DEVICE, HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING SUBSTANCE GROUPS IN A FLUID WITHIN A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

Abstract

Device for detecting substance groups in a fluid within a household appliance, comprising an emission apparatus that emits a first electromagnetic radiation, characterized by an emission spectrum, into a test volume present with the fluid, further comprising a first measuring apparatus that detects a first spectrum of a second electromagnetic radiation led out of the test volume present with the fluid, further comprising an evaluation apparatus that is provided and designed to evaluate the first spectrum, whereby substance groups can be identified by using reference spectra, with the emission spectrum comprising a wavelength range of visible light and infrared radiation.

Claims

1. A device for identifying substance groups in a fluid within a household appliance, comprising: an emission apparatus which emits a first electromagnetic radiation, characterized by an emission spectrum, into a test volume present with the fluid; a first measuring apparatus that detects a first spectrum of a second electromagnetic radiation led out of the test volume present with the fluid; and an evaluation apparatus that is provided and designed to evaluate the first spectrum, which makes it possible to identify substance groups by using reference spectra, wherein the emission spectrum comprises a visible light wavelength range and an infrared radiation wavelength range.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the emission spectrum further comprises a wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation, wherein the wavelength ranges of ultraviolet radiation can be switched on and off.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first spectrum and the plurality of reference spectra include spectral information about substance group-specific absorption behavior, reflection behavior, scattered radiation behavior or luminescence behavior or any combination thereof.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the emission apparatus comprises at least one emission unit selected from a group comprising a broadband emitter, in particular a broadband LED, more particularly a white LED with an expanded emission in the IR range or the UV range, or a broadband laser, or a series of emitters having different bandwidths, or a frequency comb generator or an emitter having an adjustable wavelength or an adjustable wavelength range.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic radiation can be introduced into the test volume from the emission apparatus via a first light guide, wherein the second electromagnetic radiation can be discharged from the test volume via a second light guide and led into the first measuring apparatus, wherein the first measuring apparatus comprises at least one pinhole diaphragm, a dispersion prism or an optical grating for the spatial fanning-out of the first spectrum and at least one sensor unit.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the first light guide and the second light guide are formed in a rod-like manner along a longitudinal direction, at least in the test volume, and are arranged in parallel with one another, wherein the first electromagnetic radiation can be totally reflected at a first distal end of the first light guide into the fluid in the test volume, wherein the first electromagnetic radiation transitions into the second electromagnetic radiation due to the interaction with the fluid along a test path in the test volume, wherein the second electromagnetic radiation can be totally reflected at a second distal end of the second light guide in an opposite direction to the longitudinal direction.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises at least one second measuring apparatus for detecting at least one second spectrum of a third electromagnetic radiation away from a forward direction, wherein the third electromagnetic radiation is generated by the scattering of the first electromagnetic radiation at the substance groups to be identified, wherein the evaluation apparatus is provided and designed to evaluate the first spectrum and the at least one second spectrum, whereby substance groups can be identified by using the reference spectra.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation of the first spectrum takes place only in the IR range and/or in the visual range and/or in the UV range.

9. A household appliance comprising a device according to claim 1, and at least one control apparatus that is signaling connected to the evaluation apparatus, the control apparatus controlling further apparatuses (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) of the household appliance depending on the identified substance groups.

10. The household appliance according to claim 9, wherein the reference spectra can be retrieved by the evaluation apparatus from a memory unit and/or from a server by means of a wireless connection.

11. The household appliance according to claim 9, wherein the main component of the fluid is air, wherein the control apparatus depending on the identified substance groups controls an air filter device and/or an air treatment device, and/or controls a communication apparatus that can transmit information to a user.

12. The household appliance according to claim 9, in particular a washing machine or a dishwasher, wherein the main component of the fluid is water, wherein the control apparatus depending on the identified substance groups controls a metering apparatus for cleaning agents that can add a type, a composition and/or a quantity of the cleaning agent to the water, and/or controls a supply apparatus that can supply a quantity of water, and/or controls an adjustment apparatus that can set a cleaning program selected from a plurality of cleaning programs.

