EA021147B1 - Method for cleaning metering arrangement of water-conducting domestic appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for automatic/semiautomatic cleaning of a metering arrangement 16 of a water-conducting domestic appliance 1, such as an appliance for washing and/or drying laundry. The metering arrangement 16 comprises at least one storage tank for at least one laundry treatment agent, a metering pump 19 for metering said treatment agent from the storage tank 15 to a treatment region 9, which is driven by an electric motor 18. Wherein cleaning of the metering arrangement 16 is performed by a control means at least temporarily activating the electric motor 18 in such a way that during the cleaning operation the electric motor 18 generates a varying torque and/or an increased torque towards the torque generated by the electric motor 18 during the operation of the appliance 1 not regarding the cleaning operation of the metering arrangement 16. Wherein during cleaning operation the electric motor is activated with at least temporarily higher and/or pulsed voltage. This allows cleaning of the metering pump 19 and of further elements of the metering arrangement 16 of the domestic appliance 1. This makes it easier for a user to operate and to clean the metering arrangement 16.

Description

The invention relates to a method for cleaning a metering device of a water-consuming household appliance, in particular a laundry treating apparatus for washing or washing and drying laundry. In particular, the invention relates to washing and washing-drying machines.

State of the art

Patent application No. 102007032759 A1 describes a method for cleaning metering pipelines in automatic laundry care machines and a laundry care machine implementing such a method. In this case, automatically measured portions of fluid laundry care products are fed by the automatic dosing system from at least one container by means of a dosing pump through the dosing pipeline to the area of the laundry care process. At the same time, such a metering pipeline is washed with a washing agent after a portion of the laundry care product is supplied. So that the remnants of such a washing agent containing the dissolved residues of the laundry care product do not solidify during a long stay in the metering pipelines, the metering pipelines are washed immediately before serving a portion of the laundry care product.

The disadvantage of the method and the known machine for the care of linen, known from patent application No. 102007032759 A1, is that, despite washing with a washing agent, violations of the dosing system are possible. For example, after prolonged downtime or under adverse environmental conditions, a violation in the dosing system or contamination is possible, undesirable from the point of view of aesthetics and hygiene. In such cases, the user has to manually clean the system. If any components are inaccessible to the user, an error that cannot be fixed by the user may occur, which can only be eliminated by a service technician.

Patent applications ΌΕ 102008042655 A1 and ΕΡ 1959045 A1 describe a method for dispensing a cleaning agent using a dispensing device of a water-consuming household appliance and household appliances for implementing this method.

In addition, patent application No. 102008040647 A1 describes another water-consuming household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, which is designed to carry out a cleaning program for the washing chamber.

Disclosure of invention

The objective of the invention is to develop a method for cleaning the metering device of a water-consuming household appliance, which will be characterized by increased ease of use. In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a method for cleaning a metering device of a water-consuming household appliance, which will be reliable in operation and in which manual cleaning by a user will be simplified.

The problem is solved by a method of cleaning a metering device of a water-consuming household appliance, such as a washing or washing-drying machine, in which the metering device comprises at least one container for at least one laundry treating agent, a metering pump for dispensing said treating agent from the container into the zone treatment, driven by an electric motor, while the cleaning of the metering device is carried out by at least periodic activation of the sys by the control so that the motor runs in the metering device cleaning mode with a variable torque and / or torque increased with respect to the torque developed by the motor in the device operation not pertaining to the cleaning mode of the metering device.

The features disclosed in the dependent claims allow the implementation of advantageous embodiments of the method described by the invention.

Advantageously, the operability of an automatic dispensing system for processing textiles or other liquid processing agents can be guaranteed. In this case, residues of the processing means, which appear, in particular, during prolonged downtime in the area of the metering pump, can be eliminated.

During prolonged storage and adverse environmental conditions, for example, elevated temperature or saturation of the surface layer of a liquid with air, drying or gelation of components of a liquid processing agent is observed in automatic dosing systems. Depending on the design of the dosing system, this may lead to the user having to manually disassemble and clean the system to ensure operability, cleanliness and hygiene. Of course, an automatic metering system usually consists of several components, for example connecting hoses or similar elements next to the container, which are connected to the container and / or metering pump. Cleaning such components can be very costly. It is even possible that such components will not be accessible to the user due to the fact that they will be installed inside the body of a water-consuming household appliance. Significant contamination in such inaccessible areas in the event of hardening can lead, in particular, to system failure that cannot be fixed by the user.

