DE102010043274A1 - dishwasher - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a dishwasher, in particular a household dishwasher, with which at least one washing program can be carried out with a plurality of sub-program steps (V, R, Z, K, T) and with which during a sub-program step rinse aid (K) a rinse aid addition (KZ1 ) can be carried out, wherein a program section for releasing fat deposits can be carried out before the sub-program step rinse (K). According to the invention, rinse aid (KZ2) can be added during the program section for removing fat deposits on washware to be cleaned and / or dried and / or in the hydraulic circuit of the dishwasher.

Description

The invention relates to a dishwasher, in particular a domestic dishwasher, with the at least one washing program with a plurality of partial program steps is feasible, and with a rinse aid during a partial program step rinsing a rinse aid addition is feasible, a program section for dissolving fat deposits on to be cleaned and / or To be dried items to be dried and / or in the hydraulic circuit of the dishwasher before the subprogram step rinsing is feasible.

Dishwashers, in particular domestic dishwashers, continuous washing programs for cleaning and drying of items to be washed, a plurality of partial program steps, such as. As prewash, cleaning, intermediate rinsing, rinsing and drying may include. The energy consumption of dishwashers can z. B. can be reduced by the maximum temperature, the rinse liquor, d. H. detergent added water is heated during the cleaning sub-step is reduced. Due to their high cleaning performance at relatively low temperatures in the range of 40 ° Celsius, so-called low-temperature cleaners allow the cleaning performance to be kept substantially constant despite the lowered temperature. However, this has the consequence that it can lead to unwanted fat deposits, z. B. on the items to be cleaned and / or on plastic parts of the dishwasher, such as pumps, screens or hoses that form the hydraulic circuit of a dishwasher, with which the items to be cleaned with z. B. heated water is applied. Such fatty deposits can be removed by means of a program section for dissolving fatty deposits, while the z. For example, grease deposit cleaning agents may be added or the recirculated wash liquor heated to a temperature at which grease deposits dissolve. However, after deactivating the heating, the rinsing liquor cools again, with the consequence that the dissolved fat from the rinsing liquor precipitates and backreasing can form.

It is therefore an object of the invention to remedy this situation.

For this purpose, the invention provides that a rinse aid addition can be carried out during the program section for dissolving fatty deposits, so that rinse aid is added to the water. Thus, it is ensured in a surprisingly simple manner that by the action of the rinse aid, the dissolved fats do not accumulate again and cause re-oiling, but remain in the dissolved state until the rinsing liquor contaminated with dissolved fats is pumped out of the dishwasher. It is thus achieved that the items to be cleaned and / or plastic parts of the dishwasher, such as pumps, sieves or hoses, which form the hydraulic circuit of a dishwasher, are substantially free of fatty deposits. To carry out the addition of rinse aid, an addition unit may be used which is designed to add cleaning agents during a first part program step of a rinsing program with a cleaning action and for adding rinse aid during the rinsing step.

In the program section for dissolving fat deposits may, for. B. to a partial program step prewash, during which the items to be washed with water without detergent or rinse aid addition to solve coarse soiling and remove or to a sub-program step intermediate rinsing, during which the cleaned items is treated with water to cleaner residues and rinse residues to remove. During the subprogram steps of pre-rinsing and intermediate rinsing, it is possible, unlike a rinsing-out of the items to be washed with unheated water, to supply the ware with heated water in order to dissolve the fatty deposits. Preferably, however, it is provided that the program section for releasing grease deposits is a partial program step cleaning, is already provided in the Spülprogrammtechnisch to be cleaned items to be cleaned with detergent addition to heated water. In this case, the fat-dissolving effect of the cleaning agent is increased by the heated rinsing, which is applied to the cleaned items to be cleaned during the program step cleaning and at the same time ensures that the dissolved fats do not accumulate again when the heated water cools again after reaching the maximum temperature.

