Dosing unit and water-bearing household appliance

Abstract

A dispensing unit (100) for automatically dispensing detergent tablets (102) for use in an automatic dispensing system (20) of an aqueous household appliance (1), the dispensing unit (100) comprising a storage magazine (110) for storing a plurality of detergent tablets (102) and a dispensing device (120) for releasing a respective one of the detergent tablets (102), wherein the storage magazine (110) comprises a tubular portion (112) for storing the plurality of detergent tablets (102) in a line one after the other.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a dosing unit for use in an automatic dosing system of an aqueous household appliance and to an aqueous household appliance having such an automatic dosing system.

[0002] Known aqueous household appliances, such as dishwashers, usually have a dosing system comprising a chamber for storing a single dose of detergent. The user of the dishwasher has to fill the chamber with detergent each time before starting a washing cycle. This is inconvenient for the user. Furthermore, such a system has the risk that the user does not fill the correct amount of detergent or forgets to fill detergent at all. This can lead to poor or undesired cleaning results. It is desirable to have an automatic dosing system which automatically doses the correct amount of detergent at the correct timing during a washing cycle.

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to improve the dosing of detergent in an aqueous household appliance.

[0004] According to a first aspect, a dosing unit for use in an automatic dosing system of an aqueous household appliance for automatically dosing detergent tablets is proposed. The dosing unit comprises a storage box for storing a plurality of detergent tablets and a dosing device for releasing a respective one of said detergent tablets. The storage box comprises a tubular portion for storing said plurality of detergent tablets arranged one after another in a line.

[0005] The dosing unit can advantageously be used in an aqueous household appliance, in particular a dishwasher or a washing machine, for providing detergent tablets for a plurality of treatment cycles without the need to fill detergent before each cycle. Preferably, the dosing unit can be automatically actuated, e.g. by a control unit of the aqueous household appliance. The detergent tablets can be any kind of detergent, i.e. a chemical agent which at least partially dissolves in a washing liquid for treating items and which is suitable for enhancing the treatment of the items by the washing liquid. For example, the detergent comprises enzymes, bleach, softening agents, rinse aids and / or other detergents.

[0006] The dosing unit can comprise several elements, e.g. the dosing device and the storage box, even if not explicitly mentioned. The elements of the dosing unit are preferably made of a polymeric material suitable for injection molding. In addition, the elements can be made of metal and / or composite material and / or the elements can be coated.

[0007] The storage box stores the plurality of detergent tablets one after the other in a line. Thus, it is relatively simple to provide the dosing device with a single detergent tablet compared to systems in which the detergent tablets are stored in a disordered manner. Furthermore, the proposed dosing unit has the advantage that essentially only the detergent tablet that is released in the next dosing step is close to the outlet through which moisture can enter the storage box. Thus, essentially only this detergent tablet will be affected by the moisture. It can be said that the first detergent tablet in the line absorbs the moisture that enters the storage box, thereby protecting the other detergent tablets of the plurality.

[0008] For example, the storage box has a linear tubular portion. The dosing device is attached to the storage box at one end of the tubular portion. For example, the dosing unit is oriented such that the dosing device is located in the lowest position of the dosing unit. Then, gravity acts on the detergent tablets arranged in the tubular portion and pushes them towards the dosing device.

[0009] The dosing device comprises, for example, a sliding mechanism for releasing the detergent tablet. Preferably, the dosing device has a closed state in which the storage box is sealed and a release state in which the outlet is emptied such that the detergent tablet of the line that is immediately adjacent to the dosing device is released.

[0010] The dosing unit has the advantage that only the dosing device needs to be operated, because after releasing the detergent tablet, the detergent tablet automatically slides to the dosing device.

