Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
  • D06F39/02—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
  • D06F39/022—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents in a liquid state

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a household appliance with a viscous fluid reservoir comprising an outlet for discharging the fluid and a sliding closure body for closing the outlet
• the document DE 10 201 1 083 299 A1 describes, for example, a valve in which a plurality of closing bodies are arranged in a valve chamber.
• the object is achieved by a domestic appliance having a metering system comprising a viscous fluid reservoir having an outlet for discharging the fluid and a movable closing body for closing the outlet, wherein the metering system comprises an actuator for applying a force on the movable closing body, a detecting means for detecting a position of the movable closing body over time and a calculating means for calculating the viscosity of the viscous liquid based on the position of the movable closing body over time.
• the technical advantage is achieved, for example, that the metering of the viscous liquid can be carried out more accurately as a function of the calculated viscosity.
• a household appliance is a device that is used for household management. This may be a large household appliance, such as a washing machine, a tumble dryer, a dishwasher, a cooking appliance, a cooker hood or a refrigerator, such as a refrigerator, a freezer or achengefrierkombination. But this can also be a small household appliance, such as a water heater, a coffee machine, a food processor or a vacuum cleaner.
• the storage container comprises a measuring channel with a constant cross section, in which the closing body is movable.
• the measuring channel has a cylindrical shape or a cuboid shape with rounded corners.
• the measuring channel has a guide for guiding the closing body.
• the measuring channel comprises a groove in the longitudinal direction for the passage of the liquid.
• the measuring channel is inclined relative to a lower side of the household appliance.
• the measuring channel comprises a bore, which is provided with a check valve.
• the actuating device comprises an electromagnet for moving the closing body by means of a magnetic force.
• the technical advantage is achieved, for example, that the force can be applied contactlessly on the closing body.
• the household appliance and / or the storage container comprises pole pieces for changing the magnetic force, so that the magnetic force remains constant over a path of the closing body.
• the technical advantage is achieved that a more uniform course of the force is generated, so that the viscosity can be calculated more accurately.
• the detection device is formed by an impedance detection device for detecting an impedance of the electromagnet.
• the reservoir comprises a spring for pressing the closing body on a sealing seat.
• the closing body is formed from a magnetic material.
• the closing body has a spherical shape.
• the technical advantage is achieved that the closing body has a shape with which the viscosity of the liquid can be easily calculated.
• the storage container comprises a level detecting device for detecting a level of the viscous liquid in the storage container.
• the detection device is designed to detect a speed jump of the movable closing body. As a result, for example, the technical advantage is achieved that can be detected when a liquid level drops in the region of the closing body.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a household appliance
• Fig. 2 shows several views of the reservoir with different positions of the
• Fig. 3A to 3E different measuring channels with the closing body.
• Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a washing machine representative of a household appliance 100.
• the washing machine comprises a door 123 for loading the washing machine with laundry.
• the washing machine comprises a reservoir 101, in which detergent or other liquid substances can be filled.
• the storage container 101 is part of a dosing system, by means of which the viscosity of the liquid 103 contained can be determined. By taking into account the viscosity when dispensing the liquid 103, the dosing quality of the dosing system can be improved.
• the liquid 103 runs out of the reservoir 101 under the effect of gravity via an outlet valve as long as the outlet valve is open.
• the dosing system makes it possible to measure the viscosity of the liquid 103 in the reservoir 101.
• the viscosity of the liquid 103 has a great influence on the opening time of the outlet valve required for metering a predetermined amount.
• the viscosity for the current operating state is known, a high accuracy of the dosing amount is achieved by taking this into account when determining the opening time of the exhaust valve.
• the viscosity does not only depend on the type of liquid, but changes, for example, exponentially with the temperature. In addition, the aging of the liquid also has an effect on the viscosity. Most of the fluids used in household appliances can be considered as sufficiently approximate as Newtonian fluids. For Newtonian fluids:
• V ⁇ v
• h the level in the reservoir 101 and ⁇ is the viscosity of the fluid.
