EP2480118B1 - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dishwasher, in particular a commercial dishwasher, which has at least one washing arm, which is acted upon by a fluid medium, usually a washing or cleaning liquid, wherein the wash arm dispensing elements, such as nozzles, having the fluid medium on the dishes to be cleaned. Such a wash arm is for example from the DE 10 2007 029 701 B4 known.

Such wash arms are driven by the repulsive force of emerging from the discharge elements or nozzles of the wash arm fluid medium and rotated.

From the EP 1 674 028 A2 Furthermore, a dishwasher is known which comprises a rotatable washing arm, which is driven by means of an electric motor which generates a variable magnetic field.

From the US 1,817,328 and the GB 550,511 are more dishwashing machines known.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dishwasher with an improved drive for such a washing arm.

This object is achieved by a dishwasher according to claim 1, the claims 2 to 9 relate to particularly advantageous embodiments of the dishwasher according to the invention according to claim 1.

According to the invention, at least one washing arm of the dishwasher is set in rotation by means of a magnetic drive. This has, inter alia, the advantage that the rotation of the washing arm, including the control of the speed of rotation of the washing arm, independent of the fluid medium which is discharged from the washing arm, hereinafter also referred to as washing liquid, can be achieved. It is thus possible, both the amount, in particular the flow, so amount / time, the washing liquid and the pressure and / or the direction in which the washing liquid is discharged from the washing arm, regardless of the rotational speed of the washing arm, which is a flexible and more targeted control of the washing process and thus allows better washing results. This is particularly advantageous when different objects, such as dishes, heavily soiled pots or glasses, must be rinsed. The dishwasher according to the invention therefore allows an individual adaptation to the desired situation.

In addition, the dishwasher according to the invention has the advantage that not a portion of the wash water must be used to drive the washing arm, as this leads to a part of the washing liquid can not be used for the cleaning process. The dishwashing machine according to the invention therefore also has the advantage that a total of less washing liquid has to be used, which is particularly environmentally friendly.

In addition, the emission direction of the delivery elements, preferably washing nozzles, can be freely selected, in particular dispensing directions can be provided which deliver washing liquid in opposite directions, which is not possible in a system in which the wash arm is driven by the delivery of the washing liquid is because in such cases, the driving forces or the pulses that are transmitted from the dispensed wash water on the wash arm would cancel each other.

The arrangement and dispensing direction of the dispensing elements or washing nozzles can therefore be optimized exclusively with regard to the washing result to be achieved, which means that a better washing result is achieved or a desired washing result is achieved in a shorter time, which in turn both energy and Wash liquid can be saved, resulting in a particularly economical dishwasher and a economic wash cycle leads. This is particularly important in commercial dishwashers, which often run in continuous operation, of great importance.

The magnetic drive according to the invention of the washing arms also makes it possible for the drive per se, for example an electric motor, to be arranged outside the liquid region, ie in particular outside a rinsing region or a rinsing chamber, whereby the washing arm can be driven without contact, so that no moving parts in the liquid area or rinsing area or rinsing room must be guided, which in turn would require openings in the liquid area, which must be sealed, such seals, in particular of moving parts, are very maintenance-prone and may possibly lead to leakage of liquids and thus damage.

The dishwashing machine according to the invention therefore ensures a drive of a washing arm, without having to provide additional seals, so that no additional sealing problems occur.

A "washing arm" in the sense of this invention means a device of the dishwasher with which fluid media can be dispensed onto the dishes to be cleaned. These media can be, for example, water, essentially without additives, or a flushing medium of different types. Other fluid media are conceivable.

A wash arm may be designed so that it essentially emits only a certain flushing medium, in a preferred embodiment, however, it is designed so that different flushing media can be dispensed.

Embodiments of the dishwasher according to the invention may, for example, have one or more identically designed washing arms, wherein the geometry of the "arms" may be quite different. However, it is possible in other embodiments that different washing arms can be provided. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the dishwasher also has one or more washing arms, the Give flushing medium, and in addition one or more washing arms which emit a Nachspülflüssigkeit, therefore partially also referred to as "Nachspülarm".

For the purposes of this invention, however, the term "wash arm" also includes those partially referred to as Nachspülarm and other similar devices which are adapted to deliver a fluid medium.

The dishwasher according to the invention may comprise one or more washing arms, wherein at least one washing arm can be magnetically driven. In another embodiment, it is also possible to magnetically drive several or even all washing arms. In a particular embodiment, however, it is also possible to additionally provide one or more washing arms, which do not have their own magnetic drive, but are conventionally driven by the ejection of the washing liquid.

For example, a particularly advantageous embodiment of a dishwasher may comprise one or two magnetically driven washing arms, which are preferably provided in an edge region of the rinsing area or washing compartment, while additionally providing a conventional washing arm which is located in a central area or central area of the rinsing area or Dish is arranged.

This has the advantage that the magnetically driven washing arms are arranged in the vicinity of the boundaries of the flushing region, so that the distances of the individual effective elements from each other, in particular the provided magnetic elements, permanent magnets or coils, etc., can be kept low, so that only low magnetic fields or field strengths need to be generated.