[0011] The detergent tablet is preferably provided as a shaped body comprising a specific detergent formulation and having a specific size and geometry. The detergent tablet preferably comprises one or more active ingredients for an automatic washing process. As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the nature of the active ingredients used in the detergent tablet will vary depending on the desired application. When used within a dishwasher, the detergent tablet may, for example, comprise active ingredients that perform a dishwasher detergent, rinse aid, machine cleaner or dishwasher deodorizing function. In the context of a washing machine, the detergent tablet may, for example, comprise active ingredients that perform a laundry detergent or fabric softener function. Suitable active ingredients are known to the skilled person; examples include bleaching agents, bleach activators, bleach catalysts, enzymes, surfactants, builders, pH adjusters, corrosion inhibitors and fragrances.

[0012] For example, each detergent tablet comprises a unit dose of active ingredient, i.e. the entire amount of active ingredient desired to be used in a wash process, such that only one detergent tablet of the active ingredient needs to be dispensed per wash process. In other embodiments, it can be advantageous for the unit dose of active ingredient to be provided by more than one detergent tablet. For example, in some cases a single detergent tablet comprising the entire unit dose can be quite large or cumbersome and it can be more efficient or reliable to dose using multiple smaller or lighter detergent tablets. Preferably, the required dose of active ingredient is provided by no more than 10 detergent tablets, preferably no more than 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or 4 detergent tablets. Preferably, the unit dose is provided by 1, 2, 3 or 4 detergent tablets. Another useful option is to provide detergent tablets, each of which comprises an amount of active ingredient corresponding to no more than one unit dose of active ingredient for at least one wash process of an automatic washing machine. For example, the dishwasher or washing machine is configured to allow selection between a plurality of different operating modes, for example a heavy wash program and a light wash program requiring different amounts of active ingredient. Thus, a number of detergent tablets can be dosed during one operating mode and a different number of detergent tablets during a different operating mode. For example, one detergent tablet can be dosed during a wash program for a certain level of contamination and two detergent tablets can be dosed during a wash program designed for a higher level of contamination. The detergent tablets can be in any suitable form, for example a solid, a gel tablet or a water-soluble package / container (preferably low deformability). Preferably, at least the exterior of the detergent tablet is solid. For example, a capsule having a dissolvable (preferably hard) shell material can enclose a powder, liquid or gel composition. However, advantageously, the detergent tablet is formed from a compressed powder. Each detergent tablet can for example be single phase or multi-layered and can take other structures to ensure that each active ingredient is released from the detergent tablet at the optimum time. The detergent tablets can be wrapped in a film of water-soluble material, but preferably they are unwrapped. They can be coated with a suitable coating, for example to reduce friability. The detergent tablets can be in any suitable shape, for example cylindrical, disc-shaped, spherical, spheroid or cuboid. In embodiments, each detergent tablet has at least one flat surface. Preferably, the detergent tablets are cylindrical or disc-shaped as spherical detergent tablets are more difficult to manufacture and shapes such as cuboids are less easy to dose. In the case of cylindrical detergent tablets, preferably the length of the tablet is greater than or less than the diameter of the detergent tablet by up to 5%. When the detergent tablets have edges, preferably at least some of these edges are chamfered and / or rounded to reduce the likelihood of breakage during manufacture and when the detergent tablets are in a dosing device. Preferably, the chamfer has an angle of 15 to 20 degrees.

[0013] In one embodiment, each detergent tablet has a weight of at least 0.1 g, at least 0.5 g, at least 0.7 g, at least 1 g, at least 1.2 g, at least 1.5 g, at least 2 g, at least 3 g, at least 4 g or at least 5 g; and / or at most 15 g, at most 14 g, at most 13 g, at most 12 g, at most 11 g, at most 10 g, at most 9 g, at most 8 g, at most 7 g or at most 6 g. In one embodiment, each detergent tablet has a maximum length and / or diameter of at least 5 mm, at least 6 mm, at least 7 mm, at least 8 mm, at least 9 mm or at least 10 mm; and / or at most 20 mm, at most 19 mm, at most 18 mm, at most 17 mm, at most 16 mm or at most 15 mm.

