Container with a connection piece, which has a venting function, and dispensing system

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (40) for a dispensing system (1) that can be positioned in the interior of a dishwasher and which comprises a dispensing device (10), by means of which at least one preparation can be dispensed into the interior. The container (40) has at least one chamber (41, 42, 43) for receiving the preparation and a connection piece which is paired with the chamber (41, 42, 43), said connection piece being connected to the chamber (41, 42, 43) and being connectable to a connection receptacle of the dispensing device in order to produce a connection between the chamber (41, 42, 43) and the dispensing device. The invention is characterized in that the connection piece comprises a main part (49) which has an air chamber (65) that is used to vent the chamber (41, 42, 43) and has an air chamber wall (67). A protrusion (68) is molded on the air chamber wall (67), said protrusion having a contact point (71), which is arranged at a distance to the air chamber wall (67), for a counter bearing () of the connection receptacle (23) such that a force which acts on the contact point (71) of the protrusion (68) when the connection piece (44) and the connection receptacle (23) are connected produces a bending torque, by means of which the protrusion (68) is rotated and the air chamber wall (67) is torn open, producing an opening.

Description

[0001] 'Container with a connector having a ventilation function and dosing system'

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a container for a dosing system that can be positioned in the interior of a dishwasher and comprises a dosing device through which at least one preparation can be dosed into the interior. Furthermore, the invention relates to the dosing system comprising the container and dosing device.

[0004] EP 2 296 520 B1 discloses such a dosing system with a container and dosing device. A container housing forms several chambers, each containing a preparation. Each chamber is assigned a connector with which the container can be connected to the dosing device to form a liquid-tight connection. The dosing device has several connection receptacles for this purpose. The connection piece of the chamber can be connected to one of these connection receptacles. The dosing device and the connected container are then placed in the interior, and a wash cycle can begin. The dosing device exchanges signals with the dishwasher so that the preparations can be dosed out from the chambers in a targeted manner at different times and in different quantities during the wash cycle, depending on various parameters.

[0005] The dosing device and container are detachably connected, allowing the container to be replaced once it is empty after several rinse cycles. EP 2 296 520 B1 describes a plug-in connection between the connector and the connection receptacle. To establish the plug-in connection, the connector must be pressed into the connection receptacle with a certain amount of force. In particular, a membrane in the connector must be pierced. This membrane, which protects the preparation in the chamber from environmental influences when the connector is new, must be pierced. By connecting the connector of the container and the connection receptacle of the dosing device, the preparation can enter the dosing device and be dispensed accordingly.When the container and dosing device are coupled for the first time, in EP 2 296 520 B1, a ventilation opening is also opened for each chamber, which is sealed with a closure element in the form of a plug and a cap prior to the initial coupling. The plug (or cap) is then pierced by a mandrel or the like during the initial coupling or connection of the container and dosing device.

[0006] The plug must be manufactured separately and inserted into the ventilation opening during container production. This insertion into the ventilation opening results in significant assembly effort. Recycling the container can also be complex if the container housing and the plug are made of different materials and must be separated during recycling. The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a container with a ventilation function for a dosing system that can be placed in a dishwasher, which can be manufactured cost-effectively and in a resource-efficient manner, and whose replacement can be carried out easily.

[0007] The object underlying the invention is achieved with the combination of features according to claim 1. Embodiments of the invention can be found in the subclaims to claim 1.

[0008] According to the invention, the connecting piece comprises a base body which has an air chamber serving to ventilate the chamber and which has an air chamber wall, wherein a projection is formed on the air chamber wall. The projection has a support for an abutment of the connection receptacle. The support is spaced from the air chamber wall so that a force acting on the support of the projection when connecting the connecting piece and connection receptacle generates a bending moment. The bending moment causes the projection to rotate, thereby creating an opening in the air chamber wall. The crack or break in the air chamber wall is primarily due to tensile stresses in the air chamber wall caused by the bending moment or the rotation of the projection. Opening the air chamber wall activates the ventilation function of the connecting piece.

