IMMERSION DEVICE FOR WATER SANITIZATION.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- MX · MX
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MARCO BORGIANI
- Filing Date
- 2023-01-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing water storage devices in appliances like washing machines and dishwashers face issues with bacterial and viral proliferation due to inadequate placement of ultraviolet emitters, leading to reduced disinfection effectiveness, accelerated component aging, and increased maintenance costs.
An immersion device integrating an ultraviolet emitter and temperature sensor within a quartz glass capsule, positioned near the electrical resistance in the tank, ensures direct water contact and effective disinfection, while also serving as a thermostat, reducing component degradation and maintenance needs.
The device provides efficient disinfection and temperature control, minimizing lime deposits and component degradation, lowering maintenance costs and extending appliance lifespan.
Smart Images
Figure MX434044B0
Abstract
Description
IMMERSION DEVICE FOR WATER SANITIZATION DESCRIPTION The means to limit bacterial and viral proliferation in water storage for sanitary or food purposes are covered by the present finding. More precisely, the present invention relates to an immersion device for disinfecting water in a tank. More precisely, the object of the present invention is immersion devices capable of implementing the dual function of controlling and managing the temperature of water (or similar fluids) within a tank and sanitizing it. The invention relates primarily to the production of household appliances, more precisely to the manufacture of washing machines, washer-dryers and / or dishwashers for domestic and industrial applications. There is no reason why this immersion device cannot also be used in other sectors, for example, in electric water heaters, tanks for storing water for food and sanitary use or in all water storage facilities, temporary or not, where there is a risk of proliferation of bacteria, germs and / or viruses. It is well known that all the devices mentioned above, although they differ from each other in their construction and functional characteristics, have in common the presence of at least one tank for the service water and at least one electric resistance (or similar components) whose task is to heat and bring the water to a temperature compatible with the service they provide, for example, to meet the demand for hot water for sanitary or food use or for washing clothes or dishes. The risk of proliferation of bacteria, viruses and / or germs in water reservoirs is also known. For example, in storage water heaters, maintaining water at much lower temperatures than in the past for energy-saving reasons and the cold wash programs implemented in washing machines or dishwashers have contributed to amplifying the proliferation of bacteria and / or pathogens. Similarly, despite the detergent and sterilizing function of the detergents used, the dirt that inevitably accumulates in a washing machine and dishwasher tubs due to the washing process can be a breeding ground for germs harmful to health, not to mention that they may already be present in the water supplied to the machine. To limit this problem, ultraviolet ray generators have been gradually integrated into these devices, reducing or eliminating the viral and / or bacterial load of the water. For example, in washing machines or dishwashers, ultraviolet emitters have been supplied and used for a long time, properly mounted in the washing water supply pipes and / or inside the drum and / or inside the walls of the washing tanks, as clearly described and shown in the prior art documents CN 209 923 618 U and CN 204 445 770 U. However, these technical options have not been without their problems. Often, due to construction limitations and restrictions, these ultraviolet emitters are placed where contact with wash water is not always guaranteed; this can lead to a reduction in their disinfecting effect. Many of the components mentioned above as possible locations for mounting ultraviolet emitters are made of plastic, in order to contain the production baskets and simplify the production processes. Therefore, there is a risk that these ultraviolet emitters, if not positioned correctly and submerged in water, will directly irradiate these plastic components, accelerating the aging process; this can lead to frequent maintenance or replacement of malfunctioning or worn-out components, with negative consequences for the functionality of the appliance and its operating costs. Equipping these devices with ultraviolet emitters also required a substantial redesign or structural adaptations and modifications. Finally, it should be noted that, on occasion, these ultraviolet emitters can, with use, be subject to breakage or malfunction and, therefore, increase maintenance and repair costs. The object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the previously mentioned known technique by developing an immersion device for disinfecting water stored and used in an appliance, such as a washing machine, dishwasher, storage water heater, or similar equipment, that is efficient, economical, and reliable. More precisely, the present invention aims to integrate an immersion device for water sanitation into a known household appliance, such as a washing machine, dishwasher, or storage water heater or similar appliance, without substantially modifying its structure / or basic components. The additional scope of the present invention provides an immersion device for disinfecting the water in a tank, which can also implement a function for controlling the heating and / or thermostat of the water. The additional scope of the present invention provides an immersion device for