EP3167789A1 - Method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance and water-conducting domestic appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a water-conducting household appliance (1), in particular a dishwasher, with a rinsing chamber (4) for rinsing items to be rinsed, a detector (13) for detecting a presence of a living being, formed by a rinsing container (2) and a pivotable door (3) in a certain area in front of the household appliance (1), and a control device (12) which is adapted to prevent an opening of the door (3) in response to a detected by the detector (13) presence of a living in the particular area ,

Description

The present invention relates to a water-conducting household appliance, such as a dishwasher, and a method for operating a water-conducting household appliance.

Users of dishwashers have an interest in that the items to be washed after the rinsing process is as dry as possible, so that it can be immediately removed from the dishwasher and cleaned up. Conventional dishwashers therefore provide a drying step as the last part of the washing program in which the dishes can drip off and dry. How effective this drying process is depends largely on the ventilation of the washing compartment. Therefore, in conventional dishwashers, a door opening assistant or a door opening module can be provided. Such a door opening module is for example in DE 10 2012 207 836 A1 described.

This door opening module opens the door automatically when actuated by a control unit. For the advantageous drying, it is sufficient to open the door a crack. Here, the lock of the door is triggered and a spring-rope system, the opening of the door is stopped when the desired gap size is reached. However, it may happen that e.g. there is a rope break, which would lead to an uncontrolled striking the door. Since dishwashers doors can have a considerable weight, there is therefore a danger potential for living beings in the vicinity. The door opening assistant must therefore be protected against malfunction for safety reasons.

DE 10 2011 050 914 A1 shows a cable break sensor. Here, if a malfunction is detected, the entire door opening assistant is overridden. The door remains closed in this case and the drying of the dishes is not encouraged. To restore the function, a specialist must then inspect the dishwasher and replace the defective parts, which can result in high costs.

Against this background, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved water-conducting household appliance.

Accordingly, a water-conducting household appliance with a rinsing chamber formed by a rinsing container and a pivotable door for rinsing dishes, a detector for detecting a presence of a living being in a certain area in front of the household appliance, a door opening module for automatically opening the door and a control device is proposed. The control device is configured to control the door opening module in dependence on a detected by the detector presence of a living being in the specific area such that the automatic opening of the door is blocked.

Advantageously, thereby opening the door, which is not desired by the user of the household appliance, for example, an automatic opening of the door, can be prevented when detected by the detector presence of a living being in the particular area. The particular area results in particular from the range of movement of the pivotable door of the household appliance.

In particular, the control device is adapted to inhibit or block the opening of the door in the absence of an opening request of the door made by a user and a detected presence of a living being in the particular area. For example, the opening request can be made by the user by touching a predetermined sensor on the control panel of the household appliance.

The water-conducting household appliance is in particular a dishwasher.

This offers the advantage that the door does not automatically open when a potential organism recognizes the danger potential. This ensures that regardless of the function of the door opening module, no living beings are harmed by the door opening.

According to a further embodiment, the detector is adapted to detect the presence of a living being in a range of movement of the pivotable door.

Thus, it can be ensured that in acute danger to a living being through the door of the water-bearing household appliance, when the living being in the movement radius of the door, it remains closed.

According to a further embodiment, the detector comprises a motion detector, an infrared motion detector, an RF sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a Doppler radar sensor and / or an image recognition device.

Depending on the requirements of the size, positioning and / or cost of the detector, the advantageous variant can be selected. In particular, an image recognition device moreover offers the possibility of identifying a person in the room and of carrying out further control functions in dependence thereon. Furthermore, not only the presence of a living being can be detected with an image recognition device, but optionally also another object which is located in the movement radius of the pivotable door. This can e.g. a chair or the like. It can then also be suppressed the automatic opening of the door to prevent damage to the object as well as from the door of the household appliance.

According to a further embodiment, the control device is adapted to inhibit the opening of the door in response to a detected presence of a living being in the designated area for a certain period of time.

This advantageously makes it possible that the door of the household appliance can only be opened as soon as the specific period of time has expired and a correspondingly high probability exists that the danger potential for the living being is no longer present. The specific time period is, for example, between five and twenty seconds.
According to a further embodiment, the control device is set up to recheck, after expiry of the determined period of time, whether the detector detects a living being in the specific area after the expiration of the determined time period, and in FIG Dependence thereof to prevent the opening of the door again and / or to perform an alternative control function.

