DOSING SYSTEM FOR A DISHWASHER

• US 20110174346A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Henkel AG & Co KGaA
• Original Assignee: Henkel AG & Co KGaA
• Inventors: Kessler, Arnd, Jans, Gerold, Fileccia, Salvatore, Eichholz, Dieter
• Application Number:
  US12/986,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20110174346A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/56.D
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/006 using wireless communication between internal components of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4454 with automatic identification means, e.g. barcodes, RFID tags or magnetic strips
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4463 Multi-dose dispensing arrangements

Abstract

A dispensing system, in particular for a user to position in the interior of a dishwashing machine, comprising at least one cartridge for flowable washing or cleaning agents with a plurality of chambers for spatially separate accommodation of in each case different preparations of a washing or cleaning agent, and a dispenser couplable with the cartridge and comprising an energy source, a control unit, a sensor unit, at least one actuator, which is connected with the energy source and the control unit in such a manner that a control signal from the control unit brings about movement of the actuator, a closing element, which is coupled with the actuator such that movement of the actuator displaces the closing element into a closure or a release position, at least one dispensing chamber which, when cartridge and dispenser are assembled, is connected in communicating manner with at least one of the cartridge chambers, wherein the dispensing chamber comprises an inlet for inflow of washing or cleaning agent from a cartridge chamber and an outlet for outflow of washing or cleaning agent from the dispensing chamber into the surrounding environment, wherein at least the outlet of the dispensing chamber is closable or openable by the closing element.

Claims

1. A dispensing system for use in the interior of a dishwashing machine, comprising:

at least one cartridge for flowable washing or cleaning agents with a plurality of chambers for spatially separate accommodation of in each case different preparations of a washing or cleaning agent; and

a dispenser couplable with the cartridge and comprising;

at least one energy source;

a control unit;

a sensor unit;

at least one actuator, which is connected with the energy source and the control unit in such a manner that a control signal from the control unit brings about movement of the actuator;

a closing element, which is coupled with the actuator such that movement of the actuator displaces the closing element into a closure or a release position;

at least one dispensing chamber which, when cartridge and dispenser are assembled, is connected in communicating manner with at least one of the cartridge chambers;

wherein the dispensing chamber comprises an inlet for inflow of washing or cleaning agent from a cartridge chamber and an outlet for outflow of washing or cleaning agent from the dispensing chamber into the surrounding environment,

wherein at least the outlet of the dispensing chamber is closable or openable by the closing element.

2. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser comprises at least one first interface, which interacts with a corresponding interface in or on a dishwashing machine such that signals and/or electrical energy is/are transmitted from the dishwashing machine to the dispenser.

3. The dispensing system according to claim 2, wherein at least one interface is provided in each case on the dispenser and dishwashing machine for transmitting electromagnetic signals, in particular light in the visible range, which in particular represent operating state, measurement and/or control information of the dispenser and/or the dishwashing machine.

4. The dispensing system according to claim 3, wherein the interfaces are configured for emitting and/or receiving optical signals, in particular in the visible range, preferably in a wavelength range of between 600-800 nm.

5. The dispensing system according to claim 3, wherein an optical signal is configured as a signal pulse or a sequence of signal pulses with a pulse duration of between 1 ms and 10 seconds, preferably between 5 ms and 100 ms.

6. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the closing element takes the form of an open-close valve element, the actuator is configured in such a way that, driven by a suitable pulse, it adopts as desired one of two end positions and without further drive, stably maintains the end position it has reached thereby forming a pulse-controlled, bistable open-close valve.

7. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor unit is arranged on the bottom of the dispenser.

11. A combi dispenser for use in conjunction with a dispensing system according to claim 1, the combi dispenser being connected nondetachably with the dishwasher, wherein the combi dispenser comprises at least one transmit unit and/or at least one receive unit for wirelessly transmitting signals into the interior of the dishwasher or for wirelessly receiving signals from the interior of the dishwasher, wherein the transmit unit and/or receive unit is configured in particular for emitting or receiving optical signals in the visible range.

12. A dishwasher comprising a combi dispenser according to claim 11.

8. A cartridge for flowable washing or cleaning agents for use in a dispensing system, comprising:

a plurality of chambers for spatially separate accommodation in each case of different preparations of a flowable washing or cleaning agent;

a cartridge bottom which in the service position is directed downwards in the direction of gravity; and

at least two chambers, which in each case comprise at least one outlet orifice arranged on the cartridge bottom.

9. The cartridge according to claim 8, further comprising at least one light guide arranged in or on the cartridge, into which light guide a light signal may be incoupled from outside the cartridge.

10. The cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the cartridge comprises at least one ventilation orifice at the bottom in the direction of gravity for the ventilation of at least one chamber, wherein the ventilation orifice is separate from the release orifice and the ventilation orifice is connected in communicating manner with at least one cartridge chamber via a ventilation channel in such a way that the end of the ventilation channel remote from the ventilation orifice opens, in the release position of the cartridge coupled with the dispenser, above the maximum filling level of the cartridge.