> may connect to the bellows <NUM> or seal that connects the opening of the tub <NUM> to the casing <NUM>. The tub supply pipe <NUM> also may connect to the washing tub <NUM> by way of the drum <NUM>-e.g., by being connected to a bellows that feeds directly into the drum <NUM>, and thus also fluidly communicates with the washing tub <NUM> via holes in the drum <NUM>. As another alternative, the supply pipe <NUM> may connect to a reservoir, where the incoming liquid solution accumulates and may be heated or agitated before being pumped via a separate pump to the tub <NUM>. In any case, the liquid solution may enter the tub <NUM> directly (e.g., enter through an outer wall of the tub <NUM>), or indirectly (e.g., enter the tub <NUM> by way of the drum <NUM> or a reservoir). Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

The composition of the liquid solution passing through the tub supply pipe <NUM> preferably can selectively contain one of the products contained in the compartments of the drawer <NUM>, or such liquid solution can be clean water (i.e., water without added products), depending on the phase of the washing program and user preferences. For example, in the initial phases of the main washing phase of a wash cycle, a liquid detergent solution may be conveyed from the main wash detergent compartment 114a into the tub <NUM> by the incoming water, while in other phases, such as during a rinsing phase, only water is conveyed into the tub <NUM>.

In an optional aspect of the present invention, a sump <NUM> may be provided at the bottom of the tub <NUM>, to provide, among other things, a reservoir in which water and one or more products from the drawer compartments can be thoroughly dissolved, mixed and evenly dispersed (homogenized) in the water prior to being deposited on the laundry <NUM> in the drum <NUM>. The wash liquid in the sump may also be heated to a sufficient temperature to fully activate the detergent prior to being deposited on the laundry <NUM> in the drum <NUM> for enhanced cleaning effectiveness. The volume of the sump <NUM> may be selected to completely hold an initial charge of the incoming wash liquid solution. The initial charge of water may be of a quantity sufficient to fill the drum <NUM> to a level at which wash solution is below the drum <NUM> and does not wet the laundry on the drum.

In the shown embodiment, the sump <NUM> is fluidly connected to a main outlet pipe <NUM>, which leads to a filter <NUM>. The filter <NUM> (which is optional), is provided to filter debris that might be harmful to the downstream pump or pumps from the liquid solution. Any suitable filter type may be used (e.g., paper, plastic or metal mesh, etc.). The outlet of the filter <NUM> may be connected to a first pipe <NUM> that leads to the inlet of a recirculation pump <NUM>. The outlet of the recirculation pump <NUM> is connected to a recirculation pump outlet pipe <NUM> that leads back to the sump <NUM>. Upon activation, the recirculation pump <NUM> draws liquid solution out of the sump <NUM> and then pumps it back into the sump <NUM>, to thereby fully dissolve the detergent, and mix and homogenize the wash solution. A heater may also be provided in the sump (or other suitable location in the recirculation path) to assist with the process of activating the detergent or other active ingredients in the liquid solution.

The outlet of the filter <NUM> is also connected to a second pipe <NUM>, which leads to the inlet of a distribution pump <NUM>. The outlet of the distribution pump <NUM> is connected a distribution pump outlet pipe <NUM> that leads to the tub <NUM>. Once the detergent has been substantially fully dissolved, homogenized and activated in the wash liquid in the sump, the distribution pump <NUM> is activated to convey the liquid solution from the sump <NUM> to an upper region of the drum <NUM>, where the liquid solution is applied to the laundry <NUM> as the drum is rotated to wet the laundry with the wash liquid. The distribution pump outlet pipe <NUM> preferably is positioned to effectively distribute the liquid solution throughout the laundry <NUM>. For example, it may lead to a tub inlet <NUM> located on an upper portion the bellows seal <NUM> surrounding the drum closure door <NUM>, or the like, and there may be a spray nozzle on the outlet to spray the wash liquid on the laundry. An additional charge of water is supplied to the drum to raise the level of the wash liquid into the lower portion of the drum, such that as the drum is rotated the laundry is lifted by vanes in the drum out of the wash liquid and dropped back into the wash liquid.

