# US 2020/0399813 A1 · Method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance

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- Number: US 2020/0399813 A1
- Document ID: US20200399813A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/767,518
- Filed: 2019-01-22
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-09
- Assignees: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
- Applicants: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
- Inventors: ARND KESSLER; THOMAS JUCKEL; RAYKO ENZ; VOLKER HOPPE; LARS ZUECHNER; ROBERT RUIZ HERNANDEZ; WOLFGANG WICK; INGO HARDACKER
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399813A1

## CPC

- A47L 15/0026: {Rinsing phases}
- A47L 15/0055: {Metering or indication of used products, e.g. type or quantity of detergent, rinse aid or salt; for measuring or controlling the product concentration}
- D06F 33/37: of metering of detergents or additives
- A47L 15/0028: {Washing phases}
- A47L 15/4454: {with automatic identification means, e.g. barcodes, RFID tags or magnetic strips}
- A47L 15/4463: {Multi-dose dispensing arrangements}
- A47L 2401/03: Operation mode, e.g. delicate washing, economy washing, reduced time, sterilizing, water softener regenerating, odor eliminating or service
- A47L 2401/12: Water temperature
- A47L 2401/32: Vibration or sound detection
- A47L 2501/07: Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt
- D06F 34/28: Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating programme parameters, e.g. the selected programme or its progress
- D06F 39/02: Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
- D06F 39/024: {mounted on the agitator or the rotating drum; Free body dispensers}
- D06F 2103/16: Washing liquid temperature
- D06F 2103/26: Imbalance; Noise level
- D06F 2105/42: Detergent or additive supply
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES

## Abstract

A method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance includes obtaining an evolution over time of a local parameter inside the appliance, the local parameter comprising an acceleration induced by the cycle or a temperature inside the appliance; obtaining reference patterns of evolutions of the local parameter during a cycle comprising different cleaning steps including a step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent at a predetermined adapted time; comparing the evolution of the local parameter to the reference patterns and identifying a cleaning step within the cycle when a similarity between a reference pattern and the evolution is above a predetermined threshold, and setting the release of the agent at the predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step when the identified step corresponds to a step adapted for releasing the agent.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance, the method comprising:
measuring an evolution over time of at least one local parameter inside the household appliance, the at least one local parameter comprising at least one among an acceleration induced by the cleaning cycle in the household appliance and a temperature inside the household appliance;
obtaining reference patterns of evolutions over time of the at least one local parameter inside household appliances during at least one cleaning cycle comprising different cleaning steps, a cleaning step among the different cleaning steps being adapted for releasing the cleaning agent at a predetermined adapted time;
comparing the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter to the reference patterns and identifying a cleaning step within the cleaning cycle when a difference between a reference pattern and the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter is below a predetermined threshold, and
setting the release of the cleaning agent at the predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step when the identified cleaning step corresponds to a cleaning step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing the cleaning agent at said predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the reference patterns comprise recordings of the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter during cleaning cycles run by the household appliance in previous uses thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one local parameter further comprises at least one among:
a temperature inside the household appliance;
a magnetic field inside the household appliance;
a conductivity of a fluid inside the household appliance;
a pH level in a fluid inside the household appliance;
a turbidity of a fluid inside the household appliance; and
a concentration of a composition in a fluid inside the household appliance.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning steps comprise a main wash cycle, and a rinse cycle, the method further comprising:
releasing a first cleaning agent when the identified cleaning step corresponds to the main wash cycle, and
releasing a second cleaning agent when the identified cleaning step corresponds to the rinse cycle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
identifying a subsequent rinse cycle occurring after the rinse cycle based on the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter; and
releasing the second cleaning agent during the subsequent rinse cycle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
identifying a subsequent rinse cycle occurring after the rinse cycle based on the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter;
identifying a last rinse cycle in the cleaning cycle of the household appliance based on the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter;
updating the reference patterns by storing a recording of the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter during at least a portion of the cleaning cycle, and
during a subsequent cleaning cycle of the household appliance, an evolution over time of the at least one local parameter during the subsequent cleaning cycle being identified as matching patterns of the stored recording:
releasing the second cleaning agent during the determined last rinse cycle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
identifying a subsequent rinse cycle occurring after the rinse cycle based on the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter;
updating the reference patterns by storing a recording of the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter during at least a portion of the cleaning cycle, and
during a subsequent cleaning cycle of the household appliance, an evolution over time of the at least one local parameter during the subsequent cleaning cycle being identified as matching patterns of the stored recording:
releasing an amount of the first cleaning agent during the subsequent rinse cycle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying a nature of the cleaning cycle of the household appliance based on the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter, the nature being one among a first cleaning cycle comprising two cleaning steps and a second cleaning cycle comprising more than two cleaning steps;
adjusting the predetermined adapted time for releasing the cleaning agent and/or an amount of cleaning agent released based on the identified nature of the cleaning cycle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the nature of the cleaning cycle is a first cleaning cycle comprising a main wash cycle and a rinse cycle, the method further comprising:
releasing a first composition comprising an enzyme and a second composition having a pH above about 7 during the main wash cycle,
releasing a third composition adapted for reducing the surface tension of a fluid in the household appliance during the rinse cycle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the nature of the cleaning cycle is a second cleaning cycle comprising a main wash cycle and at least two rinse cycles including a last rinse cycle, the method further comprising:
releasing a first composition comprising an enzyme and a second composition having a pH above about 7 during the main wash cycle and during at least one rinse cycle other than the last rinse cycle,
releasing a third composition adapted for reducing the surface tension of a fluid in the household appliance during the last rinse cycle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a feedback on a quality of the cleaning cycle from a user;
modifying the predetermined adapted time for the cleaning step and/or associating a different amount of cleaning agent to be released during a cleaning step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent based on the received feedback.

### Claim 13

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions for execution of a method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance, the method comprising:
measuring an evolution over time of at least one local parameter inside the household appliance, the at least one local parameter comprising at least one among an acceleration induced by the cleaning cycle in the household appliance and a temperature inside the household appliance;
obtaining reference patterns of evolutions over time of the at least one local parameter inside household appliances during at least one cleaning cycle comprising different cleaning steps, a cleaning step among the different cleaning steps being adapted for releasing the cleaning agent at a predetermined adapted time;
comparing the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter to the reference patterns and identifying a cleaning step within the cleaning cycle when a difference between a reference pattern and the evolution over time of the at least one local parameter is below a predetermined threshold, and
setting the release of the cleaning agent at the predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step when the identified cleaning step corresponds to a cleaning step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent.