JP2002306392A - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dishwasher which is prevented from dropping water adhered on the lower face of the upper lid when the washing chamber is drawn out immediately after pressing the halt key in case dishes are added during washing operation. SOLUTION: This dishwasher is equipped with a lock device to prevent the operating lever operated by a user to latch the door from being released from a latched condition. The lock device is actuated during washing operation. When a halt key is pressed during washing operation (S1), operation of a washing pump is stopped (S2) to stop water jetting from a nozzle, and lock is released (S5, S6) after a prescribed time (about 5-10 seconds) to enable rotation of the operation lever (i.e., releasing of the latch) is enabled. Because large water drops adhered on the lower face of the upper lid are dropped during the stand-by time, no water drops when a user draws out the washing chamber 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a dishwasher,
More particularly, it relates to a dishwasher suitable for a built-in type to be incorporated in a system kitchen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a household dishwasher introduces tap water into a washing cabinet, stores the tap water at a bottom thereof, and then operates a pump to suck the stored water and feed it to a nozzle.
It has a configuration in which water is vigorously jetted from a nozzle to wash dishes and the like housed in a washing cabinet. In this type of conventional dishwasher, a washing cabinet is provided inside a housing, and a door is provided at the front of the housing, which pivots downward and forward, and a dish basket is opened from inside the washing cabinet with the door opened. Is pulled out horizontally forward.

[0003] In recent years, with the spread of system kitchens to general households, built-in type dishwashers for incorporation into system kitchens have been marketed. JP-A-2000-139 discloses a dishwasher suitable for a built-in type.
No. 799 is known. That is, this type of dishwasher is a so-called drawer-type dishwasher, in which a washing cabinet in which a dish basket for storing dishes is housed can be pulled out forward together with a door also serving as a front panel. When the washing cabinet is pulled out, the upper surface of the washing cabinet is wide open so that dishes can be taken in and out from above, and when the washing cabinet is pushed into the housing, the upper lid was waiting in the upper space inside the housing. Is lowered to close the upper opening of the washing box.

[0004] Not only such drawer-type dishwashers,
Even in the dishwasher that opens by rotating the conventional door toward you, when you take out and out of dishes during the washing operation,
If the door is opened immediately after pressing the pause key, the water jetted from the nozzle will jump out of the washing cabinet and wet the surroundings.If the water is hot, it may hit the user. There is a risk of burns. Therefore, conventionally, in a dishwasher, an operation lever of a latch device for prohibiting opening of a door is provided on a door, and when a dishwasher is taken in and out during washing or rinsing operation, a pause key is pressed. → It is necessary to operate the operation lever of the latch device to release the latch → open the door by grasping the handle, thereby stopping the washing pump and stopping the injection of water from the nozzle. To ensure a delay time.

[0005]

However, in the drawer-type dishwasher, even if the jetting of water from the nozzle is stopped, many water droplets adhere to the lower surface of the upper lid that closes the upper surface of the washing chamber. If the water drops fall out of the washing box when the washing box is pulled out, there is a possibility that the water drops will eventually flow out of the machine and wet the surroundings.

Conventional dishwashers are installed at relatively high places, such as beside the kitchen sink, while built-in drawer-type dishwashers are at the waist level even if they are higher than the feet of ordinary adults. It is installed in the range up to about,
It is in a position where even small children can reach it. for that reason,
Children are in a situation where it is easy to mischief, and it is necessary to pay more attention to such things as safety.

[0007] In general, a dishwasher can be operated in a reserved manner for the purpose of washing dishes at night, that is, at bedtime. However, as a problem peculiar to the dishwasher, dirty dishes (especially rice attached to dishes) If you leave crushed for a long time, it will dry out and become very hard to fall off. Therefore, in the case of the reserved operation, the washing operation is performed such that the dirt is wet only for a short time at predetermined time intervals even during the standby until the actual operation starts. That is,
Even if it is waiting, it may not be completely stopped apparently but may be temporarily in operation. However, turning on the display during standby for such reserved driving is not only wasteful consumption of power but also may hinder the user from going to bed at night.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned various problems. A first object of the present invention is to provide a drawer-type dishwasher for washing and rinsing during the operation. Even when putting in and out tableware,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a dishwasher capable of preventing not only water spattering by spraying water from a nozzle but also water leakage due to dripping of water adhering to an upper lid. A second object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher having particularly high safety. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher that maintains high operability while taking into consideration the use environment of the user.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing box capable of accommodating tableware in a housing, which is provided in the washing box. A dishwasher in which dishes are accommodated in the washing box with the opening opened to the outside of the housing and the washing operation is performed with the opening closed, a) a state in which the opening of the washing box is closed Locking means for preventing the user from opening the opening to the outside of the housing; and b) control means for controlling the locking operation and the unlocking operation of the locking means. .

That is, the conventional dishwasher is provided with a latch means for selectively opening and prohibiting the opening of the door by a manual operation of a user. Regardless of the internal state of the washing cabinet or the operating state, the door can be opened at any time as long as the user performs an operation to release the latch. For it,
The locking means in the dishwasher according to the first invention comprises:
This prevents the user from opening the opening of the washing box to the outside of the housing in accordance with the internal state and the operating state of the washing box. Even if the user opens the opening of the washing box to the outside of the box, Even if the user tries to release the latch, the latch is not released, and as a result, the opening of the cleaning chamber cannot be opened outside the housing.

Therefore, according to the dishwasher according to the first aspect of the present invention, for example, there is a possibility that water sprayed from a nozzle provided in the washing cabinet may jump out of the cabinet, or even if there is no problem of water leakage. In other situations, such as when it is better to prohibit the opening of the washing cabinet from being opened outside the cabinet for safety considerations, the user may open the washing cabinet outside the cabinet. It is possible to prevent water from leaking out of the machine or to splash water on the user. In addition, for example, it is possible to prevent a child or the like from unnecessarily opening the opening of the washing box to the outside of the housing or taking out the tableware, thereby preventing accidents from occurring and ensuring high safety.

[0012] One embodiment of the first invention includes an operation lever operated by a user, and a movable engagement means that moves in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever. Latching means for stopping the opening of the opening to the outside of the housing by engagement with an engaging portion provided on the body or the housing side, wherein the locking means prevents the movement of the movable engaging means. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent release of the opening of the opening to the outside of the housing by the latch means.

[0013] In this configuration, when the user shifts the opening of the washing box from the state opened to the outside of the housing to the closed state and starts the washing operation, the opening of the washing box is closed, and then the operation lever is operated. To the latched state. Then, if necessary, the locking means prevents the movement of the movable engaging means of the latch means, and the user cannot release the latch means to open the opening of the washing box outside the housing. Thus, the opening of the opening of the cleaning cabinet to the outside of the housing is prevented.

Further, as another embodiment of the first invention,
A handle portion gripped by a user to perform an opening operation of the opening to the outside of the housing; and a movable engagement means in the handle portion that moves in accordance with the gripping operation of the user; Latching means for stopping the opening of the opening to the outside of the housing by engagement of the engagement means with the housing or an engaging portion provided on the housing side, wherein the locking means moves the movable engagement means. In this case, the opening of the opening to the outside of the housing by the latch means cannot be released.