The outlet of the filter <NUM> is also connected to a water draining system that is configured to drain the liquid solution, e.g., dirty water or water mixed with cleaning products and dirt, from the tub <NUM> and drum <NUM>. For example, the water draining system may include a third pipe <NUM> that connects the outlet of the filter <NUM> to the inlet of a draining pump <NUM>. The outlet of the draining pump <NUM> is fluidly connected to a main outlet pipe <NUM>. Upon activation, the draining pump <NUM> conveys liquid solution from the sump <NUM> to the main outlet pipe <NUM>. The main outlet pipe <NUM> is configured to be fluidly connected to a household draining pipe system (not illustrated).

The first pipe <NUM>, second pipe <NUM> and third pipe <NUM> are shown as being fluidly separate from one another, but it will be appreciated that they may be fluidly connected as branches of a common fluid passage. It will also be appreciated that each of the pumps <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may have its own separate filter or one or more may not have a filter. Also, the main outlet pipe <NUM> may be directly connected to the draining pump <NUM>, rather than passing through the filter.

In other embodiments, one or both of the recirculation pump <NUM> and the distribution pump <NUM> (as well as the associated fluid paths) may be omitted. For example, both pump <NUM>, <NUM> may be omitted, and the tub supply pipe <NUM> may lead directly to a drum inlet <NUM> located at the top of the bellows door seal <NUM>. As another example, the recirculation pump <NUM> may be omitted, but the distribution pump <NUM> may remain to pump the detergent from the sump <NUM> to the top of the drum <NUM>. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

The laundry washing machine <NUM> may be advantageously provided with one or more liquid level sensors <NUM> (schematically illustrated in <FIG>) configured to sense or detect the liquid level inside the tub <NUM> as is well understood in the art. The level sensor <NUM> may comprise, for example, a pressure sensor that is acted upon by the liquid in the tub <NUM> to provide a sensor signal indicative of the liquid level of the wash water and/or the foam level contained in the tub <NUM>. In some cases, the pressure sensor may be fluidly connected with a draining sump of the water draining system. The level sensor <NUM> also may comprise a mechanical, electro-mechanical, electrical, or optical fluid level measuring system, etc. Such devices are known in the art (e.g., floats, capacitance sensors, etc.) and need not be described in detail herein.

The laundry washing machine <NUM> also includes a control unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> includes hardware and software configured to operate the laundry washing machine. In one example, the control unit <NUM> includes one or more processors that are programmed to execute machine-readable code stored on one or more memory devices. A typical processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and so on. Memory devices may be provided as random access memory (RAM) for temporary data storage, read only memory (ROM) for permanent data storage, firmware, flash memory, external and internal hard-disk drives, and the like. The processor communicates with the memory device via a communication bus or the like to read and execute computer-readable instructions and code stored in a non-transient manner in the memory devices. The incorporation of control units into laundry washing machines is well-known in the art and the details of the control unit <NUM> need not be explained in more detail herein.

The control unit <NUM> is operatively connected to the various parts of the laundry washing machine <NUM> in order to control its operation. The control unit <NUM> preferably is operatively connected to: the electric motor <NUM> so that the drum speed may be controlled; the controlled supply valves <NUM> so that the water supplied to the drawer <NUM> is controlled; and to the pumps <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to control their respective operations. The control unit also may be connected to the level sensor <NUM> to determine a level of water and/or foam inside the tub <NUM>, a load weight measuring system, one or more water temperature sensors, lockout switches (e.g., a switch that prevents operation if the loading/unloading door <NUM> is opened), and so on. The control unit <NUM> also may be configured to perform unbalanced laundry checks to verify whether the laundry <NUM> loaded in the drum <NUM> is balanced or not, and to perform various conventional operations.

The operative connections between the control unit <NUM> and the remaining parts (shown schematically by dashed lines) may be by electrical wires, wireless communication, and the like. Suitable control devices (e.g., solenoids to operate valves, motor controllers, etc.) are provided to allow the control unit <NUM> to operate the various components. Conventional fuses, power converters, and other ancillary features also may be included as necessary or desired.

The control unit <NUM> is also operatively connected to a user interface <NUM> that is accessible to the user. The user interface <NUM> is configured to allow the user to select and set the washing parameters, for example by selecting a desired washing program. The user interface <NUM> also may be configured to allow the user to input other operating parameters, such as the washing temperature, the spinning speed, the load in terms of weight of the laundry to be washed, the type of fabric of the load, etc..