[0014] The dosing unit has the advantage that it can be manufactured at low cost, so that when there are no detergent tablets in the storage box, the entire dosing unit can simply be replaced. Refilling of the storage box is possible, but not necessary. It can be very convenient for a user of a water-containing household appliance having an automatic dosing system to simply replace the entire dosing unit, which can be provided with different kinds of detergent tablets for different applications or different treatment programs.

[0015] Instead of replacing the dosing unit, it can be preferred to refill the storage box with detergent tablets. For this purpose, a refill package can be provided which provides detergent tablets arranged one after the other in a line, to be attached from one end of the tubular portion to the storage box. The storage box can have a filling plug arranged on the respective end. The storage box can then be refilled by pushing the detergent tablets from the refill package into the storage box, thereby ensuring an ordered arrangement of the detergent tablets. For this purpose, specific connecting means can be required.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the dosing unit, the dosing device is arranged at one end of the tubular portion of the storage box, so that at a given time only the first detergent tablet of the line is arranged at the dosing device.

[0017] This embodiment ensures that exactly one detergent tablet is released by the dosing device in one dosing operation. For example, the dosing device has a pre-dosing chamber whose volume occupies exactly one of the detergent tablets.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the dosing unit, the tubular portion has a cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the direction of extension of the tubular portion, said cross-section being chosen according to the size and form of the detergent tablets, so that the detergent tablets can be moved along the tubular portion without tilting.

[0019] The advantage of this embodiment is that clogging of the tubular portion due to wedging of the detergent tablets is reduced or avoided. For example, in the case of a cylindrical detergent tablet having a radius of 5 mm and a height of 10 mm, the cross-section of the tubular portion can be a square having a side length of 10.2 mm.

[0020] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, the central axis of the tubular portion forms a curved path.

[0021] The advantage of this embodiment is that the maximum length of the tubular portion is not limited by the maximum side length of the water-containing household appliance in which the dosing unit is to be used. Thus, the storage capacity of the storage box can be increased. Moreover, the dosing unit can be made more compact. The transport of the detergent tablets along the curved tubular portion can comprise tilting, rotating and / or turning of the storage box.

[0022] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, the central axis of the tubular portion forms a helical path.

[0023] This embodiment has the same advantages as described above. In particular, the helical form provides an optimal storage capacity, while sharp bends in the tubular portion are omitted. Thus, the transport of the detergent tablets along the tubular portion is simple. In particular, the detergent tablets are transported when the storage box is turned around an axis through the center of the helical path and perpendicular to the helical path.

[0024] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, the dosing device is arranged at an end of the tubular portion which is located at the maximum radius of the helical path.

[0025] In this implementation, the detergent tablets need to be transported along the helical path outwardly relative to the center of the helical path. The advantage of this embodiment is that a stack of detergent tablets is arranged in the storage box such that they automatically slide towards the dosing device after release of one detergent tablet. Thus, it is not necessary to turn the storage box after each dosing operation to transport the detergent tablets, but only after a plurality of dosing operations.

[0026] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, the dosing device is arranged at an end of the tubular portion which is located at the center of the helical path.

[0027] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, the dosing unit or the storage box is configured to be turned around an axis through the center of the helical path and perpendicular to the helical path to transport the detergent tablets along the tubular portion.

[0028] For example, the dosing unit comprises a bearing arranged at the center of the helical path, which bearing is to be connected to a shaft or the like of an automatic dosing system.

[0029] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, each of the plurality of detergent tablets has a cylindrical shape and is arranged in the tubular portion of the storage cartridge such that each of the detergent tablets is able to roll along the tubular portion.

[0030] For example, in case of cylindrical detergent tablets, the tablets are prone to roll on a plane parallel to the axis through the center of the circular face of the cylinder, i.e. the plane is tangential to the circumference of the cylinder.

[0031] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, the dosing unit comprises a plurality of storage cartridges.

[0032] In this embodiment, the dosing unit can specifically be configured to dose different kinds of detergents, wherein the storage cartridges are each configured to store and provide detergent tablets of one kind of detergent.