Finally, the program section for releasing fat deposits may be a single program for degreasing the dishwasher, which is carried out, for example, before a washing program for cleaning and drying items to be washed is carried out, eg. B. on a manual release of an operator. In this case, the program section for releasing fat deposits is not part of a multi-step washing program, but a separately selectable operating mode of the dishwasher.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the rinse aid addition during the partial cleaning program step after the detergent addition is feasible. This ensures that First, during the cleaning part-program step, the added cleaning agent can fully develop its cleaning effect and only in a second section of the sub-program step cleaning by the rinse aid addition a re-greasing is avoided. However, it is also possible to carry out the addition of rinse aid during the cleaning sub-step before the detergent is added in order to effect degreasing with the heating water and then to remove further soiling, in particular on the items to be washed, by addition of detergent.

During the sub-program step cleaning, therefore, the circulated rinsing liquor, i. H. water mixed with cleaning agents, heated to a maximum temperature by means of a heating device, which may be designed as a water heater or as a heating pump for the simultaneous heating and conveying of wash liquor. Subsequently, the heating device is deactivated, but the partial program step cleaning by applying the items to be washed with the slowly cooling rinsing liquor continues. It is preferably provided that the rinse aid addition after reaching the maximum temperature during the partial program step cleaning is feasible, d. H. the addition of rinse aid takes place at a time during which the rinsing liquor heated to the maximum temperature slowly cools down. This makes it possible to achieve a particularly good cleaning result and at the same time fat removal by addition of rinse aid without additional operation of the heating device. In this case, the addition of the cleaning agent in the sub-program step cleaning takes place before reaching the maximum temperature. This allows the added detergent to reach its maximum cleaning effect upon reaching the maximum temperature.

However, it is also possible to carry out the addition of rinse aid prior to reaching the maximum temperature during the partial program step of cleaning, as well as to carry out the detergent addition, or to carry out the addition of detergent after reaching the maximum temperature.

It is further preferably provided that the amount of rinse aid to be fed during the partial program step is less than the amount of rinse aid added during the rinse step, as this smaller amount is sufficient to keep dissolved fats in solution. However, in the case of particularly heavy fatting, it may be provided to significantly increase the amount of rinse aid added during the cleaning step, for example to two to three times the amount of rinse aid added during the rinse step. For this purpose, the addition unit of the dishwasher can be used by multiple dosing a predetermined rinse aid dose or alternatively, the addition unit for adding two different rinse aid doses is formed, once for rinse aid during the rinse step partial program step and once for rinse aid addition during the cleaning sub-step.

The formation of fat deposits depends on many factors, such as: B of the selected wash program, if the wash programs differ in terms of their temperature to which the wash liquor is heated or the items to be washed and its stains and the detergents and rinse aids used. Therefore, degreasing is not required during each wash cycle. Preferably, in one embodiment, a solid fat sensor for detecting fat deposition and / or a liquid fat sensor for detecting dissolved in the wash liquor fats is provided, wherein upon detection of exceeding a threshold by the solid fat and / or liquid fat sensor rinse aid during the program section for removing Fat deposits can be performed. For example, the solid fat sensor for detecting fat deposition may be a turbidity sensor for detecting the turbidity of the rinsing liquor, the output of which is changed by depositing fat on entrance and exit surfaces of an optical measuring signal. Thus, no additional sensor is required. Alternatively, a liquid fat sensor can be used, which allows to immediately detect fats dissolved in the rinsing liquor.

In a further preferred embodiment, it is provided that, after exceeding a predetermined number of at least one partial program step of a washing program, the program section for removing fatty deposits with a rinse aid addition is feasible. Thus, the circumstance can be taken into account in a simple manner that fat deposits can be formed by repeated operation of the dishwasher, in particular at low temperatures.

In a preferred embodiment, the dishwasher has measuring means with which it can be ascertained whether rinse aid is present for at least two rinse aid additions, and also control means for generating an error signal if insufficient rinse aid is present for this purpose. Thus, it is detected if, despite the rinse aid addition provided by the rinse program during the program section, fat deposits can not be removed because insufficient rinse aid is present or an addition to this program time is possible, but no longer rinsing during the partial program step. that although the grease deposits could be successfully removed, but not the drying result during the sub-program step rinse is satisfactory.

