JP2002336181A - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately recognize the storage state of articles to be washed and efficiently carry out proper cleaning. SOLUTION: The dishwasher is provided with a detection means 5 detecting contact at the bottom material 4 of a holding member storing a dish 1 as a article to be washed, a control means 13 judging the storage condition of the washed article in the bottom material 4 of the holding member by a condition judgment means 12 on the basis of a signal outputted from the detection means 5, controlling a washing condition in accordance with the output of the condition judgment means 12, and can accurately judge the storage condition and executes right and efficient washing in accordance with the judgment.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dish basket for storing articles to be washed such as dishes used in dishwashers and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A dishwasher of this type according to the prior art 1 has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-24819. As shown in FIG. 5, the dishwasher has a weight sensor 23 for detecting the weight of the object to be washed stored in the washing tank.
And a control device 24 operated by a signal from the weight sensor 23. The control device 24 controls at least one of a cleaning water amount, a cleaning program, and a pressurized water supply capacity of the cleaning liquid according to the signal of the weight sensor 23. It is configured as follows.

The weight sensor 23 measures the total weight of the stored tableware, outputs a signal indicating whether the total weight is heavy or light, and outputs a signal to a control device.

A dishwasher of this type of the prior art 2 has been disclosed in JP-A-63-216526. As shown in FIG. 6, the dishwasher is provided with tableware position detecting devices 27 and 28 provided between a tableware basket 25 and a cleaning liquid ejecting device 26 in a cleaning tank, and the tableware is prepared by the output signal of the tableware position detecting device. And a jet control device for changing the spraying state of the cleaning liquid.

[0005] The tableware position detecting device has a structure in which a table-like basket 25 has a lattice-shaped light-emitting section 27 below the tableware basket and a light-receiving section 28 above the tableware basket, and can detect the position of the tableware stored in the tableware basket. The detected tableware distribution is output to the injection control device 26.

[0006]

In the dishwasher of the first prior art, the weight sensor 23 measures the total weight of the dishes in the basket. For example, when the weight per dish is light, the control device uses a light dish. When the signal is output, the water level sensor is controlled to reduce the amount of water supply based on the signal, the rotation speed of the motor is further reduced, and the flow rate control valve provided in the cleaning liquid discharge path is throttled to reduce the flow rate of the cleaning liquid. Further, the time for washing, rinsing, drying, etc. of the whole was shortened.
However, if the weight per piece is made of a very light material and the number of dishes is large, the total weight is light, or if the weight per piece is heavy and the number of dishes is small, the total weight is heavy, Just measuring the total weight of the tableware causes a difference from the actual quantity of the tableware, so that there has been a problem that it is not possible to properly wash the tableware.

In the dishwasher of the second conventional example, a grid-like light-emitting portion 27 and a tableware basket 25 are provided below the tableware basket 25.
Is configured to have a light receiving unit 28 on the top, and if there is something that blocks the light emitting unit, it is determined that there is tableware, and according to the distribution, the rotation angle of the nozzle that ejects the cleaning liquid is controlled. Had become. However, in the case of a dish to be washed such as a plate or a pot having a large diameter, a bowl or a bowl, and unlike a tableware such as a normal dish or a bowl, a storage method that covers the entire dish basket 25 is used. In spite of the small number, a wide range of light emitting parts is blocked, and the detection result is equivalent to a state where a large number of dishes different from the actual one are stored. Therefore, there is a problem that inefficient cleaning is performed.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a holding member for accommodating an object to be washed such as tableware,
Detecting means for detecting the storage of the object to be cleaned in the holding member; state determining means for determining the storage state of the cleaning object in the holding member based on a signal output from the detecting means; Control means for controlling washing conditions according to the output of the means is provided, and the detecting means is provided on the holding member.

According to the present invention, since the holding member is provided with the detecting means for detecting the object to be cleaned, the detecting means detects the storage of the object to be cleaned each time the object to be cleaned is stored directly in the holding member. Then, the state determination means determines an accurate storage state of the stored object to be cleaned based on the signal output by the detection means. The control means controls the cleaning conditions based on the determination result of the state determination means, and thus performs appropriate cleaning according to the stored state.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A dishwasher according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a holding member for storing an object to be washed such as tableware, a detecting means for detecting the storage of the object to be washed in the holding member, and There is provided state determination means for determining the storage state of the object to be cleaned in the holding member based on the signal output from the detection means, and control means for controlling cleaning conditions in accordance with the output of the state determination means.

Since the first detecting means is provided on the first holding member, the detecting means detects the storage of the object to be cleaned each time the object to be cleaned is directly stored in the holding member, and determines the state. The means determines an accurate storage state of the stored object to be cleaned based on the signal output by the detection means. Since the control means controls the cleaning conditions based on the determination result of the state determination means, efficient and appropriate cleaning can be performed according to the storage state.

A dishwasher according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises:
Detecting means for detecting contact of the object to be cleaned with the holding member is provided.

[0013] Each time the object to be cleaned is stored in the holding member, it is possible to detect the stored state of whether or not the object is reliably stored in the holding member.

[0014] The dishwasher according to claim 3 of the present invention comprises:
The detection means is characterized in that at least its surface is made of an elastic material.

Since the elastic material buffers the shock when the object to be cleaned is stored in the holding member or during the cleaning, cracking of the tableware can be prevented.

A dishwasher according to a fourth aspect of the present invention comprises:
The state determining means determines at least one of the number, position, and weight of the stored objects to be cleaned based on a signal output from the detecting means.

[0017] The state of the stored object to be cleaned can be specifically and accurately detected, and the cleaning conditions can be more appropriately controlled.

The dishwasher according to claims 5 to 8 of the present invention is provided with a notifying means for notifying according to the storage state based on the signal output from the state determining means. And
The storage worker can work efficiently while monitoring the storage state by the notification means.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a structural view of a holding member according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a contact detecting means according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is. FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an overall configuration diagram of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

In FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a tableware of an object to be cleaned, 2 denotes a first supporting side member of a supporting member for supporting the object to be cleaned, 3 denotes a second supporting side member, and 4 denotes a supporting member. Has a hollow structure with a bottom member forming the bottom portion of the base material. 5 is a contact detecting means and 4 is a bottom material.
Are provided at portions that come into contact with the object to be cleaned. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 6 denotes a signal output line which is led out through the inside of the hollow structure of the bottom member 4. Numeral 7 denotes an elastic body which constitutes the surface of the contact detecting means 5 and is a rubber cover. Reference numerals 8 and 9 denote conductive rubbers, which are formed via spacers 10 and 11;
The pressure applied to the bottom member 4 can be detected in the direction of. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 12 denotes state determination means, 13 denotes control means, 14 denotes program control means, 15
Is a water amount measuring means, 16 is a detergent amount controlling means, and 17 is a nozzle controlling means. 4, reference numeral 18 denotes a dishwasher main body, 19 denotes an operation panel, and 20 to 22 denote notification means.
Reference numeral 0 denotes a speaker serving as a sound generating unit, reference numeral 21 denotes a light generating unit, and reference numeral 22 denotes a display screen serving as a display unit. As shown in FIG. 4, the speaker 20 and the display screen 21 are arranged on the operation panel 22 below the opening of the dishwasher main body 18.
0 and the display screen 22 are captured. The light generating means 21 is a light emitting diode and is attached to the upper end of each side member of the holding member.

Next, the operation and operation will be described.
When the tableware 1 is correctly stored in a stable state, the tableware 1 is held by the first side member 2, the second side member 3 and the bottom member 4,
It is detected by the contact detecting means 5 provided at the contact portion between the tableware 1 and the bottom material 4. When the tableware 1 is held in FIG. 2, the rubber cover 7 of the contact detecting means 5 is deformed when receiving a contact pressure in the direction of arrow B, and the gap formed by the spacers 10 and 11 between the conductive rubbers 8 and 9. The conductive rubbers 8 and 9 come into contact with each other to generate a signal, and a signal is sent through a signal output line 6 led out through the bottom member 4 having a hollow structure. This contact detection signal is sent to the state determination means 12. In FIG. 3, the state determination unit 12 counts the total number of objects to be cleaned detected by the contact detection unit 5 and outputs a signal over the entire holding member. This signal is sent to control means for controlling each of the washing conditions 13 to 17, and changes the washing time, the amount of water, the amount of detergent, and the rotation of the nozzle according to the number of dishes.

In addition, the contact detecting means 5 may be configured to measure the weight of tableware by the state determining means 12 using a detecting means using a piezoelectric element or the like for detecting the weight, or may be held in advance by each detecting means. The relative position of the entire member may be recorded so that the location where the member is stored can be detected when the contact is detected.

For example, when the tableware quantity is determined to be half of the specified quantity, the time for washing and rinsing of the washing conditions is reduced by the time control means 14, the water quantity measuring means 15 is used to reduce the water quantity, and the detergent quantity control is performed. Means 16 reduces the amount of detergent used for cleaning. Further, the nozzle control means 17 controls the rotation so that the nozzle rotates only in the area where the object to be cleaned is detected.

