JP7638115B2 - Dishwashers - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dishwasher.

Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional dishwasher. This dishwasher includes a washing tub, washing means, a dish basket, and a small item box. The washing tub extends in a vertical direction and in a depth direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The washing means is capable of spraying washing water into the washing tub. The dish basket is provided in the washing tub. The dish basket is capable of containing a first object to be washed. Examples of the first object to be washed include food and drink containers such as plates and bowls.

The small item box is provided in the washing tank. More specifically, the small item box is placed on a dish basket and provided in the washing tank. The small item box can accommodate a second object to be washed that is smaller than the first object to be washed. Examples of such a second object to be washed include forks and chopsticks.

The small item box has a box body and multiple partition walls. The box body is formed in a roughly rectangular box shape, is capable of storing the second object to be cleaned inside, and is open at the top. Each partition wall is plate-shaped, is formed integrally with the box body, and is located inside the box body. Each partition wall divides the inside of the box body, thereby forming multiple storage chambers inside the box body.

The box body has a bottom wall and peripheral walls. The bottom wall forms the bottom of each storage chamber. The peripheral walls are connected to the bottom plate and extend upward from the bottom plate, surrounding each storage chamber. The peripheral wall and each partition wall each have a plurality of through holes. The peripheral wall and each partition wall have the same upper end. In other words, the peripheral wall and each partition wall have the same upper end.

In this type of dishwasher, when the first and second objects are washed, the water pressure of the washing water sprayed from the washing means into the washing tank acts on the first and second objects. Here, the second object is smaller than the first object, and is therefore more susceptible to the water pressure of the washing water. For this reason, when both the first and second objects are placed in a dish basket and washed, the water pressure of the washing water makes it easier for the second object to move inside the dish basket, and there is a risk that the second object will not be washed sufficiently.

In this regard, in this dishwasher, the first object to be washed is stored in the dish basket, and the second object to be washed is stored in each storage chamber of the small box. Washing water flows into each storage chamber through the through holes formed in the peripheral wall and each partition wall. This allows not only the first object to be washed stored in the dish basket, but also the second object to be washed stored in each storage chamber to be washed with the washing water. At this time, since the second object to be washed is stored in the storage chamber, even if the water pressure of the washing water sprayed from the washing means acts on the second object to be washed, it is suppressed from moving within the storage chamber during washing operation, compared to when the second object to be washed is stored in the dish basket. In this way, in this dishwasher, not only the first object to be washed but also the second object to be washed can be washed appropriately.

JP 2008-61855 A

However, if the second object to be washed has a shape that extends long in the longitudinal direction, the second object to be washed may be stored in the small item box with a portion of it protruding from the storage chamber and thus from the top of the box body. In such a case, in the conventional dishwasher described above, even if the second object to be washed is stored in the storage chamber, it is not possible to sufficiently prevent the second object to be washed from moving due to the water pressure of the wash water during the washing operation. As a result, depending on the shape of the second object to be washed, this dishwasher may not be able to sufficiently wash the second object even if it is stored inside the storage chamber and thus inside the box body.

In addition, when the second object to be washed moves during the washing operation, there is a risk that the part of the second object to be washed that protrudes from the top of the box body may come into contact with the first object to be washed contained in the dish basket. As a result, there is a risk that the first object to be washed and the second object to be washed may be scratched or otherwise damaged during the washing operation.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and aims to provide a dishwasher that can adequately wash the second object to be washed contained in the box body, and can reliably prevent damage to the first object to be washed or the second object to be washed during the washing operation.

The dishwasher of the present invention comprises a washing tub and
A cleaning means capable of spraying cleaning water into the cleaning tank;
a dish basket provided in the washing tank and capable of accommodating a first object to be washed;
a small box provided in the cleaning tank and capable of accommodating a second object to be cleaned that is smaller than the first object to be cleaned;
The small box includes a box body capable of accommodating the second object to be cleaned therein and having an opening at the top;
a partition wall attached to the box body to partition the inside of the box body, thereby forming a storage chamber inside the box body;
The box body has a bottom wall that constitutes a bottom of the storage chamber, and a peripheral wall that is connected to the bottom wall and extends upward from the bottom wall to surround the storage chamber,
The bottom wall is formed with a plurality of first through holes through which the cleaning water can flow,
A plurality of second through holes through which the cleaning water can flow are formed in the peripheral wall,
a holding recess is formed in the partition wall, the holding recess extending downward from an upper end thereof and allowing the second object to be leaned against the partition wall in an inclined state and held therein;
the partition wall is capable of changing a position relative to the box body to change a size of the storage chamber and a tilt angle of the second object to be cleaned held in the holding recess,
The partition wall is formed in a plate shape extending in a vertical direction and a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and protrudes upward beyond an upper end of the peripheral wall when attached to the box main body,
The retaining recess extends from an upper end of the partition wall to a position lower than an upper end of the peripheral wall,
The length from the upper end of the partition wall to the lower end of the holding recess is L21,
When the length from the lower end of the holding recess to the lower end of the partition wall is L22,
The length L22 is longer than the length L21 .

