JP5257419B2 - dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dishwasher for cleaning an object to be cleaned such as tableware.

  There is a dishwasher equipped with an optical sensor for detecting the turbidity (permeability) of washing water used for washing dishes. As such a dishwasher, the dishwasher of patent document 1 is demonstrated.

  The dishwasher of Patent Document 1 includes a washing tank for storing tableware, a washing nozzle disposed inside the washing tank, and a washing pump that supplies washing water to the washing nozzle. In this dishwasher, for example, when the dishes are washed, the dishes are stored in the washing tank and a predetermined amount of washing water is supplied into the washing tank. Then, the cleaning water stored in the lower portion of the cleaning tank is supplied to the cleaning nozzle by the cleaning pump. Washing water is sprayed from the washing nozzle onto the tableware housed in the washing tank, and the tableware is washed. The washing water sprayed on the tableware is stored at the bottom of the washing tank and is sent again to the washing nozzle by the washing pump.

  Further, a drainage pump for discharging the cleaning water in the cleaning tank to the outside of the apparatus is provided, and the cleaning water can be discharged outside the apparatus through the drainage path. And in the dishwasher of this patent document 1, the turbidity of the wash water discharged | emitted by detecting the turbidity detection part in the middle of this drainage path is detected. As the turbidity detecting means, a transmissive optical sensor comprising a light emitting part and a light receiving part is used. Based on the detection result by the turbidity detection unit, the cleaning of the tableware is controlled.

  As an example of the turbidity detection method, after the end of water supply, the initial water reaches the turbidity detection unit provided in the middle of the drainage path and the initial water permeability (turbidity) is detected. Then, the value is set as a reference value. After the completion of washing, the turbidity detection unit detects the permeability (turbidity) of the wash water discharged after the washing is completed, and detects the amount of change from the initial water permeability. Based on the amount of change, how dirty the drained wash water is, that is, the degree of soiling of the tableware that has been washed in the washing tank, is quantified and determined.

JP-A-4-319329

  However, in the dishwasher provided with such a conventional turbidity detection part of Patent Document 1, when detecting the permeability of the initial water that is not contaminated, a large amount of dirt is put into the washing tank. The initial water is contaminated by the water supply, and after the water supply is completed, the dirty water reaches the turbidity detection unit provided in the middle of the drainage path. When this dirty water permeability is set as a reference value, the amount of change from the reference value is smaller than when the initial water is not dirty when the permeability of the discharged cleaning water is detected after completion of cleaning. The correct degree of contamination cannot be determined, and there is a problem that appropriate cleaning according to the contamination of the object to be cleaned cannot be performed.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and in a dishwasher for detecting the turbidity of washing water in a turbidity detection unit provided in the middle of a drainage path, a large amount of dirt is introduced into the washing tub, After completion, even if dirty water arrives at the turbidity detector provided in the middle of the drainage path, the correct degree of contamination is determined by performing control that does not use the water permeability (turbidity) as a reference value. It is an object of the present invention to provide a dishwasher that can perform cleaning according to dirt on an object to be cleaned.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a dishwasher for cleaning an object to be cleaned, a cleaning tank for storing the object to be cleaned, a cleaning means for cleaning the object to be cleaned in the cleaning tank, and the cleaning A water supply device for supplying water into the tank, a drainage device for discharging washing water from the washing tub to the outside of the dishwasher, a drainage channel provided in communication with the drainage device, and a drainage channel provided in the drainage channel. The turbidity detection unit for detecting information on the turbidity of the washing water, and the operation of the washing means, the water supply device, the drainage device, etc. according to the information on the turbidity of the washing water detected by the turbidity detection unit Control means for changing and controlling the conditions, the turbidity detection unit is an optical sensor having a light emitting part and a light receiving part, and the control means is in a state of no water at the start of operation by the turbidity detection part. And there is water after water supply by the water supply device Comparing the turbidity detection value detected by each of the states of the state early, adjusts the reference value of the light receiving voltage of the light receiving portion at the time of detecting information about the turbidity of the washing water, wherein the light receiving portion If the received light voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value in the initial state with water detected after water supply is lower than the received light voltage S1 indicating the turbidity detection value without water detected at the start of operation, the water is present. The dishwasher uses the reference value at the previous operation without adjusting the light reception voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value at the initial stage of the state to the reference value .

