METERING DEVICE FOR SHAPED CLEANING-AGENT BODIES IN DOMESTIC DISHWASHERS

Abstract

A metering device for dispensing a cleaning-agent body from a reservoir into a washing chamber of a household dishwasher includes a cell wheel which is rotatably mounted in a cavity. The cell wheel includes a drive cylinder and a plurality of separating walls which are fastened to the drive cylinder to define a plurality of separate transport chambers for holding cleaning-agent bodies and transporting the cleaning-agent bodies from the reservoir into the washing chamber. Each separating wall is elastic at least in a partial area thereof and defined by a radial extent which is greater than a radial distance between a lateral surface of the drive cylinder and an inner wall of the cavity.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A metering device for dispensing a cleaning-agent body from a reservoir into a washing chamber of a household dishwasher, said metering device comprising: a cell wheel rotatably mounted in a cavity and including a drive cylinder and a plurality of separating walls fastened to the drive cylinder to define a plurality of separate transport chambers for holding cleaning-agent bodies and transporting the cleaning-agent bodies from the reservoir into the washing chamber, each of said separating walls being elastic at least in a partial area thereof and defined by a radial extent which is greater than a radial distance between a lateral surface of the drive cylinder and an inner wall of the cavity.

15. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the separating wall bears in a vapor-tight manner against the inner wall of the cavity by a restoring force as a result of an elastic deformation of the separating wall.

16. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the radial extent of the separating wall exceeds the radial distance between the lateral surface of the drive cylinder and the inner wall of the cavity by 10% to 50%.

17. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the radial extent of the separating wall exceeds the radial distance between the lateral surface of the drive cylinder and the inner wall of the cavity by 10% to 30%.

18. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the separating walls are configured to be elastic only in partial areas thereof.

19. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the partial area of the separating wall is an end region remote from the drive cylinder.

20. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the separating wall has an end region remote from the drive cylinder, said end region being configured to be non-elastic.

21. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the drive cylinder defines a rotational axis which is displaced in a direction of the reservoir, in comparison with an axis of symmetry of the cavity.

22. The metering device of claim 14, further comprising support webs fastened to the drive cylinder and assigned to the separating walls in one-to-one correspondence, said support webs being configured and arranged such that a drive-cylinder-remote end of the separating walls is prevented from bearing against the drive cylinder.

23. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the cell wheel is a two-component injection-molded part.

24. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the cell wheel is configured to enable compression thereof in an axial direction.

25. The metering device of claim 14, wherein the cell wheel is defined by a width which when the cell wheel is removed from the cavity is greater than a distance between two opposing side walls of the cavity.

26. The metering device of claim 25, wherein the cell wheel is pretensioned with a pretensioning force against the side walls.

27. A household dishwasher, comprising a metering device for dispensing a cleaning-agent body from a reservoir into a washing chamber of a household dishwasher, said metering device comprising a cell wheel rotatably mounted in a cavity and including a drive cylinder and a plurality of separating walls fastened to the drive cylinder to define a plurality of separate transport chambers for holding cleaning-agent bodies and transporting the cleaning-agent bodies from the reservoir into the washing chamber, each of said separating walls being elastic at least in a partial area thereof and defined by a radial extent which is greater than a radial distance between a lateral surface of the drive cylinder and an inner wall of the cavity.

28. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the separating wall bears in a vapor-tight manner against the inner wall of the cavity by a restoring force as a result of an elastic deformation of the separating wall.

29. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the radial extent of the separating wall exceeds the radial distance between the lateral surface of the drive cylinder and the inner wall of the cavity by 10% to 50%, in particular by 10% to 30%.

30. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the partial area of the separating wall is an end region remote from the drive cylinder.

31. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the separating wall has an end region remote from the drive cylinder, said end region being configured to be non-elastic.

32. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the drive cylinder defines a rotational axis which is displaced in a direction of the reservoir, in comparison with an axis of symmetry of the cavity.

33. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the metering device includes support webs fastened to the drive cylinder and assigned to the separating walls in one-to-one correspondence, said support webs being configured and arranged such that a drive-cylinder-remote end of the separating walls are prevented from bearing against the drive cylinder.

34. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the cell wheel is a two-component injection-molded part.

35. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the cell wheel is configured to enable compression thereof in an axial direction.

36. The household dishwasher of claim 27, wherein the cell wheel is defined by a width which when the cell wheel is removed from the cavity is greater than a distance between two opposing side walls of the cavity.

37. The household dishwasher of claim 36, wherein the cell wheel is pretensioned with a pretensioning force against the side walls.

Description

[0023] Further advantageous embodiments and features of the invention form the subject-matter of the subclaims and the exemplary embodiments of the invention described hereinafter. The invention is described in more detail hereinafter by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In the drawings:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a household dishwasher;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a first embodiment of a metering device according to the invention;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a schematic detailed view of a second embodiment of a metering device according to the invention;

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a schematic detailed view of a third embodiment of a metering device according to the invention; and

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a schematic detailed view of a fourth embodiment of a metering device according to the invention.

[0030] Elements which are the same or functionally the same are provided in the figures with the same reference numerals provided nothing further is specified.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a household dishwasher 1. The dishwasher 1 has a receiving region in the form of a dishwasher cavity 2, which is able to be closed by a door 3, in particular in a watertight manner. To this end, a sealing apparatus may be provided between the door 3 and the dishwasher cavity 2. The dishwasher cavity 2 is preferably cuboidal. In particular, the dishwasher cavity 2 may be produced from steel plate. Alternatively, the dishwasher cavity 2 may be produced at least partially from a plastics material. The dishwasher cavity 2 and the door 3 may form a dishwasher cavity 4 so that washing items may be washed. The dishwasher cavity 2 may be arranged in the interior of a housing of the dishwasher 1.

[0032] The door 3 is shown in FIG. 1 in its open position. The door 3 may be closed or opened by pivoting about a pivot axis 5 provided on a lower end of the door 3. The dishwasher cavity 2 has a wall 6 with a bottom 7, a top wall 8 arranged opposite the bottom 7, a rear wall 9 arranged opposite the door 3, and two side walls 10, 11 arranged opposite one another. The bottom 7, the top wall 8, the rear wall 9 and the side walls 10, 11 may be produced, for example, from stainless steel plate. Alternatively, for example, the bottom 7 may be produced from a plastics material.

[0033] The dishwasher 1 further comprises at least one washing item receptacle 12 to 14. In particular, a plurality of washing item receptacles 12 to 14 may be provided, wherein said washing item receptacles may comprise a lower basket 12, an upper basket 13 and/or a cutlery drawer 14. The plurality of washing item receptacles 12 to 14 are preferably arranged one above the other in the dishwasher cavity 2. Each washing item receptacle 12 to 14 is optionally displaceable into the dishwasher cavity 2 or out of said dishwasher cavity. In particular, each washing item receptacle 12 to 14 is able to be pushed into the dishwasher cavity 2 in an insertion direction E and is able to be pulled out of the dishwasher cavity 2 counter to the insertion direction E in an extension direction A.

[0034] The dishwasher 1 further comprises a metering device 100. The metering device 100 in the example of FIG. 1 is arranged on the door 3, so that when the door 3 is closed it is oriented toward the washing chamber 4. This advantageously enables the metering device 100 to meter shaped cleaning-agent bodies into the washing chamber 4. The shaped cleaning-agent bodies are then dissolved by the washing liquor located in the washing chamber 4.

[0035] Departing from the view in FIG. 1, further arrangements of the metering device 100 are possible, such as for example on the wall 6 of the dishwasher cavity 2 or on one of the washing item receptacles 12 to 14.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of a metering device 100 according to the invention. Shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 are located in a reservoir 101. The reservoir 101 tapers in its lower part and accordingly extends in a funnel-shaped manner to a transfer opening 103. A cavity 104 adjoins the transfer opening 103 in the direction of gravity, a rotatably mounted cell wheel 105 being arranged in said cavity. The cell wheel 105 has a drive cylinder 106 which is actively driven by a drive unit, not shown, in the form of an electric motor. The cell wheel 105 also comprises a plurality of transport chambers 107 which in each case are configured for receiving a predetermined quantity of shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102. In this case, the transport chambers 107 are separated in each case from one another by separating walls 108 radially protruding from the drive cylinder 106. The separating walls 108 are fastened to the drive cylinder 106, preferably configured integrally therewith.