disinfecting and / or thermostating water to allow the adaptation and / or upgrading of already manufactured and operational household appliances. These and other purposes are achieved under the invention, with the features listed in appended independent claim 1. Other features of the present invention will be better evidenced by the following description of one or more preferred designs, under the patent claims and illustrated, purely by example and without limitation, in the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows, schematically, a section and a detail of a washing machine according to a possible embodiment of the invention; - Figures 2, 3 and 4 show, respectively, a first, second and third variant of the immersion device of the invention for sanitizing and / or controlling the temperature and thermostat of the water; - Figure 5 shows a specific way of installing the immersion device of the invention for sanitizing and / or thermostating water; - Figure 6 shows an example of a temperature sensor for electrical resistors according to the state of the art. The elements of the immersion device of the invention for sanitizing water are now described using references in the accompanying figures. For the purpose of highlighting some features over others, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should also be noted that any dimensional and spatial terms (such as below, above, inside, outside, or similar) refer to the positions of the elements as depicted in the attached figures, without any limiting intent 15 with respect to possible operating conditions. In the present discussion, at least initially, reference will be made to a device for disinfecting water within a generic reservoir provided in an appliance and used for different purposes, for example, as washing water, rinsing water, sanitary water, or similar. Therefore, a reservoir should be understood generically as any tank, container or receptacle for water, in the most 25 varied shapes, geometries and volumes. For simplicity, regardless of the appliance and its function, this water will be called service water, while the device used to eliminate bacteria, viruses, germs, or other pathogens will be called a disinfectant device. It should also be noted that the disinfectant device of the invention is suitable for integration into household appliances that provide for the heating of water in their reservoir, such as, without limitation, washing machines, washer-dryers, dishwashers and / or in a storage water heater, heat pumps, solar tank or, more generally, in any other water tank or receptacle subject to phenomena of bacterial proliferation and / or propagation of viruses and pathogens. Even more precisely, as will be seen, the disinfectant device of the invention can be advantageously integrated and / or cooperate with at least one of the components of the tank normally provided for heating service water, in particular with one or more electric heating elements, or similar means. For example, without intending to limit this, this disinfectant device can be installed directly on the flange of an electric heating element or directly on an internal wall of a service water tank, preferably near the heating element. These aspects will be revisited in this discussion. Without intending to limit, this electrical resistance, which is electrically isolated from the walls or body of the tank, is preferably of the immersion type. It is well known that these electrical resistors, in order to correctly perform their specific heating function, must be immersed in the service water and therefore, the integration and / or cooperation of the sanitizing device of the invention with said components: - guarantees the direct and effective purification of service water, - it entails, at least for some specific applications, important advantages in terms of operation and durability of the device that implements it (for example, with special reference to its plastic parts and / or components). It has also been experimentally observed that the disinfectant device of the invention, when integrated and / or cooperated with the aforementioned electrical resistance, can maximize its disinfectant effect. It would be advantageous to place it in an area of the reservoir where there is a large exchange of water due to the convective movements caused by heating, thus reducing the proliferation of bacteria, viruses, germs or other pathogens harmful to health. Scientific studies and laboratory tests have also shown how ultraviolet radiation, in addition to having a disinfectant effect, can help slow down and / or limit the formation of limescale on surfaces in contact with service water, especially if it is rich in calcium carbonates. Specifically, it has been shown that exposing these waters to ultraviolet light mainly produces calcite crystals which, being less dense and adherent than other types of calcium carbonate phases, are more easily removed from the surfaces on which they are deposited, for example, the interior walls of an appliance storage unit or its functional components such as the electrical resistors mentioned above. In other words, there would be a strong mitigation of limescale deposits on these surfaces and / or components and, as a consequence, of the technical problems that may arise in terms of heat transfer, abnormal energy consumption and maintenance frequency. For all these reasons, the disinfectant device of the invention, indicated by reference 3 in Figures 2 to 5, may comprise an ultraviolet emitter 30 comprising one or more UV lamps or LEDs 31 (ultraviolet), preferably mounted on a printed circuit board (or PCB) 33. Said ultraviolet emitter 30 could be advantageously housed within a container body 32 (hereinafter referred to as capsule 32) comprising: - at least a part 320 transparent to ultraviolet