EP1532917A1

EP1532917A1 - Household-type dishwashing machine with improved light indicators

Info

Publication number: EP1532917A1
Application number: EP03026778A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enrico Brambilla
Original assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Current assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Priority date: 2003-11-21
Filing date: 2003-11-21
Publication date: 2005-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2023-11-21
Also published as: ES2253628T3; EP1532917B1; ATE315906T1; DE60303251T2; DE60303251D1

Abstract

Diswashing machine provided with a washing vessel (1) and comprising one or more of the following devices: a filter arrangement (5) for straining the washing liquor, a salt reservoir (3) for holding the salt needed to regenerate water-softening substances, a rinse aid dispenser (40), a washing aid dispenser (30), at least a rotating spray arm (4), in which there are provided one or more light indicator means (9,25,33,43,55), each one of which is applied on a respective device, or in close proximity thereof, said machine being provided with means adapted to supply said light indicator means (9,25,33,43,55) with respective signals depending on and indicative of the operating state of the corresponding device. According to definite variants in the embodiment of the present invention, said indicator means (9,25,33,43,55) constitute the terminal portions of respective light guides that are adapted to receive the light being generated inside the machine itself. Preferably, the light emitted by said indicator means is variously modulated in its intensity and can tale different colours.

Description

The present invention refers to an improved kind of dishwashing machine, preferably of the type for use in households, which is particularly simple and convenient to use and operate, even by an average user who is rather unskilled from a technical point of view.
Dishwashing machines of the currently marketed kind are largely known to be provided with a control panel arranged on top of the machine, on which there are provided not only the control means needed to operate the machine, but also those devices which are intended to indicate the various operating phases being carried out by the machine, as well as the possible occurrence of conditions in the operation of the machine which require particular attention on the part of the user.
Among all these indications, particularly useful and valuable are those concerning the state of efficiency, or the effectiveness, of the filter for the washing liquor, the filling level of the salt reservoir, as well as the filling level of the rinse aid and detergent dispenser and the spray arm status.
In the great majority of the cases, these warning signals are supplied to the user by means of light indications, which are in practice indicator lights arranged on said control panel. However, although such warning or indicator lights are arranged on the top side of the machine and, as such, well visible to the user, they can anyway leave a not particularly skilled user rather uncertain about the kind of information he/she is being actually supplied with and/or the actual device being involved by the indication itself and possibly needing servicing.
As a matter of fact, it is a rather common occurrence among users to experience some uncertainty when trying to associate a warning indication given by a lamp lighting up on the control panel with a related, particular device situated inside the machine and solely accessible by opening the door of the washing vessel of the machine itself. This fact is experienced mostly bacause, when the user is looking inside the tub, its attention is deviated brom observing also the control panel warnings.
These circumstances are well known to all those skilled in the art, so that they do not need any further explanation or discussion here.
In addition, there is one particular process variable that is not usually indicated since most of machines are not actually using a means of detecting it. This operating variable refers actually to the filling state of the detergent dispenser.
It would therefore be desirable, and is actually a main object of the present invention, to provide a dishwashing machine which is capable of doing away with the above-described drawbacks and, in particular, additionally comprises one or more light indicator means, each one of which is applied on a respective device, or in close proximity thereof and is easily visible when opening the door giving access to the washing vessel of the machine, and looking thereinto. This machine must be further provided with appropriate means adapted to send respective signals to such light indication means depending on and indicative of the operating state of the corresponding devices.
Within this general object, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide a dishwashing machine of the above indicated kind, which is capable of being manufactured using readily available techniques, means and devices that are easy and safe to both use and manufacture, thereby ensuring low production costs altogether
According to the present invention, these aims, along with further ones that will become apparent from the following description, are reached in a dishwashing machine incorporating the characteristics and features as recited in the appended claims. Features and advantages of the present invention will anyway be more readily understood from the description that is given below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a symbolical perspective view of the bottom of the washing vessel of a dishwashing machine according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the washing liquor filter along the median-section plane thereof;
Figures 3 and 3A are an elevational front view and a related median cross-sectional view, respectively, of a device according to the present invention shown in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the salt reservoir along the median sectional plane thereof;
Figures 5A and 5B are an elevational front view and a related median cross-sectional view, respectively, of a second device according to the present invention shown in Figure 4;
