Patent ID: 8904830

Claim:
A front-loading laundry appliance comprising: a housing including a substantially circular housing opening; a door configured to close the housing opening; a substantially cylindrical container disposed in the housing and configured to receive laundry for treatment, the substantially cylindrical container including a substantially circular container opening; a first fluid path for delivering water into the substantially cylindrical container, the first fluid path including: a dispensing compartment, and a connecting tube between the dispensing compartment and the cylindrical container; an alternate fluid path for delivering water and steam into the substantially cylindrical container, the alternate fluid path including: a steam generator including a heating element, an inlet opening and a common outlet opening for water and steam; a pump configured to deliver water to the inlet opening of the steam generator; a nozzle disposed in an edge region of the container opening configured to inject water and steam into an interior of the container; at least one tank configured to store water deliverable by the pump to the inlet opening of the steam generator; and a dip tube disposed in the tank, the dip tube being connected to a further inlet opening of the steam generator by a connecting conduit that bypasses the pump.