JP2007014559A - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dishwasher capable of reducing the energy consumed without lowering a rinsing performance. <P>SOLUTION: In mid-course of "a heating rinse" stroke, part of water stored in the bottom of a washing tank 10 is drained. The volume of the water in the washing tank 10 decreases so that the water temperature in the washing tank 10 can be quickly increased by a heater. Such constitution enables shortening of the driving time of the heater so as to reduce the energy consumed. Before executing a partial drainage, a sufficient amount of water is stored in the bottom of the washing tank 10 for executing an operation capable of securing a prescribed rinsing performance. Thus, the dishwasher enables lowering of the energy consumption without lowering the rinsing performance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dishwasher for washing dishes (including chopsticks and cooking utensils).

In a domestic dishwasher, a series of steps including a washing process of washing dishes with water containing detergent, a rinsing process of rinsing dishes with water without detergent, and a drying process of drying wet dishes after the rinsing process are performed. Is called.
More specifically, in the washing process, water containing a detergent is stored at the bottom of the washing tank containing the dishes, and the water containing the detergent is sent to the nozzle by a pump connected to the bottom of the washing tank. By spraying from the nozzle toward the tableware, the dirt adhering to the tableware is washed away. After this washing process, water containing the detergent in the washing tank is drained, and new water (tap water) is stored at the bottom of the washing tank. Then, the rinsing process is started, and the new water is sprayed from the nozzle, so that the remaining dirt together with the detergent adhering to the tableware is washed away. The rinsing process is performed a plurality of times, and the water in the cleaning tank is replaced with new water by draining and supplying water each time. In the drying process, the heater disposed at the bottom of the cleaning tank is driven, and air is sent into the cleaning tank, so that wet tableware after the rinsing process is dried by warm air.

In general, the final round of the rinsing process is a heating rinsing process in which dishes are rinsed with high-temperature (for example, 70 ° C.) water in order to improve the drying performance in the subsequent drying process. The high-temperature water used in this heating rinsing process is created by heating the water stored at the bottom of the washing tank with a heater. At this time, if the amount of water is large, the energization time to the heater becomes long, and the power consumption of the dishwasher increases. For this reason, it has been proposed to reduce the amount of power consumption by making the amount of water in the heating rinsing process smaller than the amount of water in the rinsing process other than the heating rinsing process (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-121863

However, if the amount of water stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank is reduced, there is a risk of pumping air. In order to avoid the occurrence of the air biting of the pump, the capacity of the pump may be lowered. However, when the capacity of the pump is lowered, the momentum of the water injected from the nozzle becomes weak, so that the rinsing performance is lowered.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher capable of reducing the amount of energy consumption without deteriorating rinsing performance.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is the dishwasher (1), in which a space for storing dishes is provided inside, and water for washing the dishes is stored at the bottom. (10), nozzles (17, 20, 21) for injecting water into the tableware stored in the washing tank, and heating means (118) for heating water stored in the bottom of the washing tank ), A pump (22) for pumping the water stored in the bottom of the washing tank and sending the water to the nozzle, a drain means (22) for draining the water from the washing tank, The water stored in the bottom of the washing tank is controlled in the middle of the heating and rinsing process in which the water heated by the heating means is sprayed from the nozzle and the tableware is rinsed with the heated water. Drain part of It is characterized in that it comprises a part discharge control means (114).

In addition, the alphanumeric characters in parentheses represent corresponding components in the embodiments described later. The same applies hereinafter.
According to this configuration, part of the water stored in the bottom of the washing tank is drained during the heating and rinsing process of rinsing the tableware with heated water. As a result, the amount of water in the cleaning tank is reduced, so that the temperature of the water in the cleaning tank can be rapidly raised. Therefore, the heating time by the heating means can be shortened, and the amount of energy consumption can be reduced. In addition, before the partial drainage is performed, a sufficient amount of water that does not cause the pump to bite can be stored at the bottom of the cleaning tank, and an operation capable of ensuring a predetermined rinsing performance can be performed. Therefore, the amount of energy consumption can be reduced without reducing the rinsing performance.

The invention according to claim 2 is the dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the average water supply capacity of the pump after execution of partial drainage by the drainage means is the average water supply capacity of the pump before execution of partial drainage. It is further characterized by further including a pump control means (114) for lowering the pressure.
According to this configuration, after the partial drainage is performed, the average water supply capacity of the pump (the time average value of the pump's water supply amount) is lowered as compared with that before the partial drainage is performed. As a result, the water is jetted from the nozzle vigorously by driving the pump with a relatively large average water supply capacity before partial drainage is performed, so that the detergent and dirt remaining on the tableware are improved. Can be washed away. On the other hand, after the partial drainage is performed, the pump is driven with a relatively small average water supply capacity, so that even if the amount of water in the cleaning tank is small, there is no possibility that the air will be bitten by the pump.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the dishwasher according to the second aspect, the pump control means continuously drives the pump before the partial drainage by the drainage means, and the partial drainage by the drainage means. Thereafter, the pump is intermittently driven.
In the case of this configuration, after the partial drainage is executed, the pump drive mode is changed from the continuous drive to the intermittent drive, so that the average water supply capacity of the pump is lowered than before the partial drainage is executed.

  The invention described in claim 4 is the dishwasher according to claim 2, further comprising voltage adjusting means (119) for adjusting a supply voltage to the pump, wherein the pump control means controls the voltage adjusting means. Then, the supply voltage to the pump after the partial drainage is performed by the drainage means is made lower than the supply voltage to the pump before the partial drainage is performed.

In the case of this configuration, after the partial drainage is performed, the supply voltage to the pump is lowered, so that the average water supply capacity of the pump is lowered than before the partial drainage is performed.
The invention according to claim 5 is the dishwasher according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising temperature detecting means (116) for detecting the temperature of water stored in the bottom of the washing tank. The partial drainage control means starts partial drainage by the drainage means in response to the temperature detected by the temperature detection means reaching a predetermined temperature.

  According to this configuration, when the water temperature in the cleaning tank reaches a predetermined temperature, part of the water in the cleaning tank is drained. Thereby, the water temperature in the washing tank can be reliably raised to a predetermined temperature during an operation (continuous driving of the pump) that can ensure a predetermined rinsing performance that is performed before partial drainage is performed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent a decrease in rinsing performance, and it is possible to better wash away the detergent and dirt remaining on the tableware.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the dishwasher according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the pump uses a pump motor (23) as a drive source, and the pump tank is rotated in one direction, thereby the washing tank. The draining means is a washing and draining pump that sends water stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank to drain the water stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank by rotating the pump motor in a direction opposite to the one direction. It is also characterized by serving.

  According to this configuration, since the pump for sending the water stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank to the nozzle also serves as a drainage means, the number of parts of the device can be reduced, and the configuration of the device can be simplified. .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1A and 1B are perspective views of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the dishwasher.
The dishwasher 1 is for home use installed next to a sink of a sink, and includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 2 having a depth dimension smaller than a width dimension.

An upper door 3 and a lower door 4 configured to be divided into upper and lower parts are attached to the front surface of the housing 2.
The upper door 3 is provided to be openable and closable in a state where it is lifted above the upper surface of the housing 2 (state shown in FIG. 1B) and a state along the front surface of the housing 2 (state shown in FIG. 1A). . The upper door 3 is formed with a substantially rectangular exhaust port 5 that is long in the width direction (left-right direction). During the cleaning operation for cleaning the tableware and the drying operation for drying the tableware after the cleaning, the steam generated in the housing 2 is discharged from the exhaust port 5. The upper door 3 is formed with two internal windows 6 below the exhaust port 5 and spaced apart from each other in the width direction. Thereby, the inside of the housing | casing 2 can be seen from each endoscopic window 6 in the state which the upper door 3 was closed.

  The lower door 4 is provided so as to be openable and closable in a state where it lies on the near side with respect to the front of the housing 2 (state shown in FIG. 1B) and a state along the front of the housing 2 (state shown in FIG. 1A). It has been. At the upper end portion of the lower door 4, a handle 7 having a substantially U-shape in plan view is provided at the center in the left-right direction. The handle 7 is operated when the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 are opened. From the state in which the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 are closed, the handle 7 is gripped and lightly pushed down and pulled forward to open the lower door 4 in a state of lying down on the front side with respect to the front of the housing 2. be able to. On the other hand, when the lower door 4 is opened, the lower door 4 can be closed in a state along the front of the housing 2 by grasping the handle 7 and pushing it upward. In addition, the lower door 4 is provided with, for example, an LED display unit 8 for displaying the degree of tableware contamination.

In the description of this embodiment, the closed state of the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 is used as an upper and lower reference.
The upper door 3 and the lower door 4 are connected to each other by an interlocking mechanism (not shown), and the upper door 3 is automatically opened and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing of the lower door 4. That is, when the lower door 4 is opened, the upper door 3 is automatically opened accordingly, and when the lower door 4 is closed, the upper door 3 is automatically closed accordingly. Then, by opening the upper door 3 and the lower door 4, an area of about 3/4 in front of the housing 2 is opened, and tableware can be taken in and out of the housing 2 from the opened region. . Further, when the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 are closed, the lower end portion of the upper door 3 and the upper end portion of the lower door 4 are engaged, and the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 make the front of the housing 2 watertight. Closed. A locking hole 200 for locking a locking piece 371 of a latch mechanism 37 to be described later is formed near the center in the vertical direction at the front ends of both side plates of the housing 2. When the locking piece 371 is locked, the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 are held in a closed state.

Further, on the front surface of the housing 2, an operation panel unit 9 that is operated to instruct various settings and start of operation is disposed at a lower end portion below the lower door 4.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dishwasher 1 (a view of a cross-section taken along the vertical plane as viewed from the right).
Inside the housing 2, there is provided a cleaning tank 10 that provides a storage space for storing a dedicated tableware basket (not shown).

  An opening 11 that is opened and closed by the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 is formed on the front surface facing the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 of the cleaning tank 10. And with the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 opened, the tableware basket can be taken in and out of the washing tank 10 through the opening 11. The tableware basket is configured, for example, in two upper and lower stages, and in the lower stage, dishes and teacups are arranged and accommodated, and in the upper stage, cups and the like are arranged and accommodated.

Water is supplied into the cleaning tank 10 from a water supply facility such as a water supply (not shown). The water supplied into the cleaning tank 10 is stored at the bottom of the cleaning tank 10.
On the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 10, a water collecting portion 12 is formed so as to be recessed one step lower than its surroundings. A mesh-like leftover filter 13 is detachably disposed on the upper edge of the water collecting section 12. The leftovers washed away from the dishes at the time of washing are captured by the leftovers filter 13 and are prevented from flowing into the water collecting section 12. A handle 14 extending upward is formed at the center of the front end of the leftover filter 13, and it is possible to easily attach and detach the leftover filter 13 to the upper edge of the water collecting portion 12 by gripping this handle 14. it can.

  At the bottom of the cleaning tank 10, a hollow nozzle base 15 is disposed behind the water collection unit 12. A rotary nozzle body 16 is provided on the upper surface of the nozzle base 15. The rotary nozzle body 16 is formed in, for example, a hollow shape having an elliptical planar shape, and is supported so as to be rotatable around an axis substantially perpendicular to the central portion in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of nozzles 17 for ejecting water are formed on the upper surface of the rotary nozzle body 16. When water is ejected from these nozzles 17, the rotating nozzle body 16 rotates while ejecting water from the nozzles 17 due to the reaction force of the ejection. Thereby, water can be spread over a wide range in the cleaning tank 10.

Further, one end of the water supply pipe 18 is connected to the rear end portion of the upper surface of the nozzle base 15. The water supply pipe 18 extends along the side surface (rear surface) of the cleaning tank 10, and the other end is connected to a fixed nozzle body 19 fixed to the side surface of the cleaning tank 10. A plurality of nozzles 20 for ejecting water are formed in the fixed nozzle body 19.
Further, a top surface nozzle 21 for ejecting water downward is disposed on the top surface of the cleaning tank 10.

  A washing and draining pump 22 for circulating the water in the washing tank 10 and draining the water in the washing tank 10 is disposed below the washing tank 10 below the washing tank 10. ing. The washing and drainage pump 22 is internally divided into a washing pump chamber and a drainage pump chamber. The washing impeller and the drainage pump chamber are respectively fixed to the output shaft of the pump motor 23 and the drainage pump chamber. It has an impeller.

A suction port 24, a main discharge port 25, and a sub discharge port 26 are formed in the cleaning pump chamber. The suction port 24 communicates with a circulation port 28 formed on the rear wall of the water collection unit 12 via a connection pipe 27. The main discharge port 25 communicates with the inside of the nozzle base 15. Further, a water supply pipe 29 extending toward the top nozzle 21 is connected to the sub discharge port 26.
When the pump motor 23 is rotated forward, the water in the water collecting section 12 is sucked out from the circulation port 28 by the rotation of the cleaning impeller in the cleaning pump chamber, and the cleaning pump is connected via the connection pipe 27 and the suction port 24. It is sucked into the room. Then, the water sucked into the cleaning pump chamber is sent out from the main discharge port 25 and the sub discharge port 26 to the nozzle base 15 and the water supply pipe 29, respectively. The water fed into the nozzle base 15 is pumped to the rotary nozzle body 16 through the nozzle base 15 and ejected from the nozzles 17 disposed on the rotary nozzle body 16. Further, a part of the water flowing into the nozzle base 15 is pumped to the fixed nozzle body 19 through the water supply pipe 18 and ejected from each nozzle 20 disposed in the fixed nozzle body 19. On the other hand, the water sent out from the sub discharge port 26 to the water supply pipe 29 is pumped to the top surface nozzle 21 and ejected downward from the top surface nozzle 21.

  The water ejected from the nozzles 17, 20, and 21 is vigorously sprayed to the dishes arranged in the tableware basket, and thereby the dirt adhering to the tableware is removed cleanly. And the water sprayed on the tableware is again stored in the bottom part of the washing tank 10, and is sucked out from the circulation port 28 of the water collecting part 12 by the action of the washing and draining pump 22, and the rotating nozzle body 16 and the fixed nozzle body. 19 and the top nozzle 21, and are ejected from the nozzles 17, 20, and 21. In this way, the water stored in the bottom of the washing tank 10 is repeatedly used for washing (washing and rinsing) the dishes.

  The drainage pump chamber of the cleaning / drainage pump 22 communicates with the cleaning pump chamber and also communicates with a drainage hose (not shown) extending outside the machine. When the pump motor 23 is reversed, the water in the water collecting section 12 is sucked out from the circulation port 28 by the rotation of the drain impeller in the drain pump chamber, and passes through the connection pipe 27, the suction port 24, and the washing pump chamber. And sucked into the drainage pump chamber. Then, the water sucked into the drain pump chamber is sent out to the drain hose and drained through the drain hose.

  When the pump motor 23 rotates in the reverse direction, the cleaning impeller also rotates. The rotation of the cleaning impeller is a rotation opposite to the rotation direction during the forward rotation of the pump motor 23, and the water flowing into the cleaning pump chamber. Is not positively sent out from the main discharge port 25 and the sub discharge port 26. Therefore, water does not spout out from each nozzle 17, 20, 21 at the time of drainage.

  Further, in the middle of the water supply pipe 29, a dirt detection unit 30 for detecting the degree of dirt of the tableware stored in the cleaning tank 10 is interposed. The dirt detection unit 30 includes a dirt sensor including a pair of light emitting elements 31 and light receiving elements 32. The pair of light emitting element 31 and light receiving element 32 face each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of water flow in the water supply pipe 29, and light from the light emitting element 31 transmits the water flowing through the water supply pipe 29 and passes through the light receiving element 32. It is arranged so as to receive light.

4 is a front view of the lower door 4, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lower door 4 taken along a cutting line AA shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the lower door 4.
The lower door 4 is disposed outside the inner component member 33 and the inner component member 33 arranged on the innermost side in a state where the lower door 4 is closed, and forms a space between the inner component member 33. The middle component member 34 to be fitted together and the exterior plate 35 to be mounted on the surface (outer surface) of the middle component member 34 are provided.

