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
  • A47L15/0018—Controlling processes, i.e. processes to control the operation of the machine characterised by the purpose or target of the control
  • A47L15/0047—Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• • 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
  • A47L2301/00—Manual input in controlling methods of washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware, i.e. information entered by a user
  • A47L2301/04—Operation mode, e.g. delicate washing, economy washing, reduced time, sterilizing, water softener regenerating, odor eliminating or service
• • 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
  • A47L2401/04—Crockery or tableware details, e.g. material, quantity, condition
• • 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
  • A47L2501/06—Water heaters
• • 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 present invention relates to a dishwasher, in particular a domestic dishwasher.
• the present invention also relates to a method for controlling such dishwasher.
• a user may operate from time to time a domestic dishwasher even when its article racks are not completely loaded with dishes. In such instances, valuable resources including water, electrical energy and detergent are unnecessarily wasted.
• EP 1 726 246 A1 discloses a prior art domestic dishwasher which has a user-selectable half load function.
• a drawback of this type of a prior art dishwasher is that the user may forget to select the half load function when the article racks are not completely loaded. The user may also erroneously select the half load function when the article racks are completely loaded. Thus, a prior art dishwasher which is endowed with the half load function cannot reliably save the resources.
• An objective of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher and a method for controlling the dishwasher which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art in a cost effective way and which enables a user-independent detection of the load and which improves the usability of the dishwasher and saves resources without compromising the washing results.
• the control unit has a plurality of washing programs, wherein each washing program has a plurality of subordinate washing programs which are respectively adapted to different loads.
• the control unit allows the user to designate a washing program from among the plurality of washing programs by means of the user interface and detects the load on the basis of the total amount of water required in order to wet the dishes in the washing tub. After the load is detected, the control unit selects the subordinate washing program which matches the detected load among the plurality of subordinate washing programs which are associated with the washing program which has been designated by the user.
• the amount of water to be subsequently taken into the washing tub is determined in accordance with the selected subordinate washing program.
• the control unit takes the determined amount of water into the washing tub and the process of washing the articles is continued in accordance with the selected subordinate washing program.
• a critical amount of water is initially taken into the washing tub, which just suffices to activate the pressure switch. Then, this critical amount of water is circulated so as to wet the articles.
• the load is a function of the total amount of water which is required to wet the articles inside the washing tub.
• the pressure switch is monitored. If the pressure switch is deactivated after the circulation, a predetermined amount of water is intermittently taken once or more than once into the washing tub. The intermittent water intakes are counted, for example by increasing a counter value and compared with a predetermined number.
• the load is assessed on the basis of the total amount of water intermittently taken into the washing tub either when the counter value exceeds the predetermined number, or when the pressure switch is reactivated, whichever condition enters first.
• the total amount of water is determined on the basis of the counter value which is read immediately prior to the assessment of the load. However, if the pressure switch remains activated after the circulation the load is immediately assessed.
• said different loads comprise a plurality of preset loads which can be resolved by intermittently taking water into the washing tub.
• the load is detected for any washing program which is designated by the user via the user interface and subsequently the subordinate washing program matching the detected load is selected.
• the detection of the load and the selection of the subordinate washing program are both rendered by the control unit.
• the usability of the dishwasher has been improved and the user has been relieved from utilizing any half load function or the like.
• the resources can be adaptively saved in accordance with the any designated washing program.
• a customer satisfaction can be increased.
• the load inside the washing tub is detected by the control unit by utilizing the pressure switch of the low water safety circuit.
• the need of any auxiliary sensors such as contamination sensors has been obviated and the reliability of the load detection has been improved.
• the manufacturing costs have been kept comparatively low both in labor and material.
• Figure 1 – is a schematic view of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 2 – is a flowchart showing a method for controlling the dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• the dishwasher (1) comprises a washing tub (2), one or more than one article rack (3), a water intake valve (4), a sump (5), a pump (6), one or more than one spray arm (7), a user interface (8) and a heater (not shown) (Fig. 1).
• the dishwasher (1) of the present invention further comprises a low water safety circuit (9) which has a pressure switch (10) for detecting the water level inside the sump (6) and a control unit (11) which has a plurality of washing programs, wherein each washing program has a plurality of subordinate washing programs which are respectively adapted to different loads.
