JP4158667B2 - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dishwashing apparatus for supplying dishes into a washing tank and washing dishes.

Conventionally, since this type of dishwashing apparatus has a water supply means directly connected to a household water faucet, it has been necessary to always detect a water leak from the water supply means by an overflow detection means (for example, Patent Literature 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-33636

  However, in such a conventional configuration, it is necessary for the microcomputer to detect a water leak detection means for detecting a water leak from the water supply means or a detection signal from the overflow detection means. There is a problem that the standby power consumption of the microcomputer and its peripheral circuits reaches 10 to 20% of the power consumption of the cleaning operation.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and has an object to make it possible to detect water leakage from the water supply means in a power-off state by reducing standby power consumption to almost zero.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention supplies AC power to the control means from a water level switch connected in series with an AC power supply, controls the power supply opening / closing means by the control means, and supplies water to the cleaning tank by the water supply means, The dish is washed by the washing means, the washing water in the washing tank is drained by the draining means, and the control means is activated by the water level switch. The water level switch has a common terminal, a normally closed contact, and a normally open state. And when the set water level is reached, the normally closed contact is opened and the normally open contact is closed, and when the normally open contact is closed, the control means is energized to start operation. The water level is determined by the signal .

  As a result, when the set water level is reached, the control means is energized to start operation, and it is possible to detect water leakage from the water supply means, and since power is not supplied except during operation, standby power consumption can be made almost zero. .

In the dishwashing apparatus of the present invention, when the set water level is reached, the control means is energized to start operation, and it is possible to detect a water leak from the water supply means. Can be. Also, since the water level can be determined by the signal of the normally closed contact, it can be determined whether the cleaning tank water level is the set water level by the presence or absence of the water level signal after the control means is energized and the operation is started. It becomes.

The first invention is an AC power supply, a water level switch connected in series to the AC power supply, a control means supplied with AC power from the water level switch, and connected in series with the AC power supply and controlled by the control means. Power supply opening / closing means, water supply means for supplying water into the washing tub, washing means for washing dishes, and drainage means for draining the washing water in the washing tub, and starting the operation of the control means by the water level switch The water level switch has a common terminal, a normally closed contact, and a normally open contact. When the set water level is reached, the normally closed contact is opened and the normally open contact is closed, and the normally open contact is closed. so as to operate activated by energizing the control means and said is obtained by so as to determine the water level by a signal normally closed, driving starts being energized with the control means reaches a set water level, the water supply means It is possible to detect the water leakage al, even water leakage occurs no risk of overflow so that drainage, in addition to the cleaning operation and leakage can be almost zero standby power consumption since it is not energized. Also, since the water level can be determined by the signal of the normally closed contact, it can be determined whether the cleaning tank water level is the set water level by the presence or absence of the water level signal after the control means is energized and the operation is started. It becomes.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the water level switch is configured such that the contact is closed when the set water level is reached, and the control means is energized to start operation when the contact is closed. Since the control means is energized when the set water level is reached, it is not necessary to continuously energize the control means, and standby power consumption can be made almost zero.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the drainage means is driven after energizing the control means and closing the power supply opening / closing means. When a water leak occurs, the control means is energized. Since the drainage means is driven to drain the water in the cleaning tank, overflow from the cleaning tank can be prevented.

  In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the set water level at which the water level switch is closed is set to a water level at which the cleaning operation can be performed, and a single water level switch can be used for both cleaning water level detection and water leak detection. It is not necessary to increase the installation location of the water level switch, and a compact and inexpensive water leak detection means can be realized.

In a fifth aspect based on the first aspect, the water level switch has a common terminal, a normally closed contact, and a normally open contact. When the set water level is reached, the normally closed contact opens and the normally open contact closes. When the normally open contact is closed, the control means is energized to start operation, and when the set water level is determined by the signal of the normally closed contact, the drain means is driven. Water leakage abnormality can be determined reliably depending on the presence or absence of water, and in the case of water leakage abnormality, overflow from the washing tank can be prevented by draining.