That is, in this configuration, a manual operation mechanism corresponding to the operation lever is incorporated in the handle.
Therefore, when the user puts his hand on the handle to open the opening of the cleaning cabinet to the outside of the housing, the movable engaging means and the housing or the engaging portion provided on the housing side are engaged according to the gripping operation. The combination is released, and the opening of the washing box can be opened to the outside of the housing as it is (provided that the lock is not locked). That is, since the operation of operating the operation lever can be omitted, the operability is further improved. Even if a handle is provided, the handle is not grasped when the opening of the washing chamber is closed from the open state, and for example, it is often considered that the front plate is simply pushed by hand. Thus, it is preferable that the latch means shifts from the unlatched state to the latched state even when the gripping operation is not necessarily performed.

In the dishwasher according to the first aspect of the present invention, a washing box, which is generally used in the past, is fixed in a housing, a front surface of the washing box is opened, and a door is opened and closed so as to open and close the front opening. The present invention can be applied to a dishwasher having a provided configuration. In addition, the present invention can be applied to a so-called drawer type dishwasher. That is, in the dishwasher according to the first invention, the housing has an opening on the front surface, and the washing box has an opening on the upper surface for taking in and out dishes from the housing, which can be pulled out forward, and An upper lid for closing an upper surface opening of the washing box, wherein the latch means pulls out the washing box by engaging the movable engaging means with a housing or an engaging portion provided on the housing side. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the lock means inhibits the movement of the movable engagement means and thereby prevents the latch means from preventing the cleaning chamber from being pulled out.

In the dishwasher having such a configuration, as described above, even if the injection of water into the washing chamber is stopped during the washing operation or the rinsing operation, a large amount of water adheres to the lower surface of the upper lid and the water is immediately removed. When the washing box is pulled out, the water is likely to fall out of the washing box. According to the above configuration, during the period in which there is a high possibility that the water will fall, the pulling-out operation of the washing chamber can be prevented by the lock means, and thus the leakage of water can be reliably prevented. Very useful.

Further, in the dishwasher according to the first invention, the control means locks the lock means before starting operation of the washing pump for injecting water into the washing chamber. be able to.

The control means stops the operation of the washing pump when an operation instruction for stopping or temporarily stopping the operation is received during the washing operation or the rinsing operation. It is preferable that the unlocking operation by the locking means be performed.

According to this configuration, for example, when the user operates a pause key or the like to add tableware after the washing operation is started, the control means receives this operation instruction and firstly operates the washing pump. Stop the operation and stop water injection. Even if the injection of water stops, it can be estimated that a large amount of water has adhered to the lower surface of the upper lid by the injection of water immediately before. The water drops directly over time or
Alternatively, the water flows down the wall or the like, so that the water adhering to the lower surface of the upper lid has almost disappeared when a predetermined time has elapsed. Only after the lock is released after such a situation, the drawer can be pulled out, so that even if the wash tray is pulled out, it is possible to prevent water from falling from the upper lid to the outside of the tray.

It is highly probable that the user cannot pull out the washing box until the predetermined time elapses after the operation instruction for stopping or temporarily stopping the operation is given even though the user wants to pull out the washing box. If the user does not know that such control is being performed, a misunderstanding such as failure may occur. Therefore, the lock is released after the operation instruction for stopping or temporarily stopping the operation is given during the washing operation or the rinsing operation as described above, or after the operation is actually stopped (the operation of the washing pump is stopped). During this period, it is preferable to perform display or sound notification that can be distinguished from both the normal lock period and the non-lock period. According to this configuration, the user can easily recognize that it is the standby period until the unlock operation, and the unnecessary discomfort can be reduced without causing a misunderstanding that the failure is occurring.

In a case where a series of steps of washing, rinsing, and drying are automatically performed, the control means may perform an unlocking operation by the lock means after the drying operation is completed.

While there is no danger of water leakage during the drying operation, safety may be impaired if hot air flows out of the opening depending on the temperature of the air in the washing chamber. Therefore, if the unlock operation is performed after the drying operation is completed, the safety can be further enhanced.

When the operation is stopped during the drying operation and the washing chamber is drawn out, it is necessary to prevent hot air from being blown out, but there is a possibility of water leakage due to the dripping of water from the upper lid as described above. Absent. Therefore, when receiving an operation instruction to stop or temporarily stop the operation during the drying operation, the control unit stops the operation of the blowing unit for blowing air, and at the same time as that, or for a time shorter than the predetermined time. It is preferable that the unlocking operation by the locking means is performed after the elapse of the period. That is, in this configuration, unlike during the washing operation or the rinsing operation, the lock is released without waiting for a predetermined time from the stop of the operation, and the washing box can be pulled out. Therefore, high operability can be realized without giving the user an unnecessary discomfort.

Further, the control means may be configured so that, when a special mode is set, the lock by the lock means is not released until a predetermined operation is performed by a user.

According to this configuration, if the special mode is set, for example, in the case where a child may draw out the washing box by mischief, the normal mode is set even when the drying operation is completed. Then, even in a situation where the lock is released, the locked state can be maintained until a predetermined operation is performed. This allows
More secure and higher safety can be achieved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dishwasher having a reservation function for starting operation after a specified time or a specified time has elapsed. Display means for performing a predetermined display including reservation setting contents such as a remaining time; and b) brightness of the display means of the display means at least partly during a period from when a driving reservation is made to when driving is started. And display control means for reducing the amount of noise.

According to the dishwasher according to the second invention,
During standby until a driving reservation is made and driving is started, the brightness of the display on the display means, that is, the luminance is low, so that the user does not feel dazzling even in a dark room, for example, It is possible to avoid hindering the user from going to bed. In addition, if the brightness of the display is at least such that the displayed content can be visually recognized, the user can easily check the displayed content. Of course, if the luminance of the display is reduced in this manner, the power consumption required for the display is correspondingly reduced, which leads to power saving.

Further, if the display control means is configured to return the display brightness to the original level when a predetermined operation instruction is received during the period in which the display brightness is being reduced, the display control means can be used when the visual acuity of the user is weak. Even if there is a display, or even if it is difficult to see the display with a bright room and reduced brightness, it is possible to confirm the display content by returning the brightness of the display to the original brightness by issuing a predetermined operation instruction.

The configuration of the second invention is useful not only for dishwashers but also for all electric appliances having a reservation function for starting operation after a specified time or a specified time has elapsed. That is, in an electric device having a reservation function of starting operation after a specified time or a specified time has elapsed, a) display means for performing a predetermined display including reservation setting contents such as a remaining time until the start of operation; And b) display control means for reducing the brightness of the display of the display means at least partially during the period after the driving reservation is made and before the driving is started. 2
The same effect as the dishwasher according to the invention can be obtained.

[0031]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a dishwasher according to one embodiment of the first and second inventions will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "first embodiment") will be described with reference to FIGS.
) Will be described. 1 and 2 are schematic side sectional views showing the entire configuration of the dishwasher. FIG. 1 shows a state where the washing box is housed in a housing, and FIG. 2 shows a state where the washing box is pulled out from the housing. FIG. 3 is a front external view of the dishwasher.

A washing cabinet 2 having an upper surface opening 3 is disposed inside a housing 1 having an open front surface, and a dish basket (not shown) for aligning dishes is installed inside the washing cabinet 2. . A front panel 4 also serving as a door that closes a front opening of the housing 1 is detachably attached to a front wall 2a of the cleaning housing 2. The front panel 4 and the cleaning housing 2 are integrally formed with the housing 1.
Can be pulled out forward along a rail 5 installed substantially horizontally inside the both side walls of the front side.