[0037] On the one hand, the reservoir 101 with its transfer opening 103 and, on the other hand, an ejection chute 109 discharge into the periphery of the cell wheel 105.

[0038] During operation of the metering device 100 shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 located in the reservoir 101 are initially moved by gravity in the direction of the transfer opening 103 and in this manner supplied to the cell wheel 105. During the rotational movement of the cell wheel 105 in each case a quantity of shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 defined by the receiving volume of the transport chambers 107 falls from the reservoir 101 through the transfer opening 103 into an empty transport chamber 107. In the exemplary embodiment shown, in each case this is just one shaped cleaning-agent body 102. However, depending on the size of the shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102, on the one hand, and the receiving volume of the transport chambers 107, naturally a plurality of shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 may also be transported at the same time in a transport chamber 107 and thus also metered (see FIG. 3).

[0039] The shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 are ejected through the ejection chute 109 located diametrically on the opposite side of the periphery of the cavity and fall from there into the washing chamber 4 of the household dishwasher 1.

[0040] A lateral surface 110 of the drive cylinder 106 is radially spaced apart from the inner walls 111 of the cavity 104 surrounding the cell wheel 105. This distance is identified in FIG. 2 by D. The separating walls 108 of the cell wheel 105 have a radial extent which is greater than the radial distance D between the lateral surface 110 of the drive cylinder 106 and the inner walls 111 of the cavity 104. However, in order to permit a rotational movement of the cell wheel 105 inside the cavity 104, the separating walls 108 are configured to be elastic at least in partial areas. As a result, the separating walls 108 are elastically deformed with a rotational movement of the cell wheel 105 and accordingly press with a restoring force (spring force) and thus in a sealing manner, in particular a vapor-tight manner, against the inner walls 111 of the cavity 104. In this manner, the cell wheel 105 forms a vapor-tight lock which means that in normal operation of the household dishwasher 1 moisture is not able to penetrate from the washing chamber 4 through the lock into the reservoir 101 or in any case to such an extent that the shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 are not appreciably dissolved, agglomerated, clumped together, or the like.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the metering device 100 according to the invention, wherein for reasons of clarity, the reservoir 101 is only shown partially. This differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 only in that a rotational axis 112 of the drive cylinder 106 is displaced in the direction of the reservoir 101, in comparison with an axis of symmetry 113 of the cavity 104. In this manner, the receiving volume of the transport chambers 107 becomes increasingly large the closer the transport chamber 107 is brought toward the ejection chute 109 for the ejection of the shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102. This leads to a loosening of the shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 and accordingly to an unhindered movement of the cell wheel 105 and to an optimal metering, which in turn results in a good cleaning performance. In order to identify this effect more clearly, shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 are shown in FIG. 3 which have a smaller diameter in comparison with the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2. Since the displacement of the rotational axis 112 of the drive cylinder 106 has the result that the radial distance between the lateral surface 110 of the drive cylinder 106 and the inner walls 111 of the cavity 104 is no longer constant, in order to achieve the desired sealing action in this case the radial extent of the separating walls 108 has to be greater than the maximum radial distance D between the lateral surface 110 of the drive cylinder 106 and the inner walls 111 of the cavity 104.

[0042] A further embodiment of the metering device 100 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 4, wherein once again the reservoir 101 is shown only partially. This embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 only by support webs 114 which are fastened to the drive cylinder 106, preferably integrally configured therewith, being provided. Each of the support webs 114 is respectively assigned to a separating wall 108 and configured and arranged such that the separating walls 108 are prevented from bearing against the drive cylinder 106. The support webs 114 in the exemplary embodiment shown are arranged in an axial outer region of the drive cylinder 106 so that the shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102 according to the view in FIG. 4 come to rest behind the support webs 114 when transported. However, the support webs 114 may be arranged and designed in many different ways. It is merely important that, on the one hand, they prevent the separating walls 108 from bearing against the drive cylinder 106 and, on the other hand, they do not hinder the transport of the shaped cleaning-agent bodies 102.