As a result, when dirty water arrives at the turbidity detector provided in the middle of the drainage path after the end of water supply, the reference value at the previous operation is used without adjusting the water permeability as the reference value. By performing the control, it is possible to determine the correct degree of contamination, and it is possible to appropriately perform cleaning according to the contamination of the object to be cleaned.

  The dishwasher of the present invention can determine the correct degree of dirt even when dirt enters the washing tank and the dirty water reaches the turbidity detection unit provided in the middle of the drainage path by water supply. Cleaning according to the dirt of the cleaning object can be performed appropriately.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the dishwasher in Embodiment 1 of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the pump of the dishwasher in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The perspective view of the turbidity detection part of the dishwasher in Embodiment 1 of this invention Side sectional view of a turbidity detection part of the dishwasher in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Front sectional drawing of the turbidity detection part of the dishwasher in Embodiment 1 of this invention Initial setting sequence diagram of turbidity detection in Embodiment 1 of the present invention

1st invention is a dishwasher which wash | cleans a to-be-washed | cleaned object, Comprising: The washing tank which accommodates to-be-washed | cleaned object, the washing | cleaning means to wash | clean the to-be-washed object in the said washing tank, and water supply in the said washing tank A water supply device to perform, a drainage device for discharging washing water from the washing tub to the outside of the dishwasher, a drainage channel provided in communication with the drainage device, and turbidity of the washing water in the drainage channel provided in the drainage channel According to the information on the turbidity of the turbidity detected by the turbidity detecting unit detected by the turbidity detecting unit, the operating conditions of the cleaning means, the water supply device, the drainage device, etc. are changed. Control means for controlling, and the turbidity detection unit is an optical sensor having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and the control unit uses the turbidity detection unit to start the operation without water, and to supply the water supply device. It is the same as the initial state with water after water supply Comparing the detected at state turbidity detection value, adjusts the reference value of the light receiving voltage of the light receiving portion at the time of detecting information about the turbidity of the washing water, the light receiving unit detects during operation the start When the light reception voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value in the initial state with water detected after water supply is lower than the light reception voltage S1 indicating the turbidity detection value in the absence of water, the turbidity in the initial state with water is present. The reference value at the previous operation is used without adjusting the received light voltage S2 indicating the degree of detection value to the reference value .

With this configuration, a large amount of dirt is put into the washing tank, and after the water supply is finished, the dirty water reaches the turbidity detection unit provided in the middle of the drainage path, and shows the turbidity detection value in the absence of water. When the received light voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value in the initial state with water is lower than the received light voltage S1, the reference value at the previous operation is not adjusted without adjusting the dirty water permeability as a reference value. By performing the control to be used, it is possible to determine the correct degree of contamination, and it is possible to appropriately perform cleaning according to the contamination of the object to be cleaned.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the control means has water detected after water supply rather than a light reception voltage S1 indicating a turbidity detection value in a water-free state detected by the light receiving unit at the start of operation. When the light reception voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value in the initial state of the water is higher, the light reception voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value in the initial state of the water is detected when detecting information related to the turbidity of the washing water. The supply voltage to the light emitting unit is adjusted so as to be a reference value of the light receiving voltage of the light receiving unit.

With this configuration, when the water permeability (voltage value of the light receiving unit) is higher than when there is no water , the received light voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value at the initial stage of the water presence is related to the turbidity of the wash water. By controlling to adjust the supply voltage to the light emitting unit so that it becomes the reference value of the light receiving voltage of the light receiving unit when detecting information, the correct degree of contamination can be determined by relatively simple control. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately perform cleaning in accordance with dirt on the object to be cleaned.

