This invention concerns a container for liquid detergents and additives to be used in domestic washers, and precisely washing machines and dishwashers, as well as machines provided with said container.

It is known that the loading of the detergent and of the additives in washing machines and dishwashers is presently carried out at each cycle using a special multi-section tank, located in the upper part of the machine, preferably made as a pull-out drawer. It is also known that the amount of detergent and additive which can be contained within said tank is limited to one washing cycle, and the loading of these products, usually in powder form, must be repeated at each washing cycle.

On the other hand industrial washers are known wherein the detergent and additive products are automatically used successively taking them from the respective containers through proper pumps. Nevertheless it appears not easy the solution to the problem of finding, inside a domestic washing machine or dishwasher, room enough to house a container, with separate sections for the different detergents and additives, whose volume is such as to assure the duration for several washing cycles, with no need to add other liquid.

The object of this invention is to solve this problem with no substantial modifications to the structure, now standardized, or the internal equipments of a domestic washing machine or dishwasher.

This object is achieved through a container whose shape develops mainly horizontally with small thickness, including one or more separate sections, each one with its own loading port provided with a closing plug, as well as with an outlet port for the inflow of the respective liquid product in the washing tank through an electric valve or pump, said container being positioned in the area included between the washing tank and the top cover of the washing machine.

According to the preferred embodiment of this invention, in the case of a non-built-in washing machine, the top cover is liftable being hinged on the rear side of the machine, possibly of the container itself, to get within reach of the loading ports, there being preferably provided a stop to keep said cover in the lifted position during the loading operation.

These and other objects, advantages and characteristics of the container according to this invention, as well as of the washing machine provided with it will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of its preferred embodiment, reported as non-limiting example, referring to the annexed drawings wherein :

• Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a domestic washing machine according to this invention, from which a side panel of the covering has been removed to show the inside; and
• Fig. 2 shows a cross sectional view taken along the line II-II of fig.1.

In the drawings a domestic washing machine 1 is schematically represented which, according to this invention, is provided with a container 2 for liquid detergents or additives, flat-shaped and such as to take up, with a very small thickness, substantially the whole area included between the machine top cover 4 and the tank 10, in order to assure the greatest achievable capacity making the most of the room available in said area. The reference to a washing machine is obviously just an example and it could as well be the matter of a dishwasher with no substantial differences as far as the inventive aspect is concerned, the only difference being that in such a case with "tank" the dishwasher washing volume is meant.

As best shown in fig.2, the container 2 is divided in several sections and, as an example, two sections 2a and 2b (the latter of smaller volume) have been represented in the drawing, separated by a wall 3, for the detergent and the additive respectively. Obviously there may be more sections, if a greater number of additives is needed in the washing cycle. In any case each section will be provided with a loading port 8 and a relative closing cap 9 capable of preventing the evaporation of the corresponding liquid and its drying.

At the outlet of each section an electric valve or pump 7 is provided to load the liquid detergent or additives into the washing tank 10 through the ports 11 at the end of the ducts 12. As already known from industrial washing machines, the electric valves or, alternatively, the pumps 7 are controlled by a timer 6 which selects the product to let into the tank 10 for the different stages of the washing cycle and, from time to time, determines its quantity.

It should be noted that in non-built-in machines the container 2 may be made easily accessible from outside when the machine top cover 4 or "top" is considered as a liftable cover of the multiple container. Referring to fig.1 it is seen that the machine top cover 4 may be hinged in 5 on the rear side of said machine or of the container itself. A proper stop 15 is capable of keeping the cover 4 in the lifted position to make easier the loading of the sections with the relative product through the ports 8.

It should also be noted that the upper surface of the container 2, preferably manufactured from plastic material, for example by moulding, may present a cavity 14, obtained by moulding as well, suitable to serve as housing of the instruction booklet relative to the machine or of the washing cycles table and possibly of other accessories useful for the machine operation. Alternatively said accessories could be housed inside a pocket (not shown) obtained on the lower side of the top 4, which would be accessible by lifting the top itself.

It should finally be noted that, as important characteristic of the container according to this invention, the latter will be preferably made so as to cover completely the upper part of the machine, thus making a barrier towards the internal parts of the latter being under voltage and/or moving, in order to avoid the contact with them by the user.

Possible additions and/or modifications may be produced by those skilled in the art to the above described and illustrated embodiment of the container according to this invention and of a washing machine provided with it without exceeding the scope of the invention. In particular though referring up to now to freestanding machines, the invention is easily adaptable to built-in washing machines or dishwashers, or integrated in a modular system, whose top is not liftable. In such a case the container according to the invention is located all the same between the tank (or washing volume) and the top panel with frontal loading instead of from above.