[0009] In contrast to the prior art, in which a separate plug is pierced to activate the ventilation function, the material of the air chamber wall is subjected to tensile stress, which leads to the crack in the material. The tensile stress depends on the bending moment, which is a product of the force acting on the contact surface and the lever arm of the projection. The lever arm corresponds to the distance between the contact surface of the projection and the air chamber wall, to which the projection is molded and supported.

[0010] The abutment for the connection receptacle is preferably located at a free end of the projection, with the projection being connected to the air chamber wall at a root, i.e., at an end opposite the free end. Mechanically, the projection can also be considered a cantilever beam or cantilever girder with a free end.

[0011] The length or effective lever arm of the projection, which corresponds to the distance between the system and the air chamber wall, allows the bending moment and thus the tensile stresses in the air chamber wall to be adjusted. In one embodiment, the effective lever arm is in a range of 2 to 6 mm, preferably 2.5 to 4 mm.

[0012] The air chamber wall can have a predetermined breaking point with a reduced wall thickness. The predetermined breaking point should preferably be located where the greatest tensile forces are expected in the air chamber wall due to the rotation of the projection. Due to the reduced wall thickness, high tensile stresses then occur in the material at the predetermined breaking point, leading to a crack in the air chamber wall. The interaction of the lever arm and the reduced wall thickness of the predetermined breaking point in the area of ​​the highest tensile forces allows the air chamber to activate the ventilation function even with a comparatively small force between the projection and the abutment of the connection holder.

[0013] The air chamber wall can have a hinge point around which the projection rotates when the connector is connected to the connection receptacle. This hinge point can also be characterized by a reduced wall thickness. In one embodiment, the projection remains connected via the hinge point even after the connector has been connected to the connection receptacle. This has the advantage that when the container is replaced, the projection remains attached to the base body and does not remain as a loose piece in the dosing device, which could hinder the insertion of a new container into the dosing device.

[0014] In one embodiment, the base body, the air chamber wall, and the projection form a one-piece part made from a single material, preferably injection-molded. The selection of the material for this one-piece part can influence the force required to tear the air chamber migration when connecting the connector to the connector receptacle. The base body (and thus also the air chamber wall and the projection, if the one-piece piece is based on the same material) can be made of polyolefin, preferably polypropylene. To ensure that the air chamber wall reliably tears when connecting the connector to the connector receptacle without excessive force being required, the plastic from which the air chamber wall is made can be provided with a filler, preferably an inert filler.The brittleness of the plastic can be adjusted by the choice of filler and its content. A preferred filler is chalk (CaCO3), whereby its grain size can be selected very small so that the grain diameter is not larger than the wall thickness in the area of ​​the predetermined breaking point. In one embodiment, in which polypropylene (PP) is used as the plastic, the filler content is 1 to 10%, preferably 4 to 8%. The plastic for the base body must also not be too brittle so that it does not break under impact (which can occur, for example, if the container is accidentally dropped).

[0015] In one embodiment, the base body has a weld-in part, which is sealingly attached to a chamber wall. The base body can have a plug-in part, which can be inserted into the connection receptacle. Insertion is preferably performed by a linear movement. The plug-in part can then be withdrawn from the connection receptacle by an opposite linear movement.

[0016] The weld-in part can form an air duct that is connected to the air chamber and has a plug-in receptacle for a separate air pipe that projects into the chamber. An end of the air pipe facing away from the air duct terminates in an area of ​​the chamber remote from the connecting piece. When the dispensing system is in the operating position, this remote area can represent the upper area of ​​the chamber. When the preparation is dispensed, air can flow into the upper area of ​​the chamber. The air required for ventilation flows through the torn opening in the air chamber wall, through the air duct connected to the air chamber, and through the air pipe into the chamber. Negative pressure in the chamber, which makes dispensing difficult, can thus be avoided.

[0017] The weld-in part can form an inflow channel. The plug-in part can form an outflow channel, whereby in a new condition of the container the inflow channel and the outflow channel are separated from each other by a closed membrane. If the membrane is punctured or torn, a connection exists between the inflow channel and the outflow channel, allowing the preparation to reach from the chamber to the connection receptacle of the dosing device. Before the membrane is punctured or torn and before the air chamber wall is torn, i.e. before the connection piece is connected to the connection receptacle, the still intact membrane and the not yet opened air chamber ensure that the chamber is airtight and liquid-tight. This protects the preparation in the chamber from environmental influences and allows it to be stored in the container for extended periods. The membrane only loses its sealing effect when the container is connected to the dosing device.

