Cleaning device having an energy store

Abstract

This disclosure proposes a cleaning device for cleaning items to be cleaned. The cleaning device has at least one fluid device for applying at least one cleaning fluid to the items to be cleaned. The cleaning device has at least one electrical load. The cleaning device further has at least one electrical connection for supplying electrical energy to the cleaning device. The cleaning device further has at least one energy store. The cleaning device is designed to receive electrical energy via the electrical connection and to temporarily store said electrical energy in the energy store. The cleaning device is further designed to supply electrical energy from the energy store to the at least one electrical load.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaning device for cleaning items to be cleaned, comprising:
 a fluid device for applying a cleaning fluid to the items to be cleaned;   a cleaning chamber in which the cleaning fluid is applied to the items to be cleaned;   an electrical load;   an electrical connection for supplying electrical energy to the cleaning device; and   an energy store;   wherein the cleaning device is operable to:
 (a) receive electrical energy via the electrical connection and to temporarily store said electrical energy in the energy store; 
 (b) selectively supply electrical energy from the energy store to the electrical load and to selectively directly supply electrical energy received via the electrical connection to the electrical load; and 
 (c) simultaneously (i) supply electrical energy from the energy store to the electrical load and (ii) directly supply electrical energy which is received via the electrical connection to the electrical load. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is operable to change the ratio between the electrical energy supplied from the energy store to the electrical load and the electrical energy which is received via the electrical connection and supplied to the electrical load. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the cleaning device is operable to match the ratio to a current operating state. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is operable to limit electrical power which is received via the electrical connection to a specified maximum power. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the cleaning device is operable to temporarily store in the energy store the difference between the specified maximum power and the total power currently required by the electrical load. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the energy store has a storage capacity of at least 10 Wh. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is selected from the group consisting of a dishwasher and a cleaning and disinfection apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is operable in at least two different operating states, wherein the load has a different electrical power consumption in the operating states, wherein electrical energy is received via the electrical connection and the energy store is charged with electrical energy in at least a first operating state, and wherein electrical energy is drawn from the energy store and supplied to the electrical load in at least a second operating state. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first operating state comprises a downtime of the cleaning device during which no cleaning fluid is applied to the items to be cleaned. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the energy store has at least one electrical energy store. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the electrical energy store is selected from the group consisting of a rechargeable battery and a capacitor. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the capacitor is a supercap. 
     
     
         13 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the electrical energy store is selected from the group consisting of a lead-acid rechargeable battery, a NiCd rechargeable battery, a NiMH rechargeable battery and a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. 
     
     
         14 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the energy store further comprises at least one non-electrical energy store. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning device as claimed in the  claim 14 , wherein the energy store comprises at least one energy converter operable to convert between electrical energy and at least one non-electrical form of energy, wherein the non-electrical form of energy is storable in the non-electrical energy store. 
     
     
         16 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the non-electrical energy store comprises at least one heat store. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the heat store is selected from the group consisting of a direct heat store and a latent heat store. 
     
     
         18 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the heat store is a water tank. 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the water tank has at least one of a thermal insulation or a heat pump. 
     
     
         20 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the heat store is a salt store. 
     
     
         21 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the non-electrical energy store comprises at least one mechanical energy store. 
     
     
         22 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the non-electrical energy store comprises at least one chemical energy store. 
     
     
         23 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the chemical energy store comprises at least one gas store. 
     
     
         24 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the gas store comprises at least one of a hydrogen store or oxygen store. 
     
     
         25 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the energy store comprises at least one or both of an electrolysis cell and a fuel cell as the energy converter. 
     
     
         26 . The cleaning device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is selected from the group consisting of a batch dishwasher and a conveyor-type dishwasher. 
     
     
         27 . A method of using a cleaning device for cleaning items to be cleaned, comprising:
 (a) supplying electrical energy via an electrical connection to an energy store of the cleaning device;   (b) storing said electrical energy temporarily in the energy store;   (c) supplying electrical energy from the energy store to at least one electrical load of the cleaning device;   (d) directly supplying electrical energy received via the electrical connection to the at least one electrical load; and   (e) applying at least one cleaning fluid to the items to be cleaned by means of a fluid device.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising simultaneously conducting steps (c) and (d). 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising changing the ratio between the electrical energy supplied from the energy store to the electrical load and the electrical energy which is received via the electrical connection and supplied to the electrical load. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising matching the ratio to a current operating state. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising limiting electrical power which is received via the electrical connection to a specified maximum power. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising temporarily storing in the energy store the difference between the specified maximum power and the total power currently required by the electrical load.