JP4670595B2 - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dishwasher for washing and drying dishes.

  A conventional dishwasher will be described with reference to FIG. When washing dishes, the dishes to be washed are stored in the dish basket 2 of the washing tub 1 and the detergent is introduced to start the operation. When the operation is started, first, a water supply step of supplying a predetermined amount of cleaning water necessary for the cleaning pump 3 to pressurize the cleaning water to the cleaning tank 1 is executed. Then, a main washing process is performed in which the washing water pressurized by the washing pump 3 and heated by the heater 6 is jetted from the jet nozzle 4 of the washing nozzle 7 together with the detergent.

  The washing water is jetted in the vertical direction or obliquely upward from the jet nozzle 4 of the washing nozzle 7. Further, the cleaning nozzle 7 is rotated substantially horizontally by the jet reaction force. The tableware is washed by the action of the collision force, detergent, heat, etc. of the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle 7 rotating in this way.

  After the cleaning water has risen to a predetermined temperature and has undergone a main cleaning process for a predetermined time, the process enters a draining process in which the cleaning water containing dirt washed off from tableware and the like is discharged to the outside by the drain pump 8. Subsequently, a water supply process for newly supplying cleaning water, a rinsing process for spraying cleaning water from the cleaning nozzle 7 in order to rinse the dishes contaminated with detergents and leftovers (soils attached to the dishes are called leftovers), The draining process is continuously repeated a plurality of times to complete the cleaning process. In particular, in order to perform the next drying step in a short time, the final rinsing step is a heating rinsing step performed while heating the cleaning water by the heater 6. And the heating rinse process is complete | finished when it reaches to about 70 degree | times which heated cleaning water.

And the drying process which dries tableware through a drainage process is performed, and operation | movement is complete | finished. In the drying process, air is sent into the washing tub 1 from the outside by the blower 9, and the heater 6 is intermittently operated to produce hot air, and the hot air evaporates water droplets adhering to the tableware. The humid air in the cleaning tank 1 (hereinafter referred to as steam) is discharged out of the machine through the exhaust port 5 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-339607 A

  However, the conventional dishwasher has a problem that most of the power consumption of the product is occupied by the power consumption of the heater because the washing water and the air at the time of drying are heated by the electric heater. . In addition, since the surface temperature of conventional electric heaters when energized is high, when plastic dishes and small items that are vulnerable to heat fall from the table basket and come into contact with the heaters during operation, they may be deformed or burnt. There was also.

  DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves this problem, and uses a heat pump device as a heating means for washing water to greatly reduce power consumption, and dishwashing that does not deform plastic dishes and small items due to high heat. The purpose is to provide a dryer.

In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the dishwasher of the present invention includes a main body having a cleaning tank for storing an object to be cleaned, a cleaning means for cleaning the object to be cleaned, and a cleaning sprayed toward the object to be cleaned. Heating means for heating water, the heating means comprising: a compressor that compresses the refrigerant; a radiator that dissipates heat of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor; and a decompression means that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant. a heat absorber removing heat by the refrigerant, composed of a heat pump equipment and a conduit coupled to the refrigerant circulates the pressure reducing means and the heat absorber and the radiator and the compressor, the radiator from the heat absorber and A circulation air passage that passes through the washing tank and reaches the heat absorber, and a blower that blows drying air to the circulation air passage are provided, and the radiator is provided integrally with a water pipe in a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger, and the water pipe One end of the washing
It connects with the circulating pump connected with the septic tank, and the other end is connected with the circulating water channel connected with the said washing tank .

  In the dishwasher according to the present invention, the heating means for washing water is constituted by a conduit for circulating the refrigerant of the heat pump device, and heating of the washing water is performed by using heat in the atmosphere, so that power consumption is greatly increased. Can be reduced.

1st invention is equipped with the main body which has the washing tank which accommodates a to-be-cleaned object, the washing | cleaning means to wash | clean a to-be-washed | cleaned object, and the heating means to heat the washing water sprayed toward a to-be-washed | cleaned object, The said heating Means for compressing the refrigerant, a radiator for dissipating the heat of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, a decompression means for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, a heat absorber for removing heat from the refrigerant, and a refrigerant constituted by the heat pump equipment and a conduit coupled to circulate the radiator and pressure reducing means and the heat sink and the compressor, the air circulation path to the heat sink through the radiator and washing tank from the heat absorber And a circulating means for supplying drying air to the circulating air passage, the radiator is provided with a water pipe integrally with a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger, and one end of the water pipe is connected to the washing tank, Connect the other end to the circulating water channel communicating with the washing tank. By the, it is possible to significantly reduce the power consumption by heating the washing water using the heat in the atmosphere.