• K is a constant substantially dependent on the geometry of the spout.
• the reservoir 101 allows a measurement of the viscosity of the liquid on the movement characteristic of the closing body 107 when opening and / or closing the exhaust valve.
• the outlet valve is preferably a magnetically coupled valve, in which a ferromagnetic closing body 107 is influenced by a magnetic field generated outside of the reservoir 101.
• the closing body 107 is a ferromagnetic ball, which is initially held without external magnetic field, primarily by a permanent magnet on a sealing seat. In addition, act on the closing body 107 gravity, a fluid pressure and buoyancy. To open the exhaust valve, an external magnetic field is applied, which is generated by an electromagnet.
• the solenoid 125 forms an actuator 109 for the closing body 107.
• a magnetic force is exerted on the ball, which exceeds the remaining forces and moves the ball away from the sealing seat.
• a measuring channel 113 In the course of the movement of the ball away from the sealing seat is a measuring channel 113 with a cylindrical portion. The diameter of the cylindrical portion is larger than the diameter of the ball.
• the resulting velocity of the ball results from a balance of forces, i.
• the course of the position of the ball as the closing body 107 over time, for example when opening the outlet valve, can be a determination of the viscosity of the liquid 103 in Vorratsbe container 101 too.
• I G ball can be determined by a detection device 111, which detects the impedance of the coil of the electromagnet 125 at least one suitable frequency by a measurement. Both the magnitude and the phase of the impedance change systematically with the position of the sphere in the magnetic field and can therefore be used for a measurement. In the simplest case, it is sufficient to set the time between activation
• FIGS. 3A to 3E show different measuring channels 113 with the closing body 107.
• FIG. 3A shows a cross section of a horizontal cylindrical measuring channel 113 with a spherical closing body 107. Above the spherical closing body 107 results in a crescent-shaped displacement gap 121.
• FIG. 3B also shows a cross section of a horizontal cylindrical measuring channel 113 with a diameter approximately equal to that of FIG spherical closing body 107 corresponds. Above the spherical closing body 107, a longitudinal groove 117 is formed, through which the liquid 103 flows past the closing body 107.
• FIG. 3C shows a cross section of a horizontal measuring channel 113 with a square cross section with rounded corners and a spherical closing body 107.
• FIG. 3D shows a cross-section of a horizontal measurement channel 113 with a u-shaped cross-section.
• the spherical closing body 107 is held on the intended path by bars 119 which form a cage structure.
• Fig. 3E shows a cross section of a horizontal measuring channel 1 13 with a guide 115 for guiding the spherical closing body 107. Above the guide two rods 119 are arranged, which hold the closing body 107 in the guide. This design is advantageous because the spherical closing body 107 moves approximately freely through the liquid 103.
• the measuring channel 113 can be reduced by the measures shown, for example via an open channel up to a more or less free movement of the spherical closing body 107 without special measuring channel 113.
• the more free space around the closing body 107 the faster move this at a given force.
• the speed can be changed by adjusting the measuring channel.
• a ball-shaped closing body 7 as balls
• other guided parts can be used as closing bodies 107, such as flaps, slides or pistons.
• the orientation of the storage container 101 in the household appliance 100 is unambiguous, gravity can be utilized selectively in order to apply an additional force component to the closing body 107.
• the measuring channel 113 may be provided with an inclination relative to the horizontal.
• a sealing force generation can be done by other forces than magnetic forces, such as by a spring which presses the closing body on the sealing seat.
• the magnetic force of an electromagnet decreases with the distance at least in the third power. At the starting point of the sphere, i. at the sealing seat, the force of the electromagnet 125 is low.
• the force curve in the measuring channel 113 can be adjusted such that the force remains approximately constant over the path of the closing body 107,
• the solenoid is activated at the beginning of dosing, the ball is tightened and reached at high magnetic forces the coil side stop.
• the electromagnet is deactivated and switched over to impedance measuring operation. Thereafter, the ball runs primarily under the action of the permanent magnet with a force back on the sealing seat, which is less than the force when opening. The lower speed makes it easier to measure.