[0018] Preferably, the membrane is integrally formed on the base body, which facilitates the manufacture of the connector. The wall thickness of the membrane can be 0.04 to 0.2 mm, preferably 0.08 to 0.12 mm, to minimize the force required to penetrate the membrane.

[0019] A finger ring can be attached to the base body, which is movable from an initial position into an active position, wherein in the active position the finger ring is designed to be gripped behind by a human finger in order to introduce a tensile force into the base body, by means of which the connecting piece can be separated from the connecting receptacle.

[0020] In one embodiment, the finger ring can be rotated from its initial position around a pivot axis into the active position. Preferably, a hinge in the form of a film hinge is provided between the finger ring and the base body, which is integrally formed on the finger ring and the base body.

[0021] The finger ring can be attached to the base body by two connecting webs, whereby the two connecting webs can define the pivot axis around which the finger ring can be pivoted from the starting position to the active position. The pivot angle between the starting position and the active position can be 80 to 100°, preferably approximately 90°. Preferably, the finger ring forms a tab with a closed circumferential area with the base body and the two connecting webs. This closed circumferential area is stable and can absorb high tensile forces.

[0022] A pressure plate can be formed on the base body to accommodate a human finger, the pressure force of which can connect the connecting piece to the connection receptacle. In the initial position, the finger ring can surround the pressure plate and lie essentially in the same plane as the pressure plate. While the finger ring, in the active position, serves to pull the cover part out of the connection receptacle in order to release the connection between the connecting piece and the connection receptacle, the pressure plate serves to press the plug-in part of the base body into the connection receptacle. In this exemplary embodiment, the force required to establish the connection between the connecting piece and the connection receptacle can therefore be directed directly to the connecting piece.

[0023] In one embodiment, the pressure plate is arranged coaxially with the diaphragm. This allows the pressure force required to penetrate the diaphragm to be applied directly above the diaphragm without any lateral offset. The diaphragm can lie in a plane that extends parallel to the plane of the pressure plate.

[0024] The pressure plate can be slightly curved inward (concave). This inward curvature prevents the finger from slipping when applying pressure. In one embodiment, the pressure plate has a diameter of 10 to 20 mm. In the embodiment with the finger ring surrounding the pressure plate, the effective contact surface for the finger is increased, as part of the pressure force can now also be applied to the finger ring.

[0025] A further object of the invention, the provision of a dosing system with a container and dosing device, wherein the replacement of the container and the dispensing of the preparation are easily possible, is achieved with the combination of features according to claim 15. The dosing system according to the invention comprises a dosing device and a container in the embodiments described here, wherein the connection receptacle of the dosing device has the abutment against which the projection of the connection piece abuts when the connection piece is connected to the connection receptacle. The abutment can be designed as a rib or the like. A contact surface of the abutment, with which the projection comes into contact when the connection piece is connected to the connection receptacle, can be inclined.

[0026] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. They show:

[0027] Figure 1 shows a dosing system according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic section of the dosing system;

[0028] Figure 3 shows schematically a container according to the invention for the dosing system;

[0029] Figure 4 shows various views of a connecting piece of the container according to the invention (Figures 4A to 4B);

[0030] Figure 5 further views of the connector of Figure 4 (Figures 5A to 5D);

[0031] Figure 6 shows two sectional views of the connector of Figures 4 and 5 (Figures 6A and 6B); and

[0032] Figure 7 shows the connecting piece in another sectional view with parts of the dosing device.

[0033] Figure 1 shows a dosing system 1 comprising a dosing device 10 and a container. The container is housed within a flat housing 11 of the dosing device 10 and is not visible in Figure 1. Figures 2 and 3 schematically illustrate the dosing system 1 with the dosing device 10 and the container designated by 40.