In another particularly preferred embodiment of a dishwasher, at least one rotating washing arm is preferably arranged in a middle region, while two rigid washing arms are preferably arranged on the left and right outside of the washing compartment, in order to cover in particular a substantially rectangular base.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of a dishwasher, at least one washing arm and / or a drive element of the at least one washing arm is provided with at least one magnetic element, in particular a permanent magnet, which lies in a humidity range, the drive device comprising a rotatably driven rotor, on which at least a magnetic element, in particular a permanent magnet, is arranged, which is located in a dry area. This has the particular advantage that additional sealing measures or sealing elements are not required.

According to the invention, at least one washing arm and / or at least one drive element of the washing arm is provided with at least one magnetic element. The drive element of the wash arm may in particular be a shaft of the wash arm, but it is also possible for another drive element, for example a further motor shaft, to be provided which is provided with a magnetic element whose movement, in particular rotation, by means of a Transmission device is transmitted to the shaft of the wash arm or the wash arm itself.

The dishwasher further comprises a drive device that can generate a changing magnetic field that acts on at least one magnetic element provided on at least one washing arm and / or on a drive element of the wash arm, thereby driving the wash arm.

This drive device is arranged outside the liquid region or the rinsing region or the rinsing chamber of the dishwasher, so that no additional sealing measures or sealing elements are required for this type of device.

The at least one magnetic element is designed as a permanent magnet, which is preferably arranged on the wash arm and / or on a drive element, in particular on a shaft or axis of the wash arm. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of permanent magnets are provided, in particular 2, 3 or 4 permanent magnets, which are preferably arranged in the circumferential direction of the shaft or axis or in a plane of rotation with uniform angular intervals. In a particularly preferred embodiment a total of 4 permanent magnets provided, which are each arranged at a distance of 90 ° to each other.

This has the advantage that a uniformly acting driving force can be transmitted. In particular, the provision of a plurality of magnetic elements also enables the force which must be transmitted to the wash arm by means of one of the elements to be kept low, so that even small magnetic fields or field strengths are sufficient.

The drive device also comprises at least one permanent magnet, which is movably arranged. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of permanent magnets are also provided in the drive device, in particular 2, 3 or 4 permanent magnets, wherein preferably the number of permanent magnets on the shaft or on a drive element of the shaft of the wash arm or on the wash arm itself with the number of permanent magnets the drive device are identical.

The permanent magnets of the drive device are arranged on a rotor, which can be rotated, the permanent magnets are preferably arranged in a plane of rotation with uniform angular intervals from each other, for example, 4 permanent magnets with a 90 ° angle distance.

Such a rotor may for example be provided with a sprocket, which can be set in rotation by means of a worm, which in turn is driven by an electric motor.

The permanent magnets of the drive device are preferably arranged such that they lie in the vicinity of the permanent magnets of the wash arm and / or the drive element of the wash arm, for example the shaft or the axis of the wash arm, preferably only separated by a closure or a wall of the wash area Rinsing space, so that an attractive and / or a repulsive force between the permanent magnet (s) of the drive device and the permanent magnet (s) of the wash arm and / or the drive element of the wash arm ensure that movement, in particular a rotation, the permanent magnets of the drive device is transferred without contact to the wash arm.

The rotor is preferably circular or annular, wherein it is arranged in a preferred embodiment, for example, around a substantially cylindrical portion of the washing compartment or Spülbereich around, in which a shaft or axis of the wash arm is arranged, wherein arranged in this area, the permanent magnets is, so that an effective coupling of the permanent magnets and a small distance of the permanent magnets is ensured to each other.

In another preferred embodiment, at least one permanent magnet is arranged on a motor shaft, wherein the permanent magnet is driven by the magnetic field generated by the drive device of the dishwasher, whereby the motor shaft is set in rotation. This rotation is transmitted via a corresponding gear device, preferably a worm and a worm wheel, on a shaft or axis of the wash arm. In this embodiment, such a transmission device is preferably arranged in the liquid region, but it is also possible to arrange it outside the liquid region or rinsing region.

Also in this embodiment, it is possible that the drive device of the dishwasher comprises at least one permanent magnet which is set in rotation or movement, and / or at least one coil device which generates a magnetic field as described above.

In a preferred embodiment, a shaft or an axis of a washing arm itself at least partially made of magnetic material, in particular certain parts of the shaft or axis are formed as a permanent magnet. This has the advantage that a shaft or an axis of a rotary arm can be realized with small, spatial dimensions, so that for example the above-described cylindrical portion of the washing compartment can have a relatively small dimensions, on the other hand, small distances of the magnetic elements or the Permanent magnets of the shaft or the axis of the wash arm to the externally arranged permanent magnets or coil devices can be realized.

In another embodiment, the at least one permanent magnet is provided on the washing arm itself, wherein in a particular embodiment, this magnetic element is provided in particular in the outer region of the washing arm. This makes it possible for the magnetic forces to engage in a radially outer region of the wash arm, whereby larger torques can be generated at lower forces.