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

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a dishwasher according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the dishwasher main body 1 is provided with a washing tank 2, and water or hot water is supplied into the washing tank 2 by a water supply device 3. The water supply device 3 is controlled to stop its operation when a predetermined water level is reached by a water level sensor 4 provided in communication with the washing tank 2 in order to control the amount of water supply. A water storage section 2a is provided at the bottom of the cleaning tank 2, and a pump 5 driven by a motor is attached to the water storage section 2a.

  The configuration and operation of the pump 5 will be described with reference to FIG. The pump 5 includes a pump casing 6, an impeller 7, and a switching valve 8. The pump casing 6 is provided with a cleaning side pipe 6a that discharges to the cleaning nozzle 9 and a drainage side pipe 6b that discharges to the drainage path 12 that discharges outside the machine. When the impeller 7 is rotated counterclockwise by the motor, the pump 5 functions as a cleaning pump since the cleaning water flows toward the cleaning side pipe 6a. In this case, the switching valve 8 is pressed against the wall of the entrance of the drain side pipe 6b by the pressure due to the flow of the wash water, and the drain side is closed, and the wash water does not flow into the drain path 12 side.

  On the contrary, when the impeller 7 rotates clockwise, the washing water is pressurized so as to open the switching valve 8, the switching valve 8 is opened and the washing water flows to the drainage path 12 side, and the drainage pump (drainage device) Function as. When the motor is not rotating, the switching valve 8 is not closed with respect to the drain side pipe 6b.

  Thus, the pump 5 is used as a cleaning / drainage pump. Hereinafter, the case of functioning as a cleaning pump is expressed as a cleaning pump 5a, and the case of functioning as a drainage pump is expressed as a drainage pump (drainage device) 5b.

  In the washing step, the washing water is circulated inside the dishwasher body 1 by the washing pump 5a. The cleaning water supplied into the cleaning tank 2 is sucked into the cleaning pump 5a from the water storage section 2a, and passes through the cleaning path 17 from the cleaning side pipe 6a by the cleaning pump 5a, and the cleaning nozzle 9 provided at the inner bottom of the cleaning tank 2. To be supplied. The cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 9 circulates along a route that returns to the water storage unit 2a again after the object to be cleaned (tableware) stored in the cleaning tank 2 is cleaned. The cleaning pump 5a, the cleaning nozzle 9, and the cleaning path 17 constitute a cleaning means.

  Further, a heater 10 for heating the cleaning water is provided between the cleaning nozzle 9 and the bottom of the cleaning tank 2, and an object to be cleaned can be arranged in an orderly manner above the cleaning nozzle 9, so that the cleaning water can be effectively disposed. The tableware basket 11 configured to be sprayed onto the object to be cleaned is disposed for efficient cleaning.

  In the drainage process, the drainage pump 5b discharges the wash water from the drainage side pipe 6b through the drainage path 12 to the outside of the machine. Furthermore, the control means 13 drives and controls electrical components such as the water supply device 3, the pump 5, and the heater 10.

  A substantially vertical portion 18 in which discharged wash water flows upward is provided in the middle of the drainage passage 12 downstream of the machine from the drainage pump 5b, that is, the drainage flows. A turbidity detector 14 for detecting the degree is arranged.

The configuration and operation of the turbidity detection unit 14 will be described with reference to FIGS.
A convex portion 15 protruding from the drainage path 12 is provided in a substantially vertical part 18 in the middle of the drainage path 12. The inner surfaces of the lower surface 15a and the upper surface 15b of the convex portion 15 are respectively inclined as shown in the figure. That is, the inner surface of the lower surface 15a is formed to be inclined so that the side connected to the drainage path 12 of the lower surface 15a is lowered, and the inner surface of the upper surface 15b is formed to be inclined so that the side of the upper surface 15b connected to the drainage path 12 is higher. ing. In other words, the inner surface of the lower surface 15 a is inclined toward the outside as it goes downstream of the drainage path 12, and the inner surface of the upper surface 15 b is inclined toward the inside as it goes downstream of the drainage path 12. Further, the side surfaces 15c on both sides are arranged in a substantially vertical direction, and the two surfaces are opposed to each other.

