Optimized dosing procedure for a washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10004380-B2
Application number	US-201114363714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2011
Priority date	Dec 14, 2011
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a dispenser for dosing a product in a washing machine leading to an optimized dosing result, a dispenser controller programmed with an algorithm to execute the method of the present invention as well as to the use of said dispenser for controlling dosing of a product in a washing machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a dispenser for dosing a detergent in a washing machine comprising:
(a) providing a washing machine comprising measuring means for measuring at least one parameter (c*) corresponding to the concentration of a detergent in a solution present in at least part of said washing machine, a dispenser to dispense said detergent, said dispenser being equipped with a reversibly closable output device having a minimum opening time (t min ) the dispenser has to be opened, and a dispenser controller coupled to said measuring means and said dispenser, including at least one processor and at least one non-volatile memory for recording, calculating, controlling and/or storing process parameters;
(b) measuring, after an initial mixing and/or waiting time, at least one said parameter (c*) to determine the current concentration of the detergent in the machine (c* cur );
(c) calculating the difference (Δc*) between the setpoint (c* set ) and the current concentration in the machine (c* cur );
(d) calculating and storing a current feed rate per minimum opening time (dc*/t min ) based on an average feed rate per minimum opening time determined from a plurality of a number (n) of prior dispensing events;
(e) initiating dispensing of said detergent to said machine by opening said reversibly closable output devise for a dosing time (t dos ) resulting from the ratio (Δc*/(dc*/t min )) of the difference between the set point and the current concentration (Δc*) to the current feed rate per minimum opening time (dc*/t min ); and

wherein dispensing is initiated if (c* cur ) is more than x 1 below the setpoint (c* set ); and
wherein dispensing is initiated if (c* cur ) is in the range of from (100%−x 1 ) of the setpoint (c* set ) to below 100% of the setpoint (c* set ) and the sum (c* cur +Δc*) of the current concentration (c* cur ) and the difference between the setpoint and the current concentration (Δc*) does not exceed (100%+x 2 ) of the setpoint (c* set ); and
wherein x 1 is 0<x 1 ≤25% and x 2 is 0<x 2 ≤40%; and
wherein the minimum opening time (t min ) is from about 0.25 seconds (s) to about 1 second.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein x 1 is 0<x 1 ≤20%, and x 2 is 0<x 2 ≤30%.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said washing machine comprises a, a single tank dishwashing machine, and/or an institutional single tank dishwashing machine.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter (c*) corresponding to the concentration of the detergent is the conductivity of the washing liquor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter (c*) corresponding to the concentration of the detergent is measured in the wash tank of said machine.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said reversibly closable output device comprises at least one valve.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein at least one valve is a solenoid valve.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the number (n) of the at least two of the last number (n) of dispensing events used for calculating the moving average is from 3 to 10.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detergent comprises a liquid dishwashing detergent, and/or a solid dishwashing detergent in the form of a bar, a brick or a block.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a step (f) wherein no detergent is dispensed for an additional mixing and/or waiting time, and optionally followed by a further dispensing cycle comprising at least steps (a) to (e).

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one complete washing event including all method steps lasts from about 25 seconds to about 2 hours (h).

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing and/or waiting time in step (b) independently lasts from about 1 second to 5 minutes.

Assignees

• Carlhoff Gerold
• Ruppert Andreas
• Swerts Roger
• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Carlhoff Gerold
• Ruppert Andreas
• Swerts Roger

Classifications

• A47L15/4436 Primary

  in the form of a detergent solution made by gradually dissolving a powder detergent cake or a solid detergent block · CPC title

• A47L2501/07

  Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt · CPC title

• A47L2401/023

  Quantity or concentration of the consumable product · CPC title

• A47L15/0055

  Metering or indication of used products, e.g. type or quantity of detergent, rinse aid or salt; for measuring or controlling the product concentration · CPC title

• D06F39/004

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic