WO2013172703A1

WO2013172703A1 - Device and method for delivering windscreen washer fluid to a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2013172703A1
Application number: PCT/NL2013/050299
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wiegert Nicolaas VAN DER MEIJ; Edgar Travers Ferrie SMITH; Dirk VAN DEN OEVER; Stefan Palmyre Emile BAECKE
Original assignee: Flumit B.V.
Priority date: 2012-05-14
Filing date: 2013-04-22
Publication date: 2013-11-21
Also published as: NL2008805C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispensing device and a method for dispensing windscreen washer fluid into a fluid reservoir of a vehicle, wherein the dispensing device comprises a diluent supply assembly, a concentrate supply assembly and a dispensing gun at the dispensing end of dispensing device, wherein the diluent supply assembly is provided with a diluent source and a diluent supply tube, wherein the concentrate supply assembly is provided with a windscreen washer concentrate source and a concentrate supply tube, wherein the dispensing gun is provided with a mixing chamber, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube are in fluid connection with the mixing chamber for mixing diluent from the diluent source and concentrate from the concentrate source into windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device.

Description

Device and method for delivering windscreen washer fluid to a vehicle

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to the delivery of windscreen washer fluid to a vehicle.

Windscreen washer fluid is used to clean windscreens of vehicles. The vehicle is provided with a reservoir for containing the fluid. When the windscreen requires cleaning, the fluid is pumped from the reservoir, sprayed onto the windscreen and subsequently wiped over the windscreen by windscreen wipers. A clean windscreen is essential for the customer of the vehicle to maintain optimal vision on the environment outside the vehicle. Thus, it is imperative that the reservoir is refilled regularly and that the fluid is tailored to the prevailing weather conditions at the time. To this end, petrol stations provide a limited range of windscreen washer fluids, each for a specific weather condition, bottled in containers of a standard volume. The fluid has to be poured from the container into the reservoir of the vehicle.

The offered range of windscreen washer fluids does not cover all weather conditions. Thus, the chosen windscreen washer fluid can be sub-optimal with respect to the prevailing weather conditions at the time. Furthermore, in many cases, the volume of the container does not correspond to the volume required to refill the reservoir of the vehicle, leaving the customer with left-overs or a shortage. Furthermore, the fluid has to be poured accurately and steadily to prevent spillage. Often, funnels are provided to reduce spillage. These drawbacks can reduce the customers' willingness to regularly refill the reservoir, which can lead to unsafe situations. Additionally, the manufacturing and disposing of the bottling material and the transport of the bottled quantities of fluid have a negative impact on the environment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device or a method for improving the delivery of windscreen washer fluid to a vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect the invention provides a dispensing device for dispensing windscreen washer fluid into a fluid reservoir of a vehicle, wherein the dispensing device comprises a diluent supply assembly, a concentrate supply assembly and a dispensing gun at the dispensing end of dispensing device, wherein the diluent supply assembly is provided with a diluent source and a diluent supply tube that is in fluid connection with the diluent source, wherein the concentrate supply assembly is provided with a windscreen washer concentrate source and a concentrate supply tube that is in fluid connection with the windscreen washer concentrate source, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube extend from their respective sources to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the dispensing device, wherein the dispensing gun is provided with a mixing chamber, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube are in fluid connection with the mixing chamber for mixing diluent from the diluent source and concentrate from the concentrate source into windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device .

By mixing as close as possible to the dispensing end, the amount of residual mixed windscreen washer fluid that remains in the dispensing device downstream of the mixing chamber, can be significantly reduced. Otherwise, a residual amount of already mixed windscreen washer fluid mixed according to a mixture setting set by a previous customer remains in the supply tubes leading to the dispensing gun, which residual amount can potentially affect delivery for the subsequent customer, who may have set a different mixture of windscreen washer fluid. This can be particularly relevant as the volume of a typical windscreen washer fluid reservoir in a car is generally less than five liters and the volume of the residual windscreen washer fluid in the dispensing device could exceed that amount if the mixing chamber is not placed as close as possible to the dispensing end.

In an embodiment, the dispensing device comprises one or more additional supply assemblies for supplying additives to the mixture of windscreen washer fluid, wherein the one ore more additional supply assemblies are each provided with an additives source and an additives supply tube that is in fluid connection with the additives source, wherein the additives supply tube extends from additives source to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the dispensing device, wherein the additives supply tube is in fluid connection with the mixing chamber for adding additives to the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device. These additives are not essential for obtaining the windscreen washer fluid, but can provide additional customization of the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid, in order to enhance the customer experience or the characteristics of the windscreen washer fluid.

In an embodiment, the supply tubes debouch separately or individually from each other into the mixing chamber. Preferably, the supply assemblies are fluidically separated from each other from their respective sources up to the debouching of the supply tubes into the mixing chamber. By having the supply assemblies and their supply tubes separated, the diluent, the concentrate and/or the additives can be supplied separately to the mixing chamber, thereby preventing any mixing of the aforementioned components before they reach the mixing chamber.

In an embodiment, the dispensing gun is provided with a dispensing nozzle for insertion into the reservoir of the vehicle, wherein the mixing chamber debouches directly into the dispensing nozzle. The mixing chamber can be placed as close to the dispensing nozzle as possible, thereby reducing the amount of already mixed windscreen washer fluid that remains in the dispensing device after the dispensing has ended.

In an embodiment, the supply tubes debouch into the mixing chamber at different angles with respect to each other. The flows of diluent, concentrate and/or additives can be directed in various whirling motions into the mixing chamber, thereby causing them to be axially mixed into the windscreen washer fluid.

In an electrically driven embodiment the dispensing device comprises a concentrate pump for pumping concentrate from the concentrate source, via the concentrate supply tube into the mixing chamber. Preferably, the dispensing device further comprises one or more additives pumps for pumping additives from the additives sources, via the additives supply tubes into the mixing chamber.

In an embodiment, the dispensing device comprises a flow meter that is placed in the diluent supply tube, wherein the flow meter is electronically connected to a control circuit for driving the concentrate pump and/or the additives pump in a set mixing ratio with respect to the flow rate of the diluent that is measured by the flow meter. The pumps can influence the flow rates of the concentrate and the additives such that the set mixture is obtained in the mixing chamber.

