JP7422305B2 - dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a built-in type dishwasher for washing and drying tableware.

Conventionally, the door of a dishwasher is equipped with a vibration sensor (acceleration sensor) that detects vibrations, and when the washing machine is stopped, the user can knock twice on the door to pull out the washing tank, and during the washing operation, the washing tank is pulled out. The cleaning tank is pulled out when the user knocks on the door three times, and the system also detects vibrations generated when the cleaning water collides with the inner wall of the cleaning tank during cleaning operation, and based on the magnitude of the vibrations, It is disclosed that the operating status of the washing pump and the amount of dishes are detected. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2018/110287

However, due to the vibration that occurs when light resin tableware, etc. rattles due to the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle and collides with the washing tank during washing operation, the vibration sensor mistakenly assumes that the movement is knocking on the door body. However, there was a problem in that the cleaning tank was pulled out due to the detection.

The present invention prevents as much as possible the vibration caused by the collision between the dishes and the washing tank that occurs in the washing tank during the washing operation from being mistakenly detected as the vibration caused by the user knocking on the door body from the outside. To provide dishwashers for the purpose of

A casing having a front opening on the front surface, a washing tank provided in such a way that it can be taken in and taken out from inside the casing, a door body that covers the front opening, and a tableware basket arranged in the washing tank and accommodating dishes, a cleaning pump that sucks cleaning water stored in the cleaning tank; a cleaning nozzle that sprays the cleaning water pumped by the cleaning pump; and a drive device that includes a drive unit that moves the cleaning tank at least in a forward direction. , a vibration sensor that detects vibrations applied to the door body and the cleaning tank, and a control unit that controls at least the drive device and the cleaning pump, the control unit configured to detect vibrations before and after the vibrations detected by the vibration sensor. The control unit is configured to drive the drive unit when the magnitude of vibration in the direction is equal to or greater than a threshold , and among the magnitude of vibration when the control unit drives the drive unit, the threshold value of vibration in the front-rear direction is set. The size is larger when the cleaning pump is in operation than when the cleaning pump is stopped.

It is possible to prevent as much as possible the vibration caused by the collision between the dishes and the washing tank that occurs in the washing tank during the washing operation from being mistakenly detected as the vibration caused by the user's knocking on the door from the outside.

A diagram showing a side vertical cross section of a dishwasher in Embodiment 1 of the present invention A diagram showing a side vertical cross section of the dishwasher in the same embodiment. (a) An explanatory diagram showing the process of the dishwasher and the magnitude of vibration in the same embodiment (b) Another explanatory diagram showing the process and the magnitude of vibration of the dishwasher in the same embodiment

A first aspect of the present invention includes a casing having a front opening on the front surface, a washing tank provided so as to be able to be put in and taken out from inside the casing, a door body that covers the front opening, and a door body disposed in the washing tank for storing tableware. A drive for moving at least the washing tank in the forward direction; a washing pump that sucks washing water stored in the washing tank; a washing nozzle that sprays the washing water pumped by the washing pump; and a drive that moves the washing tank at least in the forward direction. a vibration sensor that detects vibrations applied to the door body and the cleaning tank; and a control unit that controls at least the drive unit and the cleaning pump; The drive unit is configured to be driven based on the magnitude of the vibration detected by the vibration sensor, and among the magnitudes of vibration when the control unit drives the drive unit, the magnitude of the vibration in the front-rear direction is determined by the magnitude of the vibration detected by the vibration sensor . The configuration is different between when the cleaning pump is stopped and when the cleaning pump is in operation.

This prevents as much as possible the vibration caused by the collision between the dishes and the washing tank that occurs in the washing tank during the washing operation from being mistakenly detected as the vibration caused by the user knocking on the door from the outside. Can be done. That is, it is possible to prevent the cleaning tank from being pulled out due to the vibration sensor erroneously detecting a knocking motion on the door body.

A second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the magnitude of vibration when the control section drives the drive section is larger when the washing pump is in operation than when the washing pump is stopped. It is something to do.

This prevents as much as possible the vibration caused by the collision between the dishes and the washing tank that occurs in the washing tank during the washing operation from being mistakenly detected as the vibration caused by the user knocking on the door from the outside. Can be done. That is, it is possible to prevent the cleaning tank from being pulled out due to the vibration sensor erroneously detecting a knocking motion on the door body.

A third invention is characterized in that in the first or second invention, the vibration sensor is provided at a position between the door body and the cleaning tank.