13. The household appliance according to claim 12, wherein the test volume of the device is in a machine sump or in a fluidically separable bypass.

14. A method for identifying substance groups in a fluid in a household appliance, comprising: a. Emitting by means of an emission device a first electromagnetic radiation, characterized by an emission spectrum, into a test volume filled with the fluid; b. Detecting by means of a first measuring apparatus a first spectrum of a second electromagnetic radiation led out of the test volume; c. Evaluating the first spectrum by means of an evaluation apparatus in order to obtain an absorption spectrum and a scatter spectrum; d. Identifying by means of the evaluation device the substance groups from the scatter spectrum and/or the absorption spectrum using a plurality of reference spectra, wherein the emission spectrum comprises a visible light wavelength range and an infrared radiation wavelength range.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the evaluation of the first spectrum comprises the following method steps: i. Normalizing the first spectrum to obtain a normalized spectrum of the substance groups; ii. Determining a combined absorption and scatter spectrum from the normalized spectrum; iii. Separating the combined absorption and scatter spectrum to obtain the absorption spectrum and the scatter spectrum.

16. A method for adapting a cleaning process of a water-conducting household appliance according to claim 12 on the basis of identified substance groups in the water of the household appliance, as well as at least one of the following method steps: e. Controlling the metering apparatus for cleaning agents by means of the control apparatus, which can supply a type, a composition and/or a quantity of the cleaning agent to the water; f. Controlling the supply apparatus by means of the control apparatus, which can supply a quantity of water; g. Controlling the adjustment apparatus by means of the control apparatus, which can set a cleaning program selected from a plurality of cleaning programs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0101] In the drawings:

[0102] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a device according to one embodiment;

[0103] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a device according to a preferred embodiment with a dispersion prism;

[0104] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a device according to a preferred embodiment with an optical grating;

[0105] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a device according to a preferred embodiment with an emitter having an adjustable wavelength;

[0106] FIG. 5 is a representation of a device according to an embodiment with a component;

[0107] FIG. 6 is a view of a household appliance according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0108] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a device 1 according to one embodiment. An emission apparatus 2 emits a first electromagnetic radiation 11 in a forward direction X into a test volume 3, wherein the first electromagnetic radiation 11 is characterized by an emission spectrum. A fluid is present in the test volume 3, said fluid containing substance groups which can be identified by the device 1. Due to the interaction of the first electromagnetic radiation 11 with particles of the substance groups, the first electromagnetic radiation 12 transitions into the second electromagnetic radiation 12.

[0109] The second electromagnetic radiation 12 directed in the forward direction X and guided out of the test volume 3 is detected by a first measuring device 4, said second electromagnetic radiation 12 being characterized by a first spectrum. The basic structure of the device shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the basic structure of an absorption or transmission spectroscopy. A reflection spectroscopy is however also conceivable.

[0110] Aside from the forward direction X, a third electromagnetic radiation 13 can be detected by at least one second emission apparatus 9, wherein the third electromagnetic radiation 13 arises in the fluid with the particles of the substance groups due to a lateral scattering of the first electromagnetic radiation 11. By means of the second measuring apparatus 9, a second spectrum of the third electromagnetic radiation 13, as well as information relating to the geometry of the scatter radiation, can thus advantageously be detected, which is preferably characteristic of the size of a particle of a substance group.

[0111] An evaluation apparatus 5 (not shown in FIG. 1) is signaling connected to the first measuring apparatus 4 and to at least one second measuring apparatus 9, wherein the first measuring apparatus 4 and/or the second measuring apparatus 9 transmit the detected spectra to the evaluation apparatus 5.

[0112] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a device 1 according to a preferred embodiment with a dispersion prism 31. The emission apparatus 2, which comprises at least one emission unit 2a, emits the first electromagnetic radiation 11 via a first light guide 20 into the test volume 3. The second electromagnetic radiation 12 is led out of the test volume 3 via the second light guide 23. For optical focusing purposes, the second electromagnetic radiation 12 passes through a pinhole diaphragm 30 and is subsequently optically fanned out by the dispersion prism 31. A sensor unit 33 of the first measuring apparatus 4 detects the respective wavelengths of the optically fanned-out third electromagnetic radiation 12.

