ES2360121T3 - DEVICE FOR THE MEASURED SUPPLY OF A LIQUID AGENT, IN PARTICULAR FOR A DISHWASHER MACHINE. - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (1) comprises a hollow body (3) of plastics material in which are defined an accumulation chamber or tank (40) capable of receiving a quantity of the said agent corresponding to a plurality of doses when the delivery<sub

Description

The present invention relates to a device for the measured delivery of a liquid agent, in particular for a dishwashing machine.

More specifically, the invention relates to a device for the measured delivery of a rinsing agent in a dishwasher that has a front door that can swing around a horizontal axis to allow access to the washing chamber, being the supply device designed to be mounted inside said door so that it can adopt an essentially vertical working position when in use, and an inclined or at least approximately horizontal position when at rest, when said door is closed and open, respectively.

Such a device is known, for example from US 2003/0160064.

This device comprises:

a hollow body of plastic material, in which it is defined:

an accumulation chamber or tank designed to receive an amount of said agent corresponding to a plurality of doses, when the device is in the rest position;

a measuring chamber, which is in hydraulic communication with said accumulation chamber when the supply device is in the rest position, and which is capable of maintaining an amount or dose of said liquid agent when it passes from the rest position to the work position, and

a supply chamber designed to receive a flow of said liquid agent from the measuring chamber when the supply device is brought to its working position, and then deliver the rinse agent to the washing chamber through an outlet passage built in said body and controlled by electrically controlled interception means.

Such devices are known for the measured supply of rinsing agents in a washing machine, and they have been, and still are, manufactured in large quantities.

The fact that these devices inevitably comprise a plurality of cameras with quite complex shapes, has made it so far impossible to manufacture the body of these devices with plastic material in a single injection molding operation. Typically, the body of those plastic material supply devices is manufactured in two main parts, a front part and a rear part respectively, which are welded together, for example by means of a hot knife welding device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for the measured delivery of a liquid agent, in particular for the supply of a rinsing agent in a dishwasher, which has an innovative structure that makes it possible to build the body of the device. with plastic material in a single injection molding operation without requiring the joining of separate parts by means of a welding device such as, on the contrary, the case of the current technique.

This and other objects may be achieved in accordance with the invention by means of a device for the measured delivery of a liquid agent of the type specified above, characterized in that at least the accumulation chamber and the measurement chamber are constructed in a cartridge member separate and distinct from said body, and removably inserted in a space provided for that purpose in said body.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the detailed description that follows, which is provided with reference to the drawings that are provided solely by way of non-limiting example, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an integrated measuring device for washing agents, including a device for the measured delivery of a liquid rinsing agent, in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to that shown in Figure 1, and showing the individual supply devices included in the incorporated supply device, under different operating conditions; Figure 3 is a perspective view, from behind, of the integrated delivery device according to the previous figures;

Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the integrated delivery device according to the previous figures, showing in particular the device for the measured delivery of the liquid rinse agent by a partially exploded view, with a cartridge member represented in the withdrawal condition;

Figure 5 is another view of the device for the measured delivery of rinse agent illustrated according to a different perspective view;

Figures 6 and 7 are two perspective views of a cartridge member included in the delivery device measured in accordance with the invention;

Figure 8 shows said cartridge member illustrated substantially as seen in the direction of arrow VIII in Figures 6 and 7;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of said cartridge member, illustrated in the filling or resting position adopted when the front door of the dishwasher is open, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of said cartridge member illustrated in the vertical working position adopted when the door of the dishwasher is closed.

In the drawings, and in particular in Figures 1 and 2, an integrated washing agent supply device according to this invention is indicated with 1 globally, mounted on a portion of the panel 2 on the front door of a dishwashing machine which He faces the washing chamber.

In Figures 1 and 2, the integrated supply device 1 has been shown by an anterior front view, that is, it has been illustrated by the part that when in operation, faces the washing chamber. In Figure 3, the integrated delivery device 1 has been shown by a rear view in which it is illustrated by the part facing the intermediate layer or inner region of the dishwasher door.