The inner component member 33 is integrally formed using, for example, a PP (polypropylene) resin material. The inner component member 33 is formed with latch mechanism arrangement portions 36 at the upper edge and both side edges thereof, and the latch mechanism arrangement portion 36 holds the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 in a closed state. A latch mechanism 37 is arranged.
The latch mechanism 37 includes an operation unit 38 to which the handle 7 is coupled. The operation portion 38 includes a substantially U-shaped main body portion 39 opened upward, a projecting portion 40 projecting forward from both upper end portions of the main body portion 39 and facing each other in the width direction, and both the main body portion 39. It has integrally with the rotating shaft 41 which protrudes in the width direction inner side from an upper end part. The operation unit 38 is attached to the latch mechanism arrangement unit 36 when the rotation shaft 41 is rotatably received in the bearing hole 42 formed in the latch mechanism arrangement unit 36. Further, both ends of the handle 7 are inserted from the outside of the exterior plate 35 into insertion holes 47 and 44 described later, and the protrusions 40 of the operation unit 38 are inserted into the respective ends, thereby operating the handle 7. Coupling to part 38 is achieved.

  The latch mechanism 37 is further provided coaxially with the locking piece 371 (refer to FIGS. 1B and 13) locked to the locking hole 200 of the housing 2 and the rotation shaft 41 of the operation unit 38. A link rotation shaft 372 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) that rotates by the operation of is provided. The locking piece 371 moves up and down as the link rotation shaft 372 rotates, and is engaged with and disengaged from the locking hole 200.

  When the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 are closed, the upper end edge of the inner component member 33 comes into contact with the lower end portion of the upper door 3 from the outside, and the locking piece 371 of the latch mechanism 37 is the locking hole 200 of the housing 2. When the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 are closed, the closed state is held (latched). Further, when the handle 7 is lightly pushed down and the operation portion 38 is slightly rotated with the rotation shaft 41 as a fulcrum, the link rotation shaft 372 is rotated, and accordingly, the locking piece 371 is locked to the locking hole 200. , The latching of the locking piece 371 with respect to the locking hole 200 is released, and the latching of the upper door 3 and the lower door 4 in the closed state is released.

  Further, the inner component member 33 is a position that is offset to one side in the width direction in the central portion surrounded by the latch mechanism arrangement portion 36, and is a position to which water sprayed from the nozzle 17 or the like is applied in the cleaning tank 10. Furthermore, a detergent charging device 43 for charging the detergent into the cleaning tank 10 is arranged. In other words, the detergent charging device 43 is disposed in the lower door 4 at a position avoiding the operation portion 38 of the latch mechanism 37, the locking piece 371, and the link rotation shaft 372.

  The middle structural member 34 is integrally formed using, for example, an ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin material. An insertion hole 44 through which both ends of the handle 7 are inserted with play is formed through the upper end of the middle component 34. Further, the middle component member 34 is formed with a substantially rectangular LED unit arrangement hole 45 extending in the vertical direction below the insertion hole 44 and at the center in the width direction. The LED unit 46 is arranged in the LED unit arrangement hole 45.

The exterior plate 35 is integrally formed using, for example, a transparent AS (acrylonitrile styrene) resin material. The outer plate 35 is formed with through holes 47 through which both ends of the handle 7 are inserted with play at positions facing the respective through holes 44 of the middle component member 34.
In addition, a colored coating is applied to the entire back surface of the exterior plate 35 (a surface facing the middle component member 34) except for a rectangular region facing the LED unit arrangement hole 45 of the middle component member 34. Thus, an LED display window 48 that faces the LED unit arrangement hole 45 is formed in the exterior plate 35. Then, by sticking the sticker 49 to the LED display window 48 from the outside, the LED display portion 8 is formed on the outer surface of the exterior plate 35. The sticker 49 is formed in a shape corresponding to the LED display window 48, and has a rectangular transparent portion 50 extending in the vertical direction at the center thereof.

Further, a square annular contact rib 51 is formed on the back surface of the exterior plate 35 so as to surround the periphery of the LED display window 48.
FIG. 7 is a front view of the LED unit 46. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the LED unit 46. FIG. 9 is a plan view (viewed from above) of the LED unit 46. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the LED unit 46 taken along a cutting line BB shown in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the LED unit 46 taken along a cutting line CC shown in FIG.

The LED unit 46 includes a two-color LED 52 in which two LEDs, a red light emitting LED and a green light emitting LED, are integrally molded, a light guide member 53 through which light from the LED 52 propagates, and a light guide member 53. The light guide member case 54 for housing the light guide and the packing 55 attached to the light guide member case 54 are provided.
The light guide member 53 is formed using, for example, a transparent PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) resin material. The light guide member 53 is formed in a rectangular shape extending in the vertical direction when viewed from the front. Further, in a side sectional view, an approximately upper half portion is formed in a rectangular shape, and a lower half portion is formed in a tapered shape that becomes narrower downward, and an inclined rear surface 56 that is inclined so as to approach the front as it goes downward. have. The inclined back surface 56 is formed with a large number of fine grooves having a triangular cross section extending in the width direction, whereby a large number of reflecting surfaces 58 are opposed to the upper surface 57 of the light guide member 53 at a predetermined angle. Is formed. The light guide member 53 is integrally formed with a fixing portion 59 extending rearward from the lower end edge of the inclined back surface 56. The light guide member 53 is fixed to the light guide member case 54 when the fixing screw 60 is screwed into the light guide member case 54 via the fixing portion 59 while being accommodated in the light guide member case 54. Is done.

  The light guide member case 54 is formed using, for example, a white ABS resin material. The light guide member case 54 includes a back surface portion 61 that faces the back surface of the light guide member 53, a peripheral wall 62 that extends forward from the periphery of the back surface portion 61 and surrounds the periphery of the light guide member 53, and the peripheral wall 62. A plurality of case fixing portions 63 formed so as to protrude laterally from the rear end edge are integrally provided. Further, a rectangular annular packing fitting groove 64 is formed inside the peripheral wall 62 along the peripheral wall 62, and the packing 55 is disposed in a fitted state in the packing fitting groove 64.

  An incident hole 65 for allowing light from the LED 52 to enter the light guide member 53 is formed through the upper surface of the peripheral wall 62. In association with the incident hole 65, an LED housing portion 66 for housing the LED 52 is formed integrally with the peripheral wall 62. More specifically, the LED housing portion 66 includes a side wall 67 projecting upward from the periphery of the incident hole 65, and the LED 52 can be housed in a space surrounded by the side wall 67. . The LED 52 accommodated in the LED accommodating portion 66 is covered with an LED cover 68, and the LED cover 68 covers a portion exposed from the LED accommodating portion 66 of the LED 52, and the LED 52 is attached to the LED accommodating portion 66. It is fixed against. Further, the space between the LED housing portion 66 and the LED cover 68 is sealed by injecting a resin material 69 as shown in FIG.

  A screw through hole 631 through which a fixing screw (not shown) is inserted is formed in the case fixing portion 63, and the light guide member case 54 is formed by the fixing screw inserted through each screw through hole 631. Is fixed to the central portion in the width direction of the inner component member 33. As shown in FIG. 5, the light guide member case 54 is disposed in the LED unit with the inner component member 33 and the middle component member 34 fitted together and the exterior plate 35 is mounted on the surface of the middle component member 34. The light guide member 53 is fitted into the hole 45 and faces the LED display window 48 of the exterior plate 35. Further, the packing 55 fitted in the packing fitting groove 64 of the light guide member case 54 comes into contact with the contact rib 51 on the back surface of the exterior plate 35, and the contact rib 51 faces the packing fitting groove 64. Pressed. Thus, the space between the exterior plate 35 and the light guide member case 54 is sealed by the packing 55, and moisture and the like are prevented from entering between them. Therefore, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering between the transparent LED display window 48 and the light guide member 53 and attaching water droplets or the like to the inner surface of the LED display window 48, and the appearance of the lower door 4 is deteriorated. Can be prevented.