The user interface <NUM> may comprise any suitable arrangement of input and output mechanisms. For example, input may be provided by one or more dials, switches, buttons, touchscreens, or the like, and output may be provided by one or more position markers, textual or graphic images, illuminable lights or displays, touchscreens, and so on. In one example, the user interface includes a display 154a, power button, a rotatable operation program selection dial 154b that selects among pre-set operation programs (e.g., sanitary cycle, light load, heavy load, etc.), and a number of operation program adjustment buttons that can be operated to modify aspects of the pre-set operation programs (e.g., temperature adjustment, time adjustment, spin speed adjustment, etc.). One input may comprise a dedicated UDP or Pod cycle input 154c button or selector.

The control unit <NUM> is configured to operate the various parts of the laundry washing machine <NUM> to effectuate the pre-set operation programs, and to make adjustments to these operation programs based on user input. The control unit <NUM> also may use sensor feedback to modify the cycles and variables for each pre-set operation program. For example, the control unit <NUM> may change the volume of water used during a particular load cycle based on detecting a load weight above a certain value. As another example, the control unit <NUM> may reduce the spin speed of a particular spin cycle if a balance indicator (e.g., an accelerometer or the like) indicates excessive vibration. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

<FIG> illustrates features of the additive loading and supply system (or additive supply system) <NUM> and related components, including the valves <NUM>, main inlet pipes <NUM>, drawer <NUM>, and tub supply pipe <NUM>. The additive loading and supply system <NUM> includes the drawer <NUM>, which is slidingly received within a drawer housing <NUM>. The exemplary drawer <NUM> includes a main wash compartment <NUM>, and may include additional compartments, such as a second compartment <NUM>, a third compartment <NUM>, and a fourth compartment <NUM>, as previously described.

The first or main wash compartment <NUM> is configured to receive powdered detergent, liquid detergent with the insertion of an inset cup, or detergent provided in a UDP form for the main wash phase of a wash cycle. In particular, the main wash compartment <NUM> is sized to receive UDPs having one or more shapes and sizes. The main wash compartment <NUM> has an open rear end to allow powder detergent or the UDP to move out of the main wash compartment <NUM>, through a funnel , into the supply pipe <NUM> and to the tub. The main wash compartment may be in the form of a trough (e.g. gutter) formed in the bottom internal wall of the drawer housing <NUM> that slopes downward to the funnel/tub supply pipe <NUM> located adjacent the rear end of the bottom wall.

The additional compartments <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are configured to receive liquid additives (e.g., liquid detergent, fabric softener, fabric conditioners, waterproofing agents, fabric enhancers, rinse sanitization additives, chlorine-based additives, bleach, etc.). Each additional compartment has a respective siphon tube <NUM>', <NUM>', <NUM>' that empties into the space between the bottom internal wall of the drawer housing and a lower external wall of the drawer housing. The external lower wall slopes downward toward a read end of the drawer housing and the lower outer wall, to allow liquid additives to move out of the drawer housing, through the funnel and the supply pipe <NUM>, and into the tub. The funnel for the liquid additives may be the same as the one provided for the dry detergent, but separate funnels may be used if desired.

Dry detergent, UDPs and liquid additives are moved from their respective compartments to the tub supply pipe <NUM> by activating the appropriate valves <NUM> to create water flows to move the additives. In the illustrated example, the valves <NUM> are fluidly connected to a plurality of fluid ducts <NUM> located in the upper wall <NUM> of the drawer housing <NUM>. The ducts <NUM> include respective outlet ports <NUM> that direct incoming hot and/or cold water to one or more of the compartments. The outlet ports <NUM> may have any desired configurations and positions. The ducts <NUM> are shown for clarity in <FIG> as being open to the top, but in normal use they preferably are sealed from above by a cover <NUM> (<FIG>) to prevent leakage.

