JP2007313175A - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dishwasher excellent in handleability which turns the actions of a user to absolute minimum when adding or taking out dishes while preventing water from splashing out from a washing tub. <P>SOLUTION: The dishwasher comprises the washing tub 2 installed freely movably in the cross direction inside a washer body 1 opened to the front and provided with an opening 2e on the upper part, a microswitch 5 for detecting whether or not the washing tub 2 is at a prescribed storage position, a geared motor 6 for restraining the movement of the washing tub 2, a pump 8 for supplying water to a washing nozzle 4 arranged inside the washing tub 2, and a control circuit 9 for controlling the geared motor 6 so as to cancel the restraint of the washing tub 2 at prescribed time after the operation end of the pump 8 when the microswitch 5 detects that the washing tub 2 is not at the prescribed storage position. The dishwasher excellent in handleability without the sudden splash of water from the washing tub 2 and without the need of temporarily stopping the operation and performing an unlocking operation when adding or taking out the dishes 10 is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a built-in type dishwasher that cleans dishes by spraying washing water from a washing nozzle toward the dishes.

  A conventional household dishwasher generally introduces tap water into a washing cabinet and stores it at the bottom, and then operates the pump to suck in the stored water and feed it to the nozzle. It has a configuration in which the dishes stored in the washing cabinet are washed by spraying water well. A conventional dishwasher of this type is provided with a washing cabinet inside the housing, and a front door is provided with a door that pivots downward from the front. It is structured to pull out a tableware basket containing tableware horizontally.

  With the spread of the system kitchen to general households, built-in type dishwashers for incorporation into the system kitchen are commercially available (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a conventional dishwasher described in Patent Document 1. In FIG. 4, this dishwasher is a so-called drawer-type dishwasher, and a washing tub 22 having a dish basket 21 for storing the dishes 20 can be pulled forward together with a door 23 that also serves as a front panel. It is configured. In the state where the cleaning tank 22 is pulled out, the upper surface of the cleaning tank 22 is wide open so that the tableware 20 can be taken in and out from above. The lock operation unit 25 is operated to restrain the cleaning tank 22 and the upper lid 26 waiting in the upper space in the housing 24 is lowered to close the upper surface opening of the cleaning tank 22. ing.

  A heater 27 for heating the cleaning water is provided at the bottom of the cleaning tank 22, and the heated cleaning water is sucked from the drain port 30 through the residue filter 29 by the cleaning pump 28 disposed below the cleaning tank 22, It is pumped to the cleaning nozzle 31. And the tableware 20 arrange | positioned and accommodated in the tableware basket 21 is wash | cleaned by the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle 31 vigorously.

A dishwasher having the same basic configuration as described above, having an opening in front of the washing tub and opening the door toward the front. There is also a mechanism having a mechanism and a manual release lever that is operated by the user himself / herself during a power failure or the like to release the door lock from the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2000-139799 A JP 2000-005124 A

  However, the present invention is not limited to the conventional drawer-type dishwasher described in Patent Document 1, but also in a dishwasher that opens by rotating the door toward you, the front panel (door) is locked, If restrained, it is effective in preventing water from jumping out, but when adding dishes before the dishwasher starts washing, or removing some dishes in the middle of drying, it is necessary. There was annoyance that operation had to be temporarily stopped and unlocked.

  Moreover, in the dishwasher of the system which locks a door using a solenoid as described in the said patent document 2, although the means to cancel | release a door lock manually at the time of emergency, such as a power failure, is provided, the means is used It was difficult for the user to understand, and the need for precision tools and other tools for operation was inevitable.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and minimizes the operation of the user when adding or removing tableware while ensuring the safety of preventing water from jumping out of the washing tank. The purpose is to provide an easy-to-use dishwasher.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a dishwasher of the present invention includes a washing machine body that opens forward, a washing tank that is installed in the washing machine body so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and has an opening on the upper side, Position detecting means for detecting whether or not the cleaning tank is in a predetermined storage position, locking means for restraining movement of the cleaning tank, a cleaning nozzle disposed in the cleaning tank, and water for the cleaning nozzle And the lock means so as to release the restraint of the cleaning tank after a predetermined time from the end of the operation of the pump when the position detecting means detects that the cleaning tank is not in the predetermined storage position. It is equipped with a control means to control the water and prevents unexpected water jumping out of the washing tank, and it is not necessary to temporarily stop the operation and release the lock when adding or removing dishes. The required minimum, it is possible to improve the usability.

  The dishwasher of the present invention prevents water from jumping out of the washing tub, and also when adding dishes before the dishwasher starts washing or taking out some dishes while drying. It is possible to provide an easy-to-use dishwasher in which the operation is not required to be temporarily stopped and the unlocking operation is not performed, and the operation of the user can be minimized.

