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

• US 20100000580A1
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Classen, Egbert, Jerg, Helmut
• Granted Patent: US 8,696,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/93
• 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

1-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A water-conducting domestic appliance, in particular a domestic dishwasher, the water-conducting domestic appliance comprising:

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.

36. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the detergent dispenser is disposed in an internal space in the water-conducting domestic appliance.

37. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the storage capacities of the chambers for receiving at least two detergents are dimensioned such that between about 20 and about 40, preferably about 30, washing cycles can be performed.

38. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the cartridge has chambers separated from one another for storing more than about 2 and less than about 10, preferably about 7, detergents.

39. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the respective chambers are arranged in a common cartridge housing.

40. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 and further comprising a ventilation chamber in communication with the chambers containing the detergents.

41. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 40 wherein the filling chamber is part of the cartridge.

42. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 40 wherein the ventilation chamber is communicated with the chambers containing the detergents by ventilation channels formed in a cover member covering the individual chambers.

43. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the cartridge is provided with at least one openable closure for detergent delivery, which can be opened, in particular automatically, on insertion of the cartridge into the detergent dosing system and can be closed, in particular automatically, on removal of the cartridge from the detergent dosing system.

44. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 43 wherein the cartridge has an openable closure for each of its chambers.

45. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 43 wherein the openable closure of a cartridge in the installation position in the detergent dosing system is disposed below in the direction of gravity.

46. The water-conducting domestic appliance according claim 41 wherein the openable closure is formed by a membrane.

47. The water-conducting domestic appliance according claim 35 wherein the at least one cartridge has at least one delivery device, whereby the at least two detergents can be delivered into the washing compartment of the dishwasher.

48. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the delivery of the at least two detergents takes place by the force of gravity.

49. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the dosing of the at least two detergents takes place within a predetermined outflow time period.

50. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 48 and further comprising a control unit operatively connected to at least one of the openable closures and configured in accordance with the following formula in order to determine the outflow time of the at least two detergents:

t_n=x+(n−

1)•

y

where

t is the outflow time of the detergent,

n is the number of the washing operation,

x is the outflow time of the detergent of the first washing operation,

y is a constant

and the control unit is configured to deliver control signals for the openable closures.

51. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein at least one pump is provided for dosing at least one detergent.

52. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the cartridge housing has a mechanical coding which can interact with a matching coding on the receiving compartment in order to define the installation position in the dishwasher.

53. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein the cartridge housing has a longitudinal extension along a main axis.

54. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 53 wherein the main axis is longer than secondary axes of the housing of the cartridge.

55. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 53 wherein the chambers of the cartridge are arranged beside one another along the main axis.

58. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein at least one section of the cartridge housing facing the washing compartment of the dishwasher, when the cartridge is arranged in the detergent dosing system, includes thermal insulation which at least limits a heat flow from the washing compartment in the direction of the detergent dosing system.

59. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 58 wherein the thermal insulation is formed by a gas volume arranged in the section.

60. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 58 wherein the thermal insulation is formed by an insulating material including at least one of a solid insulating material and a liquid insulating material.

61. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 59 and further comprising a thermal insulation arrangement operatively associated with the dosing system and including a combination of different materials which are disposed behind one another in the direction of heat propagation.

62. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 35 wherein at least one arrangement is provided for fill level measurement of at least one detergent volume contained in the chambers.

63. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 62 wherein the arrangement for fill level measurement is configured to emit a signal when the detergent contained in the cartridge is measured to be less than a predefined quantity.

64. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 63 wherein the arrangement for fill level measurement is configured to emit a signal when the detergent contained in the cartridge is sufficient for performing a predefined number of washing cycles.

65. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 64 wherein the number of washing cycles is between about 2 and about 5.

66. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 62 wherein the arrangement for fill level measurement is based on at least one of an optical principle of measurement, an acoustic principle of measurement and a capacitive principle of measurement.

56. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to 53 wherein the extension along the main axis is greater by a factor of at least 1.5 than an extension along a secondary axis.

57. The water-conducting domestic appliance according to claim 56 wherein an extension along a first secondary axis is greater by a factor of at least 3 than the extension along a second secondary axis.

67. A detergent dosing system for water-conducting domestic appliances, in particular for domestic dishwashers, the detergent dosing system comprising 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.

68. A cartridge for a water-conducting domestic appliance, in particular a domestic dishwasher, the cartridge comprising a body 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.