JP7564703B2 - dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a dishwasher for washing items such as dishes.

There is a dishwasher that can be installed in the cabinet of a system kitchen (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The dishwasher and dryer described in Patent Document 1 is configured with an opening and closing door on the top surface of the washing tub, and dishes can be put in and taken out through the opening and closing door on the top surface. In addition, a two-tiered washing basket is configured to be raised and lowered in the washing tub by a dish basket raising and lowering means.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-112231

Increasing the number of dishes that can be stored in a dishwasher can improve convenience for users, as more dishes can be washed at once. However, when a large number of dishes are stored in a dishwasher, the space between the dishes becomes narrow, making it difficult to put dishes in and take them out.

This disclosure provides technology to improve the convenience of dishwashers.

The dishwasher disclosed herein includes a washing tub with an opening, a basket housed in the washing tub and containing items to be washed, a moving unit for moving the basket, a number of support parts provided on the basket for supporting the items to be washed placed in the basket, and a spacing change unit for changing the spacing between the support parts when the basket is moved by the moving unit.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention.

This disclosure can improve the convenience of dishwashers.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a system kitchen in which a dishwasher according to a first embodiment is installed; FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dishwasher according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dishwasher according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a basket of a dishwasher according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a basket of a dishwasher according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a basket of a dishwasher according to the first embodiment; A diagram showing how the spacing between multiple supports is changed. A diagram showing how the spacing between multiple supports is changed. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the intervals between the multiple support parts are enlarged. A diagram showing the structure of the interval change unit A diagram showing the structure of the interval change unit FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control unit for controlling a dishwasher according to a first embodiment;

Below, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted.

The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

The dishwasher according to embodiment 1 has a mechanism for increasing the distance between objects to be washed when the objects to be washed, such as dishes, are put in and taken out. This makes it easier to put in and take out the objects to be washed, improving convenience for the user. In addition, when the objects to be washed are stored in the dishwasher to be washed, the distance between the objects to be washed is reduced. This allows a larger number of objects to be stored in the dishwasher, making it possible to wash many objects at once.

[1-1. Configuration]
1 shows the appearance of a system kitchen in which a dishwasher according to the first embodiment is installed. Dishwasher 40 is stored inside system kitchen 50. A robot arm 52 and a camera 53 are installed in system kitchen 50. Robot arm 52 is controlled by a control device (not shown) based on an image captured by camera 53. Robot arm 52 automatically places an article to be washed 8 placed on a worktop or a sink of system kitchen 50 inside dishwasher 40. Robot arm 52 also automatically removes article to be washed 8 placed inside dishwasher 40. Robot arm 52 may be installed in dishwasher 40.

2 and 3 show schematic cross-sections of a dishwasher 40 according to the first embodiment. The main body 1 of the dishwasher 40 is a housing having a front opening, and has a washing tub 2 inside. The washing tub 2 is supported by means such as a pull-out rail (not shown) so that it can be pulled out forwards and backwards from the front opening of the main body 1. The washing tub 2 has an opening at the top, through which items 8 to be washed, such as dishes, can be put in and taken out. A basket 14 is installed inside the washing tub 2. In the example shown in this figure, one tier of baskets 14 is installed, but two or more tiers of baskets may be installed.

When washing the object 8 to be washed, cold or hot water is supplied from outside into the washing tank 2 via the water supply valve 3. The washing water supplied into the washing tank 2 is drained from the drain hole 4 provided at the bottom of the washing tank 2, and then sprayed from the washing nozzle 7 onto the object 8 to be washed by the washing pump 5 connected to the drain hole 4, and circulates inside the washing tank 2. A heater 9 for heating the washing water is provided between the washing nozzle 7 and the bottom of the washing tank 2. A residue filter 6 for collecting residue is provided in the drain hole 4. The control unit 12 controls electrical components such as the water supply valve 3 and the washing pump 5.

The cage 14 is configured to be raised and lowered by the lifting means when the cleaning tank 2 is pulled out from the main body 1. The lifting means includes a fixed plate fixed to the bottom of the cleaning tank 2 and X-shaped lifting links 18, 19. The lifting links 18, 19 have the same length and are installed so as to intersect at the central axis 17. At least one lower end of the lifting links 18, 19 is pivoted to a long hole provided at the left and right ends of the fixed plate. The lower end of the lifting link 18 or 19 slides through the long hole, causing the upper end of the lifting links 18, 19 to rise and fall, and the cage 14 placed and supported on the lifting links 18, 19 to rise and fall. Figure 2 shows the cage 14 in a lowered state, and Figure 3 shows the cage 14 in a raised state. The cage 14 may be raised and lowered using an actuator such as a ball screw, a belt, or an air cylinder as the lifting means.