  1st invention is the washing machine main body opened ahead, the washing tank installed in the washing machine main body so that movement is possible in the direction of order, and the opening in the upper part, and whether the washing tank is in a predetermined storing position. Position detecting means for detecting whether or not, a lock means for restraining the movement of the cleaning tank, a cleaning nozzle disposed in the cleaning tank, a pump for supplying water to the cleaning nozzle, and the position detecting means When it is detected that the cleaning tank is not in the predetermined storage position, it comprises a control means for controlling the locking means so as to release the restraint of the cleaning tank after a predetermined time from the end of the operation of the pump, Prevents unexpected water jumping out of the washing tank and eliminates the need to temporarily stop operation and unlock operations when adding or removing dishes, minimizing user actions and improving usability Door can be.

  In the second invention, in particular, the locking means of the first invention is such that the time required to release the restraint is less than the time required to restrain the cleaning tank. Since there is almost no time to wait after release, the stored tableware can be taken out immediately.

  The third invention is such that, particularly when energization is stopped during the restraint of the washing tank by the locking means of the first or second invention, the restraint is immediately released, until the power failure ends. During this period, the washing tank can be freely opened and closed to take out and store dishes.

  In particular, the fourth invention is provided with notifying means for notifying the restraint state of the cleaning tank by the locking means according to any one of the first to third inventions, and whether or not the cleaning tank is locked to the user. It can be known at a glance.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the entire configuration of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in a state in which the washing tank is completely accommodated in the washing machine body. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a lock means portion of the dishwasher. FIG. 3 is a time chart showing the operation of the dishwasher.

  1 and 2, the dishwasher according to the present embodiment includes a washing machine body 1 formed in a box-like body that opens forward, and guide rails that are installed substantially horizontally on the inner sides of both side walls of the washing machine body 1. It has a washing tank 2 that can be drawn and moved in the front-rear direction along 1a and that has an opening 2e above. Inside the cleaning tank 2, a table basket 3 for arranging the tableware 10 and a cleaning nozzle 4 for ejecting water for cleaning the tableware 10 are installed. The front surface of the washing tub 2 is equipped with a panel 2a having the same design as that of the system kitchen 11, and the panel 2a has a handle portion 2b that a user holds when opening and closing the entire washing tub 2, and a dishwasher. Are provided with an operation switch 2c (control of start / pause of washing) and a display lamp 2d as notification means for displaying the operation state of the dishwasher.

  A micro switch 5 serving as a position detecting means for detecting whether or not the cleaning tank 2 is stored in a predetermined storage position is installed in the rear part in the cleaning machine main body 1. In addition, a geared motor 6 that is a locking unit that restrains the movement of the stored cleaning tank 2 is also installed in the rear portion of the cleaning machine main body 1. As described above, the dishwasher according to the present embodiment has the micro switch 5 and the geared motor 6 installed in the rear part of the washing machine body 1, and is thus indispensable for the front panel of the conventional dishwasher. It should be noted that a design close to that of a general kitchen door (not shown) or the like can be realized because there is no need to arrange the door opening / closing switch and its operation lever portion.

  Further, above the cleaning machine body 1, an inner lid 7 for closing the opening 2e above the cleaning tank 2 is disposed so as to be movable up and down by a pair of left and right parallel link mechanisms including a pair of front and rear links 7a. ing. The lower part of the washing tank 2 is provided with a pump 8 for sucking water and discharging it to the washing nozzle 4 and a buzzer 9a as a notification means for generating a notification sound, and a control means for controlling the operation of the dishwasher. A certain control circuit 9 is installed.

  Next, the operation of the dishwasher in the above configuration will be described according to the time chart of FIG. 3. After the user has stored the tableware basket 3 with the tableware 10 in the cleaning tank 2 and put the detergent, the cleaning tank 2 is accommodated in the washing machine main body 1 along the guide rail 1a. At this time, the locking portion 7b provided at the rear end of the inner lid 7 is pushed by the cleaning tank 2, and the inner lid 7 moves backward against the elasticity of the inner lid spring 7c. As a result, the inner lid 7 is moved rearward and downward by the link 7 a and closes the opening 2 e above the cleaning tank 2. At the same time, the rear end of the cleaning tank 2 comes into contact with the microswitch 5 and closes a contact (not shown) inside the microswitch 5, so that the cleaning tank 2 is placed at a predetermined position in the main body 1 of the cleaning machine. A detection signal indicating that it has been stored is transmitted.

Next, when the user operates the operation switch 2c disposed on the front surface of the cleaning tank 2, the cleaning is started. The geared motor 6 is operated before a predetermined time before that, and the lock pin is operated. 6a protrudes and engages with a lock pin hole 2f provided in the cleaning tank 2 to restrain the movement of the cleaning tank 2. At this time, the cleaning tank 2 is not completely restrained and fixed, but is roughly restrained within a certain range (a state in which movement of about 3 mm to 8 mm is possible).
In the present embodiment, the geared motor 6 from which the pin-like lock pin 6a protrudes has been described as the locking means for locking the cleaning tank 2. However, the same operation is performed, for example, when an electromagnetic valve is used. However, the same operation is possible.

  When the washing tub 2 is substantially restrained and starts operation, the control circuit 9 controls the operation of the pump 8, the water supply valve (not shown), the heater (not shown) and the like, and the tableware stored in the tableware basket 3. Class 10 is washed, rinsed, dried and a series of dishwashing steps are performed.