An upper cover 10 for closing the upper opening 3 of the cleaning chamber 2 is supported in the upper space of the housing 1 by a shaft at one end inside the side wall of the housing 1, and the other end is supported by a side surface of the upper cover 10. It is swingably supported by a pair of left and right parallel links 11 that are pivotally supported. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the cleaning cabinet 2 is stored in the housing 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, the upper lid 10 is in close contact with the upper surface of the cleaning chamber 2 to close the upper opening 3, and when the cleaning chamber 2 is pulled out from the housing 1, the upper lid 10 is moved forward as shown in FIG. It is held in a raised state while protruding.

An extendable water supply hose 9 having a water supply valve (not shown) is connected to the back of the washing chamber 2. When the water supply valve is opened, water supplied from an external tap or the like passes through the water supply hose 9. It is poured into the washing chamber 2. A water tank 7 that is greatly depressed is provided on the front bottom surface of the washing box 2 so as to communicate therewith. Water poured into the washing box 2 flows into the water tank 7 and is stored therein. A mesh-like filter (not shown) for collecting the food residue flowing down from the tableware at the time of washing the tableware is detachably provided at an upper portion of the water tank 7. A rotatable arm 6 having a plurality of nozzles formed on the upper surface is provided at the center of the bottom of the washing box 2, and a washing and drainage pump 8 is arranged below the bottom of the washing box 2. The washing and draining pump 8 includes a motor rotatable in both rotation directions. The washing and draining pump 8 functions as a washing pump when the motor rotates in the forward direction, and the washing and draining pump when rotating in the reverse direction. Numeral 8 functions as a drainage pump (hereinafter, “washing pump 8a” when functioning as a cleaning pump, and “draining pump 8b” when functioning as a drainage pump).

As shown in FIG. 1, when the cleaning chamber 2 is completely housed in the housing 1 and the cleaning operation and the rinsing operation are performed, the water supply valve (not shown) is opened and the water supply hose 9 is opened.
The water is supplied into the cleaning chamber 2 through the water. The water supplied into the washing box 2 collects at the bottom of the washing box 2 including the water tank 7.
This stored water is appropriately heated by a heater 12 disposed at the bottom of the washing chamber 2. Cleaning and drainage pump 8 in this state
Is driven as a washing pump, the warm water sucked from the water storage tank 7 is pressure-fed to the arm 6, and the washing chamber 2 is
Injected into. Thereby, water is sprayed on the tableware accommodated in the washing chamber 2 to remove dirt. The food residue adhering to the tableware is collected by the filter, and the water flows into the water storage tank 7 to be circulated again and used.

Although illustration is omitted to make the drawing complicated, between the front wall 2a and the front panel 4 of the washing chamber 2, a blowing means including a blowing fan and an exhaust means are provided. During the drying process, outside air is supplied into the washing chamber 2 by the blowing means, and the outside air is heated by the heater 12 and hits the tableware, and air containing water vapor generated from the tableware is discharged to the outside by the exhaust means. It has become.

Such a series of operations is performed in accordance with the operation of the user as described later. For example, there is a case where it is desired to add dishes immediately after starting the washing operation.
When the washing operation has already been started, since the water is vigorously spouting from the nozzle of the arm 6 in the washing chamber 2 as described above, the operation of the washing pump 8a is stopped to inject the water surely. If the washing chamber 2 is pulled out before the water is settled, the water will jump out of the machine. Further, as shown in FIG.
0 remains inside the housing 1, so that even if the spraying of water in the washing chamber 2 is stopped, if a large amount of water droplets adhere to the lower surface of the upper lid 10, this water will And may eventually leak out of the machine.

Therefore, in the dishwasher of the first embodiment, the washing box 2 is pulled out in addition to the manual latch device 20 for preventing the opening of the door, which is generally provided in the conventional dishwasher. And a lock device 30 for automatically preventing the release of the latch device 20 in the unfavorable situation. That is, in the present dishwasher, as shown in the figure, the upper part of the front panel 4 has a slope part 4a protruding like an eave, and has a handle part 13 depressed inward below the slope part 4a. This handle part 1
3 is provided with an operation lever 21 for latch which is rotatable left and right. Between the front panel 4 behind the operation lever 21 and the front wall 2a of the cleaning chamber 2, the pull-out operation of the cleaning chamber 2 is prevented or prevented in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever 21 by the user. Latch device 2 for releasing
0 and a lock device 30 for preventing the operation of the operation lever 21 so as to prevent the user from releasing the operation of pulling out the cleaning chamber 2 by electrical control. An operation panel 14 having various operation keys and a display is provided on the inclined surface 4a of the front panel 4.

Next, the latch device 20 and the lock device 3
The structure and operation of 0 will be described with reference to FIGS. Although the latch device 20 and the lock device 30 are integrally formed, the lock device 30 is provided below the latch device 20 as a whole.

4 to 6 are top views showing the detailed structure of the latch device 20. FIG. 4 shows a state where the drip-proof plate is not attached, FIG. 5 shows a state where the drip-proof plate is attached, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between a lever and a latch lever. FIG.
6 to 6 show only the outer frame of the lock device 30 to avoid complexity. FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing the detailed configuration of the latch device 20. The main components of the latch device 20 include the operating lever 21, the mounting plate 22, the latch lever 23, the hinge lever 24, the latch spring 25, the hinge spring 26, the drip-proof plate 27, and the like.

As described above, one end of the operating lever 21 protrudes out of the machine from the opening 4b of the front panel 4, and the other end is fixed to the mounting plate 22 so as to be rotatable about a vertical shaft 221. . The operation lever 21 and the latch lever 23 are fixed by a fixed shaft 211, and both are integrally formed with a shaft 221.
Can be turned around. The latch lever 23 has an L-shaped upstanding engagement piece 231, and the engagement piece 231 protrudes upward from an opening 2 c opened in the upper front edge 2 b of the cleaning cabinet 2. The operation lever 21 is a hanging piece 212 extending downward.
A latch spring 25, which is a coil spring, is stretched between the hanging piece 212 and a spring fixing piece 222 bent downward from the mounting plate 22. The operating lever 21 is urged by the tensile force of the latch spring 25 in a direction from the substantially center of the rotatable range toward both ends.

With the above configuration, the latch lever 2 is turned in response to the operation of turning the operation lever 21 right and left as shown in FIG.
The third engagement piece 231 rotates about the shaft 221. In addition,
When the operation lever 21 rotates, the fixed shaft 211 moves in the arc-shaped opening 223 provided in the mounting plate 22, and both ends of the opening 223 act as stoppers,
The rotation of the operation lever 21 and the latch lever 23 is restricted at a position where the fixed shaft 211 contacts both ends.

The hinge lever 24 is attached to the mounting plate 22 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 241, and the abutting piece 242 is erected by a hinge spring 26 which is a torsion coil spring (clockwise direction in FIG. 7). ). An opening 2 is formed in an upright wall 2d located behind the contact piece 242 of the hinge lever 24, which is a part of a wall surface forming the washing chamber 2.
e, a front frame 1a attached to the front surface of the housing 1 facing the upright wall 2d when the cleaning cabinet 2 is stored in the housing 1, and a pin 1b protruding forward. Is provided. When the cleaning cabinet 2 is completely housed in the housing 1, the pin 1b is inserted into the opening 2e to press the contact piece 242 of the hinge lever 24.

The above-described latch device 20 operates as follows. When the cleaning chamber 2 is in a state of being pulled out of the housing 1 as shown in FIG. 2, the contact piece 242 of the hinge lever 24 is not pushed by the pin 1b, and the contact piece 242 is It is urged to stand. When the contact piece 242 is in the upright state, the locking piece 243 at the lower end of the hinge lever 24 is in contact with the latch lever 23 at the position L3 shown in FIG. 6, so that the operation lever 21 is moved from the position L3 to the latch position L2. Is prevented from rotating in the direction of. As a result, in the state where the cleaning chamber 2 is pulled out, the user cannot turn the operation lever 21 in the direction of the latch position L2 even if he tries to turn the operation lever 21 in the direction of the latch position L2.