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

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a dishwashing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the AC power supply 1 has a water level switch 2 connected in series, a control means 3 connected in series to the water level switch 2, and the load is controlled by the control means 3. The water level switch 2 opens and closes according to the water level in the washing tank (not shown), and is usually composed of a float that moves up and down according to the water level, and a float switch composed of a micro switch, It has a normally closed contact and a normally open contact, and is composed of a common terminal C, a normally closed contact terminal NC, and a normally open contact terminal NO. When the water level in the cleaning tank reaches a set water level at which cleaning operation is possible, the normally closed contact is opened and the normally open contact is closed, and when the normally open contact is closed, the control means 3 is energized with AC power to start operation. I have to.

  When the water level switch is set to the water level at which the cleaning operation is started, the cleaning water level detection switch and the water leak detection switch when the power is turned off can be used in combination. A water level slightly lower than the water level overflowing from the washing tank may be set as an overflow detection switch, but the washing level detection is required separately.

When a power relay (power switching means) 4 is connected in parallel with the water level switch 2, when the normally open contact of the water level switch 2 is closed and an AC voltage is applied to the control means 3, the control means 3 starts operation and the power relay 4 To self-hold.

  The control means 3 includes a control circuit 30 having a microcomputer as a main control device, a power switching means 31 for controlling a load, and a non-volatile storage means 32 for storing various status signals including a stroke flag, an operation course flag, and an abnormality. And a DC power supply circuit 33 for supplying DC power necessary for the control circuit 30 and overflow detection means 34 for detecting overflow from the washing tank during operation.

  The power switching means 31 is constituted by a bidirectionally controllable three-terminal thyristor (hereinafter referred to as thyristor) or a relay, and a water supply valve (water supply means) 5 for supplying water into a washing tank for storing tableware is ON / OFF controlled by a thyristor 31a. The A cleaning pump (cleaning means) 6 for injecting cleaning water onto the tableware is constituted by a rotary pump driven by a motor, and the rotation is controlled by a thyristor 31b. A drainage pump (drainage means) 7 for draining the cleaning water in the cleaning tank is constituted by a rotary pump driven by a motor, and the rotation is controlled by a thyristor 31c.

  The heating means 8 heats the washing water and is controlled by the heater relay 31d. The air blowing means 9 dries the tableware in the washing tank and is controlled by the thyristor 31e.

  When the start switch 10 is connected in parallel with the water level switch 2 and AC power is supplied to the control means 3 via the start switch 10 or the water level switch 2, the control means 3 conducts the power relay 4 and performs self-holding operation. Do.

  Signals ry1 and ry2 are signals for controlling the power supply relay 4 and the heater relay 31d, and signals tr1 to tr4 are signals for controlling the thyristors 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31e.

  The DC power supply circuit 33 includes a power transformer 330 that converts commercial AC voltage into low-voltage AC of 10 to 20 V, a low-voltage rectifier circuit 331 that converts low-voltage AC into low-voltage DC, and a micro that executes a control sequence in the control circuit 30. A DC constant voltage power supply circuit 332 that converts the DC constant voltage required for a computer (not shown) or the like is used.

  The lid switch 11 operates in conjunction with opening / closing of a lid (not shown) of the cleaning tank, and is connected in series with the power switching means 31. When the lid is opened, the contact is opened, and when the lid is closed, the contact is closed. Can be driven. However, in order to enable the drainage pump 7 to operate even when the lid is opened, a circuit independent of the lid switch 11 is provided.

  By connecting a load circuit such as the heating means 8 between the lid switch 11 and the power switching means 31, the load circuit is cut off from the AC power source 1 when the lid switch 11 is opened.

  A water level signal ws from the normally closed contact terminal NC of the water level switch 2 and an open / close signal sf of the lid switch 11 are added to the control circuit 3, and the operation is controlled according to various signals applied to the control circuit 30. If there is a water level signal ws from the closed contact terminal NC, it is determined that the water level in the cleaning tank has not reached the set water level, and if there is no water level signal ws, it has reached the set water level.

  If there is an open / close signal sf, the lid switch 11 is closed, and if there is no open / close signal sf, it is determined that the lid switch 11 is open. When the lid switch 11 is opened, all operations except the draining operation are stopped, and all the power switching means 3 except the thyristor 31c are forcibly turned off.

