CN110602975A - Tableware cleaning machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosed device is provided with: a door body (40) that covers the front surface opening (32) of the housing (31); a cleaning tank (33) which movably supports the door body (40) at the housing (31); a drive device (51) having a drive section for moving the door body (40); a sensor for detecting vibration applied to the door body (40); and a control unit (44) for controlling the control device (51). The control unit (44) is configured to start driving of the drive unit after a predetermined time T2 after detecting the signal from the sensor. Thus, even if the door body (40) does not have an operation switch or a handle (43), the tableware basket can be automatically pulled out to a position where the tableware can be stored, and the tableware washing machine has good use convenience.

Description

Tableware cleaning machine

Technical Field

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

Background

Conventionally, a dish washing machine including the structure shown in fig. 11 has been disclosed (for example, see patent document 1).

Fig. 11 is a side view and a vertical cross section of the conventional dishwasher. The front surface of the main body 14 of the dish washing machine is opened. A cleaning tank 15 having an open upper surface is provided inside the main body 14 so as to be able to be pulled out forward. The one-dot chain line shown in fig. 11 shows a state after the cleaning tank 15 is pulled out.

In the dish washing machine, a washing nozzle 8, a dish basket 4, and a heater (not shown) are provided inside a washing tub 15. The washing pump 7 and the water supply valve 9 are provided outside the washing tub 15. The water supply valve 9 is connected to a tap water pipe, and introduces tap water as washing water into the washing tub 15 through the water supply hose 10. The washing pump 7 circulates the washing water stored in the washing tub 15. The washing nozzle 8 is rotatably provided in the washing tub 15, and sprays washing water pressurized and conveyed by the washing pump 7. The dish basket 4 is detachably provided in the washing tub 15. The dish basket 4 holds the received dishes 3. The dish basket 4 is configured to efficiently reach the dishes 3 with the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzles 8. The heater (not shown) heats the washing water or the air for drying.

The cleaning tank 15 has a slide rail 16 on its outer side surface. The body 14 has a slide rail 17 on its inner side. The slide rail 16 slides while being held by the slide rail 17. The washing tub 15 is supported by the main body 14 via the slide rails 16 and the slide rails 17 of the main body 14. This makes it possible to pull out the cleaning tank 15 from the main body 14 and push in the cleaning tank 15 to the main body 14.

The inner lid 21 is provided at an upper portion in the main body 14 via a link mechanism (not shown), and is disposed to close an opening in an upper surface of the cleaning tank 15. That is, the inner lid 21 is configured such that, when the cleaning tank 15 is housed in the main body 14, the inner lid 21 closes the opening in the upper surface of the cleaning tank 15 with the gasket 22 interposed therebetween.

The wash bowl 15 has a door 23 at its front. When the cleaning tub 15 is housed in the main body 14, the door 23 covers the opening on the front surface of the main body 14. The door 23 has a handle portion 24 and an operation switch on an upper portion of a front surface thereof. The user uses the handle portion 24 by putting the handle on the handle portion 24 when pulling out or pushing in the wash bowl 15. The operation switch is operated by a user to set the washing operation such as the washing step, the rinsing step, and the drying step of the dishwasher.

The washing tub 15 includes a rack 18 having a straight linear gear formed at the lower portion thereof. The rack 18 is configured to have a length longer than a stroke of pulling out the wash tub 15 from the main body 14. A drive motor 19 having a speed reduction mechanism is fixed to the main body 14. A gear 20 that meshes with the rack 18 is attached to a motor shaft of the drive motor 19. The drive motor 19 is configured to be capable of forward rotation or reverse rotation. The wash bowl 15 is driven by a drive motor 19 via a rack 18.

The conventional dish washing machine is configured as described above.

Hereinafter, the operation of the dish washing machine including the above-described configuration will be described.

The user first pulls the washing tub 15 out of the main body 14 to place the dishes 3 in the washing tub 15. Further, the cleaning tank 15 can be pulled out by the user by putting his or her hand on the handle portion 24, or by the user operating an operation switch to pull out the cleaning tank 15 by driving the drive motor 19.

In the following, a dish washing machine including a structure in which the washing tub 15 is automatically drawn out by driving the driving motor 19 will be described as an example.

Specifically, when the user operates the operation switch, the control device (not shown) rotates the drive motor 19 in the normal direction at a constant speed, and rotates the gear 20 attached to the motor shaft in a predetermined direction. At this time, the rotational force of the gear 20 acts to push out the rack 18 engaged with the gear 20. Thereby, the slide rails 16 and 17 of the wash tank 15 are slid each other and the wash tank 15 is brought out from the inside of the main body 14 to the front surface. When washing tub 15 comes out to an arbitrarily set position such as a position where dishes 3 can be stored, the control device stops driving of driving motor 19 to stop the movement of washing tub 15.

Next, the user disposes the dishes 3 in the dish basket 4 in the washing tub 15, and puts detergent into the washing tub 15. At this time, the top end of the pulled-out washing tub 15 is lowered by the weight of the received dishes 3.

Next, when the user operates the operation switch, the control device rotates the drive motor 19 in the reverse direction. At this time, the rotational force of the gear 20 acts to pull in the rack 18 engaged with the gear 20. Thereby, the slide rails 16 and 17 of the wash bowl 15 are slid with each other and the wash bowl 15 is drawn into and housed in the main body 14. When the cleaning tank 15 is housed in the main body 14, the inner lid 21 is lowered. Thereby, the opening of the upper surface of the cleaning tank 15 is closed by the inner lid 21.

Next, the user operates the operation switch to set a washing program, and starts a washing operation of the dish washing machine. Thus, the control device controls the washing pump 7, the water supply valve 9, the heater, the drain pump (not shown), and the like, and washes the dishes 3 stored in the dish basket 4. In this case, the control device controls the above-described elements to perform a cleaning operation set in the order of, for example, a cleaning step, a rinsing step, and a drying step.

At the end of the washing operation, the user takes out the dishes 3. Specifically, the user operates the operation switch as before the washing operation. Thereby, the control device rotates the drive motor 19 to pull out the cleaning tank 15 to a predetermined position. At this time, the dishes 3 stored in the washing tub 15 are drawn out without contacting each other by the smooth rotation of the driving motor 19.

The conventional dish washing machine operates as described above.

In addition, in the conventional dishwasher, a decoration panel having the same appearance and made of the same material as that of the door and the drawer of the integrated kitchen is attached to the lower portion of the front surface of the door 23. The improvement of the designability of the whole kitchen is realized by utilizing the decoration panel.

However, the handle portion, the operation switch, and the like are generally formed by the design of the dishwasher alone. Therefore, the appearance of the handle portion 24, the operation switches, and the like cannot be completely matched with the appearance of the entire kitchen.

In recent years, in the appearance of diversified kitchens, there are dish washers that drive a drawer having a brand-new appearance with no handle portion, by an electric motor or the like. Therefore, it is desirable to match their appearance to that of the built-in galley as well.

Further, there are not limited to the drawer portion of furniture, but there are dish washing machines and the like including a mechanism for slightly pushing out the drawer portion, such as a drawer portion of a household appliance such as a refrigerator, a push rod used for a door, and the like. However, in the case of the dish washing machine including these structures, the opening amount (pull-out amount) of the pull-out portion is small. Therefore, the user needs to further pull out the hand to a desired position by putting the hand on the pull-out portion.

In view of this, patent document 1 discloses a dish washing machine configured to stop the driving motor and stop the movement of the washing tub when the washing tub is pulled out to a predetermined position. Patent document 1 suggests opening the amount of the washing tub to a sufficient position in order to allow the dishes to be set immediately.

However, the dishwasher of patent document 1 does not disclose setting and control of the stop position of the washing tub.

In addition, when the washing tub is pulled out by the driving motor, the control device needs to perform control so as not to make contact with, for example, a user or other objects present on the front surface of the door. However, these controls are also not disclosed at all.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2002-345712

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a dish washing machine, which can adapt to diversified designs of an integral kitchen, can pull out a washing tank to a position where tableware can be easily stored even if a door body covering the front surface of the dish washing machine does not have an operation switch, and has good use convenience.

The dish washing machine of the present invention comprises: a housing having a front surface opening on a front surface thereof; a tableware basket which is provided in the housing so as to be drawn out or pushed in, and which accommodates tableware; and a door body covering the front surface opening. The dish washing machine further includes: a support mechanism that supports the door body at the housing in a state capable of moving forward and backward; a driving device having a driving part for moving the door body at least in a forward direction or a backward direction; a sensor that detects at least vibration applied to the door body; and a control unit for driving the driving device. When the driving unit is driven, the control unit starts driving after a predetermined time T2 after detecting the signal from the sensor.

According to this configuration, the user can move the door body without requiring a large amount of labor. Further, even when the door body covering the front surface does not have an operation portion or a handle, the dish basket can be automatically pulled out to a position where the dishes can be stored by the driving device. Thus, the convenience of the dishwasher can be improved.

In addition, the design of the diversified integral kitchen can be easily adapted.

In the cleaning step, when the cleaning water is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle, the cleaning pump can be waited for a predetermined time period to stop. This can more reliably prevent the washing water from splashing from the washing tub.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view in longitudinal section of a dishwasher according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view in longitudinal section of the dishwasher according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view in longitudinal section of the dish washing machine according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view in longitudinal section of the dishwasher according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 5 is a side view in longitudinal section of a dishwasher according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dish washing machine according to embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a front longitudinal sectional view of the dish washing machine according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a main portion of fig. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation and longitudinal section view of a dishwasher according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation and longitudinal section view of a dishwasher according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a side view and a vertical cross section of the conventional dishwasher.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment does not limit the present invention.

(embodiment mode 1)

Hereinafter, a dish washing machine according to embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2.

Fig. 1 and 2 are side-view longitudinal cross-sectional views of a dish washing machine in which a washing tub is a pull-out type according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the cleaning tank is housed in the casing. Fig. 2 shows a state where the cleaning tank is pulled out from the inside of the case to the upper surface opening portion of the cleaning tank is fully opened. The dish washing machine according to the present embodiment is used by being incorporated into, for example, a kitchen cabinet K.

As shown in fig. 1, the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment includes a housing 31, a washing tub 33, a door 40, a control unit 44, a drive device 51, and the like.

The housing 31 has a front surface opening portion 32 whose front surface is entirely open. The cleaning tank 33 is provided to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing 31 and to be drawn out or pushed in from the front surface opening portion 32 of the housing 31.

In the present embodiment, as shown in the drawing, the front direction is a direction in which the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out, and the rear direction is a direction in which the cleaning tank 33 is housed and the door 40 is closed. Hereinafter, the side on which the dishwasher is installed is referred to as the lower side, the side opposite to the lower side is referred to as the upper side, and the right side and the left side are referred to as the right side and the left side, respectively, with respect to the front surface of the door body 40, respectively.

The housing 31 has slide rails 31a extending in a substantially horizontal direction (including a horizontal direction) on inner surfaces of both right and left side surfaces thereof. The cleaning tank 33 has slide rails 34 extending in a substantially horizontal direction (including a horizontal direction) on outer surface sides of both right and left side surfaces thereof. The cleaning tank 33 is supported by a slide rail 31a of the housing 31 via a slide rail 34, and the cleaning tank 33 moves along the slide rail 31 a. The cleaning tank 33 has an upper surface opening 35 whose upper surface is entirely open. Tableware 36 or the like as an object to be washed is accommodated in a tableware basket 47 disposed in washing tub 33 through upper surface opening 35.

An inner lid 37, a parallel link mechanism 38, a seal portion 39, and the like are disposed on the upper portion of the housing 31. The inner lid 37 closes the upper surface opening 35 of the cleaning tank 33. A parallel link mechanism 38 is provided at an upper portion in the housing 31 for supporting the inner lid 37. The parallel link mechanisms 38 are configured, for example, as a pair of right and left, and two sets of front and rear, and drive the inner lid 37 in the vertical direction. The sealing portion 39 is provided on the outer periphery of the lower surface of the inner lid 37. When inner lid 37 is lowered, sealing portion 39 seals upper surface opening 35 of cleaning tub 33. When the cleaning tub 33 is pulled out from the housing 31, the parallel link mechanism 38 lifts the inner lid 37. Thus, the inner lid 37 and the sealing portion 39 are configured not to interfere with the movement of the cleaning tank 33.

The wash tank 33 includes a door 40 at a front portion thereof. Door 40 includes operation panel 41 provided on the front surface of cleaning tub 33 and decorative panel 42 attached to operation panel 41. When cleaning tub 33 is housed in case 31, decorative plate 42 covers the entire front surface opening 32 of case 31. The decorative plate 42 is formed to have the same color and appearance as those of a decorative plate material as a door such as a drawer of the integrated kitchen K. A handle 43 is attached to the decorative plate 42. The handle 43 constitutes a hand-holding portion used when the user pulls out the wash bowl 33. As the handle 43, the same handle as that of the integrated kitchen K is attached. This makes the entire kitchen K have a uniform appearance as a whole.

Further, depending on the integrated kitchen K, there is also an integrated kitchen K having an appearance formed only by the decorative plate 42 without providing the handle 43 on the front surface of the door 40. In this configuration, for example, the cleaning tank 33 including the door 40 is automatically pulled out by the driving device. At this time, for example, the upper portion or the side portion of the decorative plate 42 serves as a hand-holding portion and functions as a handle. Therefore, in the dish washing machine of the present embodiment, the manual operation and the automatic operation are not distinguished in the drawing-out operation of washing tub 33.

In the present embodiment, the cleaning tank 33 and the slide rail 34 are exemplified as a support mechanism that supports the door body 40 in the casing 31 in a state of being movable forward and backward.

The control unit 44 is disposed on the back surface of the operation panel 41. The control unit 44 controls all operations of the dishwasher and performs a washing operation. The cleaning operation includes a cleaning step, a rinsing step, a drying step, and the like. The washing step is a step of removing dirt on the dishes 36 and the like using a detergent or the like. The rinsing step is a step of removing detergent or the like adhering to the dishes 36 or the like. The drying step is a step of drying water droplets and the like remaining in the washed dishes 36 and the like.

The control unit 44 is formed of a printed circuit board (not shown) on which sensors exemplified by the acceleration sensor 45 are disposed. The acceleration sensor 45 is used to detect the magnitude of the substantial acceleration in the 3 axial directions of the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis of the dish washing machine. In the dishwasher, the X axis corresponds to the front-rear direction, the Y axis corresponds to the left-right direction, and the Z axis corresponds to the up-down direction. The acceleration sensor 45 is used to detect the direction and magnitude of various accelerations generated in the dish washing machine. Specifically, the acceleration sensor 45 detects the direction and magnitude of acceleration generated by the movement of the door 40 and the cleaning tank 33 in the front-rear direction (X axis). Further, the acceleration sensor 45 is used to detect the direction and magnitude of acceleration generated by vibration applied to the door 40. Therefore, it is desirable that the printed circuit board is reliably mounted on the operation panel 41 so as not to cause a problem in the mounting direction and mechanical strength. Thus, the acceleration sensor 45 mounted on the printed circuit board can detect the acceleration applied to the dish washing machine more reliably and accurately.

That is, control unit 44 controls the operation of dish washing machine based on the signal relating to the direction and magnitude of the acceleration detected by acceleration sensor 45 and the state (e.g., opening and closing operation) of washing tub 33.

The substantial acceleration means a variation of a degree of an error of a mounting angle and an error of a set tilt angle in a state where the printed circuit board on which the acceleration sensor 45 is mounted is fixed at a predetermined position in 3 axial directions. In this case, the substantial acceleration is corrected by a predetermined angle when the printed circuit board is fixed with a predetermined angle in advance. Among them, the correction can be performed by detecting the deviation from the gravity with respect to the acceleration in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

That is, the control unit 44 can detect a deviation between gravity and acceleration in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, when the dishwasher is installed, the control unit 44 can be used as a level gauge as described later.

The dish washing mechanism of the present embodiment is configured such that the user can operate the dish washing machine by applying vibration to the door 40, the washing tub 33, and the like.

Specifically, as a method of applying vibration, there is a method as follows.

For example, there is a method in which the user taps the door body 40 with a clattering force as if tapping the door body 40, or taps the door body 40 with a fingertip to apply vibration. In addition, there is also a method in which the user gently taps the door body 40 with an article held in the hand to apply vibration. In addition, when the user's hand is wet or cannot be used for holding any article, there is a method in which the user strikes the door 40 with an elbow, a knee, or the like to apply vibration. In short, the method is not particularly limited as long as the predetermined vibration applied to the door body 40 or the like can be transmitted to the acceleration sensor 45 and detected. In most cases, the door 40 is vibrated by a method of generating sound. Hereinafter, a description will be given of an example of a structure in which the door 40 is struck to apply vibration to operate the dishwasher.

The dishwasher of the present embodiment includes a drive unit 51 inside the housing 31. The driving device 51 includes a driving motor 52, a pinion 53, a rack 54, and the like, and the driving motor 52 constitutes a driving section. The driving device 51 moves the door 40 and the cleaning tank 33 at least in the forward direction or the backward direction. Specifically, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 of the drive device 51 upon receiving a predetermined signal from a sensor exemplified by the acceleration sensor 45 or the like, the operation unit 46, or the like. The sensor is not limited to the acceleration sensor 45 as long as it can detect a change in vibration or the like applied to the door body 40 or the like. For example, an electrostatic sensor or the like that detects contact of a user with the door 40 or the like may be used as the sensor. This eliminates the need to apply a force to the extent that detectable vibration is generated, and enables an operation instruction to be easily given with a simple operation.

Hereinafter, the basic control operation of the dishwasher according to the present embodiment will be described by taking a configuration for detecting vibration caused by tapping (tapping) as an example.

First, in a state where washing tub 33 is housed in case 31 and the dishwasher is stopped, the user taps, for example, door 40 twice from the front. At this time, the acceleration sensor 45 detects vibration applied in the same front-rear direction as the pull-out direction of the cleaning tank 33. The acceleration sensor 45 outputs a predetermined signal detected to the control unit 44. Thus, the control unit 44 determines that the user has tapped the door 40.

Then, the control unit 44 controls the drive motor 52 of the drive device 51 to be driven. Thereby, the moving portion formed by door 40, cleaning tub 33, and the like moves forward and is automatically pulled out from inside housing 31.

The moving unit includes the entire portion that is driven by the driving unit to move, but the components of the moving unit may be different depending on the form of the dish washing machine. Specifically, in embodiment 1, the cleaning tank 33 is included in the moving section. However, in embodiment 2 described later, the cleaning tank is not included in the moving section because it is included in the housing and does not move.

In the dishwasher of the present embodiment, operation unit 46 is disposed in front of upper surface opening 35 of washing tub 33. The operation portion 46 is disposed on an upper surface of a convex portion protruding from a back surface of the decorative plate 42 of the door body 40 toward the inside of the case 31, for example. Thus, when cleaning tub 33 is housed in case 31, operation unit 46 is housed hidden in case 31.

The operation unit 46 includes an operation button (not shown) and a display unit (not shown) such as an LED. The user sets the control of each step of the washing operation by using the operation button. The display unit displays the contents set by the operation buttons by the LEDs.

Further, a dish basket 47, a washing nozzle 48, a heater 49, and the like are disposed inside the washing tub 33. A cleaning pump 50, a drying device (not shown), and the like are disposed outside the cleaning tank 33. Washing nozzle 48 is rotatably provided in washing tub 33 below dish basket 47. The heater 49 is disposed in a space between the bottom portion in the cleaning tank 33 and the cleaning nozzle 48, for example. Heater 49 is used to heat the washing water accumulated in washing tub 33 in the washing step and the rinsing step of the washing operation. Further, the heater 49 heats the air in the cleaning tank 33 in the drying step of the cleaning operation.

The wash pump 50 is used to circulate wash water. Specifically, washing pump 50 sucks the washing water accumulated in washing tub 33, and sprays the washing water toward dishes 36 from washing nozzle 48.

That is, the cleaning tank 33 is configured to be able to be pulled out or pushed in the front-rear direction by the driving device 51.

The driving device 51 of the present embodiment is explained below.

The driving device 51 is formed of a rack and pinion type mechanism that can be pulled out or pushed into the cleaning tank 33 in the front-rear direction.

The driving device 51 may be configured to wind a belt around a pulley, or to be configured as a belt conveyor, for example. In addition, the driving direction may be a forward direction or a backward direction. In this case, the direction in which the driving device 51 is not driven is, for example, driven by the user in the direction.

The driving device 51 includes a driving motor 52 as a driving unit, a pinion 53 driven by the driving motor 52, a rack 54 engaged with the pinion 53, and the like.

The rack 54 is formed by arranging teeth of gears on a straight line. The rack 54 is fixed to a lower portion of one of the left and right side outer sides of the wash bowl 33. The rack 54 has at least a length equal to or longer than a stroke of pulling out the wash bowl 33. The pinion gear 53 is attached to a motor shaft driven by the drive motor 52. The drive motor 52 includes a speed reduction mechanism (not shown). The drive motor 52 is fixed to the inside of the housing 31 at a position where the pinion 53 is located near the front surface opening portion 32.

Further, the rack 54 shown in fig. 1 is shown as a structure in which the teeth of the gear are formed facing downward and mesh with the pinion 53, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the teeth of the rack 54 may be formed to face upward or sideways to mesh with the pinion 53.

The rotational motion of the drive motor 52 is converted into a linear motion by the above-described structure of the rack gear 54 and the pinion gear 53. Then, the cleaning tank 33 is linearly moved to a position where the upper surface opening 35 is substantially fully opened. At this time, the washing tub 33 moves in the drawing direction (forward) and becomes lower in front and higher in back due to the weight of the dishes 36 stored therein. However, the vicinity of pinion 53 provided in front surface opening 32 of the front portion of case 31 serves as a fulcrum of cleaning tub 33 that rotates lower in the front and higher in the rear. Therefore, the rack 54 is less likely to be disengaged from the pinion 53. This makes it possible to provide a simple mechanism even when a separate structure is provided to prevent disengagement of the engagement.