This allows the user to knock on the door from the outside as accurately as possible, while also detecting vibrations caused by collisions between dishes and the washing tank that occur in the washing tank during washing operations, and vibrations that occur inside the washing tank. Abnormal vibrations can be detected, so vibrations caused by the collision between the dishes and the washing tank that occur in the washing tank during washing operations are mistakenly detected as vibrations caused by the user knocking on the door from the outside. This can be prevented as much as possible. That is, it is possible to prevent the cleaning tank from being pulled out due to the vibration sensor erroneously detecting a knocking motion on the door body.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the dishwasher of Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated, referring FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. 1 and 2 are side longitudinal cross-sectional views of a dishwasher with a pull-out washing tank according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a cleaning tank housed in a housing. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the top opening of the cleaning tank is pulled out from inside the housing until it is fully opened. Note that the dishwasher of this embodiment is used by being incorporated into a system kitchen K, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dishwasher of this embodiment includes a housing 31, a washing tank 33, a door body 40, a control section 44, a drive device 51, and the like. The housing 31 has a front opening 32 whose entire front surface is open. The cleaning tank 33 is movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing 31 and is provided so as to be put in and taken out from the front opening 32 of the housing 31.

In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the front direction is the direction in which the door body 40 and the cleaning tank 33 are pulled out, and the rear direction is the direction in which the cleaning tank 33 is stored and the door body 40 is closed. . Further, in the following description, the installation side of the dishwasher is referred to as the lower side, the opposite side is referred to as the upper side, and the right side as viewed from the front of the door body 40 is referred to as the right side, and the left side as the left side.

The casing 31 includes slide rails 31a installed substantially horizontally (including the horizontal direction) on the inner surfaces of both left and right side surfaces. The cleaning tank 33 includes slide rails 34 installed in the substantially horizontal direction (including the horizontal direction) on the outer surfaces of both left and right side surfaces. The cleaning tank 33 is supported by the slide rail 31a of the housing 31 via the slide rail 34, and moves along the slide rail 31a. The cleaning tank 33 has an upper surface opening 35 whose entire upper surface is open. The items to be cleaned, such as tableware 36, are then accommodated in a tableware basket 47 disposed within the washing tank 33 through the upper surface opening 35.

An inner lid 37, a parallel link mechanism 38, a seal portion 39, and the like are disposed at the top of the casing 31. The inner lid 37 closes the top opening 35 of the cleaning tank 33. The parallel link mechanism 38 supports the inner lid 37. The parallel link mechanism 38 is configured, for example, in two pairs on the left and right, front and back, and drives the inner lid 37 in the vertical direction. The seal portion 39 is provided on the outer periphery of the lower surface of the inner lid 37. The seal portion 39 seals the top opening 35 of the cleaning tank 33 when the inner lid 37 is lowered. Further, the parallel link mechanism 38 lifts up the inner lid 37 when the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out from the housing 31. Thereby, the inner lid 37 and the seal portion 39 are configured not to interfere with the movement of the cleaning tank 33.

The cleaning tank 33 includes a door body 40 at the front. The door body 40 includes an operation panel 41 provided on the front surface of the cleaning tank 33 and a decorative plate 42 attached to the operation panel 41. The decorative board 42 covers the entire front opening 32 of the housing 31 when the cleaning tank 33 is housed in the housing 31. The decorative board 42 is made of the same material, the same color, and the same design as the decorative board that is the door of the system kitchen K, such as a drawer. Furthermore, a handle 43 is attached to the decorative board 42. The handle 43 constitutes a handle portion used when the user pulls out the cleaning tank 33. The same handle as the system kitchen K is attached to the handle 43. As a result, the entire system kitchen K is configured with a unified design.

Further, some system kitchens K have a design that does not include a handle 43 on the front surface of the door body 40 and is composed only of a decorative board 42. In this configuration, the cleaning tank 33 including the door body 40 is automatically pulled out, for example, via a drive device. At this time, for example, the upper or side portion of the decorative board 42 becomes a handle portion and functions as a handle. Therefore, the dishwasher of this embodiment does not distinguish between manual operation and automatic operation in the operation of pulling out the washing tank 33.

In this embodiment, the cleaning tank 33 and the slide rail 34 are exemplified as a support mechanism supported by the housing 31 in a state where the door body 40 can be moved back and forth.