When the water level switch 2 or the start switch 10 is closed, AC power is applied to the DC power supply circuit 33, DC constant voltage is applied to the control circuit 30, the microcomputer is reset, and the power supply relay 4 is driven to hold itself. . Next, by determining the presence or absence of the water level signal ws, it is possible to determine which of the water level switch 2 and the start switch 10 is closed. If there is a water level signal ws, it can be determined that it has been started by the start switch 10, and if there is no water level signal ws, it can be determined that it has been started in a state where cleaning water has accumulated in the cleaning tank. Therefore, the thyristor 31c is turned on, and the drain pump 7 is driven for a predetermined time or more to perform the drain operation.

  The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the dishwashing apparatus according to the present invention.

  When the water level in the washing tank rises due to water leakage and the water level switch 2 is closed, AC power is applied to the control means 3, and when a predetermined DC voltage is applied to the control circuit 30, the control sequence of the control circuit 30 is executed. The microcomputer to be reset is released and the program starts from step 100.

  First, in step 101, the power supply relay 4 is driven, and when the power supply relay 4 is closed, the drive power of the control means 3 is supplied from the AC power supply 1 through the power supply relay 4 and is self-maintained. Usually, since the microcomputer operates only in a predetermined voltage range, there is always a reset circuit for canceling the reset at the predetermined voltage. Therefore, when the power relay 4 is first turned on after the reset is canceled, the self-holding operation is performed. .

  Next, it progresses to step 102, the drainage pump 7 is driven, and it drains until the inside of a washing tank becomes empty. Next, the routine proceeds to step 103 where the normally closed contact terminal NC signal of the water level switch 2, that is, the water level signal ws is input, and at step 104, the presence or absence of the water level signal ws is determined.

  If there is no water level signal ws, it is determined that the cleaning tank water level is equal to or higher than the set water level, the process proceeds to step 105, an abnormality is notified, the process returns to step 102 and the drainage pump 7 is driven for a predetermined time or more or until the cleaning tank is empty. Perform drainage operation. When the drainage pump 7 does not operate, an abnormality is notified, so that the drainage abnormality is notified.

  If there is a water level signal ws, it is determined that the water level in the cleaning tank is equal to or lower than the set water level, and the water in the cleaning tank has been drained, the process proceeds to step 106, the power supply relay 4 is turned off, and the program ends.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, AC power is supplied to the control means 3 from the water level switch 2 connected in series to the AC power source 1, and the control means is activated by the water level switch 2. When the water level is reached, the control means 3 is energized to start operation, and it is possible to detect water leakage from the water supply valve 5, and since power is not supplied except during operation, the standby power consumption can be made almost zero.

  In addition, the water level switch 2 closes the normally open contact when the set water level is reached, and when the normally open contact is closed, the control means 3 is energized to start operation. 3 is energized, it is not always necessary to continuously energize the control means 3, and the standby power consumption can be made almost zero.

  In addition, since the drainage pump 7 is driven after energizing the control means 3 and closing the power relay 4, if water leaks, the control means 3 is energized to drive the drainage pump 7, Since the water is drained, overflow from the washing tank can be prevented.

In addition, the set water level that the water level switch 2 closes is set to a water level that can be used for cleaning operation, so the single water level switch can be used for both cleaning water level detection and water leak detection, so there is no need to increase the installation location of the water level switch. And cheap water leak detection means.

  When the water level switch 2 reaches the set water level, the normally closed contact is opened and the normally open contact is closed. When the normally open contact is closed, the control means 3 is energized to start operation. Since the water level can be determined by the signal of the normally closed contact, it can be determined whether or not the cleaning tank water level is the set water level by the presence or absence of the water level signal after the control means 3 is energized and the operation is started. Abnormality and normality can also be determined.

  In the present embodiment, the water level switch 2 has been described as an example of a float that moves up and down and a float switch that includes a micro switch. It will be obvious.

  The set water level of the water level switch 2 is set to the water level at which the normal washing operation is started, and both the detection of the water level in the washing operation and the detection of water leakage when the power is turned off are performed. It is obvious that the operation can be started by the water level switch, and a cleaning water level detection switch for the cleaning operation may be provided separately.

(Embodiment 2)
The control means 3 shown in FIG. 1 drives a drainage pump (drainage means) 7 when it is determined that the set water level is based on the signal of the normally closed contact of the water level switch 2. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the dishwashing apparatus according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 3, the program starts from step 200, and in step 201, the power supply relay 4 is driven and held by itself. Next, the process proceeds to step 202, a water level signal is input, the process proceeds to step 203, the presence / absence of the water level signal ws is determined, and if the water level signal ws is present, the water level switch 2 is not operated but the operation is started by the start switch 10. The process proceeds to step 204 and enters an initial setting standby state.

