METERING SYSTEM FOR DISPENSING AT LEAST ONE FLOWABLE FORMULATION INTO A WASHING MACHINE - Patent application

Abstract

The present invention relates to a metering system (1) for dispensing at least one flowable formulation inside a washing machine. The metering system comprises at least one metering device (2) and at least one container (3) connectable to the metering device (2) for storing at least one flowable formulation. The metering device (2) comprises at least one power source for operating the metering device (2), at least one metering unit (4) for dispensing a predetermined amount of the at least one flowable formulation, at least one sensor unit (15) for monitoring the metering unit (4) and at least one control unit connected to the metering unit (4) and the sensor unit (15). The metering unit (4) comprises a pump (5) for dispensing the at least one flowable formulation. The metering system (1) is adapted to be freely placed inside the washing machine.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a metering system for dispensing at least one flowable formulation inside a washing machine, the metering system comprising at least one metering device and at least one container connectable to the metering device and for storing the at least one flowable formulation. [Background technology]

[0002] Such metering systems are used to dispense flowable formulations such as detergents in a user-friendly manner, to automate the metering procedure as much as possible and to optimize the washing results.

[0003] WO 2011 / 134690 discloses a metering system for use within a washing machine, where a formulation stored within the system for treating laundry items within the washing machine is dispensed from a container by movement of a closure member by an actuator.

[0004] WO 2017 / 167658 describes a metering device for use inside a washing machine, which comprises a valve that can be opened for metering purposes as required. In drum washing machines, the laundry is applied to the container wall of a suds container in different phases of the washing process by increasing the drum speed. The rotation speed reaches from 400 rpm to 1600 rpm. High centrifugal forces act on the metering device provided in the suds container. The flowable formulation stored in the metering device is also affected by these centrifugal forces. Depending on the position in the suds container, the valve for discharging the product is exposed to high pressure (overpressure or underpressure), especially during the spinning process. Movable valves with elastic seals are not designed for such pressure loads. The use of valves for metering flowable formulations in metering devices for use in the suds container of washing machines is therefore disadvantageous with regard to safe discharge and functional preservation of the metering device. Furthermore, simple closures and valves are not suitable for achieving high metering accuracy even when very small amounts of flowable formulation are discharged.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a metering system for dispensing at least one flowable formulation inside a washing machine, which provides high metering accuracy while at the same time being functionally reliable, even under the influence of high mechanical forces. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to the invention, in order to achieve this object, a weighing system according to the features of claim 1 is proposed.

[0007] Advantageous and further embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0008] According to the present invention, a metering system for dispensing at least one fluid formulation inside a washing machine is provided, the metering system comprising at least one metering device and at least one container connectable to the metering device for storing at least one fluid formulation. The fluid formulation is, for example, a detergent, a detergent ingredient, a fragrance, a bleaching agent or a solvent. The container connectable to the metering device is preferably designed to provide sufficient space for storing at least one fluid formulation, sufficient for several washing processes, particularly preferably 5 to 25 washing processes. The metering device comprises at least one power source for operating the metering device. The power source can be designed, for example, as one or more batteries or rechargeable batteries, for example lithium polymer batteries, and supplies power to further components of the metering device. The metering device also comprises at least one metering unit for dispensing a predetermined amount of at least one fluid formulation, at least one sensor unit for monitoring the metering unit, and at least one control unit connected to the metering unit and the sensor unit. The metering unit comprises a pump for dispensing at least one flowable formulation. Furthermore, the metering unit preferably comprises a motor and a gear mechanism for driving the pump, whereby the power source of the metering device can provide power to the motor to ensure a smooth dispensing process.

[0009] The metering system is configured to be placed freely inside a washing machine. The metering system is preferably configured to be placed freely in a soapy water container of a drum washing machine. The metering system is preferably designed to be stable enough to withstand the spinning process in the washing machine up to 100 rpm, particularly preferably up to 1600 rpm, without damage. Due to the design of the metering unit with the pump, the unit is configured to continue to reliably discharge the formulation with a gravitational force of more than 1 g, while at the same time sealing against undesired spillage of the flowable formulation and against the ingress of air and / or water into the metering system. For its protection, one or more protective housings for the individual components of the metering system may be provided, for example to protect sensitive components from damage due to mechanical action.

[0010] According to one proposal of the invention, the pump is designed as a peristaltic pump. Peristaltic pumps offer the advantage that they function reliably even under the influence of large external forces, such as occur, for example, during a cleaning process in a soapy water container. A metering unit designed in this way allows reliable and precise metering at all times. Furthermore, with peristaltic pumps a high metering accuracy can be achieved even for very small delivery volumes in the milliliter and sub-milliliter range.

