Dosing system for a dishwasher machine

• US 9,282,876 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Henkel AG & Co KGaA
• Original Assignee: Henkel AG & Co KGaA
• Inventors: Benda, Konstantin, Bastigkeit, Thorsten, Kessler, Arnd, Nitsch, Christian, Fileccia, Salvatore
• Primary Examiner(s): LONG, DONNELL ALAN
• Application Number:
  US14/031,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20140084024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 222/113, 222/325, 222/129
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/006 using wireless communication between internal components of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4445 Detachable devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4472 Blister packaging or refill cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/10 Water cloudiness or dirtiness, e.g. turbidity, foaming or level of bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/12 Water temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/30 Variation of electrical, magnetical or optical quantities
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/32 Vibration or sound detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/07 Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispensing system (1) for delivering at least one cleaning-agent preparation (A, B, C) into the interior of an automatic dishwasher, encompassing a dispenser (2) having a light source (4), and a cartridge (3) couplable to the dispenser (2), in which cartridge at least one flowable preparation (A, B, C) is stocked; the cartridge (3) has a width (b) to depth (t) ratio from 3:1 to 20:1 and the cartridge (3) has a height (h) to depth (t) ratio from 3:1 to 20:1, and the walls of the cartridge (3) have, at least locally, a transmittance from 75% to 99% in the wavelength region between 700 nm and 1 mm; the flowable preparation (A, B, C) has a transmittance from 75% to 99% in the wavelength region between 700 nm and 1 mm.

Claims

1. A dispensing system (1) for delivering at least one cleaning-agent preparation (A, B, C) into the interior of an automatic dishwasher, encompassing a dispenser (2) having a light source (4), and a cartridge (3) couplable to the dispenser (2), in which cartridge at least one flowable preparation (A, B, C) is stocked, wherein

a. the cartridge (3) has a width (b) to depth (t) ratio from 3:

1 to 20;

1;

b. the cartridge (3) has a height (h) to depth (t) ratio from 3;

1 to 20;

1;

c. the walls of the cartridge (3) have a transmittance from 75% to 99% in the wavelength region between 700 nm and 1 mm;

d. the flowable preparation (A, B, C) has a transmittance from 75% to 99% in the wavelength region between 700 nm and 1 mm;

e. the outwardly directed surface of the cartridge (3) has a surface roughness between 0.5 and 5 microns;

f. the light source (4), which emits light at least in a wavelength region between 700 nm and 1 mm into the cartridge;

g. the light source (4) has an emission angle α

greater than 5°

, and

h. the light source (4) and the cartridge (3) are configured in such a way that an average path length of the light beam (L) through the cartridge (3) corresponds to between 0.1*10⁵ and 10*10⁵ times the wavelength of the light emitted from the light source (4).

2. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein with the dispenser (2) and cartridge (3) in the coupled state, the light source is positioned below the cartridge (3), and is directed onto the bottom of the cartridge (3), in such a way that it radiates into the cartridge (3).

3. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the substantially circular opening diameter on the emission side, directed into the cartridge (3), of the light source (4) corresponds to between 0.25 and 0.95 of the depth (t) of the cartridge (3).

4. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the radiation intensity of the light source is in the wavelength region from 700 nm to 1 mm and is between 2 and 100 mW/sr.

5. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge (3) comprises a first, second and third chamber (5a, 5b, 5c) for stocking three preparations (A, B, C) different from one another, wherein the volume ratio of the three chambers, first:

second;

third, is approximately 1;

1;

4.

6. The dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein with the dispenser (2) and cartridge (3) in the coupled state, the light source (4) is arranged approximately centeredly below the largest chamber (5c).

7. The dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein an enzyme-containing preparation is present in the first chamber (5a), a rinse aid preparation in the second chamber (5b), and an alkaline cleaning preparation in the third chamber (5c).

8. The dispensing system according to claim 5, wherein the preparations (A, B, C) stocked in the three chambers (5a, 5b, 5c) have light absorption spectra in the wavelength region between 350 and 699 nm that differ from one another.