In any case, Figures 1 to 3 illustrate the supply device 1 integrated in the vertical working position that it adopts when the door of the dishwasher is closed. The same applies to the partial representation shown in Figure 5.

Figure 4 illustrates the integrated supply device 1 by means of a previous view, but in the filling or resting position that it adopts when the door of the dishwasher is open.

As is well known, the door of a dishwasher is hinged to the structure of the machine along its bottom side, and is oriented according to a filling or resting position in which it is inclined with respect to the vertical, and It is generally essentially horizontal, to allow the dishes to be washed to be placed in the chamber or washing container, and to remove the washed dishes, and in a vertical working position where the door closes the washing chamber , preventing the washing bath from escaping from the machine.

The integrated delivery device 1, mounted on the door of a dishwasher machine, is therefore also operatively orientable between at least one approximately horizontal filling or resting position, in which the device can receive a filling or refilling of liquid agent from rinse and a detergent agent, and a vertical working position, in which said device faces the inside of the washing chamber and makes it possible to deliver doses of the detergent agent and the rinse agent into the wash bath and the bath of rinsing, respectively.

In this description and in the claims that follow, the term "rinse agent" indicates any product that can be used as "brightener", or, according to the most common name in the English-speaking environment, a "rinse agent" "

The integral supply device 1 comprises an elongated plastic body 3, inserted in a corresponding opening provided in the interior panel 2 of the door of a dishwasher.

In contrast to the delivery devices according to the prior art, the body 3 of the device according to the present invention is built on a single piece, by a single injection molding operation.

With reference to Figure 2, it can be seen that the anterior surface of the body 3, which is designed to face the washing chamber of the machine, is provided with a receptacle 5 which is designed to receive a dose of detergent, for example washing powder In Figures 1 and 2, a cover is indicated by 6 which, in the representation provided by way of example, is movably mounted with respect to the body 3, and can adopt a closed position (Figure 1) in which Seal container 5 for the detergent agent, and an open position (Figure 2) in which it leaves the receptacle exposed, allowing the detergent agent to fall into the gravity wash chamber.

The passage of the cover 6 from the closed position to the open position can be controlled by electrically controlled actuator means, which are themselves known, the description of which is not essential in any case for the purposes of understanding this invention.

In Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, another cover is indicated by 7 which is hinged to the body 3 along its lower side, around a horizontal axis indicated by 8-8.

The rotating cover 7 is associated with the device for the measured delivery of the liquid rinsing agent that is more specifically the object of the present invention.

As can be seen in particular from Figures 4 and 5, an essentially rectangular internal space 9 has been defined in the body 3 of the supply device 1. This space is delimited by a rear wall 10, side walls 11-14, which face each other in parallel pairs, and an anterior shaped wall 15 facing the rear wall 10 (see in particular Figure 5).

As can be seen in Figure 5, an elongated rectangular opening 16, surrounded by an overhang 17, is provided in the upper part of the front wall 15. This opening 16 and the associated flange 17 extend horizontally beyond the wall 14 delimiting space 9, to the right when looking at Figure 5.

Inside the body 3, a supply chamber 18 is provided in the area that faces the portion 16 that leads beyond the wall 14. In the embodiment shown, this chamber also has a substantially rectangular shape and is delimited , from the bottom, by a horizontal wall 19, from the top by a horizontal wall 20, whose leading edge is slightly delayed with respect to the edge of the flange 17, and laterally by the wall 14 and an opposite wall 21.

An opening indicated by 22 in Figure 5, in which it has been shown by a broken line, the opening being hindered in terms of its direct vision by the wall 14, is provided in the lower wall 19 of the chamber 18. The opening 22 puts the supply chamber 18 in communication with a discharge passage indicated with 23 in Figure 5, which opens frontally in an opening 24 facing the cover 7 when the latter is closed, and which allows a dose of rinsing agent from the supply chamber 18, is discharged into the washing chamber.