When the user pushes the washing box 2 into the housing 1 from the state where the washing box 2 is pulled out, the latch lever 23
Are within the width (range d shown in FIG. 6) of the latch hole 1c opened in the front frame 1a of the housing 1, the engagement piece 231 enters the latch hole 1c. . When the cleaning cabinet 2 is completely housed in the housing 1 as shown in FIG. 1, the engaging piece 231 is at a position where a part thereof enters the latch hole 1c as shown in FIG. At this time, the contact piece 242 of the hinge lever 24 is pushed by the pin 1b,
The hinge lever 24 rotates about the shaft 241 against the urging force of the hinge spring 26, and the locking piece 243 at the lower end is out of a position where the latch lever 23 can be locked. This allows
In a state where the cleaning cabinet 2 is stored in the housing 1, the user can turn the operation lever 21 to the latch position.

When the user rotates the operation lever 21 to the latch position (position L2 in FIG. 4), the latch lever 23
Of the latch hole 1c of the front frame 1a goes back to the rear of the bent edge 1d of the latch hole 1c, and the engagement piece 231 does not fall out of the latch hole 1c. This allows the front panel 4
(And the cleaning cabinet 2) are latched in the opening prohibition state, and unless the latch is released, the cleaning cabinet 2 cannot be pulled out forward.

By the way, since the opening 2c is provided in the front edge upper portion 2b of the washing chamber 2, when the water falls downward from the opening 2c, the water is applied to the latch device 20 and the lock device 30,
Failure to do so may cause a failure. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7,
A drip-proof plate 27 made of a synthetic resin material is fitted into the engagement piece 231 so as to make light contact with the lower end of the opening 2c. The drip-proof plate 27 has a concave portion 27 surrounded by a wall portion 271 provided on the periphery.
3 whose wall 271 is partially cut off
It is 2. That is, when water spills into the opening 2 c, the water gradually leaks out from a slight gap between the lower end of the opening 2 c and the drip-proof plate 27 and flows into the recess 273. Since the water leaks little by little, the water does not have enough momentum to get over the wall 271. The water that has flowed into the concave portion 273 is the downflow 2
It falls down from 72. Since this drop position is determined to be inside the latch device 20 and the lock device 30, even if water flows down from the downstream portion 272, there is no influence. In this way, the latch device 20 and the lock device 30 are prevented from being wet.

Further, as shown in FIG.
Is configured such that the locking of the rotation prevention by the hinge lever 24 acts not at the position L1, which is the end of the rotation range, but at the position L3 on the center side thereof. Therefore, when the user turns the operating lever 21 from the latch position (that is, the position L2 in FIG. 4) to the position L3 in order to release the latch in order to pull out the cleaning chamber 2, at that time (that is, the position L1 is reached). Before), the latching piece 24 of the latch lever 23 and the hinge lever 24
The operation lever 21 cannot rotate in the direction of the position L2 due to the contact with the control lever 3. If the user attempts to pull out the cleaning cabinet 2 when the operation lever 21 is at the position L3, the engaging piece 231 is at the position L3 'at that time, and
While pulling out, the engaging piece 231 contacts the bent edge 1d of the latch hole 1c and receives a clockwise force. Then, while the operation lever 21 moves in the direction from the position L3 to the position L1, the cleaning chamber 2 is pulled out forward.

As described above, in the present dishwasher, the washing
Is always locked by the hinge lever 24 so that the operation lever 21 cannot be rotated in the direction of the latch position L2. Therefore, when the user pulls the washing chamber 2 forward, the operation lever 21 is moved to the latch position. Rotation can be prevented. On the other hand, in the halfway state where the operation lever 21 is not completely rotated from the latch position L2 to the position L3 (that is, the operation lever 21 is not locked by the hinge lever 24 as described above), the cleaning chamber Even if you try to pull out 2
31 comes into contact with the front frame 1a and the drawer 2 is prevented from being pulled out. That is, either one of the prevention of the pull-out operation of the cleaning chamber 2 and the prevention of the rotation of the operation lever 21 by the hinge lever 24 is necessarily performed, and as a result, the cleaning chamber 2 is pulled out as described above. The latch operation can be reliably prevented.

FIG. 8 is a top view showing the detailed structure of the lock device 30, FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional side view of a main part of the lock device 30, FIG. 10 is a top view showing the structure of the latch detection switch, and FIG.
12 is a side view showing the configuration of the latch detection switch, FIG. 12 is a top view showing the relationship between the latch lever 23 and the lock shaft 331, and FIG. 13 is a front view of a handle cover attached to the inside of the handle portion 13. 8 to 12, illustration of unnecessary parts is omitted to avoid complexity.

As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG.
Includes a solenoid 32, a heart cam type driving mechanism 33, a micro switch 34, and the like, which are respectively mounted at predetermined positions inside the case 31. The solenoid 32 draws in the plunger 321 only when the power is supplied from the outside, and releases the plunger when the power supply is stopped. The heart cam type driving mechanism 33 is connected to the plunger 321 and moves the lock shaft 331 alternately between the position L4 and the position L5 in FIG. 8 each time the plunger 321 is pulled once. When the lock shaft 331 is at the position L4, the lock shaft 331 does not interfere with the hanging piece 212 in the rotation range of the operation lever 21. Therefore, the operation lever 21 can freely rotate. On the other hand, if the lock shaft 331 is advanced to the position L5 when the operation lever 21 is at the latch position (the position L2 shown in FIG. 8), the lock shaft 331 interferes with the hanging piece 212 of the operation lever 21 and the operation lever 2
1 to rotate in the latch release direction.
2 comes into contact with the lock shaft 331 to prevent rotation. In this manner, by turning on the solenoid 32 for a short time from the outside, the rotation of the operation lever 21 can be prevented and released.

The micro switch 34 is connected to the solenoid 32
And substantially in line with the drive mechanism 33, and the lock shaft 33
The mover 341 is arranged so as to be pushed when 1 advances to the position L5. Therefore, whether the lock shaft 331 is in the position L4 or the position L5, that is, whether the operation lever 21 is locked or not can be detected by the conduction or non-conduction of the microswitch 34.

The operation lever 2 is provided at the bottom of the case 31.
A switch mechanism is provided to detect the latch or release of the latch by detecting the position of No. 1. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the switch mechanism includes a micro switch 35, a leaf spring 36, and a switch mounting plate 37. The leaf spring 36 is mounted on a flexible contact piece 371 of the switch mounting plate 37. I have. When the operation lever 21 rotates, the contact piece 371 just comes into contact with the vertical portion 214 of the operation lever 21, and is pushed and bent as shown in FIG. 10. Then, the leaf spring 36 is connected to the microswitch 3.
5 is pressed against the movable piece 352, whereby the movable element 351 is pressed.
Is pressed. Thus, the rotation of the operation lever 21 to the latch position can be detected by the conduction or non-conduction of the microswitch 35.

When the operation lever 21 is slightly returned from the latch position, the contact piece 371 is
Since it is interlocked with the movement of 2, it recovers a little from a large bent state. However, the leaf spring 36 absorbs the movement of the contact piece 371 by restoring its own shape, and the movable piece 3
52 is not transmitted. That is, when the operation lever 21 is slightly returned from the latch position, the movable member 351 of the micro switch 35 is kept pressed, and it can be correctly recognized that the latch state is maintained.

