EP2022384B1 - Procédé pour la commande d'un lave-vaisselle - Google Patents

Procédé pour la commande d'un lave-vaisselle Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2022384B1
EP2022384B1 EP07015251A EP07015251A EP2022384B1 EP 2022384 B1 EP2022384 B1 EP 2022384B1 EP 07015251 A EP07015251 A EP 07015251A EP 07015251 A EP07015251 A EP 07015251A EP 2022384 B1 EP2022384 B1 EP 2022384B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
water
value
dishes
amount
measurement
Prior art date
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EP07015251A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP2022384A1 (fr
Inventor
Winfried Steiner
Rolf Stahlmann
Stefan Füglein
Reinhard Merz
Klaus Martin Forst
Thomas Frerich
Hansjörg Lampe
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Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
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Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
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Priority to PL07015251T priority Critical patent/PL2022384T3/pl
Priority to EP07015251A priority patent/EP2022384B1/fr
Publication of EP2022384A1 publication Critical patent/EP2022384A1/fr
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Publication of EP2022384B1 publication Critical patent/EP2022384B1/fr
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L15/00—Washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware
    • A47L15/42—Details
    • A47L15/4295—Arrangements for detecting or measuring the condition of the crockery or tableware, e.g. nature or quantity
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L15/00—Washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware
    • A47L15/0018—Controlling processes, i.e. processes to control the operation of the machine characterised by the purpose or target of the control
    • A47L15/0021—Regulation of operational steps within the washing processes, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending from the detergent nature or from the condition of the crockery
    • A47L15/0023—Water filling
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L15/00—Washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware
    • A47L15/42—Details
    • A47L15/4244—Water-level measuring or regulating arrangements
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2401/00—Automatic detection in controlling methods of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, e.g. information provided by sensors entered into controlling devices
    • A47L2401/09—Water level
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2401/00—Automatic detection in controlling methods of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, e.g. information provided by sensors entered into controlling devices
    • A47L2401/10—Water cloudiness or dirtiness, e.g. turbidity, foaming or level of bacteria
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2401/00—Automatic detection in controlling methods of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, e.g. information provided by sensors entered into controlling devices
    • A47L2401/12—Water temperature
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2401/00—Automatic detection in controlling methods of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, e.g. information provided by sensors entered into controlling devices
    • A47L2401/14—Water pressure or flow rate
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2501/00—Output in controlling method of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. quantities or components controlled, or actions performed by the controlling device executing the controlling method
    • A47L2501/01—Water supply, e.g. opening or closure of the water inlet valve
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2501/00—Output in controlling method of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. quantities or components controlled, or actions performed by the controlling device executing the controlling method
    • A47L2501/02—Water discharge, e.g. opening or closure of discharge valve
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2501/00—Output in controlling method of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. quantities or components controlled, or actions performed by the controlling device executing the controlling method
    • A47L2501/03—Water recirculation, e.g. control of distributing valves for redirection of water flow
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2501/00—Output in controlling method of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. quantities or components controlled, or actions performed by the controlling device executing the controlling method
    • A47L2501/05—Drain or recirculation pump, e.g. regulation of the pump rotational speed or flow direction
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2501/00—Output in controlling method of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. quantities or components controlled, or actions performed by the controlling device executing the controlling method
    • A47L2501/07—Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2501/00—Output in controlling method of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. quantities or components controlled, or actions performed by the controlling device executing the controlling method
    • A47L2501/26—Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47L2501/00—Output in controlling method of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. quantities or components controlled, or actions performed by the controlling device executing the controlling method
    • A47L2501/30—Regulation of machine operational steps within the washing process, e.g. performing an additional rinsing phase, shortening or stopping of the drying phase, washing at decreased noise operation conditions

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for controlling a dishwashing machine, in which by operation of a pumping system water can be led into a washing compartment.
  • Automatic dishwashers are typically provided with a control system comprising a central control unit but performs various cycles of an overall wash program.
  • the various cycles include wash, rinse and dry operations.
  • an amount of water Prior to each wash and rinse cycle, an amount of water is admitted into a washing chamber of the dishwasher to establish a washing fluid.
  • the dishwashing machine additionally comprises a circulation through which by operation of a pumping system comprising a circulation pump the water is pumped to one or more spray arms or equivalent water dispensers located in the washing compartment.
  • the water is sprayed onto loaded dishes to dislodge food and soil particles.
  • the water, containing the food and soil particles is then drained into a sump where it is usually filtered.
  • the filtered water again circulates to wash the dishes.
  • the success of the whole wash program depends of the choice of parameters and how well they are adapted to the actual amount, distribution and soiling of the dishes. The more dishes are loaded or the more soiled the loaded dishes are, a harder program has to be used.
  • dishwashing machines comprising a central control unit designed to adapt program parameters with respect to the actual amount, distribution and soiling of the dishes.
  • information about the load is gathered before or during the wash program and the wash program is adapted.
  • These programs are normally called "automatic programs”.
  • a central object of this research is of course the creation of a control system in which no user selections are needed.
  • a method for controlling a dishwashing machine in which by operation of a pumping system water can be lead into a washing compartment.
  • information tags are attached to the dishes to be cleaned, which tags contain information on the kind of the dish, the main use of the dish, the use of the dish served, and the shape of the dish.
  • the tags are automatically read by a reader unit so as to determine the positions of the dishes on a plurality of racks in the washing chamber, wherein based on such determination the spray conditions for the washing water are set.
  • Another used technique is to heat the water during operation of the pumping system and determine the speed of heating. This value includes information about the heat capacity of the load.
  • a drawback is that many materials for dishes (porcelain, glass, plastics) have different heat capacitance and therefore the amount of dishes also cannot be determined precisely.
  • the main idea of the current invention is to have a certain amount of water introduced into the dishwashing machine, when the dishes are preferably still dry. If the dishes are wetted, a certain part of the water, depending on the surface of the dishes, remains on the dishes and, of course, on the walls of the washing compartment, the basket, and so on. Therefore, by measuring the second amount of water not comprising the part remaining in the washing compartment, by comparison with the known first amount of water an information about the surface of the dishes and the components always present in the washing compartment can be derived.
  • the basket and other parts of the dishwashing machine As the amount of water wetting the washing compartment comprising its walls, the basket and other parts of the dishwashing machine is substantially the same for all runs of the dishwashing machine, comparison with a reference value allows to eliminate the offset originating from the mentioned parts of the washing compartment, so that an information about the surface of the loaded dishes can be determined if the dishes were dry when loaded.
  • the reference value is based on the first amount of water and a certain surface of the dishes to provide, in the case that only one reference value is used, at least an information if the measured surface is larger or smaller than the certain surface.
  • information about the amount, respectively the surface is already available, for example from other information used to control the dishwashing machine, an information about the initial wetness of the dishes can be deduced.
  • the computed value determined by the invention serves as an additional information which is combined with other determined values, e. g. a turbidity value and/or a heating speed, to derive as much information as possible about the loaded dishes to optimize the choice of program parameters.
  • the inventive method allows to gain a new, in particular additional, information to provide a better adjustment of the wash program. If a great value for the surface is determined, a harder program can be chosen.
  • the computed value can advantageously be combined with additional information to optimise the control of the dishwashing machine.
  • the predetermined first amount of water can be discharged into the dishwasher using a time-controlled valve and/or a pressure switch or pressure sensor.
  • a pressure sensor is normally located in a sump of the dishwashing machine and measures the water level of the water already filled in. Upon reaching certain threshold, the water supply is halted. In this manner, a predetermined first amount of water can be admitted.
  • the first amount of water admitted is usually a few litres, especially 3 to 4 litres, whereas the water remaining on the dishes usually amounts to about tenths of litres, especially 0.3 to 0.4 litres. If the first amount of water is not exactly known, measurement of the remaining part may become difficult. Due to slow variations of the flow through a valve and measurement errors, especially when the water level already resides in the compartment having a large section, deviations in the region of tenths of litres can occur, having a large influence on the accuracy of the computed value. Therefore, it has proven advantageous to measure a calibration value describing the first amount of water, in particular in the same manner as the water value is measured.
  • a calibration measurement is therefore performed to determine the first amount of water. It is important that the dishes are not yet wetted during this calibration phase.
  • the inventive method can also be applied if for example dishes are already slightly wet when loaded.
  • the measurement is effected in the same manner. This can mean that the same measurement devices are used but also that the measurement conditions are the same. If the same measurement device and the same conditions are used, the calibration value can be substracted from the water value so that a direct measure of the remaining part is obtained.
  • at least one measurement can be performed using a pressure sensor located in a sump of a dishwashing machine for measuring the water level.
  • the barometric equation is used to calculate a height of water, i.e. the water level, from a pressure measured in the sump.
  • a pressure measured in the sump i.e. the water level
  • an air chamber can be used in which air is compressed by the water in the sump and, if applicable, in the washing compartment and the pressure of the air is measured by an analogous sensor. If the geometric structure of the sump and the adjoining compartment is known, a corresponding amount of water can be derived.
  • the first requirement usually has the consequence that if the pumping system is not driven, i.e. the water stands still, the water level already resides in the washing compartment (and not in the sump), where tenths of litres remaining on the dishes are barely measurable because of the large surface of the water in that area.
  • At least one measurement can thus be performed during operation of the pumping system.
  • a part of the water is circulating and therefore does not reside in the compartment so that the measurement can be effected in a narrow area, specially in the sump.
  • it can be assured that at the time of the measurement always the same amount of water is located in the circulation. This is especially advantageous if a calibration value is measured. In this case, amounts of water residing in the circulation as a result of a previous wash can be taken into account. If such a calibration value is measured, the pumping system should be operated at such a low pressure that loaded dishes are not wetted.
  • the speed of the circulation pump is chosen low enough so that only the lower spray arm is driven and the water preferably does not spray higher than the bottom of the lowest dish basket.
  • measurement of the calibration value can be effected with the water level being for example in the upper area of the sump.
  • the measurement of the water value can be performed during the operation- of the pumping system such that the whole washing compartment is wetted, wherein the measurement is performed after a time sufficient to completely wet the washing compartment. It is therefore possible to measure using the same operation parameters that are used to effect wetting of the dishes. However, the measurement should not begin before the dishes are sufficiently wetted. In this embodiment, the wetting phase and the water value measurement phase of the method are combined.
  • a time dependent behaviour of the water value can be analysed, wherein a cavity value describing the presence of cavities in the dished is determined.
  • users - against all instructions - orient dishes in a way that a cavity of the dishes points upward so that during wetting water is gathering in these cavities. This not only effects the reliability of the determination of the computed value but also removes water from the circulation which can be unfavourable for the following wash procedure.
  • the presence of such water-gathering cavities can advantageously be detected. If these cavities exist, a time-dependent falling of the water level can be observed.
  • the determined cavity value can be used in several ways. If it is determined that the wrong orientation of the dishes excludes the successful washing, a warning should be output to the user. To achieve this, an optical and/or acoustical warning can be output to the user of the dishwashing machine if the cavity value exceeds a threshold value. Further, as already mentioned, as the cavities adversely effect the measurement of the water value and therefore the determination of the computed value, the determination of the computed value can be performed depending on a correction value derived from the cavity value. The time-dependent behaviour of the water value is evaluated to determine the size of the cavities and a corrected water value can be used for the determination of the computed value.
  • the measurement of the calibration value and the measurement of the water value can be performed using the same operation parameters of the pumping system.
  • This variant is preferable, if the measurement conditions are ideal with these operation parameters. This allows to substract both values so that the amount of water remaining in the washing compartment can be directly determined as both values are comparable. If - as the reference value - the amount of water remaining on parts of the dishwashing machine itself is known, the amount of water remaining on the dishes can easily be derived.
  • the measurement of the water value is neither performed using the operation parameters of the calibration measurement nor at the operation parameters of the wetting of the dishes, but using conditions which are optimal for the measurement, i.e. with the water level being in a narrow area of the sump.
  • the measurement of the water value is performed after wetting the washing compartment using operation parameters optimal for the measurement.
  • the method comprises at least three phases with different operating parameters of the pumping system, namely a calibration phase, a wetting phase and a measurement phase.
  • a calibration phase the calibration value describing the first amount of water is determined, so that the correct reference values for the comparison with the water value can be determined.
  • the reference values which most likely are also taken from measurements, in this case are determined using the operation parameters in the measurement phase.
  • the speed of a motor driving the pumping system is increased in steps or continuously until a water level measured by a sensor, in particular a pressure sensor located in the sump to measure the water level, has fallen below a predetermined or determinable level value, wherein the speed at the time the water level has fallen under the level value is used as the water value.
  • a sensor in particular a pressure sensor located in the sump to measure the water level
  • the speed at the time the water level has fallen under the level value is used as the water value.
  • the speed of a circulation pump can be increased in steps of i.e. 100 rpm or continuously until a certain water level is reached.
  • the water level defined by the level value can always be chosen in a manner such that the measuring conditions are optimal.
  • a plausibility value is measured under the same circumstances as the calibration value after the measurement of the water value, wherein the plausibility value is used in a plausibility check. Even if the measurement conditions during the measurement of the calibration value are not optimal, a comparison of the calibration value and a plausibility value recorded after the wetting of the dishes can serve to perform a plausibility check and see if the computed value is plausible. This reduces the risk of basing the control of the dishwashing machine on a measurement error.
  • the operation parameters of the pumping system during the wetting and/or measurement of the water value and/or the plausibility value can be adjusted depending on the calibration value and respectively the first amount of water.
  • the first amount of water i.e. the amount of water actually present in the dishwashing machine
  • different optimal operation parameters for the measurement are found, so that the actually used operation parameters can be adjusted to provide better measurement conditions.
  • tables can be used which allocate certain operation parameters and reference values to intervals of the calibration value. Of course, also a functional dependence is possible.
  • the determination of the measured value or the measured values can therefore be performed by calculating an average value over multiple measurements in a predetermined time span. In this manner, the oscillations are averaged out and a more reliable measured value is obtained.
  • the computed value can advantageously be used as an additional information, so that as much information as possible is gathered about the amount and type of the dishes.
  • a heating velocity of the water during operation of the pumping system and/or a turbidity value of a turbidity sensor can be determined and the dishwashing machine can be controlled also depending on the heating velocity and the turbidity value.
  • Another possibility is to measure the cooling of water. In this case, additional cold water is admitted to the dishwashing machine and is circulated without heating. The water temperature reflecting the amount of cooling measured thereafter gives an information on how much mass is present in the machine.
  • Other additional information can also be used.
  • the information is combined to describe as exact as possible the load of the dishwashing machine.
  • the heating speed for example, can be checked against the computed value to determine whether the surface is plausible or if the dishes were likely already wet.
  • At least two reference values are used, wherein one reference value is determined when no dishes are loaded and another reference value is determined when a certain amount of dishes are loaded.
  • the amount of water remaining on the dishes depends linearly on the surface of the dishes. Assuming this linear relationship, from each computed value a corresponding surface can be calculated. The more reference values are used, the better the actual relationship can be determined.
  • the inventive method can also be used to determine the distribution of dishes between several areas of the washing compartment, especially several dish baskets.
  • first substep only a first area of the washing compartment containing dishes, especially one of more than one dish baskets, is wetted, whereupon a first computed value with respect to the first area is determined, whereupon a second area of the washing compartment containing dishes, especially the contents of a second dish basket, is wetted, whereupon a second computed value with respect to the first and the second area is computed, wherein the distribution of the dishes is determined and the dishwashing machine is controlled depending on the distribution. It is of course also possible to divide the washing compartment into more than two areas and determine a computed value for each area.
  • the reference values depend on the area as not all parts belonging to the dishwashing machine are wetted in the first substep.
  • the pumping system is driven in a manner that only the lower basket is wetted, i.e. only the lower spray arm is driven or the upper spray arm is driven at such a low pressure that only the lower basket is wetted.
  • the pumping system is driven at full power so that both baskets are wetted.
  • most dish washers allow to decide whether only the lower, only the upper or both spray arms are driven.
  • the distribution of the water during the wash and rinses cycles can then be adapted to the distribution of the dishes.
  • the turbidity value and the heating speed can be determined for both areas.
  • the control of the dishwashing machine depends on the type of the dishwashing machine and its capabilities. For example, when controlling the dishwashing machine, at least one parameter of a wash program and/or a drying program, in particular the temperature and/or duration of steps and/or the number of cleaning phases and/or the amount of water to be substituted and/or the amount of detergent and/or rinse aid to be added and/or the speed of a motor driving the pumping system and/or the distribution of the water into different areas of the washing compartment, can be adjusted. In this manner, the wash program can be optimised.
  • Fig. 1 shows as an example a dishwasher 1 which can be controlled by a method according to the invention. It comprises a washing compartment 2 with a front loading opening closed by a pivotable front door 3. An upper dish basket 4 and a lower dish basket 5 are retractably mounted inside the washing compartment 2. These baskets 4 and 5 receive dishes 6 to be washed. Also located in the washing compartment 2 are an upper spray arm 7 and a lower spray arm 8 mounted below the respective dish baskets 4, 5.
  • Water can be admitted into the dishwashing machine via an inlet pipe 9.
  • the water supply is controlled by a controllable valve 10.
  • the water is sprayed onto the dishes via the spray arms 7 and. 8.
  • the water flowing from the dishes is collected in a sump 11.
  • the water can then be reused and be pumped into the spray arms again by a pumping system 13 comprising a pump 14.
  • Water in the sump 11 is first filtered in a filtering device 12 and enters the circulation 15. Additionally, :the water can be heated via a heating device 16.
  • a switching device 17 can be provided to select which of the spray arm 7 and 8 should be active or if both should be active.
  • All components of the dishwashing machine 1 are controlled by a control system comprising a centralised control unit 18.