The control unit 44 is arranged on the back surface of the operation panel 41. The control unit 44 executes the washing operation while controlling all operations of the dishwasher. The cleaning operation includes a washing step, a rinsing step, a drying step, and the like. Note that the washing step is a step of removing stains from the tableware 36 and the like using a detergent or the like. The rinsing step is a step for removing detergent and the like adhering to the tableware 36 and the like. The drying step is a step in which the washed dishes 36 and the like are dried by a drying device such as a blower fan (not shown).

Further, the control unit 44 is constituted by a printed circuit board (not shown) on which a sensor such as an acceleration sensor 45 is disposed as a vibration sensor for detecting vibration. The acceleration sensor 45 detects the actual magnitude of acceleration (vibration) of the dishwasher in three axial directions: the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. In addition, in a dishwasher, the X-axis corresponds to the front-back direction, the Y-axis corresponds to the left-right direction, and the Z-axis corresponds to the up-down direction. The acceleration sensor 45 detects the direction and magnitude of various accelerations generated in the dishwasher. Specifically, the acceleration sensor 45 detects the direction and magnitude of acceleration caused by movement of the door body 40 and the cleaning tank 33 in the front-rear direction (X-axis). Furthermore, the acceleration sensor 45 detects the direction and magnitude of acceleration due to vibrations applied to the door body 40. Therefore, it is desirable that the printed circuit board be reliably attached to the operation panel 41 so as to avoid problems with the mounting direction and mechanical strength. Thereby, the acceleration sensor 45 mounted on the printed circuit board can detect acceleration applied to the dishwasher more reliably and accurately.

That is, the control unit 44 controls the operation of the dishwasher based on the signal regarding the direction and magnitude of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 45 and the states of the door body 40 and the cleaning tank 33 (for example, opening/closing operations). .

Note that the above-mentioned substantial acceleration refers to the installation angle error and the installation tilt angle error when the printed circuit board to which the acceleration sensor 45 is attached is fixed at a predetermined position along the three axes, and variations depending on the degree. , means permissible. At this time, the actual acceleration includes a case where the printed circuit board is fixed at a predetermined angle in advance, and the acceleration is corrected by a predetermined angle. However, the acceleration in the vertical and horizontal directions can be corrected by detecting the deviation from gravity.

The dishwasher of this embodiment is configured so that by applying acceleration (vibration) to the door body 40, the washing tank 33, etc., the acceleration (vibration) can be detected and predetermined operations and controls of the dishwasher can be performed. There is.

Specifically, there are the following methods for adding acceleration (vibration).

For example, there is a method in which the user taps the door body 40 with his/her hand, as if knocking, or taps the door body 40 with a fingertip, thereby applying vibration. Another method is to apply vibration by lightly hitting the door body 40 with something the user is holding. Furthermore, if the user's hands are wet or cannot be used because they are holding something, there is also a method in which the user pokes the door body 40 with his or her elbow or knee to apply vibrations. In short, the method is not particularly limited as long as the predetermined vibrations applied to the door body 40 etc. are transmitted to the acceleration sensor 45 and can be detected. Note that in most cases where vibration is applied, vibration is applied to the door body 40 in a manner that generates sound. Therefore, hereinafter, an example of a configuration in which the dishwasher is operated by knocking on the door body 40 and applying vibration will be described.

Further, the dishwasher of this embodiment includes a drive device 51 inside the housing 31. The drive device 51 includes a drive motor 52, a pinion gear 53, a rack gear 54, and the like that constitute a drive section. The drive device 51 moves the door body 40 and the cleaning tank 33 at least in the front direction or the rear direction. Specifically, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 of the drive device 51 when receiving a predetermined signal from a vibration sensor such as the acceleration sensor 45 or the like, or from the operation unit 46 or the like. Note that the vibration sensor is not limited to the acceleration sensor 45 as long as it is a sensor that detects a change in acceleration (vibration) or the like applied to the door body 40 or the like. For example, a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity may be used as a vibration sensor that detects vibration. As a result, movement instructions can be easily given with simple movements without requiring any force.

The basic control operation of the dishwasher according to the present embodiment will be described below, taking as an example a configuration that detects vibrations caused by knocking.

First, when the washing tank 33 is housed in the housing 31 and the dishwasher is in a stopped state, a user taps the door body 40, for example, twice from the front. At this time, the acceleration sensor 45 detects vibrations applied in the front-rear direction, which is the same direction as the direction in which the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out. The acceleration sensor 45 outputs a detected predetermined signal to the control section 44 . Thereby, the control unit 44 determines that the door body 40 has been hit by the user.