In an embodiment, the mixing chamber comprises a venturi channel, wherein the diluent supply tube debouches axially into the venturi channel, wherein the concentrate supply tube and/or the additives supply tubes debouche transversely into the venturi channel. The venturi channel can cause the flow of diluent to be accelerated to a relatively high flow rate, thereby causing a local pressure drop at the venture channel. The low pressure can cause the concentrate and/or the additives to be sucked into the venturi channel, where they can be mixed with the flow of diluent .

In an embodiment, the dispensing gun is provided with a manual mixture control, wherein the manual mixture control comprises a housing in which a first rotary valve and a second rotary valve are rotatably arranged, wherein the first rotary valve is arranged to intersect with the concentrate supply tube and wherein the second rotary valve is arranged to intersect with the additives supply tube, wherein one of the rotary valves is rotatable within the circumference of the other rotary valve. The mixture can thus be controlled manually at the dispensing gun, rather than electronically from the main body of the dispensing device.

In an embodiment, the first rotary valve and the second rotary valve are independently rotatable around the same rotational axis. Preferably, the manual mixture control is provided with a first control knob and a second control knob, which are fixedly attached to the first rotary valve and the second rotary valve, respectively, wherein one of the control knobs extends through the center of the other control knob. This allows for a compact design of the manual mixture control. Furthermore, the knobs can be operated by the customer with only one hand, while the other hand holds the dispensing gun.

In an embodiment, the first rotary valve is rotatable between a plurality of rotary positions, wherein the first rotary valve is provided with a plurality of apertures of different sizes, wherein the apertures are distributed over the first rotary valve such that in each of the rotary positions of the first rotary valve, one of the apertures is aligned with the concentrate supply tube for allowing a flow of concentrate to pass through the aperture into the mixing chamber at a flow rate, which corresponds to the size of the aligned aperture. In this manner, the flow rate of the concentrate can for example be set between a ^low' , Medium' and ^igh' setting.

In an embodiment, the second rotary valve is rotatable between a first rotary position and a second rotary position, wherein the second rotary valve is provided with an aperture and a blind surface, wherein the aperture, in the first rotary position of the second rotary valve, is aligned with the additives supply tube for allowing a flow of additives to pass through the aperture into the mixing chamber, wherein the blind surface, in the second rotary position of the second rotary valve, prevents the flow of additives from passing into the mixing chamber. In this manner, the flow rate of the additives can be switched between ^λοη' and off' , respectively.

In an embodiment, the dispensing device comprises a main body, wherein the sources are provided within or enter into the main body and wherein at least part of the supply tubes extend outside the main body, wherein the part of the supply tubes extending outside the main body are as a group surrounded by an umbilical hose. The group of supply tubes can therefore be perceived as being one single hose, with the dispensing gun being located at the end of the hose .

In an embodiment, the umbilical hose is provided with a heating wire, which is activated when the outside temperature drops below a predetermined temperature level. This can prevent any residual diluent or additives from freezing, which could potentially cause blockage of or damage to the supply tubes.

In an embodiment, the dispensing device comprises a brush, which is attached to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the device. Preferably, the brush is detachably connected to the dispensing gun. The windscreen washer fluid can be dispensed through the brush attachment for manual cleaning of a windscreen, windows and/or headlights of the vehicle.

In an embodiment, the additives comprise scented fluids or debugging agents. The scented fluids can improve the odor of the windscreen washer fluid, whereas the debugging agents can improve the cleaning characteristics of the windscreen washer fluid.

According to a second aspect, the invention provides a vehicle servicing assembly provided with the aforementioned dispensing device, wherein the dispensing gun is part of a group of tools related to servicing a vehicle, comprising dispensing guns that supply petrol, gasoline, diesel, gas, hydrogen and/or air, or a car vacuum cleaner.

Combining or integrating the dispensing device into a vehicle servicing assembly, in particular a fuel pump, an air pressure checking station or a vacuum cleaner station, is a financially attractive solution as some of the features, such as the user interface, can be shared by the dispensing device and the vehicle servicing assembly. Furthermore, a customer might find it convenient to combine refueling, checking the air pressure of the tires and/or vacuum cleaning the car with the replenishment of the windscreen washer fluid.

According to a third aspect, the invention provides a method for delivering windscreen washer fluid to a fluid reservoir of a vehicle with the use of a dispensing device, wherein the dispensing device comprises a diluent supply assembly, a concentrate supply assembly and a dispensing gun at the dispensing end of dispensing device, wherein the diluent supply assembly is provided with a diluent source and a diluent supply tube that is in fluid connection with the diluent source, wherein the concentrate supply assembly is provided with a windscreen washer concentrate source and a concentrate supply tube that is in fluid connection with the windscreen washer concentrate source, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube extend from their respective sources to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the dispensing device, wherein the dispensing gun is provided with a mixing chamber, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube are in fluid connection with the mixing chamber, wherein the method comprises the step of mixing diluent from the diluent source and concentrate from the concentrate source into windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device.

By mixing as close as possible to the dispensing end, the amount of residual mixed windscreen washer fluid that remains in the dispensing device downstream of the mixing chamber, can be significantly reduced. Otherwise, a residual amount of already mixed windscreen washer fluid mixed according to a mixture setting set by a previous customer remains in the supply tubes leading to the dispensing gun, which residual amount can potentially affect delivery for the subsequent customer, who may have set a different mixture of windscreen washer fluid. This can be particularly relevant as the volume of a typical reservoir is generally less than five liters and the volume of the residual windscreen washer fluid in the dispensing device could exceed that amount if the mixing chamber is not placed as close possible to the dispensing end.

In an embodiment, the dispensing device comprises one or more additional supply assemblies for supplying additives to the mixture of windscreen washer fluid, wherein the one ore more additional supply assemblies are each provided with an additives source and an additives supply tube that is in fluid connection with the additives source, wherein the additives supply tube extends from additives source to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the dispensing device, wherein the additives supply tube is in fluid connection with the mixing chamber, wherein the method comprises the step of adding additives to the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device. These additives are not essential for obtaining the windscreen washer fluid, but can provide additional customization of the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid.

