Dosing container for a washing machine drum to replace a detergent dispenser tray

Abstract

The invention relates to a dosing container for a water-bearing household appliance, in particular for a washing machine or a washer-dryer, for dosing a textile care product into a washing drum, comprising a container base, a container lid, and at least one container wall forming a receiving chamber, wherein the container lid and / or at least one container wall are configured to provide access to the receiving chamber for filling it with the textile care product, and wherein at least a gauze, permeable to water and textile care products dissolved in water, is incorporated at least partially into the at least one container wall and / or the container lid. The invention further relates to a method for using a dosing container in a household appliance.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a dosing container for a water-conducting household appliance, in particular for a washing machine or washer-dryer, for dosing a fabric care product into a laundry drum, comprising a container base, a container lid, and at least one container wall forming a receiving space. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for using a dosing container in a household appliance.

[0002] In water-based household appliances such as washing machines and washer-dryers, the dispenser drawer serves several functions and is a key component in the washing process. Its primary function is to temporarily store the detergent manually dosed by the user, allowing it to be dispensed into the drum or washing machine drum at a specific time. Furthermore, the detergent can be temporarily dissolved within the dispenser drawer.

[0003] Typically, the dispenser drawers have a three-compartment design, comprising a pre-wash compartment, a fabric softener compartment, and a main wash compartment. These types of dispenser drawers are found in the majority of washing machines available on the market. However, the problem with current dispenser drawers is the large amount of space they require in the upper area of ​​the appliance. This limits the design freedom for the appliance's panel and controls, and also restricts the space for other components of the appliance, such as control elements.

[0004] Furthermore, household appliances with automatic dosing devices are known that completely replace the traditional dispenser drawer and handle the detergent dosing independently. The user simply fills the built-in reservoirs with detergent and, optionally, fabric softener. When purchasing a household appliance, the user usually has to decide whether they want to dispense the detergent manually or automatically using a dosing device. The option of manually or automatically dosing the detergent in a household appliance is usually not possible, as the space of the dispenser drawer is also required for the automatic dosing system.

[0005] It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a dosing container for manual detergent dosing that enables more efficient use of space in a household appliance. This object is achieved by a dosing container having the features of claim 1 and by a method having the features of claim 11.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a dosing container is provided for a water-conducting household appliance, in particular for a washing machine or washer-dryer. The dosing container is designed to implement the dosing of a fabric care product within a laundry drum. Instead of a dispenser tray, the dosing container is inserted into the laundry drum. Depending on the design, several dosing containers can also be arranged in the laundry drum of the household appliance, for example, to carry out a cleaning or care program.

[0007] The dosing container has a container base, a container lid, and at least one container wall, which form a receiving space. The receiving space can be enclosed by the container base, the container lid, and the at least one wall.

[0008] Depending on the design, the container lid and / or the container base can be polygonal or round. With a round design of the container lid and / or the container base, a single container wall may be sufficient to form a shell surface that connects the container lid to the container base and forms the receiving space.

[0009] In the case of a rectangular design of the container lid and / or the container base, a plurality of straight or curved container walls can be provided which are connected to one another in order to connect the container lid to the container base and to form the receiving space.

[0010] Furthermore, the container lid and / or at least one container wall are configured to at least temporarily provide access to the receiving space for filling the receiving space with the textile care product. Several different textile care products can also be placed in the receiving space.

[0011] Depending on the design, the storage space can be designed in one or more parts, for example to separate different textile care products from one another.

[0012] At least one gauze is inserted into at least one container wall and / or the container lid, at least in some areas, which gauze is designed to be permeable to water and textile care products dissolved in the water.

[0013] The gauze is designed, at least in part, as a grid or sieve and has openings or meshes of a size through which the gauze is permeable to liquid and powdered textile care products in dissolved form. For example, the gauze can have openings with an average diameter of 800-2000 µm. The gauze can, for example, be connected to the container wall in a material-to-material or form-fitting manner, or can be designed as an integral component of the container wall. The at least one gauze can be made of a metal and / or a plastic, such as a polymer.