According to the second invention, in the first invention, by providing the heater for heating the cleaning water, the operation can be performed without extending the heating time of the cleaning water even when the outside air temperature is low and the heating capacity of the heat pump device is lowered.

According to a third aspect , in the second aspect , a detection means for detecting the temperature of the cleaning water and a control means for controlling energization of the heater are provided, and the control means is configured to heat the cleaning water to a predetermined temperature. By disabling the heater, it is possible to minimize the amount of power consumption by effectively using the heating capacity of the heat pump device while minimizing energization to the heater.

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

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a main cross-sectional view of a dishwasher according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 2 and 3 are system conceptual diagrams showing the configuration and heating operation of the heat pump apparatus according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, a main body 11 of a dishwasher is provided with a washing nozzle 15 (washing means) having an injection port 14 for jetting washing water pressurized by a washing pump 13 below a washing tank 12 of the dishwasher. . Above the cleaning nozzle 15, there is provided a tableware basket 16 for storing tableware to be cleaned. In addition, a drainage pump 18 for discharging the cleaning water stored in the cleaning tank 12 to the outside of the main body is provided.

  A heating pipe 17 composed of a conduit through which a refrigerant passes is disposed as a heating means for heating the cleaning water at the lower portion of the cleaning tank 12. The heating pipe 17 is housed in a compact manner by bending a long pipe like a mosquito coil so as to be positioned below the specified water level of the washing water. The washing tub 12 is opened by opening an opening / closing door 19 provided on the front surface of the main body 11 so that the tableware basket 16 can be pulled out and the tableware can be taken in and out easily. The water supply hose 20 is connected in the washing tank 12 via the water supply valve 21, and the tap water supplied from the water supply hose 20 is stored at the bottom of the washing tank 12 (washing water A).

  The drying air blown from the blower 22 is introduced into the cleaning tank 12 from the inlet 24 of the circulation air passage 23, and the air that has passed through the cleaning tank 12 returns to the circulation air passage 23 from the exhaust outlet 25. In the circulation air passage 23, there are provided a heat absorber 26 composed of a fin tube type heat exchanger or the like for exchanging heat between refrigerant and air, and a drain pan 27 for treating the dehumidified water condensed therein. In the compressor 28, the heat pipe 17, the pressure reducing means 30 configured by a capillary tube, a pressure reducing valve, and the like and the heat absorber 26 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 29 to constitute a heat pump device.

  In the above configuration, the operation of heating the cleaning water A in the cleaning process will be described with reference to FIG. When the cleaning process starts, the water supply valve 21 is opened and tap water is supplied from the water supply hose 20. When the water level reaches the specified water level in the cleaning tank 12, the water supply valve 21 is closed and the water supply is stopped. At this specified water level, the heating pipe 17 is completely submerged in the cleaning water A. When the compressor 28 of the heat pump device is operated, the refrigerant is compressed, and the pressure circulates through the heating pipe 17, the decompression means 30, and the heat absorber 26. The heat of the refrigerant compression is released in the heating pipe 17, and the heat is absorbed in the heat absorber 26 by the refrigerant whose pressure is reduced by the decompression means 30.

  At this time, the blower 22 is activated, and the blown air is introduced into the cleaning tank 12 from the inlet 24 of the circulation air passage 23. The air that has passed through the cleaning tank 12 enters the circulation air passage 23 through the exhaust port 25, passes through the heat absorber 26, and returns to the blower 22 for circulation. This circulating air receives heat from the outside air when passing through the circulation air passage 23 and the washing tank 12, and is absorbed when passing through the heat absorber 26. Therefore, by operating the compressor 28, the heat of the outside air is generated by the refrigerant. The cleaning water A is transported to the heating pipe 17 and heated.

  Since the heat pump device of the present embodiment has a cooling capacity of about 900 W when the input of the compressor 28 is 300 W, the heating capacity of the cleaning water A by the heating pipe 17 is about 1200 W at maximum, which is about four times that of the electric heater. Heating efficiency is obtained. Heat is released by condensing the refrigerant in the heating pipe 17 from gas to liquid. The condensation temperature is set to about 80 ° C., which is lower than the surface temperature of the electric heater.

