JP2020010728A - Dish dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a dish dryer capable of performing alleviation of odor, sterilization, etc. in an ion introduction operation, and capable of drying objects to be washed in a short time in a drying process.SOLUTION: A dish dryer includes: a washing tank 2 which is a storage for storing objects 8 to be washed; a drying part for drying the objects 8 to be washed, which includes a blower fan 13; an electrostatic atomizing device 18, which is an ion generation unit for generating charged fine particle water or ions; the blower fan 13, which is an ion introduction device for supplying the charged fine particle water or ions generated by the electrostatic atomizing device 18 to the inside of the washing tank 2 by an air blast; and a control unit 17 for executing a drying process and an ion introduction operation. The control unit 17 differentiates the air flows of the blower fan 13 in the ion introduction operation and the drying process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a dish dryer. In particular, the present invention relates to a dish dryer provided with a device for removing bacteria from the object to be washed and the inner surface of the washing tank.

  2. Description of the Related Art A dishwasher having an ion generator for removing bacteria and deodorizing an object to be washed and an inner surface of a washing tank and having a drying function has been conventionally proposed.

  The configuration and operation of a conventional dishwasher will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 (for example, see Patent Document 1). FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a dishwasher provided with a conventional ion generating unit. FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a conventional electrostatic atomizing device (ion generator) of a dishwasher provided with an ion generator.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a washing tank 102 is provided inside a dishwasher main body 101. An object to be washed 108 such as tableware is stored inside the washing tank 102 and washed with washing water sprayed from a washing nozzle 107. Water or hot water is supplied as cleaning water into the cleaning tank 102 by a water supply valve (not shown). A drain hole 104 is provided at the bottom of the cleaning tank 102. A cleaning pump 105 is attached in communication with the drain hole 104. The cleaning water is circulated inside the cleaning tank 102 by the cleaning pump 105. The drain hole 104 is provided with a residue filter 106 for collecting the residue contained in the washing water.

  In the above configuration, when the cleaning pump 105 is driven, the cleaning water supplied into the cleaning tank 102 passes through the residue filter 106 and is sucked into the cleaning pump 105. Is supplied to the cleaning nozzle 107 provided in the printer. The cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 107 circulates along a path that returns to the drain hole 104 after cleaning the object to be cleaned 108. At this time, the remnants and the like that have dropped off from the object to be cleaned 108 flow into the remnant filter 106 together with the cleaning water. Residues of a size that cannot pass through the residue filter 106 are collected by the residue filter 106.

  A heater 109 for heating washing water is provided between the washing nozzle 107 and the bottom of the washing tank 102. Above the cleaning nozzle 107, there is provided a tableware basket 110 configured to arrange the objects to be cleaned 108 in an orderly manner. Further, the drain pump 111 discharges the washing water in the washing tank 102 to the outside of the machine through the drain hose 112.

  A drying unit is provided inside the dishwasher main body 101. The drying unit sends warm air into the cleaning tank 102 to dry the object 108 to be cleaned. The drying unit is configured such that a blower fan 113 and a heater 116 are provided in an air passage 115. When the blower fan 113 is driven, the air in the cleaning tank 102 is heated by the heater 116 for drying and then sent into the cleaning tank 102 again to accelerate the drying of the object 108 to be cleaned.

  The control unit 117 is provided inside the dishwasher main body 101. The control unit 117 controls the electric components such as the water supply valve, the cleaning pump 105, the drain pump 111, the heater 109, the blower fan 113, and the heater 116 to execute a washing step, a rinsing step, and a drying step. An operation unit (not shown) is provided on the front of the dishwasher main body 101. The user selects a driving course or the like using the operation unit.

  Further, an ion generator 118 is provided on the inner top surface of the cleaning tank 102. The ion generator 118 generates ion particles to remove bacteria and deodorize the object to be cleaned 108 and the inner surface of the cleaning tank 102.

  The dishwasher described in Patent Literature 1 is provided with an electrostatic atomizer as the ion generator 118. Before the washing process, the dishwasher starts operation of the electrostatic atomizer, discharges the charged fine particle water generated by the electrostatic atomizer, and attaches the water to the object 108 to be cleaned before cleaning. Cleaning is performed to improve the cleaning performance.

  The configuration and operation of the electrostatic atomizer (ion generator 118) in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The electrostatic atomizer (ion generation unit 118) cools the moisture in the air by a cooling unit 118a including a Peltier unit or the like to generate dew water. Then, the generated dew water is supplied to the discharge electrode 118b. When a high voltage is applied between the discharge electrode 118b and the counter electrode 118c in a state where the dew water is supplied to the discharge electrode 118b, the dew water at the tip of the discharge electrode 118b has a large energy (high density). Due to the repulsion of the electric charge), a large amount of negatively charged nanometer-sized charged fine particle water is generated and released to the outside of the electrostatic atomizer (ion generator 118), that is, to the inside of the cleaning tank 102.

  Further, a configuration in which an ion generator is provided as the ion generator 118 like another conventional dishwasher / dryer has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2). The ion generator supplies the generated ions to the cleaning tank 102 to remove bacteria and deodorize the object to be cleaned 108 and the inner surface of the cleaning tank 102.

JP 2008-237439 A JP 2004-351012 A

  However, the dishwasher described in Patent Literature 1 has a simple configuration in which the electrostatic atomizer (the ion generator 118) is provided on the top surface inside the cleaning tank 102. That is, there is no contrivance to make the charged fine particle water generated by the electrostatic atomizer (the ion generation unit 118) spread throughout the cleaning tank 2. Therefore, the charged fine particle water does not sufficiently spread to all the objects to be cleaned 108 housed in the cleaning tank 102 and all the inner surfaces of the cleaning tank 102, and there is a problem that a case where sterilization and deodorization become insufficient occurs. Have. In addition, the generation of charged particulate water and its supply to the cleaning tank 102 are easily affected by the environment in the cleaning tank 102, the amount of charged particulate water generated is not stable, and it is difficult to control the concentration of the generated charged particulate water. The problem is that

  In order to solve the conventional problems, a dish dryer according to the present invention includes a storage unit that stores an object to be washed, a drying unit that includes a blower and dries the object to be washed, and charged water or ions. An ion generator for generating, an ion introducing device for supplying charged fine particle water or ions generated by the ion generating unit to the storage by blowing air, and a control unit for performing a drying step and an ion introducing operation, The control unit executes the flow by making the air volume in the ion introduction operation different from the air volume in the drying step.

With this configuration, in the ion introduction operation and the drying process, by performing the respective processes with appropriate air flows different from each other, in the ion introduction operation, the charged fine particle water or ions are generated in a stable state, and all over the cleaning tank. Supply, alleviate odor and eliminate bacteria. In the drying step, the object to be cleaned can be dried in a short time.

  The tableware dryer of the present invention, in the iontophoresis operation, generates charged fine particle water or ions in a stable state, supplies all over the washing tank, can alleviate odor, remove bacteria, etc. Can dry the object to be cleaned in a short time.

Side sectional view of the dishwasher according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Sectional view of main part of introduction air path of dishwasher in the present embodiment The figure which shows the sequence at the time of collective washing course operation of the dishwasher in this Embodiment Timing chart showing the operation of the ion introduction operation of the dishwasher in the present embodiment Side sectional view of a dishwasher equipped with a conventional ion generator Detailed view of a conventional dishwasher electrostatic atomizer (ion generator) with an ion generator

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dish dryer including: a storage for storing an object to be washed; a drying unit including a blower for drying the object to be washed; an ion generator for generating charged fine particle water or ions; An ion introduction device that supplies charged fine particle water or ions generated by the generation unit to the storage by blowing air, and a control unit that performs a drying step and an ion introduction operation, wherein the control unit performs the ion introduction operation. The process is performed by changing the air volume and the air volume in the drying step.

  With this configuration, in the ion introduction operation and the drying step, by performing the respective processes at appropriate different airflows, in the ion introduction operation, the charged fine particle water or ions are generated in a stable state, and all over the cleaning tank. Supply, alleviate odor and eliminate bacteria. In the drying step, the object to be cleaned can be dried in a short time.

  In a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the ion generating section includes a cooling section, and the control section controls the ion introducing section after a predetermined time has elapsed after operating the ion generating section. Is to operate. With this configuration, the ion generation unit rapidly cools the cooling unit to accelerate the generation of dew condensation water, and can generate charged fine particle water in a short time.

  In a third invention, in particular, in the first or second invention, the control section operates the ion generation section continuously or intermittently in the ion introduction operation. With this configuration, it is possible to balance the performance and the life of the device of the ion generator in operation, maintain the performance, and operate the device for a long life.

  In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the iontophoresis device is provided with a blowing device included in the drying unit, and the control unit is configured to perform the iontophoresis operation. In the drying step, the process is performed by changing the air volume of the blower. With this configuration, since the charged fine particle water or ions are also used as the drying blower and supplied into the cleaning tank, a dedicated blower or air path from the ion generator to the cleaning tank is not required. An inexpensive dishwasher can be provided.

In addition, in the ion introduction operation and the drying process, by performing the process with an appropriate air flow that is different from each other, in the ion introduction operation, the charged fine particle water or ions are generated in a stable state, and the water is reliably delivered to all positions in the cleaning tank. To alleviate odors and eliminate bacteria. In the drying step, the object to be cleaned can be dried in a short time.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a blower detection unit for detecting a flow rate of the iontophoresis device, wherein the control unit determines at least a detection result of the blower detection unit. It controls one of the ion introduction device and the ion generator. With this configuration, the control unit can appropriately control the concentration of the charged fine particle water to be supplied into the cleaning tank, thereby alleviating the odor and removing bacteria.

  Hereinafter, a dishwasher having a drying function will be described as an embodiment of a dishdryer according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, a dishwasher according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a dishwasher according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an introduction air passage of the dishwasher according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a washing tank 2 is provided inside a main body 1 of a dishwasher. The washing tank 2 corresponds to a storage if it is a dish dryer. An object to be washed 8 such as tableware is stored in the washing tank 2 and washed with washing water jetted from a washing nozzle 7 which is a washing section. Water or hot water is supplied as washing water into the washing tank 2 from the water supply unit 3. A drain hole 4 is provided at the bottom of the washing tank 2. A cleaning pump 5 is attached so as to communicate with the drain hole 4. The cleaning pump 5 is configured to circulate the cleaning water inside the cleaning tank 2. The drain hole 4 is provided with a residue filter 6 for collecting the residue contained in the washing water.

  When the cleaning pump 5 is driven, the cleaning water supplied into the cleaning tank 2 passes through the residue filter 6 and is sucked into the cleaning pump 5. Then, the water is supplied to the cleaning nozzle 7 provided at the inner bottom of the cleaning tank 2 by the cleaning pump 5. The cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 7 circulates along a route of returning to the drain hole 4 after cleaning the object 8 to be cleaned. At this time, the remnants and the like that have dropped off from the object to be cleaned 8 flow into the remnant filter 6 together with the cleaning water. Residues of a size that cannot pass through the residue filter 6 are collected by the residue filter 6.

  A cleaning water heater 9 for heating the cleaning water is provided between the cleaning nozzle 7 and the bottom of the cleaning tank 2. Above the cleaning nozzle 7, a tableware basket 10 configured to arrange the objects 8 to be cleaned in an orderly manner is installed. The drain pump 11 discharges the washing water in the washing tank 2 to the outside of the machine through the drain hose 12.

  A drying unit is provided inside the main body 1. The drying unit sends warm air to the cleaning tank 2 to dry the object 8 to be cleaned. The drying section is configured such that a blower fan 13 as a blower and a heater 16 for heating air are provided in an air passage 20. One end of the air passage 20 communicates with the cleaning tank 2, and the other end communicates with the outside of the main body 1 through the outside air inlet 14. A filter 15 is provided at the outside air inlet 14. The filter 15 collects dust and the like contained in the outside air, and keeps the air taken into the air passage 20 from the outside air suction port 14 clean.

When the blower fan 13 is driven, the air from which dust and the like have been removed by the filter 15 is taken into the air passage 20 from the outside air inlet 14. The air taken into the air passage 20 is heated by the heater 16 and then sent into the cleaning tank 2 to be used for drying the object to be cleaned 8 and the cleaning tank 2. In this way, the air containing moisture in the cleaning tank 2 is discharged from the exhaust port (not shown). In addition, the drying unit may include a dehumidifying unit, and the drying air may be configured to circulate between the cleaning tank 2 and the dehumidifying unit.

  The control unit 17 is provided inside the main body 1. The control unit 17 controls electrical components such as the water supply unit 3, the cleaning pump 5, the drain pump 11, the cleaning water heater 9, the blower fan 13, and the heater 16 to perform a preliminary cleaning step, a main cleaning step, a rinsing step, and a drying step. Execute An operation unit (not shown) is provided on the front surface of the main body 1. The user sets the driving course and the like using the operation unit.

  Further, an electrostatic atomizer 18 is provided in the air passage 20 (introduction air passage) as an ion generation unit. The electrostatic atomizer 18 generates negatively charged nanometer-sized charged fine particle water. The generated charged fine particle water is mixed with air sent into the cleaning tank 2 through the air passage 20 by the blowing fan 13 as a blowing device and supplied to the cleaning tank 2, and the cleaning object 8 and the cleaning tank 2 are cleaned. Performs sanitization and deodorization of the inner surface. In the present embodiment, the iontophoresis device includes an electrostatic atomizer 18 (ion generator), a blower fan 13 also serving as a drying unit, and an air passage 20. With this configuration, a dedicated blower and an air path from the ion generator to the cleaning tank 2 are required by using the blowing fan 13 for drying and supplying charged fine particle water or ions into the cleaning tank 2. Therefore, an inexpensive dishwasher can be provided.

  Note that the ion introduction device and the drying unit may separately configure a blower and an air passage. With this configuration, the control unit 17 can control each blower individually and more accurately.

  The electrostatic atomizer 18 is disposed in the air passage 20 downstream of the blower fan 13. The heater 16 is provided in an air passage 20 downstream of the electrostatic atomizer 18. The filter 15 is provided at the outside air suction port 14. The filter 15 may be disposed at any position as long as it is in the air passage 20 on the upstream side of the electrostatic atomizer 18.

  Further, an air blowing detection unit 23 that detects an air volume may be provided in the air path 20 on the downstream side of the heater 16. Note that the blower detection unit 23 is not limited to the airflow meter that directly detects the airflow, but may be configured to detect the wind speed to estimate the airflow, or to detect the temperature downstream of the heater 16 to generate heat from the heater 16. On the other hand, a configuration in which the air volume is estimated from the cooling rate may be used.

  Next, the configuration and operation of the air path of the dishwasher according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the air passage 20 includes a main air passage 20 a and a sub air passage 20 b that is provided in parallel with a part of the main air passage 20 a, which is branched from the main air passage 20 a. The electrostatic atomizer 18 is arranged in the sub air passage 20b. The sub air path 20b is configured such that a part of the air taken into the air path 20 by the blower fan 13 branches from the main air path 20a to the sub air path 20b, passes through the electrostatic atomizing device 18, and then enters the main air path 20a. It is configured to join.

  The sub air passage 20b is configured such that the cross-sectional area of the air passage is smaller than the main air passage 20a by a predetermined ratio. Accordingly, the amount of air passing through the sub air passage 20b decreases, and the flow velocity of the wind passing through the electrostatic atomizing device 18 becomes smaller than the flow velocity of the wind passing through the main air passage 20a.

At a junction 20c that returns from the sub air passage 20b to the main air passage 20a, a wall surface 22 is provided so as to protrude into the main air passage 20a. The wall surface 22 is formed to incline to the downstream side on the upstream side of the junction 20c. That is, the blower fan 13 side of the junction 20c is covered by the wall surface 22, and the cleaning tank 2 side is opened. Due to the wall surface 22, the main air passage 20a is configured to be locally narrow at this portion.

  The electrostatic atomizer 18 has the same configuration as the electrostatic atomizer (ion generator 118) described in the conventional example. Therefore, the electrostatic atomizer 18 will be described with reference to FIG. The electrostatic atomizer 18 (ion generator) cools the moisture in the air by a cooling unit 18a composed of a Peltier unit or the like to generate dew water. Then, the generated dew water is supplied to the discharge electrode 18b. Note that the discharge electrode 18b may be cooled so as to be directly condensed on the discharge electrode 18b.

  When a high voltage is applied between the discharge electrode 18b and the counter electrode 18c in a state where the dew water is supplied to the discharge electrode 18b, the dew water at the tip portion has a large energy (the repulsive force of the high-density charge). ), Negatively charged nanometer-sized charged fine particle water is generated and released. The discharged charged fine particle water is introduced into the cleaning tank 2 from the sub air passage 20b through the main air passage 20a.

  The operation and operation of the dishwasher configured as described above when the electrostatic atomizer 18 is operated and the object to be cleaned is washed using the generated charged fine particle water will be described.

  When the blower fan 13 is operated, outside air is taken into the main body 1 from the outside air suction port 14. The taken outside air passes through the filter 15 to remove dust and the like, and then passes through the air passage 20 and is introduced into the cleaning tank 2. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent dust and the like from adhering to the discharge electrode 18b and the counter electrode 18c of the electrostatic atomizing device 18, and to stabilize the generation of charged fine particle water or ions.

  At this time, the sub-airway 20b branched from the main airway 20a has a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the main airway 20a. Therefore, a small amount of air flows through the sub air passage 20b with respect to the air flowing through the main air passage 20a. Then, the flow velocity of the wind flowing through the sub wind path 20b is smaller than the flow velocity of the wind flowing through the main wind path 20a. The wind flowing through the sub air passage 20b passes through the electrostatic atomizer 18 arranged in the sub air passage 20b.

  As described above, by reducing the flow rate of the air passing through the electrostatic atomizing device 18, when the electrostatic atomizing device 18 is operated, the dew condensation water generated by the cooling unit 18a such as a Peltier unit causes the dew condensation water to generate wind. Can be prevented from being generated properly due to the influence of Further, by adjusting the speed of the wind passing through the electrostatic atomizing device 18 by the branch configuration of the main and sub air paths, the supply of the generated dew water to the discharge electrode 18b can be stabilized.

  It should be noted that the odor can be alleviated, the propagation of various bacteria can be suppressed, and the bacteria can be eliminated by securely attaching the charged particulate water or ions to all the objects 8 to be cleaned set in the cleaning tank 2 and the entire inner surface of the cleaning tank 2. Can be made. In order to ensure that the effect is exerted, it is desirable to generate a predetermined amount of charged fine particle water or ions.

  Next, a drying process and an ion introduction operation of the object to be washed in the dishwasher will be described. In the present description, the object to be washed is referred to as tableware.

The drying of dishes requires the amount of heat required to dry the dishes and the efficient evaporation of water by the wind flowing over the dishes. Therefore, a relatively large air volume is required during drying. In the ion introduction operation, before the main washing step or after the drying step, charged fine particle water or ions are supplied to the washing tank 2 for deodorization and sterilization, and the air volume required for the drying step is unnecessary. That is, because of the relatively low wind speed required for the ion introduction operation by the ion generating unit such as the electrostatic atomizing device 18, reducing the total air volume is not useful for drying the dishes. As a countermeasure, it is conceivable to provide a dedicated fan for the electrostatic atomizer 18. However, providing a dedicated fan for the electrostatic atomizer 18 separately from the blower fan 13 reduces the internal volume of the cleaning tank 2, complicates the operation of the control unit 17, and makes the dishwasher expensive. It is not a good idea.

  As described above, it is desirable that the control unit 17 executes the ion introduction operation and the drying process while changing the air volume. The dishwasher in the present embodiment is configured to change and control the air flow so as to use an appropriate air flow in each of these operations. That is, the control unit 17 controls the air flow to be suitable for generating the charged fine particle water in the electrostatic atomizer 18 during the ion introduction operation, and controls the tableware to exhibit the drying performance in the drying process. Thereby, in the ion introduction operation, the charged fine particle water or ions are generated in a stable state, and are reliably supplied to all positions in the cleaning tank, so that the odor can be alleviated and the bacteria can be eliminated. In the drying step, the tableware can be dried in a short time.

  In the dishwasher according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, in air path 20, sub air path 20b is branched from main air path 20a and provided in parallel with main air path 20a. The electrostatic atomizer 18 is disposed in the sub air passage 20b. The control unit 17 controls the blower fan 13 so that the air flow becomes suitable for the ion introduction operation by the electrostatic atomizer 18. With this configuration, a predetermined amount of air is branched and passes through the electrostatic atomizing device 18 in the sub air passage 20b. Then, the air containing the charged fine particle water joins the main air passage 20a, and is supplied into the cleaning tank 2 on the air having a high flow velocity flowing through the main air passage 20a. Thus, the electrostatic atomizer 18 can sufficiently generate the charged fine particle water, and the blower fan 13 can reliably supply the generated charged fine particle water into the cleaning tank 2.

  At a junction 20c that returns from the sub air passage 20b to the main air passage 20a, a wall surface 22 that is closed toward the blower fan 13, is opened toward the cleaning tank 2 side, and is tilted downstream is provided. Thus, the main air passage 20a is configured such that the cross-sectional area is locally narrowed at the junction 20c that returns from the sub air passage 20b to the main air passage 20a. With this configuration, even when a pressure loss occurs in the main air passage 20a ahead to the cleaning tank 2 side, the Venturi effect is generated by the flow of air having a large flow rate in the main air passage 20a and a high flow velocity, so that the sub air passage is generated. The air of 20b is sucked. This can prevent the air in the sub air passage 20 b from flowing backward in the direction of the electrostatic atomizer 18, and can stably supply the charged fine particle water into the cleaning tank 2.

  At the time of the ion introduction operation by the electrostatic atomizing device 18, the electrostatic atomizing device 18 is disposed downstream of the electrostatic atomizing device 18 in the main air passage 20a downstream of the junction 20c returning from the sub air passage 20b to the main air passage 20a. The provided drying heater 16 is not operated. Thereby, the state of the charged fine particle water generated by the electrostatic atomizer 18 can be stably maintained.

  Further, on the downstream side of the electrostatic atomizer 18, an air blowing detection unit 23 for detecting the air volume is provided. The control unit 17 measures the amount of air passing through the air path 20 based on the detection result of the air blowing detection unit 23. The control unit 17 controls the blower fan 13 so that a predetermined air volume is obtained particularly in the ion introduction operation. Alternatively, the control unit 17 controls the electrostatic atomizing device 18 so as to have a predetermined ion concentration in the ion introduction operation. Thereby, the concentration of the charged fine particle water supplied into the cleaning tank 2 can be appropriately controlled, and the odor can be alleviated and the bacteria can be eliminated.

  In addition, as a method of adjusting the concentration of the charged fine particle water supplied into the cleaning tank 2, the generation amount of the electrostatic atomizer 18 may be changed with respect to the air volume of the blower fan 13.

  Further, the control of the air volume at the time of the ion introduction operation may be a method of controlling the blower fan 13 by estimating the air volume at the time of the drying step. That is, this is a method in which the cooling state of the heater 16 that is energized during the drying process is used as the air blowing detection unit 23 for measuring the air volume. Specifically, when the heater 16 is used in the drying step, the temperature rise of the air passing through the heater 16 is measured. When the temperature rise of the air is small with respect to the amount of heat input to the heater 16, the cooling effect is high because the air volume is large. Conversely, when the temperature rise of the air is large, the cooling effect is low because the air volume is small. As described above, the air volume in the drying step can be estimated from the relationship between the amount of heat input to the heater 16 and the air volume.

  If the number of rotations of the blower fan 13 is detected, the air volume can be known from the characteristics of the rotation speed and the air volume. The control unit 17 can control the blower fan 13 to a flow rate suitable for the ion introduction operation using this characteristic. Further, the filter 15 of the outside air suction port 14 is clogged, so that the air volume of the blower fan 13 decreases. Therefore, if the air volume is measured each time the drying process is performed, it is possible to grasp changes in the air volume due to clogging of the filter 15 or the like. Since the clogging of the filter 15 rarely changes suddenly, the blower fan 13 is controlled by using the airflow state in the drying step during the ion introduction operation, and the air can be blown at an accurate airflow.

  Next, the operation and action of the electrostatic atomizer 18 during the course operation of the dishwasher according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a sequence during the batch washing course operation of the dishwasher according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the user first sets the object to be cleaned 8 such as tableware in the tableware basket 10 and stores it in the cleaning tank 2 (step S1). The user selects the batch washing course by operating the operation unit, for example, when the user further adds the article 8 to be cleaned and performs the batch cleaning after the additional setting, or when the main cleaning is postponed for convenience (step). S2). The control unit 17 executes a preliminary washing step on the set washing target 8 by selecting the batch washing course. The pre-washing step includes a pre-washing operation (step S3) using cleaning water jetted from the cleaning nozzle 7, and an operation of introducing the charged fine particle water into the cleaning tank 2 by operating the electrostatic atomizer 18 to supply the charged fine particle water into the cleaning tank 2. Ion introduction operation, step S4).

  The control unit 17 performs the pre-washing operation for a predetermined time (step S3). Next, the control unit 17 performs a charged fine particle water introduction operation (step S4). Specifically, the control unit 17 operates the electrostatic atomizing device 18 and the blowing fan 13. The electrostatic atomizer 18 generates charged fine particle water. The generated charged fine particle water is supplied into the cleaning tank 2 by the blower fan 13 and suppresses generation of odor and growth of various bacteria caused by food residue attached to the article 8 to be cleaned stored in the cleaning tank 2. it can.

  The supply of the charged fine particle water into the cleaning tank 2 is performed by operating the electrostatic atomizer 18 continuously or intermittently. The supply of the charged fine particle water may be performed for a predetermined time or continuously until the next main washing step is started, and the operation time is not particularly limited. The operation of the electrostatic atomizer 18 serving as the ion generator, either continuously or intermittently, may be set in such a way as to balance the performance of the device of the ion generator with the life of the device. Thus, the ion generator can operate with a long life while maintaining the performance.

In the case of the batch washing course, the user additionally sets the object 8 to be washed in the dish basket 10 and stores it in the washing tank 2 before the main washing step is started (Yes in step 5). . In this case, the control unit 17 executes the pre-washing process of steps S3 to S4 again each time the cleaning target 8 is stored in the cleaning tank 2 and the completion of the setting is detected. With this configuration, when the object 8 to be cleaned is set in the cleaning tank 2 a plurality of times before the main cleaning step,
As a preliminary washing step, a preliminary washing operation and an ion introduction operation are performed. Thus, each time the cleaning target 8 is newly set, the cleaning target 8 and the inner surface of the cleaning tank 2 can be sterilized and deodorized. Then, the main cleaning step performed thereafter can be efficiently performed, and the cleaning effect can be enhanced.

  Next, when the user finishes the setting of the final article 8 to be washed or when it is time to perform the main washing step after the setting (No in step S5), the user performs a setting completion operation using the operation unit (step S5). Step S6). This operation becomes an instruction to shift to the next step, and the control unit 17 executes the main washing step, the rinsing step, and the drying step (step S7). Then, when all the steps of the batch washing course are completed, the washing operation ends.

  Note that, even after the drying step is completed, the short-time ion introduction operation may be repeated every predetermined time until the object to be cleaned 8 is taken out of the cleaning tank 2 (step 8). Thereby, the charged fine particle water or ions can be appropriately supplied into the cleaning tank 2, and the odor can be alleviated and the bacteria can be continuously removed.

  As described above, the dishwasher of the first embodiment executes the washing operation of the batch washing course.

  Here, the operation of the electrostatic atomizer 18 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the electrostatic atomizer 18 and the blower fan 13 in the ion introducing operation of the dishwasher according to the present embodiment. The configuration of the electrostatic atomizer 18 is the same as the conventional configuration, and FIG. 6 is referred to.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 17 starts the operation of the blower fan 13 with a delay of time T from the start of the operation of the electrostatic atomizer 18. The electrostatic atomizer 18 cools air by a cooling unit 18a such as a Peltier unit to generate dew water. In the electrostatic atomizing device 18 of the present embodiment, the discharge electrode 18b is cooled by the cooling unit 18a. In this way, the dew water is directly generated and supplied to the discharge electrode 18b. However, in order to further stabilize the dew state, the blowing fan 13 is not operated in the initial state of the electrostatic atomizing device 18.

  By such control, the cooling unit 18a can rapidly cool the discharge electrode 18b, and hasten generation of dew water. In other words, continuous cooling including the same air in the vicinity of the discharge electrode 18b can perform cooling more efficiently than cooling including air that is successively replaced with new air by blowing air. Once the discharge electrode 18b is cooled and condensation water starts to be generated, the condensation water is continuously and stably generated. At this stage, the condensed water is sufficiently supplied to the discharge electrode 18b, and the generation of the charged fine particle water by the discharge starts.

  The controller 17 starts the operation of the blower fan 13 at the timing (for example, after the time T) when the dew condensation water is continuously generated and the charged fine particle water is generated, and the control unit 17 cleans the charged fine particle water. Supply into the tank 2. Thus, the electrostatic atomizer 18 rapidly cools the cooling unit 18a to speed up the generation of dew condensation water, and can generate charged fine particle water in a short time.

  The length of time T from when the operation of the electrostatic atomizer 18 is started until the operation of the blower fan 13 is started is not particularly limited. For example, when the time from the stop of the electrostatic atomizer 18 to the start of the next operation is short, in some cases, it is possible to immediately and stably generate the charged particulate water while maintaining the dew state. Alternatively, the time T may be determined based on the operation stop time. Further, since the time during which dew condensation water is generated varies depending on the humidity of the air to be cooled, the time T may be determined by detecting the state of dew condensation water generation.

  The washing operation of the dishwasher according to the present embodiment has been described above by exemplifying the batch washing course. However, the ion introduction operation can be performed after the rinsing step, the drying step, or the end of the operation, and the above description is effective when the electrostatic atomizing device 18 is operated.

  As described above, the dishwasher according to the present embodiment generates the cleaning tank 2 that stores the object 8 to be washed, the drying unit that includes the blower fan 13 to dry the object 8 to be cleaned, and generates charged fine particle water or ions. An electrostatic atomizer 18 serving as an ion generator, an ion introducing device that supplies charged fine particle water or ions generated by the electrostatic atomizer 18 into the cleaning tank 2 by blowing air, and performs a drying step and an ion introducing operation. The control unit 17 executes the ion introduction operation while changing the air flow in the ion introduction operation and the air flow in the drying step.

  According to this configuration, in the ion introduction operation and the drying step, the charged fine particle water or ions are generated in a stable state in the ion introduction operation by performing the operations with an appropriate air volume different from each other. It can be reliably supplied to the location, alleviating odor and eliminating bacteria. In the drying step, the object to be cleaned 8 can be dried in a short time.

  In addition, the electrostatic atomizer 18 serving as an ion generator includes a cooling unit 18a, and the controller 17 operates the electrostatic atomizer 18 and after a predetermined time T elapses after operating the electrostatic atomizer 18, 18 is operated. With this configuration, the electrostatic atomizing device 18 rapidly cools the cooling unit 18a to accelerate the generation of dew condensation water, and can generate charged fine particle water in a short time.

  Further, in the ion introducing operation for supplying the charged fine particle water, the electrostatic atomizing device 18 is operated continuously or intermittently. As a result, it is possible to balance the performance and the life of the device of the electrostatic atomizer 18 during the operation, maintain the performance, and operate the device for a long life.

  In addition, the iontophoresis device also includes a blower fan 13 included in a drying unit that performs a drying process, and the control unit 17 executes the iontophoresis operation and the drying process with different airflow rates of the blower fan 13. . With this configuration, the air blower fan 13 for drying is also used, and the charged fine particle water or ions are supplied into the cleaning tank 2, so that the dedicated blowing fan 13 from the electrostatic atomizer 18 to the cleaning tank 2 can be used. Since the air path 20 is not required, an inexpensive dishwasher can be provided.

  In addition, in the ion introduction operation and the drying process, by performing the respective processes with appropriate air flows different from each other, in the ion introduction operation, the charged fine particle water or ions are generated in a stable state, and all the positions in the cleaning tank 2 are discharged. It can be supplied reliably, alleviating odor and eliminating bacteria. In the drying step, the object to be cleaned 8 can be dried in a short time.

  The control unit 17 controls at least one of the blower fan 13 and the electrostatic atomizer 18 according to the detection result of the blower detection unit 23. With this configuration, the control unit 17 can appropriately control the concentration of the charged particulate water supplied into the cleaning tank 2, and can alleviate the odor and remove bacteria.

  Furthermore, an outlet air path (not shown) through which air flows out of the washing tank 2 and an introduction air path (not shown) through which air flows into the washing tank 2 are provided. A circulating air path (not shown) independent of the air path 20 is formed by being connected, and an ion generating unit such as the electrostatic atomizer 18 and an ion introducing device such as a fan are provided in the circulating air path. Good. With this configuration, the charged fine particle water or ions supplied into the cleaning tank 2 circulates and is not released to the outside, so that more charged fine particle water or ions can be supplied into the cleaning tank 2.

  In the batch washing course, the electrostatic atomizer 18 is automatically operated as a standard. However, the electrostatic atomizer 18 is set as an optional function, and is configured to be operated as necessary according to a user's judgment. Is also good.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the ion generating unit is an electrostatic atomizer, but by using an ion generator that sterilizes and deodorizes the object to be cleaned and the inner surface of the cleaning tank by generating ions. Can obtain the same effect.

  As described above, the tableware dryer according to the present invention can reduce the odor and remove bacteria in the iontophoresis operation by executing the iontophoresis operation and the drying step at different appropriate airflows. Since the object to be washed can be dried in a short time in the process, it is useful as a household dishwasher or dish dryer.

1 body 2 washing tank (storage)
7 Cleaning nozzle (cleaning section)
13 Blower fan (blower, iontophoresis device)
14 outside air inlet 15 filter 16 heater 17 control unit 18 electrostatic atomizer (ion generation unit)
18a Cooling section 20 Air path 20a Main air path 20b Sub air path 22 Wall surface 23 Ventilation detector

Claims (5)

A storage for storing the object to be cleaned, a drying unit including a blower for drying the object to be cleaned, an ion generator for generating charged fine particle water or ions, and a charged particle water or ion generated by the ion generator. An ion introducing device that supplies the inside of the storage by blowing air, and a control unit that performs a drying step and an ion introducing operation,
The control unit executes the airflow in the ion introduction operation with a different airflow in the drying step.
Dish dryer. The ion generating unit includes a cooling unit,
The control unit, after operating the ion generating unit, to operate the ion introduction device after a predetermined time has elapsed,
The dish dryer according to claim 1. The control unit, in the ion introduction operation, to operate the ion generation unit continuously or intermittently,
The dish dryer according to claim 1 or 2. The iontophoretic device also includes a blowing device included in the drying unit,
The control unit, in the ion introduction operation and the drying step, executed by changing the air volume of the blower,
The dish dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A blower detection unit that detects a flow rate of the iontophoresis device,
The control unit controls at least one of the ion introduction device and the ion generation unit based on a detection result of the air blowing detection unit,
The dish dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.