It is preferably provided that the control means of the dishwasher with optical and / or acoustic display means for implementing the error signal are in communication, so that an operator by optical and / or acoustic signals, for example in the form of a signal light in a control panel of the dishwasher or due to a Warningtons when starting the dishwasher to be pointed out the too low amount of rinse aid.

Furthermore, it can preferably be provided that it can be determined with the measuring means that rinse aid is present for at least one addition of rinse aid, in particular during the rinse step of the partial program. The control means can be designed for this case in such a way that a rinse aid addition per se provided by the program during the program section is hidden and likewise a corresponding optical and / or acoustic signal is generated for the purpose of informing an operator.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a rinsing method for operating a dishwasher, in particular a domestic dishwasher, during which at least one program section for dissolving fat deposits on to be cleaned and / or to be dried ware and / or in the hydraulic circuit of the dishwasher is performed, which is provided according to the invention, that a rinse aid addition is made during the program section for dissolving grease deposits to add rinse aid to the rinse liquor.

Advantageous developments of the rinsing process are specified in the subclaims.

In the following the invention will be explained with reference to a drawing.

Show it:

1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a dishwasher according to the invention, and

2 a temperature profile of an embodiment of a rinsing method according to the invention.

It is going on first 1 Referenced.

Shown in the present embodiment, a dishwasher designed as a household dishwasher GS, which has a washing container SB, in the dishes to be cleaned on extendable crockery baskets (not shown) can be arranged. For loading the arranged in the baskets with z. B. water is a hydraulic system provided, the z. B. may have rotating spray arms (not shown), the liquid-conducting with a circulating pump (not shown) are connected, can be promoted to the spray arms with the dripping water from the items to be washed. In this case, a heating device (not shown) is provided for heating the water in the hydraulic system. To open the rinse container in order to load and / or unload the baskets, a door TU is provided. For selecting a wash program from a plurality of wash programs with different cleaning performance and / or program duration and starting this wash program, the dishwasher GS has a control panel BL with wash program selection switches (not shown) and optical display means AZ.

On the inside of the door TU, d. H. with the door TU in the interior of the washing container SB, an addition unit ZU is arranged, which can be provided with detergent and rinse aid before starting the dishwasher. In this case, the addition unit ZU communicates with the control means SM of the dishwasher GS, for example in the form of control electronics, in order to effect cleaning at least during a partial program step cleaning R and during a partial program step rinsing K a rinse aid addition.

In this case, the addition unit ZU is designed to dispense a pulverulent or tablet-form solid detergent while the rinse aid is in liquid form. However, it is also conceivable to use an addition unit which allows the delivery of both solid detergent and rinse aid or a solid rinse aid and a liquid detergent.

It is now additionally on 2 Referenced.

Shown is an embodiment of a washing program, which in addition to the partial program steps cleaning R and rinse K includes the further partial program steps pre-rinse V, intermediate rinsing Z and drying T, wherein said individual sub-program steps can also be hidden and / or executed multiple times.

During the pre-rinse V program step, the items to be washed are pre-cleaned with unheated water without the addition of detergent or rinse aid, in order to dissolve and remove coarse soiling. However, in order to increase the cleaning performance during the preprocessing part program step V, it may also be provided to heat the water.

After a wash liquor change, ie a partial or complete pumping out of the water used during the partial program step pre-wash V and a refilling of the dishwasher GS, the partial program step cleaning R is performed, in which by the heater, the circulated wash liquor or water is heated to a maximum temperature T _MAX and then slowly cool again when the heater is switched off. In this case, at a time t1, before the maximum temperature T _{MAX was} reached, a detergent addition RZ made, which dissolve the detergent in the water in the sequence and develop their maximum cleaning effect when reaching the maximum temperature T _MAX . At the same time, even before reaching the maximum temperature T _MAX fat deposits dissolve and go into solution. Subsequently, while the rinsing liquor has already cooled, a rinse aid specification KZ2 is carried out at a time t2 during the subprogram step cleaning R in order to keep in solution the fats dissolved upon reaching the maximum temperature T _MAX . Subsequently, the partial program step cleaning R is continued, that is, by operation of the circulation pump UP, the items to be cleaned are further charged with the washing solution, now mixed with cleaning agents and rinse aid.