  When the user wants to temporarily stop cleaning to remove the tableware 10 during the cleaning operation or the like, the user operates the operation switch 2c again, or pulls out the cleaning tank 2 within the range of the backlash. When the contact 5 is opened, the operation of the pump 8 discharging water into the cleaning tank 2 is stopped first, and the ejection of water is stopped. After that, even if the cleaning tank 2 is pulled out, the cleaning tank 2 cannot be pulled out because it is restrained by the geared motor 6.

  The inventors have actually confirmed the time required for the operation of the pump 8 to stop and the ejection of water from the cleaning nozzle 4 to completely stop in consideration of inertia, but it takes at least 2 seconds. Thus, after 2 seconds or more have passed, the lock pin 6a of the geared motor 6 returns to the original state, the lock of the cleaning tank 2 is released, and the cleaning tank 2 can be opened.

  Accordingly, since the pump 8 is driven only while the cleaning tank 2 is restrained by the geared motor 6, the cleaning tank 2 is opened unexpectedly, and hot cleaning water is scattered outside the apparatus. , Water leakage or burns can be completely prevented.

  The geared motor 6 has a general configuration in which the rotation of a motor (not shown) is reduced by a plurality of gears (not shown) to generate output torque, and the geared motor 6 has a clutch mechanism 6b to reduce the speed. In the final stage, the movement in the rotational direction is converted into the horizontal direction by the rack and pinion gear, and the lock pin 6a protrudes against the urging force of the lock pin spring 6c. As a result, when the lock pin 6a protrudes, it takes about several seconds (actual measurement 3 to 6 seconds). ) To return.

  Therefore, since the time required for releasing the restraint is much faster than the time required for restraining the cleaning tank 2 before the operation of the pump 8, the cleaning tank 2 is immediately opened and stored therein. When there is a need to take out the tableware 10, there is no unnecessary waiting time and the operation can be performed without any trouble.

  Further, in the geared motor 6 described above, the motor (not shown) and some of the gears continue to rotate even while the lock pin 6a is protruding, but since the lock pin 6a has the clutch mechanism 6b, the lock pin 6a After projecting a predetermined distance, the rotational driving force of the motor or gear is not transmitted to the lock pin 6a. Therefore, the clutch mechanism 6b restrains the cleaning tank 2 in a state where the lock pin 6a is fixed and maintained only in the direction opposite to the urging force of the lock pin spring 6c described above. Therefore, the geared motor 6 is unexpectedly energized due to a power failure or the like. When shut off, the lock pin 6a is released and the lock pin 6a is instantaneously returned to its original position by the urging force of the lock pin spring 6c. Therefore, even if the user tries to take out the tableware 10 stored in the washing tub 2 even during a power failure, the take-out operation can be performed without any change from the normal state.

  In addition, the dishwasher in the present embodiment is in operation, the display lamp 2d of the panel 2a is turned on while the washing tub 2 is stored in a predetermined position and is restrained, and is turned off when the restraint is released. And at the moment when the micro switch 5 detects the movement of the cleaning tank 2 from the restraining position, the control circuit 9 is configured to intermittently sound a notification sound from a buzzer (not shown) a plurality of times. is doing. This makes it possible for the user to realize a dishwasher that is obvious at a glance whether the washing tub 2 is constrained and that is not erroneously operated.

  It goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained even if the lighting of the display lamp 2d is blinked or the buzzer notification sound is continuous.

  As described above, in the dishwasher according to the present invention, even if the user opens the door vigorously, the ejection of water from the nozzle completely stops and the water jumps out of the washing tank and wets the surroundings. If the water is hot, it is highly safe so that it does not cause burns to the user and is useful not only for household dishwashers but also for business use. .

Schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dishwasher in Embodiment 1 of this invention Enlarged view of the locking means of the dishwasher Time chart showing the operation of the dishwasher Vertical section of a conventional dishwasher

Explanation of symbols

1 Washing machine body 2 Cleaning tank 2d Indicator lamp (notification means)
2e Opening 4 Washing nozzle 5 Micro switch (position detection means)
6 Geared motor (locking means)
8 Pump 9 Control circuit (control means)
9a Buzzer (notification means)
10 Tableware

Claims (4)

A washing machine body that opens forward, a washing tank that is movably installed in the washing machine body in the front-rear direction and has an opening in the upper part, and a position that detects whether or not the washing tank is in a predetermined storage position Detecting means; locking means for restraining movement of the cleaning tank; cleaning nozzle disposed in the cleaning tank; a pump for supplying water to the cleaning nozzle; A dishwasher comprising control means for controlling the lock means so as to release the restraint of the washing tank after a predetermined time from the end of the operation of the pump. 2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the lock means takes less time to release the restraint than the time required to restrain the washing tank. The dishwasher according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the energization is stopped while the washing tank is restrained by the lock means, the restraint is immediately released. The dishwasher of any one of Claims 1-3 provided with the alerting | reporting means which alert | reports the restraint state of the washing tank by a locking means.

Images