In an embodiment, the dispensing device comprises a user interface, which is electronically connected to electronic components for measuring and controlling the flow rates of the concentrate and/or the additives with respect to the flow rate of the diluent, wherein the method comprises setting the desired mixture via the user interface, transferring the mixture setting to the electronic components, converting the mixture settings in the electronic components into flow rates of the concentrate and/or the additives in a determined ratio with respect to the flow rate of the diluent, wherein the determined ratio affects the mixture of windscreen washer fluid, which is obtained by mixing the flows of diluent, concentrate and/or additives in the mixing chamber. In this manner, the customer can customize the windscreen washer fluid to the customers' needs or the prevailing weather conditions at the time .

In an embodiment, the user interface and/or the electronic components are connected to the internet, wherein the method comprises the step of accessing the user interface and/or the electronic components via the internet from a remote location and setting or changing the available mixture settings presented at the user interface. In this manner, the customer can be informed of the available windscreen washer concentrates, mixtures and prices. It also can allow messages to be transmitted from the dispensing device to a remote location, for example to inform the manager of the commercial location of the sales volumes or the need for concentrate or additives to be replenished. The various aspects and features described and shown in the specification can be applied, individually, wherever possible. These individual aspects, in particular the aspects and features described in the attached dependent claims, can be made subject of divisional patent applications .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the attached schematic drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a dispensing device with a dispensing gun for delivering windscreen washer fluid to a reservoir of a car according to a first embodiment of the invention;

figure 2 shows a view in cross section of the dispensing gun according to figure 1;

figure 3 shows a view in cross section of an alternative dispensing gun according to a second embodiment of the invention;

figure 4 shows a view in cross section of a further alternative dispensing gun with a manual mixture setting knob according to a third embodiment of the invention;

figure 5A shows an isometric view of the manual mixture setting knob according to figure 4; and

figure 5B shows an exploded isometric view of the manual mixture setting knob according to figure 5A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows a dispensing device 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention, for delivering or dispensing measured quantities of screen wash fluid, windscreen wiper fluid or windscreen washer fluid F via a dispensing gun 40 directly into a reservoir 90 for said fluid F in a vehicle 91. The reservoir 90 is provided with a pump (not shown) , which is operated to feed the fluid F to nozzles or jets (not shown), which spray said fluid F onto the windshield or windscreen 92 and optionally the headlights 93 of the vehicle 91. In this example the vehicle 91 is a car. However, the vehicle 91 can also be a truck, a boat, a train or any other vehicle that has a reservoir 90 for containing said fluid F, a windscreen and means for distributing the fluid F onto the windscreen.

As shown in figure 1, the device 1 comprises a main housing or body B. The main body B has been schematically shown with dashed lines, indicating which components are located internally with respect to the main body B and which components are located externally with respect to the main body B. The gun 40 is located outside the main body B, at the dispensing end or dispensing point at the downstream end of the device 1.

The device 1 comprises a diluent supply assembly

10, a concentrate supply assembly 20, and optionally an additives supply assembly 30. The supply assemblies 10, 20, 30 are fluidically separated from each other. The supply assemblies 10, 20, 30 are arranged for separately or individually supplying diluent, in this example softened water W, windscreen washer fluid concentrate C and optionally additives A as individual components for a mixture of windscreen washer fluid F to be mixed at the gun 40 at the dispensing end of the device 1. The device 1 is further provided with electronic components 70 for measuring and controlling the flow rates and the mixing ratios of the softened water W, the concentrate C and the additives A. The device 1 is controlled via a user interface 80, from which the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid F to be dispensed from the gun 40, can be set.

The diluent supply assembly 10 is provided with a diluent source in the form of a diluent tank 11, which - in this example - is continuously replenished with hard, pressurized water H from an external water mains tube 12. The diluent supply assembly 10 comprises an in-line water filter or a water deionizer (not shown) that extracts minerals such as calcium, magnesium and other impurities from the hard water H, thereby converting the hard water H into softened or de-ionized water W. The softened or de- ionized water W will substantially reduce the amount of mineral deposits or other impurities left on the windscreen 92, the vehicle 91 and in the device 1 itself. The softened or de-ionized water W will hereinafter simply be referred to as water W. The water W exits the diluent tank 11 through a diluent outlet 13 under a pressure, which is substantially equal to the pressure of the water mains, for example in a range of one to five bar. Alternatively, such pressure can be achieved or increased by a water pump (not shown) . The diluent supply assembly 10 comprises a flexible diluent supply tube 14 which, at one end, is in fluid connection with the diluent outlet 13 of the diluent tank 11 and, at the other end, is in fluid connection with the gun 40. Optionally, the external water mains tube 12 is connected directly to the gun 40, without the intermediate water tank 11.

The concentrate supply assembly 20 is provided with a concentrate source in the form of a concentrate tank 21 containing an amount of concentrate C. The concentrate C can be a winter type concentrate or a summer type concentrate with a chemical composition, which has great cleaning characteristics. The winter type concentrate preferably contains a percentage of ethanol which lowers the freezing temperature of the water and which acts as an anti^¬ freeze. The concentrate tank 21 preferably has a capacity in the range of approximately five hundred to one thousand liters. Part of the concentrate tank 21 can be located underground to save space. The concentrate supply assembly 20 comprises a peristaltic concentrate pump 22, which is in fluid connection, via a suction hose 23, with the concentrate tank 21. The concentrate pump 22 is driven by a stepper motor. The concentrate supply assembly 20 further comprises a flexible concentrate supply tube 24, which, at one end, is in fluid connection with the discharge outlet 25 of the concentrate pump 22 and, at the other end, is in fluid connection with the gun 40. The part of the concentrate supply tube 24 that is outside of the main body B of the device 1 has substantially the same length as and runs substantially parallel to the part of the diluent supply tube 14, which is outside of the main body B of the device 1.