Figures 6 and 7 are top plan views of an integrated assembly of two reservoirs for holding and dispensing washing aids, as shown with the related cover in its closed and its opened positions, respectively, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figures 8 and 9 are a perspective view and a planar side view, respectively, of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to Figure 1, in a dishwashing machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a vessel 1 for accommodating the items to be washed, in which there protrude a cap 2 of the washing liquor filter and a cap 3 of the salt reservoir. In addition, Figure 1 also illustrates a rotating spray arm 4 used to spray washing liquor onto the items to be washed.
With reference to Figure 2, said filter also comprises, further to the above-cited cap 2, a filter body 5 and a protective hollow support in an elongated, substantially cylindrical shape. The cap 2 itself is made of a clear, see-through material and is preferably provided with through-perforations 2 a. Said protective hollow support 6 is constituted by a cylinder that is open at an end portion thereof and closed on the opposite end portion thereof; the closed end portion 7 of said cylinder is directed upwards and faces the inner surface of said cap 2, whereas the open end portion 8 of said cylinder is used to fit the support itself into the structure of the machine, as well as to let the electric connecting wires pass therethrough, as this will be explained below in greater detail. A light emitting means 9 is arranged inside said protective hollow support, in the proximity of said upper closed end portion 7, and is supplied with power via appropriate electric connecting wires 14 that are connected to the control and regulation means of the machine (not shown in the Figures).
Said light emitting means 9 can of course be any appropriate device fitting the particular purpose and, preferably, is a LED, or light-emitting diode. In order to let the emitted light filter outside, i.e. towards and through said cap 2, at least the upper portion of said hollow protective support is provided so as to be appropriately transparent. For this reason, said hollow protective support 6 is moulded integrally from an appropriate plastic material, preferably polypropylene.
In order to ensure a substantial flexibility of this hollow protective support 6 with respect to the machine frame, and therefore an inherent capacity thereof to withstand accidental shocks and bumps, the lower open end portion 8 of said hollow protective support 6 is suitably applied on to an appropriate elastic insert 12, which in turn is applied on a terminal bush 13 to consolidate the position of said hollow protective support 8 with respect to said filter, as .well as to ensure the ultimate water tightness of the inner volume of said hollow protective support against any penetration of water.
Preferably, said elastic insert 12 is made of rubber and is first coinjected on said terminal bush 13, and then said assembly, comprising said support 6 (the illuminator) is mounted to a proper hole pre-existing in the sump bottom.
With reference to Figures 4, 5A and 5B, the salt reservoir, whose cover 3 is shown in Figure 1, substantially comprises a body 20 adapted to hold the salt, and a hollow protective support 21, which is constituted by a cylinder that is open on an extremity thereof and closed on the other one. The closed extremity 22 of said cylinder is directed upwards in the same way as in the previously considered case, and faces the transparent cap 23 of said cover 3, whereas the open extremity 24 thereof is used to apply the support 21 to the structure of the machine, as well as to enable the electric connection wires to pass therethrough; in exactly the same way as in the previously considered case, a respective light-emitting means 25 is arranged inside said protective support 21, in the upper portion thereof.
The general conformation of said support 21, the connection thereof to the structure of the machine, the nature of said light-emitting means are fully similar to the ones described afore in connection with the washing liquor filter, so that they shall not be dealt with here any further for the sake of brevity. It should only be noticed that, in this case, no means are used in view of ensuring a substantial flexibility of the protective support 21, owing to the fact that no such flexibility is required in the case of the salt reservoir, actually.
Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, these can be noticed to show a top view of an assembly of containers for holding the products being used during the washing process and, respectively, a top view of the same assembly, in which the covers of said containers are opened. This assembly shall of course be understood as being preferably applied on to the inner surface of the door of the dishwashing machine, and Figures 6 and 7, which are generally defined as "top views", shall therefore be understood as being such when looking the inside of the door when the latter is fully opened.
Let the detergent reservoir 30 now be considered. On a side of an edge of said reservoir 30 there are provided three slits 33, that constitute the seats of respective terminal portions of corresponding light guides, not shown as being well-known in the art.
With particular reference to Figure 6, said reservoir 30 is closable by means of a usual cover 35, which is actuated to open by known means at the exact moment of the cycle when the detergent contained therein is to be dispensed into the washing vessel.
According to the present invention, in said cover there are provided some through-apertures 32, which are arranged so as to lie exactly over said slits 33, in mutual agreement therewith, so that when said light guides carry a respective light beam, the light that shows up in the related ones of said terminal portions is able 'to diffuse over said reservoir and, in particular, to spread beyond said cover 35 by passing through said through-apertures 32, for eventually spreading outside, where it can therefore be noticed by a user looking at the inside of the door, when the latter is of course open.