The control unit 44 then controls the drive motor 52 of the drive device 51 to be driven. As a result, the moving unit including the door body 40, the cleaning tank 33, and the like moves forward and is automatically pulled out from the housing 31.

Note that although the moving section includes the entire portion that moves by being driven by the drive section, the components of the moving section may differ depending on the form of the dishwasher. Specifically, the cleaning tank 33 and the door body 40 are mainly exemplified as the moving parts.

Further, in the dishwasher of this embodiment, the operating section 46 is disposed in front of the upper surface opening 35 of the washing tank 33. The operating portion 46 is arranged, for example, on the upper surface of a convex portion that protrudes inside the housing 31 from the back surface of the decorative panel 42 of the door body 40. Thereby, the operation unit 46 is housed so as to be hidden within the housing 31 when the cleaning tank 33 is housed within the housing 31.

The operation section 46 includes an operation button (not shown) and a display section (not shown) such as an LED. The operation buttons are set by the user to control each step of the cleaning operation. The display section displays the contents set via the operation buttons on the LED.

Further, inside the cleaning tank 33, a tableware basket 47, a cleaning nozzle 48, a heater 49, etc. are further arranged. On the other hand, outside the cleaning tank 33, a cleaning pump 50 and a drying device (not shown) such as a blower fan are provided. The cleaning nozzle 48 is rotatably provided in the cleaning tank 33 below the tableware basket 47. The heater 49 is arranged, for example, in a space between the bottom of the cleaning tank 33 and the cleaning nozzle 48. The heater 49 heats the cleaning water stored in the cleaning tank 33 during the washing step and the rinsing step of the washing operation. Furthermore, the heater 49 heats the air within the cleaning tank 33 during the drying step of the cleaning operation. These are disposed inside and outside the cleaning tank 33 together with the door body 40 including the decorative board 42 and the like, and move integrally with the cleaning tank 33 in the front-rear direction.

The cleaning pump 50 circulates cleaning water. Specifically, the cleaning pump 50 sucks the cleaning water stored in the cleaning tank 33 and injects the cleaning water, which is force-fed by the cleaning pump 50, toward the tableware 36 from the cleaning nozzle 48. The driving of the cleaning pump 50 is turned on and off by the control unit 44, and the control unit 44 controls the injection of cleaning water from the cleaning nozzle 48.

That is, the moving part including the cleaning tank 33 is configured to be able to be moved in and out in the front and rear directions by the drive device 51. Therefore, the moving part including the cleaning tank 33 can be moved in and out at least in the forward direction by the drive device 51.

The drive device 51 of this embodiment will be explained below.

The drive device 51 is constituted by a rack and pinion type mechanism that allows the moving section to be moved in and out in the front and rear directions.

Note that the drive device 51 may be configured, for example, by a system in which a belt is wound around a pulley, or by a belt conveyor system. Furthermore, the driving direction may be such that it is driven only in the forward direction or only in the backward direction. In this case, the non-driven direction is driven, for example, by the user.

The drive device 51 includes a drive motor 52 that is a drive unit, a pinion gear 53 driven by the drive motor 52, a rack gear 54 that meshes with the pinion gear 53, and the like.

The rack gear 54 is formed by arranging gear teeth in a straight line. The rack gear 54 is fixed to the bottom of one of the outer left and right sides of the cleaning tank 33 that constitutes the support mechanism. The rack gear 54 has a length that is at least longer than the stroke by which the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out. 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 inside the housing 31 with a pinion gear 53 located near the front opening 32 .

Note that although the rack gear 54 shown in FIG. 1 has a configuration in which the gear teeth are formed downward and meshes with the pinion gear 53, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the gear teeth of the rack gear 54 may be formed upward or sideways to mesh with the pinion gear 53.

The configuration of the rack gear 54 and pinion gear 53 converts the rotational motion of the drive motor 52 into linear motion. The cleaning tank 33 is then linearly moved to a position where the upper surface opening 35 is substantially fully opened. As a result, the tableware basket 47 housed in the washing tank 33 is moved upward to a position where it is substantially fully opened.

Further, the speed reduction mechanism provided in the drive motor 52 is configured with a gear ratio etc. that allows the user to easily take in and out the cleaning tank 33 manually.

