KR20050004660A - Method for Sensing Turbidity of The Dish Washer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A turbidity detecting method of a dish washer is provided to increase the reliability, and to decrease data errors by comparing the mean value of turbidity of washing water with the turbidity in finishing supplying water and controlling washing course. CONSTITUTION: A feed valve supplies water to the predetermined water level by a control unit in inputting the washing course command by a user(S10,S20). The turbidity of washing water is detected by a turbidity detecting unit in finishing feeding water(S30), and pre-washing is performed. The mean value is calculated by reading the turbidity of washing water N times after washing dishes(S40), and the difference between the detected turbidity and the mean value is compared with the predetermined value(S50). The washing course is controlled, and rinsing and drying courses are performed in case of the calculated value to be within the allowable range(S60). Washing, rinsing and drying courses are performed by regulating the washing time, heating washing water or supplying water after draining water in case of the calculated value to be beyond the allowable range(S70).

Description

Method for Sensing Turbidity of The Dish Washer

The present invention relates to a dishwasher, and more particularly to a method for detecting turbidity of a dishwasher for more accurate detection of turbidity.

In general, the dishwasher is a device for washing the food residues on the tableware after meals, as shown in Figure 1, the washing water is placed on the shelf in the washing tank (not shown) to supply the washing water. At this time, by driving a heater (not shown) to heat the supplied wash water and drive the washing motor (3a) to pump the heated wash water through a washing pump (not shown) and then cut through the spray nozzle (not shown) Separate and clean up food residues on dishes. Subsequently, water is supplied to the cold water and the cold water is sprayed onto the dishes to rinse the detergent from the dishes, and when the rinsing is completed, the cold water to be heated is heated, the hot water is sprayed on the dishes to heat the dishes, and the dishes are heated with latent heat. To dry. In the above-described series of steps, the dishes are washed using the dishwasher.

As described above, the dishwasher includes a control unit for controlling the overall system operation of the dishwasher according to a key input unit 1 for inputting a desired stroke and a key signal of the key input unit 1 as shown in FIG. 6), a load driving unit 2 for driving various loads 3 such as a washing motor 3a, a water supply valve 3b, a drain valve 3c, and the like, which are driven in accordance with a control signal of the control unit 6, It comprises a water level detection unit 4 for detecting the water level in the water tank (8), a turbidity detection unit (5) for detecting the turbidity of the wash water, and a display unit (9) for displaying various states of the dishwasher .

In the dishwasher according to the related art configured as described above, when the user inputs the corresponding administrative command in consideration of the amount of the dish and the type of the dish through the key input unit 1, the control unit 6 recognizes this and the load driving unit 2 according to the algorithm. ).

First, the load driving unit 2 controls the water supply valve 3b according to the control of the control unit 6, in which the water supply valve 3b in the form of a solenoid valve is opened and the washing water of the faucet 7 is dishwasher. The water level detection unit 4 detects the level of the washing water in the sump 8 as the amount of the washing water supplied to the sump 8 changes through a hose connected to the inner sump 8. do.

When the washing water in the sump (8) reaches the set level, the control unit (6) stops the water supply and drives the heater according to the control signal of the control unit (6) to heat the washing water in the sump (8) The washing water is supplied to the spray nozzle through the washing pump by driving the washing motor 3a. At this time, the washing water is sprayed on the dish through the spray nozzle to perform a washing stroke.

Here, the control unit 6 detects the turbidity of the dish-washed water, that is, the degree of contamination of the washing water, through the turbidity detection unit 5 during the washing stroke.

As shown in FIG. 3, the turbidity detection unit 5 uses a photo coupler, which is mounted in a circulation tube through which the dishwashed washing water is circulated. The light emitted from the light emitting unit 5a of the photo coupler is transmitted to the light receiving unit 5b through the dish-washed water circulating through the circulation tube, and the received signal is input to the control unit 6.

The control unit 6 receives a detection signal of the turbidity detection unit 5 several times (n) for a predetermined time (t) by a preset program as shown in Equation 1 below and the current turbidity detection signal New and the previous turbidity. The detection signal Old is added, the average is calculated, and the above process is repeated to calculate the total average value, as shown in Equation 2 below.

Old0 + New0-> Average 0

Old1 (New0) + New1-> Average 1

Old2 (New1) + New2-> Average 2

.

.

.

Oldn (Newn-1) + Newn-> mean n

Total value (Total) = (average 0 + mean 1 +… + mean n) / N

In addition, the controller 6 performs a more hygienic washing operation by varying the washing time according to the calculated total average level, determining whether the washing water is heated, or determining rewatering after draining.

Subsequently, when the washing stroke according to the degree of contamination of the washing water is completed, a rinsing or drying stroke is performed, and when all the washing strokes are completed, the washing water inside the washing tank is drained through the drain valve 3c.

However, the above-described dishwasher of the prior art calculates the total average value by repeating the process of calculating the average value by summing the previous turbidity (Old) and the current turbidity (New). There was an error in the overall mean.

That is, there is a problem that the product reliability is lowered because the effective washing administration control can not be made due to the error of the overall average value.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting turbidity of a dishwasher to more accurately detect the degree of contamination of washing water.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a general dish washer

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a dish washing machine according to the prior art

Figure 3 is a circuit diagram showing a turbidity detection unit of the prior art

4 is a flow chart showing a turbidity detection method of the dishwasher according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

4: water level detector 5: turbidity detector

6: control unit

Turbidity detection method of the dishwasher according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises the steps of watering the washing water to a predetermined level according to the user's washing instructions; Detecting an initial turbidity of the wash water supplied to the set water level when the water supply is completed, and performing preliminary washing; Detecting an average value of the turbidity of the dish-washed washing water a plurality of times during the preliminary washing; And, it comprises the step of controlling the washing stroke in accordance with the difference value of the detected initial turbidity and the average value is characterized by.

In this case, detecting the average value by detecting the turbidity of the dish-washed wash water a plurality of times during the preliminary washing, detecting the turbidity of the dish-washed wash water N times after performing the preliminary washing for a predetermined time; It is characterized in that it comprises the step of detecting the average value by summing the turbidity values of the remaining (N-2L) excluding the upper and lower turbidity values by any number (L) of the detected N turbidity values.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

A preferred embodiment of the turbidity detection method of the dish washing machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Since the dishwasher according to the present invention is the same as the conventional configuration, a detailed description of the configuration will be omitted, but the same reference numerals will be used for the structure of the dishwasher.

As shown in FIG. 4, the dishwasher according to the present invention first inputs an administrative command corresponding to the amount of dishes and the type of dishes.

When the stroke start command is input from the user, the water supply valve 3b performs water supply of the washing water up to the set water level under the control of the control unit 6 (S10 and S20).

At this time, the set water level of the washing water is determined according to the structure of the individual model (e.g., the internal volume of the nozzle, etc.) and the administrative command input by the user in consideration of the amount of dishes and the size of the dishes.

The water to be supplied is supplied to the sump (8) and detects the washing water level supplied to the sump (8) through the water level detector (4) to stop the water supply when the set level is reached.

Subsequently, when the water supply is completed, the turbidity detection unit 5 detects the turbidity value A of the supplied water through the turbidity detection unit 5 (S30) and performs a preliminary washing.

Then, preliminary washing is performed for a predetermined time and the average value B is calculated by reading the turbidity value of the washing water washed in the dishwashing from the turbidity detecting unit 5 N times (S40).

At this time, the upper L turbidity values and the lower L 'turbidity values are discarded from the read N turbidity values, and the remaining (N-2L) turbidity values are summed to calculate an average value B.

Here, ignoring the upper and lower turbidity values among the detected turbidity values is for reducing errors in turbidity detection.

Subsequently, the difference between the detected haze value A and the mean value B is calculated to determine whether the calculated difference value is less than a set value, that is, an allowable range (S50).

As a result of the determination (S50), when the calculated difference value is less than the allowable range, the washing stroke is controlled according to an algorithm corresponding to the stroke command input by the user, and then rinsing and drying stroke are performed (S60).

On the other hand, the determination result (S50), if the calculated difference value is more than the allowable range to adjust the washing time or to heat the washing water or to carry out the re-supply after draining to perform the washing stroke and then rinsing and drying stroke (S70) ).

In other words, if the contamination level of the wash water is higher than the allowable range, unlike the algorithm corresponding to the administrative command input by the user, the washing time may be increased by increasing the washing time, heating the wash water at the time of turbidity detection, or draining and replenishing the current wash water. Do it.

The turbidity detection method of the dishwasher according to the present invention as described above by controlling the washing stroke by comparing the average value detected from the turbidity value discarded the turbidity value of the high / low high probability of error with the turbidity value at the completion of water supply The product reliability can be improved by reducing the error of the abnormal data as much as possible.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the embodiments, but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (3)

Watering the washing water to a predetermined level according to a washing instruction of the user; Detecting an initial turbidity of the wash water supplied to the set water level when the water supply is completed, and performing preliminary washing; Detecting an average value of the turbidity of the dish-washed washing water a plurality of times during the preliminary washing; And, And controlling the washing stroke according to the detected difference between the initial turbidity and the average value. The method of claim 1, Detecting the average value by detecting the turbidity of the dish-washed wash water a plurality of times during the preliminary washing Detecting the turbidity of the dish-washed wash water N times after performing the preliminary washing for a predetermined time; Turbidity of the dishwasher comprising the step of detecting the average value by summing the turbidity values of the remaining (N-2L) excluding the upper / lower turbidity value by any number (L) of the detected N turbidity values Detection method. The method of claim 1, The step of controlling the washing stroke according to the detected difference between the initial turbidity and the average value is If the difference between the initial turbidity and the average value is more than the allowable range, the turbidity detection method of the dishwasher, characterized in that the step of adjusting the washing time, heating the washing water or re-watering.