The detector is designed so that it automatically performs the measurement and provides the result to the control device, or that it carries out a measurement under control of the control device, and outputs the result to the control device. Thus, advantageously, the detector can be activated only for short measurement intervals, which power can be saved. If, after the expiry of the certain period of time, there is still a danger potential for the living being, the opening of the door can again be prevented or another control function, e.g. the output of an acoustic signal to be executed. This iterative loop can be repeated until the danger potential is no longer present. Alternatively, another preset control signal can be output and the iterative loop can be interrupted even after a predetermined number of specific time periods have elapsed.

This other control signal may e.g. be an audible signal to inform a user that an automatic opening of the door in the current program no longer takes place or another user input is needed. It can also be a status message of the household appliance, which is transmitted via a user interface, e.g. a display located on the device is output. In particular, a user interface may include input and output means. Furthermore, it may be another function of the household appliance, e.g. a rinse cycle at high water temperature, which allows the drying of a wash, even with the door closed advantageous.

According to a further embodiment, the detector is attached to the door, integrated in a door leaf of the door, arranged in a base of the household appliance or integrated in a control panel of the door.

Thus, while retaining the function, the detector can be used both in freestanding and semi- or fully integrated dishwashers, or several detectors can be used at different positions, each with different detection ranges and / or detection properties. The usage of several detectors may be advantageous if initially only a first detector, such as a motion detector, is permanently active. As soon as it detects a movement in a certain area, a second detector, for example an image recognition unit, can be activated. This advantageously makes it possible that complex and energy-intensive detectors do not have to be permanently activated, which can save power.

According to a further embodiment, the control device is set up to generate a control signal for driving at least one specific unit as a function of a detected presence of a living being in the specific area.

As a result of the detection signal generated as a function of the detected presence of a living being, the control device can control various units of the household appliance, such as a lighting device or a user interface, and consequently improve the control functionalities of the household appliance.

Thus, a user present may be alerted to an event in a number of ways, ensuring that the user is in the vicinity of the household appliance and that the alert is therefore perceptible to him.

According to a further embodiment, the at least one specific unit is a lighting device for illuminating the rinsing container, a projection device for projecting a residual life of the household appliance, display lighting of a display of the household appliance, an output device for outputting at least one acoustic signal, a web-based application function, another User interface and / or a drive device designed to drive a pump of the household appliance.

Thus, a present user may be alerted to the end of the rinse by issuing an audible signal through the dispenser, or to the remaining time of the rinse by displaying the time on the display. Furthermore, power can be saved by, for example, the display lighting, the display and / or the lighting device for lighting the washing only then activated when the user is near the household appliance. It can also be controlled by the drive means for driving the pump, the pump of the dishwasher so that it runs quieter while the user is in the vicinity, whereby a reduction of noise pollution is achieved. Status information can be output to a user's mobile device as it approaches the home appliance via a web-based application function. This status information can be, for example, current values for the flushing process such as start time, end time, remaining time, water temperature or current flushing cycle. However, other device or maintenance information can also be output, eg number of rinses, level of rinse tank or water softening salt container, water consumption, energy consumption, etc. The transmission of information can be done eg via RFID, Bluetooth, WLAN or other, advantageously wireless transmission systems. In particular, all information collected by the household appliance can be passed on to the user.

According to a further embodiment, the detector is designed as an HF sensor, which is set up to detect a blockage of a spray arm in the washing container.

In this embodiment, the detector forms a double function. On the one hand, it is set up to detect the presence of a living being in the specific area in front of the household appliance, and on the other hand it is set up to detect a blockage of a spray arm or of several spray arms. This advantageously enables a more cost-effective and simpler construction of the household appliance compared to one in which dedicated detectors are used for each of these functions.

In accordance with a further embodiment, the control device is set up to control a user interface in dependence on a blocking of the spray arm detected by the HF sensor in such a way that it outputs a user output for warning the user.

Thus, the user can advantageously be informed that, where appropriate, an object blocks a spray arm, or that a defect, such as a clogged nozzle or hydraulic line or a worn bearing. The user can then first without a specialist determine the cause of the blockage and fix it if necessary, or alternatively consult a specialist.

According to a further embodiment, the detector is configured to provide a plurality of detection signals in dependence on the presence of a living being in a corresponding plurality of different detection areas of the household appliance.