radiation generated by at least one UV lamp or LED 31, said part preferably being the part intended to be immersed in or in direct contact with the service water, at least under operating conditions, - a 321 section to pass at least the power cables and connectors of one or more UV lamps or LED 31. There is nothing preventing the capsule 32 of the disinfectant device 3 from being completely transparent to ultraviolet radiation to allow freer positioning of the UV lamp or LED 31 inside and still guarantee the passage of ultraviolet radiation. The capsule 32 of the ultraviolet emitter 30 can also have various shapes, for example, cylindrical or button-shaped. More precisely, a cylindrical capsule 32 is preferable in the case of installing the disinfectant device 3 on the flange 20 of an electric resistance 2 of the appliance 1, while the geometry of the button is more suitable for placement on an internal wall of its tank 10. In the two previous installation variants, the maximum efficiency of the disinfectant device 3 is always guaranteed, since it always operates in that area of the tank 10 affected, as mentioned, by convective movements of the service water, which improves the sanitizing effect. Furthermore, it is specified that the disinfectant device 3 can be supplied and / or cooperate with the same means of delivery that are already provided for the electrical resistance 2 Similarly, its switching on and operation can be delegated to specific electromechanical switches (the classic knobs or buttons of a user interface) and / or automatically to the electronic control unit with which each appliance is usually equipped. Generally, the operation of the disinfectant device 3 may be related to the presence of service water inside the tank 10 of the appliance 1 and / or its temperature. For this purpose, the disinfectant device 3 of the invention may use at least one temperature sensor 4. Preferably, said at least one temperature sensor 4 is integrated into said disinfectant device 3, for example, housed within its capsule 32. Without intending to limit, at least one temperature sensor 4, for example, an NTC sensor, can detect and / or control at least: - the temperature of the service water inside the tank 10 to activate the ultraviolet emitter 30 of the disinfectant device 3 when it is below a threshold value (for example, equal to 60 °C) below which there is a non-negligible risk of development and proliferation of bacteria, viruses or pathogens (for water temperatures above said threshold, disinfection occurs spontaneously without intervention of the disinfectant device 3 of the invention), and / or, when the disinfectant device 3 is active, the temperatures reached by the ultraviolet emitter 30 to detect any abnormal overheating of the UV lamp(s) or LED(s) 31 indicative of possible failures and malfunctions (for example, due to short circuits). For this purpose, according to a first implementation variant of the invention, shown in Fig. 2, this at least one temperature sensor 4 can be installed near the ultraviolet emitter 30 of the disinfectant device 3, for example, mounted on the same printed circuit board (or PCB) 33 as the UV lamps or LEDs 31. Here, sensor 4 would allow a very reliable measurement of the temperature around the ultraviolet emitter 30, being substantially in contact with it, whereas the service water temperature reading could be less accurate (but still functional for purposes) due to its greater distance from the walls of capsule 32. In other words, with such a configuration, at least one temperature sensor 4 can measure a temperature that: - accurately and rigorously represents the temperature of the ultraviolet 30 emitter, which must be deactivated in case of dangerously high values to preserve its efficiency and lifespan. - can be considered, with a sufficient and tolerable approximation, as indicative of the service water temperature at which the disinfectant device 3 may or may not be activated. Under a second possible variant, illustrated in Fig. 3, the temperature sensor 4 can be placed away from the ultraviolet emitter 30, for example, placed near the lid 34 of the capsule 32 of the disinfectant device 3, substantially in contact and cooperating with at least a part of its inner walls. In such case, the temperature sensor 4 can be connected to the printed circuit board (or PCB) 33 of the ultraviolet emitter 30 with suitable contacts or electrical connections 5, while a conductive paste 6 (or similar medium), if appropriate, can be inserted between it and said inner walls of the capsule 32 to improve its thermal conductivity. With this variant, a particularly reliable measurement of the service water temperature can be obtained, but only an indirect and therefore less accurate measurement of any overheating of the ultraviolet emitter 30, due to the greater distance of the sensor 4 from its UV lamp or LED 31. In this case, detecting any failure of the ultraviolet 30 emitter may require the implementation of appropriate safety logic and algorithms in the appliance's electronics. For example, a possible algorithm may foresee alternating the programmed switching on and off of the disinfectant device 3 and measure, from time to time, the temperature of the service water in its environment, distinguishing the possible contribution of the disinfectant device 3 from the electrical resistance 2 which, as is known, is responsible for heating the service water. In fact, if the temperatures measured with the disinfectant device 3 switched on are substantially the same as those with the disinfectant device 3 switched off, no malfunction of the device is detected; conversely, if these temperatures differ by a predefined threshold, this may be a sign of abnormal overheating of the ultraviolet emitter 30, which can be cautiously switched off. Nothing