JP3269006B2 - dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dishwasher for automatically washing and rinsing dishes using hot water supplied from an externally provided water heater or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some dishwashers for automatically washing and rinsing dishes are connected to an externally installed hot water heater and use the hot water supplied from the hot water heater to wash the dishes. It has been known. In such a hot water supply type dishwasher, hot water heated to a temperature suitable for washing in advance by the hot water heater is supplied, so that the dishes can be washed with hot water immediately after the start of washing. Therefore, the hot water supply type dishwasher has an advantage that the time required for cleaning can be greatly reduced as compared with a dishwasher of a type to which tap water (cold water) is supplied.

[0003]

If the dishwasher has not been used for a long time, the remaining water in the hot water supply pipe connecting the dishwasher and the water heater becomes cold and cool. If hot water supply is started in such a state, cold water in the hot water supply pipe will be supplied to the dishwasher, and the temperature of hot water used for washing will be lower than the appropriate temperature.
Then, in a short time, it is not possible to satisfactorily remove the dirt from the tableware, which causes a problem that the tableware is still adhered.

In order to avoid such a problem, it is sufficient to set the washing time of the tableware to a sufficient time on the assumption that cold water in the hot water supply pipe is supplied. In addition, the advantage of the hot water supply type such that the cleaning time can be shortened cannot be fully utilized. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher capable of reliably reducing the time required for washing.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus, comprising: pumping hot water stored in a washing chamber and spraying the hot water onto tableware set in the cleaning chamber; A dishwasher for washing dishes
Hot water supply means for supplying hot water into the cleaning chamber, drainage means for draining hot water stored in the cleaning chamber, and driving of the hot water supply means prior to a hot water supply step for storing hot water used for cleaning in the cleaning chamber. this for intermittently driving the drainage means
And a water supply / drainage control means for performing a preparation step of stopping the hot water supply means and continuously driving the drainage means thereafter .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the water supply / drainage control means, only the hot water supply means is driven for the first predetermined first time, and the hot water supply means and the drainage means are provided for the second predetermined time following the first time. Is driven, the drainage means is stopped and the hot water supply means is driven for a predetermined third time following the second time, and the hot water supply means is stopped and the drainage means is driven for a predetermined fourth time following the third time. 2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the dishwasher is a means.

According to the above arrangement, under the control of the water supply / drainage control means, the hot water supply means is driven and the drainage means is intermittently driven prior to the hot water supply step for storing hot water used for cleaning in the cleaning chamber. The drainage means is driven continuously while the hot water supply means is stopped. Specifically, the hot water supply means and the drainage means are driven in the mode described in claim 2.

Accordingly, prior to the hot water supply step, all the water remaining in the hot water supply means is drained, so that the dishwasher is left unused for a long time and the water remaining in the hot water supply means is left. Even if the water is cold, hot water at a temperature suitable for cleaning can be supplied to the cleaning room immediately after the hot water supply step is started. Therefore, the dishes can be washed with hot water of an appropriate temperature immediately after the start of washing, so that the time required for washing can be shortened more reliably than in a dishwasher in which tap water is supplied to the washing room.

Further, while the hot water supply means is being driven (first
(3rd time) Since the drainage means is intermittently driven, the remaining water in the hot water supply means can flow into the cleaning chamber and a part of the water flowing into the cleaning chamber can be drained outside the machine. Therefore, it does not take long time to drain the residual water in the hot water supply means. Furthermore, if the drainage means is intermittently driven, water is collected in the washing chamber while the drainage means is stopped, even when a hot water supply means with a low hot water supply capacity is used. The water in the cleaning chamber does not run out during the intermittent driving. Therefore, since the drainage capacity of the drainage unit does not decrease due to the air flowing into the drainage unit, the remaining water in the hot water supply unit can be reliably drained within a preset time.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a water level detecting means for detecting that the water level in the cleaning chamber has reached a predetermined water level, and a drive of the hot water supply means and the drainage means are controlled by the water supply / drainage control means. When the water level detecting means detects that the water level in the washing chamber has reached the predetermined water level, the water level detecting means further includes a trip control means for continuously driving the drainage means for a predetermined time while the hot water supply means is stopped. The dishwasher according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the water level in the cleaning chamber reaches a predetermined level while the driving of the hot water supply means and the drainage means is controlled by the water supply / drainage control means, the hot water supply means is stopped. Then, the drainage means is continuously driven, and the water accumulated in the cleaning chamber is drained. Thereby, during the step of draining the residual water in the hot water supply means, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that water overflows from the cleaning chamber.

The invention according to claim 4 is based on the time from when the control by the water supply / drainage control means is started to when the water level in the washing chamber reaches a predetermined water level, after the control by the trip control means is completed. 4. The dishwasher according to claim 3, further comprising selection means for selecting whether to restart the control by the water supply / drainage control means.

According to the configuration of claim 4, for example,
If the water level in the washing chamber reaches a predetermined level immediately after the control by the water supply / drainage control means is started, the remaining water in the hot water supply means has not been completely drained yet, so the hot water supply means and the water discharge means by the water supply / drainage control means Is restarted. Thus, even when the control by the trip control means is performed, it is possible to surely drain the water without leaving residual water in the hot water supply means.

On the other hand, if a certain amount of time has passed since the control by the water supply / drainage control means was started, and when the residual water in the hot water supply means was almost completely drained, the water level in the washing room reached a predetermined level. The driving of the hot water supply means and the drainage means by the water supply / drainage control means is not restarted. Thereby, even when the control by the trip control means is performed, the time required for draining the remaining water in the hot water supply means does not become unnecessarily long.

[0015]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a simplified internal configuration of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention. T represents a tableware (dish) as an object to be washed. The dishwasher 1 is connected to a water heater 3 provided outside via a hot water supply pipe 2,
It is a so-called hot water supply type dishwasher that cleans dishes using hot water supplied from the water heater 3.

The dishwasher 1 includes a box-shaped housing 4 having an opening on the front surface, and an openable and closable door 5 capable of closing the front opening of the housing 4. An operation panel 6 on which a plurality of operation keys are arranged is provided on the front surface of the housing 4 and below the door 5. In the housing 4, a cleaning chamber 7 that can store hot water used for cleaning at the bottom is defined. A hot water supply port 8 is formed on a rear surface of the washing room 7, and the hot water supply port 8 is connected to a hot water supply pipe 2 extending from a water heater. A hot water supply valve 9 formed of, for example, an electromagnetic valve is disposed in the middle of the hot water supply pipe 2. When the hot water supply valve 9 is opened, the hot water created by the hot water supply device 3 is supplied to the hot water supply pipe 2 and the hot water supply pipe 2. It is supplied into the cleaning chamber 7 through the port 8 and is stored at the bottom of the cleaning chamber 7.

A dish basket 10 for accommodating and holding a dish T as an object to be washed can be put into and taken out of the washing room 7 through an opening in the front of the housing 4. An arm 11 for injecting hot water from below into the tableware T in the tableware basket 10 is disposed substantially at the center of the bottom of the washing room 7.
A heater 12 is provided at the bottom of the cleaning chamber 7 at a position avoiding the arm 11. The heater 12 has a temperature sensor 1 for detecting the temperature of the hot water stored in the cleaning chamber 7.
Based on the output of 3, the heat generation is controlled so that the hot water stored in the bottom of the cleaning chamber 7 is maintained at a temperature suitable for cleaning.

At the bottom of the washing chamber 7, there is further formed a water collecting part 14 which is one step lower than the surroundings, so that the warm water in the washing chamber 7 can be collected in the water collecting part 14. The water collecting part 14 is connected to a suction port of a cleaning pump 15 provided below the cleaning chamber 7 via a connection pipe 16. The discharge port of the cleaning pump 15 is connected to an arm 11 provided in the cleaning chamber 7 via a water supply pipe 17. When the cleaning pump 15 is driven, the warm water collected in the water collecting section 14 is supplied to the arm 11. 11 is sent.

The hot water sent from the water collecting section 14 to the arm 11 by the washing pump 15 is jetted from a plurality of nozzles 18 formed on the upper surface of the arm 11 toward the tableware T accommodated in the tableware basket 10. You. At this time, the arm 11
Is rotated in one direction by the reaction force of the fountain flow injected from the nozzle 18. Thereby, the hot water sprayed from the nozzle 18 is evenly sprayed on the tableware T in the tableware basket 10, and the tableware T is washed evenly.

The water collecting part 14 is connected to a drainage pump 19 as a drainage means provided below the washing chamber 7 by a connecting pipe 2.
It is communicated through 0. When the drainage pump 19 is driven, the water collected in the water collecting part 14 is drained through the drainage pipe 21 extending from the drainage pump 19 to the outside of the machine. In addition,
Residual vegetables and the like dropped from the tableware T are captured by the filter 22 provided above the water collecting unit 14 when the water in the washing room 7 is collected in the water collecting unit 14.

Further, the dishwasher 1 has a function of drying the washed dishes T, and a blower fan 2 for blowing air into the washing chamber 7 is provided at a rear portion of the housing 4.
3 are provided. When the blower fan 23 is driven, the air sucked from the air inlet 24 formed on the rear surface of the housing 4 is sent into the cleaning chamber 7 from the ventilation hole 25 formed on the rear surface of the cleaning chamber 7. The sent air is heated by the heater 12 to become warm air, and the tableware T is dried.

Further, the dishwasher 1 is provided with a water level switch 26 for detecting that the warm water in the washing room 7 has reached a predetermined water level (a water level indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1). The water level switch 26 is provided in a float chamber 27 provided behind the cleaning chamber 7 and communicated with the water collecting section 14. The water level switch 26 outputs an ON signal when the hot water in the cleaning chamber 7 is equal to or higher than the predetermined water level. And outputs an off signal when the water level is below a predetermined level.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the operation panel 6 arranged on the front surface of the housing 4. Operation panel 6
Are provided with a plurality of keys for the user to input various command signals to the dishwasher 1. Specifically, a power switch 28 for turning on the power to the dishwasher 1, a start / pause key 29 for starting and temporarily stopping the operation of the dishwasher 1, and a plurality of preset operation modes A course selection key 30 for selecting an operation course according to the degree of contamination of the dishes and the amount of the dishes from the course is provided.

The operation panel 6 also includes a course selection key 3
A display lamp 31 for displaying which driving course is selected in accordance with the course selection by 0 is arranged. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electric configuration of the dishwasher 1. The dishwasher 1 is provided with a microcomputer 32 as a control center. The microcomputer 32 receives detection signals from the water level switch 26 and the temperature sensor 13 described with reference to FIG. In addition, a command signal from operation panel 6 described with reference to FIG. 2 is provided.

The microcomputer 32 controls the driving of the cleaning pump 15, the drain pump 19, the hot water supply valve 9 and the blower fan 23 via the load drive circuit 33 based on the supplied detection signal and command signal. Further, based on a detection signal from the temperature sensor 13, the heat generation of the heater 12 is controlled. Further, based on a command signal from the operation panel 6, lighting of the display lamp 31 arranged on the operation panel 6 is controlled.

FIGS. 4 to 6 are flowcharts showing the flow of processing in the preparation step. Also, FIG.
It is a timing chart which shows the ON / OFF state of the hot-water supply valve 9 and the drainage pump 19 at the time of a preparation process. In the dishwasher 1, when there is cold residual water in the cleaning chamber 7 or when the cold residual water in the hot water supply pipe 2 is supplied to the cleaning chamber 7, the hot water stored in the cleaning chamber 7 is A preparatory step for draining residual water in the cleaning chamber 7 and the hot water supply pipe 2 prior to a hot water supply step for supplying hot water required for cleaning into the cleaning chamber 7 to prevent the temperature from lowering. Is performed.

In the control during the preparation process, three flags, a cancel flag CF, a trip flag TF, and a process flag PF, are used. Cancel flag C
F is a flag indicating whether or not to execute the preparation process,
The flag CF is reset to 0 when the power is turned on. When the preparation process is performed, the flag CF remains at 0, and when the preparation process is not performed, the flag CF is set to 1 in a cancel check process described later.

The trip flag TF is set by the water level switch 26
Is a flag indicating whether it is on or off, and is reset to TF = 0 when the power is turned on. If the water level switch 26 is off, the flag TF = 0, and if it is on, the flag TF = 1. Further, the process flag PF is a flag for representing an operation state of the dishwasher 1. Flag PF = 0 means dishwasher 1
Represents the state A before the hot water supply valve 9 is opened. The flag PF = 1 indicates that the dishwasher 1 is in the state B until 30 seconds elapse after the hot water supply valve 9 is opened.
The flag PF = 2 indicates that the dishwasher 1 is in the state C until another 30 seconds elapse after the end of the state B.
Further, the flag PF = 3 indicates that the preparation process is completed.

In the following, assuming that the water level in the cleaning chamber 7 does not exceed the predetermined water level indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 during the preparation process, first, the overall flow of the processing in the preparation process will be described. . 4 and 7, when the user turns on power switch 28 arranged on operation panel 6 and turns on the power to dishwasher 1, first, the state of cancel flag CF is checked (step). S
1). In the dishwasher 1 according to this embodiment, the preparation process can be canceled, and when the cancel flag CF is rewritten to 1 in a cancel check process described later (YE in step S1).
S), the preparation process is immediately terminated, and the hot water supply process is started.

If the cancel flag remains 0, the state of the trip flag TF is checked next (step S).
2). Since the trip flag TF is set to 0 when the power is turned on, the trip flag TF is set to 1 immediately after the power is turned on.
The determination as to whether or not the determination is negative (NO in step S2), and the state of the water level switch 26 is checked in step S3. Under the above assumption, since the water level switch 26 is always in the OFF state, the determination whether the water level switch 26 is in the ON state is denied in step S3, and it is determined whether or not the process flag PF is 0 in step S4. Is determined. At this time, since the hot water supply valve 9 is not opened and the process flag PF is 0, the determination in step S4 is affirmed, and the process proceeds to step S4.
At 5, the process flag PF is set to 1. Thereby, the operation state of the dishwasher 1 shifts from the state A to the state B.

Next, the process proceeds to step S6, where it is determined whether or not the process flag PF is "1". Step S5
Since the process flag PF is set to 1, the determination in step S6 is affirmed, and the subroutine SB shown in FIG.
Move to 1. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7, when the operation state of dishwasher 1 shifts to state B, and the determination in step S6 shown in FIG. 4 is affirmative, the time counter built in microcomputer 32 elapses, for example, 1 second. Each time, the elapsed time from when the operation state of the dishwasher 1 changes to the state B is measured (step T1). In step T2 following step T1, it is checked whether the count value of the time counter is, for example, less than 15 seconds. Immediately after the start of counting, the determination in step T2 is naturally affirmed, and the process proceeds to step T3, where the hot water supply valve 9 is opened. As a result, water supply from the water heater 3 is started, and first, the remaining cold water in the hot water supply pipe 2 flows into the cleaning chamber 7. Therefore, the cold remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 is accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning chamber 7.

When the hot water supply valve 9 is opened in step T3,
Returning to step S2 in FIG. 4, the state of the trip flag TF is checked again. At this time, the trip flag TF is set to 0.
Control is performed from step S2 to step S2.
Then, it is determined whether or not the water level switch 26 is on. Under the above assumption, the water level switch 26 is not turned on, so the determination in step S3 is denied, and the state of the process flag PF is checked in step S4. At this time, since the process flag PF has been rewritten to 1, after the determination in step S4 is denied, the determination in step S6 is affirmed, and the process returns to step T6 in FIG.
The process proceeds to 1 and the measurement of the elapsed time by the time counter is continued.

Thus, steps S2 to S in FIG.
While the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is shifted from the state A to the state B while the steps S4, S6 and steps T1 to T3 of FIG. A negative determination is made at T2, and control proceeds to step T4. In step T4, it is checked whether or not the count value of the time counter is, for example, less than 30 seconds. At this time, since the count value is less than 30 seconds, the process proceeds to step T5, and the drive of the drain pump 19 is started with the hot water supply valve 9 opened. As a result, while remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 is supplied to the cleaning chamber 7, water remaining at the bottom of the cleaning chamber 7 is drained outside the machine.

When the drain pump 19 is driven in step T5, after returning to step T2 in FIG. 4, steps S2 to S4 and S6 in FIG. 4 and steps T1 to T4 in FIG. 5 are repeated. And the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is state B.
For 30 seconds, that is, 15 seconds after the determination of step T2 is denied for the first time (corresponding to the second time).
Has elapsed, the determination in step T4 is denied, and the count value of the time counter is cleared (step T4).
6). Then, the process flag PF is rewritten from 1 to 2 (step T7), and the operation state of the dishwasher 1 shifts from state B to state C. Thereafter, the control returns to step S2 in FIG.

Under the above assumption, since the water level switch 26 remains off and the trip flag TF is not rewritten from 0 to 1, the judgments in step S2 and step S3 are both denied, and S4
To check the state of the process flag PF. Since the process flag PF has been rewritten to 2, the determination whether the process flag PF is 0 is denied in step S4, and the determination whether the process flag PF is 1 is also denied in step S6, and the process proceeds to step S7. Move on to judgment. In step S7, it is determined whether or not the process flag PF is 2, and if this determination is affirmed, control proceeds to the subroutine SB2 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, step E1
Then, the elapsed time from the transition of the operation state of the dishwasher 1 from the state B to the state C is measured by a time counter built in the microcomputer 32. And
In step E2 following step E1, it is checked whether the count value of the time counter is, for example, less than 15 seconds. Immediately after the count starts, the count value is 1
Since the time is less than 5 seconds, the process proceeds to step E3,
At 3, the drain pump 19 is stopped. At this time, hot water valve 9
Remains open, and the residual water in the hot water supply pipe 2 continues to flow into the cleaning chamber 7.

When the drain pump 19 is stopped in step E3, the flow returns to step S2 in FIG.
Is checked. If the trip flag TF is 0, it is determined in step S3 whether the water level switch 26 is off. Under the above assumption, since the water level switch 26 remains in the off state, step S3
Is denied, and the process flag P is determined in step S4.
The state of F is checked. Since the process flag PF has been rewritten to 2, steps S4 and S6
Is negative, the determination in step S7 is affirmative, and the routine goes to step E1 in FIG. 6, where the time measurement by the time counter is continued.

Thus, steps S2 to S in FIG.
While the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is shifted from the state B to the state C while the steps S4, S6, S7 and the steps E1 to E3 of FIG. 6 are repeated, 15 seconds (corresponding to the third time) elapse. , The judgment at step E2 is denied, and the routine goes to step E4 to check whether the count value of the time counter is less than 30 seconds. If the count value is less than 30 seconds, the hot water supply valve 9 is closed, and the drainage pump 19 starts to be driven (step E5). At this time, there is no cold residual water in the hot water supply pipe 2 and there is hot water created by the hot water supply device 3. The water accumulated at the bottom of the cleaning chamber 7 is drained out of the machine by the operation of the drain pump 19.

When the drain pump 19 is driven in step E5, the process returns to step S2 in FIG. 4, and then returns to steps S2 to S4, S6, S7 in FIG. 4 and steps E1 to E in FIG.
4 is repeated. Then, for 30 seconds after the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is shifted to the state C, that is, step E
If 15 seconds (corresponding to the fourth time) elapse after the determination of 2 is denied for the first time, the determination of step E4 is denied and the count value of the time counter is cleared (step E6). Then, after the process flag PF is rewritten from 2 to 3 (step E7), step S7 in FIG.
Return to 2.

At this time, since all the cold water accumulated in the washing room 7 is drained outside the machine, the water level switch 26
Is off. Therefore, after determining in step S2 whether or not the trip flag TF is 1, the determination in step S3 whether or not the water level switch 26 is ON is denied. Step E in FIG.
Since the process flag PF is set to 3 in step 7, the determinations in steps S4, S6, and S7 are all negative, and in step S8, the drive of the drainage pump 19 is stopped, and the preparation process ends.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the operation state of the dishwasher 1 shifts from the state A to the state B, the hot water supply valve 9 is first opened, and the remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 flows into the washing chamber 7. I do. When 15 seconds have elapsed since the hot water supply valve 9 was opened, the drain pump 19 is started to drive, so that the remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 is supplied to the cleaning chamber 7 while the bottom of the cleaning chamber 7 is The water that accumulates in the water is drained out of the machine. When 15 seconds have elapsed since the start of the driving of the drain pump 19, the operation state of the dishwasher 1 shifts from the state A to the state B, and the driving of the drain pump 19 is stopped. At this time, since the hot water supply valve 9 is kept open, the water flowing from the hot water supply pipe 2 is stored at the bottom of the cleaning chamber 7. Thereafter, when 15 seconds elapse after the drain pump 19 is stopped, the hot water supply valve 9 is closed and the drain pump 1 is stopped.
9 is driven for 15 seconds. As a result, all the water accumulated in the cleaning room 7 is drained out of the machine.

Accordingly, even if the dishwasher 1 is left unused for a long time and left uncooled, the remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 connecting the dishwasher 1 and the water heater 3 is cooled, Prior to the hot water supply process for supplying hot water necessary for washing into the inside, all remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 is drained out of the machine, so that the temperature of the hot water supply device 3 is set to a temperature suitable for washing immediately after the start of the hot water supply process. The warmed hot water can be supplied to the cleaning room 7. Therefore, the dishes can be washed with hot water at an appropriate temperature immediately after the start of washing, so that the time required for washing can be reliably reduced as compared with a dishwasher in which tap water is supplied to the washing room 7. .

During the preparatory step, while the hot water supply valve 9 is opened (45 seconds), the drainage pump 19 is intermittently driven at intervals of 15 seconds.
At the same time, a part of the water flowing into the cleaning chamber 7 can be drained outside the machine. Therefore, the preparation process does not require a long time. Further, if the drainage pump 19 is intermittently driven, the hot water supply pipe 2 is kept in the cleaning room 7 while the drainage pump 19 is stopped, even when the water heater 3 having a low hot water supply capacity is used. The water flowing from the washing chamber 7 is stored, so that the water in the cleaning chamber 7 does not run out during the preparation process. Therefore, since the drainage capacity of the drainage pump 19 does not decrease due to the air flowing into the drainage pump 19, it is necessary to reliably drain the remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 within a preset time. Can be.

Further, since water is stored in the cleaning chamber 7 during the preparation process, it is possible to wash away dirt adhering to portions other than the water passage from the hot water supply port 8 to the water collecting portion 14. By the way, when the hot water supply capacity of the water heater 3 is very high, or when a large amount of residual water is present in the cleaning chamber 7 at the start of the preparation step, the water level in the cleaning chamber 7 is reduced during the preparation step. There is a possibility that a predetermined water level indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 will be reached. Therefore, in the preparation process according to this embodiment,
In step S3 of FIG. 4, the state of the water level switch 26 is monitored. If the water level switch 26 is turned on during the preparation process, the hot water supply valve 9 is immediately closed, and the drain pump 19 is set to, for example, 30. It is driven continuously for seconds.

Specifically, during the preparation process, the water level switch 2
When the switch 6 is turned on, the determination in step S3 of FIG. 4 is affirmed, and the process returns to step S2 after the trip flag TF is rewritten to 1 in step S9. Then, in step S2, the determination as to whether or not the trip flag TF is 1 is affirmed, and the process proceeds to step S10, where the hot water supply valve 9 is closed and, at the same time, the drive of the drain pump 19 is started. Also,
The time counter measures the elapsed time since the start of driving of the drainage pump 19 (step S11). The count value of the time counter is monitored in step S12, and the drive of the drain pump 19 is continued until the count value of the time counter reaches 30 seconds.

When the count value of the time counter reaches 30 seconds, the count value of the time counter becomes 3 in step S12.
The determination as to whether or not the time is 0 second or longer is affirmed, and step S
At 13, it is checked whether or not the water level switch 26 is on. If the water level switch 26 remains on,
For example, it is determined that drainage has not been successful due to clogging of the drain pipe 21 or failure of the drain pump 19, the drain pump 19 is stopped (step S14), and
A notification that there is an abnormality in the drainage system is given (step S1).
5).

On the other hand, when there is no abnormality in the drainage system, the drainage pump 19 is continuously driven for 30 seconds to discharge all the water accumulated in the cleaning chamber 7 to the outside. Is off. Therefore, in step S13, it is determined that the water level switch 26 is off, and the count value of the time counter is cleared in step S16. Also, the trip flag T
F is returned to 0 (step S17). Further, the process flag PF is rewritten to one larger value (step S18). Then, after the drain pump 19 is stopped (Step S19), the process returns to Step S4.

As a result, the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is changed to a state, for example, when residual water at a predetermined water level (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) or more is present in the washing chamber 7 at the start of the preparation process. If the water level switch 26 is on at the time of A, after the drain pump 19 is driven for 30 seconds, the process flag PF is rewritten from 0 to 1 in step S18. Therefore, in this case, after draining for 30 seconds, the operation state of the dishwasher 1 changes from the state A to the state B.
And the control after the state B is performed.

When the hot water supply capacity of the dishwasher 1 is changed from the state A to the state B and the hot water supply valve 9 is opened, for example, when the hot water supply capacity of the water heater 3 is high, the water level switch 2 is turned on.
6 is turned on, the drain pump 19
After driving for two seconds, the process flag P
F is rewritten from 1 to 2. Therefore, in this case, after draining for 30 seconds, the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is shifted from the state B to the state C, and the control after the state C is performed.

Further, the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is state C.
When the water level switch 26 is turned on at the time when the water pump 19 has advanced to, the drain pump 19 is driven for 30 seconds.
In step S18, the process flag PF is rewritten from 2 to 3. Therefore, in this case, step S4
Then, the preparation process is completed through the processes of steps S6 to S8. As described above, when the water level switch 26 is turned on at the time when the operation state of the dishwasher 1 has advanced to the state C, the remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 is almost drained. Even if the preparation step is completed immediately after the drainage, the temperature of the hot water supplied to the cleaning chamber 7 in the hot water supply step does not drop.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the water level in the cleaning chamber 7 reaches the predetermined water level during the preparation process, the hot water supply valve 9 is closed and the drain pump 19 is continuously driven for 30 seconds. The water stored in the cleaning room 7 is drained outside the machine. Thereby, the possibility that water overflows from the cleaning chamber 7 during the preparation process can be eliminated.

When the water level switch 26 is turned on and the water is drained for 30 seconds when the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is the state A or the state B, the operation state of the dishwasher 1 is changed to the next state. Since the state is shifted to the state and the preparation process is restarted, the remaining water in the hot water supply pipe 2 can be reliably drained without making the time required for the preparation process longer than necessary. Further, when the drainage for 30 seconds is performed when the operation state of the dishwasher 1 has advanced to the state C, the preparation process is completed and the process is moved to the hot water supply process. It will not be long.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the cancel check process. This cancel check process is performed, for example, in the above-described preparation step when the dishwasher 1 is shipped from a factory and the hot water supply type dishwasher 1 is connected to a water supply or the like and cold water is supplied. This is a process executed to forcibly cancel. In the cancellation check process, a key initial flag KF is used. The key initial flag KF is
It is reset to 0 when the power is turned on.

Referring to FIG. 8, when power is applied to dishwasher 1, the state of key initial flag KF is checked (step P1). In the state immediately after the power is turned on, the key initial flag KF remains at 0, so that the determination as to whether the key initial flag KF is 1 is denied in step P1, and
Move to Step P2. In Step P2, it is determined whether the start / pause key 29 has been pressed.

If the start / pause key 29 has not been pressed, the judgment at step P2 is denied, and the routine goes to step P3, where the key initial flag KF is rewritten to 1. Then, returning to step P1, the key initial flag KF
Is affirmative, the process moves to step P9, and after the time counter built in the microcomputer 32 is cleared, the cancel check processing ends. Therefore, in order to cancel the above-described preparation process, the power must be turned on by pressing the power switch 28 while pressing the start / pause key 29.

If the power switch 28 is pressed while the start / pause key 29 is pressed, step P
The determination at 2 is affirmed, and the routine goes to Step P4. Step P
At 4, the time during which the start / pause key 29 is pressed is measured by a time counter built in the microcomputer 32. Then, in Step P5, it is determined whether or not the count value of the time counter is less than one second. If the time is less than one second, the process returns to step P1, and the above steps P1, P2, P4, and P5 are repeated.
If the start / pause key 29 is turned off during the repetition of steps P1, P2, P4, and P5, the process moves from step P2 to step P3, and the key initial flag KF
Is rewritten to 1, the count value of the time counter is cleared in step P9, and this processing ends.

On the other hand, when the start / pause key 29 is
If the button has been continuously pressed for more than two seconds, step P5
, The determination of whether the count value of the time counter is less than 1 second is denied, and in step P6, it is determined whether the water level switch 26 is on. Water level switch 26
Is in the OFF state, the determination in Step P6 is denied, and the routine goes to Step P3. Then, after the key initial flag KF is rewritten to 1 in step P3, and the count value of the time counter is cleared in step P9, the cancel check processing is terminated.

Therefore, in order to cancel the above-mentioned preparation step, for example, before turning on the power, water must be supplied into the cleaning chamber 7 from an opening formed in the front surface of the housing 4. That is, start /
Even if the temporary stop key 29 is erroneously pressed, if the water is not supplied into the cleaning chamber 7, the above-described preparation process is not canceled.

If water is supplied into the cleaning chamber 7 and the water level switch 26 is on, the process goes to step P6
, The determination as to whether or not the water level switch 26 is on is affirmed, and the cancel flag CF is rewritten from 0 to 1 in step P7. Then, in order to notify that the preparation process has been canceled, for example, a buzzer sounds (step P8), the time counter is cleared (step P9), and the cancel check processing is ended. Note that the cancel check process is not always necessary, and the cancel check process may be omitted and the above-described preparation process may be always performed.

In the above, the flow of control in the preparation step has been described by taking specific time as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the above specific example. One of the features of the present invention is that there is cold residual water in the cleaning room,
In order to prevent the temperature of the hot water stored in the cleaning chamber from dropping due to the supply of cold residual water in the hot water supply pipe to the cleaning chamber, it is necessary to supply hot water necessary for cleaning to the cleaning chamber. Prior to the hot water supply step, a preparation step for draining residual water in the cleaning room and the hot water supply pipe is performed. One of the other features of the present invention is that the drain pump is intermittently driven while the hot water supply valve is opened in the preparatory process, so that water is exhausted from the processing chamber during the preparatory process, and Is to prevent air from being trapped. Therefore, the drainage pump does not necessarily need to be turned on / off at intervals of 15 seconds as in the specific example described above, and when the hot water supply capacity of the water heater is even lower, the on-time of the drainage pump is short and the off-time is long. It may be changed to become.

[0061]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention,
All the water remaining in the hot water supply means is drained prior to the hot water supply process, so even if the residual water in the hot water supply means is cold, wash the dishes with hot water of the appropriate temperature immediately after the start of cleaning. be able to. Therefore, the time required for washing can be reliably reduced as compared with a dishwasher in which tap water is supplied to the washing room.

When the remaining water in the hot water supply means is drained, the drainage means is intermittently driven. Therefore, even when a hot water supply means having a low hot water supply capacity is used, the drainage means is stopped. Water is stored in the washing room while it is in operation. Therefore, the water in the cleaning chamber does not run out while the drainage unit is being driven intermittently, and there is no possibility that the drainage capacity is reduced due to the air flowing into the drainage unit. therefore,
The residual water in the hot water supply means can be reliably drained within a preset time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is no possibility that water will overflow from the washing room during the step of draining residual water in the hot water supply means. According to the invention described in claim 4, even when the control by the trip control means is performed,
No remaining water remains in the hot water supply means, and the time required for draining the remaining water in the hot water supply means does not become longer than necessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a simplified internal configuration of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of an operation panel.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electric configuration of the dishwasher.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a process in a preparation process.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in a preparation step.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in a preparation process.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing ON / OFF states of a hot water supply valve and a drain pump in a preparation step.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a cancel check process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dishwasher 2 Hot-water supply pipe (hot-water supply means) 3 Hot-water supply apparatus 7 Washing room 9 Hot-water supply valve (hot-water supply means) 19 Drain pump 26 Water level switch 32 Microcomputer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-8-140919 (JP, A) JP-A-3-131221 (JP, A) JP-A-60-168428 (JP, A) JP-A-7- 88068 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47L 15/00-15/46

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. Pumping hot water stored in a washing room,
A dishwasher for washing the dishes by injecting the pumped hot water into the dishes set in the washing room, a hot water supply means for supplying hot water into the washing room, and a drainage means for draining the hot water stored in the washing room, prior to the hot water supply step for storing the hot water used for washing in the washing chamber, thereby intermittently drive the drainage means with driving the hot water supply means and, since then to cause drainage means stops the hot water supply means continuously driven Be prepared
And a water supply / drainage control unit that executes a process . 2. The water supply / drainage control means for executing the preparatory step drives only the hot water supply means for the first predetermined first time, and drives the hot water supply means and the drainage means for the second predetermined time following the first time. A predetermined third time following the second time is a period in which the drainage means is stopped to drive the hot water supply means, and a predetermined fourth time following the third time is a time in which the hot water supply means is stopped and the drainage means is driven. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the dishwasher is provided. 3. A water level detecting means for detecting that the water level in the cleaning chamber has reached a predetermined water level, and a water level in the cleaning chamber being predetermined while the driving of the hot water supply means and the drainage means is controlled by the water supply / drainage control means. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a trip control unit that continuously drives the drain unit for a predetermined time while the hot water supply unit is stopped when the water level detection unit detects that the water level has been reached. 2. The dishwasher according to 2. 4. The control by the water supply / drainage control means after the end of the control by the trip control means based on the time from the start of the control by the water supply / drainage control means to the time when the water level in the washing chamber reaches a predetermined water level. 4. The dishwasher according to claim 3, further comprising selection means for selecting whether or not to restart.