  If there is no water level signal ws in step 203, it is determined that there is a water leak, and the flow proceeds to step 205 to notify the water leak abnormality, and then the flow proceeds to step 206 to drive the drain pump 7 until the washing tank is emptied. I do. Next, proceed to step 207 to input a water level signal, then proceed to step 208 to input an operation cut-off signal from the operation display panel, and proceed to step 209 to determine the presence or absence of the operation cut-off signal. If there is no signal, the process proceeds to step 210 to determine the presence or absence of the water level signal ws. If there is no water level signal ws, the normally closed contact of the water level switch 2 is open, and since it is equal to or higher than the set water level, the process returns to step 205 to notify the abnormality.

  If there is a water level signal ws, the normally closed contact of the water level switch 2 is closed, and it is determined that the water level in the cleaning tank has dropped below the set water level, the process proceeds to step 211, a water leakage abnormality flag is set, and the process proceeds to step 212. In step 213, the power leakage relay 4 is turned off, and the program ends in step 214.

  If it is determined in step 209 that there is an operation cut-off signal, it is determined that the countermeasure for the abnormality, that is, the cause of the water leakage abnormality is known and the countermeasure is taken, and the water leakage abnormality flag is cleared.

When the operation is started by the user instead of the water leakage abnormality, it is determined that the operation is normally started based on the presence or absence of the operation start signal in step 216, and the flow proceeds to step 217 to drive the drainage pump 7 for a predetermined time. Proceeding to 218, the water supply valve 5 is driven, and in step 219, a water level signal ws is input, and then proceeding to step 220, the presence or absence of the water level signal ws is determined. If there is a water level signal ws, it is determined that the normally closed contact of the water level switch 2 is closed and has not reached the set water level, and the flow returns to step 218 to drive the water supply valve 5. If there is no water level signal, it is determined that the water level is equal to or higher than the set water level, and the process proceeds to step 221 where the washing pump 6 is driven to shift to the tableware washing process, and the process proceeds to the next process.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the set water level is determined by the signal of the normally closed contact of the water level switch 2, the drainage pump 7 is driven. In the case of a water leak abnormality, overflow from the washing tank can be prevented by draining.

  As described above, when the tableware washing apparatus according to the present invention reaches the set water level, the control means is energized to start operation, can detect a water leak from the water supply means, and is not energized except during operation. Since the hourly power consumption can be made almost zero, it is useful as a dishwashing apparatus for supplying dishes into the washing tank and washing dishes.

The block diagram of the tableware washing apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention Flow chart showing the operation of the dishwasher The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the tableware washing apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 AC power supply 2 Water level switch 3 Control means 4 Power supply relay (power supply open / close means)
5 Water supply valve (water supply means)
6 Washing pump (cleaning means)
7 Drainage pump (drainage means)

Claims (5)

AC power supply, water level switch connected in series to the AC power supply, control means supplied with AC power from the water level switch, power supply opening / closing means connected in series with the AC power supply and controlled by the control means A water supply means for supplying water into the washing tank, a washing means for washing the tableware, and a drainage means for draining the washing water in the washing tank, and the water level switch activates the control means, and the water level switch Has a common terminal, a normally closed contact, and a normally open contact. When the set water level is reached, the normally closed contact is opened and the normally open contact is closed, and when the normally open contact is closed, the control means is energized. The dishwashing apparatus is configured such that the water level is determined based on the signal of the normally closed contact . 2. The dish washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water level switch closes the contact when the set water level is reached, and when the contact is closed, the control means is energized to start operation. 2. The dishwashing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drainage means is driven after energizing the control means and closing the power supply opening / closing means. The dish washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the set water level at which the water level switch is closed is set to a water level at which washing operation is possible. The water level switch has a common terminal, a normally closed contact, and a normally open contact. When the set water level is reached, the normally closed contact is opened so that the normally open contact is closed. 2. The dishwashing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the set water level is determined by a signal from the normally closed contact, the drainage means is driven.

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