prevents the possibility of providing a redundant variant, a combination of the above, in which the disinfectant device 3 may comprise at least a first temperature sensor 4 placed close to the ultraviolet emitter 30 and at least a second sensor 4 substantially in contact and cooperating with the inner walls of the capsule 32, as shown in Fig. 4. In such a case, therefore, there is an optimal and direct measurement of both the temperatures around the ultraviolet 30 emitter, checking for any overheating due to failure or malfunction, and of the service water, without the need for specific approximations or control algorithms. When activation of the disinfectant device 3 of the invention is not required or necessary (for example, as mentioned above, for service water temperatures already sufficient in themselves to avoid the risk of pathogen proliferation), the relative temperature sensor 4 can be used to pilot the service water heating components 2 acting as and replacing the known and traditional temperature probes used until now. In other words, at least one temperature sensor 4, which is integrated into the disinfectant device 3 of the invention, can also be used solely to thermostatically control the service water, i.e., to activate and deactivate an electric resistance 2 of the tank 10 of an appliance 1. According to the invention, it is therefore possible to combine in a single immersion device both the sanitizing function and the management of the heating and thermostat of the service water, thus reducing the number of components and accessories of an appliance with advantages in terms of production, marketing and maintenance costs. For all the above reasons, the 32 capsule of the disinfectant device 3 is preferably made of quartz glass. As already mentioned, this material: - It is particularly transparent to ultraviolet radiation, allowing radiation from the ultraviolet emitter 30 of the disinfectant device 3 to pass through it effectively, - has physical characteristics suitable and compatible with the use and operation of one or more of the above temperature sensors 4 to control abnormal overheating of the ultraviolet emitter 30 and / or to detect service water temperatures in a tank 10 of the appliance 1. In fact, it is well known that quartz glass is characterized by high thermal conductivity and, at the same time, high electrical resistivity. In practice, a quartz capsule 32 is capable of electrically isolating both the ultraviolet emitter 30 and one or more temperature sensors 4 of the disinfectant device 3 of the invention from the support on which it is mounted, for example, from the flange 20 of an electrical resistance 2 or from the walls 100, 101 (when metallic) of a tank 10 of an appliance 1. Compared to the steel or plastic capsules currently in use, quartz glass also ensures greater accuracy and responsiveness in reading the water temperature of the tank 10. In fact, it is well known that steel, characterized by high electrical conductivity, would require the aforementioned temperature sensors 4 to be electrically insulated 5, for example, by specific resins, thus reducing their thermal conductivity. On the other hand, plastic capsules, although they do not require insulating resins, would not guarantee adequate levels of thermal conductivity and could be subject to rapid degradation of their physical-functional characteristics by ultraviolet radiation. The use of quartz glass can also improve the time constant, i.e., the response time (indicative of system reactivity) of the aforementioned temperature sensors 4, allowing possible monitoring of the service water temperature trend or humidity when the tank is emptied 10. It has been mentioned several times that the sanitizing device 3 of the invention, for its proper functioning, can be installed directly on an internal wall 100, 101 of the tank 10 of an appliance 1, provided that it is close to the relevant electric resistance 2 for heating the service water or, alternatively, integrated into the electric resistance 2 itself. Therefore, under this latter embodiment (see fig. 5), a seat 23 is suitably provided on the flange 20 of the electric resistance 2 to install the disinfectant device 3 in its multiple embodiments mentioned above. Preferably, this seat 23 could comprise a through hole or slot extending through the entire thickness of the flange 20, between its face 200 housing the power supply connectors 22 and face 201 supporting the heating element 21 shown in the accompanying figures, without limitation, as a coil (nothing prohibits other similar types of heating elements among those known and commercially available). Once inserted into this seat 23, the sanitizing device 3 of the invention will protrude into the interior of the reservoir 10 of the appliance 1 to be, when provided, in contact with the service water to be sanitized and / or thermostated. According to this variant, the electric resistance 2 can therefore perform both its typical function of heating and thermostatically regulating the service water of a tank 10 and disinfecting it from bacteria, viruses and / or pathogens. This choice may allow and facilitate the retrofitting and improvement of household appliances already marketed and / or in use, i.e., the simple replacement of traditional electrical resistors and / or associated temperature probes with those of the invention without the need for a redesign of the household appliance and / or structural modifications to its reservoir (or other parts) and its mechanics. Having discussed the invention in its most general aspects, we now turn to describing one of its specific applications, which is a favorite, namely, in the washing machine 1 (this term also includes similar household appliances, such as so-called washer-dryers). As shown in Fig. 1, in the same way as the