  The light from the LED 52 accommodated in the LED accommodating portion 66 passes through the incident hole 65, enters the upper surface 57 of the light guide member 53, and propagates the light guide member 53 downward. The light propagating through the light guide member 53 reaches the inclined back surface 56, is reflected by a number of reflecting surfaces 58 formed on the inclined back surface 56, and its optical path is folded back toward the LED display window 48. Then, the light passes through the LED display window 48 and is emitted obliquely upward from the transparent portion 50 of the sticker 49.

12 and 13 are views showing the surface (inner surface of the lower door 4) facing the cleaning tank 10 of the internal component member 33. FIG. FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are views showing the facing surface of the inner component member 33 to the middle component member 34.
As described above, the inner component member 33 is provided with the detergent feeding device 43 for feeding the detergent into the cleaning tank 10 at a position offset to one side in the width direction. The detergent charging device 43 has, on the surface facing the cleaning tank 10 of the internal component member 33, a detergent container 70 for storing the detergent charged into the cleaning tank 10, and an open position for opening the detergent container 70. And a detergent lid 71 that is opened and closed to a closed position that covers and closes the detergent container 70.

12 shows a state in which the detergent lid 71 is arranged at the closed position, and the detergent container 70 is closed by the detergent lid 71. In FIG. 13, the detergent lid 71 is arranged at the open position, The state where the detergent container 70 is opened is shown.
The detergent container 70 is formed in a substantially fan shape in a front view and recessed in the direction of the exterior plate 35, and is divided into a dedicated detergent container 72 for housing a dedicated detergent for the dishwasher and the dedicated detergent container 72. And a kitchen detergent containing portion 73 for receiving dishwashing kitchen detergent. The kitchen detergent container 73 is sized to accommodate the amount of kitchen detergent used for one wash, and the dedicated detergent container 72 accommodates the dedicated detergent in the kitchen detergent container 73 and its surroundings. It is a size that is the amount used for one washing.

  The detergent lid 71 has a size larger than that of the dedicated detergent container 72 and is formed in a substantially sector shape with a central angle smaller than 90 degrees. The detergent lid 71 is arranged orthogonally to the surface of the internal component member 33 facing the cleaning tank 10, is rotatably attached to a rotation shaft 74 that penetrates the internal component member 33, and covers the detergent container 70. From the closed position to be closed, the rotating shaft 74 is pivoted in a direction away from the central portion in the width direction of the internal component member 33 and is displaced to the open position to open the detergent container 70. That is, the closed position of the detergent lid 71 is set closer to the center in the width direction than the opened position of the detergent lid 71. Thereby, in a state where the detergent lid 71 is opened, the detergent container 70 is positioned closer to the center in the width direction than the detergent lid 71, so that the dishwasher 1 is placed on either the right side or the left side of the sink of the sink. Even if it is, the hand can easily reach the detergent container 70, and the detergent can be easily put into the detergent container 70.

  In addition, the rotation angle when the detergent lid 71 is displaced between the open position and the closed position is set to be smaller than 90 degrees, whereby the detergent lid 71 has a vertical width of the detergent lid 71. Are opened and closed in an open position and a closed position in a region substantially equal to the turning radius (the length between the turning shaft 74 and the portion farthest from the turning shaft 74 of the detergent lid 71). Therefore, even if the width of the lower door 4 in the vertical direction is narrow, the detergent charging device 43 can be arranged on the lower door 4 without interfering with the latch mechanism 37 or the like.

  The detergent charging device 43 further resists the biasing spring 75 that biases the detergent lid 71 toward the open position on the surface facing the middle component 34 of the inner component 33, and the biasing force of the biasing spring 75. A lid closing holding mechanism 76 for holding the detergent lid 71 in the closed position, and a holding release mechanism 77 for releasing the state where the detergent lid 71 is held in the closed position by the lid closing holding mechanism 76. I have.

The biasing spring 75 is wound around the rotation shaft 74 of the detergent lid 71 and biases the detergent lid 71 toward the open position by the spring force.
The lid closing holding mechanism 76 is rotatably attached to the rotation shaft 74, and is engaged with a member 78 to be rotated integrally with the detergent lid 71 with the rotation shaft 74 as a fulcrum, and the rotation shaft 74. And a lock lever 80 that is pivotally supported by a lever shaft 79 that is disposed so as to be opposed to the outer side in the width direction and that penetrates the inner component member 33, and a fixing that is provided further on the outer side in the width direction than the lever shaft 79. A tension spring 82 having one end fixed to the screw 81 and the other end fixed to the rear end of the lock lever 80 is provided.

A claw portion 83 and an actuator operation piece 84 are formed on the peripheral surface of the locked member 78 so as to protrude outward in the rotational radius direction of the locked member 78.
A hook-like locking claw 85 is formed at the tip of the lock lever 80. Then, the lock lever 80 is urged in the direction in which the rear end portion thereof is pulled outward in the width direction by the elastic force of the tension spring 82, and the locking claw 85 at the distal end portion contacts the peripheral surface of the locked member 78. Has been.

  In the state where the detergent lid 71 is located at the open position, the locking claw 85 of the lock lever 80 is in contact with the peripheral surface of the locked member 78 as shown in FIG. When the detergent lid 71 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the peripheral surface of the locked member 78 and the locking claw 85 of the lock lever 80 slid along with the rotation of the detergent lid 71. Meanwhile, the locked member 78 rotates in the same direction (closing direction) as the rotation direction of the detergent lid 71. When the detergent lid 71 is disposed at the closed position, the locking claw 85 of the lock lever 80 is locked to the claw portion 83 of the locked member 78 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the rotation of the locked member 78 in the opposite direction to the closing direction, that is, the same direction (opening direction) as the direction of the detergent lid 71 from the closed position toward the open position is prevented, and the detergent lid 71 is brought into the open position. Retained. When the locking claw 85 of the lock lever 80 is detached from the claw portion 83 of the locked member 78 from this state, the detergent lid 71 is rotated from the closed position to the open position by the spring force of the biasing spring 75.

The holding release mechanism 77 includes a stepping motor 86 and an operation member 87 attached to the output shaft of the stepping motor 86.
The operation member 87 is disposed on the outer side in the width direction with respect to the rear end portion of the lock lever 80. The operation member 87 includes a protruding piece (not shown) that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the output shaft of the stepping motor 86. The projecting piece is disposed on the outer side in the width direction of the output shaft of the stepping motor 86, and is in a state in which the projecting piece is in contact with a regulating member 88 extending along the output shaft from the center side in the width direction. For example, when the projecting piece rotates from the reference position toward the rear end of the lock lever 80 in the positive direction and the output shaft of the stepping motor 86 is rotated by a predetermined angle (for example, 90 degrees), the projecting piece is locked. It abuts on the rear end portion of the lever 80 and further presses the rear end portion of the lock lever 80 toward the center in the width direction. Then, the lock lever 80 rotates about the lever shaft 79, and if the locking claw 85 of the lock lever 80 is locked to the claw portion 83 of the locked member 78 at this time, the locking claw 85 is The detergent lid 71 is separated from the portion 83 and rotated from the closed position to the open position by the spring force of the biasing spring 75.

  In the dishwasher 1, when the output shaft of the stepping motor 86 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the forward direction under the control of the control unit 114 described later, the output shaft of the stepping motor 86 is immediately opposite to the forward direction. Rotate more than a predetermined angle in the opposite direction. Thereby, the protrusion piece of the operation member 87 can contact | abut reliably to the control member 88, and the protrusion piece can be reliably arrange | positioned in a reference | standard position. Therefore, when the output shaft of the stepping motor 86 is rotated in the forward direction by a predetermined angle, the lock lever 80 can be reliably operated by the protruding piece of the operation member 87.

  The detergent cover 71 is pivotally attached to the lever shaft 79 on the surface facing the cleaning tank 10 of the internal component member 33 so that the detergent lid 71 can be manually rotated from the closed position to the open position. A manual lever 89 that rotates integrally with the lock lever 80 with a shaft 79 as a fulcrum is provided. When the locking claw 85 of the lock lever 80 is locked to the claw portion 83 of the locked member 78, the locking lever 85 is moved from the claw portion 83 by manually operating the manual lever 89 and turning it. The detergent lid 71 can be rotated from the closed position to the open position by the spring force of the biasing spring 75.

  Further, the detergent charging device 43 includes a lid opening / closing switch 90 for detecting opening / closing of the detergent lid 71 on the surface facing the middle component 34 of the inner component 33. The lid opening / closing switch 90 includes an actuator 91. When the detergent lid 71 is disposed at the closed position, the actuator operating piece 84 of the locked member 78 comes into contact with the actuator 91 and is turned on. On the other hand, when the detergent lid 71 is disposed at the open position, the actuator operating piece 84 of the locked member 78 is separated from the actuator 91 and is turned off.

FIG. 16 is a front view of the operation panel unit 9. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the operation panel unit 9 (a view of a cross-section taken along the vertical plane viewed from the right side). Further, FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the operation panel unit 9.
The operation panel unit 9 is attached to the control case 92 and the inner surface (rear surface) of the control case 92, and includes a switch 94 for selecting a cleaning course, a start switch for starting cleaning, a selected cleaning course, and the like. A substrate case 96 that accommodates a substrate 95 on which a plurality of LEDs 93 to be displayed are arranged; an exterior member 97 that covers the surface (outer surface) of the control case 92; and a membrane plate 98 that is adhered to the surface of the exterior member 97; A rod-like packing 99 for sealing between the upper end of the control case 92 and the upper end of the exterior member 97 is provided.

The control case 92 is formed using, for example, an ABS resin material and has a substantially rectangular case main body 100 in front view, and a case edge 101 provided along both side edges and a lower edge of the case main body 100. And integrated.
In the case main body 100, a light passage hole 102 through which light from each LED 93 passes is formed at a position facing each LED 93 on the substrate 95. In the case main body 100, push buttons 103 for pressing the switches 94 are arranged at positions facing the switches 94 on the substrate 95. Furthermore, a plurality of upper engaging recesses 104 are formed at predetermined intervals on the upper end surface of the case main body 100.

The case edge portion 101 has a larger thickness than the case main body portion 100 and protrudes in front of the case main body portion 100. Lower engaging recesses 105 are formed at both end portions in the width direction on the upper surface of the portion extending along the lower end edge of the case main body portion 100 of the case edge portion 101.
The exterior member 97 is formed using a transparent AS resin material, and is opposed to the upper surface of the case main body 100 of the control case 92 from above, and the front of the case main body 100 from the front. It is formed in a substantially L-shaped cross section integrally including an opposing front facing portion 107.

The upper opposing portion 106 is formed with an upper engaging convex portion 108 that engages with each upper engaging concave portion 104 of the case main body portion 100. In FIG. 16, only four upper engaging convex portions 108 are shown for simplification of the drawing, but actually, the same number of upper engaging convex portions 108 as the upper engaging concave portions 104 are formed. Has been.
The front facing portion 107 is formed with a rectangular transparent portion 109 facing the region where the light passage hole 102 and the push button 103 of the case main body portion 100 are disposed, and the exterior member 97 (the upper facing portion 106 and On the back surface of the front facing portion 107), the entire region except the transparent portion 109 is colored. The transparent portion 109 is inserted with a button fitting hole 110 into which each push button 103 of the case main body 100 is fitted, and a fixing screw 111 for fixing the exterior member 97 to the case main body 100. Three through holes 112 are formed. Further, on the lower end surface of the front facing portion 107, lower engagement convex portions 113 that engage with the lower engagement concave portions 105 of the case edge portion 101 are formed at both ends in the width direction.

  In the exterior member 97, the upper facing portion 106 faces the upper surface of the case main body portion 100, and the lower end surface of the front facing portion 107 faces the upper surface of the portion of the case edge portion 101 that extends along the lower end edge of the case main body portion 100. After the packing 99 is disposed between the upper facing portion 106 and the upper surface of the case main body 100, the upper engaging convex portion 108 and the lower engaging portion are slid downward with respect to the control case 92. By engaging the protrusions 113 with the upper engagement recesses 104 and the lower engagement recesses 105 respectively, the packing 99 is sandwiched between the upper facing portion 106 and the upper surface of the case main body 100, and Mounted in a positioned state. The exterior member 97 is fixed to the control case 92 by inserting the fixing screws 111 into the through holes 112 and screwing the fixing screws 111 into the case main body 100. Since the packing 99 is sandwiched between the upper facing portion 106 and the upper surface of the case main body portion 100, moisture and the like are prevented from entering between them. Therefore, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering between the case main body portion 100 of the control case 92 and the front facing portion 107 of the exterior member 97 and attaching water droplets or the like to the inner surface of the transparent portion 109 of the front facing portion 107. It is possible to prevent the appearance of the operation panel unit 9 from being deteriorated.

  The membrane plate 98 is formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the transparent portion 109 of the exterior member 97, and is adhered to the transparent portion 109 from the outside. The membrane plate 98 is opaquely colored as a whole, and although not shown, a portion of the control case 92 that faces the light passage holes 102 formed in the case main body 100 is transparent. Thereby, the light from each LED 93 on the substrate 95 can be transmitted, and the fixing screw 111 for fixing the exterior member 97 to the control case 92 can be hidden.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the dishwasher 1. The dishwasher 1 includes a control unit 114 that includes a microcomputer.
An ON / OFF signal of the lid opening / closing switch 90, an ON / OFF signal of the switch 94 of the operation panel unit 9, and an output signal of the light receiving element 32 of the dirt sensor are input to the control unit 114. Further, the control unit 114 includes a water level sensor 115 whose output changes according to a change in the water level (water amount) stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank 10, and the temperature of the water stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank 10. A temperature sensor 116 for detection is connected.

  The control unit 114 can detect whether the detergent lid 71 is in the open position or the closed position based on the on / off signal of the lid opening / closing switch 90. Moreover, based on the signal according to the amount of light received input from the light receiving element 32, the light transmission degree of the water passing through the water pipe 29 can be detected, and based on this, the degree of contamination of the tableware can be detected. . Further, the water level stored in the cleaning tank 10 can be detected based on the change in the input signal from the water level sensor 115, and stored in the cleaning tank 10 based on the input signal from the temperature sensor 116. The temperature of the washed water can be detected.

  Further, the control unit 114 controls the pump motor 23, the LED 52 of the LED unit 46, the stepping motor 86 of the detergent charging device 43, the LEDs 93 of the operation panel unit 9, and the water supply to the cleaning tank 10 as control targets. A water supply valve 117 is disposed at the bottom of the washing tank 10 and is connected to a heater 118 for heating water stored in the bottom of the washing tank 10 and heating the atmosphere to dry the dishes.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a flow of the operation (stroke) of the dishwasher 1.
After the operation panel unit 9 is operated and various settings such as an operation course (for example, a dedicated detergent course for washing dishes using a special detergent, a kitchen detergent course for washing dishes using a kitchen detergent, etc.) are performed. When the operation start is instructed, the water supply valve 117 is opened to supply water into the cleaning tank 10 and a predetermined amount (for example, 3 to 3.2 liters) of water is stored in the cleaning tank 10. (Step S1).

Thereafter, the control unit 114 determines whether or not the detergent lid 71 is closed (is in the closed position) based on the on / off signal input from the lid opening / closing switch 90 (step S2).
Usually, prior to an instruction to start operation, the user puts the detergent in the detergent detergent unit 72 of the detergent container 70 or the kitchen detergent in the kitchen detergent container 73 so that the detergent lid 71 is used. Is closed. Therefore, immediately after the first water supply, the detergent lid 71 should be closed. However, the user may forget to close the detergent lid 71 after putting the detergent. In this case, when a “prewash” process described later is performed, the detergent put in the detergent container 70 in the “prewash” process. Flows out, and the “main wash” process after the “pre-wash” process is performed in the absence of detergent. Therefore, when the detergent lid 71 is opened immediately after the first water supply, it is determined that the user has forgotten to close the detergent lid 71, the “pre-washing” process is not performed, and the “main wash” process is immediately performed ( Step S3).

