JP2003174995A - Dish washer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manage, when a user considers that the contamination of the dishes is rather less or not severe and a washing performance can be slightly lowered, to lower a total running cost of electric power fee and others required for the operation by the amount of reduced washing performance, without largely increasing the number of courses, in a dish washer for washing dishes by injecting washing water discharged from a washing pump toward the dishes. <P>SOLUTION: Based on the setting of an input means for setting an operation course, steps for washing, rinsing, and drying are sequentially controlled by a control means. The input means comprises a course setting switch for setting a course for operation selected from among a plurality of operation courses at least having a washing step and a heating and rinsing step and a power saving mode setting switch capable of changing a part of a step for at least one operation course. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dishwasher for washing dishes by spraying wash water discharged from a washing pump onto the dishes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of dishwasher has been constructed as shown in FIGS. The configuration will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning tank 1 has an opening 2 at the front, and the opening 2 is opened and closed by a door 3 and a cleaning nozzle 4 for injecting cleaning water is rotatably provided inside. In addition, a tableware basket 6 for storing the tableware 5 is arranged in the cleaning tank 1. The cleaning tank 1 is supported by an underframe 7.

The washing water in the washing tank 1 is warmed by the heater 8, sucked by the washing pump 9 from the residue filter 11 provided in the drain port 10, pumped to the washing nozzle 4 and ejected toward the tableware 5. Then, the cleaning is performed by circulating. The water supply valve 12 controls the supply of cleaning water to the cleaning tank 1. The drainage pump 13 is the cleaning tank 1
Is provided in the lower part of the cleaning tank 1 and the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 1 is discharged to the outside of the machine.

The water level detecting means 14 detects the water level in the cleaning tank 1. By detecting the water level in the auxiliary tank 15 communicating with the cleaning tank 1, the water level in the cleaning tank 1 reaches a predetermined water level. Detect if there is.

The control device 16 is constructed as shown in FIG. 7, and the control means 17 is constituted by a microcomputer or the like, and the input means 18 for setting a driving course or the like is used according to the course set by the user. The operation of the heater 8, the cleaning pump 9, the water supply valve 12, the drainage pump 13, the blower fan 20 and the like is controlled via the load control means 19 to sequentially control a series of steps of cleaning, rinsing and drying. There is.

Here, the control means 17 detects the temperature of the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 1 by the thermistor 21 which is in close contact with the lower surface of the cleaning tank 1, and when the cleaning water temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, the cleaning process is terminated. Reference numeral 22 is a power supply circuit for supplying a DC voltage to the control means 17, and 23 is a display means for performing a display operation.

[0008]

In such a conventional dishwasher, the operation course which can be set by the input means 18 ensures a predetermined washing performance according to the strength of the dirt adhering to the dishes 5. At the same time, the temperature and the operating time of the washing water in the washing process and the heating and rinsing process are set so that the operating time can be shortened to the extent that most users can be satisfied.

However, the stain strength varies widely, and even if the stain strength is equivalent to that of the standard course, if the amount of stain is small, the electricity bill is unnecessarily high. I needed a running cost. If you set the cleaning performance finely according to the strength of dirt, the number of courses will increase as the number of cleaning performance stages increases, and it will be difficult for the user to select a course. Therefore, the cleaning performance can only be set to about 3 levels. could not.

There is also a demand for lowering the running cost because the operating time may be long when the user performs a washing operation while he is out.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. The user judges that the dishes to be washed have relatively little or little dirt, and the washing performance is slightly lowered, and the operation is carried out by the amount of the lowered washing performance. If you want to reduce the total running cost such as the electricity bill required, the purpose is to be able to cope without significantly increasing the number of courses.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention sequentially controls the steps such as cleaning, rinsing and drying by the control means based on the setting of the input means for setting the driving course and the like. The input means configures a part of the stroke for at least one driving course and a first setting means for setting a driving course among a plurality of driving courses having at least a cleaning step and a heating rinsing step. And a changeable second setting means.