[0014] The dosing container is designed for dosing a solid and / or liquid fabric care product. A fabric care product can be, for example, a solid or powdered detergent, a liquid detergent, a fabric softener, a dye, a cleaning agent for the household appliance, a descaling agent, and the like. The dosing device advantageously functions as a dispenser tray that can be integrated into a door of a household appliance that can be pivoted open or closed from the side.

[0015] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for operating a household appliance with a dosing container according to the invention and a method for using the dosing container according to the invention are provided. In one step, a fabric care product is filled into an exposed or open receiving space of the dosing container, and the receiving space is then closed.

[0016] In a further step, the dosing container is positioned in a washing drum of the household appliance and a door of the household appliance is closed in order to create a sealing effect of a door seal of the household appliance.

[0017] The appliance then starts operating the program, with water entering the drum being directed through a gauze cloth into the dispenser compartment, where it dissolves the fabric care product. The fabric care product dissolved by the water is then discharged from the compartment via the gauze cloth in a controlled manner.

[0018] The dosing container according to the invention can thus be positioned in a washing drum of a household appliance, either alone or together with textiles, after the fabric care product has been inserted or poured into the receiving chamber. An operating program of the household appliance is then carried out using the dosing container.

[0019] Using the method and dosing container according to the invention, a user can quickly and easily dose their fabric care product, such as powder detergent, and add it to the washing drum. Due to a preferably flat lower surface of the container base or base plate, which faces away from the receiving space, the dosing container can be placed on a flat surface and filled particularly conveniently. The lower surface can thus be designed as a base for the dosing container. Using the dosing container according to the invention reduces the number of manual steps required for dosing and maximizes the time saved by the user without depriving them of the freedom of choice regarding the fabric care product used. Thus, the dosing container according to the invention can also be used particularly advantageously in household appliances with an automatic dosing device for manually dosing a fabric care product.

[0020] The use of a conventional dispenser tray in a three-chamber design can be omitted if the dosing container is designed to be inserted into a washing drum of the household appliance with a fabric care product filled in it.

[0021] The dosing container can be manufactured particularly easily from a technical perspective if the container wall is essentially cylindrical and partially or entirely formed as a gauze. The container wall can be made of a single piece of gauze and, at least in some areas, can be mechanically reinforced or rigid to enable a detachable connection of the container wall to the container base and / or the container lid.

[0022] According to a further embodiment, the container wall can be detachably connected to the container base and / or the container lid by screwing and / or plugging. This allows the container base and / or the container lid to be screwed onto the cylindrically shaped container wall to close or open the receiving space. The container wall can have connecting sections at its axial end that can engage with corresponding connecting sections on the container lid and / or container base.

[0023] Screwing can be understood as engaging an internal thread with an external thread, or as creating a bayonet connection using corresponding rails and / or pins. The respective connecting sections can be freely selectable on the wall side or on the container wall, or on the lid side or bottom side of the container lid or bottom.

[0024] In a particularly simple technical design, the container wall can be inserted axially into corresponding connecting sections of the container base and / or the container wall at its end. The connection between the container wall and the container base and / or the container lid can be locked by snapping and / or frictional engagement.

[0025] The production of the dosing container can be further simplified if the container wall and the container base, or the container wall and the container lid, are designed as a single component or are integrally bonded together. This measure requires only one connecting section to open the receiving space.

[0026] According to a further embodiment, the container base has an external standing surface and, on a side opposite the standing surface, a peripheral connecting section for connecting the container wall. This allows the dosing container to be conveniently placed on the standing surface in order to fill the receiving space through an opening exposed by the container lid. The container wall can advantageously be inserted into the peripheral connecting section of the container base and connected to the container base, for example, by gluing or welding.