The plurality of different detection areas may be e.g. a division into three areas comprises: a first far-end area in which, due to a presence of a living being, a general function, e.g. the output of an acoustic signal or other functions, as already explained above, is triggered, wherein the first far-end range comprises, for example, a range at a distance of 50-1000 cm from the detector, a second range, e.g. includes the movement radius of the door in which an automatic door opening is prevented due to the presence of a living being, and a third area, e.g. a detector-near range is in which user gestures for gesture control of the household appliance can be detected. The near-detect range includes e.g. an area at a distance of 0 - 10 cm from the detector. Depending on the user gesture then further control functions can be triggered, e.g. automatic full opening of the door, extending or retracting the baskets (when open), a lower basket lift, automatic closing of the door, reduction of operating noise by appropriate measures, etc.

According to a further embodiment, the detector is configured to provide a first detection signal upon detection of the presence of a living being in a remote area of the household appliance and to provide a second detection signal upon detection of the presence of a living being in a vicinity of the household appliance.

According to a further embodiment, the household appliance comprises a door opening module for automatically opening the door, wherein the control device is adapted to open the door depending on at least one of the plurality of provided Prevent detection signals and to control the door opening module in response to at least one of the other of the plurality of detection signals provided such that it opens the door automatically. Thus, a differentiated function of the door opening module is achieved.

According to a further embodiment, the control device is set up to carry out a number of wash programs for washing a wash item.

In particular, a rinsing program comprises one or more of the following phases: pre-rinsing, cleaning cycle, intermediate rinsing, rinsing and / or drying cycle. In different rinsing programs, the phases can be designed differently.

According to a further embodiment, the household appliance is a dishwasher, a washing machine, a dryer, in particular a tumble dryer, or a steamer.

Furthermore, a method for operating a water-conducting household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, proposed. The household appliance comprises a washing chamber formed by a washing container and a pivotable door for washing dishes. The method comprises the steps of detecting a presence of a living being in a certain area in front of the household appliance, and blocking an automatic opening of the door in response to a detected presence of a living in the particular area in front of the household appliance.

Furthermore, a computer program product is proposed, which causes the execution of the method as explained above on a program-controlled device.
A computer program product, such as a computer program means, for example, as a storage medium, such as memory card, USB stick, CD-ROM, DVD, or in the form of a downloadable file provided by a server in a network or delivered. This can be done, for example, in a wireless communication network by transmitting a corresponding file with the computer program product or the computer program means.

The embodiments and features described for the proposed water-conducting household appliance apply accordingly to the proposed method.

Further possible implementations of the invention also include not explicitly mentioned combinations of features or embodiments described above or below with regard to the exemplary embodiments. The skilled person will also add individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic form of the invention.

• Fig. 1 zeigt eine Perspektivansicht einer ersten Ausführungsform eines wasserführenden Haushaltsgeräts;
• Fig. 2 zeigt ein schematisches Blockschaltbild einer zweiten Ausführungsform eines wasserführenden Haushaltsgeräts;
• Fig. 3 zeigt eine Seitenansicht einer dritten Ausführungsform eines wasserführenden Haushaltsgeräts;
• Fig. 4 zeigt ein schematisches Zeitdiagramm für ein Beispiel der Abfolge mehrerer Detektions- und Ansteuervorgänge;
• Fig. 5 zeigt eine perspektivische Ansicht einer vierten Ausführungsform eines wasserführenden Haushaltsgeräts;
• Fig. 6 zeigt ein Schema einer Anordnung von verschiedenen Detektionsbereichen; und
• Fig. 7 zeigt ein Ausführungsbeispiel eines Verfahrens zum Betreiben des wasserführen den Haushaltsgeräts.

Further advantageous embodiments and aspects of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and the embodiments of the invention described below. Furthermore, the invention will be explained in more detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached figures.

• Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance;
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a second embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance;
• Fig. 3 shows a side view of a third embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance;
• Fig. 4 shows a schematic timing diagram for an example of the sequence of multiple detection and driving operations;
• Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance;
• Fig. 6 shows a schematic of an arrangement of different detection areas; and
• Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a method for operating the water-carrying household appliance.

In the figures, the same or functionally identical elements have been given the same reference numerals, unless stated otherwise.

In Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance 1 is shown. In the example of Fig. 1 the water-conducting household appliance 1 is a dishwasher.

The dishwasher 1 has a body comprising a washing container 2 and a door 3. The rinsing container 2 and the door 3 form a rinsing chamber 4 for rinsing dishes. The door 3 is in Fig. 1 shown in their open position. By pivoting about a provided at a lower end of the door 3 pivot axis S, the door 3 can be closed or opened.

The washing container 2 is, for example, cuboidal and may include a bottom 5, a bottom 5 opposite ceiling 6, a door 3 opposite the rear wall 7 and two opposing side walls 8, 9. In particular, the side walls 8, 9 may be made of stainless steel sheet.