[0011] According to a further proposal of the invention, the peristaltic pump comprises a rotor mounted eccentrically in a receptacle for conveying at least one flowable formulation through a pump hose. The pump hose is mounted in the receptacle so as to surround the rotor. As it is eccentrically mounted on a shaft, for example shaped like a pump shaft, the part of the rotor having the greatest expansion starting from the shaft compresses a part of the pump tube the most. When the rotor, which is driven by a shaft connected to a gear mechanism and a motor of the metering unit, is rotated about said shaft, the maximum load point of the pump tube moves with the rotation. In this case, the rotor continuously conveys the flowable formulation arranged in the pump hose through said pump hose. The exact flow rate can be determined by the rotation speed and frequency at which the rotor rotates and can be set by the control device as required.

[0012] According to a further proposal of the invention, the control unit controls the rotor by at least one signal transmitted by the sensor unit, which may detect the position of the rotor and transmit it to the control unit for comparison, and the control unit may then output control commands to the metering unit adapted to the desired amount of flowable formulation to be dispensed and the current angular position of the rotor, such that the metering accuracy is always high.

[0013] According to a further proposal of the invention, the sensor unit comprises at least one Hall sensor and the rotor comprises at least one magnet. The position of the eccentric rotor can be easily and precisely detected by the Hall sensor. The exact position of the rotor is determined as soon as a magnet arranged at a predetermined position of the rotor passes through the detection range of the Hall sensor. In combination with a predetermined rotation speed, it is possible to always rotate the rotor to the desired position, so that the desired amount of the flowable formulation, which is predetermined by the control unit for the metering unit, can be precisely dispensed. In a preferred embodiment, the magnet is arranged in the area of ​​the rotor which most compresses the pump tube. This embodiment is characterized by its functional reliability, even in the case of large forces, for example when the rotation speed of the soapy water container is increased.

[0014] According to a further proposal of the invention, the rotating body can be moved by the control unit to a valve position for sealing the peristaltic pump. In order to prevent undesired discharge and / or damage to the metering system, the metering unit must be sealed. What must be avoided here is that environmental influences in the form of overpressure or underpressure situations arising depending on the position of the metering system in the rotating soapy water container do not affect the metering system. In particular, the container storing the flowable formulation must be protected to avoid damage. Undesired discharge in the case of underpressure must be avoided as well as the ingress of air and / or cleaning water into the container in the case of overpressure. This can be advantageously solved by the rotating body. In the valve position, said rotating body can serve to seal the metering system. In the valve position, the rotating body is at rest and the maximum compression of the pump hose is preferably located in the area of ​​the receptacle as far away as possible from the inlet of the pump hose into the receptacle and its outlet out of the receptacle. For this purpose, the motor of the metering unit continues to run after completion of the metering process until the desired stop and valve positions are reached. In order to be able to determine the position as accurately as possible, the motor is preferably driven until the magnet passes the Hall sensor once more and can be positioned exactly starting from there. A certain switching hysteresis ensures that the rotor stops in an area where a reliable sealing against external influences of the receptacle can be made and the valve position is taken.

[0015] According to a further proposal of the invention, the receptacle of the peristaltic pump is narrowed in places. In this embodiment, the load of the pump hose due to compression is the maximum load and is targetedly reduced so that the most effective sealing takes place only in a predetermined part of the receptacle. The compression of the pump hose is greater in the narrowed area of ​​the receptacle compared to the remaining area. Due to the increased compression in places, the service life of the pump tube is advantageously extended and the service life of the metering system is extended overall. This is because the replacement of individual small components of the metering system is often practically uneconomical and simply impossible for the user. The receptacle is preferably approximately circular and is narrowed in places by reducing the radius in the area. The pump tube, which is arranged around the rotator, runs a substantially circular path along the inner wall of the receptacle. Preferably, the receptacle is narrowed in an area of ​​about 180° to 300° during the discharge from the inlet in the conveying direction of the flowable formulation towards the outlet of the pump hose. With the aid of Hall sensors and magnets, and a predefined time for reaching this area, an optimal valve position of the rotor and maximum tightness of the metering system are ensured.

[0016] According to a further proposal of the present invention, the container is configured to store at least two flowable formulations separately. This provides the advantage that a single metering system can be used to provide multiple flowable formulations during the cleaning process. For this purpose, the container may, for example, have multiple cavities in which the flowable formulations are stored separately. However, it is also conceivable that the metering system has multiple separate containers for storing the flowable formulations.

