Water-conducting household appliance and method for operating a water-conducting household appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a water-conducting household appliance (1), in particular a dishwasher, comprising at least one electrically controllable actuator (20), a first voltage source (30) for supplying a connection power (PE) to the actuator (20) and a second voltage source (40) for supplying at least a holding power (PH) to the actuator (20), and a control unit (50), which is designed to electrically connect the first voltage source (30) to the actuator (20) in order to switch on the actuator (20) and, after a switch-on interval, to electrically disconnect the first voltage source (30) from the actuator (20) and to electrically connect the second voltage source (40) to the actuator (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a water-conducting domestic appliance and a method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance. Background Art

[0002] Known water-conducting household appliances use various electrical consumers. These consumers can operate directly from the mains voltage, or alternatively, they can be operated with the aid of a voltage source that provides a specific voltage. These consumers carry a specific risk of failure. If such a consumer fails, for example due to a fault, it must be ensured that this does not lead to other problems, such as burning of plastic components. To this end, specific safety measures are provided, such as a robust circuit design, electrical protection circuits, and the use of appropriately robust materials.

[0003] EP 1 594 227 A2 describes a circuit for switching a solenoid valve, wherein the solenoid valve responds to a switch-on voltage which is reduced after a time interval has elapsed. EP 0 091 648 A1 describes another circuit with which a solenoid valve can be operated at two voltage levels. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved water-conducting domestic appliance.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a water-conducting household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, is provided, which has at least one electrically controllable actuator. The water-conducting household appliance includes a first voltage source for supplying switching power to the actuator and a second voltage source for supplying at least holding power to the actuator. A control unit is configured to electrically connect the first voltage source to the actuator to switch on the actuator, and to electrically disconnect the first voltage source from the actuator and electrically connect the second voltage source to the actuator after a switching interval.

[0006] Water-conducting household appliances have multiple advantages. By using two voltage sources, each voltage source can be designed with a smaller power level, making it easier to build, requiring less material and less structural space, and having higher operational safety. In addition, energy can be saved because after being connected, the actuator can operate with lower power, especially lower voltage, during the holding phase than during the connection phase. In addition, the voltage source can be optimized more accurately to the predetermined load, so that the voltage source achieves higher efficiency. In addition, if the actuator is loaded with a higher connection voltage, for example, the connection time of the actuator can be shortened because the actuator then responds faster. In addition, after the first voltage source has been electrically disconnected from the actuator, the first voltage source can be used to connect another actuator without having to preload the actuator operation.

[0007] The actuator can be a DC load or an AC load, wherein the voltage source is accordingly designed to output a DC voltage signal or an AC voltage signal. The actuator includes, for example, an electric motor, an electric solenoid valve, a thermal actuator or the like.

[0008] The actuator has an on state and an off state. In the off state, the actuator is inactive, i.e., it is in a rest position. For example, in a valve, the rest position can be open or closed. In the off state, the actuator consumes no electrical energy.

[0009] To switch the actuator on, i.e., to switch it from the off state to the on state, the actuator requires a switching power. The switching power is typically higher than the holding power, which is the power required to keep the actuator in the on state. This can be due, for example, to the electrical energy required to switch the actuator on, to build up a magnetic field, to set the rotor into rotational motion, or to bring the heating element of a thermal actuator to a specific temperature.

[0010] The first and second voltage sources are designed to output a voltage signal. The voltage signal can be characterized, in particular, by a specific voltage, a specific current, and a specific frequency. Furthermore, the voltage signal can have a specific waveform, such as a sinusoidal signal, a rectangular signal, a sawtooth signal, or the like. In this regard, the voltage source can include a function generator. The voltage signal is preferably designed specifically for the actuator so that it provides a required switching power or holding power specifically adapted for the actuator.

[0011] Preferably, the voltage source is designed so that it outputs a specific constant voltage. In particular, in the case of an actuator that behaves like an ohmic resistor, a constant voltage generates a specific power. If the resistance of the actuator is constant, the power is also constant.

