Patent ID: 8122743

Claim:
An automatically controlled washing machine having a machine room in an upper part on a front side of the washing machine, the washing machine comprising: a housing; a detergent dispensing unit arranged in the machine room; a drawer arranged in the machine room and accessible from the front side of the washing machine, the drawer having at least one compartment whose top is open to allow for hand-dosed addition of one of a washing powder portion and a washing liquid portion; an overridable latching device attached to the drawer; a counter-latching device attached to the housing and to correspond to the latching device when the drawer is opened by a predetermined distance to fill the compartment with the one of the washing powder portion and the washing liquid portion; at least one portable storage container arranged in the machine room behind the compartment of the drawer, the portable storage container to store a supply of a plurality of doses of one of a liquid washing aid and a gel-like washing aid; at least one receiving device arranged in the drawer to receive the portable storage container; and a dosage device to automatically dose the stored supply of the one of the liquid washing aid and the gel-like washing aid.