[0033] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, the central axis of each tubular portion of each storage cartridge forms a helical path and the storage cartridges are stacked on top of each other.

[0034] In this embodiment, the automatic dosing system can be designed relatively simple, as only one device for rotating the plurality of storage cartridges is required to transport the detergent tablets in each storage cartridge.

[0035] In addition, only one dosing device is required to dose the detergent tablets provided by the different storage cartridges. Thus, the dosing unit is made simple.

[0036] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, a sensor unit for sensing the presence of detergent tablets is arranged at a position along the tubular portion such that the distance between the sensor unit and the end of the tubular portion at which the dosing device is arranged along the central axis of the tubular portion (112) corresponds to a predetermined number of detergent tablets.

[0037] Advantageously, it is known in this embodiment when detergent tablets need to be transported by rotation. Furthermore, this sensor unit can detect when the storage cartridge is empty and needs to be replaced. In addition, in case of a helical tubular portion, the current fill level of the storage cartridge can be determined by first rotating the storage cartridge such that all detergent tablets are moved away from the dosing device. Then, the number of rotations until the sensor unit detects a detergent tablet is counted, from which the fill level can be inferred.

[0038] According to a further embodiment of the dosing unit, the storage cartridge comprises plastic, metal, foil, ceramic, fiber and / or composite material.

[0039] Preferably, the storage cartridge is made of a material with a rather thin wall in order to save resources.

[0040] According to a second aspect, there is presented an aqueous household appliance having an automatic dosing system and a dosing unit according to the first aspect. The automatic dosing system is configured to automatically dose at least one detergent tablet from the dosing unit.

[0041] It is to be understood that the automatic dosing system is specifically implemented for use with the dosing unit according to the first aspect. For example, the automatic dosing system comprises a drive device for rotating the dosing unit about its central axis for delivering a detergent tablet, and the drive device is configured for actuating the dosing device of the dosing unit for releasing the detergent tablet. For example, the dosing device comprises a sliding mechanism as described above.

[0042] For example, the aqueous household appliance is implemented as a dishwasher or a washing machine. The automatic dosing system having the dosing unit has the advantage that detergent tablets can be provided for multiple treatment cycles without the need to fill the detergent before each cycle. Preferably, the dosing of the detergent tablet by the automatic dosing system is automatically triggered, for example by a control unit of the aqueous household appliance. Preferably, the automatic dosing system is configured to dose exactly one detergent tablet at a time from the dosing unit.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the automatic dosing system is configured to removably receive the dosing unit. For example, the automatic dosing system comprises a compartment for accommodating the dosing unit. This has the advantage that when the dosing unit is empty of detergent tablets, the empty dosing unit can simply be replaced by a full dosing unit. Alternatively or additionally, the empty dosing unit can be removed, refilled with detergent tablets in a convenient manner, and the refilled dosing unit reinstalled.

[0044] Further possible implementations or alternative solutions of the present application also include combinations of the above or below described features with respect to the embodiments (not explicitly mentioned here). A person skilled in the art can also add individual or independent aspects and features to the most basic form of the present application.

[0045] Further embodiments, features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0046] Figure 1 a schematic view showing a first example of a dosing unit is shown;

[0047] Figure 2 a schematic view showing a second example of a dosing unit is shown;

[0048] Figure 3 a schematic perspective view showing a third example of a dosing unit is shown;

[0049] Figure 4a schematic view showing an example of a dispensing unit for use in an aqueous household appliance; and

[0050] Figure 5 a schematic perspective view showing an example of an aqueous household appliance.

[0051] In the drawings, identical reference numerals indicate identical or functionally equal elements, unless otherwise specified.

[0052] Figure 1 a schematic view showing a first example of a dispensing unit 100. The dispensing unit 100 has a storage box 110 and a dispensing device 120. The storage box 110 has a tubular portion 112 with a central axis forming a spiral path. The tubular portion 112 is configured to store and guide detergent tablets 102 along the spiral path. For example, the detergent tablets 102 have the form of a cylinder and can roll along the tubular portion 112.

