EP0327716A1 - Dosing container for holding and dispensing a laundry treatment liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

A dosing reservoir for receiving and discharging a liquid agent for treating laundry in a washing machine or the like comprises a filling port and at least one port for discharging said liquid which possibly coincides with the filling port. The dosing reservoir is elastically deformable. To obtain an improved and in particular more convenient dosing reservoir, the dosing reservoir (1) is shaped at least in part like an accordeon which can be reversibly compressed like a pump so as to assume a predetermined preferred shape of reduced volume. The port (2) is located in a wall region of the dosing reservoir essentially unaffected by the compression of the latter.

Description

The invention relates to a metering store according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.

A known metering reservoir (see US Pat. No. 2,941,309) is made as a spherical container from soft plastic. Small holes and slots are provided in the upper area of the metering reservoir, through which the laundry treatment liquid can escape. The effect is to be used that, when the ball is deformed by being pressed in or the like, the slots open and form an opening. There is also a ventilation opening in the lid of the dosing tank to replace escaping liquid with air. If the laundry treatment liquid escapes through the small openings and slots due to a deformation of the dosing reservoir, the known dosing reservoir is water for moistening laundry in a dryer, the water replacing air should be able to penetrate into the interior of the dosing reservoir through the ventilation opening.

This known metering memory is not yet satisfactory in every respect. Due to the even spherical shape, despite the elastic plastic used, such an indentation can take place in a machine into which the metering reservoir is input that the tub dosing memory no longer resets to the spherical shape. This can have the effect, for example, that not all of the laundry treatment liquid emerges from the metering reservoir in the desired manner. Furthermore, by pressing the dosing reservoir so strongly that a reset does not take place or does not take place immediately, relatively sharp edges can be formed, which are disadvantageous for the laundry in the machine.

The object of the invention is to improve the known metering reservoir and to make it more advantageous in use.

This object is achieved in the metering store specified in claim 1.

The bellows-like design according to the invention results in a predetermined indentation level, or possibly a plurality of predetermined indentation levels. At the same time, there is a structural reinforcement in the transverse direction to a folding or unfolding of the metering reservoir, which further enhances the desired effect of the predetermined folding level. It is also important that the bellows-like design results in a compression-like compression of the metering reservoir with a correspondingly resettable material.

The laundry treatment liquid is expelled from the metering reservoir during a compression process with pressure. In the further resetting process, the dosing reservoir sucks in water, provided it is in the water. The laundry treatment liquid in the interior of the dosing store is diluted and, in a subsequent compression process, laundry treatment liquid is immediately dispensed. In addition, it is important that the opening through which the laundry treatment liquid exits during a compression process and also, if appropriate, water or alkali from the metering reservoir at the reset tion process is sucked in, is located in an essentially uninfluenced by the folding wall area of the metering. The opening cross section of the opening is practically not influenced by the compression process of the metering reservoir. The opening cannot be squeezed, for example if the compression is excessive. It is further preferably provided that the metering reservoir can be closed by a lid and the lid is stiffened in the wall region unaffected by the folding. This results in an advantageous support of the above-mentioned effect. It also supports compression in the preferred direction. It is also important that the arrangement of the cover in an uninfluenced wall area prevents the formation of a gap between the cover and the cover seat, for example due to corresponding stress on the wall area. However, the lid itself can be perforated in the sense of an outlet opening.

According to a further preferred embodiment, it is provided that the cover can be opened during a compression process by means of an opening element arranged inside the metering dispenser in order to create the opening. This configuration enables an initially completely closed dosing container which only opens after the laundry treatment process has started, for example after the start of a washing process. The reliable opening of the metering reservoir is made possible in combination by the bellows-like design, which enables the arrangement and reliable function of an opening element due to the preferred compression direction. Such an opening element can be, for example, an opening mandrel, which is located in a bottom area of the metering reservoir, which is opposite the lid area. The opening mandrel expediently extends essentially parallel to the direction of compression. The opening mandrel ensures, even under unfavorable conditions, that the metering reservoir no longer ver can close. With each compression process, the opening mandrel advances as far as is required in the specific design for opening the metering reservoir.

With regard to the external design of the metering reservoir, it is provided according to a first preferred embodiment that the metering reservoir is essentially spherical in cross section and that folds are formed in a region of the metering reservoir corresponding to a half-shell, which essentially surround the lid in a plan view in a circular manner. With an overall laundry-friendly design, there is a large compression volume, while at the same time, as explained above, the lid is advantageously arranged in a wall area unaffected by the folding. According to a further embodiment, the folds are formed in the upper half-shell receiving the cover.