Selective operation of the valves <NUM> can be implemented to direct fluid to the desired compartment at the desired time, as known in the art. Water directed to the main wash detergent compartment <NUM> causes the main wash detergent or UDP to move through the outlet <NUM> and into the tub supply pipe <NUM>. To this end, the bottom wall of the main wash compartment <NUM> may be sloped downwards towards the outlet <NUM>. Such slope may be selected such that powdered detergent or a UDP does not move through the outlet <NUM> until water is provided into the main wash compartment. In those cases in which a liquid detergent is desired to be added to the compartment, a removable cup having a siphon (not shown) may be provided to hold the liquid detergent and prevent it from flowing through the outlet <NUM>. Water directed to the liquid additive compartments <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> (or to compartment <NUM> when a liquid cup is used) accumulates in those compartments until the liquid level is high enough to enter the respective siphon <NUM>', <NUM>', <NUM>', resulting in ejection of the liquid through the siphon <NUM>', <NUM>', <NUM>'.

As noted above, it is known from the Applicant's prior work to configure a compartment such as the main wash compartment <NUM> to have features for actively breaking open a UDP. For example, one or more of the outlets <NUM> may be configured to generate water jets that penetrate the UDP's outer pouch. It is also known from the Applicant's prior work that a UDP that is not actively broken open (either by a failure of the water jets or simply an absence of the water jets from the device) may progress to a sump <NUM> where it is opened by conventional dissolution of the water-soluble outer pouch. While those configurations and machine functionalities are both useful, it has been found that other alternatives may be provided for reliably breaking open and dissolving the UDP pouch, particularly by holding the UDP pouch in a soaking chamber that is filled partially or completely with water.

Referring now to <FIG>, in one embodiment, a soaking chamber <NUM> may comprise a receptacle <NUM> having a siphon <NUM> extending into it. The siphon <NUM> may have any suitable shape. In the shown embodiment, the siphon <NUM> is formed by a siphon tube <NUM> that extends upwards from a hole passing through the bottom of the receptacle <NUM>, and a siphon cap <NUM> that surrounds the siphon tube <NUM>. The siphon cap <NUM> forms a passage from the top of the siphon tube <NUM> to a point near the bottom of the receptacle <NUM>. Together, the siphon tube <NUM> and siphon cap <NUM> form a continuous closed passage that extends from a siphon inlet <NUM> located near the bottom of the receptacle <NUM> to a siphon outlet <NUM>. The top of the siphon tube <NUM> forms the highest internal point of this siphon passage. Thus, it will be understood that the siphon <NUM> is configured to siphon liquid in the receptacle <NUM> into the siphon inlet <NUM> and out through the siphon outlet <NUM> once the liquid level in the receptacle <NUM> reaches the level of the top of the siphon tube <NUM>, as known in the art.

It will be understood that other kinds of siphons <NUM> may be used. For example, an inverted U-shaped tube may extend over a sidewall and into the receptacle <NUM> to locate a siphon inlet near the bottom of the receptacle. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

The receptacle <NUM> is configured to receive a UDP <NUM> and a supply of liquid (e.g., cold and/or warm water) from an inlet nozzle <NUM>. To this end, the receptacle <NUM> may be dimensioned to have an open internal space that is larger than a typical UDP <NUM> (e.g., about <NUM> to <NUM> inches square, and <NUM> inch tall). If necessary, the siphon <NUM> may be located at or near one sidewall of the receptacle, such as shown, but this is not required.

Water may be provided to the inlet nozzle <NUM> by a valve <NUM> under the control of a control unit <NUM>, or by other mechanisms as known in the art. When the water level in the receptacle <NUM> reaches the highest internal point of the siphon <NUM> (e.g., the top of the siphon tube <NUM>, the water and other contents of the receptacle will begin siphoning out through the siphon <NUM>.

In use, a UDP <NUM> is loaded into the receptacle <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> activates the valve <NUM> to direct a first volume of liquid through the nozzle <NUM> and into the receptacle <NUM>. As the water contacts the UDP <NUM>, it reacts with and begins to dissolve the UDP pouch material. This reaction continues while the UDP pouch is in contact with water. Eventually, the pouch will break open to release the contents of the UDP into the receptacle with the water, at which point the contents of the pouch dissolve in or homogenize with the water in the receptacle <NUM>. The UDP pouch also continues to dissolve, preferably (but not necessarily) until it is completely dissolved.

After the UDP <NUM> reaches the desired level of dissolution in the water, the control unit <NUM> operates the valve <NUM> to provide a second volume of water through the nozzle <NUM> to raise the water level above the highest internal point of the siphon <NUM>. Thus, the contents of the receptacle <NUM> begin siphoning out of the receptacle <NUM> to be used in a laundry washing process. The contents continue to siphon out until the valve <NUM> is closed and the liquid level in the receptacle <NUM> drops below the siphon inlet <NUM>.