  In the “main wash” process, the pump motor 23 is continuously driven to rotate forward, and the water stored at the bottom of the washing tank 10 is pumped to the nozzles 17, 20, 21 by the washing and draining pump 22. Water is ejected vigorously from 17, 20, and 21. When water is ejected from each nozzle 17, 20, 21, a part of the ejected water is applied to the detergent container 70, and the detergent contained in the detergent container 70 flows out together with the water. The detergent that has flowed out of the detergent container 70 dissolves in the water stored in the bottom of the washing tank 10. The water in which the detergent is dissolved is sprayed from the nozzles 17, 20 and 21 onto the tableware, so that the dirt attached to the tableware is washed away. Further, in this “main wash” process, the heater 118 is driven in order to exhibit good cleaning performance, and the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 is raised to 60 ° C. as shown in FIG.

  When the “main wash” process is performed for a predetermined time, the pump motor 23 is reversely driven, and the water containing the detergent in the cleaning tank 10 is drained (step S4). Then, water is supplied to the cleaning tank 10, and a predetermined amount (for example, 2.7 liters) of water is stored in the cleaning tank 10 (step S5). Then, a “rinse 1” process for rinsing the tableware to which the water containing the detergent is attached is performed (step S6).

  In the “rinse 1” stroke, the pump motor 23 is driven to rotate forward, and new water supplied into the cleaning tank 10 is sprayed from the nozzles 17, 20, 21 to the tableware, so that it adheres to the tableware. The water containing the detergent is washed away, and the dirt remaining on the dishes is washed away. In the “rinse 1” stroke, the heater 118 is stopped. However, during the stroke, water takes away the heat accumulated in the tableware and the like, and as shown in FIG. The water temperature rises a little.

  When the “rinse 1” process is performed for a predetermined time, the pump motor 23 is driven in reverse to drain the water in the cleaning tank 10 (step S7). Then, water is supplied to the cleaning tank 10, and a predetermined amount (for example, 2.7 liters) of water is stored in the cleaning tank 10 (step S8). Then, a “rinse 2” process for further rinsing the tableware is performed (step S9).

  In the “rinse 2” stroke, the pump motor 23 is driven forward so that new water supplied into the washing tank 10 is sprayed from the nozzles 17, 20, 21 onto the tableware, thereby further rinsing the tableware. It is. Even during the “rinse 2” stroke, the heater 118 is not driven, but during the stroke, water takes away the heat accumulated in the tableware and the like, and as shown in FIG. The water temperature rises a little.

  When the “rinse 2” process is performed for a predetermined time, the pump motor 23 is driven in reverse to drain the water in the cleaning tank 10 (step S10). Then, water is supplied to the cleaning tank 10, and a predetermined amount (for example, 3 to 3.2 liters) of water is stored in the cleaning tank 10 (step S11). And the "heating rinse" process for rinsing tableware with the heated water is performed (step S12).

  In the “heating rinse” step, the heater 118 is driven, and the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 is raised to 70 ° C. as shown in FIG. In this “heating rinse” process, the pump motor 23 is continuously driven in the normal direction and heated by the heater 118 during the period from the start of the process until the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 reaches 50 to 60 ° C. Water is sprayed vigorously from the nozzles 17, 20, and 21 onto the tableware. Thereby, even if stains remain on the tableware, the stains are well washed away by the heat and momentum of the water.

  When the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 reaches 50 to 60 ° C., the pump motor 23 is driven in reverse to drain part of the water in the cleaning tank 10. When the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 is reduced to a predetermined amount of water (for example, 2 to 2.5 liters), the pump motor 23 is driven to rotate forward again, and high-temperature water is supplied from the nozzles 17, 20, and 21. It is injected into the tableware. Since the water in the cleaning tank 10 has been partially drained and the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 has been reduced, as shown in FIG. It rises rapidly at a rate greater than the rate of increase in water temperature before drainage. Therefore, the rinsing performance of the tableware can be ensured in the first half of the “heating rinsing” process, and the power consumption can be reduced by shortening the driving time of the heater 118 in the second half.

  At this time, when the pump motor 23 is continuously driven, the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 is reduced, so that a sufficient amount of water does not accumulate at the bottom of the cleaning tank 10 during the stroke, and as a result, the cleaning / drainage pump There is a possibility that the air biting of 22 occurs. Therefore, after part of the water in the cleaning tank 10 is drained, the pump motor 23 is intermittently driven in such a manner that, for example, the pump motor 23 is rotated forward for 2 seconds and then stopped (OFF) for 1 second. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the air bit of the washing | cleaning and drainage pump 22 can be prevented.

When the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 reaches 70 ° C., a “heating rinse” process is performed, and thereafter, the pump motor 23 is driven in reverse to drain the water in the cleaning tank 10 (step S13). Then, a “drying” process is performed to dry the dishes in the cleaning tank 10 (after the “heating rinse” process) (step S14).
In this “drying” process, the heater 118 is driven and the atmosphere in the cleaning tank 10 is heated, so that the wet tableware after cleaning is dried. Prior to the “drying” process, a “heating rinse” process is performed, and at the end of this “heating rinse” process, the dishes are warmed by spraying 70 ° C. water onto the dishes, so the “drying” process In, the tableware can be quickly dried.

  In the dishwasher 1, for example, the output shaft of the stepping motor 86 is rotated in the positive direction by a predetermined angle after the start of the “heating rinse” process and before the start of the “drying” process. 71 is forcibly displaced to the open position (detergent lid forced opening operation). Thereby, the detergent lid | cover 71 can be reliably opened in an open position at the time of the next driving | operation start, and a user can be encouraged to put detergent in the detergent accommodating part 70. FIG. If the detergent lid 71 is opened before the start of the “drying” process, the inside of the detergent container 70 can be dried, and the detergent container 70 can be kept clean.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a flow of an operation (stroke) when the detergent lid 71 is closed immediately after the first water supply.
If the detergent lid 71 is closed immediately after the first water supply, a “pre-wash” process is performed prior to the “main wash” process (step S15).
In the “pre-washing” process, the pump motor 23 is continuously driven to rotate forward while the detergent lid 71 is held in the closed position, and the water stored in the bottom of the washing tank 10 is washed by the washing and draining pump 22. The nozzles 17, 20, and 21 are pumped and water is ejected from each nozzle 17, 20, and 21 with vigor. The large dirt adhering to the tableware is washed away by the water ejected from the nozzles 17, 20, and 21.

  Further, when 3 minutes have elapsed from the start of the “pre-washing” process, the controller 114 detects the degree of tableware contamination in three stages based on a signal corresponding to the amount of light received from the light receiving element 32. . That is, if the level of the signal corresponding to the amount of light received by the light receiving element 32 is equal to or higher than a predetermined upper threshold value, the degree of tableware contamination (the degree of water contamination during the “pre-washing” process) is determined to be small, and the predetermined level If it is less than or equal to the threshold, it is determined that the degree of tableware contamination is large. Moreover, if the level of the signal according to the amount of light received by the light receiving element 32 is larger than the lower threshold and smaller than the upper threshold, it is determined that the tableware is dirty. And the driving | running aspect after a "main wash" process is determined according to this judgment result.

  Furthermore, the degree of tableware contamination detected by the control unit 114 is displayed in color on the LED display unit 8. For example, when the degree of contamination is large, the red LED of the LED 52 of the LED unit 46 is caused to emit light, and the red light propagates through the light guide member 53, whereby the LED display unit 8 (the transparent unit 50 of the sticker 49) is red. Color develops. When the degree of dirt is medium, both the red LED and the green LED of the LED 52 of the LED unit 46 emit light to emit yellow light, and the yellow light propagates through the light guide member 53, thereby displaying the LED display. Part 8 is colored yellow. Furthermore, when the degree of contamination is small, the green LED of the LED 52 of the LED unit 46 is caused to emit light, and the green light propagates through the light guide member 53, so that the LED display unit 8 is colored green. Thereby, the user can recognize the difference between the actual stain condition of the tableware set in the cleaning tank 10 and the stain condition of the appearance, and based on the difference, the appearance of the tableware becomes apparent during the next operation. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately determine how much detergent should be put in the detergent container 70.