[0034] The dosing system 1 can be placed inside a dishwasher and is designed to dispense one or more preparations located in the container 40 during a wash cycle. The dosing system 1 can exchange signals, data, control commands, etc., with the dishwasher so that the preparations can be dispensed precisely in terms of time and quantity.

[0035] As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the housing 11 of the dosing device 10 has a front wall 12 and a rear wall 13. The front wall 12, which is basically rectangular in shape, and the rear wall 13, which is also basically rectangular in shape, extend from a base 14 to an upper housing edge 15. Near the upper housing edge 15, a film hinge 16 is provided between the front wall 12 and the rear wall 13 so that the housing 11 can be folded open and a container compartment 17 (see Figure 2) of the dosing device 10 is opened. The container compartment 17 serves to accommodate the container 40. When the housing 11 is folded open, the container 40 can be removed from the container compartment 17 in order to replace it with another container. The container 40 may be designed to hold the preparation or preparations in an amount sufficient for several rinse cycles (for example, for 20 to 30 rinse cycles).After emptying, the container 40 can be replaced with a filled container.

[0036] From Figure 1 it can be further seen that a first recess 18 and a second recess 19 are provided on the rear wall 13. In the following, only the first recess 18 will be discussed in more detail. Since the second recess 19 is similar in design to the first recess

[0037] 18 is identical, the statements regarding the first recess 18 also apply mutatis mutandis to the second recess 19.

[0038] The first recess 18 begins at the base 14 and extends toward the upper housing edge 15. The recess 18 is formed as an elongated, channel-like, or groove-like recess, wherein a length in the longitudinal direction of the recess (direction from the base 14 to the upper housing edge 15) is significantly greater than a width of the recess transverse to the longitudinal direction. The first recess 19 has a groove base 20, the distance of which from the surface in which the rear wall 13 lies defines a depth of the first recess 18. Starting from a lower, open end 21, which is located at the base 14, to an upper, closed end 22, the depth decreases. Accordingly, the depth at the lower end 21 is greater than the depth in the area of ​​the upper end 22. Starting from the lower end 21, the groove bottom 20 initially runs in a straight line (i.e. the depth is initially constant there) and then merges into a curved section with decreasing depth.

[0039] The two recesses 18, 19 each serve to accommodate a holding rod of a plate holder of a crockery drawer, either approximately vertically upward or slightly inclined to the vertical, which can be pulled out from the interior for loading and unloading dishes. The plate holder typically has two parallel rows of holding rods, which are spaced a certain distance apart within each row (rod spacing). The distance between the two recesses 18,

[0040] 19 corresponds to the distance between the two rows, so that the dosing device 10 with the container 40 located in the housing 11 can be placed like a plate in a plate compartment of the plate holder. The dosing device 10 is supported like a plate on the holding rods that form the plate compartment. Due to the special shape of the groove base 20 with the depth reducing towards the upper end 22, the dosing device 10 can, on the one hand, be placed in a plate holder in which the bar spacing is small and the holding rods are of medium length. On the other hand, the dosing device 10 can also be placed in a plate holder in which the bar spacing and the length of the holding rods are large. In the latter case, the dosing device is supported by the upper end of the holding rod in the upper area of ​​the recess 18, i.e. where the depth of the recess is small.As a result, even with a large bar spacing, the dosing device 10 stands upright in the plate holder and does not block adjacent plate compartments by being too tilted.

[0041] The height (distance between base 14 and top edge 15) and the width of the front wall 12 and rear wall 13 correspond to the diameter of a large dinner plate. For example, the housing 11 can have a height of 200 to 280 mm. The width of the housing 11 can be 200 to 280 mm. The height-to-width ratio can be 0.8 to 1.2.

[0042] As can also be seen from Figure 1, the housing 11 has a thickness that is greatest in the area of ​​the bottom 14 and then decreases slightly toward the upper edge 15. A maximum thickness of the housing, preferably in the area of ​​the bottom 14, can be between 20 and 28 mm. In the schematic representation of Figure 2, the housing 11 is shown in a simplified form with a constant thickness.