Inside the supply chamber 18, in a manner known per se, the opening 22 is associated with an electrically controlled interception device, of a type which is also known per se. Such devices are well known to those skilled in the art, and therefore will not be illustrated in the drawings to avoid overloading the graphic representation. For the purposes of the present description, it is sufficient to know that such an interception device normally obstructs the opening 22, and opens it for the supply of a dose of rinsing agent when it is excited by means of an electrical command.

As can also be seen from Figures 4 and 5, below the opening 16 and the relative protruding shoulder 17, the front wall 15 has a wall portion 15a that projects towards the observer in order to allow an increase in the internal capacity of the space 9 in the portion of that space that is below the lower edge or boundary of the opening 16. The volume of the region that is inside said protruding wall portion 15a also acts as a "trap of air ”that restricts filling in the horizontal position (door open) and lowers the level of rinsing agent in the vertical position (door closed).

From Figure 5, it can also be seen that the portion of the lower horizontal side of the flange 17 that extends between the vertical walls 13 and 14 partially protrudes into the space 9, forming a guide and support wall 17a, whose function will result more evident from the rest of this description.

With reference to Figure 2, it can be seen that on the inner face of the cover 7, there is a seal 25 which in the illustrated embodiment is substantially "8" shaped. When the cover 7 is closed, the seal 25 forms a liquid-tight seal against the edge of the projecting shoulder 17, and against a portion 14a of the leading edge of the wall 14.

The cover 7 is held in the closed position illustrated in Figure 1 by a releasable immobilizer device of a type that is known in itself. When this device is released, elastic return means associated with the cover 7, such as for example a torsion spring (not shown), cause the latter to rotate rapidly from the closed position shown in Figure 1, to the open position shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5.

The portion of the integrated delivery device that has been designed to provide the measured supply of rinsing agent also comprises a cartridge member indicated as a whole by 30 in Figures 2, 4 and 6 to 10.

The cartridge member 30 generally has an essentially rectangular shape, and can be removably inserted through the opening portion 16 of the body 2 of the device that extends between the walls 13 and 14 as can be seen in particular from a comparison between Figures 2 and 4.

The cartridge member 30 is advantageously manufactured from an injection molded plastic material.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, as can be seen for example in Figures 6 and 7, the cartridge member 30 has a bottom wall 31 and four main side walls indicated by 32-35.

As shown in particular by Figures 6 and 8, wall 31 and wall 32 are rectangular. As shown in Figure 8, wall 33 has an essentially rectangular elongated opening 36 extending between walls 32 and 34 adjacent to wall 31.

The cartridge member 30 also has a rectangular wall 37 that extends between the walls 33 and 35, substantially parallel thereto. As can be seen in particular in Figures 6 and 7, the wall 37 starts at the wall 32 and extends upwards to a certain distance from the opposite wall 34. A wall 38, parallel with an opposite wall 32, connects the wall 37 with the wall 35.

Together, the walls 31, 32, 35, 37 and 38 define a first rectangular space 40, hereinafter referred to as an accumulation chamber.

In Figures 6 and 7 a wall extending between the walls 32, 33, 34 and 37 is indicated with 39, which is substantially parallel with the wall 31 or, preferably, is slightly inclined downwardly from the wall 32 towards the wall 34.

Between the walls 34 and 38, in the embodiment of the cartridge member 30 illustrated by way of example, there is an additional wall 41, which is preferably parallel therewith. This wall extends some distance from the wall 33, and together with the upper portion of the wall 34 and the extension 39a (Figure 6) of the wall 39, defines a channel 42 (Figures 6 and 7) that extends in an essentially transverse direction with respect to the space or chamber 43 defined by walls 32, 33, 34, 37 and 39 (Figures 6 and 7). The space 43, with its lower wall 39, which is preferably inclined (with respect to the horizontal plane when looking at Figures 6 and 7), will be referred to hereafter as a measuring chamber.

The end of the channel 42 opposite the chamber 43 is connected to a pouring spout that forms an angle, as a whole indicated by 44 in Figures 2, 4 and 6 to 10. This spigot is defined by an additional wall extension 39b 39 (Figure 7), and by two side walls 45 and 46 that join the walls 34 and 41 respectively, essentially forming right angles (see also Figure 8).