  • the control unit 18 is designed to carry out the method according to the invention.
  • control unit 18 can collect various information by sensors, for example a turbidity sensor 19 in the sump to measure the turbidity of the water and a temperature sensor 20 to measure the speed of heating of circulating water. From the measured values of these sensors a turbidity value and a speed of heating can be obtained. These procedures are well known in the state of the art and are not described in detail.
  • the dishwashing machine 1 can control the valve 10 to open for a certain time, so that a certain amount of water is admitted to the dishwashing machine 1.
  • the dishwashing machine 1 also comprises a pressure sensor 21 located at the bottom of the sump. From the measured pressure, a water level can be calculated, i.e. the height of the water in the sump or the washing compartment 2. If the water level, respectively the pressure, reaches a certain predetermined level, the control unit 18 can close the valve 10.
  • dishwashing machine 1 described here is only an illustrative example.
  • the object of the method according to the invention is to obtain information about the dishes 6 in the washing compartment 2 to control the dishwashing machine 1 according to this information.
  • the method is preferably carried out at the beginning of an automatic wash program when the dishes 6 are still dry.
  • the further course of the wash program is then adjusted according to the information. For example, the temperature and/or the duration of steps and/or the number of cleaning phases and/or the amount of water to be substituted and/or the amount of detergent and/or rinse aid to be added and/or the speed of a motor driving the pumping system and/or the distribution of the water into different areas of the washing compartment 2 can be adjusted.
  • Fig. 1 shows a flow chart of a first embodiment of the method according to the invention.
  • phase 1 the first amount of water is let into the dishwashing machine 1 via the inlet pipe 9. Therefore, the control unit 18 opens the valve 10 until a certain water level measured by the pressure sensor 21 is reached. Then, the valve 10 is closed. To allow for wetting of the whole washing compartment 2, a certain amount of water is needed. Therefore, about 3 to 4 litres of water are admitted to the dishwashing machine, so that no air is sucked into the circulation 15 during wetting.
  • the first amount of water filled into the dishwashing machine 1 there are variations in the first amount of water filled into the dishwashing machine 1. Sources of this variation are manifold, for example water still remaining in the circulation 15 or measurement errors of the pressure sensor 21. Additionally, as the volume of the sump usually is smaller than 3 to 4 litres, the water level resides in the washing compartment 2, so that a large surface exists. That means that a measurable change in the water level corresponds to a larger amount of water. In any case, it should be possible to admit a first amount of water within a certain range of for example 3 to 3.4 litres. Other methods to admit the first amount of water can be used with which the amount of water inlet could be more precisely determined. In this case, the following calibration phase, phase II, can be skipped.
  • phase II a calibration value describing the first amount of water is measured.
  • This phase is optional, as already mentioned. It is not needed if the amount of water admitted in phase I is determinable precisely enough. Therefore, the pump 14 of the pumping system is driven at a low speed so that water is circulating but the dishes are wetted as less as possible, preferably none are wetted at all. In other words, only the lower spray arm 8 is active while the water is not sprayed higher than the bottom of the lower dish basket 5. In comparison to the water level without operation of the pumping system 13, the water level is now lower but slightly oscillating. Examples for the time dependent behaviour of the water level in the first embodiment of the invention are shown in fig. 3 .
  • phase III the washing compartment 2 and therefore the dishes residing in the dish baskets 4 and 5 are wetted.
  • the pumping system 13 works at a high power, the pump 14 is driven at a high speed.
  • the water level in the sump 11 is extremely low so that an exact measurement is nearly impossible. This can be seen by the high amplitude of the oscillations in the area designated phase III in fig. 3 .
  • a measurement should not be performed during the wetting phase.
  • phase IV the measurement of a water value is effected.
  • the pump 14 is driven at a medium speed so that the water level preferably resides in the narrow area 22 with parallel walls in the sump 11.
  • a notable difference between the three graphs is visible despite a certain oscillation.
  • the water level is measured over a certain time span and then averaged.
  • the resulting water value is called ML.
  • control unit 18 may comprise a table allocating certain speeds of the pump 14 to certain measured values or intervals of the calibration value CL.
  • the measurement phase IV can also be performed using the same operation parameters as for the calibration measurement in phase II. This is sensible if the calibration value is already measured in a suitable area of the sump. In such a configuration, the water value ML can be directly compared to the calibration value CL. Additionally, phase VI is not applicable in such a configuration.
  • the water value ML is compared to two reference values RL based on the calibration value CL, respectively the first amount of water, and certain surfaces of the dishes.