The control system in the cleaning mode provides automatic or semi-automatic

- 1 021147 cleaning one or more components of the metering system. In particular, contamination in the area of the metering pump can cause deposits or deposits to form. In addition, pipelines leading from the container to the metering pump or from the metering pump to the treatment area may also be affected. Activation of an electric motor with increased torque and / or alternating torque to drive the metering pump in the cleaning mode eliminates such contaminants. In particular, this allows you to restore the efficiency of the metering pump in the event that it was clogged or blocked. As a result, it is possible in an advantageous manner to ensure high reliability of a water-consuming household appliance and perform cleaning of the dispensing paths.

An advantageous embodiment is that the electric motor is a direct current electric motor, and the control system in the cleaning mode activates the electric motor at least periodically increased relative to the normal operating mode of the device, i.e. a mode not related to the cleaning mode of the metering device and / or the pulse voltage. In the normal mode, the metering pump motor operates, for example, essentially continuously with an uncontrolled or controlled voltage. Moreover, in normal mode, this voltage lies in the nominal range specified for the electric motor. In cleaning mode, the metering pump can no longer work continuously. Instead, it can be activated in a pulsed mode, and the voltage can significantly exceed the voltage of the normal mode. As a result, an increased torque of the electric motor can be obtained, which, when the engine is stopped, serves as the starting moment when starting the engine. This increased torque helps to tear off adhering deposits. In addition, to possibly adhering particles and the like. in this mode, correspondingly, a higher angular momentum and, therefore, a higher centrifugal force with the same geometry of the metering pump, which helps to tear off adhering particles and similar contaminants, respectively.

An advantageous variant is that the control system in the cleaning mode at least periodically activates the metering pump electric motor for pumping through the metering pump a solvent placed in a container instead of a liquid processing agent. It is also advantageous in that the control system in the cleaning mode when pumping the solvent through the metering pump at least temporarily actuates the valve to return the solvent through the metering pump back to the container. At the beginning of the cleaning mode, the user can transfer the liquid processing agent (possibly still remaining) from the container into a container or similar vessel for further use. Preferably, the container is easily accessible to the user and, for example, can be extended from the housing. Thus, the user can clean the container manually at a relatively low cost. In particular, rough cleaning of the container can be accomplished by rinsing under a shower or the like. After such preliminary cleaning of the container, the user can pour a known amount of solvent, in particular water, into the container. The solvent-filled container can be installed in the housing in the usual way. When the control system executes the cleaning program, the metering pump instead of the liquid treatment agent draws solvent from the container. As a result, the metering pump is flushed along with other elements of the laundry care appliance. Pumping the solvent through the metering pump back into the container is advantageous in that the cleaning process can be carried out for a longer time without adding solvent. In particular, several cleaning cycles can be performed. In addition, this option is advantageous in that dissolved sediments, particles, lumps of dirt, etc., which are transported by the solvent, fall into the container and, thus, can be directly disposed of by the user. In addition, the user can observe the success of the cleaning program.

In addition, a variant is advantageous in which one or more pipelines are provided connecting the container to the treatment zone, in which, in normal operation, the liquid treatment agent is supplied by the metering pump from the container to the treatment zone, and in the cleaning mode, the pipelines are cleaned by washing with a solvent. The result is maximum cleaning of the dosing area. The solvent is preferably water.

In addition, a variant is advantageous in which the control system displays to inform the user about the need to fill the container with solvent. As a result, control convenience and reliability of cleaning the dosing area are achieved.

In addition, a variant is advantageous in which the control system recognizes contamination or blocking of the pump by contaminants, in which case it activates the cleaning mode or informs the user about the need to perform the cleaning mode. At the same time, an option is also advantageous in which the cleaning mode of the dosing device is a separate operating mode of the household appliance, i.e. the control system activates or offers to activate the cleaning mode only after completion of the normal operation mode of the household appliance or when the normal mode is not turned on. For example, pollution and blockage of a pump by pollution can be determined by the energy consumption of the electric motor. Due to this, in an advantageous way, it is possible to timely execute the cleaning mode and, thereby, ensure reliable operation during the entire service life of a water-consuming household appliance.

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Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in the following description based on the attached figure, which shows a schematic view of a water-consuming household appliance according to one embodiment.

The implementation of the invention

In FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a water consuming household appliance 1. In particular, a water consuming household appliance 1 can be a laundry treating device and can be used for washing or washing and drying laundry. In particular, the household appliance 1 can be made in the form of a washing machine or a washer-dryer. Appliance 1 in an appropriate design is suitable for other applications, in particular, can be made in the form of a dishwasher.

