Dishwasher Solid Additive Dosing With Airtight Moisture Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household dishwashers require manual addition of cleaning agents before each wash cycle, which is inconvenient, and pose challenges in maintaining solid additives dry to prevent moisture-induced issues in automatic dosing systems.
Innovation Solution
A household dishwasher with a dosing system featuring a storage container for solid additives, a pump for evacuating air and moisture, a ventilation system for dry air introduction, and a dispensing mechanism that ensures airtight sealing and controlled dispensing of additives into the washing compartment, preventing moisture ingress and maintaining additive dryness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual addition of cleaning agents is used, then user control over dosing is maintained, but operation convenience deteriorates due to repeated manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automatic dosing where the dosing device automatically dispenses the required amount of cleaning agent without user intervention. The control unit monitors washing cycle progress and triggers dosing automatically, eliminating the need for manual addition while maintaining precise dosing control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical dosing with an automated system combining a dosing device, pump, and control unit. The pump mechanically transfers cleaning agent from storage to dispensing point, while the control unit provides electronic automation, substituting the entirely manual process with an integrated electromechanical system.
2Ease of operation
If storage container is opened for dispensing, then additive can be dispensed into washing compartment, but moisture ingress occurs degrading the additive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful moisture from the storage environment by introducing a pump that actively removes moisture and air from the storage container. This creates a dry atmosphere inside the container, allowing the opening to be maintained for dispensing without moisture ingress degrading the additive.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates an inert or controlled atmosphere inside the storage container by using the pump to remove moisture and potentially replace air with dry gas. This inert environment protects the cleaning agent from moisture-related degradation even when the container is open for dispensing operations.
3Reliability
If pump evacuates air from storage container, then moisture is removed protecting additive, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump serves multiple functions: it evacuates air and moisture from the storage container, creates negative pressure to prevent moisture ingress during dispensing, and may assist in the actual dispensing process by creating suction. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing several protective and operational benefits from a single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles using the pump to create pressure differentials (negative pressure) inside the storage container. This pneumatic control mechanism provides reliable moisture protection and enables controlled dispensing through pressure management, adding sophistication but ensuring robust additive protection.
4Reliability
If airtight closure is maintained, then moisture protection is ensured, but dispensing operation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The closure device is designed to be dynamic rather than static, automatically opening and closing based on dispensing cycle requirements. The closure remains airtight during storage but can be reliably opened for dispensing and automatically resealed afterward, providing adaptive moisture protection without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure device operates autonomously, opening to allow dispensing when the pump creates the appropriate conditions and automatically closing afterward to restore moisture protection. This self-service operation eliminates the need for manual closure management while maintaining reliable airtight sealing during storage periods.
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
Enables reliable automatic addition of solid additives across multiple wash cycles, maintaining their effectiveness by preventing moisture-induced degradation and simplifying user operation through automatic dispensing and airtight sealing.
Implementation Method 1
a pump (113) is provided for evacuating air from the storage container (101), so that negative pressure is generated in the storage container (101)
Implementation Method 2
the moisture is sucked out of the storage container (101) along with the air
Implementation Method 3
a closure device (110) for an airtight closure of the storage container (101)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic dishwasher (1) comprising a washing area (4) for washing dishes and a dosing system (100) which comprises a storage container (101) for storing a solid dispensing agent, a dosing device (104) for dispensing the solid dispensing agent from the storage container (101) into the washing area (4) and a closure device (110) for hermetically sealing the storage container (101). A pump (113) is provided to evacuate air from the storage container (102).