  Next, the operation | movement which dries tableware at a drying process is demonstrated using FIG. The drying process starts from the state in which the washing water A in the washing tank 12 is drained when the washing and rinsing of the dishes are completed. The operation of the heat pump device and the blower 22 is exactly the same as when the washing water A is heated, and the compressor 28 is operated to circulate the refrigerant through the heating pipe 17, the decompression means 30 and the heat absorber 26. The heat of the refrigerant compression is released in the heating pipe 17, and the heat is absorbed in the heat absorber 26 by the refrigerant whose pressure is reduced by the decompression means 30.

  When the blower 22 is activated, the blown air is introduced into the cleaning tank 12 from the inlet 24 of the circulation air passage 23. Since the heating pipe 17 in the washing tub 12 is heated by the refrigerant and the temperature rises to about 80 ° C., the air that has passed there becomes hot air, deprives moisture when passing through the gap between the tableware in the tableware basket 16, and becomes damp. In this state, the air enters the circulation air passage 23 from the exhaust port 25. When the wet warm air passes through the heat absorber 26, sensible heat and latent heat are taken away and dehumidified, and separated into low-temperature air and dehumidified water. This low temperature air returns to the blower 22 and circulates again.

  As described above, the drying air circulates through the washing tank 12, the circulation air passage 23, and the heat absorber 26, and the above operation is repeated, whereby the drying of the tableware proceeds. Therefore, the steam that has been discharged outside the main body does not go out of the main body 11, and the dehumidified water condensed by the heat absorber 26 is once collected in the drain pan 27 and discharged out of the main body 11. In addition, the energy balance during the drying operation is approximately four times that of the electric heater, as in the case of cleaning water heating.

  Thus, by using the heat pump device as the heating means, the power consumption can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional product using the electric heater in both the cleaning process and the drying process, and the surface temperature of the heating pipe 17 is low. It is hard to be deformed or burnt even when touched by heat-sensitive dishes. Furthermore, since the tableware is dried by circulating dry air in the drying process, there is an advantage that steam is not emitted outside the main body 11. However, since the heat pump device is larger in shape than the electric heater, there is a demerit that the housing in the main body 11 becomes tight. However, as shown in FIG. Thus, the arrangement of the heat pump device is facilitated, and since steam is not discharged even during drying, there is no need to provide an exhaust port in the kitchen cabinet, and a kitchen cabinet with excellent safety and design can be realized.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a system conceptual diagram showing the configuration and heating operation of the heat pump apparatus of the dishwasher in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The same constituent elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the blower air passage, and is configured without providing a circulation air passage. Outside air is sucked from the intake air passage 31 by the blower 22 and introduced into the cleaning tank 12 from the introduction port 24. The air that has passed through the cleaning tank 12 provided with the heating pipe 17 enters the exhaust air passage 32 from the exhaust port 25, passes through the heat absorber 26 provided in the exhaust air passage 32, and is temporarily discharged into the machine. 11 is going out.

  In the above configuration, when the cleaning process is started, the water supply valve 21 is opened, tap water is supplied from the water supply hose 20, and when the water level reaches the specified water level in the cleaning tank 12, the water supply valve 21 is closed and the water supply is stopped. At this specified water level, the heating pipe 17 is completely submerged in the cleaning water A. When the compressor 28 of the heat pump device is operated, the refrigerant is compressed, and the pressure circulates through the heating pipe 17, the decompression means 30, and the heat absorber 26. The heat of the refrigerant compression is released in the heating pipe 17, and the heat is absorbed in the heat absorber 26 by the refrigerant whose pressure is reduced by the decompression means 30.

  At this time, the blower 22 operates, and the blown air is introduced into the cleaning tank 12 from the inlet 24 of the intake air passage 31. The air that has passed through the cleaning tank 12 enters the exhaust air passage 32 from the exhaust port 25, passes through the heat absorber 26, and is finally exhausted outside the main body 11. Since the heat of the outside air sucked from the intake air passage 31 is absorbed when passing through the heat absorber 26, the heat of the outside air is conveyed to the heating pipe 17 by the refrigerant by operating the compressor 28 and heats the washing water A. To do.

  Next, in the drying process, the cleaning water A in the cleaning tank 12 is drained, and the compressor 28 is operated to circulate the refrigerant through the heating pipe 17, the decompression means 30, and the heat absorber 26. The heat of the refrigerant compression is released in the heating pipe 17, and the heat is absorbed in the heat absorber 26 by the refrigerant whose pressure is reduced by the decompression means 30. When the blower 22 is activated, the blown air is introduced into the cleaning tank 12 from the inlet 24 of the intake air passage 31.

  Since the heating pipe 17 in the washing tub 12 is heated by the refrigerant and the temperature rises to about 80 ° C., the air that has passed through it becomes hot air, deprives moisture when passing through the gap between the dishes in the tableware basket 16, and becomes damp. In this state, the air enters the exhaust air passage 32 from the exhaust port 25. When the wet warm air passes through the heat absorber 26, sensible heat and latent heat are taken away and dehumidified, and separated into low-temperature air and dehumidified water. The dry air after dehumidification is exhausted out of the main body 11.

  Thus, by using the heat pump device as the heating means, the power consumption can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional product using the electric heater in both the cleaning process and the drying process, and the surface temperature of the heating pipe 17 is low. It is hard to be deformed or burnt even when touched by heat-sensitive dishes. Further, since the drying air is cooled and dehumidified and then exhausted in the drying process, there is an advantage that moisture and heat are not emitted outside the main body 11.

(Embodiment 3)
6 and 7 are system conceptual diagrams showing the configuration and heating operation of the heat pump device of the dishwasher according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The same constituent elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  This embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in the air flow path, but the configuration of the heat exchanger of the heat pump device is different. In the present embodiment, no heat pipe is provided in the cleaning tank 12, and a radiator 40 that exchanges heat between refrigerant, air, and water is provided in the circulation air passage 23. The radiator 40 is formed by integrally providing a water pipe 41 such as a metal pipe in a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger similar to the heat absorber 26. One end of the water pipe 41 is connected to the circulation pump 43 communicating with the cleaning tank 12, and the other end is connected to the circulation water channel 42.

  In the above configuration, the operation of heating the cleaning water A in the cleaning process will be described with reference to FIG. When the cleaning process starts, the water supply valve 21 is opened and tap water is supplied from the water supply hose 20. When the water level reaches the specified water level in the cleaning tank 12, the water supply valve 21 is closed and the water supply is stopped. When the compressor 28 of the heat pump device is actuated, the refrigerant is compressed, and this pressure circulates through the radiator 40, the decompression means 30, and the heat absorber 26. The radiator 40 releases heat of compression of the refrigerant, and the heat absorber 26 absorbs the heat by the refrigerant that has been decompressed by the decompression means 30 to a low pressure.

  At this time, the blower 22 is activated, and the blown air is introduced into the cleaning tank 12 from the introduction port 24 of the circulation air passage 23. The air that has passed through the cleaning tank 12 enters the circulation air passage 23 through the exhaust port 25, passes through the heat absorber 26, and then returns to the blower 22 through the radiator 40 and circulates. At the same time as the blower 22 is operated, the circulation pump 43 is also operated, and the cleaning water A in the cleaning tank 12 passes through the water pipe 41 of the radiator 40 and returns to the cleaning tank 12 through the circulation water channel 42 and circulates again.

  The circulating air receives heat from the outside air when passing through the circulation air passage 23 and the cleaning tank 12 and is absorbed by the heat absorber 26. The absorbed heat is transported to the radiator 40 by the refrigerant by the operation of the compressor 28 and heats the washing water A flowing through the water pipe 41.

  Next, the operation | movement which dries tableware at a drying process is demonstrated using FIG. The drying process starts from the state in which the washing water A in the washing tank 12 is drained when the washing and rinsing of the dishes are completed. In the drying process, the circulation pump 43 does not operate, but the operation of the heat pump device and the blower 22 is the same as when the washing water A is heated, and the compressor 28 is operated to supply the refrigerant, the radiator 40, the decompression means 30, and the heat absorber. 26 is circulated. The radiator 40 releases heat of compression of the refrigerant, and the heat absorber 26 absorbs the heat by the refrigerant that has been decompressed by the decompression means 30 to a low pressure.

  When the blower 22 operates, the blown air flows through the circulation air passage 23. Since the circulation pump 43 does not operate in the drying process, the radiator 40 acts as an air heat exchanger, and the air passing through the radiator 40 is heated by exchanging heat with a high-temperature refrigerant, and becomes hot air. 12 is introduced. The warm air that has entered the washing tub 12 deprives moisture when passing through the gap between the dishes in the tableware basket 16 and enters the circulation air passage 23 from the exhaust port 25 in a moist state. When the wet warm air passes through the heat absorber 26, sensible heat and latent heat are taken away and dehumidified, and separated into low-temperature air and dehumidified water. This low-temperature air passes through the radiator 40 again, becomes warm air, and returns to the blower 22 for circulation.

  In this way, the drying air circulates through the radiator 40, the washing tank 12, and the heat absorber 26, and the above operation is repeated, whereby the drying of the tableware proceeds. Therefore, the steam that has been discharged outside the main body does not go out of the main body 11, and the dehumidified water condensed by the heat absorber 26 is once collected in the drain pan 27 and discharged out of the main body 11.