Furthermore, when moving the cleaning tank 33 forward, the control unit 44 of the present embodiment controls the drive motor so that the top opening 35 of the cleaning tank 33 is substantially fully open, as described above. 52 is controlled. Note that "substantially fully open" includes a state in which the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out the most and the top opening 35 is the most open, or a state in which the top opening 35 is more than half open. In other words, "substantially fully opened" means a state in which the tableware basket 47 is opened upward and pulled out to the extent that the user can take out and put in the tableware 36.

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

Specifically, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 for a set predetermined time T1, and then stops the drive motor 52. Thereby, the cleaning tank 33 can be stopped at any position where the upper surface opening 35 of the cleaning tank 33 is substantially fully opened.

According to this configuration, the controller 44 uses the acceleration sensor 45 to detect vibrations caused by a knock on the door body 40 by the user. Thereby, the control unit 44 controls the drive motor 52 to automatically pull out the cleaning tank 33 forward. Therefore, the user does not need to make any effort to pull out the cleaning tank 33.

That is, in the dishwasher of this embodiment, the drive device 51 can automatically pull out the washing tank 33 to a position where the dishes 36 can be easily accommodated. This improves the usability of the dishwasher. Further, the door body 40 covering the front surface can be configured so that the operating portion 46 or the handle 43 can be omitted. Therefore, it is possible to more appropriately respond to the diversifying designs of system kitchens K.

As described above, the drive device 51 of this embodiment is configured and operates.

Note that the predetermined time T1 is set according to the control details of the dishwasher. Specifically, the predetermined time T1 is adjusted depending on the moving distance of the cleaning tank 33, the moving speed, the magnitude of the torque of the drive motor 52 until the moving speed is reached, and the like.

The operation and effect of the dishwasher of this embodiment will be explained below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3(a) shows a tableware setting process in which the washing tank of the dishwasher is pulled out and tableware is set, a washing process including rinsing, a drying process, a process in which the washing tank is pulled out and tableware is taken out, and each process in the same embodiment. FIG. 3(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the magnitude of vibration during the time, and FIG. 3(b) is a tableware setting process in which the washing tank of the dishwasher is pulled out and tableware is set in the same embodiment, a washing process including rinsing, a drying process, and a washing process. It is another explanatory diagram showing the process of pulling out the tank and taking out the tableware, and the magnitude of vibration during each process.

In FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the user first pulls out the washing tank 33 in order to accommodate the tableware 36 to be washed in the washing tank 33. At this time, the user can also put his hand on the handle 43 and manually pull out the cleaning tank 33.

In the following, a case will be described as an example in which the user knocks on the door body 40 twice to drive the drive motor 52 and automatically move the cleaning tank 33.

In this case, when the user knocks on the door body 40 twice, vibrations are generated in the door body 40 due to the knocking. The vibrations are transmitted from the decorative plate 42 to the operation panel 41 and then to the control section 44 fixed to the operation panel 41. The vibration transmitted to the printed circuit board of the control unit 44 is detected as acceleration (unit: G) by the acceleration sensor 45.

That is, when the user knocks on the door body 40 twice, the control unit 44 detects the direction and magnitude of acceleration from the output signal of the acceleration sensor 45. Specifically, the acceleration sensor 45 detects the magnitude of acceleration in each of three axial directions: the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. 3(a) and 3(b) show the output of the acceleration in the X-axis direction of the acceleration sensor 45 in each of the above steps.

Then, the control unit 44 determines, for example, that the X-axis acceleration X is greater than or equal to the first threshold value A, and the Y-axis acceleration Y is less than or equal to the second threshold value B, with respect to the magnitude of the detected acceleration in the three-axis directions. The drive motor 52 is driven only when the Z-axis acceleration Z is equal to or less than the third threshold C. That is, only when the above conditions are met, the control unit 44 determines that the door body 40 has been knocked from the front at the user's will.

Therefore, when the acceleration X is less than the first threshold value A, the control unit 44 determines that the vibration is not from the front of the door body 40. Further, even if the acceleration X is the first threshold value A or more, if the acceleration Y is the second threshold value B or more or the acceleration Z is the third threshold value C or more, it is determined that the vibration is not from the front of the door body 40.

When the control unit 44 determines that the door body 40 has been knocked under the above conditions, the control unit 44 then drives the drive motor 52 in a predetermined direction, for example, 0.6 seconds after the determination. The drive motor 52 then moves the rack gear 54 provided at the lower part of the cleaning tank 33 forward via the pinion gear 53 provided on the motor shaft. As a result, while the slide rail 34 of the cleaning tank 33 and the slide rail 31a of the housing 31 slide, the cleaning tank 33 moves forward from the front opening 32 of the housing 31 and is pulled out.