  • one reference value RL 1 has been previously measured according to the method while no dishes are loaded, i.e. the surface is zero.
  • the water level corresponds linearly to the amount of water measured.
  • each water value ML can be allocated to a corresponding surface. This corresponding surface or value describing this corresponding surface is called the computed value and can be further evaluated to control the dishwashing machine 1 as described above.
  • phase VI the plausibility check is performed. Therefore, a measurement of a plausibility value PL is effected under the same conditions, i.e. at the same rotation speed, as in the measurement of the calibration value CL. As can be seen from fig. 3 , differences according to the surface of the dishes can be measured, but a smaller with respect to the oscillations compared to the measurement phase IV. However, the plausibility value PL can be used for a plausibility check to see if the determined computed value is sensible.
  • Fig. 4 shows a flow chart of a second embodiment of the method of the invention.
  • Phases III and IV differ from the first embodiment.
  • a higher first amount of water is admitted into the dishwashing machine 1 so that the measurement conditions are optimal in the wetting phase III.
  • the measurement of the water level is performed in phase III, so that no separate measurement phase is needed.
  • phase IV of the second embodiment of the invention additionally the temporal behaviour of the water level is analyzed to determine a cavity value and the water value ML.
  • phase III the measurement of the water level is started after a time sufficient to wet all the dishes 6 in the washing compartment 2.
  • Water levels for the respective phases are shown in fig. 5 .
  • phase IV the time-dependent behaviour of the water level is analyzed. In this manner, cavities of wrongly oriented dishes that are filling with water over time can be detected. As can be seen from fig. 5 , after the time needed to wet all the dishes, the water level apart from the oscillation remains constant. That means, no cavities are filled, so no water is removed from the circulation. All dished are placed correctly.
  • FIG. 6 Another example of a water level in the wetting phase III is shown in fig. 6 .
  • at least one cavity exists but is filled with water over time, for example a pot placed with its opening upwards.
  • the water level drops due to the water loss in the cavity of the cavities.
  • the cavity value remains substantially constant. From this behaviour a cavity value can be derived that describes the volume of the cavities. If a certain threshold is surpassed, an acoustic and/or optical warning can be given to a user of the dishwashing machine 1. In critical cases, the wash program can even be terminated.
  • the cavity value is also used to determine the correct water value ML.
  • the water value ML in a case like in fig. 6 , can not simply taken as the average over the measured water level value.
  • a correction value is calculated which is added to the average to compensate for the cavities. In this manner, the correct water value ML, from which the computed value can be derived, can be determined.
  • Fig. 7 shows the flow chart of a third embodiment of the method according to the invention. Only phase IV differs from the first embodiment.
  • the water value ML is not measured at some fixed operation parameters via the water level, but the operation parameters of the pumping system 13 are changed.
  • the idea underlying this third embodiment is to use varying operation parameters and find the operation parameters where a certain water level is reached. This predetermined water value is chosen so that optimal measurement conditions are existing. In this manner, it is assured that the decisive measurement always takes place under good measurement conditions.
  • the speed of the motor of the pump 14 is stepwise, e.g. in steps of 100 rpm, increased, so that the water level consequently drops in steps.
  • fig. 8 shows the time-dependent behaviour of the water level in the measurement phase IV.
  • the process is stopped and the current speed of the pump is determined as the water value ML.
  • the level value and the rotation speed of the motor of the pump are sufficient to determine the amount of water.
  • phase V The reference values used in phase V for the comparison are of course determined using the same method and can themselves represent rotation speeds.
  • the method according to the invention can also be used to determine the distribution of dishes between - in the example of fig. 1 - the upper and the lower basket 4 and 5.
  • a further, fourth embodiment of the method according to the invention is shown as a flow chart in fig. 9 .
  • the method according to one of the first three embodiments is used two successive times to determine the distribution of the dishes 6 between the upper and the lower baskets 4 and 5.
  • the phases I and II are unchanged compared to the first three embodiments and are not repeated.
  • a first substep I only the dishes in the lower basket 5 are wetted. That means, the pumping system 13 is operated in a manner that the dishes in the upper basket 4 still remain dry.
  • a first, computed value is determined. As only the dishes in the lower basket 5 have been wetted, the first computed value describes only the surface of the dishes in the lower basket 5.
  • a second computed value is determined. This second computed value describes the surface of all the dishes 6 in the dishwashing machine 1.
  • the circulation pump 14 is operated at a low speed in sub step I and at a high speed in sub step II.
  • the method of the invention also allows to measure a turbidity value and a heating speed in both substeps, but can also be used in the determination of the distribution.
