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.

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.