[0053] The dispensing unit 100 is configured for use in an automatic dispensing system 20 (see Figure 4 or Figure 5 ) of an aqueous household appliance 1 (see Figure 4 or Figure 5 ). The dispensing unit 100 and the automatic dispensing system 20 are designed to match each other such that the dispensing unit 100 is arranged in the automatic dispensing system 20 so as to be rotatable about the central axis X. When the dispensing unit 100 is rotated about the axis X in the direction R, the detergent tablets 102 will effectively roll towards the dispensing device 120, which is attached to the end of the tubular portion 112 distal from the center of the spiral path.

[0054] The dispensing device 120 is configured to release a respective detergent tablet 102 currently arranged at the end of the tubular portion 112. For example, the dispensing device 120 is configured to switch between a closed state and a release or open state by rotating or sliding. In embodiments, the dispensing device 120 comprises a push rod for pushing the respective detergent tablet 102 out through a flexible lock or the like.

[0055] Adjacent to the dispensing device 120, a sensor unit 130 is arranged. The sensor unit 130 is configured to detect or sense the presence of a detergent tablet 102 adjacent thereto. When the sensor unit 130 detects a detergent tablet 102, at least two or more dispensing operations can be performed before the storage box 110 or the entire dispensing unit 100 needs to be rotated. In other embodiments, the sensor unit 130 can be arranged along the tubular portion 112 at a different position than Figure 1 indicated. In Figure 1In the example, seven detergent tablets 102 are arranged in the storage cassette 110 such that after one detergent tablet 102 is released by gravity G, they automatically move or roll toward the dispensing device 120. Therefore, seven dispensing operations can be performed before the storage cassette 110 or the entire dispensing unit 100 needs to be rotated. Thus, the pile of detergent tablets 102 arranged in an upward arch starting from the dispensing device 120 can be considered a buffer for the detergent tablets 102.

[0056] Because the detergent sheets 102 are arranged one after another in a line, exposure to moisture (which may enter the storage cassette 110 during dispensing operations) is essentially limited to the next detergent sheet 102 in that line, as it will absorb most of the moisture. Therefore, the other detergent sheets 102 are protected from moisture. Exposure of the first detergent sheet 102 to a small amount of moisture is not a problem, as it is already arranged in the dispensing device 120 and does not need to roll along the tubular portion 112, but will be released in the next dispensing operation.

[0057] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a second example of a dispensing unit 100 is shown. This example dispensing unit 100 has a storage box 110 with a tubular portion 112 having a central axis forming a helical path. Compared to the first example, a dispensing device 120 is arranged at the end of the tubular portion 112 at the center of the helical path. The storage box 110, or the entire dispensing unit 100, is intended to be arranged so that it can be positioned around a central axis (for better illustration, in...). Figure 2 (Not shown) rotates as described with reference to the first example. However, the direction of rotation R is opposite to that in the first example, so as to deliver the detergent tablet 102 toward the dispensing device 120. The dispensing device 120 is preferably configured as a sliding mechanism for sliding the detergent tablet 102 out of the plane of the storage box 110 to release the detergent tablet 102.

[0058] Figure 3 A schematic perspective view of a third example of a dispensing unit 100 is shown. This example dispensing unit 100 includes three storage boxes 110A, 110B, and 110C. Each of the storage boxes 110A, 110B, and 110C is similar to the reference design. Figure 1 The storage box 100 is used to implement this. Three storage boxes 110A, 110B, and 110C are stacked adjacent to each other with a common central axis X. A single dispensing device 120 is arranged below the stacked storage boxes 110A, 110B, and 110C.