In the foregoing example, the control unit <NUM> may close the valve <NUM> for a period of time after the water level in the receptacle <NUM> has reached a point that is sufficient to wet some or all of the UDP pouch material, but below the siphon's highest internal point <NUM>, to provide a first quantity of water. This provides a soaking period in which the water dissolves the UDP's pouch and contents. However, it is also envisioned that the dissolution rate of the UDP pouch and contents may, in some cases, be relatively high and/or the flow rate into the receptacle <NUM> may be relatively low, such that the valve <NUM> can remain open continuously until siphoning begins, while still obtaining suitable dissolution of the UDP pouch and contents. In this case, the first volume of liquid that is passed through the valve <NUM> and into the receptacle <NUM> to dissolve the UDP <NUM> is essentially continuous with the second volume of liquid that is passed through the valve <NUM> to cause the contents of the receptacle <NUM> to pass through the siphon <NUM>. The desired amount of time-i.e., the soaking period-between initial wetting of the UDP <NUM> and providing the second volume of liquid (i.e., initiating siphoning) may be determined empirically.

As noted above, the siphon's highest internal point may be selected to help obtain a desirable amount of dissolution of the UDP. For example, the highest internal point within the siphon <NUM> may be provided at a height H from the bottom of the receptacle <NUM> that is equal to or greater than the average height of the UDP <NUM>. The height may be selected based on a particular UDP <NUM> (i.e., a particular brand of UDP designated for use with the machine), an average of UDPs available on the market, and so on. Providing the height H at or above the UDP height helps ensure that the entire UDP pouch surface is wetted by the water as soon as possible to start a uniform dissolution process.

In some cases, complete wetting may not occur during the initial wetting. For example, the UDP <NUM> might begin to float, leaving the uppermost floating surfaces dry. This may be mitigated by locating the nozzle <NUM> where it will wet the top of the UDP. In any event, as the portions of the UDP <NUM> located in the water begin to dissolve, the unwetted portions eventually sink into contact with the water to be dissolved.

The soaking chamber <NUM> may include features or be designed to prevent undissolved portions of UDP pouches from blocking the siphon inlet <NUM> or clogging the siphon passage. For example, the siphon inlet may comprise a perforated opening or a series of spaced holes, or be surrounded by a mesh or filter that prevents large pieces of undissolved UDP pouch material from passing therethrough.

The soaking chamber <NUM> also may include other features to help assist with breaking open and dissolving the UDP <NUM>. For example, a heating element <NUM> may be provided in or near the soaking chamber <NUM> to raise the temperature of the water and liquid solution to help dissolve and homogenize the UDP <NUM> with the water. The heating element <NUM> may be a resistive heater, a Peltier device, and so on, as known in the art, and it may be controlled by he control unit <NUM>. The heating element <NUM> also may be a pre-existing component of a washing machine, such as a sump water heater that is located near the soaking chamber <NUM>.

A mechanical agitator also may be used in conjunction with a soaking chamber <NUM>. For example, a mixing rod <NUM> may extend into the receptacle <NUM> to stir the contents of the receptacle. The mixing rod <NUM> may be mounted on a rotatable plate <NUM> at a point that is offset from the plate's center of rotation, and the plate driven by a motor <NUM> under control of the control unit <NUM>, to thereby cause the rod <NUM> to move in a circular stirring pattern. Other mechanical agitators also may be used. For example, the mixing rod <NUM> may be replaced by one or more blades or pins that contact the UDP <NUM> to assist with breakage, or the receptacle <NUM> may include a recirculation pump to mix the contents. Alternatives to the mixing rod <NUM> will be readily envisioned based on this disclosure. For example, the mixing rod <NUM> may be replaced by an agitator (rod, disc, blades, vanes, etc.) located in the bottom or side wall of the compartment, or it may be replaced by a recirculating pump. Combinations of devices also may be used.