As can be seen in particular in Figures 6 and 7, the side wall 35 is essentially in the form of an L, with an appendix or wall branch 35a that joins the wall 41.

A defined opening between wall 41, wall 31 and the L-shaped perimeter portion of wall 35 is indicated by 47.

An opening indicated by 48 in Figures 6 and 8, is provided in the wall 31, between the walls 38 and 41.

A transit zone or chamber 49, which communicates with the opening 47 and the opening 48, and which is also open on the upper sides (see Figure 6) of the walls 38, 41 and 35a, is thus defined between the walls 41 and 38.

As can be seen in Figures 6 and 7, an overflow edge or landfill 50, corresponding to a lower local portion of a side wall of the measuring chamber 43, has been defined between the measuring chamber 43 and the chamber 49 transit.

In the embodiment illustrated by way of example, the wall 35 is slightly displaced backwards with respect to the adjacent outer edges of the walls 32 and 31, and also with respect to the wall 46 which helps to delimit the pouring spout 44. This delayed arrangement of the wall 45 is not, however, essential.

An opening 36 providing access to a chamber indicated by 51 in Figures 6, 9 and 10, is provided on the side of the cartridge member 30 corresponding to the outer side of the wall 33, as already mentioned above.

Also, as mentioned above, the body 3 of the integrated supply device 1 can be manufactured from a plastic material by a single injection molding operation, using molds with movable cores.

The cartridge member 30 can be manufactured in this way. The cartridge member 30 can therefore be inserted into the housing or space 9 of the body 3 such that its walls 32, 33 and 34 extend adjacent to the walls 13, 11 and 14, respectively, of the space 9.

The cartridge member 30 is inserted by sliding it over the wall portion 17a formed by the shoulder 17 protruding from the opening 16. This wall portion 17a has an extension that can support and hold the cartridge member 30 inserted in the space 9 in your position

The space 9 is not completely occupied by the cartridge member 30 inserted inside it; the portion of that space that extends between the wall 12 and the wall 31 of the cartridge member 30 is, in fact, open and is capable of receiving a quantity of rinsing agent, as will be described more particularly in what Whats Next.

When the cartridge member 30 is inserted in its operative position inside the space 9, the pouring spout 44 extends adjacent to the supply chamber 18 into which it can pour a dose of rinsing agent in the manner and under the conditions that will be described in a more particular way in what follows.

The delivery device measured for a rinsing agent according to the invention operates essentially as follows.

After positioning the cartridge member 30 in the space 9, the user can fill the delivery device by pouring a quantity of liquid rinsing agent onto the wall 35 of the cartridge member 30. This operation is carried out with the dishwasher machine door open, and with the device 1 positioned in the manner illustrated in Figure 4, and in particular with the cartridge member 30 substantially positioned in the position shown in Figure 9.

The rinsing agent poured on the wall 35, enters the opening or passage 47, and descends by gravity, gradually filling the space 9. The measuring chamber 39 and the lower part of the space 9 which is not occupied by the member 30 of cartridge are filled first. The space or chamber 51, which is filled with air, however, is not filled, and in relation to the lower wall 10 of the space 9, it acts substantially as an upturned glass.

As the rinsing agent is poured onto the cartridge member 30, the level of that agent rises and also begins to fill the accumulation chamber 40 and, at least partially, the channel 42, and the portion 9 of unoccupied space by cartridge member 30.

In the representation of Figure 9, at the end of a filling operation, the rinsing agent will have reached a level indicated by L both in the space inside the cartridge member 30 and in the portion 9 of space that is not occupied by This cartridge member. In fact, the equalization of the levels is guaranteed by the fact that the inner region of the cartridge member 30 and the portion 9 of space that is not occupied by said cartridge member, communicate with each other through the opening 48, and by the capillarity effect between the side walls of the cartridge member 30 and the walls of the space 9.

During filling, the rinsing agent present in the cartridge member 30 and in the space 9, can rise to a higher level than the one indicated by way of illustration in Figure 9, and may, in the limit, exceed the wall 35 .

