EP2012645B1 - Metering device - Google Patents

Abstract

A device having a reservoir that has an opening, a dosing chamber, and a movable conveying tool. The reservoir, the dosing chamber, and the conveying tool are disposed so the dosing chamber can be filled via the opening in the reservoir in a first position of the conveying tool. The opening of the reservoir is closed by means of the surface of the conveying tool in a second position of the conveying tool. The conveying tool can be moved from the first position into the second position via a thermo-sensitive switch that triggers the movement of the conveying tool. The disclosed device is suitable for metering pourable detergents, especially into the interior of washing or cleaning machines.

Description

The present application is an apparatus for the dosing of flowable detergents and cleaners and the use of such devices for dosing flowable detergents and cleaners in the interior of a cleaning machine, preferably a dishwasher.

Detergents and cleaning agents and processes for their preparation are well known and thus widely described in the prior art. Usually, they are made available to the consumer in the form of spray-dried or granulated powder products or as liquid goods. Following the consumer's desire for simple dosing, in addition to these two classic variants, products in pre-portioned form have become established in the market and are also comprehensively described in the prior art, in particular compressed molded articles, ie tablets, blocks, briquettes and the like and packed in sachets Portions of solid or liquid detergents and cleaning agents are mentioned.

Although such Vorportionierungen facilitate the dosage of the corresponding detergent and cleaning agent, but do not relieve the consumer of the need to dose the detergent and cleaning agent separately for each washing and cleaning cycle, this dosage usually includes a series of operations, in addition to the selection of the desired detergent and cleaning agent also include the removal of an outer packaging and the insertion of the detergent and cleaning agent in the washing machine or dishwasher include. In many cases, the consumer is exposed to direct contact with the corresponding detergent and cleaner.

The previously disclosed in the prior art devices for the dosage of active substances, in particular of washing and cleaning-active substances, often allow only a single dosage of these substances.

In the DE 39 34 123 (Henkel ) and the DE 39 22 342 (Fischer-Werke, Henkel ) detergent containers are described, which are fixedly attached to the laundry drum. This attachment is effected by means of pins or latching hooks. The containers must be removed from the washing machine after each wash cycle and refilled.

In the EP 0 215 366 a detergent container is described with a melting closure, wherein the melting closure at a certain operating temperature melts whereby the Cleaning agent is released. In particular, the closure of the container is not reusable, moreover, a multiple dosing with this system is not possible.

The DE 39 02 356 discloses a Dosierspeicher, which can also be used only for a wash cycle, and whose operating principle is also based on a temperature-dependent release of the detergent. By a resulting in increasing temperature overpressure in the dispenser a slide valve is moved to its open position and allows the exit of the detergent in the washing machine.

Although methods for the multiple dosing of detergents and cleaners are also described by the prior art, but are integrated into the machine and thus bound to a specific device model.

Thus, the published patent application DE 195 40 608 (Bosch-Siemens) a device for adding block-shaped dishwashing detergent, which allows multiple dosing, the individual dosages are controlled by a command of the dishwasher. A user-selected work program of the dishwasher regulates the time of Dosierfreigabe.

Another multiple dosing is off US-A-2002/0100773 known.

The present application was therefore based on the object to provide a metering device for the dosing of flowable detergents and cleaners, which allows the multiple dosing of detergents and cleaning agents. This object has been achieved by a device for the dosing of flowable detergents and cleaners, comprising a, having an opening reservoir, a metering chamber and a movable conveying tool.

