METHOD AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A QUANTITY OF WATER AND CLEANING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for determining a quantity of water and a cleaning device according to the main claims.

[0002] In washing machines, the available process technology can be broadly divided into components for the following phases: pre-wash, main wash, rinse, and final spin. Each phase is based on a fundamental process technology, and the execution of the different phases can be influenced by various parameters, such as load size, degree of soiling, or water inlet temperature. Besides the main wash, the rinse cycle is crucial to ensure that the textiles are clean at the end of the program.

[0003] A well-known washing machine can be found, for example, in DE 102 22 406 A1.

[0004] The invention aims to create an improved method and control device for determining a quantity of water and an improved cleaning device.

[0005] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a method and a control device for determining a quantity of water and by a cleaning device with the features of the main claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are described in the following dependent claims.

[0006] In washing machines, various process parameters depend on, among other things, the water inlet temperature. The water inlet temperature has a significant impact on the rinsing performance. If the water temperature is very low, more water should be used to achieve the desired rinsing result. If the water temperature is higher than a predefined baseline value, less water is needed to achieve the desired rinsing effect. Current operating technologies do not yet take the actual temperature of the incoming rinse water into account, resulting in either too little or too much water being used in the rinsing process. This leads to either an insufficient rinsing result or the unnecessarily excessive use of water. Washing machines offer a programming function that allows for the general selection of hot water for the rinse cycle. For hot water appliances, the "Hot Water" option can be selected in the "Water Inlet" programming function.As a result, process-related adjustments are made, among other things. This function is reserved exclusively for hot water appliances.

[0007] The advantages achievable with the invention lie in the fact that the optimal amount of water for a cleaning process in a cleaning device is determined and dispensed. This saves water, energy, and time. Furthermore, the cleaning effect can be improved.

[0008] A method for determining the amount of water required for a cleaning process in a cleaning device is presented, the method comprising the following steps: Reading a temperature signal, wherein the temperature signal represents the temperature of water flowing into the cleaning device and / or a washing drum of the cleaning device for the cleaning process; determining a water signal using the temperature signal, wherein the water signal represents the amount of water required for the cleaning process; and providing a cleaning signal to carry out the cleaning process using the amount of water represented by the water signal.

[0009] A cleaning appliance can be understood as a device for cleaning items. This could be a washing machine or a washer-dryer. The cleaning process can refer to the rinsing of items. A temperature signal can be a signal representing the temperature of the water flowing into the cleaning appliance. This temperature can be measured by temperature sensors in a water inlet or in the washing tub of the appliance. A water signal can be a signal representing the amount of water required for an optimal cleaning process.

[0010] The approach presented here for optimizing the rinsing process based on water temperature enables optimal cleaning performance. Regardless of the water inlet setting (hot or cold), the predetermined inlet temperature is taken into account when calculating the water volume required for the rinsing process. The amount of water needed for optimal rinsing is adjusted based on the actual inlet temperature, ensuring that the correct quantity of water is used to achieve the desired cleaning effect.

[0011] According to one embodiment, during the determination step, a predetermined quantity of water associated with a predetermined water inlet temperature can be changed if the temperature signal represents a temperature that deviates from the predetermined water inlet temperature. This offers the advantage that the quantity of water can be adjusted, thereby improving the cleaning result.

[0012] In one embodiment, during the determination step, a predetermined amount of water can be reduced if the temperature signal indicates that the incoming water temperature exceeds the predetermined inlet temperature. This offers the advantage of water savings, as only the amount of water actually required for the cleaning process is supplied.

[0013] Furthermore, during the determination step, a predetermined amount of water can be increased if the temperature signal indicates that the incoming water temperature is below the predetermined inlet temperature. This offers the advantage of improving the cleaning result at a given water temperature.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the water signal can be determined during the determination step if the temperature signal represents a temperature of the incoming water that deviates by more than 15°C from a predetermined incoming water temperature. Such an embodiment offers the advantage that a tolerance threshold can be considered, above which active control of the water quantity is possible. In this way, excessively frequent or rapid changes in the water quantity can be largely avoided, which facilitates the processing of the items being cleaned.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the provisioning step can be carried out after a cleaning step in which an item to be cleaned has been treated with a cleaning solution. This offers the advantage that the cleaning solution can be optimally rinsed from the item.