[0017] For example, it is possible to provide a metering unit with multiple pumps or multiple metering units, each with a pump, for dispensing multiple flowable formulations stored separately from the container into the soapy water container of the washing machine, improving the ease of use of the metering system. This allows for separate dispensing of flowable formulations one after the other at different stages of the washing process, such as detergent and fragrance, without them adversely affecting each other's effectiveness. Furthermore, it allows for dispensing of more than one flowable formulation at one stage of the washing process, which can react with each other and interact optimally only in the soapy water container.

[0018] According to a further proposal of the present invention, the peristaltic pump is equipped with a double head. This provides the advantage that two fluid formulations can be dispensed using only one metering unit, one motor, one gear mechanism, and one pump shaft. This provides the advantage that the space occupied by the metering unit in the metering device can be minimized while multiple fluid formulations can be dispensed, since there is no need to provide a duplicate motor, gear mechanism, and pump shaft.

[0019] According to a further proposal of the present invention, the peristaltic pump is equipped with a bidirectional freewheel. For example, when the double head is combined with the bidirectional freewheel and used with only one pump, two fluid formulations can be dispensed at once. Due to the freewheel, an interference-free exchange is possible, and depending on the direction of rotation of the pump shaft, only the first or second pump head of the double head is driven to dispense the first or second fluid formulation. At the same time, the bidirectional freewheel prevents the other fluid formulation from being dispensed accidentally at the same time or from backflowing.

[0020] According to a further proposal of the invention, the metering system comprises a substantially spherical shell adapted to accommodate the metering device and the container. The spherical design offers the advantage that forces are distributed evenly on the metering system, which increases the service life of the metering system. It is also advantageous to design the metering system so that the container containing the flowable formulation can be removably coupled to the metering system. As soon as the container or a cavity of the container is empty, the container can be removed by the user and refilled or replaced. The shell also has an opening for dispensing each flowable formulation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] Further details of the weighing system according to the invention are explained below with reference to an embodiment in the drawings.

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a weighing system according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the weighing system according to FIG. 1 without the protective housing. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the weighing system according to FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pump of the metering system according to FIG. 1; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pump of the metering system according to FIG. 1 with a receptacle having a narrowed area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a metering system 1 according to the invention, comprising a metering device 2 and a container 3. The metering unit 4 comprises a pump 5, which in this embodiment is designed as a peristaltic pump. Also in this embodiment, the pump 5 is designed as a double-head pump with a double head 6. This allows separate metering of two flowable formulations stored in different cavities of the container 3 separated from each other. From each outlet 8, a flowable formulation is discharged into the interior of the washing machine, which is guided from the container 3 through an inlet 9 into a pump tube 7. The pump 5 is driven by a motor 10 of the metering unit 4. The motor 10 is protected from harmful external influences by a motor protective housing 12. Similarly, the pump 5 is protected by a pump protective housing 11. The metering system 1 preferably has an outer shell (not shown) for protecting the container 3 and the metering device 2, and is placed by the user in the soapy water container of the washing machine together with the laundry to be washed. The metering system 1 preferably has an interface for receiving metering commands. For example, the metering system 1 can be controlled by the user by an app on a smartphone. Different washing programs and meterings can be set in the app. Furthermore, two-way communication is advantageous. Thus, the metering system 1 may have additional sensors, which detect for example the exact position of the metering system 1 in the washing machine, the presence of water and the amount of laundry in the soapy water container and transmit this information. In this way, accurate metering can be performed depending on the amount of laundry, the fluid formulation, the washing program and the individual processing steps of the washing process.

[0024] Figure 2 shows the metering system 1 according to figure 1 without the protective housing so that the sensor unit 15 extending on the double head 6 is visible. Each pump head of the double head 6 is provided with a Hall sensor 16 which detects the rotational position of the rotor 13 by means of a magnet 14 attached to the rotor 13. The motor 10 is connected to a gear mechanism 17 and a bidirectionally acting freewheel 18, which allows the pump shaft 19 to move in a diverting manner so that the pump 5 with double head 6 can individually and separately dispense the two liquid formulations taken from the container 3 via the pump hose 7.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the weighing system 1 according to FIG. 1. The container 3 is detachably connected to the weighing device 2 in the container receptacle 20. This has the advantage that the container 3 can be replaced or refilled and inserted again into the weighing system 1. When the container 3 is fixed in the container receptacle 20, a leak-free connection is ensured between the container 3 and the weighing device 2. When the pump 5 is driven by the motor 10 and the pump shaft 19 to suck the flowable formulation from the container 3, only through the intake port 9 can the flowable formulation escape from the container 3 and enter the pump 5 through the pump hose 7. The two rotating bodies 13a, 13b have magnets 14a, 14b, respectively. The magnets 14a, 14b are detected by the two Hall sensors 16a, 16b, respectively, in order to accurately detect the position of the rotating bodies 13a, 13b when the rotating bodies 13a, 13b pass the Hall sensors 16a, 16b. In this manner, consistent high metering accuracy is ensured for both dispensed flowable formulations.