Further, as a structure for preventing the disengagement, there is a structure in which, for example, the drive motor 52 including the pinion gear 53 is tilted in accordance with the tilt of the cleaning tank 33. Further, there is a configuration or the like in which the pinion 53 is pressed against the rack 54 in accordance with the inclination of the cleaning tank 33.

The speed reduction mechanism provided in the drive motor 52 is formed by a gear ratio or the like such that the user can easily pull out or push in the cleaning tank 33 by hand.

A known clutch mechanism (not shown) or a known slip mechanism (not shown) may be provided in the drive device 51 from the drive motor 52 to the rack 54, including the speed reduction mechanism. Thus, when the user pulls out or pushes in the washing tub 33 manually, the load generated by the driving motor 52 is reduced. As a result, the user can pull out or push the wash bowl 33 from or into the housing 31 with less force. In addition, even if door 40 of washing tub 33 collides with an obstacle exemplified by a person, an object, or the like at the time of drawing out, washing tub 33 is easily stopped by a clutch mechanism, a slip mechanism, or the like. That is, it is possible to suppress application of a large force to the obstacle. Therefore, the occurrence of a problem due to collision with an obstacle or the like can be reduced more effectively. Further, the generation of an excessive current for the drive motor 52 to reach the locked state is suppressed.

Further, when cleaning tub 33 is manually moved, it is preferable to cut off a motor circuit for driving motor 52 as described later. This reduces the resistance generated by driving the motor 52 when the cleaning tank 33 is manually moved. As a result, the cleaning tank 33 can be pulled out or pushed in with a smaller force.

Further, in the case of moving the cleaning tank 33 in the pull-out direction, the control unit 44 of the present embodiment controls the driving of the driving motor 52 so that the upper surface opening 35 of the cleaning tank 33 is substantially fully opened, as described above. The substantially fully opened state means a state in which the washing tub 33 is pulled out to the maximum extent and the upper surface opening 35 is opened to the maximum extent, or includes a state in which the upper surface opening 35 is opened to at least half. That is, the substantially fully opened state means a state in which the washing tub 33 is pulled out to such an extent that the user can take out or put in the dishes 36.

Here, control unit 44 controls the movement amount of cleaning tank 33 based on the driving time of driving motor 52.

Specifically, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 for a predetermined time T1 set as described later, and stops the drive motor 52. This makes it possible to stop the cleaning tank 33 at an arbitrary position at which the upper surface opening 35 of the cleaning tank 33 is substantially fully opened.

With this configuration, the control unit 44 detects the vibration generated when the user hits the door body 40 by the acceleration sensor 45. Thus, control unit 44 controls drive motor 52 to automatically pull out cleaning tub 33 forward. Therefore, the user no longer needs the labor for pulling out the wash bowl 33.

That is, the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment can automatically pull out washing tub 33 by driving device 51 to a position where dish 36 can be easily stored. This improves the usability of the dishwasher. The door 40 covering the front surface can be configured to omit the operation portion 46 and the handle 43. Therefore, it is possible to more appropriately cope with the design of the diversified integrated kitchen K.

The driving device 51 of the present embodiment is configured and operates as described above.

The control operation of the control unit 44 according to the present embodiment based on the predetermined time T1 will be described below.

The predetermined time T1 is set according to the control content of the dishwasher. Specifically, the predetermined time T1 is adjusted according to the moving distance and moving speed of the cleaning tank 33, the magnitude of the torque of the drive motor 52 before reaching the moving speed, and the like.

That is, if the set time until the washing tub 33 is fully opened is too long, the user feels that the moving speed is slow. On the other hand, if the set time until the cleaning tank 33 is fully opened is too short, the movement speed of the cleaning tank 33 is high. Therefore, when the cleaning tank 33 comes into contact with an obstacle, there is a risk that the safety of the obstacle such as a person is lowered.

In view of the above, the dishwasher of the present embodiment is set to have a standard moving speed of the washing tub 33 of 150 mm/sec to 250 mm/sec. Further, the moving speed is more preferably set to 170 mm/sec to 230 mm/sec in terms of the user's feeling. When the moving speed is set within the above range, the user does not feel dissatisfied with the movement of the washing tub 33, and the safety can be ensured.

Here, the standard moving speed is a speed in a constant speed state except for an acceleration state in which the cleaning tank 33 starts moving and a deceleration state before stopping. However, depending on the structure of the dishwasher, there may be no (impossible) constant moving speed. In this case, it is preferable that the maximum speed of the moving speed is set to a standard moving speed, and the maximum speed is set to a moving speed within the above range. This can provide the same effects as those described above.

Further, when the cleaning tank 33 is automatically pulled out, there is a risk that the cleaning tank 33 comes into contact with a person in front of the cleaning tank 33. Further, when the cleaning tank 33 is housed in the case 31, there is a risk that the hand and fingers of the person are pinched. Therefore, the moving speed is also required to be considered for the above-described safety aspect. In this case, it is effective to consider the kinetic energy W determined by the weight and the moving speed of the cleaning tank 33 in order to improve safety.

Usually, the kinetic energy W is represented by W ═ 1/2 (mv)²And (4) showing.

Where m corresponds to the mass of the cleaning tank 33, for example, and v corresponds to the moving speed.

In the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment, the kinetic energy W is set to 0.5J or less. Further, the setting of 0.5J or less is a value that can alleviate the impact and maintain the safety even when door 40 is in contact with a person during the movement of washing tub 33 and the hand and fingers of the person are caught when washing tub 33 is stored. This prevents the occurrence of unexpected problems in the event of an unexpected situation.

Specifically, the setting of 0.5J or less is defined with reference to the maximum weight of the washing tub 33 in which the dishes 36 and the like are stored being 16kg and the moving speed being 250 mm/sec. Therefore, when the maximum weight is increased, the moving speed is preferably decreased so that the kinetic energy W is 0.5J or less. Specifically, the control unit may detect the weight of the cleaning tank using, for example, a weight sensor, and calculate and control the movement speed so that the kinetic energy W becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

In the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment, the drive motor 52 is driven for about 2 seconds including the acceleration period for starting the movement of the washing tub 33, and the upper surface opening 35 of the washing tub 33 is set to be pulled out by 50%. The predetermined time T1 for driving the drive motor 52 to draw out the upper surface opening 35 of the wash tank 33 to the maximum extent is set to about 3.5 seconds.

As described above, the drive motor 52 is configured to be driven for an arbitrary set time with the predetermined time T1 as the maximum value. This enables the cleaning tank 33 to be stopped at an arbitrary pull-out position according to the set time. That is, the set time can be adjusted according to the actual use state of the user.

For example, in an actual use state of the dish washing machine, the dish washing machine may be installed in a narrow place, such as when an obstacle is present near the front surface of the dish washing machine. In this case, the entire cleaning tank 33 cannot be pulled out. Then, the set time is adjusted to set the pull-out amount of the cleaning tank 33. Thus, the dish washing machine can be installed even in a narrow place.

In the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment, the controller 44 may drive the drive motor 52 at two or more different stepped voltages.

For example, the drive motor 52 is driven so that a voltage higher than the standard voltage is applied during an acceleration period in which the cleaning tank 33 starts moving, and a voltage lower than the standard voltage is applied during a deceleration period immediately before stopping. Accordingly, when the washing tub 33 starts to move and is accelerated, the torque generated by the drive motor 52 is large. As a result, the acceleration period of the cleaning tank 33 can be shortened. The standard voltage corresponds to an applied voltage when the cleaning tank 33 is moved at a constant speed.

On the other hand, immediately before the movement of cleaning tank 33 is stopped, a voltage lower than the standard voltage is applied to drive motor 52 so as to reduce the rotation speed. This suppresses vibration applied to the dishes 36 and the like stored in the dish basket 47. As a result, the tableware 36 can be prevented from contacting each other by the vibration, and the occurrence and breakage of noise can be prevented. In addition, the splashing of the water accumulated in the cleaning tank 33 due to the vibration can be reduced. This prevents water from splashing from the cleaning tank 33 or wetting the dried dishes 36 after cleaning.

In the above description, the case where the driving voltage is controlled in two stages, i.e., the start of movement and the stop of movement of the cleaning tank 33, has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the drive motor 52 may be driven by smoothly applying a drive voltage so that the moving speed is smoothly changed in a shorter time. That is, the two or more stepped voltages also include a state in which the voltage changes linearly or smoothly. This can further suppress the vibration applied to the tableware 36 and the like.

In the dishwasher of the present embodiment, when washing tub 33 moves, washing tub 33 may come into contact with an obstacle such as an object or a person, and the movement of washing tub 33 before reaching a predetermined position may be stopped in the middle. In this case, the control unit 44 stops the energization of the drive motor 52 and stops the drive after the elapse of the above-mentioned predetermined time T1. Thus, the locked state in which the rotation of the drive motor 52 is stopped continues for a short time period of at most the predetermined time T1. Therefore, the locked state of the drive motor 52 is not maintained for a long time. This can suppress a load that causes the drive motor 52 to rotate for a long time. As a result, the drive motor 52 can be used safely and stably for a long period of time. In addition, the contact between the cleaning tank 33 and an obstacle or a person can be released in a short time. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of a malfunction with respect to an obstacle or a person, and a malfunction with respect to the dishwasher.

In the dishwasher of the present embodiment, it is assumed that some portion of the moving portion including the door 40 and the like comes into contact with an obstacle or an unmeasured load is applied to the door 40 in the middle of the time when the washing tub 33 reaches the predetermined set position. In this case, the control unit 44 preferably performs control so as to immediately stop the driving of the drive motor 52.

Here, as a method of assuming contact with an obstacle or a person, for example, there is a method of detecting a change in acceleration by the acceleration sensor 45 and performing control by the control unit 44. Specifically, when the acceleration sensor 45 detects an acceleration or a change in acceleration in any one of 3 axes including vibration in the movement direction of the door body 40 during driving of the drive motor 52 by a predetermined threshold value or more, the control unit 44 stops driving of the drive motor 52. In the case of this configuration, the control unit 44 immediately stops the driving of the driving motor 52 not only when the user intentionally hits the door 40 or when the child comes into contact with the door 40 from the side or the vertical direction, but also when the user intentionally hits the door 40. This prevents the occurrence of a problem in an obstacle or a person in contact with the moving part, and thus high safety can be maintained.

As a method of detecting that some unexpected load is applied, for example, a method of monitoring the acceleration in all directions by the acceleration sensor 45 and controlling the acceleration by the control unit 44 is used. Specifically, when the acceleration sensor 45 detects a change in acceleration such as deceleration or stop of the driven door body 40, the control unit 44 stops driving the drive motor 52. Further, there is also a method of monitoring the current of the drive motor 52 during driving by the control unit 44 and controlling the drive motor 52 to stop. Specifically, when an increase in current is detected when the door 40 is decelerated or stopped, the control unit 44 stops driving the drive motor 52. Alternatively, when the locked state of the drive motor 52 is detected by the drive motor 52 having a current of a predetermined value or more for, for example, 0.5 seconds or more, the control unit 44 stops the drive of the drive motor 52.

The above method can be carried out without particular limitation. In addition, the above methods may be carried out in combination. With these methods, the time from when the movement of the cleaning tank 33 is hindered to when the driving of the drive motor 52 is stopped can be shortened. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the trouble such as overheating of the drive motor 52 and the influence of the trouble on the obstacle.

That is, the change in acceleration or current is detected, so that the door 40 can be reliably stopped. Further, by providing the clutch mechanism or the slip mechanism, the movement of the door 40 can be immediately stopped. Therefore, the above configuration is useful as a method for stopping the door 40 when a load of a predetermined value or more is applied to the door 40 or the drive motor 52.

In the dish washing machine of the present embodiment, the motor circuit may be cut off as described above when washing tub 33 is stopped in the middle of reaching the predetermined position and control unit 44 stops driving of drive motor 52. In general, when the cleaning tank 33 is stopped halfway, the user may want to manually move the cleaning tank 33 forward or backward from the position where the cleaning tank 33 is stopped. At this time, the driving motor 52 is forcibly idly rotated, and a counter electromotive force is generated. Then, when the cleaning tank 33 is stopped halfway, the motor circuit for driving the drive motor 52 is cut off. This can prevent generation of an abnormal current or the like flowing through the printed circuit board of the control unit 44 due to the counter electromotive force of the drive motor 52. That is, since an abnormal current due to the counter electromotive force does not flow, the power generation by the drive motor 52 does not occur. Therefore, the load generated by the power generation of the drive motor 52 is eliminated or does not increase for the operation manually performed by the user. As a result, even if the washing tub 33 is stopped halfway, the user can easily move the washing tub 33 with a small force.

Further, the control unit 44 returns the disconnected motor circuit to the original state when detecting a predetermined signal such as the door 40 being closed and further receiving a signal for driving the drive motor 52.

As described above, the dishwasher of the present embodiment is controlled by the control unit 44.

Hereinafter, the operation and action of the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment will be described.

The user pulls out the washing tub 33 in order to store the dishes 36 in the washing tub 33. At this time, the user can pull out the cleaning tub 33 manually by putting his or her hand on the handle 43.

Then, a case will be described below as an example in which the user drives the drive motor 52 by knocking the door body 40 twice, for example, to automatically move the wash tub 33. The reason why the detection of the tap is set twice will be described later.

In this case, when the user taps the door 40 twice, vibration due to the tapping occurs in the door 40. The vibration is transmitted from the trim plate 42 to the operation panel 41, and is transmitted to the controller 44 fixed to the operation panel 41. Then, the vibration of the printed circuit board transmitted to the control unit 44 is detected as an acceleration by the acceleration sensor 45.

That is, when the user taps the door body 40 twice, the control portion 44 detects the direction and magnitude of the acceleration based on the output signal of the acceleration sensor 45. Specifically, the acceleration sensor 45 detects the magnitude of acceleration in each of 3 axial directions, i.e., the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis.

Then, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 only when the detected magnitude of the acceleration in the 3 axial directions is, for example, the 1 st threshold a or more in the acceleration X on the X axis, the 2 nd threshold B or less in the acceleration Y on the Y axis, and the 3 rd threshold C or less in the acceleration Z on the Z axis. That is, only when the above conditions are satisfied, the control unit 44 determines that the user intentionally hits the door 40 from the front. As a result, malfunction when opening and closing the cleaning tank 33, which is not intended by the user, can be prevented.

Therefore, when the acceleration X is smaller than the 1 st threshold value a, the control unit 44 determines that the vibration is not from the front surface of the door 40. Even if the acceleration X is equal to or greater than the 1 st threshold a, it is determined that the vibration is not from the front surface of the door 40 when the acceleration Y is equal to or greater than the 2 nd threshold B or the acceleration Z is equal to or greater than the 3 rd threshold C.

However, as described above, the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment is used by being incorporated in the integrated kitchen K. In an integrated kitchen, an operation table such as a cooking table is generally provided. Therefore, the operation of tapping the operation table is repeated in preparation for cooking or the like, and many vibrations having various accelerations are generated. Examples of the tapping operation include an operation of pounding the food material with a mallet, and an operation of tapping with an implement to soften meat. At this time, even if the threshold value of the acceleration is set for the 3 axial directions detected by the acceleration sensor as described above, there is a possibility that the control unit 44 of the dishwasher erroneously detects many vibrations of 3 or more times as the vibrations of the acceleration generated by hitting the door body 40 twice. In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the control unit 44 is configured to execute the control of the dish washing machine only when two strokes are continuously detected. That is, it is preferable that the control unit 44 be configured to cancel the drive operation of the dish washing machine when the vibration corresponding to 3 or more continuous strokes is detected. This can more reliably prevent malfunction of the dishwasher.

Next, when determining that the user has applied an operation (vibration) for pulling out the washing tub 33 based on the detected acceleration, the control unit 44 first sounds a buzzer, which is an example of a notification unit, after 0.4 seconds, for example. This informs the user that the door 40 starts moving.

Next, after the determination, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 in a predetermined direction, for example, after 0.6 seconds. Then, the drive motor 52 moves the rack 54 provided at the lower portion of the washing tub 33 forward via the pinion 53 provided at the motor shaft. Thereby, slide rail 34 of cleaning tank 33 and slide rail 31a of case 31 are slid relative to each other, and cleaning tank 33 is moved forward from front surface opening 32 of case 31 and pulled out.

In the present embodiment, the cleaning tank 33 is adjusted to be pulled out to the maximum extent when the driving motor 52 is driven for about 3.5 seconds. Thereby, the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out to a position where the upper surface opening 35 is substantially fully opened, and is stopped.

Next, the user stores the dishes 36 in the dish basket 47 from the upper surface opening 35 in a state where the upper surface opening 35 is fully opened.

Next, the user turns on a power switch (not shown) provided on the front side of the upper surface opening 35. Then, the user operates the operation unit 46 to set the washing operation of the dishwasher. In the present embodiment, the control unit 44 is configured to be always energized regardless of the on/off state of the power switch. Thus, the control unit 44 waits in a state in which the user can always detect the click.

Next, when the setting of the storage of the dishes 36 and the washing operation by the operation unit 46 is completed, the user only taps the door 40 1 time, for example. When the control unit 44 detects 1 tap in a state where the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out, it first notifies the user by sound or the like through a buzzer, for example. Then, the control unit 44 drives the driving motor 52 to move the cleaning tank 33 in the backward direction. Thereby, cleaning tub 33 is housed in case 31, and door 40 closes front surface opening 32 of case 31. At this time, the control unit 44 determines that the storage of the cleaning tank 33 is completed by using the detection described below. Specifically, the control unit 44 determines that the storage is completed by, for example, time control until the storage, detection of the storage position, detection of acceleration when the cleaning tank 33 is stored and stopped, and detection of a locked current of the drive motor 52.

In the above description, as a method of housing the cleaning tank 33, a configuration in which the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 to automatically house the cleaning tank when a tap is detected has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the user may manually press the front surface of door 40 and store wash tub 33 in case 31.

For example, a start switch (not shown) may be provided to start the washing operation by pressing the start switch to store the washing tub 33, instead of the user striking 1 time after the setting is completed. In the case where the start switch is provided, the pressing of the start switch may be a secret number set by the user to complete the operation setting. That is, when cleaning tub 33 is housed in casing 31 by driving device 51 or manually, the cleaning operation may not be started without pressing the start switch. Thus, the user can temporarily store the dishes 36 in the washing tub 33, and then gradually store the dishes 36 in addition with a time shift.

Next, when the storage of the cleaning tank 33 is detected, the control unit 44 executes the set cleaning operation.

When the predetermined washing operation is finished, the user pulls out the washing tub 33 in order to take out the dishes 36. Specifically, the door 40 is struck twice, for example, as in the case of storing the dishes 3. At this time, the control unit 44 notifies the user of the start of pulling out the washing tub 33 by the buzzer. Then, the control unit 44 drives the driving motor 52 to pull out the cleaning tank 33 to a predetermined position.

Subsequently, the user takes out the tableware 36 from the tableware basket 47 in the cleaning bath 33, and then strikes the door body 40 only 1 time, for example. At this time, control unit 44 drives drive motor 52 in the backward direction in the state described below, and only cleaning tank 33 is stored without performing the cleaning operation. Specifically, for example, when 1 tap is detected in a state where the operation setting by the operation unit 46 is not set or a state where the start switch is not pressed in a state where the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out, the cleaning operation is not performed.

This completes a series of operations of washing dishes including the user's operation.

In the present embodiment, during the washing operation of the dishwasher, the user or the like may unintentionally come into contact with the decorative plate 42 and the handle 43 of the door body 40. In this case, it is not appropriate that the control unit 44 detects an unexpected contact by the user and pulls out the washing tub 33. Therefore, during the operation of the dishwasher, the control unit 44 is preferably configured not to drive the drive motor 52, for example, when the same two strokes are performed as in the case of the stop. In this case, it is preferable that, when acceleration sensor 45 detects, for example, 3 or more taps, control unit 44 temporarily stops the washing operation and pulls out washing tub 33. That is, it is preferable to set the washing tub 33 to be drawn out only when the control unit 44 detects an intended operation of the user. This can prevent the control unit 44 from executing unintended control by the user. The control unit 44 may have a function as a so-called child lock. With these configurations, the safety of the dish washing machine can be further improved.

As described above, the dish washing machine of the present embodiment can distribute control of pulling out and pushing in the washing tub 33 and the like according to a combination of the state of the washing tub 33 and intentional tapping by the user. In this case, the taps detected by the control unit 44 may be combined with detection of the intensity, not only detection of the number of times. This is effective for increasing the types of control performed by the control unit 44 and realizing various types of control.

Further, it is preferable that the user can set the combination of the detection and control operations of the acceleration sensor 45, the stop position of the cleaning tank 33, and the like via the operation unit 46 and the like. In this case, it is more preferable that the setting state and the like can be confirmed by the display unit. Specifically, the setting of the threshold value or the setting of the operation of the drive motor 52 may be performed at least in accordance with the setting that can be handled by the user, including the sensitivity of the sensor to the vibration or the like applied to the door 40. The configuration is such that the user can confirm the set value through a display unit provided in the operation unit 46. Thus, the user can freely set the number of times of the tap, the detection level of the tap strength, and the like, and can easily confirm the setting contents. As a result, the usability of the dish washing machine can be further improved.

An example of a configuration of the control performed by the control unit 44 based on the combination of the state of the cleaning tank 33 and the number of times of tapping will be described below in (a) to (e).

