Method for disinfecting conduit systems of a water-conducting appliance and such a household appliance

• US 9,131,826 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Heiligenmann, Caroline, Jerg, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLEMAN, RYAN L
• Application Number:
  US12/514,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20100000577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,877 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4219 Water recirculation A47L15/0078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4227 with macerator arrangements for chopping entrained food particles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4276 Arrangements to detect or remove bad smells or odours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/202 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/12 as part of household appliances such as dishwashers, laundry washing machines or vacuum cleaners

Abstract

A water-conducting household appliance and a method for disinfecting a conduit system of a water-conducting household appliance. The method feeds a gaseous disinfectant into a liquid circulating in the conduit system. The water-conducting household appliance includes a conduit system for circulating liquid, and a disinfector with a gas injector for injecting a gaseous disinfectant into a liquid circulating in the conduit system.

Claims

1. A water-conducting household appliance, comprising:

a conduit system for circulating liquid;

a disinfector with a gas injector for injecting a gaseous disinfectant into a liquid circulating in the conduit system; and

a selectively operable valve in the conduit system and connected to the disinfector to activate the disinfector, the selectively operable valve being structurally arranged and configured to effect manual initiation of the disinfector by an operator.

2. The water-conducting household appliance of claim 1, wherein the disinfector comprises an ozone generator.

3. The water-conducting household appliance of claim 1, wherein the gas injector comprises a Venturi nozzle.

4. The water-conducting household appliance of claim 1, wherein the conduit system comprises a collection area for the circulating liquid and a bypass that connects the collection area with the gas injector.

5. The water-conducting household appliance of claim 4, further comprising a circulating pump connected to the bypass.

6. The water-conducting household appliance of claim 5, wherein the speed of the circulating pump is controllable.

7. The water-conducting household appliance of claim 4, wherein the bypass comprises a flow-through heater.

8. The water-conducting household appliance of claim 4, wherein the bypass comprises said valve.