Laundry-care appliance comprising a metering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10570552-B2
Application number	US-201615567188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry-care appliance (100) comprising a metering system (105) for metering a first liquid substance and a second liquid substance, wherein the metering system (105) comprises a first storage container (107) for providing the first liquid substance, a second storage container (109) for providing the second liquid substance, and a pump unit (112) which comprises a first pump head (113) and a second pump head (115). The metering system (105) comprises a common drive (129) for driving the first pump head (113) and the second pump head (115), wherein the common drive (129) can be driven in a first drive direction (137) and in a second drive direction (139). The first pump head (113) is designed in the case of the first drive direction (137) of the common drive (129) to convey the first liquid substance in a first conveying direction (149) from the first storage container (107). The second pump head (115) is designed in the case of the second drive direction (139) of the common drive (129) to convey the second liquid substance in a second conveyor direction (153) from the second storage container (109).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry care appliance with a metering system for metering a first liquid substance and a second liquid substance, wherein the metering system comprises a first storage container for supplying the first liquid substance, a second storage container for supplying the second liquid substance, and a pump facility with a first pump head and a second pump head, wherein
the metering system comprises a common drive for driving the first pump head and the second pump head, wherein the common drive is able to be driven in a first drive direction and a second drive direction,
the first pump head is configured in the first drive direction of the common drive to convey the first liquid substance from the first storage container in a first conveying direction and
the second pump head is configured in the second drive direction of the common drive to convey the second liquid substance from the second storage container in a second conveying direction,
wherein the first pump head is reversible and the second pump head is reversible, and
wherein the first pump head and the second pump head are connected hydraulically in an antiparallel manner.

2. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first conveying direction corresponds to the first drive direction and the second conveying direction corresponds to the second drive direction.

3. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first pump head and the second pump head are connected hydraulically in a parallel manner and the metering system comprises a reversing transmission for a drive direction change, which is connected between the common drive and the second pump head, so that the first pump head can be operated in the first conveying direction in the first drive direction of the common drive and the second pump head can be operated in the second conveying direction in the second drive direction of the common drive.

4. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the common drive comprises a drive motor, wherein the drive motor is configured to drive the first pump head and the second pump head and the drive motor in particular comprises an electric motor.

5. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the common drive comprises a drive transmission, wherein the drive transmission is configured to transmit a torque of the drive motor, and the metering system comprises a coupling element, wherein the coupling element is configured to couple the drive transmission mechanically to the first pump head and the second pump head.

6. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the drive transmission comprises a worm shaft.

7. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first pump head is configured to pump the first liquid substance with a first volumetric flow rate, the second pump head is configured to pump the second liquid substance with a second volumetric flow rate, wherein the first or second volumetric flow rate is a function of viscosity and the first volumetric flow rate and the second volumetric flow rate is greater than the volumetric flow rate when pumping air.

8. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the pump facility comprises a non-return valve or float valve to reduce a return flow of liquid from the first storage container or second storage container.

9. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metering system comprises a first dispenser element for dispensing the first liquid substance to the laundry care appliance from the first storage container and the metering system comprises a second dispenser element for dispensing the second liquid substance to the laundry care appliance from the second storage container, wherein the first dispenser element is arranged above the first storage container and the second dispenser element is arranged above the second storage container.

10. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first pump head and the second pump head comprise a rotary piston pump, for example a gear wheel pump, an eccentric screw pump, a scroll compressor or rotary vane pump, or a diagonal flow pump or a hose pump, and in particular an eccentric screw pump.

11. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first pump head or the second pump head is configured respectively as an eccentric screw pump and the respective eccentric screw pump comprises a rotor element and a stator, wherein the rotor element is supported so that it can rotate in the stator.

12. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first pump head or the second pump head is configured respectively as a submersible pump.

13. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first pump head is connected to the first storage container by a first substance line, the second pump head is connected to the second storage container by a second substance line, the first and second pump heads form a hose pump, wherein the hose pump comprises a rotor with at least two pressure rollers, wherein at least one pressure roller is in contact with the first substance line and at least one pressure roller is in contact with the second substance line.

14. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the laundry care appliance comprises at least one fill level sensor for detecting a fill level of the first liquid substance in the first storage container and for detecting a fill level of the second liquid substance in the second storage container.

15. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the laundry care appliance comprises a shaft with a detergent tray and the metering system comprises a metering facility, wherein the detergent tray is configured to hold the metering facility.

16. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the pump facility is driven in the first drive direction, the first pump head is configured to operate with suction on the first storage container, while the second pump head does not operate with suction on the second storage container in the first drive direction.

17. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second pump heads run counter to one another in the first and second drive directions.

18. The laundry care appliance as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a tray positioned on a front surface of the laundry care appliance, the metering system being supported by the tray.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Haberlander Bernd
• Eglmeier Hans

Classifications

• F04C11/001

  of similar working principle · CPC title

• F04C2/16

  with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type {(for non-parallel axes of movement F04C3/00)} · CPC title

• F04C2/34

  having the movement defined in groups F04C2/08 or F04C2/22 and relative reciprocation between the co-operating members · CPC title

• F04B13/02

  of two or more fluids at the same time · CPC title

• F04C2/025

  the moving and the stationary member having co-operating elements in spiral form · CPC title