Water-carrying household appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwashers require manual selection of washing programs and detergent dosage, which may not be optimized for the specific soiling level of dishes, leading to inefficient cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A dishwasher with a receiving unit for external signals indicating the items to be washed and their soiling level, coupled with actuators and a control unit to automatically select and execute the appropriate program and detergent dosage based on received information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual selection of washing programs and detergent dosage is used, then device complexity is reduced, but cleaning efficiency and optimization for specific soiling levels deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The dishwasher system automatically determines the soiling level of dishes and selects appropriate washing programs and detergent dosages without manual user input. The control unit receives signals from external devices (smartphone, tablet, or integrated refrigerator) containing information about the items to be washed and their expected soiling level, then autonomously configures the washing parameters to optimize cleaning efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If automatic program selection based on external signals is implemented, then user convenience is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses an intermediary communication interface to receive washing information from external devices such as smartphones, tablets, or integrated refrigerator units. This intermediary layer allows the dishwasher to obtain soiling level information without requiring complex direct integration with multiple external systems, thereby improving user convenience while managing device complexity through standardized communication protocols.
3Loss of substance
If detergent dosage is optimized based on soiling level information, then loss of substance is reduced, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary determination of the soiling level before the washing cycle begins by receiving advance information from external devices about the items to be washed. This pre-assessment allows the control unit to calculate the optimal detergent dosage in advance, reducing detergent consumption while avoiding the need for complex real-time measurement systems during the washing process.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a water-carrying domestic appliance (10) which has a receiving unit (11) for receiving at least one signal (S) from an external device (20) coupled to the domestic appliance, a plurality of actuators (12-14) for executing a plurality of programs, a selector unit (15) for selecting a program (P) from the plurality of programs as a function of the at least one received signal (S), and a control unit (16) which is equipped to control the actuators for executing the selected program.