In the dishwasher of the present invention, the small item box has a box body and a partition wall, and the interior of the box body is divided by this partition wall to form a storage chamber inside the box body. In this dishwasher, when washing the first and second items to be washed, the first item is stored in the dish basket, and the second item is stored in the box body, or more specifically, in the storage chamber.

In addition, in this dishwasher, multiple first through holes are formed in the bottom wall of the box body, and multiple second through holes are formed in the peripheral wall of the box body. As a result, the cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning means into the cleaning tank flows into the storage chamber through each of the first through holes and each of the second through holes, so that the second object to be washed in the storage chamber can be suitably washed with the cleaning water.

In this dishwasher, a holding recess is formed in the partition wall, and the holding recess can hold the second object to be washed. Here, in this dishwasher, by holding the second object to be washed, which is long in the longitudinal direction, in the holding recess, the second object to be washed is inclined to a certain degree relative to the partition wall. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the second object to be washed from moving due to the water pressure of the washing water during the washing operation, even if the second object to be washed has a shape that is long in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to effectively wash the second object to be washed.

In addition, by having the second object to be washed tilted to a certain degree relative to the partition wall, even if a portion of the second object to be washed stored in the storage chamber protrudes from the top of the box body, this dishwasher can reduce the amount of protrusion. This also makes it possible to effectively prevent the second object to be washed from coming into contact with the first object to be washed stored in the dish basket during the washing operation.

Therefore, the dishwasher of the present invention can adequately wash the second object in the small item box, and can reliably prevent damage to the first object or the second object during the washing operation.

It is preferable that the partition wall has a plurality of third through holes formed therein through which the cleaning water can flow. In this case, the cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning means into the cleaning tank also flows into the storage chamber through each of the third through holes, so that the second object to be cleaned can be more effectively cleaned with the cleaning water.

The partition wall may protrude above the upper end of the peripheral wall. It is preferable that the holding recess extends below the upper end of the peripheral wall. In this case, the length of the holding recess can be sufficiently ensured in this dishwasher, so that the held second object to be washed can be held in the holding recess while being appropriately tilted. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the second object to be washed from moving during the washing operation in this dishwasher.

In addition, with this dishwasher, even if the second object to be washed has a long shape in the longitudinal direction, the amount by which a part of the second object to be washed protrudes from the top of the box body can be minimized. Therefore, with this dishwasher, the part of the second object to be washed that protrudes from the top of the box body can be more effectively prevented from coming into contact with the first object to be washed contained in the dish basket.

The small box may have a suppressing member that is swingably provided on the peripheral wall. The suppressing member is preferably located above the partition wall and abuts against the second object to be cleaned, thereby suppressing movement of the second object to be cleaned.

In this case, the suppression member suppresses the movement of the second object held in the holding recess, so that the second object can be suitably prevented from moving during the washing operation. Therefore, in this dishwasher, the second objects held in the storage chamber are less likely to come into contact with each other during the washing operation. In addition, because the suppression member is swingably mounted on the peripheral wall, the suppression member is less likely to get in the way when the second object is placed in the storage chamber or removed from the storage chamber.

The box body may have a section shape extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and in the up-down direction. The partition wall may be attached to the box body parallel to the first direction. The suppression member may have a main body portion extending in the second direction and capable of contacting the second object to be cleaned, a connection portion connected to the main body portion, and a shaft portion provided on the connection portion, extending toward the peripheral wall, and connected to the peripheral wall so as to be swingable around its own axis. The shaft portion is preferably connected to the peripheral wall at a position different from the center of the peripheral wall in the first direction.