  When the “pre-washing” process is performed for a predetermined time, the pump motor 23 is driven in reverse to drain the water in the cleaning tank 10 (step S16). This drainage is performed for a time corresponding to the degree of contamination of the tableware. For example, when the degree of dirt on the tableware is large, drainage is performed for 40 seconds. In addition, when the tableware is dirty, drainage is performed for 25 seconds, and when the tableware is dirty, drainage is performed for 5 seconds. When tableware is heavily soiled, the “pre-wash” process will contaminate the water, so the amount of drainage will be increased and the water in the washing tank 10 will be replaced with clean water. Can be washed. On the other hand, when the level of dirt on the tableware is small, the water used in the “prewash” process is not very dirty, so the amount of waste water is reduced and a part of the water used in the “prewash” process is used in the “main wash” process. By reusing it, you can save water.

  Thereafter, water is supplied to the cleaning tank 10, and water in an amount corresponding to the degree of contamination of the tableware is stored in the cleaning tank 10 (step S17). For example, when the degree of tableware contamination is large, 3 liters of water is stored in the cleaning tank 10. When the table is dirty, 2.7 liters of water is stored in the washing tank 10, and when the tableware is dirty, 2.4 liters of water is stored in the washing tank 10. Is accumulated. As a result, the next “main wash” process can be executed with the amount of water corresponding to the degree of soiling of the tableware, so that water can be saved while exhibiting good cleaning performance.

Further, when the output shaft of the stepping motor 86 is rotated in the positive direction by a predetermined angle, the detergent lid 71 is forcibly displaced to the open position, and the detergent container 70 is opened and accommodated in the detergent container 70. The detergent that has been put into the washing tank 10.
When the water supply is completed, the “main wash” process is started (step S18). In the “main wash” process, the drive of the pump motor 23 is controlled according to the degree of contamination of the dishes. That is, when the degree of tableware contamination is large, the pump motor 23 is intermittently driven in such a manner that it is normally rotated for 10 seconds and then stopped (OFF) for 2 seconds. When the degree of contamination of the tableware is medium, the pump motor 23 is intermittently driven in such a manner that it is rotated for 5 seconds and then stopped for 2 seconds. Further, when the degree of dirt on the tableware is small, the pump motor 23 is intermittently driven in such a manner that the pump motor 23 is rotated forward for 1 second and then stopped (OFF) for 2 seconds. Thereby, since water is ejected from each nozzle 17, 20, and 21 with the water pressure according to the stain | pollution | contamination condition of tableware, reduction of power consumption can be aimed at exhibiting favorable washing | cleaning performance.

  In the “main wash” process, the heater 118 is driven according to the degree of contamination of the tableware. That is, when the degree of tableware contamination is large, the heater 118 is driven so that the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 becomes 58 ° C. In addition, when the tableware is dirty, the heater 118 is driven so that the water temperature in the washing tank 10 is 54 ° C., and when the tableware is dirty, the water temperature in the washing tank 10 is reduced. The heater 118 is driven to reach 54 ° C. Since the water temperature is set according to the degree of soiling of the tableware, it is possible to reduce the power consumption while exhibiting good cleaning performance.

  When the “main wash” process is performed for a predetermined time, the pump motor 23 is reversely driven, and the water containing the detergent in the cleaning tank 10 is drained (step S19). Then, water is supplied to the cleaning tank 10, and water in an amount corresponding to the degree of tableware contamination is stored in the cleaning tank 10 (step S20). For example, when the degree of tableware contamination is large, 2.7 liters of water is stored in the cleaning tank 10. In addition, 2.4 liters of water is stored in the washing tank 10 when the table is dirty, and 2.1 liters of water is stored in the washing tank 10 when the table is dirty. Is accumulated. Thereby, since the next "rinse 1" process can be performed with the amount of water according to the stain | pollution | contamination condition of tableware, water saving can be aimed at, exhibiting favorable rinse performance.

  When the water supply is completed, a “rinse” process is performed (step S21). In the “rinse” process, similarly to the “main wash” process, the drive of the pump motor 23 is controlled in accordance with the degree of tableware contamination. Thereby, since water is ejected from each nozzle 17, 20, and 21 with the water pressure according to the stain | pollution | contamination condition of tableware, reduction of power consumption can be aimed at exhibiting favorable rinse performance.

  When the “rinsing” process is performed for a predetermined time, the pump motor 23 is driven in reverse to drain the water in the cleaning tank 10 (step S22). Then, water is supplied to the cleaning tank 10 and water in an amount corresponding to the degree of contamination of the tableware is stored in the cleaning tank 10 (step S23). For example, when the degree of tableware contamination is large, 3 liters of water is stored in the cleaning tank 10. When the table is dirty, 2.7 liters of water is stored in the washing tank 10, and when the tableware is dirty, 2.4 liters of water is stored in the washing tank 10. Is accumulated. As a result, the next “heating rinse” step can be executed with the amount of water corresponding to the degree of soiling of the tableware, so that water can be saved while exhibiting good rinsing performance. Further, when the degree of tableware contamination is small, the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 is small, and the time for heating the water by the heater 118 is short, so that the amount of power consumption can be reduced.

  When the water supply is completed, a “heating rinse” process is performed (step S24). In the “rinse” process, similarly to the “main wash” process, the drive of the pump motor 23 is controlled in accordance with the degree of tableware contamination. Thereby, since water is ejected from each nozzle 17, 20, and 21 with the water pressure according to the stain | pollution | contamination condition of tableware, reduction of power consumption can be aimed at exhibiting favorable rinse performance.

  In the “heating rinse” process, the heater 118 is driven and the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 is raised to 70 ° C. When the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 reaches 50 to 60 ° C. in the process of heating the water by the heater 118, the pump motor 23 is driven in reverse to drain part of the water in the cleaning tank 10. Then, when the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 is reduced to a predetermined amount (for example, 2 to 2.5 liters), the pump motor 23 is driven forward again in a manner corresponding to the degree of contamination of the tableware, so that the hot water Are ejected from the nozzles 17, 20, and 21 to the tableware. Since the water in the cleaning tank 10 has been partially drained and the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 has been reduced, as shown in FIG. It rises rapidly at a rate greater than the rate of increase in water temperature before drainage. Therefore, the rinsing performance of the tableware can be ensured in the first half of the “heating rinsing” process, and the power consumption can be reduced by shortening the driving time of the heater 118 in the second half.

  When the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 reaches 70 ° C., a “heating rinse” process is performed, and thereafter, the pump motor 23 is driven in reverse to drain the water in the cleaning tank 10 (step S25). Then, a “drying” process is performed to dry the dishes in the cleaning tank 10 (after the “heating rinse” process) (step S26). Prior to the “drying” process, a “heating rinse” process is performed, and at the end of this “heating rinse” process, the dishes are warmed by spraying 70 ° C. water onto the dishes, so the “drying” process In, the tableware can be quickly dried.

  Further, after the start of the “heating rinse” process and before the start of the “drying” process, the output shaft of the stepping motor 86 is rotated in the positive direction by a predetermined angle, so that the detergent lid 71 is forcibly set to the open position. Displaced (detergent lid forced opening operation). Thereby, the detergent lid | cover 71 can be reliably opened in an open position at the time of the next driving | operation start, and a user can be encouraged to put detergent in the detergent accommodating part 70. FIG. If the detergent lid 71 is opened before the start of the “drying” process, the inside of the detergent container 70 can be dried, and the detergent container 70 can be kept clean.