[0027] After the household appliance's operating program has been completed, a permanent reservoir formation within the receiving space can be avoided and the hygiene of the dosing device optimized if the container base has at least one drain opening, with the side of the container base opposite the standing surface having a gradient toward the at least one drain opening. The at least one container opening can have a diameter of between 0.5 and 3.0 mm to prevent or at least slow down an uncontrolled discharge of a substance.

[0028] According to a further embodiment, the receiving space is accessible by completely removing or opening the container base and / or the container lid and / or a container wall. This allows access to the receiving space to be implemented flexibly and designed in a variety of ways.

[0029] The dosing container can be manufactured with technical simplicity and / or access to the receiving space can be provided with particularly simple technical simplicity if the container wall can be connected to the container base at an outer edge surface of the container base or in a connecting groove. Thus, for example, the container wall can radially overlap the container base in the area of ​​an axial edge section to implement a material-to-material connection or a screw connection.

[0030] According to a further embodiment, the receiving space is divided into at least two receiving sections by at least one partition wall. Preferably, at least one first gauze is configured to connect a first receiving section to the surroundings of the dosing container, and at least one second gauze is configured to connect a second receiving section to the surroundings of the dosing container.

[0031] Several different textile care products can also be placed in the holding chamber. Depending on the design, the holding chamber can be constructed in one or more parts, for example, to separate different textile care products from each other. The respective gauze can have different mesh sizes to accelerate or decelerate water transfer in the different holding sections.

[0032] For example, a receiving section for liquid fabric care products can be provided with a particularly fine-mesh gauze with a mesh size of less than 1000 µm to hold the liquid fabric care product in a receiving section of the receiving space when loading the laundry drum. This design can also be used with a one-piece receiving space, for example, if the dosing container is designed to hold liquid fabric care products and dose them or dispense them in the form of a solution during an operating program of the household appliance. A possible gauze for powdered or solid fabric care products can, for example, have a mesh size of more than 1000 µm.

[0033] The dosing container according to the invention can, for example, be designed in the form of a gauze ball, allowing the detergent to be quickly and easily delivered to the location of use and retained in the receiving space until exposed to water. The gauze on all or some sides of the container wall allows the fabric care product to escape once it has been converted into a solution by exposure to water.

[0034] The advantages and features explained above in connection with the device also apply analogously to the method, and vice versa. Individual features or aspects of the present invention can be combined with one another and have the advantages explained in this context.

[0035] The invention will be explained in detail below using advantageous embodiments with reference to the attached figures. In the figures: Fig. 1 a side sectional view of a household appliance with a dosing container according to the invention according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 a schematic sectional view illustrating a dosing container according to a first embodiment. Fig. 3 a plan view and a sectional view to illustrate a container lid of the dosing container from Fig. 1. Fig. 4 a plan view and a sectional view to illustrate a container bottom of the dosing container from Fig. 1. Fig. 5 a schematic sectional view illustrating a dosing container according to a second embodiment.

[0036] In the figures, identical or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals. Factors such as numerical values, shapes, components, positions of components, and the manner in which components are connected are merely illustrative and not limiting. Different scales have been used in some of the drawings for clarity and ease of understanding.

[0037] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a side sectional view of a household appliance 100 with a dosing container 10 according to a first embodiment. The household appliance 100 can be designed in the form of a washing machine or a washer-dryer in a so-called front-loading design. In particular, the household appliance 100 can be equipped with an automatic dosing device instead of a conventional dispenser tray for manual dosing of a fabric care product. To implement the manual dosing of the fabric care product, the dosing container 10 is used in the illustrated embodiment, which in the Fig. 2 to Fig. 5 is described in detail. The household appliance 100 with the dosing container 10 is described in particular to illustrate a method according to the invention.