The washing arm itself is preferably formed with two wings or blades, at the end of each at least one permanent magnet is provided. In another embodiment, however, it is also possible for the washing arm to have a plurality of blades or blades, in particular a three-blade washing arm can be provided, that is to say substantially in the form of a star.

Fig. 1

zeigt schematisch Teile eines magnetischen Antriebssystems einer ersten Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Geschirrspülmaschine; und

Fig. 2

zeigt schematisch Teile eines magnetischen Antriebssystems einer weiteren Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Geschirrspülmaschine;

These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following drawings, which show parts of particular embodiments of a dishwasher according to the invention:

Fig. 1

schematically shows parts of a magnetic drive system of a first embodiment of a dishwasher according to the invention; and

Fig. 2

schematically shows parts of a magnetic drive system of another embodiment of a dishwasher according to the invention;

FIG. 1 schematically shows parts of a first embodiment of a drive system of a dishwasher according to the invention. An unillustrated rotatable wash arm extending substantially parallel to the plane of the drawing comprises an axle or shaft 120. The wash arm rotates about the shaft 120, the axis of rotation is designated 122.

As in Fig. 1 clearly seen, four permanent magnets 140 are arranged around the circumference of the axis or shaft 120 of the rotary arm, which are arranged substantially on one plane and at an angular distance of 90 °. These permanent magnets 140 are firmly connected to the shaft 120 and thus to the wash arm. The axis or the shaft 120 of the washing arm and the permanent magnets 140 are located in a substantially cylindrical portion 520 of a flushing area or a washing compartment or this portion 520 is connected to the washing compartment or Spülbereich. The portion 520 is therefore in this embodiment in the humidity range.

This subregion 520 is separated from an outer region or drying region via a wall 420, which is formed essentially as a sleeve.

In this outer area is a rotor 220, on which four permanent magnets 240 are arranged, wherein the permanent magnets 240 are arranged in a plane and also with a uniform angular distance of 90 ° to each other.

The rotor 220 is provided with a ring gear 222, this rotor 220 is driven by means of the ring gear 222 via a screw 260 and a motor shaft 270 by an electric motor 280 so that the rotor 220 can be rotated with the permanent magnet 240, this rotation also takes place about the axis of rotation 122.

Due to the attractive forces acting between the permanent magnets 240 on the runner 220 and the permanent magnets 140 connected to the wash arm, the wash arm or axis or shaft 120 of the wash arm follows the rotational movement of the runner 220 so that the wash arm in FIG the dishwasher is rotated.

Speed and direction of rotation may be controlled arbitrarily and independently of the delivery of a fluid medium from the wash arm via control of the electric motor.

For the permanent magnets 140 and 240 in particular the neodymium magnet (N38SH) has been found to be advantageous. Another alternative is samarium cobalt magnets.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of in Fig. 1 shown embodiment, so that in particular to the description too Fig. 1 is referenced.

At the in Fig. 2 In the case of the drive device shown on a rotor 220, a total of four pairs of permanent magnets 248, 249 are provided, wherein in FIG Fig. 2 also the polarity of the permanent magnets is indicated.

As in Fig. 2 can be seen, the pairs of permanent magnets 248, 249 are arranged offset by an angle of 16 ° relative to a common center axis, preferably, an angular offset of 5 ° to 25 °, particularly preferably from 10 ° to 20 °.

In this embodiment too, the use of a neodymium magnet (N38SH) is particularly suitable for the permanent magnets.

Claims (9)

1. A dishwasher having one or more washing regions, in which at least one washing arm (40) is arranged, which comprises output elements for outputting a washing liquid onto crockery to be cleaned, the at least one washing arm (40) being rotatable, the dishwasher having a drive device for driving the rotatable washing arm, the drive device comprising at least one device (220, 240; 252; 246; 248, 249) for generating a variable magnetic field for driving at least one rotatable washing arm,
   characterised in that at least one washing arm (40) and/or a drive element (100, 120) of the at least one washing arm (40) is provided with at least one permanent magnet (140, 142, 144), which lies within a wet region, and
   the drive device comprises a rotatably driven rotor (220), on which at least one permanent magnet (240) is arranged, which is situated within a dry region.
2. The dishwasher according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one permanent magnet is arranged on a motor shaft, the rotation of which is transmitted via a worm to a worm gear, which is connected to a shaft of a rotation arm.
3. The dishwasher according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a shaft of the washing arm (40) consists at least partially of a magnetic material.
4. The dishwasher according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the at least one permanent magnet is arranged on the washing arm (40).
5. The dishwasher according to claim 4, characterised in that at least one permanent magnet is arranged on each outer end of a washing arm (40).
6. The dishwasher according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that 4 permanent magnets (140) are arranged around the circumference of an axle or shaft (120) of the washing arm (40).
7. The dishwasher according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that 4 permanent magnets (240) are arranged on the rotor (220).
8. The dishwasher according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that 4 pairs of permanent magnets (248, 249) are arranged on the rotor (220).
9. The dishwasher according to claim 8, characterised in that the pairs of the permanent magnets (248, 249) are each arranged offset by an angle of 5° to 25°, preferably 10° to 20°, in relation to a common centre axis.

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