1. a) einen, eine Öffnung aufweisenden Vorratsbehälter;
2. b) eine Dosierkammer; und
3. c) ein bewegliches Förderwerkzeug,

wobei der Vorratsbehälter, die Dosierkammer und das Förderwerkzeug derart angeordnet sind, daß in einer ersten Stellung des Förderwerkzeugs die Dosierkammer über die Öffnung im Vorratsbehälter füllbar ist, während in einer zweiten Stellung des Förderwerkzeugs die Öffnung des Vorratsbehälters durch die Oberfläche des Förderwerkzeugs verschlossen ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Dosierkammer in das bewegliche Förderwerkzeug integriert ist und das Förderwerkzeug von der ersten Stellung in die zweite Stellung bewegt werden kann und die Einrichtung weiterhin einen thermosensitiven Schalter umfasst, welcher die Bewegung des Förderwerkzeugs auslöst.A first subject of the present application is therefore a device for the dosing of flowable detergents and cleaners, comprising

1. a) a, having an opening reservoir;
2. b) a metering chamber; and
3. c) a movable conveying tool,

wherein the storage container, the metering chamber and the delivery tool are arranged such that in a first position of the delivery tool, the metering chamber can be filled via the opening in the reservoir, while in a second position of the delivery tool, the opening of the reservoir is closed by the surface of the delivery tool, characterized characterized in that the metering chamber is integrated in the movable conveying tool and the conveying tool can be moved from the first position to the second position and the device further comprises a thermosensitive switch which controls the movement of the Triggering tool triggers.

The reservoir of the device according to the invention is filled with a flowable detergent or cleaning agent. As flowable detergents and cleaners, in addition to liquids, particulate detergents and cleaners are also referred to. The flowable detergents and cleaners therefore also include powders, granules and extrudates in addition to the liquids, melts or gel (s). Tablets and tableted premixes are not covered by the term "flowable detergents and cleaners" according to the invention.

The term "liquid" in the present application denotes substances or substance mixtures as well as solutions or suspensions which are in the liquid state of matter.

The device according to the invention further comprises, in addition to the reservoir with opening, a metering chamber and a movable conveying tool. In the course of the metering process, the flowable detergent and cleaning agent is transported by the movable conveying tool through the opening of the reservoir from the reservoir into the metering chamber and finally passes from the metering chamber into the environment, preferably directly into the interior of a cleaning machine, or directly into the Washing liquor inside the cleaning machine.

In a first preferred embodiment, the storage container, the metering chamber and the delivery tool form three separate separate individual parts of the device according to the invention. In this embodiment, the conveying tool has a conveying passage through which the flowable washing and cleaning agent can pass from the storage container into the metering chamber.

In the first position (basic position) at the temperature T1 of the reservoir, or the opening of the reservoir, and the metering chamber are interconnected by the conveying passage of the conveying tool and flowable detergent and cleaning agent can be conveyed from the reservoir into the metering chamber. The promotion of the flowable detergent and cleaning agent from the reservoir into the metering chamber is preferably effected by the action of gravity on the flowable detergent and cleaning agent. Accordingly, the reservoir is preferably in space above the metering chamber in use. In this first position, the metering chamber is filled with flowable washing and cleaning agent from the reservoir.

When the ambient temperature changes, preferably when the ambient temperature is raised to a temperature T2, a thermosensitive switch is activated which triggers a movement of the conveying tool. By this movement moves in addition to the conveying tool and the supply container and the metering chamber connecting conveyor. The movement takes place in such a way that the connection between the storage container and metering chamber is interrupted and consequently no flowable detergent and cleaning agent can pass from the storage container into the metering chamber. As a result of the movement, the delivery tool reaches the second position (metering position). In this position, the connection between the reservoir and metering chamber is interrupted, the opening of the reservoir is closed by the surface of the conveying tool.

Due to the change in the ambient temperature, the metering chamber is opened at the same time and in this way allows the flowable detergent and cleaning agent to escape into the environment, or the liquor can be admitted into the metering chamber. The opening of the metering chamber can be effected directly or indirectly by the activation of the thermosensitive switch. But there is also the possibility that the metering chamber has an independent, preferably thermosensitive, second switch whose activation, for example by increasing the temperature, causes an opening of the metering chamber.