• the control unit is programmed to allow the user to designate a washing program from among the plurality of washing programs by means of the user interface (8).
• the control unit is further programmed to detect the load on the basis of the total amount of water required in order to wet the dishes in the washing tub (2) and to select on the basis of the detected load the subordinate washing program which matches the detected load among the plurality of subordinate washing programs associated with the washing program which has been designated by the user.
• control unit (11) is further programmed to determine the amount of water to be subsequently taken into the washing tub (2) in accordance with the selected subordinate washing program, to take the determined amount of water into the washing tub (2) and to continue with the process of washing the dishes in accordance with the selected subordinate washing program.
• control unit (11) is further programmed to detect the load by taking a critical amount of water into a washing tub (2), which just suffices to activate the pressure switch (10) of the low water safety circuit (9), circulating said critical amount of water via the pump (6) and the spray arm (7) so as to wet the dishes in the article rack (3) inside the washing tub (2), monitoring the pressure switch (10), intermittently taking, if the pressure switch (10) is deactivated after the circulation, once or more than once a predetermined amount of water into the washing tub (2), counting the number of intermittent water intakes by increasing a counter value, comparing the counter value with a predetermined number N, assessing the load on the basis of the total amount of water taken into the washing tub (2) either on condition that the counter value has exceeded a predetermined number N or on condition that the pressure switch (10) is reactivated or on condition that the pressure switch (10) remains activated after the circulation, whichever condition enters first and reading the counter value immediately prior to the load assessment, wherein said total amount of water is determined on the basis of the counter
• said different loads comprise a plurality of preset loads including at least a full load and a half load.
• the low water safety circuit (9) is adapted to inhibit operation of the heater if the pressure switch (10) is deactivated.
• the present invention also provides a method for controlling the dishwasher (1).
• the control method of the present invention comprises: a step of allowing a user to designate a washing program from among the plurality of washing programs by means of a user interface (8), a step of detecting (S1-S9) the load on the basis of the total amount of water required in order to wet the dishes in the washing tub (2) and a step of selecting on the basis of the detected load the subordinate washing program which matches the detected load among the plurality of subordinate washing programs associated with the washing program which has been designated by the user (Fig. 2).
• control method further comprises: a step (S10) of determining the amount of water to be subsequently taken into the washing tub (2) in accordance with the subordinate washing program selected in the selecting step; a step (S11) of taking the determined amount of water into the washing tub (2) and a step (S12) of continuing with the process of washing the dishes in accordance with the subordinate washing program selected in the selecting step.
• the detecting step (S1 to S9) comprises: a step (S1) of taking a critical amount of water into the washing tub (2), which just suffices to activate the pressure switch (10) of the low water safety circuit (9); a step (S2) of circulating said critical amount of water via the pump (6) and the spray arm (7) so as to wet the dishes in the article rack (3) inside the washing tub (2); a step (S3,S7) of monitoring the pressure switch (10); a step (S4) of intermittently taking, if the pressure switch (10) is deactivated after the circulating step (S2), once or more than once a predetermined amount of water into the washing tub (2); a step (S5) of counting the number of intermittent water intakes during the intermittently taking step (S4) by increasing the counter value; a step (S6) of comparing the counter value with a predetermined number N; a step (S9) of assessing the load on the basis of the total amount of water taken into the washing tub (2) during the intermittently taking step (S4) either on condition that the counter value has
• control method further comprises a step of inhibiting operation of the heater if the pressure switch (10) is deactivated.
• the load is automatically detected by the control unit (11) in any washing program designated by the user. Subsequently, the subordinate washing program which matches the assessed load is automatically selected by the control unit (11).
• the usability of the dishwasher (1) has been increased and the user has been relieved from utilizing any half load function or the like.
• the resources can be adaptively saved for any washing program designated by the user. Thereby, a customer satisfaction can be increased.
• the load inside the washing tub (2) is detected by utilizing the pressure switch (10) of the safety circuit (11). Thereby, the reliability of the load detection has been further improved. Also, the need of any auxiliary sensors such as contamination sensors or the like has been obviated and the overall all costs have been comparatively reduced.

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• Washing And Drying Of Tableware (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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ID=51454719

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2014
  • 2014-09-03 EP EP14758405.6A patent/EP3188638A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-09-03 WO PCT/EP2014/068726 patent/WO2016034221A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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