The optional additives supply assembly 30 is provided with an additives source in the form of an additives tank 31 containing one or a range of additives A, which can further improve the characteristics of the windscreen washer fluid F to be dispensed from the gun 40. Examples of additives A are scented fluids or debugging agents. These additives A are not essential for obtaining the windscreen washer fluid F, but can provide additional customization. Part of the additives tank 31 can be located underground to save space. The additives supply assembly 30 comprises a peristaltic additives pump 32, which is in fluid connection, via a suction hose 33, with the additives tank 31. The additives pump 32 is driven by a stepper motor. The additives supply assembly 30 further comprises a flexible additives supply tube 34, which, at one end, is in fluid connection with the discharge outlet 35 of the additives pump 32 and, at the other end, is in fluid connection with the gun 40. The part of the additives supply tube 34 that is outside of the main body B of the device 1 has substantially the same length as and runs substantially parallel to the parts of the diluent supply tube 14 and the concentrate supply tube 24, which are outside of the main body B of the device 1.

The device 1 is provided with a flexible umbilical mantle or hose 60 that surrounds the parallel parts of the supply tubes 14, 24, 34 as a bundle or group. Preferably, the umbilical hose 60 surrounds the supply tubes 14, 24, 34 along substantially the entire length of the supply tubes 14, 24, 34 extending outside the main body B of the device 1. The three supply tubes 14, 24, 34 will therefore be perceived as being one umbilical hose 60 extending from the main body B and as being provided with the gun 40 at the end of the umbilical hose 60. The umbilical hose 60 is provided with an internal heating wire (not shown) , which, when the ambient temperature outside the umbilical hose 60 drops below a pre-set temperature level, heats the umbilical hose 60.

In figure 1, the length of the umbilical hose 60 and the supply tubes 14, 24, 34 comprised therein is schematically shown. The actual length can be considerably longer than shown in figure 1. Optionally, the length of the umbilical hose 60 and the supply tubes 14, 24, 34 comprised therein is rolled up onto an automatically retracting reel (not shown) . When the umbilical hose 60 is retracted into the main body B, the gun 40 can be stored in a gun holder or a recess for that purpose (not shown) in the main body B. The gun 40 Also, the thickness of the supply tubes 14, 24, 34 is exaggerated for elucidation purposes. The actual supply tubes 14, 24, 34 can be smaller to provide a more compact, thinner umbilical hose 60.

As shown in cross section in figure 2, the gun 40 is provided with a hollow gun body 41. The gun body 41 comprises a barrel-like section 42 and a handgrip section 43 that extends transverse to the barrel-like section 42. The hose 60 is connected and sealed to the bottom of the handgrip section 43. The barrel-like section 42 confines an elongated mixing chamber 44 with a longitudinal axis S extending in the dispensing direction of the gun 40. The mixing chamber 44 merges or debouches, preferably directly, into a dispensing nozzle 45 at the dispensing end of the gun 40. The nozzle 45 is formed as a spout, which is dimensioned to fit directly into the opening of the windscreen washer fluid reservoir 90 of the vehicle 91. The gun 40 is provided with a water inlet 46, a concentrate inlet 47 and optionally an additives inlet 48 at the bottom of the handgrip section 43. The diluent supply tube 14, the concentrate supply tube 24 and the additives supply tube 34 are coupled in fluid connection to the water inlet 46, the concentrate inlet 47 and the additives inlet 48, respectively, for individually or separately supplying water W, concentrate C and additives A into the gun body 41. The supply tubes 14, 24, 34 are continued or extended within the gun body 41 and debouch into the mixing chamber 44 at different, slightly angled vectors in a range of three to ten degrees with respect to each other and the longitudinal axis S of the mixing chamber 44. As a result, the flows of water W, concentrate C and additives A will be directed or sent in various whirling motions into the mixing chamber 44. As the flow of water W collides with the flow of concentrate C and the flow of additives A, they are axially mixed into the windscreen washer fluid F.

As shown in figure 2, the gun 40 comprises an actuator or trigger 52, which is ergonomically placed at the front of the handgrip section 43. The trigger 52 is operationally coupled to a throttle valve 56 in the diluent supply tube 14. The trigger 52 is biased by a spring 55 to a non-pulled position wherein the trigger 52 causes the throttle valve 56 to block the flow of water W from the diluent supply tube 14 from entering into the mixing chamber 44. The throttle valve 56 can be operated by pulling the trigger 52 to gradually allow the flow of water W from the diluent supply tube 14 into the mixing chamber 44. The trigger 52 is optionally electronically coupled to the electronic components 70 as described hereafter, for disabling the dispensing functionality of the windscreen washer fluid F from the gun 40 when payment has not yet been authorized. The umbilical hose 60 can be fitted with conductors for transmitting electronic signals from the trigger 52 to the electronic components 70 at the main body B. As shown in figure 1, the electronic components 70 comprise a flow meter 71, which is placed in the diluent supply tube 14 for measuring the flow rate of the water W through the diluent supply tube 14, a valve 72 for interrupting the flow of water W flowing through the diluent supply tube 14 and a pressure controller 73 for controlling the pressure of the water W in the diluent supply tube 14. The programmable logic controller 74 is electronically connected to a control circuit 75, which controls the stepper motor of the concentrate pump 22 and optionally the stepper motor of the additives pump 32.

The user interface 80 is provided at the external side of the main body B. The user interface 80 is electronically connected to the programmable logic controller 74 The user interface 80 comprises a touch screen 81 or another suitable input device for inputting information and a payment device 82 for handling financial transactions. The touch screen 81 is electronically programmed to present the user with a wizard, which guides the user through the usage of the device 1. The wizard comprises the steps of setting the desired mixture, pre- authorization of payment, instructions for dispensing, feedback on dispensing, actual payment and the optional printing of a receipt.

The device 1 is placed at a commercial location of the group comprising a petrol station, a vehicle depot and a vehicle servicing facility. In this embodiment, the device 1 is a separate unit next to a vehicle servicing assembly such as a fuel pump, an air pressure checker or a car vacuum cleaner. The device 1 can however be integrated into the vehicle servicing assembly, wherein the gun 40 is part of a group of tools of the group comprising dispensing guns dispensing gasoline, petrol, diesel, gas, hydrogen, and air, a car vacuum cleaner or other vehicle related products. This is a financially attractive solution as some of the features, such as the user interface 80, can be shared by the device 1 and the vehicle servicing assembly. Furthermore, a customer might find it convenient to combine refueling, checking the air pressure of the tires or vacuuming the interior of the car with the replenishment of the windscreen washer fluid F.