The cage 14 may be provided so that it can be raised and lowered automatically. In this case, the lifting means includes a driving means such as a motor for raising and lowering the lifting links 18, 19, and a control unit for controlling the driving means. The control unit may raise and lower the cage 14 in response to a button operation by the user, or may raise and lower the cage 14 automatically when a sensor or the like detects that the cleaning tank 2 has been pulled out of the main body 1. The cage 14 may be provided so that it can be raised and lowered manually by the user. In this case, the lifting means includes a lifting mechanism such as a rotating shaft for raising and lowering the lifting links 18, 19, and an operating means such as a handle for operating the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism may be a mechanism for raising and lowering the lifting links 18, 19 by a spring or the like when the cleaning tank 2 is pulled out of the main body 1.

Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C show an example of the basket 14 of the dishwasher 40 according to the first embodiment. Figure 4A shows a plurality of support parts 41 that support the objects 8 to be washed placed on the basket 14. Figure 4B shows a spacing change part 42 that changes the spacing between the plurality of support parts 41. Figure 4C shows the support part 41, the spacing change part 42, and the load holding part 43 that holds the load of the objects 8 to be washed. The spacing change part 42 has a structure that can expand and contract in the horizontal direction, and is configured so that the spacing between the plurality of support parts 41 increases and decreases in conjunction with the expansion and contraction of the spacing change part 42. By providing many of the members that make up the spacing change part 42 on the side of the basket 14, the area of the bottom side blocked by the configuration of the spacing change part 42 can be reduced, so that the washing nozzle 7 can efficiently spray washing water onto the objects 8 to be washed. In addition, the spacing change part 42 may move the plurality of support parts 41 horizontally or diagonally up and down in order to change the horizontal spacing between the plurality of support parts 41. In short, it is sufficient that the direction of movement of the multiple support parts 41 has a horizontal component. Furthermore, the spacing change unit 42 may change the spacing of the multiple support parts 41 in the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, or the diagonal direction.

5A and 5B show how the spacing between the multiple support parts 41 is changed. FIG. 5A shows a state in which the spacing between the multiple support parts 41 is contracted when the basket 14 is stored inside the cleaning tank 2 and the object to be cleaned 8 is cleaned. At this contraction, the spacing between the adjacent support parts 41 may be such that cleaning water can enter the gap between the adjacent objects to be cleaned 8. FIG. 5B shows a state in which the spacing between the multiple support parts 41 is expanded when the basket 14 is raised by the lifting means. At this expansion, the spacing between the adjacent support parts 41 may be such that the user's fingers or the fingers of the robot arm 52 can easily enter the gap between the adjacent objects to be cleaned 8. This makes it easy to take in and out the object to be cleaned 8 whether it is taken in and out manually or automatically by the robot arm 52. In addition, it is possible to prevent the object to be cleaned 8 from coming into contact with another object to be cleaned 8 when taking it in and out.

Figure 6 shows a state in which the spacing between the multiple support parts 41 has been expanded. The spacing change part 42 expands the spacing between the support parts 41 when the basket 14 is raised by the lifting means. As shown in Figure 6, at least some of the multiple support parts 41 may be moved to the outside of the opening of the cleaning tank 2 when viewed from above the cleaning tank 2. This makes it easier to insert and remove the item 8 to be cleaned between the cleaning tank 2 and a worktop or the like of the system kitchen 50.

7A and 7B show the structure of the interval change unit 42. The interval change unit 42 of this embodiment has an expansion mechanism in which a plate 44 having a slot hole 45 and a slider 46 and a plate 47 having a slot hole 48 and a slider 49 are alternately connected. The slider 46b of the plate 44b slides in the slot hole 48b of the plate 47b. The slider 49c of the plate 47c slides in the slot hole 45b of the plate 44b. At the maximum contraction shown in FIG. 7A, the slider 49 of the plate 47 is located at the leftmost position of the slot hole 45 of the plate 44, and the slider 46 of the plate 44 is located at the leftmost position of the slot hole 48 of the plate 47. At the maximum expansion shown in FIG. 7B, the slider 49 of the plate 47 is located at the rightmost position of the slot hole 45 of the plate 44, and the slider 46 of the plate 44 is located at the rightmost position of the slot hole 48 of the plate 47.

The spacing change unit 42 may be a mechanism that changes the spacing between the support parts 41 in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting and lowering means. The spacing change unit 42 may automatically change the spacing between the support parts 41 in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation. In this case, the spacing change unit 42 may include a driving means such as a motor for moving the support parts 41, and a control unit for controlling the driving means.