[0043] A development of the metering device 100 according to the invention which optionally may be used with the aforementioned embodiments of the metering device 100 according to FIGS. 2 to 4, is shown in FIG. 5 in a schematic view, i.e. when viewed in the direction from the reservoir 101 to the transfer opening 103.

[0044] As FIG. 5 shows, the metering device 100 comprises a housing 115 in which the cavity 104 is formed. The cell wheel 105 is received in the housing 115. The cell wheel 105 is arranged between two opposing side walls 116, 117 of the housing 115 and/or the cavity 104 and may be rotatably mounted on the side walls 116, 117. The cell wheel 105 is able to be compressed in an axial direction AR, which is oriented parallel to the rotational axis 112. To this end, the cell wheel 105 is at least partially produced from an elastically deformable material. The side walls 116, 117 are spaced apart from one another by a distance a. In a state dismantled from the housing 115, which is shown in FIG. 5 by dashed lines and is denoted by the reference numeral 105, the cell wheel 105 has a width b which is greater than the distance a. For example, the width b is greater than the distance a by a fraction of a millimeter up to a few millimeters.

[0045] If the cell wheel 105 is installed in the housing 115 and/or in the cavity 104, this cell wheel is at least partially compressed due to its elastic properties and pressed on both sides with a pretensioning force FV against the side walls 116, 117. The cell wheel 105 is thus pretensioned between the side walls 116, 117. As a result, a vapor-tight seal of the transfer opening 103 is achieved in the axial direction AR. As a result, the rotatability of the cell wheel 105 in the cavity 104 is not negatively influenced thereby.

[0046] In all of the aforementioned embodiments of the metering device 100 the separating walls 108 are preferably arranged on the drive cylinder 106 so that in the orientation of FIGS. 2 to 4, to the right and left of the transfer opening 103, a separating wall 108 always bears sealingly against the inner wall 111 of the cavity 104. A separating wall 108 protruding into the transfer opening 103 is arranged between the two separating walls 108 bearing against the inner wall 111. As a result, the transfer opening 103 is always sealed in a vapor-tight manner. In particular, by means of the separating walls 108 bearing against the inner wall 111, the transfer opening 103 is sealed in a radial direction. In other words, in a direction oriented from the drive cylinder 106 to the transfer opening 103. The radially oriented direction or the radial direction in this case is oriented perpendicular to the axial direction AR.

[0047] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, the invention is able to be modified in many different ways.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS USED

[0048] 1 Household dishwasher [0049] 2 Dishwasher cavity [0050] 3 Door [0051] 4 Washing chamber [0052] 5 Pivot axis [0053] 6 Wall [0054] 7 Bottom [0055] 8 Top wall [0056] 9 Rear wall [0057] 10, 11 Side walls [0058] 12, 13, 14 Washing item receptacles [0059] 100 Metering device [0060] 101 Reservoir [0061] 102 Shaped cleaning-agent bodies [0062] 103 Transfer opening [0063] 104 Cavity [0064] 105 Cell wheel [0065] 105 Cell wheel [0066] 106 Drive cylinder [0067] 107 Transport chamber [0068] 108 Separating wall [0069] 109 Ejection chute [0070] 110 Lateral surface (of drive cylinder) [0071] 111 Inner wall (of cavity) [0072] 112 Rotational axis (of drive cylinder) [0073] 113 Axis of symmetry (of cavity) [0074] 114 Support web [0075] 115 Housing [0076] 116 Side wall [0077] 117 Side wall [0078] a Distance [0079] A Extension direction [0080] AR Axial direction [0081] b Width [0082] E Insertion direction [0083] D Radial distance (between lateral surface and inner wall) [0084] D Maximum radial distance (between lateral surface and inner wall) [0085] FV Pretensioning force