Laundry Dosing Line Rinsing to Prevent Germs and Residue Reactions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for cleaning dosing lines in laundry treatment machines leave residues of laundry treatment agents, which can lead to germ formation, reactions between different agents, and incrustations, disrupting the process and requiring frequent rinsing with water, potentially causing contamination and equipment damage.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where the dosing line is split with a time delay and flushed immediately before the next dose, using a control device to assess potential reactions and only rinse when necessary, based on agent properties and measurement data, to prevent germ formation and optimize rinsing efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the dosing line is rinsed immediately after a dose has been fed, then residues of laundry treatment agents are removed, but water consumption increases and germs can form in the diluted residues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of germ formationVSAvoidwater consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The dosing line is rinsed before the next dose is fed rather than after the previous dose, performing the cleaning action in advance to prevent germ formation while minimizing water consumption by avoiding dilution of concentrated residues

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the dosing line is rinsed frequently with water, then incrustations and reactions between agents are prevented, but equipment damage and process disruption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of equipment damageVSAvoidprocess efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device receives information about the properties of laundry treatment agents and automatically decides whether rinsing is necessary, preventing reactions and equipment damage while maintaining process efficiency through intelligent, condition-based rinsing control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If highly concentrated surfactant solutions are used, then biocidal properties are achieved, but drying and sedimentation occur on delivery devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebiocidal effectVSAvoiddrying and sedimentation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The dosing line is rinsed before the next dose is fed, removing highly concentrated surfactant solutions that have biocidal properties before they can dry and sediment on delivery devices, while still maintaining the protective effect during the dosing interval

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2171149B1Method and device for cleaning metering lines in automatically controlled laundry care devices

Publication Date: 2010.11.17 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH

AI summary

Flowable laundry treatment agents can be added in automatically metered dosages via a metering line 6 to a laundry treatment process by means of an automatic metering system comprising at least one reservoir 3. Advantageously, a metering line 6 of said kind is flushed with a rinsing agent, particularly water, after adding a dose. In order to prevent the development of germs in the residues of said rinsing agents, comprising diluted residues of laundry treatment agents, when remaining in the fluid lines 6 for a longer period of time, the invention provides for the metering line 6 to be flushed immediately before adding a dose.