Water-consuming household appliance 1 contains a pipe 2, through which it can be connected to the pipeline for clean water. In addition, the household appliance 1 comprises a pipe 3, by means of which it can be connected to a discharge pipe. Clean water can be supplied through the pipe 2 through the clean water pipe of the household appliance 1, and a shut-off valve 5 is built into the clean water pipe 4. The clean water pipe 4 exits through the free air gap into the washing tank 6. From the washing tank 6, pure water, supplied through the pipe 4 for clean water, enters the connecting pipe 7, which goes into the tank 8. The tank 8 limits the processing zone 9 of the household appliance 1. For example, the tank 8 can be made as a tank for washing solution. The tank 8 contains an outlet 10 to which a discharge pipe 11 of the household appliance 1 is connected. A discharge pump 12 is installed in the discharge pipe 11, which serves to pump the contents of the tank 8 through the discharge pipe 11 to the pipe 3.

In addition, the household appliance 1 comprises a container 15 into which a liquid processing agent is placed. In this case, the concept of a liquid processing agent is common. For example, the liquid treatment agent may be relatively viscous and / or contain particles, in particular powder constituents. In the filled state, the container 15 holds a volume of liquid processing means sufficient to carry out several cycles.

In this embodiment, the liquid detergent is a liquid detergent for treating laundry, that is, a liquid detergent for cleaning laundry. In normal mode, laundry is laid in the processing zone 9 of the tank 8, which is washed in the processing zone 9. In order to supply the required amount of liquid detergent to the treatment zone 9 from the container 15, a metering device 16 is provided. The metering device 16 comprises a pipe 17, one side of which extends into the container 15, and the other side is connected to the suction side of the metering pump 19, driven from electric motor 18. In addition, a pipeline 20 is provided, one side of which is connected to the supply side of the metering pump 19, and the other side by means of a switching valve 21 (in the base position yuchayuschego valve 21) - to the conduit 22. The conduit 22 via a free air gap leads into the flushing container 6. Furthermore, the dispensing device 16 comprises a control system 23 which serves to activate the motor 18 and the metering pump 19 to activate the switching valve 21.

In the normal mode, the control system 23 activates the electric motor 18 so that the metering pump 19 delivers liquid detergent from the container 15 to the pipe 20. In addition, the control system 23 in the normal mode activates the switching valve 21 so that the pipe 20 is connected to the pipe 22. As a result, the supplied detergent enters the wash tank 6. Preferably, the shut-off valve 5 is simultaneously actuated, as a result of which the liquid detergent from the pipe 22 is mixed in the washing tank 6 with clean water from the pipe 4 for clean water, and the mixture of water and detergent enters through the connecting pipe 7 into the treatment zone 9 of the tank 8. In this case, the control system 23 can dispense the amount of detergent supplied to the treatment zone 9, in depending on several parameters by correspondingly activating the electric motor 18. Thus, it becomes possible to advantageously dispense the detergent and thereby economically clean the laundry located in the treatment zone 9.

The water consuming household appliance 1 in normal operation can execute various programs. For example, by appropriate time management, it is possible to pre-wash and subsequent main wash. In addition, additional containers corresponding to the container 15 may be provided. Due to this, various laundry processing means may be stocked. For example, rinse aid may be stocked in addition to detergent. In addition, various detergents can be stocked up, for example, for colored and white linen.

In addition, in the water-consuming household appliance 1, a cleaning mode for the metering device 16 is provided. The cleaning mode refers to the metering device 16, and preferably no laundry or similar items are present in the treatment zone 9. In the cleaning mode, contaminants formed in the metering device 16 are removed. In this case, the control system 23 may indicate to the user the need to empty the treatment zone 9 before executing the cleaning mode.

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In the cleaning mode, the control system 23 activates the electric motor 18 of the metering pump 19 so that the electric motor 18 operates with increased torque and variable torque to drive the metering pump 19. The drawing shows the possible direction of rotation 24 of the electric motor 18. In the cleaning mode, the electric motor 18 can rotate in the direction of rotation 24 and in the opposite direction. As a result, the impeller of the metering pump 19 or a similar device is loaded with a torque, the direction of which, preferably, changes relatively quickly. It is also possible that the electric motor 18 acts on the metering pump 19 only in the direction of rotation 24 or in the opposite direction with variable torque. Such measures may also be applied interchangeably. As a result, for example, vibrations, impulse pulling moments, and the like, can occur in the metering pump 19, designed to tear off dirt, adhering crusts, deposits adhering to the elements of the metering pump 19, and the like. Due to this, it is again possible to ensure easy operation of the metering pump 19 in the formation of such contaminants. If necessary, even blocking of the metering pump 19 can be eliminated. Thus, the functionality of the metering pump 19 can be restored and known elements of the metering pump 19 can be cleaned.

