EP3120748B1 - Water level controller for dishwasher or the like - Google Patents

Water level controller for dishwasher or the like Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3120748B1
EP3120748B1 EP15425054.2A EP15425054A EP3120748B1 EP 3120748 B1 EP3120748 B1 EP 3120748B1 EP 15425054 A EP15425054 A EP 15425054A EP 3120748 B1 EP3120748 B1 EP 3120748B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
air trap
water level
air
level controller
bottom portion
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP15425054.2A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP3120748A1 (en
Inventor
Andrea Ambrosi
Eros Pinaroli
Mauro Tosi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Bonferraro SpA
Original Assignee
Bonferraro SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bonferraro SpA filed Critical Bonferraro SpA
Priority to EP15425054.2A priority Critical patent/EP3120748B1/en
Priority to PL15425054T priority patent/PL3120748T3/pl
Publication of EP3120748A1 publication Critical patent/EP3120748A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP3120748B1 publication Critical patent/EP3120748B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • 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
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
    • D06F39/08—Liquid supply or discharge arrangements
    • D06F39/087—Water level measuring or regulating devices
    • 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
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device for controlling the water level in a dishwasher or other machine that loads water, in particular a device comprising an air trap connected to a pressure switch.
  • a device for controlling the water level in a dishwasher or other machine that loads water
  • a device comprising an air trap connected to a pressure switch.
  • specific reference will be made to such a device applied to a professional dishwasher, but it is clear that the device can be applied to other types of machines that require a control of the level of water loaded therein, e.g. household dishwashers, washing machines, sterilizers, etc.
  • a conventional water level controller consists essentially in an air trap connected to a pressure switch that controls the opening and closing of the valves for the loading and draining of the water, so as to maintain the required level.
  • the air trap which may be partly or completely immersed in water, is a container or a tube open at the bottom so that during the water loading the air inside it remains trapped and undergoes a pressure change proportional to the water level. This change in pressure is communicated from the air trap to the pressure switch through a tube that connects the two elements, so that the pressure switch can control the aforementioned valves on the basis of the detected level.
  • the air trap may also be provided with internal wall elements that form a sort of labyrinth between the air inlet and the air outlet as disclosed in DE 10 2013 101404 .
  • the variation in the air temperature is linked to the operating cycle of the machine and the change in volume as a function of temperature is an intrinsic characteristic of air, therefore these pressure oscillations are unavoidable. Since the level controller is calibrated at a certain reference temperature, when the trapped air is at a temperature higher or lower than said reference temperature the detected level will be respectively higher or lower than the actual level, with an error proportional to the difference between the temperatures and therefore to the variation in volume of the trapped air.
  • a level controller with a typical air trap that consists of a circular tube if the reference temperature is that of the hot machine (70°C) but the machine is not used for some time and the air cools down to room temperature (20°C), when the machine is turned back on the pressure switch detects a pressure (and therefore a water level) in the air trap lower by about 18% due to the reduction of temperature of 50°C multiplied by the coefficient of thermal expansion of the air of 0,00366. As a consequence, the controller will load unnecessarily other water in the machine with a waste of water and energy to heat the water in excess. Conversely, if the reference temperature is below the maximum temperature reached by the air, for example due to prolonged use in a hot environment, the controller unnecessarily drains water that instead serves for a correct operation of the machine.
  • the object of the present invention is therefore to provide a water level controller which is free from said drawbacks. Said object is achieved by means of a controller of the above type in which the air trap is shaped in such a way that its cross-section decreases from the bottom upwards (e.g. pyramid, cone, truncated pyramid/cone, hemisphere, etc.), at least in its bottom portion affected by the possible variation in volume of the trapped air.
  • the air trap is shaped in such a way that its cross-section decreases from the bottom upwards (e.g. pyramid, cone, truncated pyramid/cone, hemisphere, etc.), at least in its bottom portion affected by the possible variation in volume of the trapped air.
  • the main advantage of this controller is to be less sensitive to pressure changes induced by changes in volume of the trapped air, so that the reading error of the water level is correspondingly reduced.
  • a second advantage, deriving from the greater precision of this controller, is to be able to realize a more compact machine or a machine with a greater useful loading space for the same size, since it is possible to arrange the overflow closer to the correct water level thus reducing the overall dimensions of the wash tank.
  • Still another advantage of the present controller is that it maintains the characteristics of simplicity, inexpensiveness and reliability of the prior art controllers and it can be applied to any machine, even as an upgrade to an existing machine.
  • the air trap 1 has the shape of a quarter of a truncated pyramid in the bottom portion 1a and of a parallelepiped in the top portion 1b.
  • the height of the bottom portion 1 a obviously depends on the maximum variation in temperature and therefore in volume of the trapped air, as well as from the gradient of variation of the cross-section.
  • the minimum height of the bottom portion 1a is comprised between 5% and 50% of the overall height of the air trap, preferably between 10% and 30%.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Washing And Drying Of Tableware (AREA)
EP15425054.2A 2015-07-23 2015-07-23 Water level controller for dishwasher or the like Active EP3120748B1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP15425054.2A EP3120748B1 (en) 2015-07-23 2015-07-23 Water level controller for dishwasher or the like
PL15425054T PL3120748T3 (pl) 2015-07-23 2015-07-23 Sterownik poziomu wody do zmywarki lub temu podobnego

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP15425054.2A EP3120748B1 (en) 2015-07-23 2015-07-23 Water level controller for dishwasher or the like

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3120748A1 EP3120748A1 (en) 2017-01-25
EP3120748B1 true EP3120748B1 (en) 2018-05-16

Family

ID=54151231

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP15425054.2A Active EP3120748B1 (en) 2015-07-23 2015-07-23 Water level controller for dishwasher or the like

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3120748B1 (pl)
PL (1) PL3120748T3 (pl)

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ATE422006T1 (de) * 2004-11-30 2009-02-15 Miele & Cie Kunststofflaugenbehälter mit luftfalle für eine waschmaschine
WO2008052979A1 (en) * 2006-10-31 2008-05-08 Arcelik Anonim Sirketi A washing machine
DE102013101404A1 (de) * 2013-02-13 2014-08-14 Miele & Cie. Kg Wasserstandsregler für Wasch- oder Geschirrspülmaschinen

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
PL3120748T3 (pl) 2019-04-30
EP3120748A1 (en) 2017-01-25

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