Even if the operation lever 21 is rotated to the latch position and the engaging piece 231 of the latch lever 23 locks the front frame 1a as described above, these mechanisms always have play. The operation lever 21 can slightly return from the position L2, which is one end of the rotation range, to the position L1.
Even in such a case, in the present dishwasher, as described above, the operation lever operated by the user or the member that rotates integrally with the operation lever does not directly push the mover of the switch but has elasticity (flexibility). The movable element of the switch is pushed through the leaf spring 36 which is a member and in a state where the operating lever is pushed to the position where the resilient force of the elastic member acts. When returning from the state, the return is absorbed by the restoration of the flexure or the dent of the elastic member, and the state of pressing the mover of the switch is maintained. Therefore, the switch can be kept closed or open without being affected by the play of the mechanism as described above, and the state of the latch or the like can be accurately detected.

Normally, when the operation lever 21 is at the latch position, the lock shaft 331 advances to the position L5 to prevent the rotation of the operation lever 21, but due to some trouble or mischief, etc. Operation lever 2
Even if the lock shaft 331 has advanced to the position L5 when 1 is at the latch release position, consideration is made so that the lock shaft 331 can return to a normal state.

That is, as shown in FIG. 12, when the hanging piece 212 of the operation lever 21 is on the left side of the lock shaft 331 and the lock shaft 331 is at the position L5, the operation lever 21 is turned counterclockwise ( When it is rotated in the latching direction (i.e., in the latching direction), the arc portion of the hook 251 of the latch spring 25 hooked on the hanging piece 212 comes into contact with the lock shaft 331 and presses the lock shaft 331 in the direction of the position L4. give. Then, with the rotation of the arc portion of the hook 251 (that is, the hanging piece 212), the lock shaft 331 moves to the position L4.
12, and when it is retracted to a predetermined position, the arc portion of the hook 251 passes above the lock shaft 331 in FIG. 12 from left to right. Thereby, the hook 251
The lock shaft 331 that has stopped receiving the force from the arc portion returns to the position L5 again, and the lock shaft 331 is in the position L5, that is, the position at which the operation lever 21 is locked with the operation lever 21 in the latch position, as usual. I come to.

As described above, the latch spring 2 which is a member which rotates integrally with the operation lever 21 operated by the user.
The fifth hook 251 traverses the movement range of the lock shaft 331 which is a part of the lock means when the operation lever 21 moves from the latch release position to the latching position, and the lock shaft 331 can be originally taken. If the lock lever 331 is in a position where a lock that should not be locked is applied, the lock shaft 331 is temporarily moved within the above-mentioned movement range by abutting on the lock lever.
When the lock shaft 331 reaches the latch position, the lock shaft 331 returns to the position where the lock is originally applied. Thereby, it is possible to return from the abnormal state in which the operation lever is in the latch release position and the lock means is in the lock position to the normal state in which the operation lever is in the latch position and the lock means is in the lock position. As described above, in the present dishwasher, the user simply operates the operation lever 21 of the latch device as usual without any particular consciousness, thereby eliminating the unnatural state of the latch device and the lock device and returning to the normal state. Can be restored.

In the dishwasher, the solenoid 32
Is electrically controlled to lock and unlock the operation lever 21. For example, when the lock cannot be released due to a situation where power cannot be supplied or a malfunction of a solenoid or the like, the drawer of the cleaning chamber 2 is pulled out. I ca n’t do it,
There is a possibility that tableware inside the washing box 2 cannot be taken out.
In order to cope with such a situation, consideration has been given to unlocking the operation lever 21 manually.

That is, as shown in FIG.
A notch 151 is formed at the center of the handle receiving member 15 attached to the inside of the handle. When the handle receiving member 15 is attached to the front panel 4, as shown in FIG. 9, a large opening is formed by the notch 151 on the opening 4b, and the lock shaft 331 comes behind the opening. for that reason,
By inserting a rod-shaped tool such as a screwdriver through the notch 151 and forcibly moving the lock shaft 331,
The lock of the operation lever 21 can be released.
In addition, since the notch 151 is just hidden behind the slope 4a of the front panel 4, it is almost invisible during normal use and does not impair the appearance.

In the first embodiment, a mechanism using a heart cam is used as the drive mechanism 33 for moving the lock shaft 331 in accordance with the drive of the solenoid 32, but other structures may be used. Specifically, for example, a double knock type mechanism used in a second embodiment described later may be used.

Next, the electrical configuration and characteristic operation of the dishwasher of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is an electrical configuration diagram of a main part of the dishwasher. The control unit 40 is mainly composed of a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a timer, and the like. Based on a control program stored in the ROM, various control operations such as washing, rinsing, and drying operations are performed. Execute the control of. The control unit 40 includes an operation unit 42 for the user to give various settings and instructions, a display unit 43 for the user to monitor the setting contents and driving conditions, and sounds when the user should be alerted. Buzzer 44, latch detection switch 3 that is turned off or on in conjunction with the operation of operation lever 21 as described above.
5, a lock detection switch 34 that is turned off or on in conjunction with the operation of the lock shaft 331, both of which are disposed in a water level detection chamber that communicates with the cleaning chamber 2 and move up and down according to the level of water stored in the cleaning chamber 2. An abnormal water level detection switch 45 and a normal water level detection switch 46 that are turned on or off by a floating float, a temperature sensor 47 that detects the temperature of water or air in the washing chamber 2, and the like are connected. A load driving unit 41 is connected to the control unit 40.
The operation of the washing pump 8a, the drain pump 8b, the blower motor 48, the water supply valve 49, the heater 12, the solenoid 32, and the like is controlled through the control unit.

In the dishwasher having the above configuration, usually,
From the start of the washing operation to the end of the drying operation, since the operation lever 21 is locked in the latched state as described above, the drawer 2 is prohibited from being pulled out. For example, when it is desired to add dishes after the start of the washing operation, once the operation unit 42
It is necessary to operate the pause key with. Next, processing related to pulling out of the washing box 2 during the washing operation and the rinsing operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Incidentally, in the present dishwasher, the operation lever 21 is locked so as not to rotate from the latch position, to be precise, as described above. However, in the following description, such a lock is conventionally referred to as a "door lock". ".

First, the control unit 40 determines whether or not the pause key has been pressed on the operation unit 42 (step S1).
If the pause key has not been pressed, another process is executed. On the other hand, when the temporary stop key is pressed, the operation of the cleaning pump 8a is stopped (Step S2). When the operation of the cleaning pump 8a is stopped, the water supply to the arm 6 is not performed, and the injection of the water from the nozzle is stopped. Thereafter, the display of the door lock indicator on the display unit 43 is changed to a blinking display (step S3), and the buzzer 44 is driven to generate an intermittent beep sound (step S4). The notification by the display and the sound is for notifying the user that the user is waiting for the door to be unlocked. During this period, although the operation of the cleaning pump 8a is stopped, it does not rotate even if the user attempts to rotate the operation lever 21, and pulling out of the cleaning chamber 2 is prohibited.

Steps S3 and S4 are repeated until a predetermined standby time has elapsed. If the predetermined standby time has elapsed ("Y" in step S5), the solenoid 32 is operated to lock the latched state of the operation lever 21. Is canceled (step S6). Here, the predetermined standby time is determined by assuming a time required for water droplets adhered to the lower surface of the upper lid 10 to sufficiently fall or flow down during the cleaning operation and to at least fall to a level where they do not directly drop, but are usually determined. Is 5 to 1
The time is about 0 seconds. After or almost simultaneously with the unlocking in step S6, the door lock indicator is turned off from the blinking display this time (step S7), and a long buzzer sound is generated only once (step S8). The user knows that the washing box 2 can be pulled out, and can pull out the washing box 2 with the operation lever 21 in the unlatched state. At this time, no large water droplets adhere to the lower surface of the upper lid 10, and the water droplets do not fall outside the refrigerator.