When the filling is completed, the user closes the cover 7 again manually, and it is hooked and held in the closed position.

Under these conditions, the seal 25 rests against the shoulder 17 protruding from the opening 16 and the edge 14a of the wall 14.

The door of the dishwasher can then be placed in a closed or operative vertical position.

As a result of this change in the orientation of the door, the orientation or adjustment of the cartridge member 30 also changes, from the resting or filling position illustrated in Figure 9, to the working position illustrated in Figure 10.

As a result of the change in position, the amount or dose of rinse agent previously disposed in the measuring chamber 43, flows through the channel 42 and the spout 44 towards the supply chamber 18. This chamber, which in Figure 5 has been shown open at the front, is in this condition sealed by the front by the cover 7 and by a position of the associated seal 25.

The flow of rinsing agent from the measuring chamber 43 to the supply chamber 18 is facilitated if the lower wall 39 of said measuring chamber and the lower wall of the channel 42 and the spout 44 are at least slightly tilted down, in the direction of the supply chamber 18.

At the beginning of the washing cycle of the dishwasher, the discharge opening 22 of the supply chamber 18 is closed by means of the associated, electrically controlled interception device.

Once the dishwashing cycle has been reached, the unit that controls the machine sends a pulse to the interception device associated with the supply chamber 18, and said device releases the opening 22, as a result of which the amount The rinsing agent contained in the chamber 18 can flow into the washing chamber, passing through the duct 23, the discharge opening 24, and then passing through the space provided between the body 3 of the supply device and the cover 7 which remains in closed position.

Once a machine wash cycle has been completed, the user opens the front door of the machine by placing it in its inclined position with respect to the vertical and, in general, at least in an approximately horizontal position.

The change of position of the door causes a corresponding change in the positional adjustment of the cartridge member 30, which moves from the position of Figure 10, back to the position or arrangement of Figure 9.

With that movement, an amount of rinsing agent that remains trapped inside the accumulation chamber 40 and in the portion of the space 9 that is not occupied by the cartridge member 30, will again fill the lower measuring chamber 39, and partially fill the channel 42 by means of the communicating vessels.

Once equilibrium has been reached, the level of rinsing agent in the cartridge member 30 and in the space 9 will generally be lower than that previously reached, at the end of the filling operation.

In any case, when a user closes the door of the dishwasher again, the amount or dose of rinsing agent that is maintained in the measuring chamber 39 will be supplied back to the supply chamber 18 through the channel 42 and of spigot 44, and the operation will take place again in a manner similar to that already described above.

The method of operation described above continues until a sufficient amount of rinsing agent to allow the transfer of a dose of rinsing agent to the measuring chamber 39 when the door is opened is kept in space 9 and in the cartridge member 30.

It is then necessary to carry out an additional operation of filling the delivery device measured with rinsing agent.

With the operation described above, the chamber 51, which is initially filled with air and not filled with rinsing agent, represents a "compensator" or unused volume, which is however useful to ensure that after filling of the filling device. supply, the level of rinsing agent in the delivery device substantially reaches a predetermined level that is lower or equal to the level of the lower side of the opening 16 when the door of the dishwasher is closed.

In a variant embodiment that has not been shown in the drawings, the cartridge member 30 is mounted in the space 9 rotatably about an axis (tree) parallel to the walls 13 and 11 of that space, and has an anterior appendix or flap that is located in front of the front front wall 15a of the body 3. This appendix or fin of the cartridge member is provided with retaining means by snap fit (for example, a plurality of openings),

5 capable of acting together with associated retention members (such as, for example, protruding retention pins), provided on the front wall of the body 3 (wall 15a), such that said cartridge member can be immobilized in the space 9 in a plurality of different angular positions around said axis (tree).

10 The cartridge member 30 adjacent to the spout 44 has an outstanding shape capable of extending into the chamber 18 in a different amount depending on the angular position in which the cartridge member 30 is immobilized in space 9, as a consequence of varying the volume of that chamber 18 that may be occupied by the rinse agent, and correspondingly vary the amount or dose that may be supplied during the rinse phase of a wash cycle.

