Water-conducting domestic appliance comprising a detergent dosing system and cartridge therefor

• US 9,610,001 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Classen, Egbert, Jerg, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Markoff, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/185,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20140167579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0055 Metering or indication of used products, e.g. type or quantity of detergent, rinse aid or salt; for measuring or controlling the product concentration
• 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 2401/023 Quantity or concentration of the consumable product
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/265 about the number of remaining operation cycles or the remaining operation time
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents

Abstract

A water-conducting domestic appliance, in particular a domestic dishwasher, the water-conducting domestic appliance including a washing compartment for receiving items therein that are to be subjected to a washing cycle by the water-conducting domestic appliance; a detergent dosing system, the detergent dosing system having a detergent dispenser with a receiving compartment, the receiving area for receiving at least one cartridge that is configured to hold at least one detergent; and a cartridge having separate chambers for storing at least two detergents, each chamber having a storage capacity for storing detergent that is greater than a quantity of detergent required for one washing cycle.

Claims

1. A domestic appliance to clean items with water and detergent, the domestic appliance comprising:

a housing to receive items to be cleaned and a door defining a compartment when the door is in a closed position;

a cartridge including a cartridge housing having separate chambers to contain at least two detergents, each of the at least two detergents contained in a corresponding one of the separate chambers;

a detergent dispenser to receive the cartridge; and

openable closures on the cartridge, each of the openable closures corresponding to one of the separate chambers, and the openable closures being structured to be opened when the cartridge is inserted into the detergent dispenser,

wherein the cartridge comprises a cover covering the separate chambers, the cover including a ventilation channel connected to each of the separate chamber; and

a ventilation chamber disposed in the cartridge housing between two of the separate chambers, the ventilation chamber being connected with the separate chambers via the ventilation channel, and

wherein the ventilation chamber is without an openable closure.

2. The domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein each of the openable closures comprises a membrane and the detergent dispenser has cannulas, each of the cannulas structured to puncture and open a corresponding membrane.

3. The domestic appliance of claim 2, wherein the membrane comprises rubber.

4. The domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein the openable closures are structured to be closed when the cartridge is removed from the detergent dispenser.

5. The domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising delivery devices, each of the delivery devices corresponding to one of the separate chambers to deliver a corresponding one of the at least two detergents to the compartment.

6. The domestic appliance of claim 5, wherein the delivery devices are contained in a detergent dispenser housing of the detergent dispenser.

7. The domestic appliance of claim 6, wherein the detergent dispenser housing comprises dosing chambers having respective outlets, a corresponding one of the delivery devices positioned in each of the dosing chambers to open and close a corresponding one of the outlets.

8. The domestic appliance of claim 6, wherein each of the delivery devices comprises a valve lifter to move a seal between an open position to open an outlet and a closed position to close the outlet,

wherein a valve actuating lever and a tapered lug are configured to actuate the valve lifter to move the seal to the open position, and

wherein a spring is configured to actuate the valve lifter to move the seal to the closed position.

9. The domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein the openable closures are arranged below with respect to the separate chambers in a direction of gravity such that each of the at least two detergents are gravity-fed into the compartment.

10. The domestic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a control unit to control an outflow time of each of the at least two detergents into the compartment, the outflow time based on a number of washing operations of the cartridge.

11. The domestic appliance of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to control the outflow time such that the outflow time increases as the number of washing operations increases.

17. The domestic appliance of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an overpressure valve.

12. A cartridge to contain detergents for a domestic appliance to clean items with the detergents and water in a compartment to receive items to be cleaned, the cartridge comprising:

a cartridge housing having separate chambers to contain at least two detergents, each of the at least two detergents contained in a corresponding one of the separate chambers;

openable closures on the cartridge, each of the openable closures corresponding to one of the separate chambers, and the openable closures being structured to be opened when the cartridge is inserted into a detergent dispenser of the domestic appliance;

a cover covering the separate chambers, the cover including a ventilation channel connected to each of the separate chambers; and

a ventilation chamber disposed in the cartridge housing between two of the separate chambers, the ventilation chamber being connected with the separate chambers via the ventilation channel,

wherein the ventilation chamber is without an openable closure.

13. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein each of the openable closures comprises a membrane structured to be punctured to open said membrane.

14. The cartridge of claim 13, wherein the membrane comprises rubber.

15. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein the openable closures are structured to be closed when the cartridge is removed from the detergent dispenser.

16. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein the openable closure are arranged below with respect to the separate chambers in a direction of gravity such that each of the at least two detergents are gravity-fed into the compartment.

18. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein the cover comprises an overpressure valve.