As described above, according to the above processing, when it is necessary to pull out the washing chamber 2 during the washing operation or the rinsing operation,
The operation of the washing pump 8a is stopped, so that not only the water jetted from the nozzle does not fly out of the machine, but also that the water droplets attached to the lower surface of the upper lid 10 fall out of the refrigerator and wet the surroundings. be able to. After performing the door unlocking operation in step S6, it is checked whether or not the door lock has been released by the lock detection switch 34.
If the door lock has not been released, the solenoid 32 is driven again to attempt to release the door lock. Such a repetition is performed a plurality of times, and as a result, when it is determined that the door lock is not released, an abnormal state is displayed or a buzzer 44 is notified.

In the drying step performed after the rinsing step, since water is not injected from the nozzles,
There is no danger of water jumping out of the machine or splashing on the user even if it is pulled out. However, since there is a possibility that high-temperature air may flow out from the inside of the washing chamber 2, the state in which the door is locked is maintained until the operation is completed as in the case of the washing operation or the rinsing operation. However, unlike the washing operation and the rinsing operation, there is no need to provide a waiting time for the water adhering to the lower surface of the upper lid 10 to sufficiently drop, and therefore, processing corresponding to steps S3 to S5 in the flowchart of FIG. Is not performed, the operation of the blower motor 48 is stopped (the operation of the heater 12 may be stopped at the same time) as a process corresponding to step S2, and then the door lock is released. Of course, the door lock release operation may be performed after an appropriate time elapses, such as waiting until the rotation speed of the blower fan of the blower motor 48 surely decreases, but in any case, the cleaning operation and the rinsing operation may be performed. A standby time shorter than the predetermined time is sufficient. Therefore, the user can pull out the cleaning chamber 2 without waiting for a long time after performing the operation of the pause key, and the user is not irritated.

Furthermore, in the present dishwasher, in order to enhance safety, once the above-described door lock is engaged, even if the pause key is pressed or the drying operation is terminated, the door lock is not required. It is possible to set a mode that can not be canceled. Such a special mode may be set by performing a special (i.e., not normally used) pressing of the operation key on the operation unit 42, or may be performed in a position that is difficult to see separately from the operation unit 42. Button may be provided.

Once this special mode is set,
As described above, the door lock takes precedence over the operation or operation processing that should originally release the door lock. Therefore, for example, when the user wants to pull out the washing chamber 2 during the washing operation, the user must
This special mode is canceled by operating a special key or a dedicated button before operating the pause key or after operating the pause key. Unless this release is performed, the door lock is not released. The same applies when drying is completed. By providing such a special mode, for example, it is possible to prevent a small child from arbitrarily operating the present dishwasher, pulling out the washing box 2, and taking out the tableware stored therein, etc. High security can be ensured.

Further, the present dishwasher has a reserved operation function for automatically starting a washing operation at a predetermined time or after a lapse of a predetermined time from the present time so that the dishwasher can be washed while sleeping or going out. It has. When using the reserved driving function, the control unit 40 executes a characteristic process. Next, FIG. 21 and FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 21 is a front view of a main part of the operation panel 14 of the present dishwasher, and FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the contents of this processing.

When performing the reserved driving, the user sets how many hours after the present time the driving should be started by using the operation unit 42 (step S11). When the user presses the start key 14a after appropriately setting (step S12),
The reservation contents at that time are determined (step S13).
Before the reservation is confirmed and immediately after the reservation is confirmed, the control unit 40
Is an LED 14b indicating that the reserved operation of the display unit 43 is set, and an LED indicating the remaining time until the operation is started.
14c is dynamically lit with a 1/3 duty ratio. At this time, as shown in FIG.
14c is brightly lit.

When 5 seconds have elapsed since the reservation was confirmed ("Y" in step S14), the control unit 40 further reduces the duty ratio of the dynamic lighting to 1/2 or 1/4 (that is, 1/6 or 1). / 12 duty ratio). As a result, as shown in FIG.
Although c is lit, the apparent brightness (brightness) of the display is greatly reduced. Needless to say, the power consumption is greatly reduced (step 15). Therefore, even if the dishwasher is placed in a dark room, it is not so dazzling. For example, even if the user goes to bed in that room, it does not prevent sleeping. In addition, since the brightness is maintained such that the display contents can be visually recognized by a normal user in a dark room, the remaining time until the start of the reserved driving and the set contents can be confirmed.

However, when the room is bright, there may be situations where the contrast is reduced and the display is difficult to see. In this case, the user presses the reservation key 14d (step S1).
6). Then, in response to this operation, the control unit 40 restores the duty ratio of the dynamic lighting for 5 seconds (steps S17, S18, S19). As a result, the display is temporarily brightened, so that the settings can be confirmed even in a bright room or by a person with weak vision. When the operation start time has arrived (step S20), a predetermined operation is started (step S21).

In the dishwasher, if the time until the start of the operation is long, the dirt attached to the dishes is dried and very difficult to remove. Therefore, it is preferable to perform the washing operation once every tens of minutes, for several tens of seconds, and to perform control to wet the dishes. In such a configuration in which the operation is performed intermittently with a long standby time, if the display is completely turned off, if there is a person other than the person who instructed the reservation operation around the dishwasher, the operation is stopped. There is a high possibility that the dishwasher, which was thought to be in the above, suddenly starts operating and is mistaken for a malfunction such as a failure. On the other hand, in this dishwasher, the brightness of the display is reduced, but it is turned on to the extent that the user can recognize it, so that the people around it are set to reserved driving or at least in some driving standby state. It is possible to recognize that there is, and for example, even if the cleaning operation is temporarily performed, it is not misunderstood that it is a failure or the like.

In steps S17 to S18, 5
Although the brightness is increased for only a second, the brightness may be continuously increased until the reservation key is pressed again. Further, it may be possible to correspond to a key operation other than the reservation key.

Next, a dishwasher according to another embodiment of the first invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 16 is a schematic side sectional view showing the entire configuration of the dishwasher of the present embodiment (hereinafter, referred to as “second embodiment”), and FIG. 17 is a front perspective view. The same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The main differences between the present dishwasher and the above embodiment are a vertical movement mechanism of the upper lid 10 and a drawer mechanism of the washing box 2.

That is, in the dishwasher of the second embodiment,
The upper lid 10 is urged substantially vertically upward by a plurality of springs 60, one end of which is fixed to the lower surface of the upper wall of the housing 1. On the other hand, the wires 6
1a and 61b are provided. These two wires 61
a, 61b are pulleys 62a protruding from the side surface of the top lid 10,
One end is fixed to a fixed end 63 inside one side wall of the housing 1, and the other end is fixed to a horizontally long operation punch 64 along the other side wall of the housing 1. Further, the operation punch 64 is connected to a torque motor 66 by a common wire 65 fixed near the center thereof. When the torque motor 66 pulls the common wire 65, the operation punch 64
The two wires 61a and 61b are pulled downward through
The upper lid 10 is pulled down so as to press the upper lid 10 from above against the urging force of the spring 60. And it stops at the position where the upper lid 10 closes the upper surface opening 3 of the washing chamber 2.