As a result, the user determines that the dishes to be washed have relatively little or no stain, and the washing performance is slightly reduced, and the total running cost such as the electricity bill required for the operation is reduced by the amount of the lowered washing performance. If you want to do so, you can deal with it without significantly increasing the number of courses, and you can improve usability.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is an input means for setting a driving course and the like, and a control for sequentially controlling strokes such as cleaning, rinsing and drying based on the setting of the input means. Means, the input means includes a first setting means for setting a course to be driven among a plurality of driving courses having at least a cleaning step and a heating and rinsing step,
It has a second setting means capable of changing a part of the stroke with respect to at least one driving course, and the user judges that the dishes to be washed have relatively little or little dirt, and the washing performance. If it is desired to reduce the total running cost such as the electricity bill required for the operation by the amount that the cleaning performance is lowered, the setting is made by the first setting means in addition to the setting by the first setting means. Since a part of the stroke can be changed for each of the driving courses by the second setting means, the cleaning performance can be finely set, and the driving course can be set so that the cleaning can be performed at the optimum running cost. Although the number of driving courses remains, for example, three stages, it is possible to meet the user's demand for slightly lowering the cleaning performance to lower the running cost, so that the usability can be improved.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the invention according to the first aspect, at least one wash water set temperature for the washing process and the heating and rinsing process is switched by the second setting means before the operation course. It is possible to set the temperature lower than the set temperature, and it is possible to finely set the cleaning performance by slightly lowering the cleaning performance to lower the running cost and meet the user's request. Generally, the heater accounts for about 90% of the power consumption of the dishwasher.
Therefore, by lowering the set temperature, the energization time of the heater can be shortened, the power consumption can be easily reduced, and the running cost can be easily reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the second aspect, at least one operating time of the cleaning process and the heating and rinsing process is operated by the second setting means in an operating course before switching. The cleaning performance can be set longer than the time, and the cleaning performance can be improved by the reduction of the set temperature of at least one cleaning water in the cleaning process and the heating and rinsing process. You can easily make fine adjustments to the performance. Generally, the washing performance of a dishwasher is determined by the temperature of washing water, the washing time, the mechanical force of jetting washing water, the washing power of detergent, and the like. Among these, the temperature of the washing water is determined to be an optimum predetermined temperature based on the melting temperature of the oils and the activity of the enzyme in the detergent. When the temperature falls below the predetermined temperature, the washing power sharply decreases. If the temperature of the washing water in the washing process or the heating and rinsing process is lowered to reduce the running cost, the washing power may drop significantly.To increase the required washing performance, adjust the washing time by extending it. Is the easiest.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the controller 2
4 is provided with an input means 25 for setting a driving course and the like, and a control means 26 constituted by a microcomputer or the like for sequentially controlling the steps such as cleaning, rinsing and drying based on the setting of the input means 25.

As shown in FIG. 3, the input means 25 includes a power switch 27, a start switch 28, and a course setting switch (first setting means) for setting a driving course suitable for the degree of dirt of the dishes 5. ) 29 and a drying time setting switch 30 for selecting the drying time after the heating and rinsing process as required. Further, since there is relatively little dirt, a power saving mode setting switch (second setting means) 31 which is set when cleaning is desired at a low running cost is provided.

The operation course can be set by carefully selecting a careful course, a standard course, and a speedy course according to the degree of contamination of the tableware 5 to be washed according to the user's judgment. When a few hours have passed, it is judged that the dirt is strong and a careful course is set.When cleaning immediately after a meal, the dirt is standard and the standard course is set. When it is done, it is judged that the dirt is light so that the speedy course can be set. The driving course set by the user is displayed by turning on the course display unit 32, and is displayed by turning on the power saving mode display unit 33 when the power saving mode is set.

Here, as shown in (Table 1), the control means 26 controls the process in the order of the cleaning process, the rinsing process, and the heating rinsing process, and the normal mode and the power saving mode which are not set by the power saving mode setting switch 31. In the power saving mode set by the setting switch 31, the end temperature is slightly lowered and the operation time is extended.

[0022]

[Table 1]

The operation of the above configuration will be described. The user sets the tableware 5 in the tableware basket 6, puts a predetermined amount of detergent, closes the door 3, turns on the power switch 27, and sets a course of operation suitable for the amount of tableware or the dirt of the tableware 5 The drying time after the heat rinsing process is set by the switch 29 and the drying time setting switch 30 is set as necessary. Here, since the dishes 5 are less dirty than usual, if the user wants to wash at a low running cost, the power saving mode is set by the power saving mode setting switch 31.

In this state, the start switch 28 is pushed to start the operation. FIG. 4 shows the operation of the washing process and the heat rinsing process in each course, and FIG. 5 shows the operation of the rinsing process.