(a) When the user has hit the door 40 twice while the cleaning tank 33 is stored during the stop of the cleaning operation, the control unit 44 performs control as follows. In this case, the control unit 44 drives the driving motor 52 to move the cleaning tank 33 in the pull-out direction. (preparation for running)

(b) When the user taps door body 40 1 time in a state where cleaning tank 33 is pulled out and the cleaning operation is not set, control unit 44 performs control as follows. In this case, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52, stores only the cleaning tank 33, and does not start the cleaning operation. (preparation of operation or completion of operation)

(c) When the user taps the door 40 twice in a state where the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out and the cleaning operation is set, the control unit 44 performs control as follows. In this case, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52, stores only the cleaning tank 33, and does not start the cleaning operation. (preparation for running)

(d) When the user taps door body 40 1 time in a state where cleaning tank 33 is pulled out and the cleaning operation is set, control unit 44 performs control as follows. In this case, control unit 44 drives drive motor 52, stores cleaning tank 33, and starts the set cleaning operation. (Start of operation)

(e) During the washing operation, when the user taps door body 40 3 times while washing tub 33 is stored, control unit 44 performs control as follows. In this case, control unit 44 temporarily stops the cleaning operation, and drives drive motor 52 to move cleaning tank 33 in the pull-out direction (forward direction). (operation temporary stop)

That is, when only washing tub 33 is stored without starting the washing operation as in (b) and (c), the user interrupts the preparation for washing in the middle of storing tableware 36. Thereby, the user can leave the dish washing machine. Further, in the case where the user determines that the washing operation (d) is started as in (b), the user can be made aware that the setting of the washing operation has not been executed.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which various controls are assigned according to different numbers of taps has been described as an example of assignment of various controls, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the start switch or the like may be used as needed, so that all control operations can be handled with the same number of strokes. In this case, the user does not have to remember the number of taps for each control action. Therefore, the user can use the device more conveniently, such as the operability of the user.

In the above embodiment, when the handle 43 is provided to the door 40, the user may not use the driving device 51. Specifically, the control unit 44 may be configured to cancel the driving of the driving motor 52. This can expand the options of replacing the child lock and eliminating the use of a drive device in a narrow place.

The operation and effect of the dish washing machine configured as described above will be described below.

The dishwasher of the present embodiment includes an acceleration sensor 45 that detects at least vibration applied to the door 40. The control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 for a set time within a predetermined time T1 that is the maximum value. Thus, the control unit 44 is configured to move the cleaning tank 33 in the forward direction and pull out the cleaning tank 3 from the housing 31. Therefore, even when door 40 of the dishwasher does not have operation unit 46 or handle 43, washing tub 33 can be automatically pulled out to a predetermined position. Further, since the door 40 does not have the operation portion 46 or the handle 43, the dishwasher can be easily designed to be adaptable to various designs of the entire kitchen K. The set time can be adjusted according to the actual use state (the distance that can be pulled out, etc.) of the user. Thus, the control unit 44 can control the cleaning tank 33 to stop at an arbitrary position.

The control unit 44 of the dishwasher of the present embodiment is configured to drive the drive motor 52 upon receiving a signal from the acceleration sensor 45 that detects a predetermined vibration applied to the door 40. Thus, control unit 44 can detect the vibration generated when the user strikes door 40, and move cleaning tub 33 in any direction. Specifically, control unit 44 can drive motor 52 according to the timing of the cleaning operation and the state of cleaning tank 33, and can move cleaning tank 33 in the forward direction or the backward direction appropriately.

Further, control unit 44 of the dishwasher of the present embodiment drives drive motor 52 and controls washing tub 33 so as to be automatically movable to a position at which upper surface opening 35 is substantially fully opened. Thus, the user does not have to manually pull out the wash tank 33. Therefore, the tableware 36 can be easily taken out or put in without imposing an excessive burden such as labor on the user.

Further, control unit 44 of the dishwasher of the present embodiment controls drive motor 52 to stop when receiving a signal from acceleration sensor 45 that detects acceleration generated when washing tub 33 stops. Thus, even when the door 40, the cleaning tank 33, or the like collides with an obstacle and stops, it is possible to prevent a problem with respect to the obstacle. In this case, as will be described later with reference to fig. 10, the engaging portion may be provided at a predetermined position of the pull-out portion. Thereby, the control section 44 can reliably stop the cleaning tank 33 at the predetermined position.

Further, control unit 44 of the dishwasher of the present embodiment controls drive motor 52 and the motor circuit to be disconnected when washing tub 33 is stopped. This allows the user to easily move the cleaning tub 33 manually. Normally, the driving motor 52 idles due to the movement of the cleaning tank 33, and generates a counter electromotive force. However, the drive motor 52 and the motor circuit are disconnected. Therefore, the generated electromotive force does not cause an abnormal current to flow in the printed circuit board of the control section 44. Further, when the user manually performs the opening/closing operation, since no electric load is generated due to the back electromotive force of the driving motor 52, no excessive load is applied to the user during the opening/closing operation. That is, the user can easily perform the operation of pulling out or pushing in the cleaning tub 33 manually with a small amount of labor.

The drive device 51 of the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment includes a drive motor 52, a pinion 53 driven by the drive motor 52, and a rack 54 engaged with the pinion 53. The drive motor 52 is fixed inside the housing 31 such that the pinion gear 53 is positioned near the front opening 32. The rack 54 is fixed to the outside of the wash bowl 33. At this time, when the cleaning tank 33 moves in the pull-out direction, the cleaning tank 33 is in a state of being low in front and high in rear. In this case, the vicinity of the pinion 53 provided at the front portion serves as a fulcrum. Therefore, the rack 54 is less likely to be disengaged from the pinion 53. However, in the case where a new structure is separately provided in order to reliably prevent disengagement of the engagement, the structure can be simplified.

As disclosed above, the control unit 44 of the dishwasher of the present embodiment controls the driving device 51 to move the washing tub 33 safely in accordance with the user's intention. Therefore, the user can reduce the labor of manually moving the cleaning tank 33, and the usability can be improved. The operation unit 46 is entirely housed in the case 31. This makes it possible to easily adapt the design of the dish washing machine to the design of the diversified integrated kitchen K. As a result, the appearance of the entire kitchen K is unified, and the design is further improved.

When the contact with an obstacle present on the front surface of the cleaning tank 33 occurs, the control unit 44 detects a change in vibration or acceleration due to the contact. Then, the control unit 44 immediately stops the driving of the drive motor 52. This prevents a large problem from occurring in the obstacle or the dish washing machine. As a result, high safety can be maintained for the dish washing machine.

(embodiment mode 2)

Hereinafter, a dish washing machine according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 3 and 4.

Fig. 3 and 4 are side and longitudinal sectional views of a dish washing machine in which a washing tub of embodiment 2 of the present invention is a pull-out type. Fig. 3 shows a state in which the cleaning tank is housed in the case. Fig. 4 shows a state where the cleaning tank is pulled out from the inside of the case to fully open the upper surface opening.

The drive device of the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment is different in structure from the drive device according to embodiment 1. The other structures are the same as those of embodiment 1, and therefore embodiment 1 is referred to and the description thereof is omitted.

That is, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the driving device 55 of the present embodiment is configured in a roll-in type, and can be pulled out of or pushed into the cleaning tank 33.

The driving device 55 includes a driving motor 56, a roller 57 driven by the driving motor 56, a pressure contact rail 58 to which the roller 57 is brought into pressure contact, and the like. The pressure contact rail 58 is fixed to a lower portion of one of outer sides of the left and right side surfaces of the cleaning tank 33. The pressure contact rail 58 has a length at least equal to or longer than the stroke of the pull-out cleaning tank 33. The roller 57 is attached to a motor shaft driven by the drive motor 56 and is pressed against the pressing rail 58. The drive motor 56 includes a speed reduction mechanism (not shown). The drive motor 56 is fixed inside the housing 31 at a position where the roller 57 is disposed in the vicinity of the front surface opening 32.

The roller 57 shown in fig. 3 is shown as being pressed against the pressing rail 58 from below, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the roller 57 may be configured to be pressed against the pressure contact rail 58 from the upper side or pressed against the pressure contact rail 58 from the side. In addition, the pressure contact rail 58 may not be separately provided as described above, but a side surface or a bottom surface of the cleaning tank 33 itself may be used as the pressure contact rail 58.

The rotational motion of the drive motor 56 is converted into a linear motion by the structure of the roller 57 and the pressure contact rail 58 described above. Thereby, the cleaning tank 33 is linearly moved to a position where the upper surface opening 35 is substantially fully opened.

In this case, when the drive motor 56 is driven for a set time as in embodiment 1, the cleaning tank 33 can be stopped at an arbitrary pull-out position according to the set time.

In the case of the structure formed by the combination of the roller 57 and the pressure contact rail 58, the assembly can be performed without considering the meshing of the gears as in the case of the rack-and-pinion type structure of embodiment 1.

Further, the wash tank 33 can be automatically pulled out by the drive device 55. Therefore, for example, when pulling out the wash bowl 33, the user does not have to apply excessive force to the wash bowl 33.

That is, in the dish washing machine of the present embodiment, washing tub 33 can be automatically pulled out by driving device 55 to a position where dishes 36 can be easily stored. Thus, the convenience of the dishwasher can be improved. In addition, the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment can be easily adapted to various designs of the integrated kitchen K.

(embodiment mode 3)

Hereinafter, a dish washing machine according to embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation and longitudinal section view of a dish washing machine according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

The dishwasher of the present embodiment is different from embodiment 1 in that the door body is provided with the 2 nd operating portion 46 b. The other structures are the same as those of embodiment 1, and therefore embodiment 1 is referred to and the description thereof is omitted.

That is, as shown in fig. 5, the door body 40 of the present embodiment has a 2 nd operating portion 46b on the upper portion of the decorative plate 42. The 2 nd operation unit 46b is provided with an operation switch (not shown) of a drive motor 52 as a drive unit for moving at least the cleaning tank 33, a sensor, and the like. The operation switch is formed of, for example, a plurality of push-button switches or the like so as to be able to distinguish which direction of the front-back direction the washing tub 33 is moved.

The sensor is formed of a non-contact sensor exemplified by an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, an optical sensor, a voice (human voice) recognition sensor, or the like. Specifically, the ultrasonic sensor, the infrared sensor, and the optical sensor include, for example, a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, and output a detection signal to the control unit 44 when a hand or the like is swung within a predetermined distance. On the other hand, the sound (human voice) recognition sensor recognizes, for example, a sound of a clapping hand or the like, a sound of a knocking object or the like, and a human voice, and outputs the detected contents to the control unit 44. Thus, the control unit 44 determines the operation content based on the output detection signal and the detection content, and drives the drive motor 52 to move the cleaning tank 33. The infrared sensor may be configured to detect infrared rays emitted from a human body.

In this case, it is preferable to determine the control method (such as the operation direction) of the cleaning tank 33 based on the number of times of waving the hand and the number of times of sound within a predetermined time, similarly to the control by the acceleration sensor 45 described in embodiment 1. In the case of the human voice recognition sensor, the control method of the cleaning tank 33 is determined based on the instruction content realized by the human voice.

In the case where the cleaning tank 33 is moved forward, the control unit 44 of the present embodiment controls the drive motor 52 so that the upper surface opening 35 is substantially fully opened. The same meaning as that described in embodiment 1 is substantially applied to all cases.