[0012] The first and second voltage sources are designed to be connected to an electrical grid, such as a public grid. Public grids can be configured differently, particularly with respect to voltage and / or frequency. The respective voltage sources are preferably designed to output voltage signals independently of the specifications of the connected grid. This allows operation of water-conducting household appliances in different regions of the world without having to adapt the voltage sources.

[0013] The actuator is switched on by electrically connecting it to a first voltage source that provides the switching power. Depending on the type of actuator and, for example, the voltage of the output voltage signal, the actuator requires a certain amount of time to reach a stable switched-on state. This time is currently referred to as the switch-on interval. The switch-on interval can, for example, have a value between a few μs and several seconds. For the actuator, the switch-on interval can be determined by a predetermined time. For example, a three-second switch-on interval can be preset for an electric motor. However, it is also possible to provide that a sensor detects the position or operating state of the actuator, and based on this, the control unit determines when the actuator has reached a stable switched-on state so that switching between the voltage sources can be performed. For example, in the case of an electric motor, it can be provided that the motor reaches a specific speed and maintains this speed constant for at least half a second.

[0014] If the switched-on state is reached, i.e., the actuator has reached a stable operating state, then a holding power sufficient to keep the actuator switched on is provided. The holding power is, for example, the power loss consumed by the actuator in the switched-on state. To provide the holding power, a second voltage source is electrically connected to the actuator.

[0015] If the second voltage source is electrically disconnected from the actuator, the actuator switches to the cut-off state.

[0016] The control unit can be designed as an independent circuit or as a component of a control device for controlling a water-conducting domestic appliance.

[0017] The control unit can be implemented in hardware and / or software. In the case of hardware implementation, the control unit can be configured as a computer or microprocessor, for example. In the case of software implementation, the control unit can be configured as a computer program product, a function, a routine, a portion of a program code, or an executable object.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, the switching power received by the actuator is greater than 50% of the maximum output power of the first voltage source.

[0019] If the first voltage source has a relatively low maximum output power, in particular a low power reserve for expected continuous loads or peak loads, then the voltage source can also be designed relatively simply and thus manufactured inexpensively. However, a correspondingly simply designed voltage source cannot, in particular, provide the switching power for two such actuators simultaneously. Therefore, it is currently possible to switch on multiple different actuators using only one voltage source when switching them on sequentially.

[0020] Preferably, the maximum output power of the voltage source can be provided by the voltage source for the duration of the switch-on interval. However, the maximum output power can also be the continuous power of the voltage source.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the water-conducting household appliance, it includes a plurality of electrically controllable actuators. A first voltage source is configured to provide switching power to each individual actuator in the plurality of actuators, and a second voltage source is configured to simultaneously provide holding power to at least two actuators in the plurality of actuators. The control unit is further configured to: electrically connect the first voltage source to a first actuator in the plurality of actuators to switch on at least two actuators, and electrically disconnect the first voltage source from the first actuator after a switching interval for the first actuator, and electrically connect the second voltage source to the first actuator, and electrically connect the first voltage source to another actuator in the plurality of actuators, and electrically disconnect the first voltage source from the other actuator after a switching interval for the other actuator, and electrically connect the second voltage source to the other actuator.

[0022] This embodiment has the advantage that multiple actuators can be operated using only two voltage sources, each of which can be designed to be relatively small or weak. To this end, the actuators are switched on sequentially, i.e., one after the other in time. The multiple actuators may include different actuators, which may have different switching powers and / or holding powers and / or switching intervals. The first voltage source is particularly designed so that it is designed to provide the highest switching power of one of the multiple actuators. The second voltage source is designed so that it is designed to provide holding power to at least two of the multiple actuators simultaneously.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, it comprises a plurality of second voltage sources, wherein a respective second voltage source of the plurality of second voltage sources is assigned to at least one actuator and is designed to provide holding power for the at least one assigned actuator.

[0024] This embodiment is advantageous because each second voltage source can be designed for a predetermined maximum power and / or can be designed to output a predetermined voltage signal, depending on the assigned actuator or actuators. This makes it possible to easily meet requirements for operational safety, while at the same time optimally designing the voltage source so that it has very good efficiency, thereby optimizing the energy consumption of the water-conducting household appliance.

[0025] According to a further embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, the first voltage source and / or the second voltage source each have a maximum output power of 15 W.