The dishwasher 1 also has at least one loading level 10. The at least one loading level 10 is preferably a washware receptacle of the dishwasher 1. In particular, a plurality of load levels 10 may be provided, which may comprise a lower basket, an upper basket and / or a cutlery drawer. The plurality of loading levels 10 are preferably arranged one above the other in the washing container 2. Each loading level 10 is selectively displaceable in an insertion direction E into the washing container 2 or in an extension direction A out of this. For this purpose, a rail 11 is preferably provided on both sides of a respective loading level 10.

One optionally provided in the body or in the door 3 of the dishwasher 1 control device 12 is, inter alia, adapted to control the flow of rinsing programs for rinsing items to be washed. Furthermore, the control device 12 may have other controllable units 14, 15, 16 (see Fig. 2 ).

The dishwasher 1 the Fig. 1 further comprises a detector 13, which is adapted to detect the presence of a living being and / or object in at least one specific area. The detector 13 may determine the result of a measurement to the control device 12 by means of a detection signal DS (see Fig. 2 ) output. A measurement is understood to mean that the detector 13 checks whether a living being and / or an object is located in the at least one specific area. Alternatively, the control device 12 can drive the detector 13 such that it performs a measurement and a corresponding detection signal DS (see FIG Fig. 2 ) to the control device 12.

In addition, the dishwasher 1 includes the Fig. 1 at least one further controllable unit 14, 15, 16 (see Fig. 2 ). The at least one further controllable unit 15 is, in particular, a door opening module 14 and / or a user interface 16. A further controllable unit may be, for example, a pump controller for controlling a pump of the dishwasher.

The dishwasher 1 can be, for example, a freestanding, an integrated or a fully integrated dishwasher 1.

The detector 13 may include, for example, a motion detector, an infrared motion detector, an RF sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a Doppler radar sensor and / or an image recognition device.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a second embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance 1. In the example of Fig. 2 the control device 12 receives a detection signal DS from the detector 13 and controls at least one further controllable unit 15 by outputting at least one drive signal AS. The controllable unit 15 may in particular comprise a door opening module 14 or a user interface 16.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of another embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance 1. In the example of Fig. 3 a dishwasher 1 is shown, wherein the dishwasher 1 is shown with the door open 3. When the door 3 is opened, it is pivoted about the pivot axis S, and requires a through the movement radius of the door 3 given volume of space, which in the Fig. 3 is shown schematically. The detector 13 is in particular configured to detect a living being and / or object located in this movement radius.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic time diagram as an example of the sequence of several detection and driving operations by the detector 13 and the control device 12. Here, from the control device 12 after each detection query DA at times t _i, where a certain period of time At between two successive instants t _i , t _{i + 1} , depending on a detection signal DS of the detector 13, a drive signal AS output.

In the example of Fig. 4 the drive signal AS comprises two values (0 or 1), where "0" means that the door opening module 14 is activated in such a way that an opening of the door is prevented. After expiry of the specific time period .DELTA.t, therefore, a detection query DA of the detector 13 is again carried out by the control device 12, and a corresponding drive signal AS is output again. In the third detection query DA at time t ₃ , a "1" is output, which means in this example that the door opening module 14 can open the door 3 automatically. The iterative loop is broken.

More complex drive signals AS, e.g. any finite sequence of "0" or "1" are also possible, which can also be used to control further controllable units 15, 16 or to carry out more complex control operations.

Fig. 5 shows a front perspective view of another embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance 1. In the example of Fig. 5 the domestic appliance 1 is shown as a dishwasher, the dishwasher 1 is shown with partially open door 3. In the upper region of the door 3 and in the baseboard 17 detectors 13 are installed.

The detectors 13 can fulfill different functions. Thus, for example, the detectors 13 installed in the skirting board 17 can only be activated when the door 3 is completely open, in order to cause an automatic closure of the door 3 when a user gesture is detected (eg with the foot).

Fig. 6 shows a side view of another embodiment of a water-conducting household appliance 1, wherein also different detection areas NB, FB are shown. In the example of Fig. 6 The detector 13 distinguishes the following two detection ranges: a near range NB and a far range FB. In this case, the detector 13 is set up to output a first detection signal DS as a function of the detection of a living being and / or object in the near zone NB and to output a second detection signal DS as a function of the detection of a living being and / or object in the remote area FB.

In particular, the detector 13 may be adapted to detect a user gesture in the proximity area NB and to output a corresponding detection signal DS detected by the control device 12, which via a drive signal AS has a specific function, e.g. an automatic opening of the door 3 of the household appliance 1, causes.