[0016] Furthermore, according to another embodiment of the approach presented here, a control device for determining a quantity of water in a cleaning device is provided, which is configured to execute and / or control the steps of the method according to one of the preceding claims in corresponding units. With such an embodiment, the advantages of the described approach presented here can also be implemented quickly and efficiently.

[0017] Furthermore, according to another embodiment of the approach presented here, a cleaning device for cleaning items is provided, wherein the cleaning device has a control device.

[0018] The cleaning device can have a hot water connection and / or a cold water connection, wherein the control device is designed to detect the temperature of water flowing into the cleaning device via the hot water connection and / or cold water connection in the temperature signal.

[0019] Although the described approach is based on a household appliance, the procedure described here can be used accordingly in connection with a commercial or professional device, for example a medical device, such as a cleaning or disinfection device or a container washing system.

[0020] The approach presented here further creates a control device designed to execute, control, or implement the steps of a variant of the method presented here in corresponding facilities. This embodiment of the invention, in the form of a control device, also allows the problem underlying the invention to be solved quickly and efficiently.

[0021] The control device can be configured to read input signals and use these input signals to determine and provide output signals. An input signal can, for example, be a sensor signal readable via an input interface of the control device. An output signal can be a control signal or a data signal that can be provided at an output interface of the device. The control device can be configured to determine the output signals using a processing instruction implemented in hardware or software. For example, the control device can include a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, or a software module and may be implemented as a discrete component or comprised of a discrete component.

[0022] The control device can be implemented, for example, as part of a control unit of the cleaning device or in addition to such a control unit. A corresponding cleaning device can include such a control device.

[0023] A computer program product or computer program with program code that can be stored on a machine-readable medium such as semiconductor memory, hard disk memory, or optical memory is also advantageous. If the program product or program is executed on a computer or device, it can be used to carry out, implement, and / or control the steps of the method according to one of the embodiments described above.

[0024] An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a cleaning device according to an exemplary embodiment; and Figure 2 is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for determining a quantity of water.

[0025] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a cleaning device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. The cleaning device 100 can be a washing machine or a washer-dryer. The cleaning device 100 is designed to treat, clean, and / or dry items 105.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the cleaning device 100 has two connections 110, 115. These connections 110, 115 are, for example, a hot water connection 110 and a cold water connection 115. Water for cleaning the items 105 enters the washing drum 120 via the connections 110, 115. According to one embodiment, each connection 110, 115 has a temperature sensor 125, 130.

[0027] The cleaning device 100 also includes a control device 135, which determines the quantity of water required for the cleaning process in the cleaning device 100. The control device 135 consists of a reading device 140, a determining device 145, and a supply device 150.

[0028] The reading device 140 is designed to read a temperature signal 155. The temperature signal 155 represents the temperature of the water flowing into the cleaning device 100 for the cleaning process. The temperature is read, for example, via a water inlet or a detergent tank. The temperature signal 155 originates from the temperature sensor 125, 130.

[0029] The determining device 145 is designed to determine a water signal 160 using the temperature signal 155. The water signal 160 represents the amount of water required for the cleaning process.

[0030] The supply device 150 is configured to provide a cleaning signal 165 to perform the cleaning process using the quantity of water represented by the water signal 160. The cleaning signal 165 is provided by the supply device 150 to an inlet valve 170 of the cleaning device 100.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the predetermined quantity of water associated with a predetermined water inlet temperature is changed in the determining device 145. The predetermined quantity of water is changed when the temperature signal 155 represents a temperature that deviates from the predetermined water inlet temperature. For example, the predetermined quantity of water is reduced when the temperature signal 155 represents a temperature of the incoming water that is above the predetermined water inlet temperature. For example, the predetermined quantity of water is increased when the temperature signal 155 represents a temperature of the incoming water that is below the predetermined water inlet temperature. According to one embodiment, the water signal 160 is determined by the determining device 145 only when the temperature of the incoming water deviates from a predetermined water inlet temperature.For example, water signal 160 is only determined if the deviation from the predetermined water inlet temperature is more than 15°.

