JP2000271061A - Dish washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dish washing and drying machine capable of dealing with the abnormality of a water level without stopping operation by finding it at an early stage. SOLUTION: In a washing or rinsing process, the output of a water gauge at the time of starting these processes is stored in advance and after then, the output is compared with the level of the water gauge at each time of the progress of the process to obtain a water level difference. In the case of judging that these water level difference amounts to an operation stopping level (S5), operation is stopped (S6). In the case of judging that the water level difference amounts to a second warning level (S7), operation is continued but warning is issued immediately (S10). In the case of judging that the water level difference exceeds a first warning level (S8), operation is continued and warning is issued after finishing the process.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dishwasher and dryer, and more particularly to a dishwasher and dryer having a function of monitoring the amount of water in a washing tank.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a dishwasher / dryer, washing is performed by spraying hot water containing detergent onto dishes placed in a refrigerator, and washing is performed by blowing hot water containing no detergent onto dishes placed in a refrigerator. The washing and drying of the dishes are performed through a rinsing step and a drying step in which hot air is blown onto the dishes placed in the refrigerator to perform drying.

In a dishwasher, washing can be performed at a high temperature (about 60 ° C.) that cannot be used in hand washing, so that oil stains that are hard to remove by hand washing can be washed off, and bacteria can easily propagate. Since it can be dried without using a cloth, it is hygienic and has become popular in ordinary households.

[0004] There are two types of hot water: one that heats cold water with an electric heater and one that uses hot water from an external water heater. The latter requires less time for cleaning and has a lower running cost. Has features. In each case, the hot water stored in the washing tank is circulated for “washing” and “washing”, so the amount of water used is about 1/5 that of hand washing, which is energy saving. .

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an example of such a dishwasher / dryer. In FIG. 3, 1 is an exterior plate, 2 is a washing tank,
3 is an upper basket, 4 is a lower basket, 5 is an upper nozzle, 6 is a lower nozzle, 7 is a water supply hose, 8 is a water supply valve, 9 is a water pool, 10
Is a hot water heater, 11 is a circulation pump, 12 is a drain hose, 13 is a water level switch, 14 is a water level abnormality switch, 1
5 is a blower fan, 16 is a warm air heater, 17 is a door, 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes a residual filter.

[0006] A washing tank 2 is provided in a dish washer / dryer surrounded by an exterior plate 1, and an upper basket 3 and a lower basket 4 on which dishes to be washed are placed, and dishes placed on the respective baskets. An upper nozzle 5 and a lower nozzle 6 for jetting hot water are provided. Water used for washing is introduced into the washing tank 2 from a water supply hose 7 via a water supply valve 8, and accumulates as a water pool 9 at a lower portion of the washing tank 2. Then, the temperature is controlled to be close to 60 ° C. by the hot water heater 10. This hot water is sucked by the circulation pump 11, supplied to the upper nozzle 5 and the lower nozzle 6, and used for circulation. After washing and rinsing are finished, the water accumulated in the water pool 9 is removed by the circulation pump 11.
And is drained from the drain hose 12.

A water level switch 13 is provided to keep the water level of the water pool 9 at a predetermined value. That is, prior to washing and rinsing, the water supply valve 8 is opened, and water or hot water is supplied into the washing tank 2. When the water level of the water pool 9 reaches the water level switch 13, the water supply valve 8 is closed by a signal from the water level switch, and then washing and rinsing are started. The water level abnormality switch 14 is for preventing the water level of the water pool 9 from becoming abnormal and overflowing from the opening of the washing tank 2. When the water level reaches the level of the water level abnormality switch 14, the water level abnormality is detected. The washing and rinsing operations are stopped by the signal from the switch 14, and the hot water in the water pool 9 is discharged from the drainage hose 12 by the circulation pump 11.

When cleaning and rinsing are completed, the blower fan 1
5 is operated to blow air into the cleaning tank 2. The blown air is heated by the hot air heater 16, and high-temperature air is blown on the dishes.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the operation of such a conventional dishwasher / dryer. When the washing (rinsing) step is started, the water supply valve 8 is opened and hot water is stored in the washing tank 2 in step S21. At this time, in the case of the cleaning process,
Dedicated detergent is mixed. In step S22, it is monitored whether or not the water level switch 13 is turned on. If the water level switch 13 is turned on, it is determined that the level of the water pool 9 of the washing tank 2 has reached a predetermined value, and the process proceeds to step S23. The water supply valve 8 is closed. Then, in step S24, cleaning or rinsing is started.