In still other embodiments, a hydraulic agitator may be provided to assist with breaking open the UDP <NUM>. For example, the nozzle <NUM> may be formed as a laminar flow jet that generates a concentrated flow of water against the UDP <NUM> to help pierce the UDP pouch, or such concentrated flow may be directed into the water to generate a stirring motion. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

As noted above, the receptacle <NUM> preferably is at least large enough to receive a conventional UDP <NUM>. Thus, the entire UDP <NUM> can be surrounded by water for dissolution. The receptacle <NUM> also may be made large enough to ensure that the volume of water in the receptacle <NUM> does not become saturated and unable or inefficient to continue dissolving the UDP pouch and/or contents. The receptacle <NUM> also may be sized to provide a pre-wash mixing chamber for a relatively large volume of liquid solution, for example, comparable to the volume of a sump <NUM>, to provide more complete mixing and homogenizing of the water and detergent prior to applying the liquid solution to the laundry.

A soaking chamber such as described herein may be located at any suitable position within the laundry washing machine. Referring to <FIG>, in one embodiment, the soaking chamber <NUM> is located within an otherwise conventional additive loading and supply system <NUM>. For example, the additive loading and supply system <NUM> may comprise a drawer, such as described in relation to <FIG>, having multiple compartments for receiving different additives. One compartment may be dimensioned and configured as a soaking chamber <NUM> having a receptacle and siphon, such as described above in relation to <FIG>. The soaking chamber <NUM> may be a dedicated compartment that is intended only for use with UDPs, or it may be multipurpose compartment that may also be used with loose additives. For example, the soaking chamber <NUM> may be a compartment that is provided for adding fabric softener in either liquid or UDP form. As another example, the detergent compartment 114a may be divided into a loose detergent compartment and a fluidly separate soaking chamber <NUM>. It will also be understood that the additive loading and supply system <NUM> need not be provided as a sliding drawer, and may instead comprise a compartment that is accessed via an openable wall or panel through the outer casing of the machine. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, in other embodiments, a soaking chamber <NUM> may be provided separately from the remaining additive loading and supply system <NUM>. In this example, the soaking chamber <NUM> is provided in the tub supply pipe <NUM> extending from the additive loading and supply system <NUM> to the tub <NUM>. The soaking chamber <NUM> also may be upstream of the additive loading and supply system <NUM>.

In this example, the soaking chamber <NUM> may be accessible or openable to directly place the UDP into the soaking chamber <NUM>. For example, the soaking chamber <NUM> may be mounted to a separate drawer <NUM> that may be removed to add a UDP to the soaking chamber <NUM>. As another example, the soaking chamber <NUM> may be accessed via a panel or door that is opened to drop the UDP into the soaking chamber <NUM>.

Alternatively, the soaking chamber <NUM> may be indirectly loaded by loading the UDP into the laundry washing machine <NUM> at some other location, and then conveying the UDP to the soaking chamber <NUM>. For example, the additive loading and supply system <NUM> may have a detergent compartment 114a that has an outlet (e.g., outlet <NUM> in <FIG>) that is dimensioned to allow an undissolved UDP to pass therethrough and down the tub supply pipe <NUM> to fall into the soaking chamber <NUM>.

In this example of <FIG>, the contents of the additive loading and supply system <NUM> all pass through the soaking chamber <NUM> to get to the tub <NUM>. When it is desired to supply non-UDP contents of the additive loading and supply system <NUM> to the tub <NUM>, it may be necessary to provide sufficient volume of water flow to ensure that the non-UDP contents fully pass through the soaking chamber <NUM>. For example, when adding liquid fabric softener from a siphon-type fabric softener compartment 114c such as described above in relation to <FIG>, it is necessary to supply sufficient water to cause the mixture of water and fabric softener to pass through the siphon in the fabric softener compartment 114c, and then subsequently through the siphon in the soaking chamber <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a variation on the embodiment of <FIG>, in which the additive loading and supply system <NUM> is constructed such that one or more of the compartments feed into a first tub supply pipe <NUM> leading to a soaking chamber <NUM>, and one or more other compartments feed into a second tub supply pipe <NUM> that bypasses the soaking chamber <NUM>. The second tub supply pipe <NUM> may take any fluid path to bypass the soaking chamber <NUM>, such as by leading directly to the tub <NUM> or leading to a portion of the first tub supply pipe <NUM> located downstream of the soaking chamber <NUM>.

In other embodiments, the laundry washing machine may have a soaking chamber that is selectively moved into the tub supply pipe <NUM>, such that it is only used when a UDP is to be dissolved.