Note that in this embodiment, when the drive motor 52 is driven for about 3.5 seconds, the cleaning tank 33
Adjusted to bring out the most. As a result, the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out to a position where the upper surface opening 35 is substantially fully opened, and then stopped.

Next, the user places the tableware 36 into the dish basket 47 through the top opening 35 with the top opening 35 fully open.

Next, the user turns on a power switch (not shown) provided in front of the top opening 35. The user then operates the operation unit 46 to set the washing operation of the dishwasher. In addition, in the case of this embodiment, the control unit 44 is configured to be constantly energized regardless of whether the power switch is turned on or off. Thereby, the control unit 44 is always on standby in a state where it can detect a knock by a user.

Next, when the storage of the tableware 36 and the setting of the washing operation are completed via the operation unit 46, the user knocks on the door body 40, for example, only once. At this time, when the control unit 44 detects one knock while the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out, it first notifies the user with a sound or the like via a buzzer, for example. Thereafter, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 to move the cleaning tank 33 in the rear direction. Thereby, the cleaning tank 33 is housed in the housing 31, and the door body 40 closes the front opening 32 of the housing 31. At this time, the control unit 44 uses the following detection to determine whether the cleaning tank 33 has been completely stored. Specifically, the control unit 44 controls the time until storage, detects the storage position, detects the acceleration when the cleaning tank 33 is stored and stops, detects the lock current of the drive motor 52, etc., and controls the storage completion. make a judgment.

In addition, although the structure which drives the drive motor 52 and automatically accommodates the cleaning tank 33 was demonstrated above as an example of the method of storing the cleaning tank 33, it is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the user stores the cleaning tank 33 into the housing 31 while manually pushing the front surface of the door body 40.

Further, for example, a start switch (not shown) may be provided, and the user may store the cleaning tank 33 by pressing the start switch instead of knocking once after completing the settings. If a start switch is provided, pressing the start switch may be used as a signal that the user has completed the operation settings. In other words, if the start switch is not pressed when the cleaning tank 33 is housed in the housing 31 by the drive device 51 or manually, the cleaning operation may not be started. Thereby, the user can once store the dishes 36 in the washing tank 33, and then add the dishes 36 little by little again at a later time.

Next, when the control unit 44 detects the storage of the cleaning tank 33, it executes the set cleaning operation. The washing operation here also includes a rinsing function. During the cleaning operation, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the cleaning water injected from the cleaning nozzle 48 also hits the front side of the cleaning tank 33, that is, the door body 40 side, so the acceleration X in the X-axis direction is equal to the threshold value A. Detecting acceleration lower than .

Note that since the cleaning nozzle 48 of this embodiment employs a rotary jet type cleaning nozzle, during the cleaning operation, the cleaning water is periodically sprayed onto the front side of the cleaning tank 33, that is, as shown in FIG. 3(a). The results show that the acceleration when hitting the door body 40 side is also detected.

When the predetermined cleaning operation is completed, the drying operation is started. During the drying operation, the heater 49 is heated, and the washed dishes 36 and the like are dried by a drying device such as a blower fan (not shown). At this time, the acceleration X in the X-axis direction is only detected as 0 or a very small acceleration close to 0.

When the drying operation is finished, the user pulls out the washing tank 33 to take out the tableware 36.
Specifically, similar to when storing the tableware 36, the door body 40 is knocked, for example, twice. At this time, the control unit 44 notifies the user of the start of drawing out the cleaning tank 33 using a buzzer. Then, the control unit 44 drives the drive motor 52 to pull out the cleaning tank 33 to a predetermined position.

At this time, as well as when storing the tableware 36, the control unit 44 determines that, for example, the X-axis acceleration X is equal to or greater than the first threshold value A, and the Y-axis The drive motor 52 is driven only when the acceleration Y of is less than or equal to the second threshold B and the acceleration Z of the Z axis is less than or equal to the third threshold C. That is, only when the above conditions are met, the control unit 44 determines that the door body 40 has been knocked from the front at the user's will.

Next, after the user takes out the tableware 36 from the tableware basket 47 in the washing tank 33, the user knocks on the door body 40 again, for example, only once. At this time, in the state shown below, the control unit 44 only drives the drive motor 52 in the rearward direction to house the cleaning tank 33, but does not perform a cleaning operation. Specifically, for example, if one knock is detected with the cleaning tank 33 pulled out and no operation setting made by the operation unit 46, or with the start switch not pressed, the cleaning operation is not performed. do not have.

Note that, in the above description, the method for storing the cleaning tank 33 may be such that the user stores the cleaning tank 33 into the housing 31 while manually pushing the front surface of the door body 40 .

With this, the series of dishwashing operations including the user's operations as shown in FIG. 3(a) is completed.

Here, in the dishwasher of this embodiment, the vibrations generated when light resin tableware or the like rattles due to the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle 48 and collides with the washing tank 33 during the washing operation. A phenomenon occurs in which the acceleration sensor 45 erroneously detects a knocking motion on the door body 40, and the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out at a place not intended by the user.

That is, during the washing operation, light resin tableware, etc., and tableware placed close to the front side of the washing tank 33 may rattle due to the force of the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle 48, and especially If it collides with the front side of the cleaning tank 33, large vibrations may be generated during the cleaning operation, as shown in FIG. 3(b).

If tableware or the like rattles and collides with the front side of the washing tank 33 during the washing operation, the acceleration X on the X axis may exceed the first threshold value A. If the Y-axis acceleration Y is equal to or less than the second threshold B and the Z-axis acceleration Z is equal to or less than the third threshold C twice in a row, the acceleration sensor 45 knocks on the door body 40 twice. The cleaning tank 33 is erroneously detected as being in operation, and the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out at a place the user does not intend.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the threshold value of the X-axis acceleration value.

That is, during the period in which the control unit 44 is driving the cleaning pump 50 from the start of the cleaning operation to the end of the cleaning operation, the cleaning pump 50 is stopped when the fourth threshold value D of the acceleration X on the X axis is set. A predetermined value larger (higher) than the period threshold A is set.

With this configuration, the configuration and operation are the same as those shown in FIG. 50 is set larger than the threshold value A during the stop period, even if the acceleration X on the X axis exceeds the threshold value A during the cleaning operation, as long as it does not exceed the threshold value D, the cleaning tank 33 is automatically activated. Therefore, the acceleration sensor 45 mistakenly detects that the user is knocking on the door body 40 from the outside, and the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out at a place where the user did not intend to do so during the cleaning operation. This can be prevented as much as possible.

In addition, if the acceleration sensor 45 is configured to be provided at a position between the door body 40 and the cleaning tank 33, it will detect as accurately as possible the operation of the user knocking on the door body 40 from the outside, and also detect the knocking operation of the door body 40 from the outside. It is possible to detect vibrations caused by the collision between the dishes 36 and the washing tank 33 that occur inside the washing tank 33, as well as abnormal vibrations that occur inside the washing tank 33. It is possible to prevent as much as possible the vibration caused by the collision between the cleaning tank 36 and the cleaning tank 33 from being mistakenly detected as the vibration caused by the user's knocking on the door body 40 from the outside. In other words, it is possible to prevent the cleaning tank 33 from being pulled out due to the acceleration sensor 45 erroneously detecting a knocking motion on the door body 40 .

With this, the series of dishwashing operations including the user's operations are completed as shown in FIG. 3(b).

Note that the dishwasher of this embodiment is used by being incorporated into a system kitchen K. The system kitchen K usually has a worktop such as a cooking table. Therefore, when preparing for cooking, etc., the worktop is repeatedly tapped, generating a large number of vibrations with various accelerations. Examples of beating actions include cutting food, breaking food with a pestle, and hitting meat with a tool to soften it. There are also household chores such as placing food and tableware on the worktop.

At this time, as described above, even if the acceleration thresholds are set in the three axial directions detected by the acceleration sensor, the control unit 44 of the dishwasher is able to control the door body 40 even if the door body 40 vibrates 3 times or more. There is a risk of erroneous detection as vibrations due to acceleration caused by repeated knocks. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the control unit 44 performs control of the dishwasher only when two knocks are detected in succession. That is, it is preferable that the control unit 44 cancels the driving operation of the dishwasher when vibrations corresponding to three or more consecutive knocks are detected.