During washing or rinsing, it is checked in step S25 whether the water level abnormality switch 14 is activated. The water level abnormality switch 14 is activated when the level of the cleaning tank exceeds a predetermined value. This is something abnormal,
Occurs when the water supply valve is not closed sufficiently. When the water level abnormality switch 14 is operated, the process proceeds to step S26 to stop the operation and perform abnormal processing such as drainage and warning.

If the water level abnormality switch 14 does not operate, the process proceeds to step S27 to check whether a predetermined time has elapsed or whether the temperature has reached a set temperature.
The predetermined time and the set temperature are usually set by the setting device before cleaning or rinsing is started. If the predetermined time has not elapsed and the set temperature has not been reached,
Returning to step S24, cleaning or rinsing is continued. When the predetermined time has elapsed or when the set temperature has been reached, the process proceeds to the next step. That is, after draining, rinsing is performed in the case of washing, and drying is performed in the case of rinsing.

[0012]

However, such a conventional dishwasher has the following problems. When the water level of the water pool rises due to a failure of the water supply valve or the like, an alarm is not issued unless the water level rises to the level of the water level abnormality switch, so that discovery is delayed. If the water level rises to the level of the abnormal water level switch,
Since the operation is stopped, the dishes are left in the middle of washing, and it is necessary to perform washing again from the beginning. Even if it is known that an abnormality has occurred, it is not notified how to cope with the problem, so that the coping method is not known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher which can detect an abnormality in water level at an early stage and can cope with the problem without stopping the operation. And

[0014]

A first means for solving the above problems is a dishwasher / dryer for washing and drying dishes through a washing step, a rinsing step, and a drying step. In each of the washing step and the rinsing step, the amount of water in the washing tank at the start of the step is compared with the amount of water in the washing tank during the process, and a difference between the two is determined by a predetermined amount. A dishwasher (claim 1) having a function of issuing a warning after completion of each step after continuing operation when an alarm level is exceeded.

In this means, the amount of water in the washing tank at the start of the washing and rinsing steps is compared with the amount of water in the washing tank during the execution of the steps, and if the difference between the two exceeds a predetermined alarm level, the operation is continued. Then, a warning is issued after the end of the process. At this time, the predetermined alarm level is set to a level at which an alarm is issued earlier than the water level reaches the water level abnormality switch in the related art. Further, an alarm may be issued only when a difference occurs in the direction in which the water level rises, or an alarm may be issued in both cases where a difference occurs in the direction in which the water level rises and falls.

As described above, since the alarm level is set more strictly than the actual abnormal level, it is not necessary to stop the operation immediately even if the difference in water level exceeds the alarm level, and the process is completed. Can afford to issue a warning. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a person who recognizes the warning accidentally interrupts the operation during the process. In addition, since the alarm level can be set strictly, an abnormality can be discovered in a slight time.

A second means for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows:
A dishwasher / dryer for washing and drying dishes through a washing step, a rinsing step, and a drying step, having a water amount sensor for detecting an amount of water in a washing tank, and performing the steps in each of the washing step and the rinsing step. Has a function of comparing the amount of water in the washing tank at the start of the process with the amount of water in the washing tank during the process, and when the difference between the two exceeds a predetermined alarm level, continues the operation and immediately issues a warning. A dishwasher and dryer (claim 2).

In the first means, a warning is issued after the end of the process. In this means, a warning is issued immediately when the difference in water level exceeds the warning level. However, the operation continues as in the first means. That is, the alarm level in the present means is lower than the alarm level in the first means, and there is no margin for reaching the dangerous water level. Therefore, a warning is issued immediately when the difference in water level exceeds the warning level in order to promptly respond. The warning may be issued only when a difference occurs in the direction in which the water level rises, or may be issued both when a difference occurs in the direction in which the water level rises and falls.