Conclusively, if the dishwashing machine is provided with means adapted to detect any information whatsoever concerning the detergent and/or the corresponding reservoir, this information can be converted with known means into a light beam which, when duly channelled in an appropriate light guide, spreads out from said through-apertures, thereby providing the user with the desired information. In addition, the latter will be much more readily and easily identifiable, since it is supplied right in the proximity of the actual component part or function which it refers to and which it is meant to indicate as needing user's attention, both when the cover is closed and when it is open.
The kind of solution that has been just described above may be variated by the following different semplified embodiment: referring again to Figures 6 and 7, these can be noticed to further illustrate the rinsing aid dispenser 40, the related cover 41, and a jutting fixed portion 42 that is juxtaposed to said cover 41, but is not actuatable in any manner in view of causing it to displace; in this case, on the outer surface of said jutting portion 42 there are provided a plurality of respective slits 43, in which respective light guides (not shown) terminate.
Similarly to the previously discussed case, these light guides are used to transport light beams that carry information (as detected with known means that shall not be described here) concerning the rinsing aid dispenser 40.
The solution that has been just described above has the advantage of being simpler.
As a result, it is now possible to fully and readily understand that the two different solutions illustrated above in connection with the case of the detergent reservoir and the rinse aid dispenser are fully interchangeable as far as a surface is available contiguously to one of said reservoirs/dispensers, where the slits in which the respective light guides terminate can be provided.
Finally, with reference to Figures 8 and 9, the present invention can also be advantageously extended, through appropriate adaptations, to also cover the case of the indications relating to the correct operation of the rotating spray arms.
The rotating spray arms are in fact generally known to be subject to accidental stoppages, i.e. to become locked, due to a number of different reasons, thereby impairing of course the operation of the entire machine. A proper detection of the state of the rotating spray arms can be implemented through the use of means, which are largely known in the art and shall therefore not be described here any further; according to a variant in the embodiment of the present invention, said information on the operating condition of the rotating spray arms 50 is converted into a beam of light that is then transmitted along an appropriate light guide 51 contained in the arm 52 supporting the respective rotating spray arrangement.
This light beam can be easily generated by light sources 53, sealed and electrically insulated, placed into the tub back portion, where the arm is connected to the water supply, arranged at an extremity 54, situated inside the machine, of said light guide; at the other extremity thereof, the light being emitted there is either diffused directly outside or, alternatively is sent towards a transparent body 55 which transfers this light outside, i. e. inside the washing wessel.
It can be readily appreciated that once the possibility to convey a ominous signal representing in a coded form the actual operation of a particular item placed in the washing tub, has been achieved, then said possibility can be advantageously exploited to transmit different types of light beams.
As a matter of fact, a light beam can be modulated in various manners according to the type of information that it is intended to convey: in particular, it can be formed by a continuous beam of light or an intermittently flashing beam of light, in the case where the ability to draw the attention of the user shall be desirably increased or, more generally, whenever a more conspicuous signal than the one conveyable with a continuous beam of light is to be desirably transmitted.
For reasons of greater simplicity, a description of the considerable number of possibilities existing for the light to be modulated in different and much more complex manners, which are however scarcely discernible by a user, shall be omitted here.
A certainly much more extended manner of taking profit from the afore-described devices lies in channelling into and through these devices, and particularly into and through the light guides, distinct light beams of different colour.
Therefore, by associating a particular colour of the light beam conveyed to a different task performed by or operating condition of a component part of the machine, the possibility arises for definite differentiated messages to be conveyed in a manner that is most immediate, and certainly not mistakable by the user, wherein these light messages, as duly coloured and/or modulated in an appropriately pre-coded manner, are in fact to be watched and read exactly on or in close proximity of the component parts, which they refer to.
The above-mentioned variants and improvements are furthermore capable of being implemented without any significant addition of charges, as well as without incurring any particular functional risk, since the techniques to be used for modulating light beams in pre-existing physical channels, or for transmitting different types or differently coloured light beams through said same physical channels, are largely known in the art and easily applied to the present invention.
Finally it should be noted that the invention is not limited to dishwashing machines, but shall be applicable to all kinds of household appliances where it is' known to indicate signals, especially warning signals, on the respective control panel. For example it is possible to indicate in a similar way missing washing detergent or blocked draining pump in a washing machine or a clogged filter element in a clothes drying machine. Further applications also in different household appliances shall also be included.