It is also possible to define more than two detection areas. The detector 13 is then set up to detect the presence of a living being and / or object in each of the more than two defined detection areas and to output one of a corresponding plurality of detection signals DS in dependence thereon.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a method for operating a water-conducting household appliance 1. The water-conducting household appliance 1 is, for example, according to one of Fig. 1 . 3 . 5 or 6 and comprises a control device 12 for controlling various functions of the household appliance 1, and a detector 13 for detecting a living being and / or an object in at least one specific area, wherein the detector 13 can output a detection signal DS to the control device 12. Furthermore, the household appliance 1 comprises at least one further controllable unit 15, which may in particular be a door opening module 14 and / or a user interface 16.

In step S1, a presence of a living being in a certain area in front of the household appliance 1 is detected.

In step S2, an opening of the door 3 in dependence on a detected presence of a living being in the specific area in front of the household appliance 1 is prevented.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments, it is variously modifiable.

Used reference signs:

1

water-conducting household appliance

2

rinse tank

3

door

4

rinsing chamber

5

ground

6

blanket

7

rear wall

8, 9

side walls

10

load level

11

rail

12

control device

13

detector

14

Door opening module

15

controllable unit

16

User interface

17

skirting

A

extraction direction

AS

control signal

THERE

detection query

DS

detection signal

e

insertion direction

FB

remote area

NB

close range

S

swivel axis

S1

step

S2

step

Claims (14)

Water-conducting domestic appliance (1), in particular a dishwasher, with a rinsing chamber (4) for rinsing items to be rinsed by a rinsing container (2) and a pivotable door (3), a detector (13) for detecting a presence of a living being in a certain area the home appliance (1), a door opening module (14) for automatically opening the door (3), and a control device (12) arranged to open the door opening module (14) in response to a detected presence of a living being in the designated area to control that the automatic opening of the door (3) is blocked. Domestic appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the detector (13) is adapted to detect the presence of a living being in a range of movement of the pivotable door (3). Domestic appliance according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the detector (13) comprises a motion detector, an infrared motion detector, an RF sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a Doppler radar sensor and / or an image recognition device. Domestic appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control device (12) is adapted to prevent the opening of the door (3) in response to a detected presence of a living being in the particular area for a certain period of time. Domestic appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the control device (12) is adapted to recheck after expiry of the determined period of time whether the detector (13) detects a living being in the designated area after the lapse of the determined period of time and in dependence this again to prevent the opening of the door (3) and / or to perform an alternative control function. Domestic appliance according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the detector (13) on the door (3) is mounted in a door leaf of the door (3) is integrated, in a base (17) of the household appliance (1) is or is integrated in a control panel of the door (3). Domestic appliance according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the control device (12) is adapted to generate a control signal (AS) for driving at least one particular unit (15) in response to a detected presence of a living being in the particular area , Domestic appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that the at least one specific unit (15) is an illumination device for illuminating the rinsing container (2), a projection device for projecting a residual life of the household appliance (1), a display illumination of a display of the household appliance (1) Output device for outputting at least one acoustic signal, a web-based application function and / or a drive device for driving a pump of the household appliance comprises. Domestic appliance according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the detector (13) is designed as an RF sensor which is adapted to detect a blocking of a spray arm in the washing compartment (2). Domestic appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that the control device (12) is adapted to control a user interface (16) in response to a detected by the RF sensor blocking the spray arm such that it outputs a user output to warn the user. Domestic appliance according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the detector (13) is adapted to provide a first detection signal (DS) upon detection of the presence of a living being in a remote area (FB) of the household appliance (1) and a second Detection signal (DS) in a detection of the presence of a living being in a vicinity (NB) of the household appliance (1) provide. Domestic appliance according to claim 11, characterized by a door opening module (14) for automatically opening the door (3), wherein the control device (12) is adapted to prevent the opening of the door (3) in dependence on the provided first detection signal and the door opening module (12). 14) in response to the provided second detection signal in such a way that it opens the door (3) automatically. Method for operating a water-conducting domestic appliance (1), in particular a dishwasher, with a rinsing chamber (4) for rinsing items to be rinsed, formed by a rinsing container (2) and a pivotable door (3), comprising: Detecting (S1) a presence of a living being in a certain area in front of the household appliance (1), and Blocking (S2) an automatic opening of the door (3) in response to a detected presence of a living being in the specific area in front of the household appliance (1). Computer program product, which causes the execution of the method according to claim 13 on a program-controlled device.

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