<FIG> illustrates another embodiment of a soaking chamber <NUM>. In this example, the soaking chamber <NUM> comprises a receptacle <NUM> that is configured to receive a UDP <NUM> and a first volume of water <NUM>. The UDP <NUM> may be loaded directly or indirectly, such as described above. The water <NUM> may be added by any suitable supply, such as a nozzle located in an upstream additive loading and supply system <NUM>, or a separate nozzle located adjacent to the receptacle <NUM>.

The receptacle <NUM> is configured to remain in a first, upright, position to hold the UDP <NUM> and water <NUM> for a predetermined amount of time to allow the water <NUM> to break open and at least partially dissolve the contents of the UDP <NUM> to form a liquid solution, then subsequently allow the liquid solution to pass downstream to be used in the tub for cleaning laundry. To this end, the receptacle <NUM> is mounted on a pivot <NUM> that allows the receptacle to tilt over when the combined center of gravity of the receptacle <NUM> and its contents rises above the level of the pivot <NUM>. For example, when the water reaches a predetermined level <NUM> the combined center of gravity rises above the pivot <NUM>. At this point, any movement of the combined system will cause the receptacle <NUM> to tilt over to a second position (broken lines) and release its contents. Once the liquid solution is released, the center of mass of the empty receptacle <NUM> is offset from the pivot <NUM> to cause the receptacle to swing back to the upright position.

If desired, the pivot <NUM> may be offset in one direction relative to the volumetric center of the receptacle <NUM>, such as shown, to allow tilting only in one direction. Travel stops also maybe provided to control the receptacle's movement.

The receptacle <NUM> is shown having a tapered inner volume that is wider at the top, which can be useful to make the overall vertical size smaller and encourage complete emptying of the receptacle <NUM> when it tilts. The inner volume may be rectilinear (e.g., rectangular or square when viewed from above), circular (e.g., a conic section), or have other shapes.

The foregoing soaking chamber <NUM> may be used by supplying a first volume of water <NUM> that is sufficient to soak the UDP <NUM> and begin dissolution, but is just below the tipping point. After the desired soaking time, a second volume of water is added to raise the total liquid solution level to the tipping point <NUM>, and the contents are released to transfer the liquid solution to the tub. If desired additional fillings may be performed to cause the receptacle <NUM> to repeatedly tip over, to ensure that all of the UDP contents are released.

<FIG> shows another embodiment of a soaking chamber <NUM>. In this example, the soaking chamber <NUM> comprises a receptacle <NUM> that is configured to receive a UDP <NUM> and a volume of water <NUM>. As with the previous embodiment, the UDP <NUM> may be inserted directly into the receptacle <NUM> via a door or the like, or indirectly into the receptacle <NUM> such as by using a flow of water to flush the UDP <NUM> down from an additive loading and supply system (e.g., additive supply system <NUM>).

The receptacle <NUM> is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, which is shown in solid lines in <FIG>, the receptacle <NUM> holds the UDP <NUM> and water <NUM> while the water <NUM> breaks open the UDP <NUM> and dissolves or mixes with its contents. In the second position, shown in broken lines, the receptacle <NUM> is tilted over to allow the liquid solution formed by the water <NUM> and dissolved portions of the UDP <NUM>, as well as any remaining solid pieces of the UDP <NUM>, to fall down a tub supply pipe <NUM> to be conveyed to the tub or some intermediate destination.

The receptacle <NUM> may be moved between the first position and the second position using any suitable mechanism. For example, in the shown embodiment, the receptacle <NUM> is mounted on a pivot <NUM>, which connected directly to an output shaft of an electric motor <NUM>. In other embodiments, the linkage between the electric motor <NUM> and the pivot <NUM> may include gears, belts, multiple-bar linkages, sliders, cams, and so on, as known in the art of mechanics. The motor also may be replaced by a solenoid that pushes on the receptacle or on a lever arm attached to the pivot <NUM>, or by other mechanisms. One of more springs also may be provided to bias the receptacle <NUM> to the first position or the second position, as desired. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

<FIG> shows another embodiment of a soaking chamber <NUM>. In this embodiment, the soaking chamber <NUM> is formed by a portion of the tub supply pipe <NUM> located upstream of a valve <NUM>. The valve <NUM> is movable between a first, closed, position (shown in solid lines) in which the valve <NUM> blocks the tub supply pipe <NUM>, and a second, open, position (broken lines) in which the valve <NUM> does not block the tub supply pipe <NUM>.