A third means for solving the above problem is as follows.
A dishwasher / dryer for washing and drying dishes through a washing step, a rinsing step, and a drying step, having a water amount sensor for detecting an amount of water in a washing tank, and performing the steps in each of the washing step and the rinsing step. The amount of water in the washing tank at the start of the process is compared with the amount of water in the washing tank during the process, and if the difference between the two exceeds the first alarm level, the operation is continued and a warning is issued after the end of the process. A dishwasher having a function of issuing a warning and a function of immediately issuing a warning when the difference between the two exceeds the second warning level after continuing operation, (Claim 3) It is.

This means is a combination of the first means and the second means. The first alarm level is stricter than the second alarm level. When an abnormality occurs, the first alarm level is detected at the first alarm level, and a warning is issued after the end of the process. If the difference in water level exceeds the second warning level in time, a warning is immediately issued to urge prompt action. Therefore, different warnings can be issued according to the magnitude of the abnormality.

A fourth means for solving the above problem is as follows.
Any one of the first to third means,
The contents of the warning include a display of a measure to be taken by a human (claim 4).

In the present means, since a display of a measure to be taken by a person for an abnormality, such as "closing a water supply mains plug", is included, a person who sees a warning may turn off the power by mistake. It is possible to prevent such erroneous operation.

A fifth means for solving the above problem is as follows.
In any one of the first means to the fourth means, in each of the cleaning step and the rinsing step, the amount of water in the cleaning tank at the start of the step is compared with the amount of water in the cleaning tank during execution of the step, When the difference between the two exceeds the operation stop level, the apparatus further has a function of stopping the operation and issuing an alarm (claim 5).

The present means also has a function of immediately stopping the operation and issuing an alarm when the difference in water level is dangerous if the operation is continued further (for example, when hot water overflows or becomes empty). Therefore, the danger can be avoided by stopping the operation, for example, when the warning level is reached by the human being ignoring the warning and the human action is not in time.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a dishwasher / dryer which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is structurally similar to the water level switch 1.
3. Only the point that a water level gauge 19 that can continuously detect the water level of the water pool is provided instead of the water level abnormality switch 14 is different from the conventional dishwasher and dryer shown in FIG. Elements are given the same reference numerals, and description of the structure is omitted. The water level gauge 19 is a differential pressure type,
A well-known type such as a force-balance type float type can be used.

A major difference between the present embodiment and the conventional example shown in FIG. 3 lies in a difference in the function of a control device (not shown). The control device is constituted by a microcomputer, and executes control by inputting values of the water level gauge 19 and the like.

An example of the operation of the control device will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. When the washing (rinsing) process is started, the water supply valve 8 is opened in step S1 to set the washing tank 2
Store warm water in. At this time, in the case of the cleaning step, a dedicated detergent is mixed. In step S2, it is monitored whether or not the output of the water level gauge 19 has reached the reference level. If the output has reached the reference level, the process proceeds to step S3, where the water supply valve 8 is closed. Then, in step S4, cleaning or rinsing is started.

During the washing or rinsing step, the output of the water level gauge 19 at the time of starting these steps is stored,
Thereafter, the water level difference is determined by comparing the level of the water level gauge 19 at each point in the progress of the process. In step S5, it is determined whether this water level difference has reached the operation stop level.
If the operation is stopped any longer, the operation stop level
The level is set to a level at which there is a possibility that water will overflow from the cleaning tank 2 or the water in the washing tank 2 will run out. If the water level difference exceeds the operation stop level, the process shifts to step S6 to stop the operation, perform drainage and turn off the power, and issue an alarm.

If the water level difference has not reached the operation stop level, the process proceeds to step S7, and it is determined whether the water level difference has reached the second alarm level. The second alarm level is set to be less (larger) than the first alarm level. If the water level difference does not exceed the second warning level, the process proceeds to step S8, and it is checked whether the water level difference does not exceed the first warning level. If the alarm level exceeds the first alarm level, it is determined that an alarm is necessary, and the process shifts to step S9 to store the contents of the alarm.

If it is determined in step S7 that the water level difference has exceeded the second alarm level, the flow shifts to step S10 to immediately output an alarm. If it is determined in step S8 that the water level difference is equal to or lower than the first warning level, and if steps S9 and S10 have been completed, the process proceeds to step S8.
The process proceeds to step 11 to check whether a predetermined time has elapsed. This predetermined time is usually set by the setting device before cleaning or rinsing is started. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S4 to continue washing or rinsing. If the predetermined time has elapsed, step S12
Then, it is determined whether or not a warning is stored in step S9. If there is no warning, the process proceeds to the next step. If there is, a warning is output in step S13 and the process proceeds to the next process. That is, after draining, rinsing is performed in the case of washing, and drying is performed in the case of rinsing.