• the impedance is continuously measured and closed to the position of the ball. From the speed of the return, the current viscosity is calculated. With the known opening time of the exhaust valve results in this step already leaked amount of liquid. After this procedure, all data are known to open the outlet valve a second time and to complete the total dosage by the calculated viscosity. Suitably, the return of the ball is detected the second time and used to refine the viscosity measurement.
• the method works from a minimum dosage of the liquid 103, which already expires during the measurement.
• values from previous measurements for example stored in a non-volatile memory, can be incorporated.
• pre-stored values from the non-volatile memory can be used to calculate the leaked quantity.
• a typical case concerns a dosing process in a washing machine.
• a relatively large basic quantity is metered in two steps with the described method and the viscosity is recorded.
• the liquid 103 can be metered directly over time, assuming the last stored viscosity value, without any further viscosity measurement.
• this method is carried out together with the free movement of the ball, since an open measuring path is realized.
• An electromagnetic induction can also be used by the detector 1 1 1 to measure the position or speed of the ball.
• the permanent magnet on the sealing seat causes a magnetic field in the sphere, so that the sphere itself becomes a magnet whose magnitude depends on the position of the sphere in the magnetic field. Since the thus magnetized ball moves in the influence of the coil of the electromagnet, a current is induced in this, which can be measured to detect the position. Because given a force F, the viscosity and the ball speed
• the solenoid can be used to detect the presence of the reservoir 101 in the household appliance 100, for example, the presence of the ball in the detection range of the coil. 5
• the liquid level in the reservoir 101 can be used to improve the metering accuracy. For this purpose, a relatively coarse measurement of the liquid level can be carried out, which can be carried out with simple technical means. Since, in addition, the quantity of liquid already taken from the storage container 101 can be extrapolated, it is sufficient for this purpose to know a few reference points of the liquid level. For a measurement of the liquid level can be used sensors in which no electrical contact in Vorratsbe container 101 is required, for example, capacitive methods, inductive methods or reflection of light and sound at the liquid surface.
• a cylindrical measuring channel 1 13 has a bore at the coil-side end 0, which is provided with a check valve. In one direction of movement, the check valve is closed and only the intended gaps or grooves are available as bottlenecks for the viscosity measurement. In the other direction of movement, the check valve is open and the liquid flows primarily through the check valve. When the liquid 103 in the reservoir 101 runs low, the liquid level 5 drops below the upper edge of the closed measurement channel 113. The function of the ball speed f (away) in this case has a jump.
• the air is first forced out while the liquid accumulates in front of the ball. 0 If the liquid jammed in front of the ball completely fills the remaining space of the measuring channel 113, the ball slows down considerably. From the occurrence of a speed jump during the viscosity measurement can be concluded on a sunken liquid level in the reservoir 101.
• This situation can be used by, for example, the upper level of the measuring channel 1 13 is arranged such that there are still a defined number Dosierportionen in the reservoir 101 when the jump occurs for the first time. In this case, a corresponding message can be output to the user.
• the speed of the ball above 0 is the path without jumps.
• the viscosity reading has a jump that is 5 can be determined by a comparison with previous viscosity measurements and evaluated accordingly.
• the household appliance realizes a simple system for determining a viscosity with only one moving part, so that metering of the liquid can take place with high accuracy.
• a significant improvement in metering accuracy is achieved by determining the previously determined viscosity.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Washing And Drying Of Tableware (AREA)
• Level Indicators Using A Float (AREA)
• Cookers (AREA)
• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=52774244

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2014
  • 2014-04-03 DE DE102014206390.6A patent/DE102014206390A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2015
  • 2015-03-31 CN CN201580016993.4A patent/CN106133233B/zh active Active
  • 2015-03-31 EP EP15712922.2A patent/EP3126563B1/de active Active
  • 2015-03-31 RU RU2016141927A patent/RU2664964C2/ru active
  • 2015-03-31 WO PCT/EP2015/056937 patent/WO2015150346A1/de active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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