In the first position, the valve <NUM> cooperates with the upstream portion of the tub supply pipe <NUM> to form a chamber <NUM> to receive a UDP <NUM>. The UDP <NUM> may be deposited directly into this chamber <NUM>, but more preferably is indirectly deposited into the chamber <NUM> by being flushed from a separate upstream receptacle (e.g., additive supply system <NUM>) by a flow of water. Water is also added to the chamber <NUM>, either before, with, or after the UDP <NUM>, using one or more valves and nozzles, such as described above.

The valve <NUM> remains in the first position until the water breaks open the UDP and at least partially dissolves and mixes with UDP's contents for form a liquid solution. At this time, the valve <NUM> moves to the second position to allow the liquid solution and an undissolved portions of the UDP to continue down the tub supply pipe <NUM>. The valve <NUM> may be operated by a control unit <NUM> that operates a motor (electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc.), a solenoid, and so on. One or more springs may be provided to bias the valve <NUM> to the first or second position.

The valve <NUM> may be any suitable type of valve that provides a seal sufficient to hold the UDP <NUM> and water until proper dissolution has been achieved. For example, the valve <NUM> may comprise a flapper valve (such as shown), a ball valve, a butterfly valve, a rotating or sliding gate valve, and so on. The valve <NUM> also may be formed by flexible walls of the tub supply pipe <NUM> that are selectively pinched together (e.g., between cams or rollers) to prevent flow through the supply pipe <NUM>.

Also, the valve <NUM> is not strictly required to seal across the entire width of the tub supply pipe <NUM>. For example, the valve <NUM> may comprise a movable weir that selectively blocks the lower portion of a horizontal or sloping portion of the tub supply pipe <NUM>, so that water and the UDP <NUM> may be retained upstream of the weir until the weir is moved away to allow the liquid solution to pass. As another example, the valve <NUM> may comprise a portion of the tub supply pipe <NUM> that is selectively raised to form an incline over which the water and UDP <NUM> cannot flow until it is lowered again.

In other embodiments, the soaking chamber <NUM> may be provided as a separate assembly that is spliced into a tub supply pipe <NUM> between the additive loading and supply system <NUM> and the tub <NUM>. As another alternative, the soaking chamber <NUM> may be located in a separate fluid path between the additive loading and supply system <NUM> and the tub <NUM>, such as described in relation to <FIG>.

It will be appreciated that the various embodiments of soaking chambers described herein may be provided at any suitable location within a laundry washing machine, such as within an otherwise conventional additive loading and supply system, in the fluid path from an additive loading and supply system to the tub, in an internal chamber within the laundry washing machine, in a separate additive supply chamber (drawer or openable receptacle), and so on. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
A laundry washing machine (<NUM>) comprising:
a casing (<NUM>);
a washing tub (<NUM>) located within the casing (<NUM>);
a drum (<NUM>) mounted within the washing tub (<NUM>) and configured to rotate relative to the casing (<NUM>);
a door (<NUM>) attached to the casing (<NUM>) and being openable to provide access to the drum (<NUM>);
an additive loading and supply system (<NUM>) configured to receive one or more cleaning products therein;
wherein said laundry washing machine (<NUM>) comprises:
a soaking chamber (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) configured to receive and hold a unit dose package (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) and at least a first volume of liquid (<NUM>), the unit dose package (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) comprising a water soluble pouch containing a dose of cleaning product;
a tub supply pipe (<NUM>; <NUM>) fluidly connecting an outlet of the soaking chamber (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) to the washing tub (<NUM>);
one or more water supply valves (<NUM>) configured to dispense water into the soaking chamber (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>); and
a control unit (<NUM>) operatively connected to the one or more water supply valves (<NUM>), the control unit (<NUM>) comprising instructions that, when executed:
cause the one or more supply valves (<NUM>) to supply the first volume of liquid (<NUM>) to the soaking chamber (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>),
allow the first volume of liquid (<NUM>) to reside in the soaking chamber (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) for a predetermined amount of time, and
release the first quantity of liquid from the soaking chamber (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) to the tub supply pipe (<NUM>; <NUM>) after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.