[0043] While Figure 1 depicts the dosing system 1 standing on the base 14, Figure 2 shows the dosing system 2 in a lying position with the rear wall 13 facing downwards. In this lying position, the housing 11 can be opened by pivoting the front wall 12 about the pivot axis of the film hinge 16 (in the illustration in Figure 2, the pivot axis extends perpendicular to the plane of the drawing). With the front wall 12 folded open, the container 40 can be removed from the container compartment 17. How this removal of the container 40 takes place and how a new container can be reconnected to the dosing device will be explained in more detail later.

[0044] Figure 3 clearly shows that the container 40, which is only shown schematically, has several chambers. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three chambers 41, 42, 43. Each chamber serves to hold a preparation, which can be, for example, an alkaline cleaning preparation, an enzymatic cleaning preparation, a rinse aid, or a fragrance. Each chamber is assigned a connecting piece 44, the structure of which does not differ from the structure of the other connecting pieces 44. The chambers 41, 42, 43 are approximately the same size here, but they can also differ significantly from one another in terms of their volume and shape.For example, one of the chambers for a preparation that is dispensed in twice the amount in a wash cycle compared to the other preparations can be designed to be twice as large, so that when the container needs to be replaced, all chambers are emptied as completely as possible or at least only very small residual amounts remain.

[0045] The chambers 41, 42, 43 are delimited by two housing halves or chamber walls 45, 46. Each housing half 45, 46 forms three shells or troughs, which together with the opposite shell form a chamber. To manufacture the housing halves 45, 46, a (folded) plastic film can be used which is drawn or blown into appropriate deep-drawing molds. The housing halves 45, 46 are welded to one another at a circumferential edge 47 and also at intermediate webs 48 between the individual chambers 41, 42, 42. The connecting pieces 44 are arranged between the two housing halves 45, 46 in a section 47a of the edge 47. These are inserted between the housing halves 45, 46 before section 47a is welded and then welded to the housing halves 45, 46 in a liquid-tight manner.Sealing / welding the gate 47a to the connecting pieces 44 is expediently performed only after the chambers 41, 42, 43 have been filled with the respective preparations. During filling, however, the housing halves 45, 46 are already welded together at the edge 47 (except for the gate 47a) and at the intermediate webs 48. Thermoforming enables thin walls. The required material expenditure is very low. The housing halves 45, 46 can be made of polypropylene (PP), for example. The dosing device 10 has a connection receptacle 23 for each connecting piece 44 (see Figure 2, which shows one of the connection receptacles). When the container 40 is inserted into the housing 11 of the dosing device 10, the connecting piece 44 and the connection receptacle 23 form a liquid-tight connection so that the preparation can pass from the chamber into a dosing chamber of the dosing device 10 assigned to the respective chamber.The dosing chamber and a dosing valve are not shown in Figure 2. Only a dosing compartment 24, which accommodates the dosing chamber and the dosing valve and is integrated into the rear wall 13, is shown in Figure 2. The dosing compartment 24 has a dosing opening 25 for each chamber / dosing valve, through which the preparation from the respective chamber then reaches the interior of the dishwasher via the connection piece 44 / connection receptacle 23. It should be noted that in the use position of the dosing system 1, the base 14 points downwards so that the preparations from the chambers 41, 42, 43 can flow out of the respective dosing opening 25 due to gravity when the dosing valve is open.

[0046] Figures 4 to 7 show various views of the connecting piece 44 in isolation. Figure 4 shows two perspective views (Figures 4A and 4C) as well as a chamber-side view (Figure 4B) and a side view (Figure 4D). Figure 5A shows the connecting piece 44 from below, Figure 5C from above in plan view. Figure 5B shows a front view. Figure 5D shows another side view. Figure 6A is a horizontal longitudinal section through the connecting piece 44. Figure 6B shows the connecting piece 44 in a vertical longitudinal section, while Figure 7 shows a cross-section that runs perpendicular to the two sections 6A, 6B. In addition, Figure 7 shows indicated parts of the dosing device.