In the above process, the content of the warning may simply be a buzzer or a lamp, but the content may be displayed in text such as "abnormal water level rise" or "abnormal water level drop", or "the main plug is turned off." A measure to be taken by a human, such as "close", may be displayed. Or, display a warning with numerical values, etc.
The instructions for each numerical value etc. may be specified in the instruction manual.

As described above, in the present embodiment, different processes are performed based on the three-stage water level difference. However, the processes based on the first alarm level and the processes based on the second alarm level are performed. Either may be omitted,
The processing based on the operation stop level may be omitted.

[0033]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the difference in water level exceeds the warning level, the operation is not stopped immediately, and the warning is issued after the completion of the process. The person who recognized the warning,
It is possible to avoid a situation where the operation is erroneously interrupted during the process. Further, since the alarm level can be set to be strict, an abnormality can be detected while the abnormality is slight.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a warning is issued immediately when the difference in water level exceeds the warning level, so that an immediate response can be taken.

According to the third aspect of the invention, different warnings can be issued according to the magnitude of the abnormality, so that a slow response can be taken when the abnormality is minor, and an immediate response can be taken when the abnormality is large. it can.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the display of the measure to be taken by a human being for the abnormality is included, the human being who saw the warning may perform an erroneous operation such as accidentally turning off the power. Can be prevented.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since a function of immediately stopping the operation and issuing a warning is also provided, the warning can be ignored by a human and a dangerous water level may be reached, or human measures cannot be taken in time. In such a case, the operation can be stopped to avoid danger.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a dishwasher / dryer which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a control device according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of a conventional dishwasher / dryer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of operating a conventional dishwasher.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Exterior plate, 2 ... Cleaning tank, 3 ... Upper basket, 4 ... Lower basket, 5
... upper nozzle, 6 ... lower nozzle, 7 ... water supply hose, 8 ... water supply valve, 9 ... water pool, 10 ... hot water heater, 11 ... circulation pump, 12 ... drainage hose, 13 ... water level switch, 14 ...
Water level abnormality switch, 15: blower fan, 16: warm air heater, 17: door, 18: garbage filter, 19: water level gauge

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A dishwasher / dryer for washing and drying dishes through a washing step, a rinsing step, and a drying step, comprising a water amount sensor for detecting an amount of water in a washing tank. In each case, the amount of water in the washing tank at the start of the process is compared with the amount of water in the washing tank during the process, and when the difference between the two exceeds a predetermined alarm level, the operation is continued, and A dishwasher having a function of issuing a warning after the completion of the process. 2. A dishwasher / dryer for washing and drying dishes through a washing step, a rinsing step, and a drying step, comprising a water amount sensor for detecting an amount of water in a washing tank, wherein the washing step and the rinsing step are performed. In each case, the amount of water in the washing tank at the start of the process is compared with the amount of water in the washing tank during the process, and if the difference between the two exceeds a predetermined alarm level, the operation is continued and an immediate warning is issued. A dishwasher or dryer having a function of emitting a light. 3. A dishwasher / dryer for washing and drying dishes through a washing step, a rinsing step and a drying step, comprising a water amount sensor for detecting an amount of water in a washing tank, wherein the washing step and the rinsing step are performed. In each case, the amount of water in the washing tank at the start of the process is compared with the amount of water in the washing tank during the process, and when the difference between the two exceeds the first alarm level, the operation is continued, and Dishwashing and drying characterized by having both a function of issuing a warning after the end of the process and a function of immediately issuing a warning after continuing operation when the difference between the two exceeds the second warning level. Machine. 4. One of claims 1 to 3
A dishwasher / dryer as described in (1), wherein the contents of the warning include an indication of a measure to be taken by a human. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein
Wherein in each of the washing step and the rinsing step, the amount of water in the washing tank at the start of the step and the amount of water in the washing tank during the process are compared, and the difference between the two is stopped. A dishwasher and dryer having a function of stopping operation and issuing an alarm when the level is exceeded.