[0038] The household appliance 100 has a door 110. The door 110 serves to open access to a laundry drum 120. For example, textiles 200 to be treated by the household appliance 100 are positioned in the laundry drum 120. An inner side of the door 110 is configured to be pressed against a door cuff 114 or a door seal of the household appliance 100 in order to fluid-tightly close an opening for filling the laundry drum 120.

[0039] The dosing container 10 is filled with at least one fabric care product and placed next to the fabrics 200 in the laundry drum 120. The door 110 is then closed, and an operating program of the household appliance 100 is initiated, for example, via the control panel 130. Water is fed into the laundry drum 120 to moisten the fabrics 200. This water also enters the dosing container 10 and dissolves the fabric care product, so that the resulting solution can be used to treat the fabrics 200.

[0040] In the Fig. Figure 2 shows a schematic sectional view illustrating the dosing container 10 according to a first embodiment. The dosing container 10 is configured to implement the dosing of a fabric care agent within the laundry drum 120. Instead of a dispenser tray, the dosing container 10 is inserted into the laundry drum 120. Depending on the configuration, multiple dosing containers can also be arranged in the laundry drum 120 of the household appliance 100, for example, to carry out a cleaning program or care program.

[0041] The dosing container 10 has a container bottom 21, a container lid 22 and at least one container wall 23, which together form a receiving space 30. The receiving space 30 can be enclosed by the container bottom 21, the container lid 22 and the at least one wall 23. Fig. The arrow shown in Figure 2 illustrates an access 20 to the receiving space 30 of the dosing container 10.

[0042] Depending on the design, the container lid and / or the container base can be polygonal or round. In the illustrated embodiment, a round design of the container lid 22 and the container base 21 is provided, so that the container wall 23 is designed as a single piece in a cylindrical shape and forms a lateral surface of the dosing container 10. The container wall 23 connects the container lid 22 to the container base 21. The container wall 23 is essentially designed as a gauze 24 that holds liquid and / or powdered textile care products in the receiving space 30.

[0043] The gauze 24 is designed in a grid pattern and has a mesh size in the range of 800 - 2000 µm. Water and the textile care products dissolved by the water can pass through the gauze 24 and thus enter and exit the receiving space 30 via the gauze 24. Movement of the laundry drum 120 assists in dissolving the textile care products in the receiving space 30 of the dosing container 10.

[0044] The Fig. 4A in a sectional view and in Fig. 4B, the container base 21 shown in a plan view has an external standing surface 25 and, on a side opposite the standing surface 25, a peripherally extending connecting section 31. The base-side connecting section 31 is designed in the form of a groove into which the container wall 23 can project axially at the end in order to form an adhesive connection or a welded connection.

[0045] Furthermore, the container bottom 21 has drainage openings 40 and a slope toward these drainage openings to prevent reservoir formation. The drainage openings 40 can, for example, have a diameter of less than 2 mm. The slope is formed, for example, by a so-called Petri dish shape.

[0046] The dosing container 10 can be placed on the base 25 of the container base 21 in order to fill the receiving space 30 with a textile care product. For this purpose, a container lid 22 is provided, which can be detachably connected to the container wall 23. In the illustrated embodiment, Fig. 3 shows a top view and a sectional view of the container lid 22. The container lid 22 has a lid-side connecting portion 32 in the form of a thread, which can mechanically interact with a not-shown axial end edge portion of the container wall 23 in order to close the receiving space 30 through the container lid 22.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the lid-side connecting section 32 is arranged in a circumferential recess. Grip recesses 26 are arranged on the container lid 22 for rotating the container lid 22 to open or close the receiving space 30. Alternatively or additionally, the grip recesses 26 can be arranged radially on the edge or laterally on the container lid 22.

[0048] In the Fig.Figure 5 shows a schematic sectional view illustrating a dosing container 10 according to a second embodiment. Unlike the first embodiment, the dosing container 10 has a partition wall 27 that divides the receiving space 30 into two receiving spaces or receiving sections 33, 34.

