IP Library Granted Patent US 8,691,021
Granted Patent B2
US 8,691,021 · App. 13/382,528 · Granted Apr 8, 2014

Water-bearing household appliance

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,691,021
App. No.
13/382,528
Granted
Apr 8, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A water-bearing household appliance to which fluid can be supplied during at least one filling step includes at least one drain pump for conveying fluid out of the water-bearing household appliance; and an overfill protection facility to prevent an excessive water level in the water-bearing household appliance. The overfill protection facility is configured to capture at least one operating parameter of the drain pump and after the filling step, in the presence of a malfunction of the drain pump that can be derived from the at least one operating parameter, to prevent execution of a further filling step.

Claims (40)

1. A water-bearing household appliance to which fluid can be supplied during at least one filling step, said water-bearing household appliance comprising:

at least one drain pump to perform a pumping out operation to remove fluid from the water-bearing household appliance; and

an overfill protection facility to prevent an excessive water level in the water-bearing household appliance, said overfill protection facility configured to capture at least one operating parameter of the drain pump, said overfill protection facility configured to determine, base on at least one captured operating parameter, whether fluid is present in the water-bearing household appliance after the pumping out operation is complete,

wherein said overfill protection facility is configured to prevent execution of a further filling step when the overfill protection facility determines that fluid is present in the water-bearing household appliance.

2. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , constructed in the form of a dishwasher.

3. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the overfill protection facility prevents execution of the further filling step when the water-bearing household appliance is restarted.

4. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the overfill protection facility is configured to compare the captured operating parameter with a stored setpoint value.

5. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the overfill protection facility is configured to capture a power consumption of an electric motor driving the drain pump as the at least one operating parameter.

6. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , further comprising an electronically commutated electric motor for driving the drain pump.

7. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 6 , wherein the overfill protection facility is configured to capture a commutation of the electric motor as the at least one operating parameter.

8. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a display unit to indicate a malfunction to the user, said overfill protection facility being connected to the display unit to indicate as a malfunction fluid being present in the water-bearing household appliance after the pumping out operation.

9. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the drain pump is activated after the water-bearing household appliance has been started.

10. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the overfill protection facility is configured to execute an error state query after the water-bearing household appliance has been started.

11. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a water level determination facility connected to the overfill protection facility.

12. The water-bearing household appliance of claim 11 , wherein the water level determination facility is a water level sensor.

13. A method for operating a water-bearing household appliance, comprising:

supplying fluid at least at times during a filling step;

operating a drain pump to perform a pumping out operation to remove fluid from the water-bearing household appliance at least at times during a further step;

operating an overfill protection facility to prevent an excessive water level in the water-bearing household appliance;

capturing at least one operating parameter of the drain pump at least at times during the further step and after the filling step said overfill protection facility determining, based on the at least one captured operating parameter, whether fluid is present in the water-bearing household appliance after a pumping out operation; and

preventing execution of a further filling step when the overfill protection facility determines that fluid is present in the water-bearing household appliance.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the water-bearing household appliance is a dishwasher.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein execution of the further filling step is prevented by the overfill protection facility when the water-bearing household appliance is restarted.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the overfill protection facility compares the captured operating parameter with a stored setpoint value.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the overfill protection facility captures a power consumption of an electric motor driving the drain pump as the at least one operating parameter.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the drain pump is driven by an electronically commutated electric motor.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the overfill protection facility captures a commutation of the electric motor as the at least one operating parameter.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising indicating a malfunction to a user by a display unit connected to the overfill protection facility when the overfill protection facility determines that fluid is present in the water-bearing household appliance.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of operating the drain pump is performed when the water-bearing household appliance is started.

22. The method of claim 13 , further comprising executing an error state query by the overfill protection facility after the water-bearing household appliance has been started.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the overfill protection facility is connected to a water level determination facility.

24. The method of claim 13 , wherein the water level determination facility is a water level sensor.

25. A water-bearing household appliance, comprising:

a wash container to which fluid can be supplied during at least one filling step;

at least one drain pump to remove fluid from the water-bearing household appliance;

a circulating pump to draw fluid from the wash container and reintroduce the fluid to the wash container via at least one supply facility; and

a control facility to prevent an excessive water level in the water-bearing household appliance, said control facility configured to capture at least one operating parameter of the drain pump, said control facility configured to determine, based on the at least one captured operating parameter, whether a malfunction has occurred,

wherein the control facility is configured to deactivate the circulating pump to prevent further fluid from being supplied to the wash container when the control facility determines that a malfunction has occurred;

wherein the drain pump is configured to perform a pumping out operation to remove fluid from the water-bearing household appliance, said control facility being configured to determine, based on the at least one captured operating parameter, whether fluid is present in the water-bearing household appliance after a pumping out operation, and

wherein said control facility determines that a malfunction has occurred when the control facility determines that fluid is present in the water-bearing household appliance.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO REMOVE USSN 14373413; 29120436 AND 29429277 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 035624 FRAME: 0784. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Jun 19, 2015
From: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
To: BSH HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
Reel/Frame 036000/0848 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 11, 2015
From: BSH BOSCH UND SIEMENS HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
To: BSH HAUSGERÄTE GMBH
Reel/Frame 035624/0784 →