JP2011143042A - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a dishwasher determining the smallest amount of water with which air does not entrained in a pump of the dishwasher, and washing dishes with a necessary, enough amount of washing water. <P>SOLUTION: Water supply volume setting means 8 is provided that controls a water meter 10 based on the measurement result of light transmittance detecting means 6 to determine the minimum amount of water supplied with which bubbles in the washing water is reduced to or below a prescribed value and that sets the amount of the water supply for washing and rinsing steps based on the minimum amount of water supplied. The bubbles in clear water flowing in a circulation path 7 is measured by the light transmittance detecting means 6, the minimum amount of water supplied with which air entrainment does not occur is measured while supplying the amount measured with the water meter 10 from water supply means 11, and the amount of water supplied for each step is decided by the water supply volume setting means 8. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dishwasher for washing dishes stored in a washing tank.

  In a domestic dishwasher, water is supplied from a water supply source to a washing tub containing dishware, water is collected at the bottom of the washing tub, and the water is sucked by a washing pump and pumped to the washing nozzle. The tableware is washed and rinsed by injecting water into the tableware from the water injection holes provided in the table. The water hitting the dishes and the inner wall of the washing tank returns to the bottom of the washing tank, and after removing the leftovers and the like by the filter, it is sucked again by the pump and circulates in the washing tank. If the water level in the pump becomes low and bubbles are mixed in the circulating cleaning water, it becomes a state called air-engagement, and the operation sound of the pump becomes louder, or the bubbles interfere with the flow and sufficient cleaning performance is not secured. Such problems occur.

  In order to prevent the above problems, a bubble detection sensor that detects the degree of generation of bubbles of cleaning water during a washing operation or a rinsing operation is used. As a bubble detection sensor, a sensor that mainly detects a current component corresponding to the torque of the cleaning pump to detect a load state of the cleaning pump and determines a degree of generation of bubbles is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). ).

  Moreover, as a detection of the foam generated from a kitchen detergent, there exists what detects the foam generated in the washing tank from the transmittance | permeability of light by installing an optical sensor beside a washing tank (for example, refer patent document 2). .

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-6766 JP 2006-75192 A

  However, in the conventional bubble detection sensor that detects the current component of the cleaning pump and detects bubbles in the cleaning water from the load state of the cleaning pump, the fluctuation value of the load output of the cleaning pump is very small. There was a drawback that it was difficult to detect the occurrence of air bubbles and air bites.

  The bubble detection sensor using the optical sensor stores the light amount of light received by the light receiving element at a predetermined time as an initial value and compares it with the light amount of light received by the light receiving element at an arbitrary time. Thus, the degree of generation of bubbles in the cleaning tank is detected. However, this method has a problem that bubbles generated in the kitchen detergent can be detected, but bubbles and air bites in the washing water cannot be detected.

  Therefore, since there is no reliable bubble detection means, considering the installation condition of the dishwasher and the variation of the equipment, etc., operate under the condition that the excess water volume exceeding the optimum water volume is supplied and the air does not bite securely. The current situation is. Therefore, there is a problem with water saving of the dishwasher.

  The present invention solves the problems of the conventional dishwasher as described above, at the initial installation of the dishwasher, the minimum water supply amount that does not chew the air is determined from the state of bubbles in the water, the minimum water supply An object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher that saves extra water supply by determining the amount of circulating water in each washing step based on the amount.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a dishwasher according to the present invention includes a washing tank for washing an object to be washed, water supply means for supplying water into the washing tank, and water for measuring the amount of water provided in the water supply path. , A circulation path for circulating the wash water in the washing tank, a washing pump provided in the circulation path, a control means for controlling the water supply means and the washing pump by a signal from the water meter, and a circulation path A light transmittance detecting means for detecting the amount of bubbles generated in the washing water by measuring the light transmittance of the washing water in the inside, and controlling the water meter based on the measurement result of the light transmittance detecting means to There is provided a dishwasher provided with a water supply amount setting means for determining a minimum water supply amount at which bubbles are equal to or less than a predetermined value and setting a water supply amount for a washing and rinsing process based on the minimum water supply amount.

  By setting the additional water amount in each cleaning step based on the minimum supply water amount determined by the light transmittance detecting means, the optimum water amount that does not engage with air is determined, so that water saving can be realized.

  As described above, the dishwasher of the present invention can detect an accurate minimum supply water amount by performing water bubble detection with the light transmittance detection means, and can perform appropriate additional water supply for each cleaning process, thereby It is possible to realize a dishwasher operation that saves water while supplying an amount of water that can efficiently demonstrate its capacity.

Schematic diagram of a dishwasher in an embodiment of the present invention Block diagram of control means and the like in the embodiment of the present invention Schematic diagram of light transmittance detecting means in an embodiment of the present invention The flowchart which shows the determination process of the minimum water supply amount (liter) of the dishwasher in embodiment of this invention. The relationship between the process and water supply amount in the embodiment of the present invention is shown, (a) is a graph of the water supply amount set by the light transmittance detecting means, (b) is the water supply amount when the light transmittance detecting means is not used. Graph It is a signal output (volt) of a photosensor in the state where the washing pump in the embodiment of the present invention has caused air jamming, (a) is a graph showing analog data of output, (b) is A / D conversion data Graph showing It is a signal output (volt) of a photosensor in the state without air biting of a washing pump in an embodiment of the invention, (a) is a graph which shows analog data of an output, and (b) shows A / D conversion data. Graph Other flowchart which shows the determination process of the minimum water supply amount (liter) of the dishwasher in this Embodiment The graph showing the relationship between the amount of supplied water and the calculation level of sensor output in this Embodiment

The first invention circulates a cleaning tank for cleaning an object to be cleaned, a water supply means for supplying water into the cleaning tank, a water meter for measuring the amount of water supplied in the water supply path, and the cleaning water in the cleaning tank A circulation path, a washing pump provided in the circulation path, a control means for controlling the water supply means and the washing pump by a signal from the water meter, and a light transmittance of the washing water in the circulation path is measured. The light transmittance detecting means for detecting the amount of bubbles generated in the wash water, and the water meter is controlled based on the measurement result of the light transmittance detecting means to reduce the minimum water supply amount so that the bubbles in the wash water are below a predetermined value. And a water supply amount setting means for setting the water supply amount for the washing and rinsing process based on the minimum water supply amount, and by detecting water bubbles with the light transmittance detecting means, an accurate minimum water supply amount is provided. Can be grasped and appropriate additions are made for each cleaning process. By performing the water supply, the proper amount of water can exert the capability of the pump can be achieved efficient operation of the dishwasher to save water while supplying.

  In the second invention, particularly in the first invention, the water supply of each step by the water supply amount setting means is the pre-washing and main cleaning steps (minimum water supply amount + α0), and the rinsing one step (minimum water supply amount + α1). 2 steps are (minimum water supply + α2), heating rinse process is performed with minimum water supply and satisfying α0 ≧ α1> α2> 0. Optimal by increasing water according to each step It is possible to realize a proper pump operation.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, particularly in the first or second aspect of the invention, the determination step of the minimum water supply amount by the light transmittance detecting means is repeated every time the water is increased, and the difference in the calculated value from the previous time is a constant value. The amount of water supplied at the time when the amount of water is reduced is set to the minimum water supply amount, and the setting accuracy of the minimum water supply amount can be improved by comparing with the data at the time of the previous increase in water.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, the water supply amount setting means has a non-volatile memory unit that stores the minimum water supply amount. It is retained even if the power supply is stopped due to a power failure.

  According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, the water supply amount setting means further includes determination instruction means for instructing a determination operation of the minimum water supply amount. Since the setting of the amount can be instructed at any time, it is possible to quickly reset the minimum water supply amount when there is a change in the situation such as changing the installation location or the installation situation.

  In a sixth aspect of the present invention, in particular, in any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, the determination of the minimum water supply amount by the light transmittance detecting means is performed by using the output signal from the light transmittance detecting means for a certain time. The number is sampled, and the operation value is calculated by [Excluding maximum value of sampling value (average of multiple data from large size)-Excluding minimum value of sampling value (average of multiple data from small size)] Is the minimum water supply amount when the water supply is not more than a certain value, and the minimum water supply amount can be specified by repeating the increased water.

  In the seventh invention, in particular, in the first to sixth inventions, when the light transmittance in the first rinsing process is larger than a certain level, the second rinsing process is omitted after the first rinsing process, and the minimum water supply amount is obtained. The heat rinsing process is shifted to this, and further water saving can be achieved by omitting the process according to the determination of the light transmittance during rinsing.

  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)
In the following, the configuration of the portable device of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a dishwasher according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a washing tub 1 accommodates a tableware basket 2, a tableware basket 2 accommodates an object to be cleaned 3 such as tableware, and a washing nozzle 4 constituting a washing means at the bottom of the washing tub 1 is added by a washing pump 5. The pressurized washing water is sprayed onto the article to be washed 3. The light transmittance detecting means 6 is provided on the side wall of the circulation path 7 lower than the water level in the circulation path 7 when the cleaning pump 5 is operated, and measures the light transmittance of the washing water in the circulation path 7. . Based on the output of the water supply amount setting means 8 for determining the amount of bubbles generated in the wash water from the output signal from the light transmittance detection means 6, the control means 9 sets the water supply amount, and each step of washing and rinsing the dishwasher To control. Water is supplied to the cleaning tank 1 through the water supply means 11 while measuring the amount of water supplied by the water meter 10. The drainage means 12 drains the water in the cleaning tank 1.

  At the bottom of the cleaning tank 1, a heater is disposed as a heating means 13 so as to be positioned below the cleaning nozzle 4. In the washing tub 1, the tableware basket 2, which is a tableware placing body, is housed so as to be able to be put in and out, and is placed on the tableware basket 2. . The discharge port of the cleaning pump 5 communicates with the cleaning nozzle 4 and a water channel of another nozzle arm (not shown) through a circulation path 7 extending in the lateral direction. A circulation path 7 provided on the outer bottom of the washing tank 1 is connected to the suction port of the washing pump 4 and communicates with the washing tank 1 through a circulation port 15 to which a vegetable filter 14 is attached. On the other hand, although not shown, the suction port of the drainage means 11 is connected to the drainage port provided on the side wall of the circulation path 7 below the leftover filter 14, and the discharge port of the drainage means 12 is connected to the outside through the drainage hose. Communicating with

  When the cleaning pump 5 rotates forward with water stored in the bottom of the cleaning tank 1, the water sucked through the circulation port 15 is pumped to the cleaning nozzle 4 through the circulation path 7. And water spouts from the water injection hole provided in the upper surface of the washing nozzle 4, and the washing nozzle 4 rotates to a predetermined direction centering | focusing on a perpendicular | vertical axis | shaft with the water force. On the other hand, when the cleaning pump 5 is driven in the reverse direction, the cleaning pump 5 drains the water sucked through the drain port to the outside through the drain hose of the draining means 12.

  Between the washing pump 5 and the washing nozzle 4, a light transmittance detecting means 6 which is one of the features of the dishwasher of the present embodiment is attached. The light transmittance detecting means 6 is an optical sensor, and is composed of a light emitting element 16 and a light receiving element 17 which are attached to positions facing each other across the circulation path 7. For example, an infrared LED is used as the light-emitting element 16 and a photodiode is used as the light-receiving element 17, both of which are housed in a transparent mounting case and circulate through a seal member for ensuring confidentiality and water-sealing properties. It is attached to the wall surface of the path 7.

  Moreover, the opening / closing part 18 is configured such that the cleaning tank 1 into which the article to be cleaned 3 is placed appears by opening forward.

  Further, the opening / closing unit 18 displays a water-saving setting button 19 for instructing the setting of the minimum water supply amount, an operation start button 20 for instructing the start of the operation of the dishwasher, a non-volatile memory 21 for storing the minimum water supply amount, and the indication that the water-saving setting has been made. A water-saving indicator lamp 22 is installed.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the light transmittance detecting means 6 used in the present embodiment.

  The light-emitting element 16 and the light-receiving element 17 are arranged so that the optical axes of the light-emitting element 16 and the light-receiving element 17 are perpendicular to the flow of the cleaning water flowing in the circulation path 7. Install in the direction. By setting such a positional relationship, it is possible to detect the bubbles 23 in the washing water with high accuracy.

  Next, the operation of the present invention in the dishwasher shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a determination process of the minimum water supply amount (liter) of the dishwasher according to the present embodiment. The flow of processing in this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, when the opening / closing part 18 is opened forward, the cleaning tank 1 into which the article to be cleaned 3 is placed appears (step 1). A clean, unclean object to be cleaned 3 is put from the upper portion of the opening 18 of the cleaning tank 1 or is stored in the tableware basket 2 without the object to be cleaned 3 (step 2). At this time, the inside of the cleaning tank 1 is in a clean state, and even if the cleaning water is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 4, the cleaning water is not contaminated. When the object to be cleaned 3 is stored, the opening / closing part 18 is put in the back and the cleaning tank 1 is closed (step 3). Next, when the user presses the water-saving setting button 19 installed on the opening / closing part 18, 2 liters of initial washing water measured by the water meter 10 is supplied from the water supply means 11 (step 4). The cleaning pump 5 is operated using the cleaning water considered to be small (step 5), and the air biting of the cleaning pump 5 is confirmed. At this time, when the current flowing through the photodiode of the optical sensor is measured as the voltage across the constant resistance, the air biting state can be grasped from the time change of the output voltage. If the sensor output is checked and it is determined that the air is not occluded (step 6), the cleaning pump is stopped (step 7), and the water supply amount at that time is determined as the minimum water supply amount and stored (step 8) Then, the fact that the flooding mode has been set is displayed on the opening / closing section (step 9), and the next work is started.

  Based on this minimum water supply amount, the water supply amount setting means 9 determines the water supply amount in each process from pre-washing, main washing, and rinsing. On the other hand, if the sensor output is checked and it is determined that NG, that is, air is engaged, the operation of the cleaning pump is stopped (step 10), and additional cleaning water is additionally supplied from the water supply means 11 to the cleaning tank 1 (step 11). ), Return to step 5 to perform air biting determination.

  Even when the power supply is turned off by writing the minimum water supply amount into the non-volatile memory 20 of the water supply amount determination means 8 determined above, the set water amount is stored, and this determination process must be repeated the next time the power is turned on. If the operation start button 21 is pressed, the operation is performed with the supply water amount set in the above procedure. In addition, by pressing the water saving setting button 19 for instructing the minimum water supply amount setting, the above process can be executed at any time, for example, when the installation conditions change due to installation, relocation, etc. It is possible to set the optimal amount of water for the installation conditions.

  Further, the fact that the water saving setting has been made is configured to be displayed by the water saving display lamp 22 in which the opening / closing part 18 is installed.

  FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the process and the water supply amount, FIG. 5 (a) is a water supply amount set by the light transmittance detecting means 6, and FIG. 5 (b) is a graph when the light transmittance detecting means 6 is not used. .

  In FIG. 5A, the minimum water supply amount (liter) determined by the method shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 from the signal of the light transmittance detecting means 6 is A (liter). Since the light transmittance at the time of heating rinsing is close to that of fresh water, the water supply amount A (liter) is set so as not to chew air by heating rinsing. Rinse 2 has a light transmittance smaller than that of the heating rinse, and more dirt than that of the heating rinse. Therefore, the amount of water that is not air-engaged is set to A + α2 (liter), which is α2 liters greater than that of the heating rinse. Similarly, since the light transmittance is smaller in the rinse 1 than in the heat rinse and the dirt is larger than that in the heat rinse, the amount of water that is not air-engaged is set to A + α1 (liter), which is α1 liter more than the heat rinse. In the pre-washing and the main washing, the light transmittance is less than Rinse 1 and a detergent foam is included, so that A + α0 (liter) is larger than that in the heating rinse.

  The amount of water supplied for rinsing 1 is A + α1 (liter), and the amount of water supplied for pre-washing and main washing is A + α0 (liter). Here, α0 ≧ α1> α2> 0. The values of the additional water amounts such as α0, α1, and α2 are determined by actually operating the dishwasher, and the control means 9 supplies the minimum water supply amount A (liter) with an additional instruction in each step.

Here, although α0 ≧ α1>α2> 0, the magnitude relationship is caused by the state of the cleaning water in each step. That is, in the pre-washing and main-washing conditions, the dish water and detergent bubbles are contained in the washing water, so the water adhering to the dishes adheres and the amount of circulating water decreases, or the water level decreases due to the generation of bubbles by the detergent. As a result, the pump is likely to cause air biting. Therefore, in the pre-washing and main-washing processes, the water amount A + α0 (liter) is set to be larger than that in the other processes in order for the pump to fully exhibit its performance. As the process progresses, the amount of dirt and detergent bubbles, which are factors that impede pump performance, will decrease. Therefore, the amount of water in the first rinsing step is A + α1 (liter), the amount of water in the second rinsing step is A + α2 (liter), and the water supply amount is gradually reduced. Therefore, the amount of water in the heating rinsing step is A (liter) (α0 ≧ α1> α2). When α0 = α1 is a cleaning method in which detergent bubbles remain in one rinsing step, the rinsing one step is also washed with the same amount of water as the main washing.

  FIG. 5 (b) shows a set value B (liter) of the water supply amount set assuming the worst value of the variation of equipment and installation conditions without using the light transmittance detecting means 6, and taking the conditions into consideration, When trying to obtain the theoretical amount of water that does not chew air, a large margin value must be taken. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the minimum water supply amount A (liter) is determined using the light transmittance detecting means 6, and the required water amount is determined for each dishwasher in each household. The difference between FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B in each step corresponds to the amount of water saved in one step of the dishwasher, and a large water resource can be saved.

  Thus, the method of detecting the air biting by the light transmittance detecting means 6 and setting the minimum water supply amount A (liter) leads to large water saving. Next, the method of air biting judgment will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a signal output (volt) of the optical sensor when the cleaning pump 5 is engaged with air (that is, in a state where bubbles are generated in the cleaning water), and FIG. 6A is analog data of the output, FIG. 6 (b) is a graph showing A / D conversion data. The cleaning pump operates during (1) to (2), and collects air biting determination data during that time.

  For example, an LED emitting an infrared ray having a wavelength of 1 micron is used as the light emitting element 16, and the intensity of light emitted from the LED is detected by the light receiving element 17 facing the LED. When the amount of the washing water is 2 liters, the washing pump 5 causes air biting, and an output as shown in FIG. 6A is obtained. FIG. 6 (b) shows the time series of 16 signals obtained by A / D converting 16 signals into the microcomputer of the water supply amount setting means 8 at intervals of 1 second.

  FIG. 7 is a signal output (volt) of the optical sensor in which the cleaning pump 5 is not engaged with air (that is, in a state where bubbles are not generated in the cleaning water), and FIG. 7A is analog data of the output, FIG. (B) is a graph showing A / D conversion data.

  When the amount of washing water is increased by 1 liter to 3 liters, the washing pump 5 does not cause air biting, so that an output as shown in FIG. 7A is obtained. FIG. 7 (b) shows the time series of 16 signals obtained by A / D converting 16 signals into the microcomputer of the water supply amount setting means 8 at intervals of 1 second.

The sensor output check (step 6) in FIG. 4 performs the calculation of the data fetched into the microcomputer of the water supply amount setting means 8. When air biting occurs, the variation width value of the digital data increases, but bubbles are generated randomly. For example, if the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the data is considered as the variation width value, the variation in the collected data is large. Therefore, when the 16 A / D conversion data in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7B are processed, first, the acquired data is rearranged from the minimum to the maximum, and the maximum value and the minimum value are reduced. And the average value of the top three data (hereinafter referred to as the large average) and the average value of the bottom three data (hereinafter referred to as the small average) are obtained. Then, the calculation result of the large average-small average is defined as (bubble width), and the determination is performed considering (bubble width) as the sensor output (step 6 in FIG. 4). Thus, the accuracy of repetition is improved by determining the bubble biting by (the width of the bubble).

  Moreover, FIG. 8 is another flowchart which shows the determination process of the minimum water supply amount (liter) of the dishwasher in connection with this Embodiment. The difference with FIG. 4 is a point which repeats a calculation and additional water (additional water supply amount), and determines that the time when the difference with the last value becomes smaller than a fixed value is the minimum water supply amount.

  First, when the opening / closing part 18 is opened forward, the cleaning tank 1 into which the article to be cleaned 3 is placed appears (step 1). A clean article 3 is placed from above the opening 18 of the washing tank 1 and stored in the tableware basket 2 (step 2). When the object to be cleaned 3 is stored, the opening / closing part 18 is put in the back and the cleaning tank 1 is closed (step 3). Next, when the water saving setting button 19 is pressed by the user, 2 liters of the initial washing water measured by the water meter 10 is supplied from the water supply means 11 (step 4). The cleaning pump 5 is operated using the cleaning water considered to be small (step 5), and the air biting of the cleaning pump 5 is confirmed. Check the sensor output (step 6) and determine whether it is the first time (step 7). If it is the first time, add the wash water as the previous output (step 8) and add wash water (step 9), Returning to step 6, the sensor output tick is performed. If it is not the first time, the absolute value of the difference between the previous output and the sensor output is obtained (step 10), and it is determined whether the difference is 10 (threshold) or less (step 11). If the difference is not less than 10, return to step 8. If the difference is 10 or less (the fact that there is no difference even if water is added is determined that the air is not engaged), the cleaning pump is stopped (step 12), and at that time The water supply amount is determined as the minimum water supply amount (step 13), the fact that the water saving mode has been set is displayed (step 14), and the next work is started.

  Based on this minimum water supply amount, the water supply amount in each process from pre-washing, main washing, and rinsing is determined by the water supply amount setting means 8.

  If the minimum water supply amount is determined by the procedure for determining the amount of water that does not chew air based on the difference in optical sensor output while adding wash water as described above, the machine difference of the dishwasher will be less than when the minimum water supply amount is determined by the absolute value of the sensor output. Since it can be ignored, the minimum water supply amount can be determined accurately.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the average value of the A / D knitting detection of the output of the light transmittance detecting means 6 represents the degree of dirt (turbidity) in the washing water. If the control means 9 controls the dishwasher so as to proceed to the heating and rinsing step, the water supply amount of A + α2 (liter) of the rinsing 2 is reduced. It can save water. This is the case when the dishes are relatively dirty, but it is possible to further save water and save electricity.

  FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of supplied water and the calculation level of sensor output.

  As the amount of supplied water increases, the generation of bubbles decreases, and the calculation level becomes almost constant when the amount of supplied water exceeds a certain amount. Here, A is the minimum supply amount obtained based on the sensor output without air biting, and B is the amount of water supply without air biting set by assuming the worst values of device variations and installation conditions without using the sensor. (B-A) (liter) in FIG. 9 corresponds to the amount of water saved in the heating step in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the output of the light transmittance detecting means 6 that can detect the air biting of the pump from the amount of bubbles of the washing water in the washing tank at the time of fresh water and the water supply amount setting means Since the amount of water that does not cause air bite (minimum water supply amount) is obtained and the water supply amount of each process is set, washing and rinsing can be performed with the optimum water amount, which is effective for household dishwashers.

  Thus, according to this structure, it becomes possible to utilize for water-saving uses, such as an industrial dishwasher.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing tank 2 Tableware basket 3 To-be-washed object 4 Washing nozzle 5 Washing pump 6 Light transmittance detection means 7 Circulation path 8 Water supply amount setting means 9 Control means 10 Metering device 11 Water supply means 12 Drainage means 13 Heating means 15 Circulation port 16 Light emitting element 17 Light receiving element 18 Opening / closing part 19 Water saving setting button 20 Operation start button 21 Non-volatile memory 22 Water saving display lamp

Claims (7)

A cleaning tank for cleaning the object to be cleaned, a water supply means for supplying water into the cleaning tank, a water meter for measuring the amount of water supplied in the water supply path, and a circulating water for circulating the cleaning water in the cleaning tank A circulation path, a washing pump provided in the circulation path, a control means for controlling the water supply means and the washing pump according to a signal from the water meter, and a light transmittance of the washing water in the circulation path. The light transmittance detecting means for measuring and detecting the amount of bubbles generated in the washing water, and the water meter is controlled based on the measurement result of the light transmittance detecting means to reduce the bubbles in the washing water to a predetermined value or less. A dishwasher comprising: a water supply amount setting means for determining a minimum water supply amount and setting a water supply amount for a washing and rinsing process based on the minimum water supply amount. The water supply in each step by the water supply amount setting means is pre-washing and main cleaning step (minimum water supply amount + α0), one rinse step (minimum water supply amount + α1), two rinse steps (minimum water supply amount + α2), and heating rinse The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the process is performed so as to satisfy a minimum amount of water supply and satisfy α0 ≧ α1> α2> 0. The determination step of the minimum water supply amount by the light transmittance detecting means is repeated every time when water is increased, and the supply water amount at the time when the difference of the calculated value from the previous time is less than a certain value is referred to as the minimum water supply amount. The dishwasher according to claim 1 or 2. The dishwasher according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water supply amount setting means includes a nonvolatile memory unit that stores the minimum water supply amount. The dishwasher according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising determination instruction means for instructing a determination operation of the minimum water supply amount by the water supply amount setting means. The determination of the minimum water supply amount by the light transmittance detecting means is performed by sampling a certain number of output signals from the light transmittance detecting means for a certain period of time. The average of data) minus the minimum value of sampling values (average of a plurality of small values)] is calculated, and the amount of water supplied when the calculated value is equal to or less than a certain value is set as the minimum water supply amount. 6. The dishwasher according to any one of 5 above. When the light transmittance in the process of the said rinse 1 is larger than a fixed level, the said 2 rinse process is abbreviate | omitted after completion | finish of the said 1 rinse process, and it transfers to the heating rinse process with the said minimum water supply amount. 6. The dishwasher according to any one of 6 above.