[0059] For example, storage box 110A is configured to store detergent tablet 102 containing dishwasher detergent (see... Figure 1 or Figure 2), the storage box 110B is configured to store detergent tablets 102 with enzymes, and the storage box 110C is configured to store detergent tablets 102 with rinse aids. Thus, when used in a dishwasher, the respective detergent tablets 102 from the storage boxes 110A, 110B or 110C are dosed at different timings during a treatment cycle. In particular, the dosing device 120 is configured to selectively release one respective detergent tablet 102 at a time from one of the storage boxes 110A, 110B, 110C. Advantageously, only one drive unit 22 (see Figure 4 ) is required to rotate the three storage boxes 110A, 110B, 110C.

[0060] Figure 4 A schematic view of an example of a dosing unit 100 for use in a water-bearing household appliance 1 embodied as a dishwasher is shown. The dishwasher 1 has an automatic dosing system 20 provided on a door. The automatic dosing system 20 is configured to removably receive a dosing unit 100, such as one of the dosing units 100 described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 . The automatic dosing system 20 has a drive unit 22 configured to drive the dosing unit 100. For example, the drive unit 22 is configured to rotate the storage boxes 110 or the entire dosing unit 100 in order to deliver detergent tablets 102 (see Figure 1 or Figure 2 ) to the dosing device 120 (see Figures 1 to 3 ) of the dosing unit 100. Furthermore, the drive unit 22 is preferably implemented to operate the dosing device 120 of the dosing unit 100. The automatic dosing system 20 is configured to automatically dose one detergent tablet 102 at a time into the dishwasher 1.

[0061] Figure 5 A schematic perspective view of an example of a water-bearing household appliance 1 embodied as a household dishwasher is shown. The household dishwasher 1 comprises a tub 2 which is closable by a door 3. Preferably, the door 3 seals the tub 2 such that the tub is watertight, for example by using a door seal between the door 3 and the tub 2. Preferably, the tub 2 has a cuboid shape. The tub 2 and the door 3 can form a washing chamber 4 for washing dishes.

[0062] In Figure 5 , the door 3 is shown in an open position. By rotating about an axis 5 at a lower edge of the door 3, the door 3 can be opened or closed. By the door 3, an opening 6 of the tub 2 for inserting dishes into the washing chamber 4 can be opened or closed. The tub 2 comprises a lower cover 7, an upper cover 8 facing the lower cover 7, a rear cover 9 facing the closed door 3 and two side covers 10, 11 facing each other. For example, the lower cover 7, the upper cover 8, the rear cover 9 and the two side covers 10, 11 can be made of stainless steel sheets. Alternatively, at least one cover, for example the lower cover 7, can be made of a polymeric material, for example plastic.

[0063] The domestic dishwasher 1 further has at least one rack 12, 13, 14 on which dishes to be washed can be placed. Preferably, more than one rack 12, 13, 14 is used, wherein the rack 12 can be a lower rack, the rack 13 can be an upper rack, and the rack 14 can be a rack dedicated to cutlery. As Figure 5 shown, the racks 12 to 14 are arranged vertically above one another in the tub 2. Each rack 12, 13, 14 can be pulled out of the tub 2 in a first outward direction O or pushed into the tub 2 in a second inward direction I.

[0064] Figure 5 Further shown is an automatic dosing system 20 arranged in or at the door 3 of the domestic dishwasher 1. The automatic dosing system 20 comprises a dosing unit 100 which is detachably fixed in the automatic dosing system 20. The automatic dosing system 20 has a drive unit 22 (see Figure 4 ) which is configured to actuate the dosing unit 100 to automatically dose detergent tablets 102 (see Figures 1 to 3 ) provided by a storage magazine 110 (see Figure 1 or Figure 2 ) of the dosing unit 100. Preferably, the automatic dosing system 20 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) which is implemented to operate the domestic dishwasher 1 according to a process selected from a plurality of processes. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the automatic dosing system 20 can comprise a housing for detachably accommodating the dosing unit 100, which housing serves to protect the dosing unit 100 from ambient conditions, in particular heat and humidity. In addition, the automatic dosing system 20 can comprise a dosing channel into which the dosing unit 100 releases the detergent tablets 102, which dosing channel is implemented to guide the released detergent tablets 102 into the wash chamber 4.

