Method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance and water-conducting domestic appliance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional dishwashers face safety issues due to uncontrolled door opening caused by cable breakages during the drying process, potentially harming living beings, and existing solutions either disable the door opening assistant or require costly repairs.

Innovation Solution

A water-bearing household appliance with a detector that senses the presence of living beings within a specific area and prevents automatic door opening, using sensors like motion detectors, infrared, or image recognition to ensure safety and allow user-controlled door operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a door opening module is provided to enable automatic door opening for drying, then the drying effectiveness is improved, but the safety risk increases due to potential uncontrolled door opening from cable breakages

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrying effectivenessVSAvoidsafety risk from uncontrolled door opening
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control device is configured to prevent automatic door opening when a living being is detected in the radius of movement area, proactively counteracting the potential harmful effect before it occurs. This safety mechanism allows the door opening module to function normally when safe, while blocking its operation when a person is at risk.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

A detector acts as an intermediary between the door opening module and the final action. The detector monitors the area and provides information to the control device, which then decides whether to permit or block door opening, mediating between the drying function and safety concerns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a cable breakage sensor is installed to detect malfunctions, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity and repair costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemalfunction detection capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity and repair requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detector serves as an intermediary monitoring system that watches for safety conditions without being part of the door opening mechanism itself. This separation allows reliability monitoring without significantly increasing the complexity of the core door opening system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides its own safety monitoring capability through the detector and control device integration, eliminating the need for separate complex sensor systems or specialized repair interventions. The existing control infrastructure is utilized for safety monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the door opening assistant is disabled upon detecting a malfunction, then the safety is improved, but the productivity decreases as the drying function is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety protectionVSAvoiddrying function availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The door opening function dynamically adjusts its availability based on real-time detection conditions. The system is not statically disabled but rather adaptively enabled or blocked based on whether a living being is present in the danger zone, allowing productivity to be maintained when safe while ensuring safety when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of permanently disabling the door opening function upon any potential issue, the system applies preliminary anti-action only when specifically needed - when a living being is detected in the radius of movement. This selective approach maintains productivity while providing safety protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

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

Prevents uncontrolled door opening and ensures safety by blocking the door when a living being is detected, reducing the risk of injury and avoiding costly repairs by allowing user intervention.

Implementation Method 1

a detector (13) for detecting the presence of a living being in a specific area in front of the household appliance (1)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMotion detection:

Implementation Method 2

The detector comprises a motion detector, an infrared motion detector, an HF sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a Doppler radar sensor and/or an image recognition device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared detection: Infrared Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP3167789B1Method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance and water-conducting domestic appliance
Publication Date: 2022.06.29 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP3167789B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3167789B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3167789B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a water-bearing household appliance (1), in particular a dishwasher, with a washing chamber (4) formed by a washing container (2) and a pivoting door (3) for washing items to be washed, a detector (13) for detecting the presence of a living being in a specific area in front of the household appliance (1), and a control device (12) which is set up to prevent the door (3) from being opened depending on the presence of a living being detected in the specific area by the detector (13). .