The spacing change unit 42 may change the spacing of all of the multiple support parts 41 at the same time. This can shorten the work time. The spacing change unit 42 may be able to change the spacing of the multiple support parts 41 one by one. This can change the spacing of only the support parts 41 in the area required for loading and unloading the item 8 to be cleaned, thereby reducing the area occupied during work.

Figure 8 shows the configuration of the control unit for controlling the dishwasher according to embodiment 1. The control unit 12 is realized by hardware such as a microcomputer, a microcontroller, or an integrated circuit. This figure shows the configuration of the control unit 12 when at least one of the lifting means and the interval change unit 42 is automatically controlled.

The control unit 12 comprises a process control unit 23, a drive control unit 24, and a memory 25. In terms of hardware, these components are realized by the CPU, memory, and other LSIs of any computer, and in terms of software, by programs loaded into memory, but here we depict functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these components. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways, such as by hardware alone or a combination of hardware and software.

The process control unit 23 controls the washing operation of the dishwasher 40. The process control unit 23 receives instructions from the user from the operation unit 22, which is composed of buttons, switches, etc., provided on the main body 1 of the dishwasher 40, and controls the washing operation according to the instructions. The process control unit 23 may execute the washing process, rinsing process, and drying process consecutively, may execute only one of the processes, or may execute a combination of two or more of the processes in any order.

The drive control unit 24 controls the lifting means for lifting and lowering the basket 14. The drive control unit 24 changes the interval of the support parts 41 by the interval change unit 42 in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the basket 14 by the lifting and lowering means. The drive control unit 24 may change the interval of the support parts 41 at the same time as lifting and lowering the basket 14 by the lifting and lowering means, or may change the interval of the support parts 41 when the basket 14 moves to a predetermined position. For example, when at least a part of the object to be washed 8 is moved outside the opening of the washing tank 2, the drive control unit 24 may increase the interval of the support parts 41 when the bottom surface of the basket 14 is moved to a position higher than the opening of the washing tank 2. Also, when at least a part of the object to be washed 8 is moved onto the worktop of the system kitchen 50, the drive control unit 24 may increase the interval of the support parts 41 when the bottom surface of the basket 14 is moved to a position higher than the worktop.

The direction, amount, and timing of moving the support parts 41, and which support parts 41 to move, may be set by the user. In this case, the contents set by the user via the operation unit 22 are stored in the memory 25. When the drive control unit 24 controls the lifting means to lift and lower the car 14, it reads the settings stored in the memory 25 and controls the spacing change unit 42 in accordance with the settings to change the spacing of the support parts 41.

The drive control unit 24 may determine the direction, amount, and timing of moving the support parts 41, as well as which support parts 41 to move, depending on the spacing between the objects 8 to be cleaned and their placement state. The spacing between the objects 8 to be cleaned and their placement state may be detected using a camera, a sensor, or the like. When the spacing between the objects 8 to be cleaned is narrower than a threshold value that is preset based on the size of a standard human finger or the finger part of the robot arm 52, the drive control unit 24 may move the support parts 41 so that the spacing between the objects 8 to be cleaned becomes wider than the threshold value. When the spacing between the objects 8 to be cleaned is wider than the threshold value, the drive control unit 24 may not move the support parts 41.

[1-2. Operation]
The operation and function of the dishwasher 40 constructed as above will now be described.

When the user pulls the washing tank 2 forward from the main body 1 of the dishwasher 40 and moves the basket 14 upward, the spacing change unit 42 increases the spacing of the support parts 41 in tandem with the movement. When the user or the robot arm 52 places the items 8 to be washed in the basket 14 and moves the basket 14 downward, the spacing change unit 42 decreases the spacing of the support parts 41 in tandem with the movement. The user pours detergent into the washing tank 2, stores the washing tank 2 in the main body 1, and starts washing.

The control unit 12 opens the water supply valve 3 to supply cold or hot water into the cleaning tank 2. The cleaning water supplied into the cleaning tank 2 passes through the residue filter 6 and is sucked into the cleaning pump 5 through the drain hole 4, which then supplies it to the cleaning nozzle 7 provided at the inner bottom of the cleaning tank 2. The cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 7 cleans the object 8 to be cleaned, and then circulates back to the drain hole 4. At this time, residues that have fallen off the object 8 to be cleaned flow into the residue filter 6 together with the cleaning water, and residues too large to pass through the residue filter 6 are collected by the residue filter 6.

When removing the items 8 to be washed after washing, the user pulls the washing tank 2 forward from the dishwasher body 1 and moves the basket 14 upward, which causes the spacing change unit 42 to increase the spacing of the support parts 41 in conjunction with this. When the user removes the items 8 to be washed from the basket 14 and moves the basket 14 downward, which causes the spacing change unit 42 to decrease the spacing of the support parts 41 in conjunction with this.