  Moreover, the turbidity detection part 14 is arrange | positioned so that the convex part 15 may be covered, and the light emission part 14a and the light-receiving part 14b are provided facing the outer side of the side surface 15c. At this time, the distance between the light emitting unit 14a and the light receiving unit 14b is set to an appropriate distance according to the capability. By making the width of the convex portion 15 (the distance between the side surfaces 15c on both sides) smaller than the width of the substantially vertical portion 18 of the drainage passage 12, and providing the convex portion 15 having an appropriate distance with respect to the width of the drainage passage 12. It is possible to take an appropriate distance necessary for the turbidity detection unit 14.

  The drainage path 12 needs to have a cross-sectional area necessary for discharging the wash water to the outside of the machine, and the light emitting part 14a and the light receiving part 14b of the turbidity detecting part 14 are also necessary distances from the input / output relationship. There is. When the turbidity detection unit 14 is provided outside the entire drainage path 12, it may not match the required distance between the light emitting unit 14a and the light receiving unit 14b, but in this embodiment, the width of the convex portion 15 is increased. By providing a convex portion 15 that is smaller than the width of the drainage path 12 and has an appropriate distance smaller than the width of the drainage path 12, it is possible to take an appropriate distance necessary for the turbidity detection unit 14. Thus, ensuring the drainage capacity by widening the cross-sectional area of 12 and ensuring the detection accuracy of the turbidity detector 14 are both achieved.

  In addition, by making the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 15 and the inner surfaces of the upper surface 15b and the lower surface 15a have appropriate inclined surfaces, vortices are generated inside the convex portion 15 with respect to the flow of cleaning water during drainage. Can be prevented. In addition, bubbles generated when washing water flows due to water supply or drainage operations move upward, and when detecting when the drainage is stopped, foreign matter with a large specific gravity falls downward, and bubbles with a small specific gravity move upward. Go up. Therefore, stable and accurate detection is possible at the time of detection.

About the dishwasher comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.
First, water is supplied in the cleaning process. The water supply apparatus 3 is opened and water supply starts. When a predetermined water level is reached by control based on detection by the water level sensor 4, the water supply device 3 is closed and water supply is completed. At this time, since the motor for driving the pump 5 is not rotating and the switching valve 8 does not close the drain side pipe 6b, the cleaning water naturally communicates with the water storage part 2a of the cleaning tank 2 through the inside of the pump 5. It also reaches the drainage path 12 that is present. The drainage path 12 and the convex portion 15 at the position of the turbidity detection unit 14 are also filled with cleaning water.

  When the cleaning is started, the switching valve 8 is closed on the drain side by the flow, and the cleaning water does not enter the drain side. Therefore, in this state, the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 2 cannot be detected while the initial cleaning water is confined.

When the cleaning process is completed and the contamination of the cleaning water in the cleaning tank 2 is detected, the drain pump 5b is operated for a while and then stopped. As a result, the dirty cleaning water in the cleaning tank 2 is allowed to enter the periphery of the convex portion 15 which is the drainage path portion facing the turbidity detection unit 14, and the turbidity of the cleaning water can be measured. At this time, the vicinity of the convex portion 15 facing the turbidity detection unit 14 is already filled with the initial wash water from the completion of the water supply, so there is almost no discontinuous movement or disturbed movement of the wash water, Turbidity can be detected in a stable state.

  Then, depending on the measured turbidity, the operating conditions of the washing pump 5a, the heater 10, the water supply device 3, the drainage pump 5b, etc. are changed, for example, by changing the number of times of rinsing, and then the rinsing and drying steps are performed to finish the operation. .

  Hereinafter, a method for detecting turbidity of washing water and a method for initial setting of a reference value for turbidity detection will be described. FIG. 6 shows an initial setting sequence for turbidity detection according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  The outline of the method for detecting turbidity in the dishwasher of the present invention is as follows. After the water supply after the start of operation, the initial water reaches the turbidity detection unit 14 provided in the middle of the drainage path 12, and the permeability of the initial water which is not contaminated. (Turbidity) is detected, and the value is set as a reference value. After the cleaning is completed, the turbidity detection unit 14 detects the permeability (turbidity) of the cleaning water discharged after the cleaning is completed. It is a method of quantifying and determining how dirty the drainage is with the amount of change, that is, the degree of contamination of the dishes cleaned in the cleaning tank 2. And the control means 13 performs each process of the rinsing and drying after completion | finish of a washing | cleaning process on the conditions according to the stain | pollution | contamination degree determined by this turbidity detection part 14. FIG.

  Here, in the dishwasher in which the turbidity detection unit is disposed in the middle of the drainage channel targeted by the present invention, the turbidity detection unit detects the permeability in the state with water than in the state without water. It has the characteristic of becoming higher. When the water in the turbidity detection unit after the completion of water supply is dirty, the permeability is worse even in the presence of water than in the absence of water. Therefore, when detecting the permeability of the initial water after water supply, which is the reference value for turbidity detection, the initial water becomes dirty due to water supply, such as when a large amount of dirt is put into the washing tank. Dirty water may reach the degree detection unit. When this dirty water permeability becomes the reference value, when detecting the permeability of the cleaning water discharged after the cleaning is completed, the amount of change from the reference value is smaller than when the initial water supply is not dirty, and is correct. The degree of contamination cannot be determined.

  In order to solve this problem, in the dishwasher of the present invention, the turbidity detection unit 14 is an optical sensor provided with the light emitting unit 14a and the light receiving unit 14b facing each other, and as shown in FIG. The turbidity detector 14 provided in the middle of the drainage path 12 detects the permeability in the absence of water before draining or after draining (in FIG. 6, the case after draining), and the value is S1. Next, the transmittance in the presence of water after water supply is detected, the value is set to S2, S1 and S2 are compared, and if S2> S1, the light receiving voltage of the light receiving unit 14b of the turbidity detecting unit 14 is used. The voltage supplied to the light emitting unit 14a is adjusted so that a certain S2 is adjusted to a reference value. If S2 ≦ S1, as described above, control is performed so that the reference value at the previous operation is used without adjusting S2 to the reference value. That is, control is performed by using the voltage value supplied to the light emitting unit 14a during the previous operation.

  In the case where an optical sensor is used, the voltage supplied to the light emitting unit 14a is adjusted, the voltage detected by the light receiving unit 14b is set to a constant value, and the value is used as a reference for detecting information on the turbidity of the washing water. When setting the value, the initial voltage value is supplied to the light emitting unit 14a, and the voltage value of the light receiving unit 14b is detected in the absence of water at the start of operation. Then, the voltage value of the light-receiving part 14b is detected in the state with water after water supply, supplying the same voltage value to the light-emitting part 14a. When the water after the water supply is not soiled, the voltage of the light receiving unit 14b is greater with water than without water. When the cleaning tank 2 is contaminated and the initial water is contaminated by the water supply, the voltage value of the light-receiving unit 14b in the presence of water is smaller than the voltage value in the absence of water when the degree of contamination is large.

  By performing the initial setting of turbidity detection by the method as described above and controlling the turbidity detection of the cleaning water based on this initial setting, a large amount of dirt is introduced into the cleaning tank 2, and the initial setting is made by water supply. If the dirty water arrives at the turbidity detection unit 14 after the water is contaminated or supplied, it is possible to prevent the dirty water from being adjusted to the reference value, and the correct degree of contamination can be determined.

  In addition, as timing which detects the permeability | transmittance in a state without water, either before draining at the time of a driving | operation start or after draining may be sufficient. That is, the state before draining at the start of operation is a state where there is no water in the turbidity detection unit 14 and there is no water. Even after draining at the start of operation, after the remaining water passes through the drainage path 12, the turbidity detection unit 14 is in a water-free state. If it is detected before draining or after draining at the start of operation, the permeability in the absence of water can be detected in any case.