[0113] The first light guide 20 and the second light guide 23 are formed at least partially in a rod-like manner along a longitudinal direction X1 and are arranged parallel to one another. The light guides 20, 23 each have a distal end 21, 24, wherein the surfaces 22, 25 of the distal ends 21, 24 are each beveled by 45 degrees to the longitudinal direction X1. The first electromagnetic radiation 11 propagating in the first light guide 20 in the longitudinal direction X1 is deflected by a total reflection at the first surface 22 of the first distal end 21 of the first light guide 20, preferably by 90 degrees. The deflected first electromagnetic radiation 11 then enters the fluid in the test volume 3 perpendicularly through a lateral surface of the first light guide 20. The first electromagnetic radiation 11 transitions into the second electromagnetic radiation 12 along a test path 26 in the test volume 3.

[0114] The second electromagnetic radiation 12 enters perpendicularly through a lateral surface at the second distal end 24 of the second light guide 23 and is deflected at the second surface by 90 degrees in an opposite direction X2 to the longitudinal direction X1 and then exits the test volume 3.

[0115] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a device 1 according to a preferred embodiment with an optical grating 32 instead of a dispersion prism 31, as shown in FIG. 2. The second electromagnetic radiation 12, which comes into contact with the optical grating 32, is reflected on the basis of the respective wavelength at a respective angle to the sensor unit 33.

[0116] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a device 1 according to a preferred embodiment with an emitter having an adjustable wavelength as emission unit 2a. Since the respective wavelengths in the wavelength range according to the invention are emitted one after the other, a dispersion prism 31 or an optical grating 32 can be dispensed with.

[0117] FIG. 5 is a representation of a device 1 according to one embodiment. A component 10 comprises the emission apparatus 2 and the first measuring apparatus 4, which in turn comprises the pinhole diaphragm 30, the dispersion prism 31 or the optical grating 32, as well as the sensor unit 33. Furthermore, the component can comprise the first light guide 20 and the second light guide 23. In addition, the component 10 can comprise the evaluation apparatus 5. The component 10 preferably comprises a housing in which the mentioned components are housed. The component 10 has the advantage that it can be attached to a test volume 3 in a simple manner and as a compact unit.

[0118] FIG. 6 is a view of a household appliance 100 according to one embodiment. The household appliance 100 comprises at least the device 1, which in turn comprises the emission apparatus 2, the test volume 3, the first measuring apparatus 4, and the evaluation apparatus 5. Furthermore, the household appliance 100 comprises a control apparatus 6 and a memory unit 7. The control apparatus 6 and/or the memory unit 7 can also be part of the device 1. The washing machine 100 also comprises further apparatuses 8, for example a metering apparatus 8a, a supply apparatus 8b and an adjustment apparatus 8c.

[0119] All the features disclosed in the application documents are claimed as essential to the invention provided that they are novel with regard to the prior art individually or in combination.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0120] 1 Device [0121] 2 Emission apparatus [0122] 2a Emission unit [0123] 3 Test volume [0124] 4 First measuring apparatus [0125] 5 Evaluation apparatus [0126] 6 Control apparatus [0127] 7 Memory unit [0128] 8 Further apparatuses [0129] 8a Metering apparatus [0130] 8b Supply apparatus [0131] 8c Adjustment apparatus [0132] 9 Second measuring apparatus [0133] 10 Component [0134] 11 First electromagnetic radiation [0135] 12 Second electromagnetic radiation [0136] 13 Third electromagnetic radiation [0137] 20 First light guide [0138] 21 First distal end [0139] 22 First surface [0140] 23 Second light guide [0141] 24 Second distal end [0142] 25 Second surface [0143] 26 Test path [0144] 30 Pinhole diaphragm [0145] 31 Dispersion prism [0146] 32 Optical grating [0147] 33 Sensor unit [0148] 100 Household appliance [0149] X Forward direction, propagation direction [0150] X1 Longitudinal direction [0151] X2 Opposite direction