[0047] The connecting piece 44 has a base body 49 with a weld-in part 50 and a plug-in part 51. The weld-in part 50 forms an inflow channel 52 through which the preparation flows from the chamber into the connecting piece 44. The plug-in part 51 forms an outflow channel 53 through which the preparation flows from the connecting piece 44 into the connection receptacle 23 (see Figures 6 and 7). Between the inflow channel and the outflow channel, a connecting channel 54 is provided which connects the inflow channel 52 and the outflow channel 53. When the connecting piece 44 is new, the inflow channel 52 and the outflow channel 53 or the connecting channel 54 are separated from one another by a membrane 55. In other words, when the container 40 is new, the preparation from the chamber 41, 42, 43 cannot reach the outflow channel 53. The membrane 55 therefore protects the preparation in the chamber from environmental influences and prevents it from leaking out.

[0048] A longitudinal axis 56 of the inflow channel 52 is at a right angle to a longitudinal axis 57 of the outflow channel 51. The connecting channel 54 is essentially aligned with the inflow channel 52. The connecting channel 54 is delimited at the top by a round, slightly inwardly curved pressure plate 58. The pressure plate 58 serves to accommodate a human finger in order to build up pressure or a compressive force in order to press the connecting piece 44 with the plug-in part 51 into the connection receptacle 23 of the dosing device 10. A central axis of the pressure plate 58 coincides with the longitudinal axis / central axis 57 of the plug-in part 51 or has only a very small offset therefrom. The resulting force of the finger force applied to the pressure plate 58 acts vertically directly above the plug-in part 51. In Figures 4D, 6B and 7, the resulting force is designated FD.Several smaller openings may be provided in the pressure plate 58 to save material and simplify the injection molding of the connector 44.

[0049] A finger ring 59 is attached to the base body 49. The finger ring 59 is attached to the base body 49 via two spaced-apart connecting webs 60 (see, for example, Figures 5C and 6A). Due to the connecting webs 60, which each attach to a circumferential end of the finger ring 59, the finger ring 59 has a closed circumference. The finger ring 59 extends circumferentially over an angular range of approximately 270°. Viewed in the circumferential direction, in the middle between the two end-side connecting webs 60, a fixing web 61 is also provided between the finger ring 59 and the pressure plate 58 to hold the finger ring 59 in the illustrated position.

[0050] The position shown is a so-called starting position of the finger ring 59. In this starting position, the finger ring 59 lies in the same plane as the pressure plate 58 and represents a certain radial extension of the pressure plate 58. From this starting position, the finger ring 59 can be pivoted into an active position. For this purpose, a gripping tab 62 is provided in the immediate vicinity of the fixing web 61, by means of which the finger ring 59 can be raised relative to the pressure plate 58, although the fixing web 61 must be broken in the process. Further lifting of the gripping tab 62 leads to a pivoting movement of the finger ring 59 about a pivot axis 63 (see dash-dotted line in Figures 5C and 6A). The pivot axis 63 is defined by the position of the connecting webs 61, which are deformed during the pivoting movement and form a type of film hinge.Compared to the fixing web 61, the connecting webs 60 are significantly stronger and can absorb tensile forces that are transmitted through the finger ring 59 into the base body 49.

[0051] In Figure 5D, the active position of the finger ring 59 is indicated by the dashed line 59'. In this position, a human finger can be hooked through the finger ring 59 or 59'. This makes it possible to exert a comparatively large tensile force on the base body 44 and in particular on the plug-in part 51. The resulting force of the hooked finger is designated Fz in Figure 5D. A combination of Figures 4D and 5B shows that the resulting force FD for establishing the connection between the connector 44 and the connector receptacle 23 and the force FZ for breaking this connection are opposite. The establishment and breaking of the connection can be accomplished by a linear movement directed perpendicular to the front wall 12 or the rear wall 13, respectively. With the finger ring 59 in the active position, the connector 44 can thus be pulled out of the connector 23.This makes it possible to separate the container 40 from the dosing device 10 from the position shown in Figure 2 in the housing 11. It is not necessary to introduce the required forces into the container 40 via the rather unstable housing halves 45, 46.

[0052] To remove the container 40, the three connectors 44 can first be gently lifted one after the other from their respective connection receptacles using the finger ring, so that they rest on the connection receptacles with virtually no resistance and without insertion force. The container 40 can then be removed from the housing 11 either using one finger ring or two finger rings simultaneously.