The electronic components 70 and the user interface 80 are electronically linked, for example via a wireless internet network, to the commercial location. This allows for the device 1 to be remotely managed by the manager of the commercial location, for example for altering the customization parameters from which the customer can choose, for updating the pricing of the windscreen washer fluid F and for monitoring servicing or maintenance related alerts from the device 1.

The method for delivering the windscreen washer fluid F to the reservoir 90 of the vehicle 91 with the device 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention will be elucidated below on the basis of figures 1 and 2.

In figure 1, the situation is shown wherein a customer has stopped his car 91 at a petrol station next to the device 1 or a fuel pump with the device 1 incorporated therein. At this moment, prior to pre-authorization of payment, the programmable logic controller 74 of the device 1 operates in a blocked mode wherein the user interface 80 is operational, but the valve 72 is closed so that the dispensing functionality of the device 1 is disabled. Thus, in the blocked state, no windscreen washer fluid F can be dispensed from the device 1 without authorization.

The customer inputs instructions via the touch screen 81 into the user interface 80 to set the desired mixture of windscreen washer fluid F. The mixture is defined in different strengths, for example as the minimum temperature at which the windscreen washer fluid F will not freeze. The set mixture and the price of the set mixture per unit, for example per liter, are presented at the touch screen 81, divided per component and/or as a total. Once the set mixture is accorded, the customer is asked to pre- authorize payment via the payment device 82, for example with a debit card or credit card. When the pre-authorization of the payment has been validated, the programmable logic controller 74 of the device 1 switches to the unblocked mode, wherein the valve 72 is opened and the dispensing functionality of the device 1 is enabled. The characteristics of the set mixture of the windscreen washer fluid F are processed electronically by the programmable logic controller 74 and converted into mixing ratios. Subsequently, the customer is instructed via the touch screen 81 to start operating the gun 40.

The customer then takes the gun 40 at the end of the umbilical hose 60 from the main body B of the device 1 towards the reservoir 90 of the car 91. Once the nozzle 45 at the end of the gun 40 is placed into the filling opening of the reservoir 90, the customer pulls the trigger 52. The trigger 52 causes the throttle valve 56 to allow the pressurized water W to flow from the diluent source 11, through the diluent supply tube 14, into the mixing chamber 44. The flow rate of the water W flowing through the diluent supply tube 14 into the mixing chamber 44 is immediately measured by the flow meter 71. The flow meter 71 sends a signal that is representative to the flow rate of the water W to the programmable logic controller 74.

Based on the predetermined mixing ratios of the set mixture and the measured flow rate of the water W, the programmable logic controller 74 determines the required flow rate of the concentrate C and, if applicable, the desired corresponding flow rate of the additives A to achieve the desired mixture. The programmable logic controller 74 calculates the speed at which the motors of the pumps 22, 32 have to be driven with respect to the flow rate of the water W to provide the determined flow rates of concentrate C and additives A. Subsequently, the programmable logic controller 74 sends a signal representative to the determined flow rates to the control circuit 75, which will regulate the speed of the pumps 22, 32 and thus the flow rates of the concentrate C and the additives A.

The aforementioned process of measuring the flow rate of the water W and correspondingly determining and controlling the flow rates of the concentrate C and the additives A is performed very quickly and therefore occurs almost instantaneous with the pulling of the trigger 52. As a result, the startup time in which only water W enters the gun 40 can be neglected. Almost instantaneously with the pulling of the trigger 52, the pumps 22, 32 of the concentrate supply assembly 20 and the additives supply assembly 30 are actuated to force concentrate C and additives A at the determined flow rates to enter the gun 40. As shown in figure 2, the flows of water W, concentrate C and additives A are mixed in the mixing chamber 44. The water W dilutes the concentrate C into the windscreen washer fluid F with a certain strength or characteristics, which corresponds to the mixture as set by the customer. If chosen by the customer, the additives A add scent, debugging or other characteristics to the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid F. The obtained mixture of windscreen washer fluid F flows directly from the mixing chamber 44 into the nozzle 45 and is subsequently dispensed from the nozzle 45 of the gun 40 into the reservoir 90 of the car 91 as shown in figure 1.

Once the reservoir 90 is filled up to the desired level, the customer either promptly or gradually releases the trigger 52. The release of the trigger 52 causes the throttle valve 56 to close. The flow of water W is promptly or gradually stopped. The flow meter 71 sends a signal corresponding to the interruption or gradual reduction of the flow of water W. The programmable logic controller 74 subsequently communicates with the control circuit 75 to stop or gradually slow down the pumps 22, 32 in correspondence with the reduced flow of water W. As a result, the flow of concentrate C and additives A to the gun 40 is gradually reduced or interrupted. Once stopped, the inactive pumps 22, 32 act as shut valves. Although columns of water W, concentrate C and additives A are still present in the respective supply tube 14, 24, 34, the vacuum behind said columns holds back the columns. Thus, no substantial amount of water W, concentrate C or additives A can be dispensed from the gun 40. Furthermore, since the columns of water W, concentrate C and additives A are in separate supply tubes 14, 24, 34, the presence of the columns does not affect the mixture that is set by a next customer. The columns of water W, concentrate C and additives A will simply be displaced at different flow rates for the next mixture .

Alternatively, the gun 40 as shown in figure 2 can be provided with valves (not shown) , which close the separate supply tubes 14, 24, 34 near the mixing chamber 44. In this manner, the flows of water W, concentrate C and additives A can be selectively interrupted at the mixing chamber 44. Furthermore, by having the valves as close as possible to the mixing chamber 44, the residual amount of water W, concentrate C and additives A can be substantially reduced.

After the dispensing of the windscreen washer fluid F has been interrupted, the customer can either continue the dispensing by again pulling the trigger 52 or end the dispensing process by returning the gun 40 to the main body B of the device 1 as shown in figure 1. At the end of the dispensing process, the dispensing functionality of the device 1 is disabled again by closing the valve 72 to prevent any unauthorized dispensing. The programmable logic controller 74 switches back to the blocked mode. The payment is automatically finalized as the dispensing gun 40 is returned to the main body B. The customer can optionally print a receipt via the user interface. The customer pays for the amount of windscreen washer fluid F delivered at the set mixture, rather than having to pay for a standard quantity of bottled windscreen washer fluid.