  As described above, by using a heat pump device as the heating means, power consumption can be greatly reduced compared to conventional products that use electric heaters in both the cleaning process and the drying process, and dry air is circulated in the drying process. Since the tableware is dried, there is an advantage that steam is not emitted outside the main body 11. In addition, since there is no heating means for washing water A and dry air in the washing tub 12, the structure in the washing tub 12 is simplified, and the storage of dishes is improved. It is something that won't happen.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 8 is a system conceptual diagram showing the configuration and heating operation of the heat pump device of the dishwasher in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The same constituent elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the basic configuration of the present embodiment is the same as that of the dishwasher of the third embodiment, but the auxiliary heater 50 made of an electric heater in the cleaning tank 12 and the temperature of the cleaning water A are shown. And a heater control means (not shown) for controlling energization of the auxiliary heater 50 are added.

  As described in the description of the other embodiments, by using a heat pump device as the heating means, power consumption can be significantly reduced as compared with a conventional product using an electric heater in both the cleaning process and the drying process. However, since the heat source for heating with the heat pump device is outside air, there is a problem that it takes time to exhibit a predetermined heating capability when the temperature is low in winter or the like.

  In this embodiment, when the water supply valve 21 is opened and tap water is supplied from the water supply hose 20 in the cleaning process, the temperature of the cleaning water A is measured by the temperature detecting means 51. If the water temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature, the outside air It is determined that the temperature is low, and the auxiliary heater 50 is energized in parallel with the heating operation by the heat pump device. When the water temperature rises above a predetermined temperature, the energization of the auxiliary heater 50 is stopped.

  As described above, by providing the auxiliary heater 50, even when the outside air temperature is low and the heating capacity of the heat pump device is reduced, the heat pump A can be operated without extending the heating time of the cleaning water A, and the temperature of the cleaning water A is detected. By providing the detection means 51 and a control means for controlling the energization of the auxiliary heater 50, the power consumption can be suppressed by effectively using the heating capacity of the heat pump device while minimizing the energization of the auxiliary heater 50. It is.

  As described above, the dishwasher according to the present invention uses a heat pump device as a drying means to dehumidify and discharge the humid air in the washing tank during the drying process. It is useful as a dishwasher, etc. with significantly reduced discharge.

Sectional drawing of the dishwasher in Embodiment 1 of this invention System conceptual diagram showing the operation of the dishwasher when washing water is heated System conceptual diagram showing the operation of the dishwasher during drying External view of the kitchen cabinet containing the dishwasher The system conceptual diagram which shows operation | movement of the dishwasher in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The system conceptual diagram which shows the operation | movement at the time of washing water heating of the dishwasher in Embodiment 3 of this invention System conceptual diagram showing the operation of the dishwasher during drying The system conceptual diagram which shows the operation | movement at the time of washing water heating of the dishwasher in Embodiment 4 of this invention Cross-sectional view of a conventional dishwasher

Explanation of symbols

11 Main body 12 Cleaning tank 15 Cleaning nozzle (cleaning means)
17 Heating pipe (heating means)
20 Water supply hose (water supply means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 22 Air blow means 23 Circulation air path 26 Heat absorber 28 Compressor 29 Refrigerant pipe line 30 Depressurization means 40 Radiator 43 Circulation pump 50 Auxiliary heater 51 Temperature detection means

Claims (3)

A main body having a cleaning tank for storing an object to be cleaned, a cleaning means for cleaning the object to be cleaned, and a heating means for heating cleaning water sprayed toward the object to be cleaned, the heating means compressing the refrigerant A compressor that radiates the heat of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, a decompression unit that depressurizes the pressure of the refrigerant, a heat absorber that deprives the heat of the refrigerant, and a refrigerant that is the compressor and the radiator constituted by the heat pump equipment and a conduit coupled to circulate the pressure reducing means and heat sink and the air circulation path to the heat sink through the radiator and washing tank from the heat absorber, the air circulation duct A blower for blowing the drying air, the radiator is provided with a water pipe integrally with a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger, one end of the water pipe is connected to a circulation pump communicated with the cleaning tank, and the other end is dishwashing connected with water circulation passage in communication with the washing tub燥機. Dishwasher according to claim 1 Symbol placement provided a heater for heating the wash water. Detecting means for detecting the temperature of the washing water, the provided control means for controlling the energization of the heater, said control means, wash water according to claim 2, wherein the inoperative the heater to be heated to a predetermined temperature Dishwasher.