[0026] 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the pump 5 of the metering device 2, respectively. FIG. 4 shows the receptacle 22 of the pump 5 for the pump hose 7a for the first flowable formulation, with pump segments 21a-21h having a constant segment radius. In the region of the pump segment 21a, the flowable formulation entering the pump hose 7a via the inlet 9a enters the pump 5 and leaves the pump 5 again in the region of the pump segment 21h. Due to the circular movement of the eccentrically mounted rotor 13, the flowable formulation is forced through the pump segments 21a-21h into the pump hose 7a. In the region of the pump segments 21b, 21c, 21d, the flowable formulation entering the pump 5 at the pump segment 21a is drawn out of the container 3 fixed in the container receptacle 20 and discharged again in the region of the pump segments 21e-21h. Except for the region of the pump segments 21a and 21h, the rotor 13 changes the region over which the pump hose 7a is loaded during its rotation. Also, in the area of ​​compression, the pump hose 7a is sealed from the surroundings. The magnet 14 allows the sensor unit to accurately detect the position of the rotor 13, which is important for the metering accuracy. While the first flowable formulation entering the pump 5 through the inlet 9a is being metered, the pump head, to which the second flowable formulation is connected via the pump hose 7b to the inlet 9b, is stopped. In this way, inadvertent ejection of the second flowable formulation together with the first flowable formulation from the metering system 1 can be prevented.

[0027] In FIG. 5, the receptacle of the pump 5 of the metering device 2 has a smaller segment radius in the pump segments 21e-21g than in the region of the pump segments 21a-21d and 21h, so that the step 23 extends over this region of the wall of the receptacle 22. In this region, the pump hose 7 is subjected to the greatest load. In the remaining segments, the pump hose 7 is compressed, which results in a smaller load and an increased service life of the pump hose 7. Furthermore, in these segments, the tightness is best ensured. With the help of a Hall sensor, which accurately detects the position of the rotor with the help of a magnet 14 and sends its signal to the control unit, the rotor 13 can be rotated further by the pump shaft 19 until it stops in the narrow region of the receptacle 22, which is assumed as the valve position after the metering process is finished. In this region, the tightness of the metering system 1 is best ensured, since the compression of the pump hose 7 is greatest here. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1. Weighing System 2 Weighing device 3. Container 4 Weighing Unit 5. Pump 6 Double Head 7 Pump Tube 8 outlet 9 Intake port 10 Motor 11 Pump protection housing 12 Motor protection housing 13 Rotating Body 14. Magnets 15 Sensor unit 16 Hall Sensors 17 Gear mechanism 18 Freewheel 19 Pump shaft 20 Container Receptacle 21 Pump Segments 22 Receptacle 23 Steps

Claims

1. A metering system (1) for dispensing at least one flowable formulation inside a washing machine, comprising: The weighing system (1) is configured to be freely placed inside the washing machine, at least one metering device (2); and at least one container (3) connectable to said metering device (2) for storing at least one flowable formulation, The weighing device (2) At least one power source for operating the metering device (2); at least one metering unit (4) for dispensing a predetermined amount of said at least one flowable formulation; at least one sensor unit (15) for monitoring said metering unit (4); and at least one control unit coupled to the metering unit (4) and the sensor unit (15), A metering system (1), wherein said metering unit (4) comprises a peristaltic pump (5) for dispensing said at least one flowable formulation.

2. 2. The metering system (1) of claim 1, wherein the peristaltic pump comprises a rotor (13) eccentrically mounted in a receptacle (22) for conveying the at least one flowable formulation through a pump hose (7).

3. 3. The weighing system (1) according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the rotating body (13) using at least one signal transmitted by the sensor unit (15).

4. The sensor unit (15) comprises at least one Hall sensor (16); The rotating body (13) comprises at least one magnet (14). A weighing system (1) according to claim 2.

5. 3. The metering system (1) according to claim 2, wherein the rotor (13) is movable by the control unit to a valve position for sealing the peristaltic pump.

6. The metering system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the peristaltic pump receptacle (22) is narrowed in places.

7. The metering system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container (3) is adapted to store at least two flowable formulations separately.

8. A metering system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the peristaltic pump is equipped with a double head (6).

9. The metering system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the peristaltic pump is equipped with a bidirectional freewheel (18).

10. 2. The weighing system (1) of claim 1, wherein the weighing system comprises a substantially spherical shell configured to accommodate the weighing device (2) and the container (3).

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