Prior to pulling out the washing box 2, the torque motor 66 relaxes the common wire 65 and relaxes both wires 61 a and 61 b via the operation punch 64. Then, the upper lid 10 is raised by the urging force of the spring 60, and the position where the relaxed wires 61a and 61b are tightened (or the position where the compressive force of the spring 60 and the weight of the upper lid 10 are balanced).
And rise to stop. In other words, in the dishwasher of the second embodiment, the washing box 2 is moved out of the housing 1 by controlling the torque motor 66 electrically instead of mechanically interlocking with the pulling-out and pushing-in operations of the washing box 2. The upper lid 10 is raised before being pulled out, and is lowered after the cleaning cabinet is pushed into the housing 1. When such a vertical movement mechanism of the upper lid 10 is used, since the upper lid 10 hardly moves back and forth, there is no need to secure a space for the upper cover 10 to move in the front-rear direction in the housing 1. It is possible to reduce the depth of the housing 1 or expand the cleaning cabinet 2 while keeping the size of the housing 1 unchanged.

In the dishwasher of the second embodiment, the mechanism for pulling out the washing box 2 is not a manual latching device using an operation lever as in the first embodiment, but a washing box 2.
And a latch / lock device 70 interlocked with the gripping of the handle for the pull-out and push-in operations.

FIG. 18 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the latch / lock device 70, and FIG.
FIG. 20 is a top view showing the apparatus, and FIG. 20 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of a door open / close switch.

Inside the handle 13, a rotating body 71 having a grip 712 for receiving the inserted finger is provided with a horizontal shaft 71.
1 is provided so as to be freely rotatable. The rotating body 71 has a rib 713 extending in the vertical direction on the opposite side of the grip 712 with the shaft 711 interposed therebetween, and a cylindrical projection 714 on the upper part. On the other hand, the opening 2 opened in the upper front edge 2b of the washing box 2
c, a slide lever 7 vertically movable along a guide frame 721 which is a part of the solenoid mounting plate 72.
The horizontal rib 733 at the lower portion of the slide lever 73 is sandwiched between the upper end of the rib 713 of the rotating body 71 and the cylindrical projection 714. Thus, in the normal state, the rotating body 71 pushes up the slide lever 73 as shown in FIG. 18, and the upper engaging piece 731 protrudes upward from the opening 2c. If the cleaning cabinet 2 is stored in the housing 1, the housing 1 is located in front of the engagement piece 731.
The engaging piece 731 is in contact with the front frame 1a to prevent the cleaning chamber 2 from being pulled out.

As shown in FIG. 16, the dishwasher is urged forward by a spring 67, which is an elastic body provided at the back of the washing chamber 2, so that the engagement piece 731 is attached to the front frame 1a. There is no backlash when pressed against. Of course, instead of the spring 67, an elastic member may be provided at an appropriate location to urge the cleaning chamber 2 forward. For example,
When an elastic body is disposed on a rail 5 for pulling out the washing box 2 forward or another portion corresponding to the rail 5 so as to repel the pushing force at the final point where the washing box 2 is pushed into the housing 1. Good.

When the user inserts a fingertip into the handle 13 and pushes up the grip portion 712 of the rotating body 71, the rotating body 71 rotates clockwise about the shaft 711 in FIG. With the sliding in the horizontal direction, the rib 733 is pushed down, whereby the slide lever 73 is moved to the engagement piece 73.
1 descends to a position where it comes off the front frame 1 a of the housing 1. Therefore, the user can pull out the cleaning cabinet 2 from the inside of the housing 1 forward. Conversely, when the cleaning chamber 2 pulled out of the housing 1 is pushed in, the gripping portion 712 may be similarly pushed up to lower the engagement piece 731, but the cleaning chamber 2 is pushed in as it is. Even in this case, since the rear of the engagement piece 731 is inclined as shown in FIG. 18, when it comes into contact with the lower edge of the front frame 1 a of the housing 1, part of the force due to the contact is reduced in the downward direction. When the slide lever 73 descends and passes the front frame 1a, it rises again, and the engagement piece 731 is engaged behind the front frame 1a.

As described above, in the dishwasher of the second embodiment, inserting a finger into the handle 13 and lifting the grip 712 corresponds to turning the operation lever in the first embodiment to the unlatching position. However, the latch is latched so that the washing box 2 cannot be pulled out from the housing 1 unless the operation is performed.

Further, the lock in the latched state of the operation lever in the first embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment.
This is achieved by preventing rotation about one shaft 711. That is, as shown in FIG. 19, the plunger 741 of the solenoid 74 is connected to a so-called double knock (kern knock) drive mechanism 75,
Thus, each time the solenoid 74 is energized for a short time and the plunger 741 is pulled, the stopper 751
It moves between two positions. As the drive mechanism 75 using the double knock system, a drive mechanism proposed by the present applicant as a lid lock mechanism for a washing machine in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-17334 can be used.

When the stopper 751 is located at the position L6 shown in FIG.
Since the rotating body 71 does not abut on the rotating body 51, the rotating body 71 can rotate. When power is supplied to the solenoid 74 from this state,
The stopper 751 moves to a position L7 where the stopper 751 interferes with the contact piece 715 of the rotating body 71. Thus, even if the user attempts to lift the grip 712, the contact piece 715 of the rotating body 71 contacts the stopper 751 and the rotating body 71 cannot rotate sufficiently. Therefore, the engaging piece 731 hardly descends, and the drawer 2 is prohibited from being pulled out.

When the stopper 751 is at the position L6, the pressing piece 753 does not interfere with the mover 761 of the lock detection micro switch 76, and moves by the same distance when the stopper 751 moves to the position L7.
Pushes the mover 761, it is possible to recognize whether the door is locked or unlocked by opening or closing the switch 76.

In the dishwasher of the second embodiment,
If the cleaning cabinet 2 is stored in the housing 1 (more specifically, if the user has not lifted the grip 712), it can be considered that the door is latched. . Therefore, instead of the latch detection switch provided in the first embodiment, a switch for detecting whether or not the cleaning cabinet 2 is housed in the housing 1 is provided. That is, as shown in FIG. 20, a rotating body 77 is provided between the upright wall 2d of the cleaning chamber 2 and the inclined surface 4a of the front panel 4 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal shaft 711. Rotating body 77
Is a contact surface 7 facing the opening 2e provided in the upright wall 2d.
72 and a pressing surface 773, and a movable element 781 of the microswitch 78 is located below the pressing surface 773.

When the washing box 2 is housed in the housing 1, the pins 1 b projecting forward from the front frame 1 a of the housing 1
e and pushes the contact surface 772 of the rotating body 77, and the rotating body 77 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. As a result, the pressing surface 773 is connected to the mover 78 of the microswitch 78.
Pressing 1 causes switch 78 to close or open. Washing room 2
Is pulled out of the housing 1, the rotating body 77 rotates clockwise in the opposite direction, the pressing of the mover 781 is released, and the switch 78 is opened or closed. In this way, the switch 78 functions as a so-called door switch corresponding to the operation of pulling out or pushing in the cleaning cabinet 2.

As described above, in the dishwasher of the second embodiment, the latch operation of the door is released and the latch operation is performed in conjunction with the gripping operation of the door handle by the user and the release of the operation. Saves the trouble of rotating the operation lever one by one. Further, the upper lid 10 is not driven by using a part of the operation force in conjunction with the taking-in / out operation of the washing case 2, but is driven in a state where the washing case 2 is stored in a predetermined position in the housing 1. Since the lifting and lowering is performed by the driving force of the torque motor 66, which is a means, the force required for moving the cleaning chamber 2 in and out can be reduced by that much, and in this respect, high operability can be provided to the user.