Further, when the tableware 1 is stored in the holding members 2 to 4, if the tableware is dirty or the tableware is difficult to hold, the worker's hand slips and an impact is applied between the bottom member 4 and the tableware 1. May also occur. At this time, since the surface of the contact detecting means 5 is constituted by the rubber cover 6, the contact detecting means 5 serves as a cushioning material, absorbs an impact, and can prevent cracking of tableware. Further, during washing, the shock caused by the movement of the tableware due to the jet pressure of the washing water is absorbed, and the tableware is not cracked.

In FIG. 4, the state determining means 12 outputs signals to the sound generating means 20, the light generating means 21, and the display means 22 as the notifying means, respectively, to notify the worker during the work of storing the washings of the stored state. For example, when the tableware 1 comes into contact with the bottom member 4 of the holding member and is stored, the contact detection means 5 sets the tableware 1
Is detected from the state determination means 12, and a signal is output to the speaker 20 which is a sound generation means of the notification means. Then, a sound is generated from the speaker 20 to notify that the tableware 1 is stored. Workers are given clues that sound is generated according to the storage of the object to be cleaned,
You can know whether it was stored securely. if,
If the tableware 1 is caught in the middle of the first side member 2 or the like of the holding member and is not in contact with the bottom member 4 and is in an uncertain storage state, the contact detection means 5 does not detect the tableware, and the speaker 20 notifies the sound. Since the tableware 1 is not recognizable, it is possible to immediately recognize a mistake in the storage operation and to store the tableware 1 again so as to be securely stored. Further, since the notification is made by sound, the operator does not need to pay attention to any of the holding member and the object to be cleaned, so that other operations can be performed in parallel.

The tableware 1 is stored in a holding member, contacts the bottom member 4 and is detected by the contact detecting means 5, and the state determining means 1 is provided.
When it is determined that the storage is performed by the light emitting device 2, a signal is output to the light emitting diode 21 that is a notification unit. At this time, the contact detection means 5 corresponds to the side member light emitting diode 21 erected on the bottom member 4 provided with the contact detection means 5, respectively.
When the signal is detected by the contact detecting means 5, the corresponding light emitting diode 21 is illuminated in response to the signal determined to be in the housed state by the state judging means 12 to notify the worker during the housed work. The operator can know whether or not the lighting signal has been securely stored as a clue. Further, the location where the next object to be cleaned is stored can be easily identified by using the illuminated location as a mark, and the working efficiency is further improved.

The display means 22 is on the operation panel and displays the entire holding member, and the contact detection means 5 detects the contact of the tableware 1 with the bottom material 4 and assumes that the tableware 1 is securely stored. When the judgment is made by the judgment means 12, the stored holding members are displayed in a color different from the color of the entire holding member in an easily understandable manner. When you perform storage work while monitoring this screen,
In the holding member, a stored place and a non-stored place where it is difficult to visually confirm directly, for example, a part that is difficult to visually confirm along the back of the washing tank or along the wall surface can be monitored, and the storage work efficiency is improved.

[0029]

As described above, in the dishwasher according to any one of the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, since the holding member is provided with the detecting means for detecting the storage of the object to be washed, the object to be washed is held by the holding member. It is possible to determine the state of whether or not the object is reliably held, and to control the washing conditions in accordance with the state such as the number, position, and weight of the object to be washed, so that appropriate washing can be performed.

The provision of the notifying means has the effect that the worker can perform an efficient operation while monitoring the operation state during the storing operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a holding member in a dishwasher according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a contact detection unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a signal processing block diagram according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an overall configuration diagram of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a dishwasher of Conventional Example 1.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a dishwasher of Conventional Example 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 First side member (holding member) 3 Second side member (holding member) 4 Bottom member (holding member) 5 Contact detecting means (detecting means) 7 Rubber cover (elastic body) 12 State determining means 13 Control means 20 Speaker (sound generating means) 21 Light emitting diode (light generating means) 22 Display screen (display means)

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A holding member for accommodating an object to be washed such as tableware, detecting means for detecting the accommodation of the object to be washed in the holding member, and detecting the object to be cleaned based on a signal output from the detecting means. A condition determining means for judging a storage state in the holding member, and a control means for controlling a washing condition in accordance with an output of the condition determining means are provided, and the detecting member is provided in the holding member. Dishwasher. 2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, further comprising detection means for detecting contact of the object to be washed with the holding member. 3. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein at least a surface of the detection means is made of an elastic material. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the state determining means determines at least one of the quantity, position, and weight of the stored tableware based on a signal output from the detecting means.
A dishwasher according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The dishwasher according to claim 1, further comprising a notifying unit for performing a notification according to a storage state based on a signal output from the state determining unit. 6. The dishwasher according to claim 5, wherein the notifying means includes a sound generating means. 7. The dishwasher according to claim 5, wherein the notifying means includes a light generating means. [Item 8] The dishwasher according to items 5 to 7, wherein the notifying means includes a display means.