Metering device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dosing devices for automatic cleaning machines, such as dishwashers, fail to prevent clumping of pourable cleaning agents due to moisture ingress, even under high humidity conditions, leading to unreliable dosing.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a drying unit with desiccant, positioned in the receiving device at the cleaning agent outlet, dehumidifies ambient air entering the reservoir, preventing moisture from reaching the cleaning agent and ensuring consistent dosing by using a labyrinthine dosing channel to control the release of cleaning agent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the storage container is sealed to prevent moisture ingress, then cleaning agent reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A drying unit containing desiccant is introduced as an intermediary component between the ambient environment and the cleaning agent. This drying unit dehumidifies ambient air that enters through the cleaning agent outlet, preventing moisture from reaching the cleaning agent while maintaining a simple sealed container design without complex sealing mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful moisture component is extracted from the ambient air by the drying unit before the air can contaminate the cleaning agent. The drying unit acts as a separate extraction system that removes moisture independently, allowing the storage container to remain structurally simple while still protecting the cleaning agent
2Reliability
If the drying unit is positioned inside the storage container, then dehumidification effectiveness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The storage container system is segmented into separate functional modules: the storage container for holding cleaning agent and the removable drying unit for dehumidification. The drying unit can be detached and replaced independently without affecting the storage container, allowing users to maintain dehumidification effectiveness while easily replacing the drying unit when needed
3Productivity
If the cleaning agent outlet is opened for dosing, then productivity is improved, but moisture ingress risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drying unit serves as a protective intermediary positioned at the cleaning agent outlet. As ambient air enters through the outlet during dosing operations, the drying unit dehumidifies this air in real-time, allowing the outlet to remain open for efficient dosing while continuously protecting the cleaning agent from moisture contamination
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 solution effectively prevents clumping of cleaning agents due to moisture, ensuring reliable dosing even under extreme humidity conditions, and allows for secure positioning of the desiccant either inside or outside the storage container, depending on its type, enhancing the dosing device's reliability and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a drying unit (24) having desiccant, by means of which dehumidification of ambient air flowing into the reservoir (18) via the cleaning agent outlet (22) is achieved
Implementation Method 2
The skin of the bag is permeable to air, preferably perforated, so that air flowing past the drying unit can be dehumidified by transferring the moisture carried by it into the desiccant of the drying unit
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a dosing device for introducing a pourable cleaning agent (34) into a treatment chamber (4) of a program-controlled cleaning machine, in particular a dishwasher (1), with an exchangeable storage container (18) which is used to store cleaning agent (34), wherein the reservoir (18) is rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation (17) and has a cleaning agent outlet (22). In order to further develop a dosing device of the type mentioned at the outset so that, due to the design, proper removal of the cleaning agent is also possible under adverse influences, the invention proposes a dosing device of the type mentioned at the outset, which is characterized by a drying unit that has a desiccant and is held securely in position by a receiving device is, wherein the receiving device is arranged in the mouth area of the cleaning agent outlet.