[0026] This embodiment has the advantage that circuits with a maximum power of no more than 15 W are considered low-power circuits, for example, according to DIN EN 60335-1. The operational safety requirements for these low-power circuits are lower than for circuits with a power of more than 15 W. This is advantageous in terms of the material selection of components, such as housings or insulators, since these components have lower fire protection requirements in low-power circuits. This allows for a wide range of different materials that are cheaper, easier to process, have better mechanical properties, and contain fewer toxic materials than materials that must meet stringent fire protection requirements. Overall, this embodiment thus saves resources and costs while protecting the environment.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, the first voltage source has a constant output voltage of up to 48 V, preferably up to 24 V, more preferably up to 12 V, and the second voltage source has a constant output voltage of up to 48 V, preferably up to 24 V, more preferably up to 12 V.

[0028] This embodiment has the advantage that, at low output voltages, lower requirements are placed on the insulation of the lines carrying the voltage signal and the actuators and / or circuits connected thereto. Therefore, resources and costs can be saved in this design.

[0029] The constant output voltage is not to be understood as merely a DC voltage signal, but rather also includes an AC voltage having an effective value of the stated voltage value.

[0030] The voltage source may have a specific circuit designed to output only a constant output voltage. This output voltage signal is not a pulse-width modulated voltage signal, but rather a voltage signal with specific, fixed characteristics. A corresponding voltage source may have circuits for outputting different voltage signals, for example, one circuit for outputting a 24V voltage signal and another circuit for outputting a 12V voltage signal.

[0031] Since the voltage source does not output any pulse-width-modulated voltage signals, problems associated therewith, such as the emission of high-frequency interference noise, so-called buzzing, or electromagnetic interference radiation caused by corresponding circuits, are avoided.

[0032] According to a further embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, the first voltage source has a higher output voltage than the second voltage source, in particular an output voltage that is at least twice as high.

[0033] This embodiment makes it particularly easy to operate the actuator at reduced power during the holding phase.

[0034] According to another embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, the holding voltage of the actuator is at most 70%, preferably at most 50%, more preferably at most 35%, even more preferably at most 25% of the switch-on voltage of the actuator.

[0035] The switch-on voltage is the voltage used or required to switch on the actuator. The holding voltage is the voltage used or required to keep the actuator in the switched-on state.

[0036] In the case of a plurality of actuators, the ratio of the switch-on voltage to the holding voltage can be different for each actuator.

[0037] According to another embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, the holding power of the actuator is at most 70%, preferably at most 50%, more preferably at most 35%, even more preferably at most 25% of the switched power of the actuator.

[0038] In the case of a plurality of actuators, the ratio of the switching power to the holding power can be different for each actuator.

[0039] According to another embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, the control unit is designed to switch from the first voltage source to the second voltage source for the actuator within a switching time, wherein the switching time is shorter than a switch-off time of the actuator.

[0040] When the actuator is disconnected from the voltage source, it transitions to the cutoff state. This transition does not occur instantaneously but rather takes a certain amount of time because, for example, the rotor of an electric motor possesses a certain amount of rotational energy during operation, which is dissipated during the cutoff. This can also be described as the inertia of the actuator. To prevent the actuator from transitioning to the cutoff state, holding power can be provided to the actuator during the switching time, which is ensured in this embodiment. This ensures the operation of the actuator.

[0041] In the case of multiple actuators, the switching times can be of different lengths.

[0042] According to another embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, for switching from the first voltage source to the second voltage source, the control unit is designed such that during the switching interval the first and second voltage sources are simultaneously connected to the actuator.

[0043] In this embodiment, it is excluded that the actuator changes into the cut-off state during the switching process. This helps to ensure operation, especially in the case of very fast-responding actuators with low inertia.

[0044] The control unit can use different switching intervals for different actuators.

[0045] According to a further embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, a diode is arranged in the electrical connection between the second voltage source and the actuator, so that the current flow from the first voltage source to the second voltage source is interrupted.

[0046] This embodiment is expedient if the first voltage source provides the actuator with a higher voltage for switching on than the voltage that the second voltage source provides to the actuator in order to keep it switched on.