[0053] In addition to the inlet channel 52 for the preparation, the weld-in piece 50 also forms an air channel 64, which opens into a closed air chamber 65 in the base body 44. The air chamber 65 is arranged next to the connecting channel 54 (see Figures 6A and 7). As can be seen from Figure 6A, an air hose 66 can be inserted into the open end of the air channel 64. The length of the air hose 66 is dimensioned such that the free end of the air hose, i.e. the end not inserted into the air channel 64, is located at one end of the chamber opposite the connecting piece 44. In Figure 3, the air hose 66 is indicated by the dashed line only for the chamber 42. In the operating position of the dosing system 1, i.e. with the bottom 14 of the dosing device 10 facing downwards, the air hose 66 ends with its open end in the upper area of ​​the chamber 42.Such an air hose is also provided for the connecting pieces 44 of the two other chambers 41, 43, but this is not shown in Figure 3.

[0054] The sealed air chamber 65 is enclosed by an air chamber wall 67. An outwardly directed projection 68 is formed on the air chamber wall 67. At a root of the projection 68, the air chamber wall 67 has a predetermined breaking point 69 with reduced wall thickness and a thin hinge point or connection point 70. When the plug-in part 51 is inserted into the connection receptacle 23, the membrane 55 is first pierced by a hollow mandrel 26 of the connection receptacle 23 (see Figure 7). If the plug-in part 51 is pressed further into the connection receptacle 23, an abutment 27 of the connection receptacle comes into contact with a contact surface 71 of the projection 68. The contact surface 71 is provided at a free end of the projection 68.

[0055] The system 71 is spaced apart by a distance 72 from the predetermined breaking point 69 and the connection point 70. Due to the force exerted by the stationary abutment 27 on the projection 68, and due to the distance 72, a bending moment acts on the root of the projection 68, leading to tensile stresses in the area of ​​the predetermined breaking point 69. If the tensile stresses become too great, the air chamber wall 67 tears in the area of ​​the predetermined breaking point 69. In the process, the projection 68 rotates counterclockwise upwards around the thin connection point 70 in the illustration in Figure 7, without the projection 68 completely detaching from the base body 44. Due to the crack or break at the predetermined breaking point 69, an exchange of air between the environment and the air chamber 65, and thus an exchange of air between the environment and the chamber, is now possible. The ventilation of the relevant chamber is activated.

[0056] The connector 44 and the connector receptacle 23 are designed such that when the plug-in part 51 is inserted into the connector receptacle 23, the membrane 55 is pierced before the chamber's ventilation is activated, i.e., before the air chamber wall 67 tears. The hollow mandrel 26 and the abutment 27 of the connector receptacle 23, as well as their relative heights, are only schematically indicated in Figure 7. According to Figure 7, the beginning of the piercing of the membrane 55 is imminent, while a gap still exists between the abutment 27 and the contact surface 71 of the projection 68. Only when the connector 44 is pushed further into the connector receptacle 23 does the projection 68 abut the abutment 27.

[0057] List of reference symbols

[0058] I Dosing system

[0059] 10 Dosing device

[0060] II Housing

[0061] 12 front wall

[0062] 13 Rear wall

[0063] 14 Floor

[0064] 15 upper edge of the housing

[0065] 16 film hinges

[0066] 17 Container compartment

[0067] 18 first recess

[0068] 19 second recess

[0069] 20 groove base

[0070] 21 lower end

[0071] 22 upper end

[0072] 23 Connection receptacle

[0073] 24 Dosing compartment

[0074] 25 Dosing opening

[0075] 26 hollow mandrel

[0076] 27 abutments

[0077] 40 containers

[0078] 41 Chamber

[0079] 42 Chamber

[0080] 43 Chamber

[0081] 44 connecting piece

[0082] 45 Housing half / chamber wall

[0083] 46 Housing half / chamber wall and

[0084] 47 Rands (Section 47a)

[0085] 48 intermediate bridge

[0086] 49 basic bodies

[0087] 50 weld-in part

[0088] 51 plug-in part

[0089] 52 inflow channel

[0090] 53 drainage channel

[0091] 54 connecting channel

[0092] 55 Membrane longitudinal axis

[0093] Longitudinal axis

[0094] Pressure plate

[0095] Finger ring (59' finger ring in active position)