  • the information about the distribution can for example be used to control the distribution of water in the subsequent steps of the washing program.
  • This fourth embodiment of the method can also be iterated, for example, if the dishwashing machine comprises more than two baskets. In this case, the pumping system can be driven so that in a first substep the lowest basket is wetted, in a second substep the middle basket is wetted and in a third substep the upper basket is wetted.

Landscapes

  • Washing And Drying Of Tableware (AREA)

Claims (19)

  1. Procédé permettant de commander une machine à laver la vaisselle, dans lequel par le fonctionnement d'un système de pompage, l'eau peut être conduite dans un compartiment de lavage, caractérisé en ce que :
    une première quantité d'eau prédéterminée ou ultérieurement déterminée est reçue dans la machine à laver la vaisselle,
    un mouillage du compartiment de lavage, en particulier la vaisselle chargée, est effectué en utilisant la première quantité d'eau, dans lequel une partie de la première quantité d'eau reste dans le compartiment de lavage et une autre partie de l'eau s'accumule dans un puisard au-dessous du compartiment de lavage,
    une valeur relative à l'eau décrivant une deuxième quantité d'eau comprenant la partie de l'eau collectée dans le puisard est mesurée,
    par comparaison de la valeur relative à l'eau à au moins une valeur de référence préalablement déterminée qui décrit la première quantité d'eau, une valeur calculée décrivant la surface effective et/ou l'humidité initiale de la vaisselle est déterminée, et
    la machine à laver la vaisselle est commandée en fonction de la valeur calculée.
  2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la valeur relative à l'eau est déterminée en mesurant le niveau d'eau dans le puisard tout en faisant fonctionner le système de pompage à des vitesses variables et en comparant les données ainsi obtenues.
  3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce qu'une valeur d'étalonnage décrivant la première quantité d'eau est mesurée, particulièrement de la même manière que la valeur relative à l'eau.
  4. Procédé selon la revendication 3, caractérisé en ce que la mesure de la valeur d'étalonnage est effectuée pendant le fonctionnement du système de pompage à une pression faible de façon à ne pas mouiller la vaisselle chargée.
  5. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 2 à 4, caractérisé en ce que la mesure de la valeur relative à l'eau est effectuée pendant le fonctionnement du système de pompage de sorte que l'ensemble du compartiment de lavage soit mouillé, où la mesure est effectuée après un temps suffisant pour mouiller complètement le compartiment de lavage.
  6. Procédé selon la revendication 5, caractérisé en ce qu'un comportement dépendant du temps de la valeur relative à l'eau est analysé, où une valeur relative aux cavités décrivant la présence de cavités dans la vaisselle est déterminée.
  7. Procédé selon la revendication 6, caractérisé en ce que lorsque la valeur relative aux cavités dépasse une valeur seuil, un avertissement optique et/ou acoustique est délivré à l'utilisateur de la machine à laver la vaisselle.
  8. Procédé selon la revendication 6 ou 7, caractérisé en ce que la détermination de la valeur calculée est effectuée en fonction d'une valeur de correction déduite de la valeur relative aux cavités.
  9. Procédé selon la revendication 4, caractérisé en ce que la mesure de la valeur d'étalonnage et la mesure de la valeur relative à l'eau sont réalisées en utilisant les mêmes paramètres de fonctionnement du système de pompage.
  10. Procédé selon la revendication 2 ou n'importe quelle revendication dépendante de la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que, pour mesurer la valeur relative à l'eau après le mouillage du compartiment de lavage, la vitesse d'un moteur entraînant le système de pompage est graduellement ou continuellement augmentée jusqu'à ce qu'un niveau d'eau mesuré par un capteur, en particulier un capteur de pression, situé dans le puisard pour mesurer le niveau d'eau, est passé sous une valeur de niveau déterminable ou prédéterminée.
  11. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 5 à 8 ou 10, caractérisé en ce qu'après la mesure de la valeur relative à l'eau, une valeur de plausibilité est mesurée dans les mêmes circonstances de mesure que la valeur d'étalonnage, où la valeur de plausibilité est utilisée dans un test de plausibilité.
  12. Procédé selon l'une des revendications 2 à 9, caractérisé en ce que, si une valeur d'étalonnage est mesurée, les paramètres de fonctionnement du système de pompage lors du mouillage et/ou de la mesure de la valeur relative à l'eau et/ou de la valeur de plausibilité, sont ajustés en fonction de la valeur d'étalonnage, et respectivement de la première quantité d'eau.
