EP3672469A1

EP3672469A1 - A dishwasher with improved drying performance

Info

Publication number: EP3672469A1
Application number: EP18746132.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yusuf Koc; Furkan BAYAV; Can APAYDIN; Mehmet DIKSAN; Ayse KIZILDEMIR
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2017-08-23
Filing date: 2018-07-20
Publication date: 2020-07-01
Also published as: TR201712564A2; WO2019037981A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dishwasher (1) comprising a body (2); a washing tub (3) that is disposed in the body (2) and wherein the washing process is performed; lateral walls (4) that surround the washing tub (3), and a drying chamber (5) that is disposed in the body (2) and that opens into the washing tub (3) through the lateral walls (4).

Description

A DISHWASHER WITH IMPROVED DRYING PERFORMANCE

The present invention relates to a dishwasher comprising a drying chamber that is outside the washing tub.
In dishwashers, the dishes are dried by decreasing the humidity in the washing tub by transferring the hot and humid air in the washing tub to the drying chamber with a cold surface by means of a fan and then enabling the hot and humid air to be condensed and dehumidified on the cold surface or to be mixed and diluted with the cold and dry air and sent back to the washing tub. The connection between the washing tub and the drying chamber is provided by means of an orifice arranged on the lateral walls that surround the washing tub. Transferring the air in such a manner through an orifice causes a heterogeneous air distribution in the washing tub and prevents the air from reaching all the points in the washing tub. This case prevents some of the dishes from being dried or causes the formation of water stains on the dishes. Furthermore, since the distribution of the air in the washing tub takes time, the duration of the drying process increases.
In the state of the art European Patent Application No. EP1913860, a dishwasher is disclosed, wherein the drying chamber in which the hot and humid air in the washing tub is condensed is positioned on the door that provides access into the washing tub.
In the state of the art International Patent Application No. WO2017052796, a dishwasher is disclosed, wherein the drying process is realized by diluting the hot and humid air in the washing tub with the cold and dry air.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a dishwasher wherein the efficiency of the drying process is increased.
The dishwasher realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof comprises a duct that is arranged on at least one of the lateral walls surrounding the washing tub and that opens into the drying chamber wherein the air is condensed or dried during the drying process, and a plurality of nozzles that are disposed on the duct and that enable the air to be blown into the washing tub. By blowing the air into the washing tub through a plurality of points, an air flow in the form of a turbulence is created in the washing tub and thus, the cold and dry air is enabled to reach all the points in the washing tub and the moisture on the dishes is removed.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cross-section of the nozzles becomes narrower in the direction from the duct to the washing tub such that the air blown into the washing tub is cooled down. Thus, the speed of the air blown is increased and the air is enabled to be cooled down. Consequently, the temperature of the air is decreased indirectly without the need for additional energy consumption.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the duct is in the form of interconnected structures that are arranged on the four lateral walls or in the form of a single-piece rectangular structure. Thus, by enabling the air to be blown from four sides of the washing tub by means of the nozzles, a rectangular drying sweeping area is formed, and the drying efficiency is increased by sending the air onto all the dishes in the washing tub from the four sides. In another version of this embodiment, all of or at least some of the nozzles face different directions so as to blow the air to the different regions of the washing tub. By means of this embodiment, the air blown through the nozzles is enabled to reach all the regions of the washing tub and the turbulence effect created by blowing the air from different directions is increased and the moisture is enabled to be removed quicker.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the user can turn the nozzles as desired and choose the blowing direction of the air. For example, in case the dishes are placed so as to occupy only a portion of the washing tub, the user can turn the nozzles so as to blow the air towards the dishes, and thus, the air is enabled to be blown directly onto the dishes without traveling around the empty sections of the washing tub and losing its speed, and the drying process is enabled to be completed quickly.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the nozzles are attached to the duct loosely not firmly such that the air delivered through the duct can bend the nozzles in different directions and the air can be blown in different directions. In this embodiment, the nozzles can move freely around the part the nozzles are connected, and the nozzles are enabled to move freely and blow the air towards continuously-changing directions as the air is delivered to the nozzles from the duct. Thus, the air is enabled to be quickly transferred to all the regions of the washing tub.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the duct is configured to move up and down on the lateral wall and is moved up and down by means of a control unit that controls a movement mechanism enabling the duct to be moved during the drying process. During this movement, the air blown is enabled to reach all the points in the washing tub and the duration of the drying process is shortened.
By means of the dishwasher of the present invention, a more homogeneous air distribution is provided in the dishwasher, and the duration of the drying process is decreased and the drying efficiency is increased by increasing the turbulence effect. Furthermore, the problem of the formation of water stains on the dishes is solved by quickly delivering the air to every corner of the washing tub.
A dishwasher realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 – is the perspective view of the dishwasher.
Figure 2 – is the top schematic view of the dishwasher in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 - is the perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.
The elements in the figures are numbered as follows:

Dishwasher
Body
Washing tub
Lateral wall
Drying chamber
Duct
Nozzle
Rack

The dishwasher (1) comprises a body (2); a washing tub (3) that is disposed in the body (2) and wherein the washing process is performed; lateral walls (4) that surround the washing tub (3), and a drying chamber (5) that is disposed in the body (2) and that opens into the washing tub (3) through the lateral walls (4). The dishes to be washed are placed into the washing tub (3) and washed. After the completion of the washing process, the drying process is started, and the hot and humid air in the washing tub is transferred into the drying chamber and condensed to be dehumidified or is mixed with the cold and dry air and sent back into the washing tub (3), thus enabling the humidity in the washing tub (3) to be diluted and removed. In both of these different drying processes, it is aimed to move the hot air that evaporates from the dishes away from the dishes. The circulation of the air between the washing tub (3) and the drying chamber (5) is realized preferably by means of a fan (not shown in figures), and the fan is selectively arranged in the drying chamber (5) or arranged in the body (2) so as to blow air into the drying chamber (5). One of the lateral walls (4) that surround the washing tub (3) is the door that provides access into the washing tub (3). The dishwasher (1) further comprises at least one rack (8) that is disposed in the washing tub (3).
The dishwasher (1) of the present invention comprises at least one duct (6) that is in air communication with the drying chamber (5) and that is arranged on at least one lateral wall (4), and a plurality of air blowing nozzles (7) that are arranged on the duct (6) and that open into the washing tub (3).
In the dishwasher (1) of the present invention, the air in the drying chamber (5) is delivered into the duct (6). The air that fills into the duct (6) leaves the nozzles (7) at high speed to be sent into the washing tub (3) and is blown onto the dishes. By blowing the air with increased speed into the washing tub (3), the air is enabled to reach all the points in the washing tub (3) Thus, the humid air in the washing tub (3) is enabled to be quickly moved away from the dishes. The air in the washing tub (3) is directly or indirectly drawn back into the drying chamber (5) preferably by means of a hole (not shown in figures) arranged at a point of any one of the lateral walls (4) that is close to the ceiling of the washing tub (3). In different embodiments of the present invention, the duct (6) can also be arranged on the door that is one of the four lateral walls (4).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cross-section of the nozzle (7) becomes narrower in the direction from the duct (6) to the washing tub (3). Since the cross-sections of the nozzles (7) become narrower in the direction of the air flow, the speed of the air blown is increased and thus, the air is cooled to a certain extent. Since no energy consuming means is used for cooling the air blown into the washing tub (3) by means of the nozzle (7) with a narrowing cross-section, energy saving is provided. The efficiency of the drying process is increased by means of the air that is cooled and that has increased speed.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the duct (6) is arranged on the four lateral walls (4). The air blown through the nozzles (7) is enabled to create a rectangular air circulation by means of the duct (6) that is arranged on all the lateral walls (4) and the air is enabled to reach all the regions of the washing tub (3). By means of the ducts (6) arranged on all the lateral walls (4), the air blown through the nozzles (7) is enabled to be quickly distributed into the washing tub (3) and thus, all the dishes are enabled to be dried. The duct (6) that is arranged on the door engages air-tightly with the ducts (6) that are arranged on other lateral walls (4) and the duct (6) does not prevent the door from performing the function thereof. In a different version of this embodiment, the nozzles (7) are directed towards different regions in the washing tub (3), in other words some directed downwards, some upwards, some forwards and some backwards. By means of the nozzles (7) that are arranged on the duct (6) and that blow air to different regions in the washing tub (3), the dry and cold air is enabled to reach all the points in the washing tub (3). By means of this embodiment, kitchenware such as cooking pots that have a structure suitable for water accumulation are aimed to be dried.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the air-blowing direction of the nozzle (7) can be changed by the user. By means of this embodiment, the user can choose the air-blowing direction and region of the nozzles (7) and direct the nozzles (7) towards the region of the washing tub (3) where the dishes are placed. By means of this embodiment, in case the washing tub (3) is partially filled with dishes, the air is enabled to be blown directly onto the dishes and the drying process is prevented from being prolonged unnecessarily.