When the ambient temperature is changed again, preferably when the ambient temperature drops, the thermosensitive switch (s) are reactivated and cause a second movement opposed to the first movement, in which the conveying tool returns to the first position (basic position) and closes the dosing chamber becomes.

In the embodiment described above, the conveying tool is movable while the reservoir and the metering chamber are not movable. The mass transfer between the reservoir and metering chamber is ensured by the movable conveying tool whose movement can be linear or in the form of a circular movement. With regard to their reliability and error susceptibility, devices according to the invention have proven to be advantageous in which the delivery tool has an axis of rotation about which it rotates during the movement from the first position (basic position) to the second position (dosing position).

According to the invention, the metering chamber is integrated in the movable conveying tool. In such an embodiment, the conveying path of the conveying tool and the metering chamber are basically identical. Inventive devices for the dosing of flowable detergents and cleaners, characterized in that the metering chamber is integrated in the movable conveying tool, are preferred according to the invention.

In the first position (basic position) at the temperature T1 of the reservoir, or the opening of the reservoir, and the metering chamber are connected together and flowable detergent and cleaning agent can be conveyed from the reservoir into the metering chamber. The promotion of the flowable detergent and cleaning agent from the reservoir into the metering chamber is also effected in this embodiment, preferably by the action of gravity on the flowable detergent and cleaning agent. Consequently, in this case too, the storage container is preferably located spatially above the metering chamber in use. In this first position, the metering chamber is filled with flowable washing and cleaning agent from the reservoir.

When the ambient temperature changes, preferably when the ambient temperature is raised to a temperature T2, a thermosensitive switch is activated which triggers a movement of the conveying tool. As a result of this movement, in addition to the conveying tool, the metering chamber integrated in the conveying tool also moves. The movement takes place in such a way that the connection between the storage container and metering chamber is interrupted and consequently no flowable detergent and cleaning agent can pass from the storage container into the metering chamber. As a result of the movement, the delivery tool reaches the second position (metering position). In this position, the connection between the reservoir and metering chamber is interrupted, the opening of the reservoir is closed by the surface of the conveying tool and the metering opens so the environment that an outlet of the flowable detergent and cleaning agent into the environment, or an access of the Wash liquor is allowed in the dosing.

When the ambient temperature is changed again, preferably when the ambient temperature drops, the thermosensitive switch (s) are reactivated and cause a second movement opposed to the first movement, in which the conveying tool returns to the first position (basic position) and the dosing chamber again is connected to the reservoir.

In this second preferred embodiment, the delivery tool and the metering chamber integrated into the delivery tool are movable while only the storage container is not movable. Also in this embodiment, the movement of the conveying tool in principle can be linear or in the form of a circular motion, here again in view of their reliability and error susceptibility such devices according to the invention are preferred in which the conveying tool has an axis of rotation about which it in the movement of the first position (basic position) in the second position (metering position) rotates.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, in which the metering chamber is integrated in a rotating conveying tool, the conveying tool has a specific density which is at least 0.1 g / cm ³ , preferably at least 0.2 g / cm ³ and in particular at least 0.4 g / cm ^{3 is} below the density of the detergent to be dosed. If such a delivery tool with filled metering chamber is set in rotation by the activation of the thermosensitive switch, this rotational movement is enhanced due to the different density between the delivery tool and the filled metering chamber.

Regardless of the structural design of the conveying tool, the movement of the conveying tool from the first position in which the metering chamber can be filled by accessing flowable washing and cleaning agent from the reservoir, in the second position in which the opening of the reservoir through the surface of the conveying tool is closed and thus no inflow of flowable detergent and cleaning agent can take place in the metering chamber, according to the invention triggered by the activation of a thermosensitive switch.

The thermosensitive switch triggers the movement of the conveying tool from the first position, in which the metering chamber can be filled by accessing flowable washing and cleaning agent from the reservoir, in the second position, preferably at temperatures above 35 ° C, preferably above 40 ° C and particularly preferred at temperatures between 40 ° C and 70 ° C, most preferably at temperatures between 45 ° C and 65 ° C from.