The aforementioned device 1 is advantageous over the prior art because of the following reasons. As the windscreen washer fluid F is mixed in the device 1 rather than being offered in a bottled, premixed manner, the costs and environmental impact of the supply chain are significantly reduced. The dilution of the windscreen washer concentrate C takes place at the commercial location, as a result of which the volumes to be distributed to the commercial location can be reduced to the volume of concentrate C and the additives A. The concentrate C and the additives A in the concentrate tank 21 and the additives tank 31, respectively, can be replenished by bulk. The water W is already available at many commercial locations in the form of the water mains. Furthermore, no plastic bottles or other types of packaging are needed as the purchased windscreen washer fluid F is dispensed directly from the device 1 into the reservoir 90 of the car 91. This reduces the environmental impact and the recycling costs involved with disposing of the empty plastic containers used in the supply chain of premixed windscreen washer fluid. Also, in the dispensing device 1 according to the invention, the windscreen washer fluid F is transported in a more controlled and secure environment compared to the supply chain of the premixed windscreen washer fluid.

By providing the user interface 80, the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid F can be optimally customized by the customer to match the customers' needs or the prevailing weather conditions at the time.

By mixing as close as possible to the dispensing end, the amount of residual mixed windscreen washer fluid F that remains in the device 1 downstream of the mixing chamber 44, can be significantly reduced. Otherwise, a residual amount of already mixed windscreen washer fluid F mixed according to a mixture setting set by a previous customer remains in the supply tubes 14, 24, 34 leading to the gun 40, which residual amount can potentially affect delivery for the subsequent customer, who may have set a different mixture of windscreen washer fluid F. Furthermore, if the residual amount of already mixed windscreen washer fluid F exceeds the volume of the reservoir 90, then the subsequent customer would only receive the residual amount of already mixed windscreen washer fluid F instead of the mixture as set by the customer. This is particularly relevant as the volume of a typical windscreen washer fluid reservoir 90 is generally less than five liters and the volume of the supply tubes could exceed this amount. By providing an accurate amount of windscreen washer fluid F the customer is not left with left-overs of a previous season.

Figure 3 shows an alternative gun 140 according to a second embodiment of the invention. Apart from the alternative gun 140, the rest of the device 1 remains the same. Therefore, only the alternative gun 140 will be described hereafter in more detail.

As shown in figure 3, the alternative gun 140 comprises a hollow gun body 141 which, in a similar manner to the gun 40 according to the first embodiment of the invention, is provided with a barrel-like section 142 and a handgrip section 143. The barrel-like section 142 is provided with a mixing chamber 144 and a dispensing nozzle 145 at the dispensing end. The handgrip section 143 is provided with a trigger 152, a spring 155 biasing the trigger 152 to the un-pulled position and a throttle valve 56 operationally connected to the trigger 152 for closing or opening the diluent supply tube 14. The umbilical hose 60 is connected and sealed to the bottom of the handgrip section 143. The three supply tubes 14, 24, 34 are connected to the three inlets 146-148 at the bottom of the handgrip section 143.

The alternative gun 140 differs from the gun 40 according to the first embodiment of the invention in that the mixing chamber 144 is shaped according to the venturi principle, having a wide entry section 160, a narrow venturi channel 161 that extends along the longitudinal axis S and a wide mixing section 162. The diluent supply tube 14 enters or debouches axially into the wide entry section 160. The concentrate supply tube 24 and the additives supply tube 34 are housed in a branch section 153 of the gun housing 141, which extends, from the bottom of the handgrip section 143 to the middle of the barrel-like section 142. The branch section 153 extends in front and at a distance of the handgrip section 143, leaving a space 154 between the handgrip section 143 and the branch section 153 for the trigger 152 to be manually operated.

The concentrate supply tube 24 and the additives supply tube 34 extend through the branch section 153 and enter or debouche transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis S into the venturi channel 161. The flow of water W enters the venturi channel 161 as a main axial flow. Due to the narrowing of the venturi channel 161 with respect to the wide entry section 160, the main flow of water W is accelerated to a relatively high flow rate, thereby causing a local pressure drop at the venture section 161. The low pressure causes the concentrate C and optionally the additives A to be sucked into the venturi channel 161. The concentrate C and the additives A are then transported by the flow of water W to the mixing section 162 where the concentrate C and the additives A are mixed with the water W.

As the concentrate C and the additives A are sucked in by the low pressure in the venturi channel 161, the pumps 22, 32 as shown in figure 1 are not required anymore. The concentrate supply tube 24 and the additives supply tube 34 can simply be submerged directly in the concentrate tank 21 and the additives tank 31. In order to control the mixing ratios of the concentrate C and the additives A, the alternative gun 140 is provided with flow regulators 163, which are placed at the entry of the flow of concentrate C and the flow of additives A into the venturi channel 162. The flow regulators 163 can be electronically controlled by the programmable logic controller 74 to change the aperture of the supply tubes 14, 24, 34 debouching into the venturi channel 162, thereby changing the flow rate of the concentrate C and/or additives A flowing into the venturi channel 162.

Figure 4 shows a further alternative gun 240 according to a third embodiment of the invention. The further alternative gun 240 substantially corresponds to the alternative gun 140 as shown in figure 3. Components which are similar to the alternative gun 140 as shown in figure 3 are indicated in figures 4 with the same reference numbers. The further alternative gun 240 differs from the previously described alternative gun 140 in that the mixing ratios of the water W, the concentrate C and optionally the additives A are controlled manually at the gun 240, rather than electronically from the electronic components 70 and the user interface 80 at the main body B of the device 1. To this end, the further alternative gun 240 is provided with a manual mixture control 270 that replaces the venturi channel 161 in the mixing chamber 144.

As shown in more detail in figures 5A and 5B, the manual mixture control 270 comprises a cylindrical housing 271 with a central knob axis K, and a first rotary valve 280 and a second rotary valve 290, which are concentrically arranged within the housing 271 so as to be rotatable with respect to the knob axis K in a first rotation direction Rl and a second rotation direction R2, respectively. The second rotary valve 290 is independently rotatable within the boundary or the circumference of the first rotary valve 280.