In another embodiment of the present invention, by means of the air blown, the nozzle (7) swivels around the direction that extends from the surface of the duct (6) into the washing tub (3). In this embodiment, a gear (not shown in figures) that is arranged at the parts of the nozzles (7) that are connected to the duct (6) and that rotates around its own axis by means of the air blown from the duct (6) enables the nozzle (7) to swivel around the axis perpendicular to the surface of the duct (6). In this embodiment, the nozzles (7) are enabled to swivel by means of the air delivered to the nozzles (7) like the spray arms that are rotated by means of the water delivered to the spray arms. Thus, the air is enabled to reach all the points in the washing tub (3). Furthermore, the turbulence created by blowing the air in different directions increases the efficiency of the drying process.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the dishwasher (1) comprises a movement mechanism (not shown in figures) that enables the duct (6) to be moved up and down on the lateral wall (4), and a control unit (not shown in figures) that controls the movement mechanism in the drying process so as to enable the duct (6) to oscillate in the upwards-downwards direction. In this embodiment, the duct (6) can move up and down on the lateral wall (4) by means of the movement mechanism. Elements are used, that provide insulation/sealing of the air transfer between the duct (6) and the drying chamber (5) during the movement of the duct (6). As the drying process starts, the control unit triggers the movement mechanism and enables the duct (6) to continuously move up and down, in other words to oscillate in said direction. Thus, the nozzles (7) are enabled to act as an air curtain that moves vertically such that the cold and dry air reaches all the points in the washing tub (3).
By means of the duct (6) and the nozzles (7) of the present invention, an air current is formed in the washing tub (3), and the air is enabled to quickly reach all the regions of the washing tub (3) by means of the turbulence formed such that the drying process is performed with increased efficiency in a shorter period of time. Furthermore, by quickly removing the humidity in the washing tub (3), the water accumulation on the dishes is prevented.

Claims

A dishwasher (1) comprising a body (2); a washing tub (3) that is disposed in the body (2) and wherein the washing process is performed; lateral walls (4) that surround the washing tub (3), and a drying chamber (5) that is disposed in the body (2) and that opens into the washing tub (3) through the lateral walls (4), characterized by at least one duct (6) that is in air communication with the drying chamber (5) and that is arranged on at least one lateral wall (4), and a plurality of air blowing nozzles (7) that are arranged on the duct (6) and that open into the washing tub (3).
A dishwasher (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the nozzle (7) the cross-section of which becomes narrower in the direction from the duct (6) into the washing tub (3).
A dishwasher (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the duct (6) that is disposed on the four lateral walls (4).
A dishwasher (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the nozzle (7) the air-blowing direction of which can be changed by the user.
A dishwasher (1) as in any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized by the nozzle (7) that swivels by means of the air blown around the axis that extends from the surface of the duct (6) into the washing tub (3).
A dishwasher (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a movement mechanism that enables the duct (6) to be moved up and down on the lateral wall (4), and a control unit that controls the movement mechanism in the drying process so as to enable the duct (6) to oscillate in the upwards-downwards direction.