[0096] connecting bridge

[0097] Fixation bars

[0098] Grip tab

[0099] Swivel axis

[0100] air duct

[0101] air chamber

[0102] Air hose / air pipe

[0103] Air chamber wall

[0104] projection

[0105] Predetermined breaking point

[0106] Connection point / hinge point

[0107] Attachment

[0108] Distance

Claims

Patent claims 1. Container (40) for a dosing system (1), which can be positioned in the interior of a dishwasher and comprises a dosing device (10) through which at least one preparation can be dosed into the interior, wherein the container (40) has at least one chamber (41, 42, 43) for receiving the preparation and a connecting piece assigned to the chamber (41, 42, 43), which is connected to the chamber (41, 42, 43) and can be connected to a connection receptacle of the dosing device to form a connection between the chamber (41, 42, 43) and the dosing device, characterized in that the connecting piece comprises a base body (49) which has an air chamber (65) serving to ventilate the chamber (41, 42, 43) with an air chamber wall (67), wherein a projection (68) is formed on the air chamber wall (67), which projection has a Air chamber wall (67) spaced apart system (71) for an abutment (27) of the connection receptacle (23), so that a force,which, when connecting the connecting piece (44) and the connection receptacle (23), acts on the contact (71) of the projection (68), generates a bending moment, by means of which the projection (68) is rotated and an opening is torn in the air chamber wall (67).

2. Container (40) according to claim 1, characterized in that the abutment (71) is arranged at a free end of the projection (68).

3. Container (40) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a distance (72) between the abutment (71) and the air chamber wall (67) is 2 to 6 mm, preferably 2.5 to 4 mm.

4. Container (40) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air chamber wall (67) has a predetermined breaking point (69) with reduced wall thickness.

5. Container (40) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the air chamber wall 0 has a hinge point (70) via which the projection (68) remains connected to the air chamber wall (67) even after the connection of the connecting piece (44) to the connection receptacle (23) has been made.

6. Container (40) according to claim 5, characterized in that the connecting piece (44) is made of polyolefin which is filled with an inert filler with a weight fraction of 0.1 to 20%, preferably 2 to 8%.

7. Container (40) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the base body (49) has a weld-in part (50) which is sealingly attached to a chamber wall (45, 46) of the chamber (41, 42, 43). Container (40) according to claim 7, characterized in that the weld-in part (50) forms an air channel (64) which is connected to the air chamber (65) and has a plug-in receptacle for a separate air pipe (66) which projects into the chamber (41, 42, 43). Container (40) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the base body (59) has a plug-in part (51) that can be inserted into the connection receptacle (23). Container (40) according to claim 9, characterized in that the weld-in part (50) forms an inflow channel (52) and the plug-in part (51) forms an outflow channel (53), wherein, in a new state of the container (40), the inflow channel (52) and the outflow channel (53) are separated from one another by a closed membrane (55). Container (40) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a finger ring (59) is attached to the base body (49), which is movable from an initial position into an active position, wherein, in the active position, the finger ring (59) is designed to be gripped behind by a human finger in order to introduce a tensile force into the base body (49), by means of which the connection piece (44) can be separated from the connection receptacle (23).Container (40) according to claim 11, characterized in that the finger ring (59) is fastened to the base body (49) by two connecting webs (60), wherein the two connecting webs. (60) define a pivot axis about which the finger ring (59) can be pivoted from the starting position into the active position. Container (40) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a pressure plate (58) for receiving a human finger is formed on the base body (49), the pressure force of which can connect the connecting piece (44) to the connection receptacle (23). Container (40) according to claim 13 and claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the finger ring (59) surrounds the pressure plate (58) in the starting position and lies substantially in the same plane as the pressure plate (58).Dosing system (1) which can be placed in the interior of a dishwasher and comprises a dosing device (10) and a container (40) according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the connection receptacle (23) of the dosing device (10) has an abutment (27) against which the projection (68) of the connection piece (44) abuts when the connection piece (44) is connected to the connection receptacle (23).

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