Dosing unit, water-bearing household appliance and method

Abstract

A dosing unit (100) for automatically dosing a dosing amount (122) of a solid detergent provided by a storage cartridge (110) for storing a bulk (112) of the solid detergent, for use in an automatic dosing system (20) of a water-bearing household appliance (1), wherein the storage cartridge (110) comprises a reversibly deformable container (114) with an outlet (116), wherein by deforming the container (114) according to a predefined pattern in time detergent of the bulk (112) is transported towards the outlet (116), and a dosing device (120) is attached to the storage cartridge (110) on the outlet (116) for separating the dosing amount (122) from the bulk (112) and releasing the separated dosing amount (122).

1 . A dosing unit comprising a storage cartridge and a dosing device,
 wherein the dosing unit is configured for automatically dosing a dosing amount of a solid detergent provided by the storage cartridge configured for storing a bulk of the solid detergent, the dosing unit configured for use in an automatic dosing system of a water-bearing household appliance,   wherein the storage cartridge comprises a reversibly deformable container with an outlet,   wherein by deforming the container according to a predefined pattern in time detergent of the bulk is transported towards the outlet, and   wherein the dosing device is attached to the storage cartridge on the outlet for separating the dosing amount from the bulk and releasing the separated dosing amount.   
     
     
         2 . The dosing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the container has an elongated shape, and the outlet is arranged at a face side of the container. 
     
     
         3 . The dosing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is arranged such that a bottom side of the container, when the dosing unit is oriented as intended for use, has a slope towards the outlet with respect to a horizontal direction that is in the range of −45° to 15°, preferably −25° to 0°. 
     
     
         4 . The dosing unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the container includes at least three actuation sections distributed along the bottom side, wherein each actuation section is configured for being lifted by an external actuation member. 
     
     
         5 . The dosing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the container has a taper section which tapers towards the outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The dosing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is made from a flexible foil and/or laminate, particularly from a polymeric foil. 
     
     
         7 . The dosing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is made from an impermeable material or comprises an impermeable membrane. 
     
     
         8 . The dosing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage cartridge further comprises includes a support structure for supporting the container. 
     
     
         9 . The dosing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the dosing device comprises:
 a scoop; and   a plug ( 140 ),   wherein the scoop is configured to separate the dosing amount from the bulk and transport the separated dosing amount to a receiving chamber formed in the plug when the scoop is turned in a first rotational direction about an axis that is parallel to the bottom side of the container, and the plug is configured to release the dosing amount from the receiving chamber.   
     
     
         10 . The dosing unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the plug is held in the dosing device movably between a closed position and a release position, wherein, when the plug is in the closed position, the dosing amount received from the scoop is stored in the receiving chamber, and, when the plug is in the release position, an outlet in a side-wall of the dosing device is cleared such that the dosing amount stored in the receiving chamber is released. 
     
     
         11 . The dosing unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the dosing device comprises engagement means configured for engagement with a driving device of an external driving unit configured for turning the dosing device in the first turning direction and for holding the dosing device fixed. 
     
     
         12 . The dosing unit according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the plug is shaped as a cylinder,   wherein an engaging section configured for engagement with a driving element of the external driving unit is arranged on one face of the cylinder and the receiving chamber is arranged on the other face of the cylinder, and   wherein the plug is arranged in the dosing device such that the receiving chamber is facing towards the scoop.   
     
     
         13 . The dosing unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the plug has an external thread that engages with an internal thread of the dosing device such that when the plug is rotated relative to the dosing device in a first rotation direction about the axis, the plug is moved from the closed position to the release position by being displaced laterally away from the scoop, and when the plug is rotated relative to the dosing device in a second rotation direction oppositely the first rotation direction about the axis, the plug is moved from the release position to the closed position by being displaced laterally towards the scoop. 
     
     
         14 . A method for dosing a dosing amount of a solid detergent from a dosing unit comprising a storage cartridge for storing a bulk of the solid detergent, the method comprising:
 deforming, according to a predefined pattern in time, a reversibly deformable container of the storage cartridge for transporting detergent from the bulk towards an outlet of the container;   separating the dosing amount from the bulk; and   releasing the separated dosing amount.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the step of deforming the container comprises temporarily generating a local gradient of a bottom side of the container directed towards the outlet. 
     
     
         16 . A water-bearing household appliance, in particular a dishwasher or washing machine comprising:
 an automatic dosing system; and   a dosing unit according to  claim 1 ,   
       wherein the automatic dosing system is configured for automatically dosing a dosing amount of a solid detergent from the dosing unit by deforming the container according to the predefined pattern in time, and separating the dosing amount from the bulk and releasing the separated dosing amount by the dosing device. 
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a water-bearing household appliance, the appliance comprising:
 an automatic dosing system configured for dosing a dosing amount of a solid detergent from a dosing unit; and   a dosing unit comprising a storage cartridge configured for storing a bulk of the solid detergent, the method comprising:   receiving a trigger for dosing the dosing amount by the automatic dosing system;   deforming, according to a predefined pattern in time, a reversibly deformable container of the storage cartridge for transporting detergent from the bulk towards an outlet of the container;   separating the dosing amount from the bulk; and   releasing the separated dosing amount.