Further, the control unit 44 controls the drive motor 52 according to time similarly to embodiment 1. That is, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 for the set predetermined time T1 to stop the drive motor 52.

With this configuration, the drawing-out operation or the storage operation of the cleaning tank 33 can be automatically performed. Therefore, the user does not need to take labor when pulling out and storing the cleaning tub 33.

That is, the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment can automatically pull out washing tub 33 by the driving unit to a position where dishes 36 can be easily stored. Therefore, the convenience of the dishwasher can be improved.

In addition, the dish washing machine according to the present embodiment can be easily adapted to various designs of the integrated kitchen K.

(embodiment mode 4)

Hereinafter, a dish washing machine according to embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 6 to 8.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another pull-out dishwasher according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a front longitudinal sectional view of the dish washing machine. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the slide rail portion of fig. 7.

The structure of the washing tub and the structure of the door support mechanism of the dishwasher according to the present embodiment are different from those of embodiment 1. That is, the cleaning tank of embodiment 1 is configured to be drawn out from the housing or pushed into the housing. The cleaning tank of the present embodiment is formed by a cleaning space defined by the inside of the casing and the inner surface of the door body. Therefore, the cleaning space of the cleaning tank is fixed in the housing. In view of this difference, the support mechanism that supports the door body is configured to include the cleaning tank to which the door body is attached and the slide rail that moves the cleaning tank in embodiment 1. The support mechanism of the present embodiment includes a support member and a slide rail, and the door body is attached to the support member and the slide rail. The other structures are the same as those of embodiment 1, and therefore embodiment 1 is referred to and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the dishwasher of the present embodiment includes a housing 71, a washing tub 73, a door 74, a washing space 75, a driving device 83, and the like.

The housing 71 has a front surface opening portion 72 whose front surface is entirely open. The cleaning tank 73 is formed inside the housing 71 provided with the front surface opening 72. The door 74 is disposed so as to cover the front surface opening 72 when it is closed. The cleaning space 75 is formed by the cleaning tank 73 and the door 74. A lower dish basket 77 and an upper dish basket 78 on which dishes 76 are placed are disposed in the washing space 75 in a state of being movable forward and backward. The lower cutlery basket 77 and the upper cutlery basket 78 move forward and backward together with the door 74 when locked to the door 74. On the other hand, when the locking is released, the lower cutlery basket 77 and the upper cutlery basket 78 move independently of the door 74. That is, the lower and upper cutlery baskets 77 and 78 have a form of moving integrally with the door 74 and a form of moving independently.

The door body 74 has an operation portion 79 on an upper surface 74a thereof. The operation unit 79 can perform switching between on and off of the power supply, starting, temporary stopping, washing, and switching of the drying program in response to a button operation by the user. At this time, the operation portion 79 may be provided with a switch for operating a control portion (not shown) in order to move the door 74. The control unit is provided below the operation unit 79.

The door 74 is supported by the housing 71 via a support mechanism 80 so as to be movable forward and backward. As described above, the support mechanism 80 includes the support member 81, the slide rail 82, and the like. Slide rails 82 are attached to the inner surfaces of the left and right sides of the housing 71 at the outer lower portion of the cleaning tank 73.

As shown in fig. 8, the slide rail 82 includes a fixed rail 82a, a 1 st movable rail 82b, a 2 nd movable rail 82c, and the like. The 1 st movable rail 82b is slidably attached to the fixed rail 82 a. The 2 nd movable rail 82c is slidably attached to the 1 st movable rail 82 b.

The support member 81 is formed of a metal plate such as stainless steel, for example, and a front end portion 81a thereof is fixed to an inner lower portion of the door body 74. The support member 81 is fixed to the 2 nd movable rail 82c of the slide rail 82.

When the door body 74 moves forward, the support member 81 and the 2 nd movable rail 82c support the door body 74 substantially vertically (including vertically) and move forward integrally with the 1 st movable rail 82 b. Thereby, the slide rail 82 extends forward.

Drive device 83 has at least drive motor 84 constituting a drive unit, and is disposed in a lower portion of cleaning tank 73 in casing 71. The driving device 83 moves the door 74 at least in the forward direction or the backward direction.

The control unit receives a predetermined signal from a sensor exemplified by the acceleration sensor 45 or the like, an operation switch, or the like. Thus, the control unit drives the drive motor 84 as the drive unit based on the received signal.

The dish washing machine according to the present embodiment is configured as described above.

The driving device 83 of the present embodiment will be described below.

The driving device 83 is formed of, for example, a rack-and-pinion mechanism, as in embodiment 1.

The driving device 83 includes a driving motor 84, a pinion gear 85 driven by the driving motor 84, a rack 86 engaged with the pinion gear 85, and the like.

The rack 86 is formed by arranging teeth of gears on a straight line. The rack 86 is fixed in the vicinity of the support member 81. The rack 86 has at least a length equal to or longer than a stroke of movement of the door 74. The pinion gear 85 is attached to a motor shaft driven by the drive motor 84. The drive motor 84 includes a speed reduction mechanism (not shown). The drive motor 84 is fixed to the inside of the housing 71 at a position where the pinion gear 85 is located near the front surface opening portion 72.

The above-described structure of the rack gear 86 and the pinion gear 85 converts the rotational motion of the drive motor 84 into a linear motion. Thereby, the door 74 moves in the forward or rearward direction. Other detailed control is the same as embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the washing tub is independently configured, and the attachment does not move, so the moving part is formed of a door, a dish basket, a washing nozzle, and the like. Therefore, the moving portion can be configured to be lightweight. This makes it possible to make the drive device smaller.

(other embodiments)

As described above, the structures of the 4 embodiments are disclosed.

Other embodiments including various configurations of the driving device will be described below.

First, an example of another embodiment of a method for stopping the cleaning tank 33 at a predetermined position when the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out will be described with reference to fig. 9 and 10.

That is, in embodiment 1 and embodiment 2, a method of controlling the drive motor 52 and the drive motor 56 in accordance with time is disclosed as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the driving motor may be controlled by the method described in the following 1 to 3 to stop the cleaning tank 33. In addition, in the following 1 to 3, the configuration of the dish washing machine according to embodiment 1 is described as an example, but the same applies to the configuration of embodiment 2 instead. For example, the same applies to the replacement of the drive motor 52 with the drive motor 56.

1. As shown in fig. 9, a position detection unit 59 formed of, for example, a micro switch is provided in the vicinity of the front surface opening 32 of the housing 31. The position detection unit 59 detects a predetermined position of the cleaning tank 33, and outputs a detected signal to the control unit 44. The control unit 44 may be configured to control the driving of the driving motor 52 to be stopped based on a signal detected by the position detection unit 59 while the cleaning tank 33 is moving. The position detector 59 may be a photoelectric switch. The photoelectric sensor measures the moving distance of the cleaning tank 33 to detect the position of the cleaning tank 33. Further, the driving unit may be configured by a stepping motor. In this case, the moving distance of the cleaning tank 33 can be detected based on the number of pulses for driving the stepping motor.

2. As shown in fig. 10, for example, a locking portion 60 formed of a 1 st projection 60a and a 2 nd projection 60b is provided. Further, the cleaning tank 33 may be stopped at a predetermined position by the locking portion 60. The 1 st projection 60a of the locking portion 60 is provided in the vicinity of the front surface opening 32 of the housing 31, for example. The 2 nd protrusion 60b is provided at the rear of the slide rail 34 or the cleaning tank 33. The 1 st projection 60a and the 2 nd projection 60b are disposed to abut against each other at a predetermined position after the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out. Thereby, the cleaning tank 33 is stopped at a predetermined position. At this time, control unit 44 detects a locked current of drive motor 52 generated by the stop of cleaning tank 33. Thus, the control unit 44 may be configured to stop the driving of the drive motor 52.

3. As shown in fig. 10, for example, a locking portion 60 formed of a 1 st projection 60a and a 2 nd projection 60b is provided. Further, the cleaning tank 33 may be stopped at a predetermined position by the locking portion 60. The 1 st projection 60a of the locking portion 60 is provided in the vicinity of the front surface opening 32 of the housing 31, for example. The 2 nd protrusion 60b is provided at the rear of the slide rail 34 or the cleaning tank 33. The 1 st projection 60a and the 2 nd projection 60b are configured to abut against each other at a predetermined position after the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out. Thereby, the cleaning tank 33 is stopped at a predetermined position. At this time, acceleration sensor 45 detects acceleration generated when cleaning tank 33 is stopped by locking unit 60, and outputs the detected signal to control unit 44. Thus, the control unit 44 may be configured to stop the drive motor 52 based on the signal of the acceleration sensor 45.

With the configurations described in the above 1 to 3, the stop position can be set physically without confirming the relationship between the setting time and the pulled-out amount of the cleaning tank 33 shown in embodiment 1.

That is, if the configuration is such that the 1 st projection 60a of the 1 st position detection unit 59 or 2 and 3 can be fixed at an arbitrary position by sliding back and forth, the cleaning tank 33 can be reliably stopped at an arbitrary position.

In the case of the configuration of fig. 2, the driving of the drive motor 52 is stopped based on the detection of the locked-rotor current of the drive motor 52 generated by the stop of the cleaning tank 33. Therefore, an excessive load due to the locked-rotor current may be applied to the drive motor 52. However, since the lock-up current is immediately cut off when a predetermined current value is exceeded, the time during which the lock-up current flows to the drive motor 52 is short. Therefore, the drive motor 52 can be stopped without applying an excessive load to the drive motor 52.

In the case of the configurations of 2, and 3, it is preferable that the locking portion 60 is formed of a material having cushioning properties. This absorbs the shock when the 1 st projection 60a and the 2 nd projection 60b constituting the locking portion 60 come into contact with each other. Therefore, washing tub 33 can be smoothly stopped, and the transmission of the vibration to dishes 36 stored therein can be alleviated. As a result, noise and breakage of the dishes 36 due to contact between the dishes 36 can be prevented. In addition, the water accumulated in the cleaning tank 33 can be prevented from being splashed by the contact. Therefore, the water can be prevented from splashing from the washing tub 33 and the washed and dried dishes 36 can be prevented from being wetted.

In embodiment 1 and embodiment 2, the configuration in which the drive motors 52 and 56 of the drive devices 51 and 55 are fixed to the vicinity of the front surface opening 32 of the housing 31 and the rack 54 and the pressure contact rail 58 are fixed to the outside of the wash bowl 33 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the drive motors 52 and 56 of the drive devices 51 and 55 may be fixed to the rear portion of the wash bowl 33, and the rack 54 and the pressure contact rail 58 may be fixed to the inside of the housing 31.

In general, when the drive device is provided in a drawer portion of furniture or a refrigerator, it is structurally preferable that a power supply of the drive portion is provided on a housing side.

However, in the dish washing machine in which washing tub 33 of the present embodiment is of the pull-out type, a power source for heater 49, washing pump 50, and the like disposed in washing tub 33 is required, and therefore, a power supply line is disposed in washing tub 33. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is not necessary to draw signal lines and power lines from control unit 44 to drive motors 52 and 56 to the side of case 31, and it is possible to dispose them only on the side surface of cleaning tank 33. This facilitates design and assembly of the dishwasher and improves the operability during maintenance.

In embodiment 1, the description has been given taking as an example the configuration in which the teeth of the rack 54 of the drive device 51 are provided downward, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, teeth may be formed on both upper and lower sides of the rack 54 of the driving device 51, and the rack 54 may be sandwiched between the two pinions 53 from the upper and lower directions. Alternatively, the teeth of the rack 54 may be formed on either one of the vertical directions, and a roller may be provided on the side where the teeth are not provided, so as to sandwich the rack 54 from the vertical direction. This enables the rack 54 to be reliably meshed with the pinion 53, and a structure that does not disengage can be easily realized.

In embodiments 1, 2, and 4, the description has been given of an example in which the user manually continues moving the cleaning tank 33 when the cleaning tank 33 is stopped halfway due to contact with an obstacle, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cleaning tank 33 may be automatically moved by driving the driving devices 51 and 55. In this case, it is necessary to distinguish whether to pull out the cleaning tank 33 from the stop position or to store the cleaning tank 33 from the stop position. As a method of distinguishing the moving direction, the moving direction may be distinguished by detecting the number of times the user taps the decorative panel 42 by the acceleration sensor 45. Further, a switch indicating the moving direction may be provided in the operation unit 46, and the moving direction of the washing tub 33 may be discriminated by the operation of the user. With this configuration, the driving devices 51 and 55 can be effectively utilized. This reduces the effort of the user to manually move the cleaning tub 33.

Next, another embodiment of the control method of the driving devices 51 and 55 will be described.

In the above embodiments, the description has been given of the example in which the control unit 44 immediately drives the drive motors 52 and 56 when detecting a signal for driving the drive motors 52 and 56 from the user, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 44 may control the drive of the drive motors 52 and 56 to be started after a predetermined time T2 (for example, 0.4 to 1 second) after detecting a signal for driving the drive motors 52 and 56 from the user. With this control, in the case where the cleaning water is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle in the cleaning step, the drive motors 52 and 56 can be driven after waiting for the stop of the cleaning pump. Thus, the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle can be reliably prevented from splashing from the washing tank. When the control unit 44 continuously detects a signal for driving the drive motors 52 and 56 and repeats the driving of the drive motors 52 and 56, the predetermined time T2 is set, so that a time for temporarily stopping the drive motors 52 and 56 can be secured. This makes it possible to control the drive motors 52 and 56 so that a large starting current does not continuously flow. As a result, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the drive motors 52 and 56 from excessively increasing due to the continuously flowing large starting current.

In this case, it is more preferable to provide a notification unit for notifying the movement of the door 40 by driving the drive motors 52 and 56, because the safety is improved. In this case, it is preferable that the notification is started before the door 40 starts moving during the predetermined time T2. This prevents the door 40 from coming into contact with an obstacle such as a person due to the movement. As a result, the safety of the dish washing machine can be further improved.

In each of the above embodiments, a door closing detection sensor for detecting closing of the door 40 may be further provided. In this case, the door closing detection sensor may be replaced with, for example, a position detection unit 59 shown in fig. 9. At this time, the control unit 44 controls not to detect the signal from the acceleration sensor 45 for a predetermined time period T3 (for example, 0.5 seconds) after detecting the closing signal of the door body 40 by the door closing detection sensor. Alternatively, the control unit 44 preferably performs control such that the drive of the drive motor is suspended even if the signal from the acceleration sensor 45 is detected.

Normally, when the door 40 is closed, the vibration caused by the contact between the door 40 and the casing 31 vibrates the entire casing 31 including the tableware 36 and the like. Therefore, the acceleration sensor 45 may erroneously detect the vibration as an operation signal generated by the knocking.

However, the predetermined time T3 is set so that the vibration is not detected. This can prevent erroneous detection of vibration during sealing. Further, by providing the predetermined time T3, a time for temporarily stopping the drive motors 52 and 56 can be secured. As a result, the temperature of the drive motors 52 and 56 can be prevented from excessively increasing.

In this case, the notification unit may be provided to notify when the door closing detection sensor detects a closing signal of the door 40. This makes it possible to reliably inform the user of the closing of the door 40. Further, the notification can be made after a predetermined time T3 has elapsed after the detection of the closing signal, so that the user can be notified that the knock for pulling out the door body 40 can be received. With this configuration, the user can easily confirm the reliable closing of the door 40 and the subsequent normal execution of the cleaning operation.

In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 44 may perform control so as to notify the occurrence of an abnormal state described below. The abnormal state is, for example, a case where the drive motors 52 and 56 are driven in the rear direction of the door closing body 40, and the control unit 44 detects that the drive motors 52 and 56 are stopped, but the signal from the door closing detection sensor is not detected by the control unit 44. This makes it possible for the user to recognize that the door 40 is not completely closed, and to prompt the user to take measures immediately thereafter.

In addition, although the user operates to close the door 40 in response to the notification of the abnormal state, when the notification is repeated a predetermined number of times (for example, 5 times), the notification of the occurrence of the abnormality may be stopped and further driving of the driving motors 52 and 56 may be stopped. With this configuration, control can be performed so that the lock current of the drive motors 52 and 56 does not flow repeatedly. As a result, the temperature of the drive motors 52 and 56 can be prevented from excessively increasing.

Further, the user can be informed of the need to confirm the cause of the occurrence of the abnormality by the notification of the abnormal state. The cause of the occurrence of the abnormality is, for example, that the door 40 cannot be closed by an obstacle, or that the drive motors 52 and 56 or the door closing detection sensor has failed. Thus, the user can immediately cope with the abnormality by confirming the cause of the abnormality. As a result, the cleaning operation can be more reliably prevented from being performed in a state where the door 40 is not closed.

In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 44 may perform control so as to notify the occurrence of an abnormality described below. The occurrence of an abnormality is, for example, a case where a signal generated by a door closing detection sensor, for example, that the door 40 is closed is first detected. Then, the drive motors 52 and 56 are driven in the forward direction of the opening door 40 in the detected state. After the driving, the control unit 44 continues to detect the signal of the door closing detection sensor for a predetermined time T4 (for example, 2.5 seconds). With this configuration, the control unit 44 can determine that the door 40 is not moving, and promptly notify the user of an abnormality of the door 40.

In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 44 may stop further driving of the drive motors 52 and 56 when the notification of the occurrence of the abnormality is repeated as described below. Specifically, the door 40 is not opened even if the user performs a knock, and then the notification is repeated a predetermined number of times (for example, 5 times). With this control, the lock current for driving the motors 52 and 56 can be prevented from repeatedly flowing. This can prevent the temperature of the drive motors 52 and 56 from rising excessively.

Further, the user can be informed of the need to confirm the cause of the occurrence of the abnormality through the notification. The cause of the occurrence of the abnormality is, for example, that the door body 40 is not moved due to contact with an obstacle or the like, or that the drive motors 52 and 56 or the door closing detection sensor has failed.

Next, another embodiment in which the acceleration sensor 45 is applied to the control will be described.

In the above embodiments, the configuration in which the operation of washing tub 33 of the dish washing machine is controlled based on the signal detected by acceleration sensor 45 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The acceleration sensor 45 can also be used as a level for detecting, for example, the inclination of the dishwasher at the time of installation.

Since the dish washing machine uses water, if the dish washing machine is installed obliquely, there is a risk that a trouble such as water leakage occurs. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the horizontal state of the dishwasher at the time of installation.

Then, the control unit 44 detects a deviation between gravity and the acceleration in the Z-axis direction using the acceleration sensor 45 as a level. Thereby, the tilt of the dish washing machine can be detected. Therefore, it is not necessary to additionally provide a level or the like. As a result, the operability of the dishwasher can be improved.

When the installation surface of the place where the dishwasher is installed is inclined due to aging or the like, the controller 44 detects the inclination of the installation surface by the acceleration sensor 45 of the dishwasher. Then, the control unit 44 informs the user that the installation surface of the dish washing machine is inclined. Further, the control unit 44 controls to stop the operation of the dishwasher. Thus, the user can adjust the inclination of the installation surface and use the dishwasher without causing troubles for a long period of time.

The control unit 44 may determine the inclination of the installation surface detected by the acceleration sensor 45, and control the drive motors 52 and 56 so as to change the moving speed of the door 40. Specifically, when the installation surface is inclined to a degree smaller than a predetermined value (for example, 0.5 degrees or more and less than 2 degrees) in the front or rear direction, the movement speed of the door 40 is controlled to be slightly slower than usual.

On the other hand, when the inclination of the installation surface is large (for example, 1 degree or more and less than 2 degrees), there is a possibility that water leakage or a load larger than the assumed load is applied to the driving device 51. In this case, the control unit 44 can notify the user through, for example, the notification unit, and can prompt the user to perform a countermeasure such as repair of the installation surface. This prevents the occurrence of a failure in advance. That is, when the dishwasher is installed on an installation surface inclined to such an extent that the washing operation is not affected, the controller 44 drives the drive motors 52 and 56 so that the moving speed of the door 40 is slow. This can further improve the safety of the dish washing machine.

In each of the above embodiments, when the inclination of the installation surface detected by the acceleration sensor 45 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (for example, 2 degrees), the control unit 44 may control the drive motors 52 and 56 so that they cannot be driven. With this control, the operation of the dishwasher can be stopped before a malfunction such as a water leak or an assumed load or more is applied to the drive device occurs. Thus, the safety of the dish washing machine can be improved.

In each of the above embodiments, acceleration sensor 45 may be configured to detect vibration generated when washing water collides with the inner wall of washing tub 33 during the washing operation. With this configuration, control unit 44 can easily determine the state inside cleaning tank 33 described below based on the direction and magnitude of the acceleration due to vibration detected by acceleration sensor 45. Specifically, it can be determined whether the washing pump 50 is operating normally or not and whether the washing nozzle 48 is rotating normally or not. Further, it is possible to determine whether or not the washing water is sprayed from which washing nozzle 48 among the plurality of washing nozzles 48, how much the dishes 36 are stored, and the like. This makes it possible to find out a failure in operation early, and to improve cleaning efficiency by applying the method to a nozzle cleaning spray method.

In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 44 may determine that the drive motors 52 and 56, the acceleration sensor 45, and the like have failed in the case of the situation described below, and may notify the user of the abnormality. Specifically, when the signal for driving the drive motors 52 and 56 is output, the control unit 44 notifies an abnormality when a predetermined output from the acceleration sensor 45 is not input. Thus, the user can easily know the abnormality of the drive device system and can prompt the user to respond.

In each of the above embodiments, the control unit 44 may control the cleaning tank 33 to be pulled out when an abnormality of the acceleration sensor 45, such as an erroneous output, is detected. With this control, it is possible to avoid a problem that the washing tub 33 is not pulled out any more due to the acceleration sensor 45 not detecting the user's tap. The control unit 44 can notify the user of an abnormality of the acceleration sensor 45 through an informing unit or the like.