By selecting the temperature above which the thermosensitive switch is activated (activation temperature), the number of dosing steps during such a cleaning cycle can be determined depending on the temperature profile during the cleaning cycle. If the activation temperature is only exceeded once in the course of the cleaning cycle, the flowable detergent and cleaning agent is also metered only once during this cleaning cycle. However, if the activation temperature in the course of the cleaning cycle is exceeded twice, for example because a wash liquor cools between two heating periods by inflow of fresh water to a temperature below the activation temperature, the flowable detergent and cleaning agent is also dosed twice during this cleaning cycle, if the cooling is sufficient, to return the conveying tool in the first position (home position).

In a preferred embodiment, the thermosensitive switch comprises a thermosensitive substance, or a thermosensitive substance mixture, which (s) when changing the Ambient temperature changes its room shape and / or its volume. Preferred thermosensitive substances or substance mixtures have different external forms (spatial forms and / or volumes) at different temperatures and can be converted as often as desired into these different external shapes by alternating heating and cooling.

For example, in a preferred embodiment, the thermosensitive switch comprises a switching element which is in the form of a stretched wire at room temperature (20 ° C), which spirally contracts as the temperature increases to values above 40 ° C, to below 40 when the temperature drops ° C to return to its original stretched shape.

In a further preferred embodiment, the thermosensitive switch comprises a substance or a substance mixture whose volume, starting from its volume at room temperature (20 ° C.), increases more than 1.2 times when the temperature is raised to values above 40 ° C., preferably doubled by more than 1.5 times, and especially more than 2 times, but when cooled to room temperature, returns to its original value.

Bimetals, waxes, thermosensitive polymers (for example shape memory polymers) or shape memory alloys are used with particular preference as thermosensitive substances or substance mixtures.

As bimetals metal strips are called from two layers of different, cohesively or positively connected materials. Characteristic is the change in the spatial shape with temperature change due to different expansion coefficients of the metals used. These metals may be, for example, zinc and steel or brass and iron. Preferred bimetallic switches are characterized in that these switches deform at a temperature increase and with the attainment of an elevated temperature T2, but this deformation is not already below the temperature T2 but only when it falls below a temperature T3, which is above T1 but below T2, reversed. Even if the activation temperature T2 is undershot, the thermosensitive switch remains in the activated position in such an embodiment, whereby undesired multiple dosing of the flowable washing and cleaning agent can be avoided in cleaning cycles in which fluctuations in the temperature profile occur.

The shape memory alloys are metal alloys, which due to the Exposure of external stimuli, such as a change in temperature, are able to change their outer shape, with several 100,000 cycles of motion can be realized without striking fatigue. The shape transformation is based on the temperature-dependent lattice transformation of two different crystal structures of a material. There is the austenite called high-temperature phase and the martensite called low-temperature phase. Both phases can merge into one another by temperature change (two-way effect).

In the two-way effect, two types of shape return, the extrinsic two-way effect and the intrinsic two-way effect, can be distinguished.
As an extrinsic two-way effect, the shape return during cooling of a component, which is enforced by an externally acting (mechanical) force is called. This can for example be realized by a spring, which is stretched during heating.
In the intrinsic two-way effect, the alloys can "remember" two forms of space, one at high and one at low temperature. In order for the component to resume its defined shape during cooling, it must be "trained" by thermo-mechanical treatment cycles.

Suitable materials are, for example, NiTi (nitinol), CuZn, CuZnAl, CuZnNi or FeNiAl.

• einem Bimetall und einem Polymer, vorzugsweise einem thermosensitiven Polymer;
• einem Bimetall und einer Formgedächtnislegierung; oder
• einer Formgedächtnislegierung und einem Polymer, vorzugsweise einem thermosensitiven Polymer umfassen.