The subprogram step cleaning R is followed by a subprogram step intermediate rinsing Z, which is connected to a draining process of the used rinsing liquor and a refilling of the dishwasher GS with water and during which the cleaned ware is treated with water to remove cleaner residues and rinse residues. In this case, the dissolved fats from the dishwasher GS are promoted by the pumping. It is thus achieved that the items to be cleaned and / or plastic parts of the dishwasher, such as pumps, sieves or hoses, which form the hydraulic circuit of a dishwasher, are substantially free of fatty deposits.

This is followed by the penultimate part program step, the final rinse K, which is again introduced by a pumpdown process and a refilling process of the dishwasher GS with water. During rinsing K, the water added with rinse aid is heated to a drying temperature T _T by starting up the heating device and during this time the wash ware is charged with this liquid. The drying temperature T _T is chosen so high that a substantially stain-free drying of the items to be washed is ensured by self-heat drying. However, if the dishwasher GS has an absorption drying system for drying the items to be washed, for example, a reversibly dehydratable material such. B. zeolite, heating to such high temperatures is not necessary. A rinse aid addition KZ1 takes place at a time t3, wherein the rinse aid addition KZ1 comprises the addition of a larger amount of rinse aid than the rinse aid addition KZ2 during the subprogram step cleaning R.

Subsequently, the last sub-program step drying T, while no action is taken on the now cleaned items to be washed with liquid, but the items to be washed z. B. dries due to its own heat or dried by commissioning the absorption drying system, so that at the end of the partial program step drying T cleaned and dried items can be removed from the washing container SB of the dishwasher GS.

The rinse aid addition KZ2 provided during the program step cleaning R as a fixed program step can be carried out in each wash program run and stored, for example, in the control means SM. Alternatively it can be provided that by means of suitable sensors (such as eg solid or liquid sensors) a deposit formation by a fat deposit or the fat content of the circulated water or the rinsing liquor can be detected, for example by the use of turbidity sensors as solid fat sensors, at their passage surfaces for a beam of light form fat deposits and weaken the measurement signal.

In a further embodiment, it can be provided that an operator manually with the aid of a selector switch on the control panel BL (not shown) can trigger a rinse aid KZ2 during the program step cleaning R to hold unwanted fatty deposits in solution and remove it from the dishwasher GS.

The addition unit ZU is designed to add the two rinse aid additions KZ1 and KZ2 and has a correspondingly large reservoir for a plurality of such rinse aid additions, so that the rinse aid addition does not have to be filled with rinse aid each time the dishwasher is put into operation. In the present exemplary embodiment, the adding unit has ZU measuring means (not shown), with which it can be determined whether sufficient rinse aid for the two rinse aid additions KZ1 and KZ2 is present in the addition unit ZU. If this is not the case, generate the control means SM an error signal FS, which is formed in the present embodiment as an optical display means formed display means AZ an operator, so that is excluded that due to lack of rinse aid, there is no degreasing of the dishwasher and / or of the items to be washed through the addition of rinse aid KZ2 and / or satisfactory drying result through the addition of rinse aid KZ1.

In a further embodiment it can be provided that, moreover, the measuring means are designed to determine whether sufficient rinse aid for the rinse aid addition KZ2 is present during the partial program step cleaning R, but no longer for the rinse aid addition during the partial program step rinsing KZ1. Also in this case, an operator can be given an indication by means of the display means AZ, so that it is excluded that due to the rinse aid KZ2 during the part program step cleaning R degreasing the dishwasher GS and / or the dishes done, but due to lack of rinse aid no Rinse aid addition KZ1 can be carried out during the rinse K partial program step, which negatively influences the drying result at the end of the rinsing program.

