AUTOMATIC DETERGENT DISPENSING SYSTEM FOR A WAREWASHER

• Main Author: DAVID A. UHEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: 08.06.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: COFFEE MILLS; CONTROLLING; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; FURNITURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRANSPORTING

An apparatus dispenses detergent into a warewasher from a reservoir (50) wherein a flow control device (54) controls the flow of the detergent. A sensor (42) measures the electrical conductivity of water within the warewasher (10) and produces a conductivity measurement. A controller (32) operates the flow control device (54) in a first mode in which the quantity of detergent dispensed into the warewasher (10) is determined in response to the electrical conductivity of the water. If the conductivity measurement is determined to be unreliable, the controller operates in a second mode in which a predefined quantity of detergent is dispensed into the warewasher (10). The reliability of the conductivity measurement is determined based on the amount that the conductivity changes upon detergent being added to the warewasher. Un aparato distribuye el detergente hacia una lavadora de articulos desde un recipiente (50) en donde un dispositivo de control de flujo (54) controla el flujo del detergente. Un sensor (42) mide la conductividad electrica de agua dentro de la lavadora de articulos (10) y produce una medicion de conductividad. Un controlador (32) opera el dispositivo de control de flujo (54) en un primer modo en el cual la cantidad de detergente distribuida hacia la lavadora de articulos (10) se determina en respuesta a la conductividad electrica del agua. Si la medicion de conductividad se determina que no es confiable, el controlador opera en un segundo modo en el cual una cantidad predefinida de detergente se distribuye hacia la lavadora de articulos (10). La confiabilidad de la medicion de conductividad se determina en base a la cantidad que la conductividad cambia en el detergente que se agrega a la lavadora de articulos.