[0032] The provisioning device 150 provides the cleaning signal 165 after a cleaning step in which the item to be cleaned 105 was treated with a cleaning solution.

[0033] The approach presented here aims to ensure that the desired cleaning effect, also known as rinsing effect, is always achieved in a cleaning process, which can also be called a wash program. Furthermore, only the actual amount of water required for the cleaning step, also known as the rinsing process, is used. The principle is that less water is needed to achieve the same rinsing result with warm water than with cold water. If a device is set to warm water, but no warm water is available, only the amount of water intended for warm water use will be used in the cleaning step. This results in a poorer cleaning effect. If pre-heated / warm water is used instead of cold water, an unnecessarily large amount of water is used in the cleaning step; this should be avoided.Before the cleaning step, the predetermined water inlet temperature, also known as the actual temperature of the supplied water, is measured to determine the required amount of water. This temperature measurement is typically taken directly at the water inlet or in the cleaning tank. If the water is colder than expected, a larger quantity than calculated for a normal cleaning step is added to achieve the desired cleaning effect. Conversely, if the water is warmer than expected, this is taken into account in the process engineering, allowing for a reduction in the initially calculated amount of water. The warmer the water, the more effective the rinsing and the better the spin-drying result (lower residual moisture), and / or the higher the spin speed is required (extending the service life of components such as cleaning tanks and bearings) to achieve the same residual moisture content. The following is a brief example explanation:

[0034] The operator has a cleaning unit 100 with a hot water connection 110, which can also be referred to as a hot water unit. The "hot water" function is activated, allowing the cleaning unit to directly draw in heated water and thus eliminating the need for electrically heated water. However, if hot water is unavailable or available at a lower temperature, for example, due to a malfunction in the hot water system / solar thermal system, the cleaning process will still be carried out using the amount of water calculated for hot water. The cleaning result will then be significantly worse than desired, since selecting "hot water" results in, for example, 20% less water being used in the cleaning process than would be the case with colder water. The reduced amount of water will therefore be insufficient to achieve an acceptable cleaning result.

[0035] With a cleaning unit 100 with a cold water connection 115, which can also be referred to as a cold water unit, the water preheated beforehand, e.g., via a mixing valve, is currently not taken into account when calculating the actual amount of water required during the cleaning process. However, if the predetermined water inlet temperature is measured and is higher than the base value of, for example, 15°C, a simple calculation reduces the required amount of water, thus protecting the environment.

[0036] If, in cleaning devices 100 with a cold water connection 115 with a presupposed and predetermined water inlet temperature of 15°C, water at 40°C is now used, the required amount of water of, for example, 50 liters is reduced by approximately 12.5 liters without impairing the cleaning effect.

[0037] The following applies: For every 1°C increase in water temperature (above 15°C standard temperature for cold water), the required rinse water volume is reduced by approximately 0.5 liters. For each individual program, a required rinse water volume is defined based on the predetermined water inlet temperature to achieve the defined cleaning effect. If the predetermined water inlet temperature is greater than or less than 15°C, the required water volume is calculated according to a factor. For the heating process in the washing cycle, measuring the predetermined water inlet temperature to calculate the required electrical power is already standard practice. This intelligent approach is now being adapted and applied to determining the required rinse water volume.

[0038] The approach presented here advantageously allows only the amount of water required for the cleaning step and the desired cleaning effect to be used. The amount of water is determined based on the predetermined water inlet temperature, and the process technology is optimized accordingly. Even for cleaning units 100 with a cold water connection 115, a higher water inlet temperature than the default value (assumed, for example, to be 15°C) is taken into account for the cleaning step, so that the required amount of rinse water can also be reduced for these cleaning units 100. If cooler water than expected flows into cleaning units 100 with a cold water connection 115 or cleaning units 100 with a hot water connection 110, the required new amount of water is calculated so that the desired cleaning effect is still achieved. This will be accompanied by a significant increase in the amount of water.If the water inlet temperature is higher than expected, the water volume and / or the final spin speed can be reduced, thereby decreasing the mechanical stress on various components. This has a positive impact on the appliance's service life. If a higher than expected predetermined water inlet temperature is detected, this will result in lower residual moisture in the items being cleaned (105), while maintaining the final spin speed. In the subsequent drying process, less energy is then consumed, or the program duration of the cleaning appliance (100) is shortened, leading to energy and time savings. These advantages are independent of the appliance type, whether the cleaning appliance (100) has a cold water connection (115) or a hot water connection (110), as only the temperature and volume of the supplied water are used to optimize the cleaning process and reduce resource consumption or component stress.

[0039] Figure 2This shows a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of method 200 for determining a quantity of water. This could be the method described in Figure 1 described procedures 200.

[0040] Method 200 comprises a step 205 of reading a temperature signal, wherein the temperature signal represents the temperature of water flowing into the cleaning device and / or a washing drum of the cleaning device for the cleaning process. Method 200 further comprises a step 210 of determining a water signal using the temperature signal, wherein the water signal represents the quantity of water required for the cleaning process. Method 200 also comprises a step 215 of providing a cleaning signal to carry out the cleaning process using the quantity of water represented by the water signal.

[0041] In step 210 of the determination process, a predetermined quantity of water associated with a predetermined water inlet temperature is changed if the temperature signal represents a temperature that deviates from the predetermined water inlet temperature. According to one embodiment, in step 210 of the determination process, a predetermined quantity of water is reduced if the temperature signal represents a temperature of the incoming water that is above the predetermined water inlet temperature. According to another embodiment, in step 210 of the determination process, a predetermined quantity of water is increased if the temperature signal represents a temperature of the incoming water that is below the predetermined water inlet temperature. By way of example, in step 210 of the determination process, the water signal is determined if the temperature signal represents a temperature of the incoming water that deviates by more than 15°C from a predetermined water inlet temperature.

[0042] According to one embodiment, step 215 of provisioning is carried out after a cleaning step in which a cleaning item was treated with a cleaning solution.

Claims

1. Method (200) for ascertaining an amount of water for a cleaning process in a cleaning appliance (100), in particular a washing machine or a washer-dryer, characterised by the following steps: reading in (205) a temperature signal (155), the temperature signal (155) representing a temperature of water flowing into the cleaning appliance (100) and / or a washing drum (120) of the cleaning appliance (100) for the cleaning process; determining (210) a water signal (160) by using the temperature signal (155), the water signal (160) representing the amount of water required for the cleaning process; and providing (215) a cleaning signal (165) for executing the cleaning process using the amount of water represented by the water signal (160).

2. Method (200) according to claim 1, wherein in the determining step (210), a predetermined amount of water associated with a predetermined water inlet temperature is changed if the temperature signal (155) represents a temperature that deviates from the predetermined water inlet temperature.

3. Method (200) according to claim 2, wherein in the determining step (210), a predetermined amount of water is reduced if the temperature signal (155) represents a temperature of the inflowing water that is above the predetermined water inlet temperature.

4. Method (200) according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein in the determining step (210), a predetermined amount of water is increased if the temperature signal (155) represents a temperature of the inflowing water that is below the predetermined water inlet temperature.

5. Method (200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein in the determining step (210), the water signal (160) is determined if the temperature signal (155) represents a temperature of the inflowing water that deviates from a predetermined water inlet temperature by more than 15°C.

6. Method (200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the providing step (215) is executed after a cleaning step during which an item to be cleaned (105) is treated using a cleaning solution.

7. Control device (135) for ascertaining an amount of water in a cleaning appliance (100), wherein the control device (135) is designed to execute and / or actuate the steps (205, 210, 215) of the method (200) according to any of the preceding claims in corresponding units (140, 145, 150).

8. Cleaning appliance (100) for cleaning items to be cleaned (105) and a control device (135) according to claim 7.

9. Cleaning appliance (100) according to claim 8, comprising a hot water connection (110) and / or a cold water connection (115), wherein the control device (135) is designed to capture a temperature of water flowing into the cleaning appliance (100) via the hot water connection (110) and / or cold water connection (115) in the temperature signal (155).

10. Computer program product comprising program code, for executing the method (200) according to any of the preceding claims when the computer program product is executed on a control device (135) according to claim 7.