latest generation solutions, the immersion electric resistance 2 comprising the disinfectant device 3 of the invention (which is shown in this figure, without limiting intent, with a temperature sensor 4 in proximity to the ultraviolet emitter 30) can be placed in the tank 10 of the washing machine 1. This tank 10 defines the reservoir described above, and inside it rotates the drum 12 into which the clothes and laundry are loaded through a corresponding porthole 13. For example, the electrical resistance 2 of the invention can be installed in correspondence with a first housing 16 obtained in a wall 100 of the tank 10, for example, the rear wall, and in proximity to the bottom 101, arranged with the hydraulic unit 5 to drain the water at the end of each washing and / or process step. Positioning near or in correspondence with the bottom 101 of tank 10 of the electric resistance 2 and the relative disinfection device 3 ensures their constant contact with the wash water, at least during the washing and rinsing phases when they are completely submerged in it. This allows for direct and targeted ultraviolet irradiation of the wash water and, consequently, of the cloths and clothes, which are then properly disinfected. At the same time, the internal walls of tank 10 (or other functional components), which are increasingly made of plastic material, are unaffected and are directly exposed to this ultraviolet radiation, which slows down their subsequent aging or degradation process. As can be seen, ultraviolet radiation also reduces the 5 limescale deposits on the electric heating element 2 or other components inside the washing machine tank 10. This reduces the number of maintenance operations or replacement of defective or worn components, which guarantees the full functionality of the appliances, low operating costs and an extension of their useful life. Referring to the field of washing machines 1 (or similar washing machines), the disinfecting device 3 of the invention, 15 managed by the machine's control electronics: - It can perform its function of sanitizing the wash water (with relative control of any abnormal overheating of its UV emitter 30) during, for example, the 20 typical soaking and / or pre-washing and / or rinsing phases, etc. (generally, during all those phases carried out at low water temperature), - while it can act as a temperature probe during the heating phases and water thermostat for high-temperature washing phases, for example, for the activation / deactivation of an electric resistance 2. It should be noted that only the main components of washing machine 1 that are functional for the purposes of the invention have been described. All other elements of the invention that are not directly related to the object of the invention, but which are well known to a person skilled in the art (for example, the motor and its transmission components for the rotation of drum 12 such as pulleys 14 and belts 15, the ballasts and shock absorbers inside the body, the seals, the user interface and the electronic control unit, etc.), have therefore been intentionally omitted. It is also clear that in the practical implementation of the invention, numerous modifications and additional variants can be foreseen, all of them under the same inventive concept. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, nothing prevents the provision of a simplified form of the disinfectant device 3 of the invention comprising at least one known UV emitter provided and integrated directly into a conventional temperature probe 4' (e.g., of the button type), preferably in its housing 40'. As with traditional state-of-the-art solutions, the probe 4' comprising the sanitizing function can be placed in special housings obtained in a wall of the tank 10, provided that it is substantially close to the 5 electric resistance 2, or also integrated into the flange 20 of the same resistance 2. Finally, it should be noted that everything said regarding the aforementioned washing machine 1 can be extended, with minimal adaptations within the scope of a technician in the field, to any other appliance that includes internal storage for water service or washing, in particular to domestic and industrial dishwashers, heat pumps or storage water heaters.
Claims
1. An immersion electric heating element (2) for heating the service water within a tank (10) of an appliance (1), said electric heating element (2) comprising a flange (20) for mounting it in a housing (16) of a wall (100) of said tank (10) and for supporting at least one heating element (21), characterized in that it further comprises an immersion disinfecting device (3) for disinfecting said service water and comprising at least one ultraviolet emitter (30), said disinfecting device (3) being: - immersed in said service water and placed in an area of said tank (10) characterized by high service water temperatures and convective movements thereof, - mounted on a seat (23) of said flange (20) of said electric heating element (2),said seat (23) comprises a hole or slot extending through the entire thickness of the flange (20) so that said disinfectant device (3) protrudes into the interior of the tank (10).
2. An immersion electric heating element (2) according to claim 1 characterized in that said at least one ultraviolet emitter (30) of said disinfecting device (3): 5 - comprises one or more UV or LED lamps (31), and - is advantageously housed within the body or capsule of a container (32), 10 and in that said disinfecting device (3) further comprises at least one temperature sensor (4) capable of detecting and / or monitoring at least: - the temperature of the service water within the tank 15 (10), and / or - the temperature reached by the ultraviolet emitter (30) to detect any abnormal overheating of said one or more UV or LED lamps (31).
