Multi-Chamber Detergent Cartridge With Gravity Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dosing systems for household appliances like dishwashers are complex and costly to produce, requiring manual assembly and often rely on pumps, which can increase battery drain and manufacturing costs, while also facing limitations in using new ingredients due to ecological and economic constraints.
Innovation Solution
A dosing system comprising a cartridge with multiple chambers for different preparations and a dosing device that uses gravity-induced release, eliminating the need for pumps and allowing for automatic or semi-automatic dosing, with components designed for easy assembly and chemical resistance to handle various pH levels and temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pumps are used in dosing systems, then dosing capability is improved, but energy consumption increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pump component entirely from the dosing system. Instead of using a pump to deliver detergent, the system relies on gravity-induced flow through vertically oriented dosing chambers. This extraction of the pump eliminates the associated energy consumption and manufacturing costs while maintaining dosing functionality through alternative gravitational mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The dosing system is designed to operate autonomously using gravity as the driving force. Detergent flows automatically from the cartridge through the dosing chambers and out to the dishwasher without requiring external power sources or mechanical pumping. The system serves itself by utilizing the natural gravitational force already present in the installation environment.
2Productivity
If pumps are used in dosing systems, then dosing capability is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pump component entirely from the dosing system. Instead of using a pump to deliver detergent, the system relies on gravity-induced flow through vertically oriented dosing chambers. This extraction of the pump eliminates the associated energy consumption and manufacturing costs while maintaining dosing functionality through alternative gravitational mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a disposable cartridge containing the detergent reservoir and multiple dosing chambers. This cartridge can be manufactured more economically without a pump and is replaced when depleted. The disposable nature of the cartridge simplifies manufacturing and reduces overall system cost compared to a permanent pump-based system.
3Productivity
If multiple preparations are accommodated in separate chambers, then cleaning performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing system is divided into multiple separate dosing chambers within a single cartridge, each capable of holding different detergent preparations. This segmentation allows different cleaning agents to be delivered at different times during the wash cycle, improving cleaning performance while keeping each individual chamber simple in design and easy to manufacture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system simplifies production and assembly, reduces energy consumption, and enhances cleaning performance by ensuring efficient dispensing of multiple preparations without manual intervention, while being cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Implementation Method 1
a cartridge (1) for flowable detergents or cleaning agents with a plurality of chambers (3a, 3b) for spatially separated accommodation of different preparations of a detergent or cleaning agent, as well as a dosing device (2) that can be coupled to the cartridge (1) and comprises at least one energy source, a control unit, and a sensor unit, the dosing being carried out by a pump which is connected to the energy source and the control unit in such a way that a control signal from the control unit causes the pump to move
Data Source
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AI summary
Metering system (1,2), in particular for positioning inside a dishwashing machine by a user, comprising at least one cartridge (1) for flowable wash detergent or cleansers, said cartridge comprising a plurality of chambers (3a, 3b, 3c) for spatially separate accommodation of different respective preparations of a wash detergent or cleanser, and a metering device (2) that can be coupled to the cartridge (1), said metering device comprising at least one energy source (15), a control unit (16), a sensor unit (17), at least one actuator (18) connected to the energy source (15) and to the control unit (16) such that a control signal from the control unit (16) effects a movement by the actuator (18), a closure element (19) coupled to the actuator (18) such that a motion by the actuator (18) moves the closure element (19) to a closing or dispensing position, at least one metering chamber (20) that is communicatively connected to at least one of the cartridge chambers (3a, 3b, 3c) when the cartridge (1) and the metering device (2) are in the assembled state, wherein the metering chamber (20) comprises an inlet (21) for intake of wash detergent or cleansers from a cartridge chamber (3a, 3b, 3c) and an outlet (22) for outflow of wash detergent or cleanser from the metering chamber (20) to the surrounding environment, wherein at least the outlet (22) of the metering chamber (20) can be closed or opened by the closure element (19), wherein the metering device (2) comprises a component support (23) where at least the metering chamber (20), the actuator (18) and the closure element (19), as well as the energy source (15) and/or the control unit (16) and/or the sensor unit (17) are disposed.