At the beginning of the cleaning program, preferably the control system 23 prompts the user to clean the container 15 and fill it with a solvent, for example water. In the cleaning mode, the control system 23 can at least periodically actuate the switching valve 21 to connect the pipe 20 through the switching valve 21 to the pipe 25 leading back to the container 15. As a result, when the electric motor 18 of the metering pump 19 is turned on, water from the container 15 may be pumped through conduit 17, metering pump 19, conduit 20, switching valve 21 and conduit 25. In this case, the control system 23 activates the motor 18 of the metering pump 19, preferably increased th and / or pulse voltage. As a result, dirt, deposits, etc. can be torn off from individual components of the metering device 16 and carried away by water.

In the cleaning mode, the control system 23 can activate the electric motor 18 of the metering pump 19 in various modes. Moreover, depending on the design of the metering pump 19, the feed can be in the opposite direction to the normal feed direction, that is, from the pipe 20 to the pipe 17.

The pipe 22 may have a relatively short length. To clean the pipe 22, the control system 23 can, if necessary, switch the switching valve 21 to the base position shown in FIG. 1. In this position, the pipe 22 is flushed with water.

Thus, the pipelines 17, 20, 22, 25 of the metering device 16 in the cleaning mode can be washed with water. In particular, pipelines 17, 20, 22 can be flushed, which, in the normal operating mode of the device 1, not related to the cleaning mode of the metering device 16, are used to supply liquid detergent. As a result, maximum cleaning of the metering device 16 becomes possible.

After successfully cleaning the metering device 16, the control system 23 can indicate to the user that the container 15 needs to be emptied. In addition, the control system 23 can indicate to the user that the container 15 can be filled again with liquid detergent.

The cleaning mode of the metering device 16 can be performed at the request of the user. This mode can be selected, for example, in the corresponding menu of the control system 23. In addition or alternative, the control system 23 may trigger a cleaning of the metering device 16, in particular the metering pump 19, or prompt the user to initiate such cleaning. This may occur after a certain number of washing cycles. It is also possible that the control system 23 recognizes contamination or blockage of the metering pump 19 by contaminants, for example, by the power consumption of the metering pump 19, and when a certain threshold value is reached, it activates the cleaning mode or informs the user about the need to execute the cleaning mode. In this case, it is preferable that the cleaning mode is activated or is proposed to be activated upon completion of the normal operating mode of the device 1 or during a period when the normal mode is not turned on.

The invention is not limited to the described embodiment.

Reference List

I - water consuming household appliance

2, 3 - pipe

- pipeline for clean water

- stop valve

- flushing tank

- connecting pipe

- tank

- treatment area

- release

II - discharge pipe

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- pump out pump

- container

- dosing device

- pipeline

- electric motor

- dosing pump

- pipeline

- switching valve

- pipeline

- control system

- direction of rotation

- pipeline

Claims (9)

CLAIM 1. A method for automatically / semi-automatically cleaning a dosing device (16) of a water-consuming household appliance (1), such as a washing or washing-drying machine, in which the dosing device (16) comprises at least one container for at least one laundry treating means , a metering pump (19) for dispensing said processing agent from the container (15) into the treatment zone (9) driven by an electric motor (18), while the metering device (16) is cleaned by at least periodic activation of the electric motor (18) by the control system so that the electric motor (18) operates in the cleaning mode of the metering device (16) with a variable torque and / or torque increased with respect to the torque developed by the electric motor (18) in the operating mode device (1), not related to the cleaning mode of the metering device (16). 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the cleaning mode, the electric motor (18), which is a direct current electric motor, is activated by a voltage at least periodically increased relative to the operating mode of the device (1), not related to the cleaning mode of the metering device (16), and / or surge voltage. 3. The method according to one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that in the cleaning mode, at least periodically, activate the electric motor (18) of the metering pump (19) to pump through the metering pump (19) a solvent placed in a container (15) instead of liquid means for processing. 4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that when pumping the solvent through the metering pump (19), at least temporarily pump the solvent through the metering pump (19) back into the container (15). 5. The method according to one of claims 3 or 4, in which one or more pipelines (17, 20, 22) connecting the container (15) to the treatment zone (9) are cleaned by washing with a solvent. 6. The method according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that by means of the control system (23), an indication is made to inform the user about the need to fill the container (15) with a solvent. 7. The method according to one of paragraphs.5, 6, characterized in that the solvent is water. 8. The method according to one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that by means of the control system (23), contamination is detected or the dosing pump (19) is blocked by impurities, and in this case, the cleaning mode is activated by the control system (23) or the user is informed of the need to execute the mode cleaning up. 9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the cleaning mode of the metering device (16) is a separate operation mode of the household appliance (1).