[0047] According to another embodiment of the water-conducting domestic appliance, the actuator comprises an electromagnetic actuator, in particular a solenoid valve or an electric motor, and / or a thermoelectric actuator, in particular a bimetallic actuator, a phase change actuator, a shape memory alloy, a positive temperature coefficient resistor and / or a heating element.

[0048] According to another aspect, a method for operating a water-conducting household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, having at least one electrically controllable actuator is provided. In a first step, the actuator is electrically connected to a first voltage source, which provides a switching power for switching the actuator on. In a second step, after the switching interval has expired, the first voltage source is disconnected from the actuator. In a third step, the actuator is electrically connected to a second voltage source, which provides a holding power.

[0049] The method is preferably performed with the water-conducting domestic appliance according to the first aspect.

[0050] The order of the steps described is not mandatory, and the second voltage source can in particular already be electrically connected to the actuator before the first voltage source is electrically disconnected from the actuator. This results in a switching interval during which both voltage sources are electrically connected to the actuator.

[0051] Furthermore, after the actuator is connected to the first voltage source, the switching power received by the actuator is measured by means of a power measuring device and compared with a setpoint value for the actuator stored in the control device. The actuator is only connected to the second voltage source if the switching power received by the actuator does not exceed the setpoint value.

[0052] This embodiment offers the advantage that, in order to meet the requirements of the low-power circuit, it is sufficient to design only the first voltage source as a low-power voltage source, since there is no switching of the faulty actuator to the second voltage source.

[0053] According to another embodiment of the method, the method further comprises: connecting the first voltage source to a further actuator to switch on the further actuator after the first voltage source has been disconnected from the actuator; disconnecting the first voltage source from the further actuator after the switch-on interval has ended; and connecting the further actuator to a second voltage source to keep the further actuator switched on.

[0054] In this embodiment, multiple actuators are switched on sequentially. Therefore, the first voltage source always loads only one actuator at a time, which is why the maximum power of the first voltage source can be selected based on the maximum required switching power. In contrast, the second voltage source supplies holding power to at least two actuators simultaneously. Because the holding power of the actuators is relatively low, the second voltage source can simultaneously supply the respective holding power to multiple actuators. The switching interval here relates to the respective actuator and can vary for different actuators.

[0055] Furthermore, a computer program product is proposed, which causes the execution of the above-described method on a program-controlled device.

[0056] The computer program product, for example, a computer program medium, can be provided or delivered, for example, as a storage medium, such as a memory card, a USB stick, a CD-ROM, a DVD, or also in the form of a file that can be downloaded from a server in a network. This can be done, for example, by transmitting the corresponding file with the computer program product or computer program medium in a wireless communication network.

[0057] The embodiments and features described for the proposed water-conducting domestic appliance apply correspondingly to the proposed method.

[0058] Other possible embodiments of the present invention also include combinations not explicitly proposed of the features or embodiments described above and below with respect to the embodiments. Here, those skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or supplements to the corresponding basic forms of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] Further advantageous embodiments and aspects of the invention are the subject matter of the exemplary embodiments of the invention described below and of the dependent claims.

[0060] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance;

[0061] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a circuit;

[0062] Figure 3A an exemplary graph illustrating power output of first and second voltage sources;

[0063] Figure 3B another exemplary graph illustrating power output of the first and second voltage sources; and

[0064] Figure 4 A schematic block diagram of a method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance is shown.

[0065] In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference symbols unless otherwise indicated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view shows an embodiment of a water-conducting domestic appliance 1, which is designed here as a domestic dishwasher. The domestic dishwasher 1 includes a rinse container 2, which can be closed particularly watertightly by a door 3. To this end, a seal can be provided between the door 3 and the rinse container 2. The rinse container 2 is preferably cuboid. The rinse container 2 can be arranged in the housing of the domestic dishwasher 1. The rinse container 2 and the door 3 can form a rinse chamber 4 for rinsing the items to be washed.