Naturally, while retaining the same principles of the invention, the shapes and details of construction can be varied widely with respect to those described and illustrated, which have been provided by way of example only, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1.-A device (1) for the measured supply of a liquid agent, in particular a rinsing agent, in a washing machine, in particular a dishwashing machine, provided with a front door that folds around a horizontal axis for the access to the washing chamber, the supply device (1) being designed to be mounted inside (2) of said door in such a way that it adopts a vertical working position when in use, and an inclined position or of horizontal rest when said door (2) closes and opens, respectively, comprising the supply device (1), a hollow body (3), of plastic material, in which it is defined: an accumulation chamber or tank (40) for receiving an amount of said agent corresponding to a plurality of doses, a measuring chamber (43), in hydraulic communication with said accumulation chamber (40), and with capacity for a dose of the rinse agent, and a supply chamber (18), designed to receive a flow rate of said liquid agent from the measuring chamber (43) when the supply device (1) moves to the working position, and then to supply said agent to the washing chamber of the machine through an outlet passage (22, 23) provided in said body (3) and normally sealed by an interception means that is adapted to open it during the delivery of a dose of rinse agent when excited by an electric command; the supply device (1) being characterized in that part of the accumulation chamber (40) and the chamber

(43)

of measurement have been provided in a cartridge member (30) that is separated and is different from said body (3), and that is removably inserted in a space (9) provided in said body (3).

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein a space (9) in which the member can be inserted

(30)

of cartridge and from which it can be extracted, it is provided in said body (3), said space (9) having a capacity greater than the volume of said cartridge member (30), and having an opening (16) for the insertion and positioning of the cartridge member (30) located in the upper part of said space (9) when the supply device (1) is in the work position mentioned above.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cartridge member (30) has a spout tap (44) that communicates with the measuring chamber (18), and is capable of pouring a quantity or dose of said agent, coming from the measuring chamber (43), in said supply chamber (18) mentioned above, when the supply device (1) moves from the rest position to the working position. 4. A device according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the supply chamber (18) is provided in the body (3), adjacent to said space (9), and the cartridge member (30) has the pouring spout (44) protruding from one side thereof that is operatively located adjacent to said supply chamber (18). 5. A device according to claim 2, wherein said cartridge member (30) has a recess (51) in its wall (31) which, in the rest position, extends adjacent to the lower wall ( 10) of said space (9) of the body (3); said recess (51) being capable of trapping an amount of air during a liquid agent filling operation in said space (9) in the cartridge member (30), said amount of air being such that when the device ( 1) Supply returns to the working position after the filling operation, the rinsing agent present in said space (9) reaches a level that is lower, or almost equal, than a preset level. 6. A device according to claim 2, wherein the opening (16) for inserting the cartridge member (30) into the space (9) of the body (3), has an outstanding flange (17) which is liable to fit with a mobile cover (7) provided by a leak-tight closure means (25), which acts in conjunction with said flange (17). 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein support and guidance means (17a) are provided, capable of guiding the movement of the cartridge member (30) in said space (9) and for supporting the member (30) of cartridge when in use, along at least one side of said flange (17). 8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cartridge member (30) can be stably placed in a plurality of relative positions with respect to said space (9), each of the which corresponds to a different capacity of said supply chamber (18). 9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the cartridge member (30) is mounted in the space 5 (9) so that it can rotate around an axis or tree, and has an anterior appendage or fin that is located in front of a front front wall (15a) of the body (3), said appendage or fin of the member being (30) of a cartridge provided with retention means capable of acting in conjunction with associated detention means, provided by a front wall of the body (3) such that said cartridge member can be immobilized in space (9) in a plurality of different angular positions, said cartridge member (30) having a formation 10 which is capable of extending towards the supply chamber (18) in a different amount according to the angular position, in which the cartridge member (30) is immobilized in the space (9), the volume accordingly varying of said supply chamber (18) that can be occupied by the rinsing agent, and correspondingly varying the quantity or dose available. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said hollow body (3) is made of a single piece of molded plastic material.