In addition, in this embodiment, a user or the like may come into contact with the decorative plate 42 or the handle 43 of the door body 40 without intending to do so during the washing operation of the dishwasher. In this case, it is inconvenient that the control unit 44 detects an unintended contact by the user and the cleaning tank 33 is pulled out. Therefore, while the dishwasher is in operation, the control unit 44 may be configured not to drive the drive motor 52 when the dishwasher is knocked twice, for example, the same as when the dishwasher is stopped. In this case, it is preferable that when the acceleration sensor 45 detects, for example, three or more knocks, the control unit 44 temporarily stops the cleaning operation and pulls out the cleaning tank 33. In other words, it is preferable to set the cleaning tank 33 to be pulled out only when the control unit 44 detects an intentional action by the user. Thereby, the control unit 44 can prevent execution of control that is not intended by the user. Further, the control unit 44 may have a function such as a so-called child lock. These configurations further improve the safety of the dishwasher.

Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 44 determines that, for example, the X-axis acceleration X is equal to or greater than the first threshold value A, and the Y-axis acceleration Y is the Although the configuration has been described as an example in which the drive motor 52 is driven when the Z-axis acceleration Z is equal to or less than the second threshold value B and the Z-axis acceleration Z is equal to or less than the third threshold value C, the present invention is not limited to this. The dishwasher of this embodiment is particularly incorporated into a system kitchen K, and is basically installed on the top surface of a cabinet such as a drawer or on the floor surface. Therefore, the transmission state of the applied vibration changes depending on the strength of the installation surface on which the dishwasher is installed. Therefore, it is preferable to set the values and combinations of threshold values for the magnitudes of acceleration in the three axial directions depending on the installation state of the dishwasher. As a result, a dishwasher with high versatility and excellent operability can be realized.

As described above, in the dishwasher of the present embodiment, control such as pulling out and pushing in the washing tank 33 can be assigned based on a combination of the state of the washing tank 33 and a knock by the user. In this case, the control unit 44 may detect not only the number of knocks but also the intensity in combination. This is effective for increasing the types of control controlled by the control unit 44 and realizing various controls.

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

In the embodiment described above, the acceleration sensor 45 may be configured to detect vibrations generated when the cleaning water collides with the inner wall of the cleaning tank 33 during the cleaning operation for another purpose. According to this configuration, the control unit 44 can easily determine the situation inside the cleaning tank 33, which will be described below, from the direction and magnitude of acceleration due to vibration detected by the acceleration sensor 45. Specifically, it can be determined whether the cleaning pump 50 is operating normally and whether the cleaning nozzle 48 is rotating normally. Furthermore, it is possible to determine whether or not washing water is being sprayed from which of the plurality of washing nozzles 48, how many dishes 36 are accommodated, and so on. As a result, it is possible to detect malfunctions in the operation at an early stage, or to improve the cleaning efficiency by applying the method to the spraying method of the cleaning nozzle.

Note that the embodiments disclosed above may be combined with the configurations of the embodiments that can be combined without being particularly limited. A similar effect can thereby be obtained.

The dishwasher of the present invention prevents the vibration caused by the collision between the dishes and the washing tank that occurs in the washing tank during washing operation to be mistakenly detected as the vibration caused by the user knocking on the door from the outside. This can be prevented as much as possible. Therefore, it is useful as a built-in dishwasher or a tabletop dishwasher.

36 Tableware 47 Dish basket 50 Washing pump 48 Washing nozzle 33 Washing tank 31a, 34 Slide rail 54 Rack gear 37 Inner lid 31 Housing 32 Front opening 35 Top opening 38 Parallel link mechanism 39 Seal portion 40 Door body 41 Operation panel 42 Decoration Plate 43 Handle 44 Control unit 45 Acceleration sensor (vibration sensor)
46 Operation unit 49 Heater 51 Drive device 52 Drive motor 53 Pinion gear

Claims (2)

A casing having a front opening at the front;
a cleaning tank that can be taken in and out of the housing;
a door body that covers the front opening;
a tableware basket arranged in the washing tank and accommodating tableware;
a cleaning pump that sucks cleaning water stored in the cleaning tank;
a cleaning nozzle that sprays cleaning water pumped by the cleaning pump;
a drive device having a drive unit that moves the cleaning tank at least in a forward direction;
a vibration sensor that detects vibrations applied to the door body and the cleaning tank;
a control unit that controls at least the drive device and the cleaning pump;
The control unit is configured to drive the drive unit when the magnitude of the vibration in the longitudinal direction detected by the vibration sensor exceeds a threshold value ,
Among the magnitudes of vibrations when the control section drives the drive section, a threshold magnitude of vibrations in the front-rear direction is larger when the cleaning pump is in operation than when the cleaning pump is stopped. Dishwasher safe. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the vibration sensor is provided at a position between the door body and the washing tank.