[0067] Door 3 in Figure 1 The door 3 is shown in its open position. The door 3 can be opened or closed by pivoting about a pivot axis 5 provided at its lower end. The door 3 can be used to close or open the delivery opening 6 of the rinsing container 2. The rinsing container 2 has a bottom 7, a top 8 arranged opposite the bottom 7, a rear wall 9 arranged opposite the closed door 3, and two side walls 10 and 11 arranged opposite each other. The bottom 7, top 8, rear wall 9, and side walls 10 and 11 can be made, for example, of stainless steel. Alternatively, the bottom 7 can be made, for example, of a plastic material.

[0068] The domestic dishwasher 1 further comprises at least one rinse product container 12 to 14. Preferably, a plurality of, for example, three rinse product containers 12 to 14 may be provided, wherein the rinse product container 12 may be a lower rinse product container or a bottom basket, the rinse product container 13 may be an upper rinse product container or an upper basket, and the rinse product container 14 may be a cutlery drawer. Figure 1 As further shown, the rinse product receptacles 12 to 14 are arranged one above the other in the rinsing container 2. Each rinse product receptacle 12 to 14 can be selectively moved into or out of the rinsing container 2. In particular, each rinse product receptacle 12 to 14 can be pushed or moved into the rinsing container 2 along an insertion direction E and pulled or moved out of the rinsing container 2 along a withdrawal direction A opposite to the insertion direction E.

[0069] The domestic dishwasher 1 also has an electrically controllable actuator 20 on the door 3, which is configured, for example, as an electric motor for an electric automatic door closer. The electric motor 20 is designed to operate with a 12V DC voltage. A first voltage source 30 and a second voltage source 40 are provided. The first and second voltage sources 30, 40 are configured such that their maximum output power is less than 15W. The first voltage source 30 has an output voltage of 24V DC, and the second voltage source 40 has an output voltage of 12V DC. The voltage sources 30, 40 are connected to a public power grid (not shown) that provides, for example, a 230V AC voltage at 50Hz.

[0070] The control unit 50 connects the voltage sources 30 and 40 to the motor 20. To switch on the motor 20, for example, to facilitate the closing of the door 3, the control unit 50 first connects the first voltage source 30 to the motor 20. The first voltage source provides a connection power PE, here at 24V. The higher voltage of 24V allows the motor to respond quickly and have a high starting torque. Therefore, the motor 20 quickly reaches a stable operating state. Once the motor 20 reaches a stable operating state, for example, when it reaches a specific speed, the control unit 50 switches from the first voltage source 30 to the second voltage source 40. This switching occurs during a period during which the motor 20 continues to rotate, for example due to inertia, despite no longer receiving electrical power. After the switching, the second voltage source 40 is connected to the motor 20 and provides a holding power PH, currently at 12V. At 12V, the motor 20 consumes less energy and remains in a stable operating state. When the door 3 closes, the control unit 50 disconnects the second voltage source 40 from the motor 20, thereby shutting down the motor.

[0071] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram shows an embodiment of a circuit according to which, for example, voltage sources 30, 40 are connected to a circuit according to Figure 1 At the motor 20 of the automatic door closing device. The voltage sources 30 and 40 can each be connected to the actuator 20 by means of a switch 52, which is controlled by the control unit 50. As a special case, a diode 35 is arranged in the connection from the second voltage source 40 to the actuator 20. When the two switches 52 are closed at a time point, the diode 35 prevents current from flowing from the first voltage source 30 to the second voltage source 40. This occurs in particular when the first voltage source 30 provides a higher voltage than the second voltage source 40. In the following Figure 3A and 3B Different variants of switching by the control unit 50 are shown in FIG.

[0072] Figure 3A The first and second voltage sources 30, 40 are shown (see Figure 1 In this example, two actuators 20 (see Figure 1 Or 2) are connected sequentially and run simultaneously for a certain time interval. For example, actuator 20 is a circulation pump and a drain pump of a household dishwasher. The graph shows time on the horizontal axis t and power on the vertical axis P, which is output by first voltage source 30 (solid line) and second voltage source 40 (dashed line), respectively.