For fat removal, z. B. during the sub-program step cleaning R, may be additionally provided that during the wash program, the maximum cleaning temperature T _{MAX is raised} in the presence of obesity when z. B these were sensory detected or a program for degreasing the dishwasher GS is provided. In order to further reduce the energy consumption can be provided to control the hydraulic system with the spray arms and the circulation pump such that a loading of the items to be washed with a heated rinse liquor is largely avoided by z. B. the circulating pump is operated at low speed and so exits the spray arms so that they do not reach the items to be washed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

AZ

display means

BL

cover

FS

error signal

GS

dishwasher

K

rinsing

KZ1

rinse aid

KZ2

rinse aid

R

Clean

RZ

cleaner addition

SB

rinse tank

SM

control means

T

dry

T _MAX

maximum temperature

T _T

dry temperature

TU

door

V

prewash

Z

intermediate rinse

TO

adding unit

Claims (16)

Dishwasher, in particular domestic dishwasher, with the at least one washing program with a plurality of partial program steps (V, R, Z, K, T) is feasible, and with a rinse aid (KZ1) during a partial program step rinsing (K) a rinse aid addition, wherein a program section for releasing grease deposits on items to be cleaned and / or to be dried and / or in the hydraulic circuit of the dishwasher before the program step rinsing (K) is feasible, characterized in that a rinse aid addition (KZ2) can be carried out during the program section for dissolving fat deposits , Dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that the program section for loosening fat deposits is a partial program step cleaning (R) of a washing program, is applied to the cleaned items to be cleaned under detergent addition (RZ) with heated water. Dishwasher according to claim 2, characterized in that the rinse aid addition (KZ2) during the sub-program step cleaning (R) after the detergent addition (RZ) is feasible. Dishwasher according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the rinse aid addition (KZ2) after reaching a predetermined maximum temperature (T _MAX ) during the partial program step cleaning (R) is feasible. Dishwasher according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that during the first part program step cleaning (R) can be fed rinse aid amount is less than the rinse aid (K) during a partial program step deliverable amount of rinse aid. Dishwasher according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a solid fat sensor for detecting fat deposition and / or a liquid fat sensor for detecting in the rinsing solution of dissolved fats is provided, wherein a Exceeding a threshold value of the sensor, the rinse aid addition (KZ2) can be carried out. Dishwasher according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that after exceeding a predetermined number of passing through at least one washing program, a rinse aid addition (KZ2) is feasible. Dishwasher according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by measuring means for determining whether rinse aid for at least one and / or two rinse aid additions (KZ1, KZ2) is present and control means (SM) for generating an error signal (FS), if not enough rinse aid present is. Method for operating a dishwasher, in particular a domestic dishwasher, during which at least one washing program with a plurality of partial program steps (V, R, Z, K, T) is performed, and during a partial program step rinsing (K) carried out a rinse aid addition (KZ1) is carried out, wherein a program section for releasing fat deposits on the items to be cleaned and / or dried in the hydraulic circuit of the dishwasher before the subprogram step rinsing (K) is performed, characterized in that during the program section for dissolving fat deposits a rinse aid ( KZ2) is performed. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the program section is a partial program step cleaning (R) of a washing program, is applied to the cleaned items to be cleaned under detergent addition (RZ) with heated water. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the rinse aid addition (KZ2) during the subprogram step cleaning (R) after the detergent addition (RZ) is performed. A method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the rinse aid addition (KZ2) after reaching a predetermined maximum temperature (T _MAX ) during the sub-program step cleaning (R) takes place. Method according to one of Claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the amount of rinse aid added during the partial program step is less than the amount of rinse aid added during the final rinse step (K). Method according to one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that on detecting a exceeding of a threshold value by a solid fat sensor for detecting fat deposition and / or by a liquid fat sensor for detecting fats dissolved in the rinsing liquor the rinse aid addition (KZ2) is performed. Method according to one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that after exceeding a predetermined number of passing through at least one washing program, a rinse aid addition (KZ2) is performed. Method according to one of claims 9 to 15, characterized by the following steps: - Determine whether rinse aid for at least one and / or two rinse aid additions (KZ1, KZ2) is present, and - Generate an error signal (FS) if there is not enough rinse aid.

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