As described above, the notification unit is provided in the operation unit 46, for example, and notifies the user or the like of the start of the operation of the drive device 51, the occurrence of an abnormality, and the like. The notification unit is configured to audibly notify the user by using a synthesized sound of a human voice, a buzzer, or the like. This makes it possible to easily make the user in the vicinity of the dish washing machine aware of the operating state of the dish washing machine.

Specifically, when the notification is made by sound by the notification unit, the control unit 44 preferably starts the notification after a predetermined time T5 has elapsed after the vibration caused by the tap or the like is detected by the acceleration sensor 45.

In this case, the predetermined time T5 is desirably 0.1 to 0.6 seconds. In general, when the user strikes the door 40, the user will be aware of the striking operation. At this time, if the notification portion generates a sound similar to a tap or the like, the sound generated by the tap and the sound of the first portion of the notification sound are superimposed and heard by the user in the case where the predetermined time T5 is less than 0.1 second. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to hear the sound of the notification portion, and thus it is difficult to perform determination. On the other hand, when the predetermined time T5 exceeds 0.6 seconds, the user may hear the sound of the notification unit with a delayed impression, and it may be difficult to make an accurate determination. Then, it is preferable that the notification sound generated by the notification portion is started to be emitted after a predetermined time T5 has elapsed after the vibration caused by the knocking or the like is detected. Thus, the user can accurately hear the notification sound without being hindered by the sound generated by the user's own knock, and can make a determination.

The notification unit may be configured to notify the user of an error code or the like by blinking a lamp such as an LED or by a combination of lighting of a plurality of lamps.

Further, the cleaning tank 33 may be automatically pulled out when an abnormality occurs, without being limited to the acceleration sensor 45. Among them, for example, water leakage, water level abnormality, and a large amount of detergent foam are assumed to occur. Therefore, the cleaning tank 33 is automatically pulled out by detecting the abnormal states by the detection methods corresponding to the respective abnormal states. This makes it possible to visually notice the occurrence of an abnormality to the user. For example, in the case of a configuration in which the operation unit 46 is built in the housing 31 as in the dish washing machines according to embodiments 1 and 2, a configuration in which the washing tub 33 is automatically drawn out is particularly preferable. This allows the user to easily confirm the error code or LED display displayed on the pulled-out operation portion 46. In this case, the amount of the pulled-out washing tub 33 is not particularly limited as long as the operation unit 46 can be visually recognized.

In the above embodiments, the dishwasher may further include a remote controller (not shown) for transmitting an operation signal to the dishwasher, for example. In this case, the control unit 44 receives various operation signals transmitted from the remote controller. Then, the control section 44 performs control of each section based on the received operation signal.

For example, when the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out and stored, the control unit 44 detects a predetermined signal transmitted from a remote controller. Then, based on the received predetermined signal, control unit 44 drives drive motors 52 and 56 to move cleaning tank 33. With this configuration, the user can freely operate the dish washing machine at a position remote from the dish washing machine according to the time desired to be washed. This can further improve the convenience of the dish washing machine.

In addition, the configurations of the respective combinable embodiments may be combined with respect to the respective embodiments disclosed above without particular limitation. This can obtain the same effect.

As described above, the dish washing machine of the present invention includes: a housing having a front surface opening on a front surface thereof; a dish basket which is provided in the housing so as to be drawn out or pushed in, and which accommodates dishes; a door body for covering the front surface opening; a support mechanism that supports the door body at the housing in a state capable of moving forward and backward; a driving device having a driving part for moving the door body at least in a forward direction or a backward direction; a sensor that detects at least vibration applied to the door body; and a control section for controlling the drive device. The control unit is configured to start driving of the driving unit after a predetermined time T2 after detecting the signal from the sensor.

According to this configuration, in the washing step, when the washing water is sprayed from the washing nozzle, the washing tub can be moved forward after waiting for the washing pump to stop. This can reliably prevent the washing water from splashing from the washing tub. When a signal for driving the driving unit is continuously detected and the driving of the driving unit is repeated, the driving unit is temporarily stopped. This prevents a large starting current from continuously flowing through the drive unit. As a result, the temperature of the driving unit can be prevented from excessively increasing. Then, the door body is notified of the movement during a predetermined time period T2. This enables the user to recognize the movement of the door, thereby improving safety.

The dishwasher of the present invention may further include a door closing detection sensor for detecting closing of the door, and the control unit may not detect a signal from the sensor for detecting vibration for a predetermined time period T3 after the door closing detection sensor detects a closing signal of the door, or may suspend driving of the driving unit even if the signal from the sensor is detected.

According to this configuration, even if the entire casing vibrates including tableware and the like due to vibration or the like when the door is closed, the control unit does not detect the signal for the predetermined time T3. This can prevent the vibration generated during closing from being erroneously detected as a closing signal from the door closing detection sensor. Further, the stop of the driving unit is temporarily maintained for a predetermined time period T3. This can prevent the temperature of the drive unit from rising excessively.

The dishwasher of the present invention may further include an informing portion for informing an operation state, wherein the control portion informs, when the control portion detects a closing signal of the door body transmitted by the door closing detection sensor and when the control portion continuously detects a signal of the door closing detection sensor for a predetermined time period T4 after the drive portion is driven in a direction in front of the door body being opened, that the door body is not moved by the informing portion. According to this configuration, the control unit can reliably notify the user of the operational abnormality of the door body.

In the dishwasher according to the present invention, the controller may be configured to determine that an abnormality has occurred when the notification that the door has not moved is repeated a predetermined number of times, and to notify the controller via the notification unit and stop the driving of the driving unit. According to this configuration, the repeated flow of the locked-rotor current in the driving unit can be prevented, and thus the temperature of the driving unit can be prevented from excessively increasing. Further, the user can be notified of the need to confirm whether the door body is not moving due to an obstacle or the like, or whether the drive section or the door closing detection sensor has failed, or other causes of an abnormality.

In the dishwasher according to the present invention, the controller may be configured to notify, via the notification unit, that the door is not completely closed when the door closure detection sensor does not detect a signal from the door closure detection sensor regardless of whether the drive unit is stopped after the drive unit is driven in the rear direction in which the door is closed. According to this configuration, the user can be reliably made aware that the door body is not completely closed.

In the dishwasher according to the present invention, the controller may be configured to determine that an abnormality has occurred when the notification that the door is not completely closed is repeated a predetermined number of times, and to notify the abnormality via the notification unit and stop the driving of the driving unit. According to this configuration, the locked-rotor current can be prevented from continuously and repeatedly flowing in the driving unit. This can prevent the temperature of the drive unit from rising excessively. Further, the user can be notified of the need to confirm whether the door body is not closed due to an obstacle or the like, or whether the drive section or the door closing detection sensor has failed, or other causes of an abnormality. As a result, the cleaning operation can be prevented from being performed in a state where the door is not closed.

The dishwasher of the present invention may further include an operation unit and a display unit, and the operation unit may set at least a setting of vibration applied to the door body for driving the drive unit by the control unit or a setting of operation of the drive unit, and the display unit may display the set value. With this configuration, the number of times the vibration is applied by, for example, tapping or the like can be freely set. The setting contents are displayed on the display unit, so that the user can confirm the contents. As a result, the usability of the dishwasher is improved.

Industrial applicability

The dish washing machine according to the present invention can easily draw out and store the washing tub and perform the washing operation even if a decorative plate having no operation part or handle is attached to improve design. Therefore, the dishwasher is useful as a dishwasher that is used by being built into an entire kitchen and requires uniformity in appearance.

Description of the reference numerals

3. 36, 76, tableware; 4. 47, a tableware basket; 7. 50, cleaning a pump; 8. 48, cleaning the nozzle; 9. a water supply valve; 10. a water supply hose; 14. a main body; 15. 33, 73, a cleaning tank; 16. 17, 31a, 34, 82, a slide rail; 18. 54, 86, a rack; 19. a drive motor; 20. a gear; 21. 37, an inner cover; 22. a gasket; 23. a door; 24. a handle portion; 31. a housing; 32. a front surface opening; 35. an upper surface opening; 38. a parallel linkage mechanism; 39. a sealing part; 40. a door body; 41. an operation panel; 42. a decorative plate; 43. a handle; 44. a control unit; 45. an acceleration sensor (sensor); 46. an operation section; 46b, the 2 nd operation part; 49. a heater; 51. 55, 83, a driving device; 52. 56, 84, a drive motor; 53. 85, a pinion; 57. a roller; 58. crimping the rail; 59. a position detection unit; 60. a card-holding section; 60a, the 1 st projection; 60b, the 2 nd protrusion; 71. a housing; 72. a front surface opening; 74. a door body; 74a, an upper surface; 75. cleaning the space; 77. a lower tableware basket; 78. putting a tableware basket; 79. an operation section; 80. a support mechanism; 81. a support member; 81a, a front end portion; 82a, a fixed track; 82b, 1 st movable rail; 82c, 2 nd movable rail.

Claims (7)

1. A dishwasher, wherein,

the dish washing machine includes:

a housing having a front surface opening on a front surface thereof;

a dish basket which is provided in the housing so as to be able to be pulled out or pushed in, and which accommodates dishes;

a door body for covering the front surface opening;

a support mechanism that supports the door body at the housing in a state in which the door body can move forward and backward;

a driving device having a driving part for moving the door body at least in a forward direction or a backward direction;

a sensor that detects at least vibration applied to the door body; and

a control section for controlling the drive device,

the control unit is configured to start driving of the driving unit after a predetermined time T2 after detecting the signal from the sensor.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein,

the dish washing machine further comprises a door closing detection sensor for detecting the closing of the door body,

the control unit is configured not to detect a signal from the sensor for detecting vibration for a predetermined time period T3 after the door closing detection sensor detects the closing signal of the door body, or to suspend the driving of the driving unit even if the signal of the sensor is detected.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2, wherein,

the dishwasher further includes an informing part for informing an operation condition,

the control unit is configured to notify, via the notification unit, that the door body is not moving when the control unit continuously detects the signal of the door closing detection sensor for a predetermined time period T4 after the drive unit is driven in the front direction for opening the door body in a state where the door closing signal of the door body transmitted by the door closing detection sensor is detected.

4. The dishwasher of claim 3, wherein,

the control unit is configured to determine that an abnormality has occurred when the notification that the door has not moved is repeated a predetermined number of times, and to notify the abnormality via the notification unit and stop the driving of the driving unit.

5. The dishwasher according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein,

the control unit is configured to notify, via the notification unit, that the door body is not completely closed when the drive unit does not detect the signal from the door closing detection sensor regardless of whether the drive unit is stopped after the drive unit is driven in a rear direction in which the door body is closed.

6. The dishwasher of claim 5, wherein,

the control unit is configured to determine that an abnormality has occurred when the notification that the door is not completely closed is repeated a predetermined number of times, and to notify the abnormality via the notification unit and stop the driving of the driving unit.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein,

the dish washing machine further comprises an operating part and a display part,

at least setting of vibration applied to the door body or setting of operation of the driving portion for driving the driving portion by the control portion is set by the operation portion, and,

and displaying the set value on the display part.