[0073] First, both pumps are disconnected, which is why the two voltage sources 30 and 40 have no power output. At time t0, the circulation pump is first connected. Therefore, the first voltage source 30 outputs a cut-in power PE to the circulation pump. This cut-in power is provided, for example, at 48V. After the on-time interval ends, at time t1, the circulation pump is in a stable operating state. The first voltage source 30 is now disconnected from the pump, which is why the power drops back to zero. A short while later, at time t2, the second voltage source 40 is connected to the pump and thereafter provides a hold power PH. The second voltage source outputs a 12V voltage signal. The hold power PH is only approximately 25% of the cut-in power PE, which is why the circulation pump achieves energy-saving continuous operation.

[0074] At a later time t3, the drain pump is switched on by connecting the first voltage source 30 to it. After the drain pump reaches a stable operating state at time t4, the first voltage source 30 is first disconnected from the drain pump, and then, immediately thereafter, at time t5, the second voltage source 40 is connected to the drain pump. From this point on, the second voltage source 40 supplies electrical power to the circulation pump and the drain pump. The output power corresponds to approximately twice the holding power PH. At time t6, the circulation pump is switched off, i.e., the second voltage source 40 is disconnected from the circulation pump, which is why the output power drops back to the holding power PH. It should be noted that different actuators 20 can have different cut-in powers PE and / or holding powers PH, even though this is not shown here.

[0075] Figure 3B Another exemplary graph shows the power output of the first and second voltage sources 30, 40. Figure 3B Only the switch-on process and the subsequent switching are shown. Figure 3A The two switching operations shown in FIG differ from the subsequent switching in that, at time t1, the second voltage source 40 is already connected to the actuator 20, while the first voltage source 30 is still connected to the actuator 20. The first voltage source 30 is not disconnected from the actuator 20 until time t2. Therefore, both voltage sources 30, 40 are connected to the actuator 20 during the time interval dt = (t2 - t1). This is useful, especially if the actuator 20 can react very sensitively to voltage fluctuations, in order to ensure that it does not switch to the off state during the switching.

[0076] Figure 3A and 3B The diagram shows the power of the voltage sources 30, 40. It should be noted that if the connected actuator 20 has an ohmic characteristic, the curve shown would be achieved with a corresponding output voltage.

[0077] Figure 4 A domestic appliance 1 for operating a water supply, for example Figure 1 Schematic block diagram of an exemplary method for a household dishwasher. In a first step S1, the actuator 20 (see Figure 1 or 2) with the power supply PE (see Figure 3A or 3B) of the first voltage source 30 (see Figure 1 or 2) electrically connected for switching on the actuator 20. In a second step S2, the first voltage source 30 is disconnected from the actuator 20 after the switching-on interval has ended. In a third step S3, the actuator 20 is connected to the circuit for providing the holding power PH (see Figure 3A or 3B) of the second voltage source 40 (see Figure 1 or 2) electrical connection.

[0078] In one embodiment of the method, the third step S3 can also be performed before the second step S2 . Furthermore, the method can be repeated multiple times in order to successively switch on multiple actuators 20 and operate them via the second voltage source 40 .

[0079] Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention can be modified in various ways.

[0080] Reference numerals used

[0081] 1 Water-conducting household appliances

[0082] 2. Rinse the container

[0083] 3 doors

[0084] 4. Flushing room

[0085] 5 Pivot axis

[0086] 6 Delivery opening

[0087] 7 Bottom

[0088] 8 Top

[0089] 9 Posterior wall

[0090] 10 Sidewall

[0091] 11 Sidewall

[0092] 12. Flushing material storage area

[0093] 13. Flushing material storage area

[0094] 14. Flushing material storage area

[0095] 20 Actuator

[0096] 30 Voltage Source

[0097] 35 diode

[0098] 40 Voltage Source

[0099] 50 control unit

[0100] 52 Switch

[0101] A Extraction direction

[0102] E Push direction

[0103] GND Neutral potential

[0104] P Power

[0105] PE connected power

[0106] pH holding power

[0107] S1 Method Steps

[0108] S2 Method Steps

[0109] S3 Method Steps

[0110] t Timeline

[0111] t0 time point

[0112] t1 time point

[0113] t2 time point

[0114] t3 time point

[0115] t4 time point

[0116] t5 time point

[0117] t6 time point.

