Household Appliance Additive Dosing Based on Load Amount
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water-bearing household appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, face challenges in determining the correct amount of additives needed for a washing cycle based on the type and quantity of loaded items, often leading to ineffective washing or residue and pollution issues due to incorrect detergent dosing.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance with a logic unit that allows users to program and store maximum additive amounts associated with the appliance's load capacity, enabling the determination of the required additive amount for a selected cycle based on the loaded items' weight, displayed via a user interface without the need for online updates or complex devices like data network interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the amount of additive is increased to ensure washing effectiveness, then washing quality is improved, but additive residue on items and pollution increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the additive dosage parameter based on the measured load weight, transforming the fixed dosage approach into a variable one. This ensures the additive amount is precisely matched to the actual laundry weight, preventing both under-dosage (ineffective washing) and over-dosage (residue and pollution).
Solution Approach 2:
The appliance automatically determines the correct additive dosage by measuring the load weight itself, without requiring external intervention or complex external systems. The logic unit uses the measured weight to calculate and display the precise additive amount needed, enabling the system to self-regulate dosage.
2Measurement precision
If a weight measuring device and logic unit are added to determine additive dosage, then dosing accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential function of weight measurement and dosage calculation from complex external systems (like network-connected devices or sophisticated control units). By using a simple weight measuring device integrated into the existing appliance structure and a basic logic unit that performs straightforward calculations, it achieves accurate dosing without adding significant complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses simple, inexpensive components for weight measurement and control that can be easily manufactured and integrated. Rather than employing expensive, complex measurement and control systems, the patent employs basic weighing mechanisms and simple logic units that provide sufficient accuracy at low cost and complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If online updates or complex data network interfaces are used to determine additive amounts, then dosing adaptability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance determines additive dosage autonomously using its own weight measurement capability and internal logic unit. It does not require external network connections, online updates, or complex data exchange systems. The system self-adapts to different load weights and calculates the appropriate dosage independently, maintaining simplicity while achieving adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the weight measuring device to automatically adjust the additive dosage recommendation. The logic unit receives weight data, processes it according to pre-programmed dosing algorithms, and outputs the appropriate additive amount. This closed-loop feedback mechanism provides adaptability without requiring external network infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is related to a water bearing household appliance (1) comprising: a treating chamber (6) in which one or more items (7) can be loaded and treated with water and one or more additives; a logic unit (12) to control the electric and/or electronic components of the appliance (1) so as to make the latter to perform a treating cycle for treating the one or more loaded items (7) with water and one or more additives; a load amount acquiring device (13) for acquiring and communicating to the logic unit (12) information related to the amount of the one or more items (7) loaded in the treating chamber (6); a user interface (14) configured for allowing a user to set parameters related to the treating cycle and to the one or more additives to be used during the treating cycle. The logic unit (12) is configured to: store, during a programming state, additive information set by the user via the user interface (14), the additive information comprising one or more numeric values which are indicative of predetermined maximum amount of additive associated with the maximum loading capacity of the treating chamber; before the appliance (1) starts a selected treating cycle, determine an amount of a selected additive to be loaded for this selected treating cycle, based on the programmed maximum amount of additive associated with the selected additive, on the acquired amount of the one or more items (7) loaded in the treating chamber (6), and on the selected treating cycle; provide the user with information related to the determined amount of additive to be loaded via the user interface (14).