The housing 271 is provided with a venturi channel 272 extending between the entry section 160 and the mixing section 162 of the mixing chamber 144. The venturi channel 272 has the same venturi effect as the venturi channel 161 as shown in figure 3. The housing 271 is provided with a concentrate inlet 273 and an additives inlet 274, which enter the housing 271 in a direction transverse to the venturi channel 272 from diametrically opposite directions. The concentrate inlet 273 and the additives inlet 274 enter or debouche transversely into the venturi channel 272 so that concentrate C and additives A can be sucked into the venturi channel 272. The housing 271 comprises a first valve slot 275 and a second valve slot 276, which intersect with the concentrate inlet 273 and the additives inlet 274, respectively. The rotary valves 280, 290 are inserted in the valve slots 275, 276 in a manner as described hereafter.

The first rotary valve 280 is provided with a cylindrical wall 281, a flange 282 at the bottom of the cylindrical wall 281 and a partial circumferential wall 283 extending downwards from the flange 282. The flange 282 rests on top of the housing 271 and the partial circumferential wall 283 extends into the first valve slot 275 in the housing 271. The first valve slot 275 allows for the partial circumferential wall 283 of the first rotary valve 280 to be slid into a position in front of the concentrate inlet 273. The partial circumferential wall 283 is provided with three passages or apertures 284, 285, 286 of increasing size or diameter, which apertures 284-286 can alternately be aligned with the concentrate inlet 273.

The first rotary valve 280 can be rotated in the first rotation direction Rl between three rotary positions, wherein in each position, one of the apertures 284-286 of the partial circumferential wall 283 is in front of the concentrate inlet 273, thereby restricting the inflow of concentrate C to a flow corresponding to the diameter of the chosen aperture 284-286. In this manner, the flow rate of the concentrate C can be set between a ow' , Medium' and ^igh' setting.

The second rotary valve 290 is provided with a cylindrical wall 291 with an external diameter that fits within the internal diameter of the cylindrical wall 281 of the first rotary valve 280. At the bottom of the cylindrical wall 291, the second rotary valve 290 is provided with a flange 292 and a partial circumferential wall 293 extending downwards from the flange 292. The flange 292 rests on top of the housing 271 and the partial circumferential wall 293 extends into the second valve slot 276 in the housing 271. The second valve slot 276 allows for the partial circumferential wall 293 of the second rotary valve 290 to be slid into a position in front of the additives inlet 274. In this example, the partial circumferential wall 293 is provided with a single passage or apertures 294 and a blind surface 295, which can alternately be aligned with the additives inlet 274.

The second rotary valve 290 can be rotated in the second rotation direction R2 between two rotary positions, wherein in the first rotary position, the single aperture 294 is aligned in front the additives inlet 274, and, in the second rotary position, the blind surface 295 is aligned in front of the additives inlet 274. In the first rotary position, the additives A are allowed to a flow into the venturi channel 272, whereas in the second rotary position, the blind surface 295 blocks the flow of additives A from flowing into the venturi channel 272. In this manner, the flow rate of the additives C can be switched between ^λοη' and off' , respectively.

As shown in figure 5A, the manual mixture control 270 is provided with a cap 277, which closes the housing 271. The cap 277 comprises a central opening through which the cylindrical walls 281, 291 of the rotary valves 280, 290 extend. The cap 277 confines the flanges 282, 292 of the rotary valves 280, 290 within the housing 271. The manual mixture control 270 is provided with a first control knob 278 and a second control knob 279, which extends through the center of the first control knob 278 and which can rotate within the perimeter or circumference of the first control knob 279. The first control knob 278 and the second control knob 279 are fixedly attached to cylindrical wall 281 of the first rotary valve 280 and the cylindrical wall 291 of the second rotary valve 290, respectively. The customer can rotate the control knobs 278, 279 in the rotation direction Rl, R2, which rotations Rl, R2 are directly transferred onto the rotary valves 280, 290. In this manner, the customer can set the rotary position of the rotary valves 280, 290 and thereby set the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid F being dispensed from the gun 40.

The manual mixture control 270 allows for manual adjustment of the mixture of windscreen washer fluid F prior to and during dispensing. Any adjustment is electronically transmitted to the programmable logic controller 74 of the device 1, which recalculates the amounts of windscreen washer fluid F being dispensed with a specific mixture during the dispensing process. Alternatively, the manual mixture control 270 is mechanically coupled to the trigger 52, so that, when the trigger 52 is pulled, the manual mixture control 270 becomes blocked. Thus, it is prevented that the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid F is changed during the dispensing process.

In a fourth embodiment of the invention (not shown) , the nozzles 45, 145, 245 of the aforementioned guns 40, 140, 240 are fitted with brush attachments or are replaced by brushes. The windscreen washer fluid F is dispensed through the brush attachment for manual cleaning of a windscreen, windows and/or headlights of the vehicle 91. Alternatively, the device 1 is provided with an additional umbilical hose through which water W, concentrate C and additives A are fed into a separate brush, which independently from the gun 40, 140, 240 mixes and dispenses windscreen washer fluid F for the aforementioned cleaning purposes.

It is to be understood that the above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiments and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. From the above discussion, many variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art that would yet be encompassed by the scope of the present invention.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Dispensing device for dispensing windscreen washer fluid into a fluid reservoir of a vehicle, wherein the dispensing device comprises a diluent supply assembly, a concentrate supply assembly and a dispensing gun at the dispensing end of dispensing device, wherein the diluent supply assembly is provided with a diluent source and a diluent supply tube that is in fluid connection with the diluent source, wherein the concentrate supply assembly is provided with a windscreen washer concentrate source and a concentrate supply tube that is in fluid connection with the windscreen washer concentrate source, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube extend from their respective sources to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the dispensing device, wherein the dispensing gun is provided with a mixing chamber, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube are in fluid connection with the mixing chamber for mixing diluent from the diluent source and concentrate from the concentrate source into windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device .