[1-3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, in this embodiment, dishwasher 40 includes washing tub 2 with an opening, basket 14 housed in washing tub 2 and placing items 8 to be washed, lifting means for raising and lowering basket 14, a plurality of supports 41 provided on basket 14 for supporting items 8 to be washed placed on basket 14, and spacing changer 42 for changing the spacing between support parts 41 when basket 14 is raised and lowered by the lifting means. This makes it easier to put in and take out items 8 to be washed, improving user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the opening is provided above the cleaning tank 2, the lifting means raises and lowers the basket 14 in the vertical direction, and the spacing change unit 42 moves the support unit 41 horizontally or vertically in conjunction with the lifting and lowering action of the basket 14 by the lifting means. This makes it easier to put in and take out the items 8 to be cleaned, thereby improving user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, at least some of the multiple support parts 41 are moved by the spacing change part 42 to the outside of the opening of the cleaning tank 2 when viewed from above the cleaning tank 2. This makes it easier to put in and take out the object to be cleaned 8, thereby improving convenience for the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, the dishwasher 40 is equipped with a control unit 12 that controls at least one of the lifting means and the spacing change unit 42, and the control unit 12 automatically raises and lowers the basket 14 using the lifting means, or automatically moves the support unit 41 using the spacing change unit 42. This makes it easier to put in and take out the items 8 to be washed, thereby improving convenience for the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lifting means manually moves the basket 14, or the spacing change unit 42 manually moves the support unit 41. This makes it easier to put in and take out the items 8 to be cleaned, improving user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the cleaning tank 2 is provided so that it can be inserted and removed from a housing having a front opening at the front. This makes it easier to insert and remove the item 8 to be cleaned, improving user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the door for opening and closing the cleaning tank 2 is provided above the cleaning tank 2. This makes it easier to put in and take out the items to be cleaned 8, improving user convenience.

Other Embodiments
As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first embodiment to create a new embodiment.

Therefore, other embodiments are given below as examples.

In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the cleaning tank 2 having an opening at the top is provided so as to be removable from the main body 1 having a front opening at the front, but in another example, a door for opening and closing the cleaning tank 2 may be provided above the cleaning tank 2. In this case, the cleaning tank 2 may be provided so as to be removable from the main body 1 at the front, or may be fixedly stored inside the main body 1.

In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the cage 14 is raised and lowered by a lifting means, but in another example, the cage 14 may be arranged so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, or in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

In the embodiment, an example is shown in which the dishwasher 40 is stored inside the system kitchen 50, but in another example, the dishwasher 40 may be configured as an independent device.

The above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology disclosed herein, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

The present invention can be used in dishwashers for cleaning items such as dishes.

1 Main body, 2 Washing tank, 3 Water supply valve, 4 Drain hole, 5 Washing pump, 6 Filter, 7 Washing nozzle, 8 Object to be washed, 9 Heater, 12 Control unit, 17 Shaft, 18 Lifting link, 22 Operation unit, 23 Process control unit, 24 Drive control unit, 25 Memory, 40 Dishwasher, 41 Support unit, 42 Spacing change unit, 43 Load holding unit, 44 Plate, 45 Slot hole, 46 Slider, 47 Plate, 48 Slot hole, 49 Slider, 50 System kitchen, 52 Robot arm.

Claims (6)

A cleaning tank having an opening;
A basket that is housed in the cleaning tank and on which the object to be cleaned is placed,
A cleaning nozzle provided below the basket for spraying cleaning water onto the object to be cleaned;
A moving unit that moves the car;
A plurality of support parts provided on the basket to support objects to be cleaned placed on the basket;
a distance changing unit that changes a distance between the support units when the car is moved by the moving unit;
A dishwasher comprising:
The moving unit raises and lowers the car in a vertical direction,
The interval change unit is provided on a side surface of the car and expands a horizontal interval between adjacent support units in conjunction with an upward movement of the car by the moving unit.
dishwasher. The dishwasher according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the support parts are moved to the outside of the opening of the washing tub when viewed from above the washing tub by the interval changing part. a control unit for controlling at least one of the moving unit and the interval changing unit,
The dishwasher according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control unit automatically moves the basket using the moving unit, or automatically moves the support unit using the interval changing unit. The dishwasher according to claim 1 , wherein the moving unit manually moves the basket, or the interval changing unit manually moves the support unit. 5. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the washing tub is removable from a housing having a front opening at the front. 5. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein a door for opening and closing the washing tub is provided above the washing tub.

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