Domestic Appliance

• US 20080248075A1
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Brambilla, Enrico, Dellby, Fredrik
• Granted Patent: US 8,763,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/411
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4236 Arrangements to sterilize or disinfect dishes or washing liquids A47L15/4234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4246 Details of the tub A47L15/4272 takes precedence; insulation arrangements A47L15/4209
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4276 Arrangements to detect or remove bad smells or odours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/23 Solid substances, e.g. granules, powders, blocks, tablets
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/15 Biocide distribution means, e.g. nozzles, pumps, manifolds, fans, baffles, sprayers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/17 Combination with washing or cleaning means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/20 Targets to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/23 Containers, e.g. vials, bottles, syringes, mail
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/26 Casings; Tubs
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/261 Tubs made by a specially selected manufacturing process or characterised by their assembly from elements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/267 Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups D06F37/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/083 Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements

Abstract

The liquid-bearing domestic appliance, in particular domestic dishwasher, is provided with at least one antibiotic agent, in particular in the sump and/or the tub and/or an insert.

Claims

1. A replaceable component (8) for a liquid-bearing domestic appliance, which comprises at least one antibiotic agent inside or on its surface and which can be fixed replaceably inside a rinsing tub, sump, outlet, outlet tube and/or insert of the liquid-bearing domestic appliance.

2. The replaceable component according to claims 1, which can be fixed replaceably inside an insert of the liquid-bearing domestic appliance, which is a spraying arm, a sieve system or a filter.

3. The replaceable component according to claim 1 or 2, which can be fixed replaceably inside the sump, outlet and/or outlet tube.

4. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the liquid-bearing domestic appliance is a dishwasher.

5. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 4, which can be replaced if the antibiotic agent is used up, is insufficient in amount or if the domestic appliance shall be recycled.

6. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 5, which is adapted to be accommodated inside a sump (2) of a dishwasher, in particular below a flat filter (3) covering the sump or below a cylindrical filter arrangement (7) arranged within the sump.

7. The replaceable component according to claim 6, which has the shape of a ring or of a disk (8), in particular which is provided with fixation means (8.2) for replaceable fixation to the lower face of the flat filter (3) or preferably to the bottom of the cylindrical filter arrangement (7).

8. The replaceable component according to claim 7, which has the shape of a disk (8) and is adapted to be accommodated between the bottom of the cylindrical filter arrangement (7) and the bottom of the sump (3, 4), such that the washing liquid can pass above or below the disk, preferably above and below the disk.

9. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 8, which comprises at least one enlarged surface area (8.3) for enhanced contact of the antibacterial agent with the washing liquid, in particular wherein the enlarged surface area comprises at least one structure such as a rib, a knob, a groove, a cavity and/or a through-hole, in particular, wherein the enlarged surface area comprises a pattern of a plurality of such (a) structure(s).

10. The replaceable component according to claim 9, in particular according to claim 8 and 9, wherein the enlarged surface area (8.3) comprises two essentially parallel surfaces of the replaceable component (8) and at least one hole connecting the essentially parallel surfaces and allowing streaming through of the washing liquid, preferably wherein the enlarged surface area comprises a mesh-like structure.

11. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one antibiotic agent is part of a construction material of the replaceable component, in particular of a resin composition and/or a plastic composition and/or a fabric.

12. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the at least one antibiotic agent is at least part of a surface coating or layer of the sanitary component, in particular a foil and/or a co-extruded or co-laminated layer and/or a fabric and/or a synthetic resin and/or a paint and/or a varnish and/or a lacquer.

13. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 12, wherein at least part it, at least at its surface, is provided with the at least one antibiotic agent.

14. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 13, wherein the at least one antibiotic agent is provided in and/or on and/or near areas (8.3) of the replaceable component which are located in stagnant liquid.

15. The replaceable component according to any of the claims 1 to 14, wherein the at least one antibiotic agent comprises at least one bacteriostatic and/or at least one bacteriocidal and or at least one fungicidal and/or at least one anti-algal substance.

16. The replaceable component according to claim 15, wherein the antibiotic agent comprises at least one of the elements silver or copper or zinc or mercury or tin or lead or bismuth or cadmium or chromium or thallium, preferably silver, and/or at least one of the ions thereof, in particular silver ions and/or copper ions and/or zinc ions, preferably silver ions.

17. The replaceable component according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the antibiotic agent comprises a ceramic matrix, in particular a natural and/or synthetic zeolite matrix, bearing the at least one bacteriostatic and/or at least one bacteriocidal and/or at least one fungicidal and/or at least one anti-algal substance, preferably wherein the antibiotic agent comprises a ceramic matrix comprising silver and/or silver ions.

21. The liquid-bearing domestic appliance according to any of the claims 18 to 20, comprising at least one sanitary component according to any of claims 1 to 16.

18. A liquid-bearing domestic appliance, in particular of a dishwasher, comprising a sieve system (3, 7, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3) and/or a filter (3, 7, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3), which is provided, at or adjacent to at least one of its surfaces, with at least one antibiotic agent.

19. The liquid-bearing domestic appliance according to claim 18, wherein the antibiotic agent is provided inside an area of the liquid-bearing domestic appliance, which contains stagnant water after drainage, in particular inside a sump (3), an outlet (4) and/or an outlet tube (6).

20. The liquid-bearing domestic appliance according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the at least one antibiotic agent is at least part of a surface coating or layer of the sieve system or filter (3, 7, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3), in particular wherein the antimicrobial agent is a foil and/or a co-extruded or co-laminated layer and/or a fabric and/or a synthetic resin and/or a paint and/or a varnish and/or a lacquer.

22. The liquid-bearing domestic appliance according to any of the claims 18 to 21, wherein the at least one anti-biotic agent comprises at least one bacteriostatic and/or at least one bacteriocidal and or at least one fungicidal and/or at least one anti-algal substance.

23. The liquid-bearing domestic appliance according to claim 22, wherein the antibiotic agent comprises at least one of the elements silver or copper or zinc or mercury or tin or lead or bismuth or cadmium or chromium or thallium, preferably silver, and/or at least one of the ions thereof, in particular silver ions and/or copper ions and/or zinc ions, preferably silver ions.

24. The liquid-bearing domestic appliance according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the antibiotic agent comprises a ceramic matrix, in particular a natural and/or synthetic zeolite matrix, bearing the at least one bacteriostatic and/or at least one bacteriocidal and/or at least one fungicidal and/or at least one anti-algal substance, preferably wherein the antibiotic agent comprises a ceramic matrix comprising silver and/or silver ions.