2. Dispensing device according to claim 1, comprising one or more additional supply assemblies for supplying additives to the mixture of windscreen washer fluid, wherein the one ore more additional supply assemblies are each provided with an additives source and an additives supply tube that is in fluid connection with the additives source, wherein the additives supply tube extends from additives source to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the dispensing device, wherein the additives supply tube is in fluid connection with the mixing chamber for adding additives to the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device .

3. Dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply tubes debouch separately or individually from each other into the mixing chamber.

4. Dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein the supply assemblies are fluidically separated from each other from their respective sources up to the debouching of the supply tubes into the mixing chamber.

5. Dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing gun is provided with a dispensing nozzle for insertion into the reservoir of the vehicle, wherein the mixing chamber debouches directly into the dispensing nozzle.

6. Dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supply tubes debouch into the mixing chamber at different angles with respect to each other .

7. Dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a concentrate pump for pumping concentrate from the concentrate source, via the concentrate supply tube into the mixing chamber.

8. Dispensing device according to any one of claims 2-7, comprising one or more additives pumps for pumping additives from the additives sources, via the additives supply tubes into the mixing chamber.

9. Dispensing device according to claim 7 or 8, comprising a flow meter that is placed in the diluent supply tube, wherein the flow meter is electronically connected to a control circuit for driving the concentrate pump and/or the additives pump in a set mixing ratio with respect to the flow rate of the diluent that is measured by the flow meter.

10. Dispensing device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the mixing chamber comprises a venturi channel, wherein the diluent supply tube debouches axially into the venturi channel, wherein the concentrate supply tube and/or the additives supply tubes debouche transversely into the venturi channel.

11. Dispensing device according to any one of claims 2-10, wherein the dispensing gun is provided with a manual mixture control, wherein the manual mixture control comprises a housing in which a first rotary valve and a second rotary valve are rotatably arranged, wherein the first rotary valve is arranged to intersect with the concentrate supply tube and wherein the second rotary valve is arranged to intersect with the additives supply tube, wherein one of the rotary valves is rotatable within the circumference of the other rotary valve.

12. Dispensing device according to claim 11, wherein the first rotary valve and the second rotary valve are independently rotatable around the same rotational axis.

13. Dispensing device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the manual mixture control is provided with a first control knob and a second control knob, which are fixedly attached to the first rotary valve and the second rotary valve, respectively, wherein one of the control knobs extends through the center of the other control knob.

14. Dispensing device according to any one of claims 11-13, wherein the first rotary valve is rotatable between a plurality of rotary positions, wherein the first rotary valve is provided with a plurality of apertures of different sizes, wherein the apertures are distributed over the first rotary valve such that in each of the rotary positions of the first rotary valve, one of the apertures is aligned with the concentrate supply tube for allowing a flow of concentrate to pass through the aperture into the mixing chamber at a flow rate, which corresponds to the size of the aligned aperture.

15. Dispensing device according to any one of claims 11-14, wherein the second rotary valve is rotatable between a first rotary position and a second rotary position, wherein the second rotary valve is provided with an aperture and a blind surface, wherein the aperture, in the first rotary position of the second rotary valve, is aligned with the additives supply tube for allowing a flow of additives to pass through the aperture into the mixing chamber, wherein the blind surface, in the second rotary position of the second rotary valve, prevents the flow of additives from passing into the mixing chamber.

16. Dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a main body, wherein the sources are provided within or enter into the main body and wherein at least part of the supply tubes extend outside the main body, wherein the part of the supply tubes extending outside the main body are as a group surrounded by an umbilical hose.

17. Dispensing device according to claim 16, wherein the umbilical hose is provided with a heating wire, which is activated when the outside temperature drops below a predetermined temperature level.

18. Dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a brush, which is attached to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the device.

19. Dispensing device according to claim 18, wherein the brush is detachably connected to the dispensing gun .

20. Dispensing device according to any one of claims 2-19, wherein the additives comprise scented fluids or debugging agents.

21. Vehicle servicing assembly provided with the dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing gun is part of a group of tools related to servicing a vehicle, comprising dispensing guns that supply petrol, gasoline, diesel, gas, hydrogen and/or air, or a vacuum cleaner.

22. Method for delivering windscreen washer fluid to a fluid reservoir of a vehicle with the use of a dispensing device, wherein the dispensing device comprises a diluent supply assembly, a concentrate supply assembly and a dispensing gun at the dispensing end of dispensing device, wherein the diluent supply assembly is provided with a diluent source and a diluent supply tube that is in fluid connection with the diluent source, wherein the concentrate supply assembly is provided with a windscreen washer concentrate source and a concentrate supply tube that is in fluid connection with the windscreen washer concentrate source, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube extend from their respective sources to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the dispensing device, wherein the dispensing gun is provided with a mixing chamber, wherein the diluent supply tube and the concentrate supply tube are in fluid connection with the mixing chamber, wherein the method comprises the step of mixing diluent from the diluent source and concentrate from the concentrate source into windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device.

23. Method according to claim 22, wherein the dispensing device comprises one or more additional supply assemblies for supplying additives to the mixture of windscreen washer fluid, wherein the one ore more additional supply assemblies are each provided with an additives source and an additives supply tube that is in fluid connection with the additives source, wherein the additives supply tube extends from additives source to the dispensing gun at the dispensing end of the dispensing device, wherein the additives supply tube is in fluid connection with the mixing chamber, wherein the method comprises the step of adding additives to the mixture of the windscreen washer fluid in the mixing chamber at the dispensing end of the dispensing device .

24. Method according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the dispensing device comprises a user interface, which is electronically connected to electronic components for measuring and controlling the flow rates of the concentrate and/or the additives with respect to the flow rate of the diluent, wherein the method comprises setting the desired mixture via the user interface, transferring the mixture setting to the electronic components, converting the mixture settings in the electronic components into flow rates of the concentrate and/or the additives in a determined ratio with respect to the flow rate of the diluent, wherein the determined ratio affects the mixture of windscreen washer fluid, which is obtained by mixing the flows of diluent, concentrate and/or additives in the mixing chamber.

25. Method according to claim 24, wherein the user interface and/or the electronic components are connected to the internet, wherein the method comprises the step of accessing the user interface and/or the electronic components via the internet from a remote location and setting or changing the available mixture settings presented at the user interface. o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

RM/FG