In the second embodiment, the locking operation and the release thereof can be achieved by the same drive mechanism using the heart cam as in the first embodiment.

The above embodiment is merely an example, and it is apparent that changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a dishwasher according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the first and second aspects of the present invention, with a washing cabinet stored in a housing.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view showing a moving state of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment when a washing cabinet is pulled out of a housing.

FIG. 3 is a front external view of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a main part of the latch device of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment without a drip-proof plate attached.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a main part of the latch device of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment with a drip-proof plate attached.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a main part showing a positional relationship between a hinge lever and a latch lever in the latch device in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a detailed configuration of a latch device in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a top view showing the detailed configuration of the lock device in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the lock device in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a main part showing a configuration of a latch detection switch in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a main part showing a configuration of a latch detection switch in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a top view of a main part showing a relationship between a latch lever and a lock shaft in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a front view of a handle cover attached to the inside of the handle portion in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an electrical configuration diagram of a main part of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing processing related to pulling out of a washing box during a washing operation in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a schematic side sectional view showing the entire configuration of a dishwasher according to another embodiment (second embodiment) of the first invention.

FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of a dishwasher according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a side sectional view of a main part showing a configuration of a latch / lock device in a dishwasher according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a top view of a main part showing a latch / lock device in a dishwasher according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a side sectional view of a main part showing a configuration of a door open / close switch in the dishwasher according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a front view of a main part of an operation panel in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing processing contents of a reservation operation in the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Case 1a ... Front frame 1b ... Pin 1c ... Latch hole 1d ... Edge part 2 ... Cleaning chamber 2a ... Front wall 2b ... Front edge upper part 2c, 2e ... Opening 2d ... Standing wall 3 ... Top opening 4 ... Front Panel 4a ... Slope section 4b ... Opening 5 ... Rail 8 ... Washing / draining pump 10 ... Top lid 11 ... Parallel link 13 ... Handle section 14 ... Operation panel 15 ... Handle receiving member 151 ... Notch 20 ... Latch device 21 ... Operation lever 211 ... Fixed shaft 212 ... Hanging piece 214 ... Vertical part 22 ... Mounting plate 221 ... Shaft 222 ... Fixed piece 223 ... Opening 23 ... Latch lever 231 ... Engagement piece 24 ... Hinge lever 241 ... Shaft 242 ... Contact piece 243 ... Lock Piece 25: Latch spring 251: Hook 26: Hinge spring 27: Drip-proof plate 271: Wall 272 ... Downstream part 273 ... Recess 30 ... Locking device 31 ... Case 32 ... Solenoid 3 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Plunger 33 ... Driving mechanism 331 ... Lock shaft 34 ... Lock detection switch (micro switch) 341, 351 ... Movable element 35 ... Latch detection switch (micro switch) 352 ... Movable piece 37 ... Switch mounting plate 371 ... Contact piece 40 ... Control unit 42 ... Operation unit 43 ... Display unit 44 ... Buzzer 61a, 61b ... Wire 62a, 62b ... Pulley 63 ... Fixed end 64 ... Operation punch 65 ... Common wire 66 ... Torque motor 70 ... Latch / lock device 71 ... Rotating body 711: horizontal shaft 712: gripping portion 713: rib 714: cylindrical projection 715: contact piece 72: solenoid mounting plate 721: guide frame 73: slide lever 731: engagement piece 733: rib 74: solenoid 741 ... plunger 75 ... Driving mechanism 751 ... Stopper 753 ... Pressing piece 76, 78 ... Micro switch H 761, 781 ... mover 77 ... rotating body

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Kazutaka Nakanishi 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Seyuki Suho 2-5-2-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka No. Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3B060 GC01 3B082 BB01 BB06 DC00 DC01 DC04 DC06

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A washing cabinet capable of accommodating dishes therein is provided in a housing, and the dishes are housed in the washing cabinet with an opening provided in the washing cabinet opened to the outside of the housing. A dishwasher that performs a washing operation with the opening closed, a) locking means for preventing a user from opening the opening to the outside of the housing when the opening of the washing box is closed, b) A dishwasher, comprising: a control unit for controlling a locking operation and an unlocking operation of the locking unit. 2. An operation lever operated by a user,
Movable engagement means that moves in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever, and the opening of the opening to the outside of the housing is formed by engagement of the movable engagement means with an engagement portion provided on the housing or the housing side. Latching means for inhibiting the opening operation, wherein the locking means prevents the movement of the movable engaging means from moving so that the opening of the opening to the outside of the housing by the latching means cannot be released. The dishwasher according to claim 1. 3. A handle which is gripped by a user to perform an opening operation of the opening to the outside of the housing, and a movable engaging means which is located on the handle and moves in accordance with the gripping operation of the user. Latch means for stopping the opening of the opening to the outside of the housing by engagement of the movable engagement means with an engagement portion provided on the housing or the housing side; and The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the engaging means is prevented from being stopped, so that the operation of opening the opening to the outside of the housing by the latch means cannot be released. 4. The housing has an opening on the front surface, the washing box has an opening on the upper surface for pulling out tableware and is capable of being pulled out from the housing forward, and an upper opening of the washing box. And a top lid for closing the
By engaging the movable engaging means with the casing or the engaging portion provided on the casing side, the pulling-out operation of the washing chamber is suppressed, and the locking means prevents the movable engaging means from moving, whereby the movable engaging means is prevented from moving. 4. The cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the latching means cannot prevent the cleaning chamber from being pulled out.
Dishwasher as described in. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means locks said lock means before starting operation of a cleaning pump for injecting water into the cleaning chamber. Dishwasher according to crab. 6. The control means, when receiving an operation instruction to stop or temporarily stop the operation during the washing operation or the rinsing operation, stops the operation of the washing pump, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, The dishwasher according to claim 5, wherein an operation of releasing the lock by the locking means is performed. 7. During a period from when an operation instruction for stopping or temporarily stopping the operation is performed during the washing operation or the rinsing operation or after the operation of the washing pump is stopped until the lock is released, The dishwasher according to claim 6, wherein a notification is provided by a display or a sound distinguishable from both a normal lock period and a non-lock period. 8. When automatically performing a series of steps of washing, rinsing, and drying, the control unit performs an unlocking operation by the lock unit after the drying operation is completed. Or the dishwasher according to 6. 9. The control unit, when receiving an operation instruction to stop or temporarily stop the operation during the drying operation, stops the operation of the blowing unit for blowing air, and at the same time or at the predetermined time. The dishwasher according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the operation of releasing the lock by the locking means is performed after a short time has elapsed. 10. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when the special mode is set, the control unit does not release the lock by the lock unit until a predetermined operation is performed by a user. Dishwasher according to any of the above. 11. A dishwasher having a reservation function for starting operation after a specified time or a specified time has elapsed, a) displaying a predetermined display including reservation setting contents such as a remaining time until the start of operation. Display means for performing, and b) display control means for reducing the brightness of the display of the display means at least partially during a period after the reservation of the operation is performed until the operation is started. And dishwasher. 12. The dishwasher according to claim 11, wherein the display control unit returns the display brightness to the original level when a predetermined operation instruction is received during a period in which the display brightness is reduced. . 13. An electric device having a reservation function for starting operation after a specified time or a specified time has elapsed, a) displaying a predetermined display including reservation setting contents such as a remaining time until the start of operation. Display means for performing, and b) display control means for reducing the brightness of the display of the display means at least partially during a period after the reservation of the operation is performed until the operation is started. And electrical equipment.