[0049] In order to control the dissolving behavior of textile care products in the respective receiving sections 33, 34, the container wall 23 is equipped with gauzes 24, 28 which have different mesh sizes.

[0050] For example, a first receiving section 33 for liquid textile care products is provided, a particularly fine-meshed gauze 24 with a mesh size of less than 1000 µm, in order to hold the liquid textile care product in a first receiving section 33 of the receiving space 30 when loading the laundry drum 120. This first receiving section 33 can be designed without drain openings 40.

[0051] A second receiving section 34, however, can be configured, for example, for powdered textile care products. A possible second gauze 28 for powdered or solid textile care products can, for example, have a mesh size of more than 1000 µm. The second receiving section 34 can have drainage openings 40. List of reference symbols 100 household appliances 110 Door 114 Door seal 120 laundry drum 130 control panel 200 textiles 10 dosing containers 21 Container bottom 22 container lids 23 Container wall 24 gauze / first gauze 25 stand space 26 recessed grip 27 Partition wall 28 second gauze 30 recording room 31 floor-side connecting section 32 cover-side connecting section 33 first recording section 34 second recording section 40 Drain opening

Claims

[1] Dosing container (10) for a water-conducting household appliance (100), in particular for a washing machine or a washer-dryer, for dosing a textile care agent in a laundry drum (120), comprising a container base (21), a container lid (22) and at least one container wall (23) which form a receiving space (30), wherein the container lid (22) and / or at least one container wall (23) are designed to release an access (20) to the receiving space (30) in order to fill the receiving space (30) with the textile care agent, wherein at least one gauze (24, 28) which is designed to be permeable to water and textile care agents dissolved in the water is introduced at least partially into the at least one container wall (23) and / or the container lid (22). [2] Dosing container according to claim 1, wherein the dosing container (10) is designed to be inserted into a laundry drum (120) of the household appliance (100) with a fabric care product filled therein. [3] Dosing container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container wall (23) is substantially cylindrical in shape and is partially or completely formed as a gauze (24). [4] Dosing container according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container wall (23) can be detachably connected to the container base (21) and / or the container lid (22) by screwing and / or plugging. [5] Dosing container according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the container wall (23) and the container bottom (21) or the container wall (23) and the container lid (22) are designed as a one-piece component or are integrally connected to one another. [6] Dosing container according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container base (21) has an external standing surface (25) and, on a side opposite the standing surface (25), has a peripherally extending connecting section (31) for connecting the container wall (23). [7] Dosing container according to claim 6, wherein the container bottom (21) has at least one drain opening (40), wherein the side of the container bottom (21) opposite the standing surface (25) has a gradient in the direction of the at least one drain opening (40). [8] Dosing container according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the receiving space (30) is accessible by completely removing or by opening the container bottom (21) and / or the container lid (22) and / or a container wall (23). [9] Dosing container according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the container wall (23) can be connected to the container bottom (21) at an outer edge surface of the container bottom (21) or in a connecting groove. [10] Dosing container according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the receiving space (30) is divided into at least two receiving sections (33, 34) by at least one partition wall (27), wherein at least one first gauze (24) is designed to connect a first receiving section (33) to an environment of the dosing container (10), and at least one second gauze (28) is designed to connect a second receiving section (34) to an environment of the dosing container (10). [11] Method for operating a household appliance (100) with a dosing container (10) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein - a textile care product is filled into an exposed receiving space (30) of the dosing container (10) and the receiving space (30) is closed, - the dosing container (10) is positioned in a laundry drum (120) of the household appliance (100) and a door (110) of the household appliance (100) is closed in order to create a sealing effect of a door seal (114) of the household appliance (100), - an operating program of the household appliance (100) is started, wherein water fed into the laundry drum (120) is fed via at least one gauze (24, 28) into the receiving space (30) of the dosing container (10) in order to dissolve the textile care agent, wherein textile care agent dissolved by the water is fed out of the receiving space (30) via the gauze (24, 28).

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