Claims

Dishwashing machine provided with a washing vessel (1) and further comprising one or more of the following devices:

a filter arrangement for straining the washing liquor,

a salt reservoir for holding the salt needed to regenerate water-softening substances,

a rinse aid dispenser (40),

a washing aid dispenser (30),

at least one rotating spray arm (50) for the circulation of the washing liquor inside the vessel,

characterized in that it further comprises one or more light indicator means (9, 25, 33, 43, 55), each one of which is applied on a respective device, or in close proximity thereof, said machine being provided with means adapted to supply said light indicator means (9, 25, 33, 43, 55) with respective signals depending on and/or indicative of the operating state of the corresponding device.
Dishwashing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said light indicator means being located in and accessible from the interior of the washing vessel and/or on the inner surface of the door of the machine.
Dishwashing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said salt reservoir and/or said filter is provided on top with a transparent cap (2, 3).
Dishwashing machine, according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the respective light indicator means comprises:

a hollow protective support (6, 21) in the shape of an elongated cylinder and featuring a top closed end portion facing said cap (2, 3),

a light-emitting means (9, 25) arranged inside said hollow protective support, in the proximity of the top closed end portion thereof,

in which at least said top end portion is made of a clear, see-through material.
Dishwashing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said protective support (6) is impermeable to washing and rinsing liquids, and that the end portion (8) thereof intended for attachment to the machine is associated to sealing means (10, 12) adapted to prevent said liquids from penetrating into said support.
Dishwashing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that said sealing means comprise a flexible support (12) adapted to allow for said hollow protective support (6) to elastically oscillate with respect to the structure of said machine.
Dishwashing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that to said rinse-aid dispenser (40) and/or to said washing-aid dispenser (30) there are associated respective slits (33, 43), in which there are situated the terminal portions of corresponding light guides, said slits (33, 43) being arranged in close proximity of the dispensers which they are associated to.
Dishwashing machine according to claim 7, characterized in that there is provided at least a cover (35) adapted to be selectively actuatable so as to open/close at least one (30) of said dispensers, and adapted to cover, when in its closed position, the slits (339 associated with said dispenser (30), a plurality of through-apertures (32) being provided in said cover so as to lie exactly over said slits (33) in mutual agreement therewith.
Dishwashing machine according to claim 8, characterized in that said through-apertures (32) are closed by respective appropriate screens that are transparent to light, but adapted to prevent substances from passing therethrough into and from the washing vessel.
Dishwashing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least a rotating spray arm (50) is supported by a related support arm (52) comprising a respective light guide (51), whose light-emitting extremity facing the washing vessel is adapted to diffuse the light it receives, by conveying it inside said washing vessel.
Dishwashing machine according to claim 10, characterized in that between said light-emitting extremity and said washing vessel (1) there is arranged a transparent body (55) adapted to isolate said light-emitting extremity from the washing ambient.
Dishwashing machine according to any of the preceding claims 7 to 11, characterized in that said light guides (51) are adapted to receive the 'light generated by a respective, distinct light source (53) arranged inside the same machine.
Dishwashing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light emitted by said indicator means is variously modulated in its intensity, and in particular it is adapted to be converted into a selectively flashing light beam.
Dishwashing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light emitted by said indicator means is adapted to be generated in selectively different colours.
Dishwashing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light indicator means are adapted to indicate the position where an action is needed or where a fault happens and to instruct a user which action is needed or which fault has to be removed.
Dishwashing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a reliability check is executed in order to enable indication only when action necessity or fault occurrence is plausible.