  The pump 5 is configured as a cleaning / drainage pump that functions as two types of pumps, that is, a cleaning pump 5a and a drainage pump 5b, by changing the rotation direction of the motor. The flow of the washing water to the drain 6a and the drain side pipe 6b may be switched to function as two types of pumps in one rotation direction. Although a pump with a switching valve has been described here, a pump without a switching valve or a separate dedicated pump with a washing pump and a drain pump may be used.

  As described above, according to the dishwasher of the present embodiment, in the initial setting sequence of turbidity detection, when detecting the permeability of initial water after water supply, which is a reference value, at the start of operation, The turbidity detection unit 14 provided in the middle detects the permeability in the absence of water, compares the value with the value detected for the permeability in the presence of water after water supply, If the value in the presence state is larger than the value in the no water state, adjust the value to the reference value.If the value is smaller, do not adjust the value to the reference value and use the reference value from the previous operation. By controlling, a large amount of dirt is put in the washing tank 2 and the initial water becomes dirty due to the water supply. It is possible to prevent the degree from being adjusted to the reference value. Therefore, the correct degree of contamination can be detected, and the contamination of the object to be cleaned can be accurately detected, so that cleaning according to the contamination of the object to be cleaned can be performed appropriately.

  As described above, the dishwasher according to the present invention detects the turbidity detection values in the absence of water state and the presence of water after water supply at the start of operation, and compares the two values to determine the initial value after the end of water supply. By having a control means for determining whether or not to adjust the turbidity detection value to the reference value, it is possible to perform control without using the dirty water permeability as a reference value, and to determine the correct degree of contamination. It can be effectively used in a dishwasher that circulates washing water in a washing tank to wash objects to be washed such as dishes.

2 Washing tank 2a Water storage part 3 Water supply device 4 Water level sensor 5 Pump 5a Washing pump (cleaning means)
5b Drainage pump (drainage device)
8 Switching valve 9 Cleaning nozzle (cleaning means)
12 Drainage path 13 Control means 14 Turbidity detection part 14a Light emitting part 14b Light receiving part 15 Convex part 15a Lower face 15b Upper face 15c Side face 17 Cleaning path (cleaning means)
18 Substantially vertical part

Claims (2)

A dishwasher for cleaning an object to be cleaned, a cleaning tank for storing the object to be cleaned, a cleaning means for cleaning the object to be cleaned in the cleaning tank, a water supply device for supplying water into the cleaning tank, A drainage device for discharging washing water from the washing tub to the outside of the dishwasher, a drainage channel provided in communication with the drainage device, and information on the turbidity of the cleaning water provided in the drainage channel in the drainage channel is detected. A turbidity detection unit, and a control unit that changes and controls operating conditions of the cleaning unit, the water supply device, the drainage device, etc. according to information on the turbidity of the washing water detected by the turbidity detection unit. wherein the a turbidity detection unit a light emitting portion and a light sensor having a light receiving portion, the control means, by the turbidity detecting part, during operation start, and no water condition, there water after the water supply by the water supply device Detected in each state with initial state Comparing the turbidity detection value, adjusts the reference value of the light receiving voltage of the light receiving portion at the time of detecting information about the turbidity of the washing water, the state of waterless said light receiving portion is detected during operation start When the light reception voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value in the initial state with water detected after the water supply is lower than the light reception voltage S1 indicating the turbidity detection value of the water, the initial turbidity detection value with the water is obtained. The dishwasher which uses the reference value at the time of the last driving | operation, without adjusting the light reception voltage S2 to show to a reference value . The control means is a light reception voltage S2 indicating a turbidity detection value in the initial state with water detected after the water supply, rather than a light reception voltage S1 indicating the turbidity detection value without water detected by the light receiving unit at the start of operation. Is higher, the light reception voltage S2 indicating the turbidity detection value in the initial state of the water is set to be a reference value of the light reception voltage of the light receiving unit when detecting information on the turbidity of the washing water. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein a supply voltage to the light emitting unit is adjusted.