An alternative embodiment provides that the metering reservoir is elongated and can be compressed transversely to its longitudinal extent by a corresponding bellows-like design. In a simple design, the dosing reservoir can have the shape of a tube. In particular, the design is such that the dosing reservoir is essentially rectangular and / or polygonal in plan view and is designed as a substantially triangular body in side view, the base of the triangle being formed by the lid provided with holes serving as openings . With regard to the lid, various embodiments are available. According to one embodiment, the cover can be designed essentially circular in plan. In combination with the tubular design of the dosing reservoir, the lid provides an advantageous resilience. Furthermore, it can be provided that the cover in cross section in its outer vertical contour in is essentially semicircular. In addition, the lid can also be tapered. In the end, the lid can be closed. Here, the contour is addressed, which results, for example, in the case of a medium cross-section through the cover in a plane approximately perpendicular to the compression plane.

In a further alternative form, the metering reservoir can also have an inward longitudinal fold, as described above, which not only enables an increase in volume but also a larger compression stroke with a compact design.

The opening or also the openings through which the laundry treatment liquid emerges during a compression process and, for example, during a subsequent resetting process, water or lye is sucked into the metering reservoir can initially be designed as a constantly open opening. In addition, it can also be provided that one or more flutter valves are arranged in this opening. The valve can be designed such that the laundry treatment liquid is dispensed rapidly during a pumping process, but the reset is delayed. In this way, it can be achieved that maximum compression of the metering reservoir with a corresponding dispensing of laundry treatment liquid takes place only at certain time intervals.

Another alternative design of the dosing reservoir is characterized by a large number of folds and an essentially cylindrical shape of the dosing reservoir. This design provides a very large possible compression stroke. With regard to the lid, the shapes described above can be easily combined with such a design.

A further special design of the metering reservoir provides that it is formed from two hollow bodies which are essentially circular disk-shaped in plan and are arranged one above the other and that a circumferential, inward folding of the contact plane of the hollow bodies is formed. Such a dosing store combines a relatively large stability outside its compression level with a large capacity with a very large possible compression stroke, based on the dimensions in the compression direction. In an embodiment of this dosing store, but if possible to be combined with dosing stores of the types described above, it is provided that the opening is formed laterally to the cover. The lid itself is not equipped with the function of the opening, which enables a correspondingly rigid shaping of the lid or a corresponding reduction in material. It is further preferred to arrange such an outlet opening sunk in relation to an outer cover surface or a surrounding outer wall area of the metering reservoir. As long as the dosing reservoir is already in the water or in the alkali, the emerging laundry treatment liquid does not come into direct contact with items of laundry in high concentration. Also, the opening cannot be blocked by a piece of laundry or in any case the exit of the laundry treatment liquid, for example, can be hindered by a piece of laundry looping around the dosing reservoir. Nevertheless, it may be of interest to delay the exit of the laundry treatment liquid and, as already mentioned above with regard to another embodiment, to reset the dosing reservoir after a pumping process. For this purpose, an embodiment is advantageous in which an element that complicates the flow is arranged in the flow cross section of the opening. It can be an adapted sponge part. The sponge part also has the particular advantage that the laundry treatment liquid emerges from the metering reservoir in a finely and evenly distributed manner. The lid, which is centered to the opening, can preferably be received by a nozzle-like holder that projects beyond the opening. Another particular teaching of the invention relates to the use of a wave-like design of the metering reservoir to achieve a washboard effect. It has been found that the bellows-like design is not only advantageous for achieving a pumping effect, but also results in a considerable increase in the washing effect with such a configuration. In view of this, it may be advisable to design the metering accumulator in the manner of a bellows with a relatively rigid wall without a pumping effect occurring. It may also be advisable to shape only areas of the bellows-like design so softly that pumping compression is possible, but to provide a further area with a relatively rigid wall structure.

• Fig. 1 einen Dosierspeicher in Kugelform mit faltenbalgar­tiger Gestaltung, in der Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 2 den Gegenstand gemäß Fig. 1 in der Draufsicht,
• Fig. 3 einen Dosierspeicher in kugelförmiger Gestalt mit einem Öffnungsdorn, im Querschnitt im geschlosse­nen Zustand,
• Fig. 4 den Gegenstand gemäß Fig. 3 im geöffneten Zustand;
• Fig. 5 einen Dosierspeicher in langgestreckter Gestalt, mit seitlicher Längsfalte, in der Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 6 den Gegenstand gemäß Fig. 5 im Querschnitt,
• Fig. 7 einen Dosierspeicher in tubenartiger Gestalt, in der Seitenansicht;
• Fig. 8 den Gegenstand gemäß Fig. 7 in einer weiteren Seitenansicht;
• Fig. 9 einen langgestreckten Dosierspeicher in im wesent­lichen rechteckiger Grundgestalt, in der Drauf­sicht;
• Fig. 10 den Gegenstand gemäß Fig. 9 in einer Schnittdar­stellung;
• Fig. 11 einen Dosierspeicher in im wesentlichen zylindri­scher Gestalt, in Seitenansicht;
• Fig. 12 den Gegenstand gemäß Fig. 11, geschnitten in der Ebene XII-XII;
• Fig. 13 einen Dosierspeicher aus kreisscheibenförmigen, übereinander angeordneten Hohlkörpern gebildet, in perspektivischer Ansicht und Überkopfstellung;
• Fig. 14 eine vergrößerte Darstellung des Deckelbereiches des Dosierspeichers gemäß Fig. 13.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, which, however, only represents exemplary embodiments. The following shows:

• 1 is a side view of a dosing reservoir in spherical shape with bellows-like design,
• 2 shows the object of FIG. 1 in plan view,
• 3 shows a dosing reservoir in a spherical shape with an opening mandrel, in cross section in the closed state,
• FIG. 4 the object according to FIG. 3 in the open state;
• 5 a metering reservoir in an elongated shape, with a lateral longitudinal fold, in a side view,
• 6 shows the object according to FIG. 5 in cross section,
• 7 shows a metering reservoir in a tube-like shape, in a side view;
• 8 shows the object according to FIG. 7 in a further side view;
• 9 shows an elongated metering reservoir in a substantially rectangular basic shape, in plan view;
• FIG. 10 shows the object according to FIG. 9 in a sectional illustration;
• 11 shows a metering accumulator in a substantially cylindrical shape, in a side view;
• FIG. 12 shows the object according to FIG. 11, cut in the plane XII-XII;
• 13 shows a metering reservoir formed from circular disk-shaped hollow bodies arranged one above the other, in a perspective view and in an overhead position;
• 14 is an enlarged view of the lid area of the metering reservoir according to FIG. 13.

Dosing accumulators 1 are shown and described, which can be resettably pump-like compressed and changed by a bellows-like design in a preferred form. The openings 2 for the outlet of the laundry treatment liquid or for the suction of air and / or lye are formed in a wall area of the metering reservoir 1 which can be substantially influenced by the folding.

1 has an essentially spherical outer shape. The outlet openings 2 are formed in an upper, lid-like area, but in this embodiment a removable lid is not necessarily provided. The upper region, in which the openings 2 are formed, and also the bottom region 3, which is formed symmetrically opposite thereto, are free of folds 4. Otherwise, the folds 4 are formed over the entire spherical shape in this embodiment. The fold notches 5 run parallel to one another and essentially perpendicular to an axis passing through the middle of the upper and lower regions of the metering dispenser 1. A dosing dispenser according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 can be deformed with a large pump stroke.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, an opening mandrel 6 is provided in the bottom area 3 of the metering dispenser, which pushes open the cover 7 during a pumping movement. The folds 4 are provided in this embodiment only in the upper hemisphere of the dispenser 1. This results in a greater stability of the lower hemisphere and thus a reliable alignment of the opening mandrel 6 on the cover 7. The cover 7 can be opened to the outside and is in the open state outside the metering reservoir 1, but is permanently connected to it via a connecting tab 20.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 5, the metering dispenser 1 is shaped as an elongated, bottle-like container which, in the illustration according to FIG. 5, has longitudinal folds 21. The longitudinal folds 21 end at a distance in front of the cover 7 or the bottom 3. In this embodiment, the cover 7 is essentially circular in design and essentially semicircular in cross section in the compression plane. Overall, this dosing store 1 also has a high compressibility with a large volume and a design that is highly compatible with laundry. In an opening of the cover 7, or in all openings, if several are provided, can individual flap valves, not shown, may be arranged. The flutter valves enable, for example, a delayed resetting of the metering reservoir 1 after a pump-out process.

7 is essentially tubular. 7 has an essentially triangular or polygonal shape, the base 9 of the triangle being formed by the cover 7. The result is a wedge-shaped cylinder or a wedge with a circular cross-section at one end. The body can also be called a spherical section with a flattened base. The outlet openings 2 are formed in the cover 7 of the embodiment according to FIG. 7 as channels which just pass through it. The tip of the triangle is formed by a weld seam 10. From the further side view according to FIG. 8 it can be seen that this metering reservoir has a substantially rectangular shape in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 7. The cover 7 is essentially circular, which significantly supports the resilience of the metering reservoir according to this embodiment.

The dosing reservoir according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is designed essentially rectangular in plan with rounded corners, where the contour of the cover 7 also has strongly rounded corners. For this purpose, the bottom region 3 is shaped essentially in the same way. In cross-section it can be seen that the metering accumulator according to FIG. 9 has a retracted fold 4 at the sides with an overall relatively flat design.