In the cleaning process, when the operation is started in step 30 of FIG. 4, the water supply valve 12 is opened to supply water up to a predetermined water level in step 31, and the cleaning pump 9 is continuously operated in step 32 to operate the cleaning nozzle 4 The cleaning water is sprayed toward the tableware 5 and the heater 8 is continuously energized to heat the cleaning water. When the temperature of the washing water reaches or exceeds the predetermined temperature in step 33, the heater 8 is turned off in step 34.

When the operating time exceeds the predetermined time in step 35, the process proceeds to step 36, the drainage pump 13 is turned on to drain the water, and the process proceeds to the next step in step 37.

In the rinsing process after the cleaning process, when the operation is started in step 40 of FIG. 5, the water supply valve 12 is opened in step 41 to supply water up to a predetermined water level, and in step 42 the cleaning pump 9 is operated for a predetermined time. Drive, then step 4
At 3, the drainage pump 13 is turned on to drain the water. Step 4
When the rinsing number is repeated a predetermined number of times in 4, the process proceeds to the next step in step 45.

Thereafter, a heating and rinsing step that operates in the same manner as the cleaning step shown in FIG. 4 is performed, and the operation is completed after the drying step.

Here, when the power saving mode is set by the power saving mode setting switch 31, as shown in (Table 1), the cleaning water in the cleaning process and the heating rinsing process ends at a temperature slightly lower than that in the normal mode. To do. However, the minimum operating time has been extended and fine adjustments have been made to achieve the required cleaning performance. As a result, the set cleaning performance is shown in (Table 2). Here, the cleaning performance of the standard course is set to 100 in the normal mode, and the cleaning performance of each course is compared.

[0030]

[Table 2]

As shown in (Table 2), the number of driving courses remains three, but there are six types of cleaning performance, so that various kinds of stains on the tableware 5 to be washed by the user can be obtained. , It is possible to realize a dishwasher that is more detailed and easier to use.

In this embodiment, it is possible to set either the normal mode or the power saving mode for each of the elaborate course, standard course and speedy course. There is no problem even if the power saving mode is not set for the course where the cleaning performance is set significantly lower, the running time is significantly shorter, and the running cost is low.

[0033]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, the input means for setting the driving course and the like,
And a control means for sequentially controlling the steps such as cleaning, rinsing, and drying based on the setting of the input means, wherein the input means is a course to be operated among a plurality of operation courses having at least a cleaning step and a heating and rinsing step. The number of driving courses that can be set by the first setting means is changed by the first setting means for setting the driving speed and the second setting means that can change a part of the stroke for at least one driving course. You can leave the setting as it is, you can set the cleaning performance in fine steps, and you can wash at the optimum running cost,
The usability can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the second setting means sets at least one wash water set temperature for the washing process and the heating and rinsing process to be lower than the set temperature in the operation course before the switching. Second, because it was possible
With the setting means, it is possible to easily realize operation with low running cost in the power saving mode in which a part of the stroke is changed and set.

According to the invention of claim 3, the second setting means makes it possible to set at least one operating time of the cleaning process and the heating and rinsing process longer than the operating time in the operating course before the switching. Therefore, in the power saving mode in which a part of the stroke is changed and set by the second setting means, it is possible to improve the cleaning performance that is reduced by the decrease in the set temperature, and the predetermined cleaning performance required by the cleaning performance in the power saving mode. Can be easily fine-tuned.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] Vertical sectional view of the dishwasher

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the operation unit of the dishwasher.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of a washing process and a heating rinsing process of the dishwasher.

FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of a rinsing process of the dishwasher.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional dishwasher

FIG. 7: Block circuit diagram of a conventional dishwasher

[Explanation of symbols]

25 Input means 26 Control means 29 Course setting switch (first setting means) 31 Power saving mode setting switch (second setting means)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yu Taniguchi             1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric             Sangyo Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3B082 BD01 DA02 DB01 DC01 DC04                       DC05

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Input means for setting a driving course and the like,
And a control means for sequentially controlling the steps such as cleaning, rinsing, and drying based on the setting of the input means, wherein the input means is a course to be operated among a plurality of operation courses having at least a cleaning step and a heating and rinsing step. A dishwasher comprising: a first setting means for setting and a second setting means capable of changing part of the stroke for at least one driving course. 2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the second setting means can set at least one set temperature of the wash water for the washing process and the heating and rinsing process to be lower than the set temperature in the operation course before the switching. 3. The dishwasher according to claim 2, wherein the second setting means makes it possible to set at least one operation time of the cleaning process and the heating and rinsing process longer than the operation time in the operation course before the switching.