Claims

1. A water-conducting household appliance (1), comprising at least one electrically controllable actuator (20), a first voltage source (30) for supplying a switching power (PE) to the actuator (20), and a second voltage source (40) for supplying at least a holding power (PH) to the actuator (20), and a control unit (50), wherein the control unit is configured to electrically connect the first voltage source (30) to the actuator (20) in order to switch on the actuator (20), and to electrically disconnect the first voltage source (30) from the actuator (20) after a switching interval, and to electrically connect the second voltage source (40) to the actuator (20), wherein: The switch-on power (PE) received by the actuator (20) is greater than 50% of the maximum output power of the first voltage source (30).

2. The water-conducting household appliance according to claim 1, wherein: The water-conducting household appliance is a dishwasher.

3. The water-conducting household appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A plurality of electrically controllable actuators (20) are provided, wherein the first voltage source (30) is designed to provide the switching power (PE) for each individual actuator (20) of the plurality of actuators, and wherein the second voltage source (40) is designed to simultaneously provide the holding power (PH) for at least two actuators (20) of the plurality of actuators, wherein the control unit (50) is further designed to connect the first voltage source (30) to the first actuator (20) of the plurality of actuators in order to switch on at least two actuators (20) of the plurality of actuators. ) is electrically connected, and after the on-interval of the first actuator (20), the first voltage source (30) is electrically disconnected from the first actuator (20), and the second voltage source (40) is electrically connected to the first actuator (20), and the first voltage source (30) is electrically connected to another actuator (20) among the plurality of actuators, and after the on-interval of the other actuator (20), the first voltage source (30) is electrically disconnected from the other actuator (20), and the second voltage source (40) is electrically connected to the other actuator (20).

4. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A plurality of second voltage sources (40) are provided, wherein a respective second voltage source (40) of the plurality of second voltage sources is assigned to at least one actuator (20), and the respective second voltage source is designed to provide the holding power (PH) for at least one assigned actuator (20).

5. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first voltage source (30) and / or the second voltage source (40) each have a maximum output power of 15W.

6. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first voltage source (30) has a constant output voltage of up to 48V, and the second voltage source (40) has a constant output voltage of up to 48V.

7. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first voltage source (30) has a higher output voltage than the second voltage source (40).

8. The water-conducting household appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first voltage source (30) has an output voltage at least twice as high as that of the second voltage source (40).

9. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The holding voltage of the actuator (20) is a maximum of 70% of the switch-on voltage of the actuator (20).

10. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The holding power (PH) of the actuator (20) is a maximum of 70% of the switch-on power (PE) of the actuator (20).

11. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The control unit (50) is designed to switch from the first voltage source (30) to the second voltage source (40) within a switching time, wherein the switching time is shorter than a switch-off time of the actuator (20).

12. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: In order to switch from the first voltage source (30) to the second voltage source (40), the control unit (50) is designed such that during a switching interval, the first voltage source (30) and the second voltage source (40) are simultaneously connected to the actuator (20).

13. The water-conducting household appliance according to claim 12, characterized in that: A diode (35) is arranged in the electrical connection between the second voltage source (40) and the actuator (20) so as to interrupt the current flow from the first voltage source (30) to the second voltage source (40).

14. The water-conducting household appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The actuator (20) includes an electromagnetic actuator and / or a thermoelectric actuator.

15. A method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance (1), the water-conducting domestic appliance having at least one electrically controllable actuator (20), the method comprising: Connecting (S1) the actuator (20) to a first voltage source (30), the first voltage source being used to provide a switching power (PE) for switching on the actuator (20); After the on-interval has ended, disconnecting (S2) the first voltage source (30) from the actuator (20); and The actuator (20) is connected (S3) to a second voltage source (40) for providing a holding power (PH) for keeping the actuator (20) switched on, wherein: The switch-on power (PE) received by the actuator (20) is greater than 50% of the maximum output power of the first voltage source (30).

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The water-conducting household appliance is a dishwasher.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: After the first voltage source (30) has been disconnected from the actuator (20), the first voltage source (30) is connected to another actuator (20) to switch on the other actuator (20); After the switch-on interval has ended, disconnecting the first voltage source (30) from the further actuator (20); and The further actuator (20) is connected to the second voltage source (40) in order to keep the actuator (20) switched on.

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