Preferred devices according to the invention for the dosing of flowable detergents and cleaners, characterized in that the switch comprises a bimetal, a wax, a thermosensitive polymer or a shape memory alloy. Preference is also given to switches that are made of a composite material

• a bimetal and a polymer, preferably a thermosensitive polymer;
• a bimetal and a shape memory alloy; or
• a shape memory alloy and a polymer, preferably a thermosensitive polymer.

In a preferred embodiment, the movement of the conveying tool from the first to the second position is caused exclusively by the change in the spatial form and / or the change in the volume of the thermosensitive substance or of the thermosensitive substance mixture. However, devices according to the invention in which the change in the spatial form and / or the change in the volume of the thermosensitive substance or of the thermosensitive substance mixture merely initiate a movement which then is intensified, for example, by the action of gravity or by the action of an electric motor are also preferred becomes.

The device according to the invention is particularly suitable for the multiple dosing of flowable detergents and cleaners. In a corresponding embodiment, the device thus has a reservoir whose volume exceeds the volume of the metering chamber by a multiple. Devices, characterized in that the reservoir has at least 4 times, preferably at least 8 times, preferably at least 12 times and in particular at least 16 times the volume of the metering chamber, are particularly preferred. The fillable void volume of the reservoir is preferably between 100 ml and 1000 ml, preferably between 100 ml and 800 ml and in particular between 100 ml and 600 ml. The fillable void volume of the metering chamber is preferably between 10 and 50 ml, more preferably between 10 and 40 ml and especially between 10 and 30 ml.

In a preferred embodiment, the reservoir of the inventive devices are refillable. Particularly preferred are those inventive devices in which the reservoir can be removed from the device and subsequently filled or replaced with a new, filled reservoir.

Preferred devices according to the invention are furthermore constructed in such a way that the penetration of moisture into the dosing chamber, but in particular into the reservoir, is avoided. For this purpose, for example, the openings of the reservoir and / or the metering chamber may be provided with, preferably elastic, sealing elements, with the help of which the device are sealed against the surrounding atmosphere, in particular in the region of the movable components.

To prevent moisture from entering the device according to the invention, it is further preferred that the reservoir, the metering chamber and the delivery tool are housed in a common moisture-impermeable housing.

Inventive devices can be an integral part of a cleaning machine or subsequently introduced into the cleaning machine, for example in the interior of the cleaning machine. Devices for retrofitting into the interior of a cleaning machine preferably have a holder or a fastening device, with the aid of which the device can be attached, for example, to the inside of the door, the side walls or the internals of the cleaning machine, in particular the dishwasher.

Another object of the present application is the use of an inventive Device for metering flowable detergents and cleaners into the interior of a cleaning machine, preferably a dishwasher.

Claims (5)

1. An apparatus for dispensing flowable washing and cleaning agents, comprising

   a) a reservoir comprising an orifice;

   b) a dispensing chamber; and

   c) a mobile conveying tool,

   the reservoir, the dispensing chamber and the conveying tool being arranged such that, in a first position of the conveying tool, the dispensing chamber may be filled via the orifice in the reservoir while, in a second position of the conveying tool, the orifice of the reservoir is closed by the surface of the conveying tool, characterised in that the dispensing chamber is incorporated into the mobile conveying tool and the conveying tool may be moved from the first position into the second position and the apparatus further comprises a heat-sensitive switch, which triggers movement of the conveying tool.
2. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the switch comprises a bimetallic material, a wax, a heat-sensitive polymer or a shape memory alloy.
3. An apparatus according to either one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the reservoir, the dispensing chamber and the conveying tool are accommodated in a common moisture-impermeable housing.
4. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the reservoir comprises at least 4 times, preferably at least 8 times, preferably at least 12 times and in particular at least 16 times the volume of the dispensing chamber.
5. Use of an apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims for dispensing flowable washing and cleaning agents into the interior of a cleaning machine, preferably a dishwashing machine.