3. An immersion electric heating element (2) according to claim 2 characterized in that said at least one temperature sensor (4) of said disinfectant device (3) is installed close to said ultraviolet emitter (30), said temperature sensor (4) allows a very reliable and precise measurement of the temperature reached by the ultraviolet emitter (30) and provides an approximate, but still functional, measurement for the purposes of the temperature of said service water.
4. An immersion electric resistance (2) according to claim 2, characterized in that said at least one temperature sensor (4) of said disinfectant device (3) is placed internally to the capsule (32) near its cap (34), substantially in contact and / or cooperating with at least a part of its internal walls, said temperature sensor (4) allows a reliable and accurate measurement of the service water temperature and an indirect measurement of the temperature reached by the ultraviolet emitter (30).
5. An immersion electric resistor (2) according to any preceding claim characterized in that a conductive paste (6) is provided between said at least one temperature sensor (4) and the inner walls of the capsule (32), said temperature sensor (4) being connected to the ultraviolet emitter (30) with electrical contacts or connections (5).
6. An immersion electric heater (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that said disinfectant device (3) comprises at least a first temperature sensor (4) in proximity to said ultraviolet emitter (30) and at least a second temperature sensor (4) substantially in contact with and / or cooperating with at least the inner walls of the capsule (32) of the disinfectant device (3), said temperature sensors (4) enabling optimal and direct measurement of the temperature reached by said ultraviolet emitter (30) and of the service water temperature.
7. An immersion electric heater (2) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said at least one temperature sensor (4) of said disinfectant device (3) could further drive, by activating or deactivating it, said one or more components (2) of said tank (10) responsible for heating the service water.
8. An immersion heater (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one temperature sensor (4) of said disinfectant device (3) is an NTC sensor.
3. An immersion heater (2) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said capsule (32) of said disinfectant device (3) comprises: at least one part (320), transparent to the ultraviolet radiation generated by said ultraviolet emitter (30), at least one part (320) being intended to be immersed in or in direct contact with said service water of the tank (10), a section (321) for passing at least the power supply cables and connectors of said one or more UV or UV LED lamps (31) of said ultraviolet emitter (30).
10. An immersion electric heater (2) according to any preceding claim characterized in that said capsule (32) of said disinfectant device (3) is totally transparent to said ultraviolet radiation.
11. An immersion electric heater (2) according to claim 9 or 10 characterized in that said capsule (32) of said disinfectant device (3) is made of quartz glass, said quartz glass being transparent to ultraviolet radiation and having thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity characteristics compatible with the use and operation of said at least one temperature sensor (4).
12. An immersion electric heating element (2) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said disinfectant device (3): - is supplied and / or cooperates with the supply means provided for said electric heating element (2), - is switched on and operated by specific electromechanical selectors and / or by the electronic control unit of the appliance (1), said switching on being related to the presence of service water in the tank (10) and / or its temperature.
13. An immersion electric heating element (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by being installed and in operation in the tank (10) of a washing machine, washer-dryer, dishwasher, storage water heater and / or in any other tank or container for service water subject to bacterial proliferation and / or the spread of viruses and pathogens 14. Washing machine (1) comprising at least: - a tank (10) defining a reservoir (10) for service water, said service water being the water for washing clothes and bedding, - a drum (12) rotating in said tank (10) for loading clothes and bedding, - at least one immersion electric heating element (2) for heating said washing water installed in a first housing (16) of a wall (100) of said tank (10), characterized in that said electric heating element (2) further comprises a disinfecting device (3) according to one or more of claims 1 to 13, said disinfecting device (3) being installed in said electric heating element (2).
15. Washing machine (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said disinfecting device (3) is placed near or at the bottom (101) of said tank (10), said disinfecting device (3) being in contact with and immersed in said wash water of said tank (10).
16. Washing machine (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the disinfecting device (3): - performs its function of sanitizing the water during the soaking and / or pre-wash and / or rinse phases - acts as a temperature sensor during the heating and thermostat of the wash water, for example, for the activation / deactivation of the electric heating element (2).
17. Storage water heater comprising a tank (10) for sanitary service water and at least one 10 immersion electric resistance (2) for heating and thermostatically controlling said service water, characterized in that said electric resistance (2) further comprises a disinfectant device (3) according to one or more of claims 1 to 13, said disinfectant device (3) being installed in said electric resistance (2).