[0065] Although the application has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made in all embodiments.

[0066] Reference signs:

[0067] 1 water-bearing domestic appliance

[0068] 2 tub

[0069] 3 door

[0070] 4 wash chamber

[0071] 5 axis

[0072] 6 opening

[0073] 7 lower cover

[0074] 8 upper cover

[0075] 9 back cover

[0076] 10 side cover

[0077] 11 side cover

[0078] 12 holder

[0079] 13 holder

[0080] 14 holder

[0081] 20 automatic dispensing system

[0082] 22 drive unit

[0083] 100 dispensing unit

[0084] 102 detergent tablet

[0085] 110 storage box

[0086] 110A storage box

[0087] 110B storage box

[0088] 110C storage box

[0089] 112 tubular portion

[0090] 120 dispensing device

[0091] 130 sensor unit

[0092] G gravity

[0093] I direction

[0094] R rotation axis

[0095] O direction

[0096] X axis

Claims

1. A dispensing unit (100) for automatically dispensing detergent tablets (102) for use in an automatic dispensing system (20) of an aqueous household appliance (1), the dispensing unit (100) comprising a storage magazine (110) for storing a plurality of detergent tablets (102) and a dispensing device (120) for releasing a respective one of the detergent tablets (102), wherein, The storage cartridge (110) comprises a tubular portion (112) for storing the plurality of detergent tablets (102) arranged one after the other in a line, wherein a central axis of the tubular portion (112) forms a helical path, and wherein the dispensing unit (100) or the storage cartridge (110) is configured to be rotated around an axis (X) through the center of the helical path and perpendicular to the helical path to transport the detergent tablets (102) along the tubular portion (112).

2. The dosing unit according to claim 1, wherein, The dispensing device (120) is arranged at one end of the tubular portion (112) of the storage cartridge (110) such that only the first detergent tablet (102) of the line is arranged at the dispensing device (120) at a given time.

3. The dosing unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tubular portion (112) has a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension of the tubular portion (112) which is selected according to the size and form of the detergent tablets (102) such that the detergent tablets (102) can be moved along the tubular portion (112) without tilting.

4. The dosing unit according to claim 2, wherein, The dispensing device (120) is arranged at the end of the tubular portion (112) which is located at the maximum radius of the helical path.

5. The dosing unit of claim 2, wherein, The dispensing device (120) is arranged at the end of the tubular portion (112) which is located at the center of the helical path.

6. The dosing unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, Each of the plurality of detergent tablets (102) has a cylindrical shape and is arranged in the tubular portion (112) of the storage cartridge (110) such that each of the detergent tablets (102) can roll along the tubular portion (112).

7. The dispensing unit according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of storage cartridges (110).

8. The dosing unit according to claim 7, wherein, The central axis of each tubular portion (112) of each storage cartridge (112) forms a helical path, and the storage cartridges (112) are stacked on top of each other.

9. The dosing unit of claim 2, wherein, A sensor unit (130) for sensing the presence of a detergent tablet (102) is arranged at a position along the tubular portion (112) such that the distance between the sensor unit (130) and the end of the tubular portion (112) corresponds to a predetermined number of detergent tablets (102), the dispensing device (120) being arranged at the end of the tubular portion (112) along the central axis of the tubular portion (112).

10. The dosing unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The storage cartridge (110) comprises a plastic, a metal, a ceramic, a fiber and / or a composite material.

11. The dosing unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The storage cartridge (110) comprises a foil.

12. An aqueous household appliance (1) having an automatic dosing system (20) and a dosing unit (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein The automatic dispensing system (20) is configured to automatically dispense at least one detergent tablet (102) from the dispensing unit (100).

13. The water-bearing household appliance according to claim 12, wherein, The automatic dispensing system (20) is configured to removably receive the dispensing unit (20).

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