11 has an essentially cylindrical shape, wherein it is designed essentially like a bellows over its entire length. The cover 7 in turn has outlet openings 2 in the form of bores running parallel to the central axis 11. Out of the way 12 shows that the folds 4 and the inner fold notches 5 each have an extent corresponding to 1/5 of the radius.

13 is formed from two hollow bodies 12 which are essentially circular in the shape of a disk and are arranged flat one above the other. A circumferential, inward folding 5 is formed in the plane of contact of the hollow body 12. The fold 5 is drawn relatively far into the interior of the metering reservoir 1 according to FIG. 13. The design of the opening 2 is particularly important in this embodiment. The opening is annular and surrounds a nozzle 13 in which the cover 7 is held. A sponge material, for example a foam material 14, is arranged in the outlet opening 2, which impedes the flow. The connection of the connection piece 13 to the body of the metering reservoir 1 is realized via a bottom grille 15 which is also arranged in the opening 2 and likewise consists of plastic, like the rest of the metering reservoir. The outlet opening 2 is inwardly offset with respect to the surrounding area of the metering reservoir, on the one hand the cover 7 and on the other hand the upper area of the wall 16. The cover 7, which is shown in the open state in FIGS. 13 and 14, remains closed during an emptying process. The laundry treatment liquid only flows out through the sponge material 17. In the case of a resetting process, wash liquor or water is also sucked in only through the sponge material 14.

The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, the drawing and the claims can be of importance both individually and in any combination for the implementation of the invention.

Claims (20)

1.Dosing storage for receiving and dispensing a laundry treatment liquid in a washing machine or the like, with a filling opening and at least one opening which may coincide with the filling opening and serves for dispensing the laundry treatment liquid, the dosing storage being elastically deformable, characterized in that the dosing storage (1 ) can be resiliently compressed by an at least partially bellows-like design with a preferred shape change and volume reduction that can be predetermined thereby, and that the opening (2) is formed in a wall area of the metering dispenser that is essentially uninfluenced by the folding. 2. Dosing reservoir according to claim 1, characterized in that the dosing reservoir (1) can be closed with a lid and that the lid (7) is arranged stiffening in the wall region unaffected by the folding. 3. Dosing reservoir according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cover (7) for creating the opening (2) can be opened by an opening element arranged in the interior of the dosing dispenser during a compression process. 4. Dosing reservoir according to claim 3, characterized in that the opening element is an anchoring element (6) anchored in the bottom region (3) of the dosing reservoir (1) and extending essentially parallel to the compression direction. 5. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dosing reservoir (1) is essentially spherical in cross section and that folds (4) are formed in a region of the dosing reservoir corresponding to a half-shell. which surround the cover (7) in a plan view in a substantially circular manner. 6. Dosing reservoir according to claim 5, characterized in that the fold (4) are formed in the upper half-shell receiving the lid. 7. Dosing reservoir according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the dosing reservoir (1) is elongated and can be compressed transversely to its longitudinal extent by a corresponding bellows-like design. 8. dosing reservoir according to claim 7, characterized in that the dosing reservoir (1) is designed as a substantially rectangular in plan view and in the side view substantially triangular body, the base (9) of the triangle through which with openings (2) serving holes provided cover (7) is formed. 9. Dosing reservoir according to claim 8, characterized in that the cover (7) is essentially circular in plan. 10. Dosing reservoir according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the dosing reservoir (1) has an inward longitudinal fold (8). 11. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (7) is formed in the vertical cross section in its outer contour substantially semicircular. 12. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a flap valve is arranged in the opening (2). 13. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dosing reservoir (1) has a plurality of folds (4) and is cylindrical. 14. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dosing reservoir (1) is formed from two hollow bodies (12) which are essentially circular in the shape of a disk and are arranged one above the other in plan and that a circumferential, inward-facing fold (4) in the contact plane the hollow body (12) is formed. 15. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening (2) is formed laterally to the lid (7). 16. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening (2) is arranged sunk relative to an outer cover surface or a surrounding outer wall region (16) of the dosing reservoir (1). 17. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the flow cross section, the opening (2) is arranged an element which complicates the flow. 18. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the element is a sponge part (14) adapted to the flow cross section. 19. Dosing reservoir according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (7) can be received in a connection piece-like holder (13) which projects beyond the opening (2). 20. Dosing store for receiving and dispensing a laundry treatment liquid in a washing machine or the like, with a filler opening and at least one opening which may coincide with the filler opening and serve to dispense the laundry treatment liquid, optionally with one or more of the further features of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dosing reservoir (1) is designed to be at least partially undulating in order to achieve a washboard effect.

Images