  13. Procédé selon l'une des revendications 2 à 12, caractérisé en ce que la détermination de la valeur mesurée ou des valeurs mesurées est réalisée en calculant une valeur moyenne de plusieurs mesures pendant une durée prédéterminée.
  14. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu'en plus de la valeur calculée, une vitesse de chauffage de l'eau pendant le fonctionnement du système de pompage et/ou une valeur de turbidité d'un capteur de turbidité sont déterminée(s) et la machine à laver la vaisselle est également commandée en fonction de la vitesse de chauffage et de la valeur de turbidité.
  15. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu'au moins deux valeurs de référence sont utilisées, où une valeur de référence est déterminée lorsqu'aucune vaisselle n'est chargée et une autre valeur de référence est déterminée, lorsqu'une certaine quantité de vaisselle est chargée.
  16. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que dans une première sous-étape, seulement une première zone du compartiment de lavage contenant la vaisselle, en particulier l'un des plusieurs paniers à vaisselle, est mouillée, après quoi une première valeur calculée par rapport à la première zone est déterminée, après quoi une deuxième zone du compartiment de lavage contenant la vaisselle, en particulier le contenu d'un deuxième panier de vaisselle, est mouillée, après quoi une deuxième valeur calculée par rapport aux première et deuxième zones est calculée, où la distribution de la vaisselle est déterminée et la machine à laver la vaisselle est commandée en fonction de la distribution.
  17. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que lors de la commande de la machine à laver la vaisselle, au moins un paramètre d'un programme de lavage et/ou d'un programme de séchage, en particulier la température et/ou la durée des étapes et/ou le nombre de phases de nettoyage et/ou la quantité d'eau à substituer et/ou la quantité de détergent et/ou de produit de rinçage à ajouter et/ou la vitesse d'un moteur entraînant le système de pompage et/ou la distribution d'eau dans des zones différentes du compartiment de lavage, est ajusté.
  18. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que la première quantité d'eau prédéterminée est déversée dans la machine à laver la vaisselle en utilisant une soupape à commande temporelle et/ou un pressostat ou un capteur de pression.
  19. Procédé selon l'une des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu'au moins une mesure est effectuée en utilisant un capteur de pression situé dans un puisard de la machine à laver la vaisselle pour mesurer le niveau d'eau.
EP07015251A 2007-08-03 2007-08-03 Procédé pour la commande d'un lave-vaisselle Active EP2022384B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PL07015251T PL2022384T3 (pl) 2007-08-03 2007-08-03 Sposób sterowania zmywarką do naczyń
EP07015251A EP2022384B1 (fr) 2007-08-03 2007-08-03 Procédé pour la commande d'un lave-vaisselle

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP07015251A EP2022384B1 (fr) 2007-08-03 2007-08-03 Procédé pour la commande d'un lave-vaisselle

Publications (2)

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EP2022384A1 EP2022384A1 (fr) 2009-02-11
EP2022384B1 true EP2022384B1 (fr) 2012-06-13

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PL (1) PL2022384T3 (fr)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT1392420B1 (it) † 2008-12-22 2012-03-02 Indesit Co Spa Lavastoviglie.
US8509473B2 (en) 2009-06-29 2013-08-13 Ecolab Inc. Optical processing to control a washing apparatus
US8229204B2 (en) 2009-06-29 2012-07-24 Ecolab Inc. Optical processing of surfaces to determine cleanliness
JP5835933B2 (ja) * 2011-04-27 2015-12-24 株式会社ハーマン 食器洗浄機
US11076742B2 (en) * 2014-06-27 2021-08-03 Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag Dishwasher and method of operating the dishwasher
EP3188638A1 (fr) * 2014-09-03 2017-07-12 Arçelik Anonim Sirketi Lave-vaisselle ayant une consommation d'énergie et d'eau améliorée et procédé correspondant

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4038802A1 (de) * 1990-12-05 1992-06-11 Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete Steuerung fuer ein elektrisches hausgeraet
ITMI20010135A1 (it) * 2000-02-23 2002-07-25 Aeg Hausgeraete Gmbh Elettrodomestico a circolazione d'acqua con un sistema di svuotamentocome pure procedimento per il riempimento e per il controllo di uno sv
KR100457430B1 (ko) * 2002-11-25 2004-11-16 엘지전자 주식회사 식기 세척기 및 그 제어방법
WO2006011773A1 (fr) 2004-07-30 2006-02-02 Lg Electronics Inc. Lave-vaisselle et procede pour le faire fonctionner

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EP2022384A1 (fr) 2009-02-11

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