  In this embodiment, the execution times of the “main wash” process, the “rinse” process, and the “heating rinse” process are predetermined times, respectively. However, the execution time of each process depends on the degree of contamination of the dishes. May be determined. For example, when the degree of tableware contamination is large, the execution time of each of the “main wash” process, “rinse” process and “heated rinse” process is set to a predetermined first time, and the tableware contamination condition is medium. In some cases, the execution time of each process is set to the second time shorter than the first time, and when the degree of tableware contamination is small, the execution time of each process may be set to the third time shorter than the second time. Good. By doing so, it is possible to further reduce the power consumption while ensuring the cleaning performance and the rinsing performance.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, part of the water stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank 10 is drained during the “heating rinse” process. Thereby, since the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 decreases, the temperature of the water in the cleaning tank 10 can be rapidly raised. Therefore, the driving time of the heater 118 can be shortened, and the power consumption can be reduced. Further, before the partial drainage is performed, a sufficient amount of water that does not cause air-engagement of the cleaning / drainage pump 22 can be stored at the bottom of the cleaning tank 10, so that an operation capable of ensuring a predetermined rinsing performance is performed. Can do. Therefore, the power consumption can be reduced without reducing the rinsing performance.

  Further, when the “pre-washing” process is not performed, the pump motor 23 is continuously driven before the partial drainage is performed, so that the cleaning and draining pump 22 has a relatively large average water supply capacity (cleaning and cleaning). The time average value of the amount of water delivered by the drain pump 22) is exerted, so that water is jetted from each nozzle 17, 20, 21 vigorously. Therefore, the detergent and dirt remaining on the tableware can be washed out well. On the other hand, after the partial drainage is performed, the pump / motor 23 is intermittently driven to reduce the average water supply capacity of the cleaning / drainage pump 22, so even if the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 is small, the cleaning / drainage pump There is no risk of 22 air biting.

  Further, when the water temperature in the cleaning tank 10 reaches a predetermined temperature, a part of the water in the cleaning tank 10 is drained. Thereby, the water temperature in the washing tank 10 can be reliably raised to the predetermined temperature during the operation that can ensure the predetermined rinsing performance performed before the partial drainage is performed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent a decrease in rinsing performance, and it is possible to better wash away the detergent and dirt remaining on the tableware.

  Furthermore, the washing and draining pump 22 functions as a pump for sending water stored in the bottom of the washing tank 10 to the nozzles 17, 20, and 21, and a drainage pump for draining water from the washing tank 10. Therefore, by adopting the cleaning / drainage pump 22, the number of parts of the apparatus can be reduced and the structure of the apparatus can be simplified.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be implemented in other forms. For example, as shown in FIG. 23, an inverter circuit 119 is adopted as a power feeding circuit to the pump motor 23, and the inverter circuit 119 is controlled by the control unit 114 to supply the pump motor 23 after partial drainage is performed. By reducing the voltage below the supply voltage to the pump motor 23 before the partial drainage is performed, the average water supply capacity (the average number of revolutions of the pump motor 23) of the cleaning and drainage pump 22 after the partial drainage is performed. Alternatively, it may be lower than the average water supply capacity of the washing and draining pump 22 before partial drainage is performed. Even in this configuration, before the partial drainage is performed, water can be jetted vigorously from the nozzles 17, 20, 21, so that the detergent and dirt remaining on the tableware can be washed away well. After execution, even if the amount of water in the cleaning tank 10 is small, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of air biting in the cleaning and draining pump 22.

  Further, when the configuration shown in FIG. 23 is employed and the rotation speed of the pump motor 23 (capability of the washing and draining pump 22) can be switched between HIGH and LOW, the “main wash” process, “rinse” In each process of the process and the “heating rinse” process, the ratio between the time for rotating the pump motor 23 at HIGH and the time for rotating at LOW may be determined according to the degree of contamination of the tableware. For example, in each process, when the degree of tableware contamination is large, the time for rotating the pump motor 23 at HIGH and the time for rotating it at LOW are the same. When the ratio of the time for rotating 23 with HIGH is 30%, the ratio of the time for rotating pump motor 23 with LOW is 70%, and when the degree of tableware contamination is small, the time for rotating pump motor 23 with HIGH May be 10%, and the ratio of the time for which the pump motor 23 is rotated LOW may be 90%. By doing so, it is possible to further reduce the power consumption while ensuring the cleaning performance and the rinsing performance.

  In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of matters described in the claims.

It is a perspective view of the dishwasher concerning one embodiment of this invention, and shows the state where the upper door and the lower door were closed. It is a perspective view of the dishwasher concerning one embodiment of this invention, and shows the state where the upper door and the lower door opened. It is a right view of the dishwasher shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing (the figure which looked at the cross section when it cut | disconnects by a vertical surface from the right side) of the dishwasher shown in FIG. It is a front view of the lower door shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the lower door in the cutting line AA shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the lower door shown in FIG. It is a front view of the LED unit shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the LED unit shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view (viewed from above) of the LED unit shown in FIG. 6. It is sectional drawing of the LED unit in the cutting line BB shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the LED unit in the cutting line CC shown in FIG. It is the figure which looked at the internal structural member shown in FIG. 6 from the inside of a washing tank, and the state which the detergent lid | cover was arrange | positioned in the closed position with the detergent lid | cover closed is shown. It is the figure seen from the inside of the washing tank of the internal component shown in Drawing 6, and the state where the detergent lid is arranged in the open position, and the detergent container is opened is shown. It is the figure seen from the inside structural member side of the internal structural member shown in FIG. 6, and the state when the detergent lid | cover is arrange | positioned in the closed position is shown. It is the figure seen from the inside component member side shown in FIG. 6, and the state when the detergent lid | cover is arrange | positioned in the open position is shown. It is a front view of the operation panel part shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the operation panel unit shown in FIG. 16 (a view of a cross section taken along the vertical plane as viewed from the right side). It is a disassembled perspective view of the operation panel part shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of this dishwasher. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement (stroke) of a dishwasher in case the detergent cover is open immediately after the first water supply. It is a graph which shows the time change of the water temperature in a washing tank. It is a figure which shows the flow of operation | movement (stroke) in case the detergent cover is closed immediately after the first water supply. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the modification which employ | adopted the inverter circuit as a electric power feeding circuit to a pump motor.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dishwasher 10 Washing tank 17 Nozzle 20 Nozzle 21 Top nozzle 22 Cleaning and drainage pump 23 Pump motor 114 Control part 116 Temperature sensor 118 Heater 119 Inverter circuit

Claims (6)

A cleaning tank that provides a space for receiving the tableware and stores water for cleaning the tableware at the bottom;
A nozzle for spraying water on the tableware stored in the washing tank;
Heating means for heating water stored in the bottom of the washing tank;
A pump for pumping water stored in the bottom of the washing tank and sending the water to the nozzle;
Drainage means for draining water from the wash tank;
In the middle of a heating and rinsing process in which water heated by the heating means is sprayed from the nozzle and the dishes are rinsed with heated water, the drainage means is controlled and stored in the bottom of the washing tank. A dishwasher comprising: a partial drainage control means for draining part of the water.   The apparatus further comprises pump control means for reducing an average water supply capacity of the pump after execution of partial drainage by the drainage means to be lower than an average water supply capacity of the pump before execution of partial drainage. Item 1. A dishwasher according to item 1.   The pump control means continuously drives the pump before partial drainage by the drainage means, and intermittently drives the pump after partial drainage by the drainage means. The dishwasher described. Voltage adjustment means for adjusting the supply voltage to the pump;
The pump control means controls the voltage adjusting means so that the supply voltage to the pump after execution of partial drainage by the drainage means is greater than the supply voltage to the pump before execution of partial drainage. The dishwasher according to claim 2, wherein the dishwasher is lowered. Further comprising temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the water stored in the bottom of the washing tank;
5. The partial drainage control means starts partial drainage by the drainage means in response to the temperature detected by the temperature detection means reaching a predetermined temperature. A dishwasher as described in any of the above.   The pump uses a pump motor as a drive source, and the water stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank is sent to the nozzle by rotation in one direction of the pump motor, and the pump motor rotates in the direction opposite to the one direction. The dishwasher according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the dishwasher is a washing and drainage pump that drains water stored in a bottom of the washing tank, and also serves as the drainage means.

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