In this case, the configuration of the suppression member can be simplified, and the suppression member can be easily attached to the peripheral wall. Furthermore, since the shaft of the suppression member is connected to the peripheral wall at a position different from the center of the peripheral wall in the first direction, the length of the connection portion can be designed to be shorter than when the shaft is connected to the peripheral wall at the center in the first direction, and the range of oscillation of the suppression member relative to the peripheral wall can be suitably secured. Therefore, the suppression member can be made smaller in size in this dishwasher.

It is also preferable that the small item box is removably attached to the washing tub. In this case, the restraining member can be used as a grip when attaching or detaching the small item box to or from the washing tub. This makes it possible to easily attach or detach the small item box to or from the washing tub in this dishwasher.

The dishwasher of the present invention can adequately wash the second object in the small item box, and can reliably prevent damage to the first object or the second object during the washing operation.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a small item box of the dishwasher according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a small item box in the dishwasher according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the small item box of the dishwasher according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a right side view showing the small item box of the dishwasher according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the dishwasher of the embodiment taken along line XX of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the YY cross section of FIG. 6 when a second object to be washed is accommodated in the accommodation chamber of the dishwasher of the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the dishwasher of the embodiment taken along line ZZ of FIG. FIG. 9 is a top view showing the small item box in the dishwasher of the embodiment with the partition wall in a changed position relative to the box body. FIG. 10 is a top view showing the small item box in the dishwasher of the embodiment, in which the partition wall is stored in the storage section and the position of the partition wall relative to the box body is changed.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dishwasher 1 of the first embodiment is incorporated into a system kitchen 100 and is installed below the countertop 100a of the system kitchen 100. As a result, the dishwasher 1 forms part of the system kitchen 100. The dishwasher 1 includes a housing 3, a washing tank 5, a washing means 7, a dish basket 9, and a small item box 11.

In this embodiment, the front-rear and up-down directions of the dishwasher 1 and small box 11 are defined by the arrows shown in Fig. 1. Also, Fig. 2 defines the front-rear and up-down directions of the dishwasher 1 and small box 11 corresponding to Fig. 1, as well as the left-right direction, i.e., the width direction, of the dishwasher 1 and small box 11. Then, in Fig. 3 and subsequent figures, the front-rear, up-down and left-right directions of the dishwasher 1 and small box 11 are defined corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2. These front-rear, up-down and left-right directions are mutually perpendicular.

Here, the front-to-rear direction of the dishwasher 1 and the small item box 11 is an example of the "first direction" in the present invention. Also, the left-to-right direction of the dishwasher 1 and the small item box 11 is an example of the "second direction" in the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 3 is formed in a generally rectangular box shape extending in the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions. The housing 3 has a housing opening 3h. The housing opening 3h is located at the front of the housing 3. The housing opening 3h connects the inside and outside of the housing 3.

Inside the housing 3, there are provided a lid 35, a water supply pipe P1, a water supply solenoid valve 37, and a drain pipe P2. The lid 35 is disposed inside the housing 3 at a position above the cleaning tank 5. The lid 35 can close and open the cleaning space 5h of the cleaning tank 5, which will be described later.

The water supply pipe P1 supplies water to the washing tub 5 from a water supply source (not shown) provided outside the dishwasher 1. The water supply solenoid valve 37 opens and closes the water supply pipe P1 to switch between supplying and stopping water to the washing tub 5. The drain pipe P2 drains the washing water in the washing tub 5 to the outside of the dishwasher 1. The washing water will be described later.

The cleaning tank 5 has a generally rectangular shape extending in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions. The cleaning tank 5 is formed with a cleaning space 5h, an exhaust passage 5a, a water storage chamber 51, and a heater chamber 52. The cleaning space 5h is located approximately in the center of the cleaning tank 5 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and extends in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions within the cleaning tank 5. The cleaning space 5h is open at the top. A water supply pipe P1 is also connected to the cleaning space 5h.

The exhaust passage 5a extends forward inside the washing tank 5 while communicating with the washing space 5h at its rear end, and opens to the front of the washing tank 5. As a result, the exhaust passage 5a communicates between the washing space 5h and the outside of the washing tank 5, i.e., the outside of the dishwasher 1.

The water storage chamber 51 is connected to the lower part of the cleaning space 5h. The water storage chamber 51 is capable of storing cleaning water. The water storage chamber 51 is also connected to the drain pipe P2 at the lower part. Here, the cleaning water may be composed only of water supplied from the water supply pipe P1 to the cleaning space 5h, or may be composed of water supplied from the water supply pipe P1 to the cleaning space 5h mixed with a treatment agent such as detergent.

The water storage chamber 51 is also provided with a cleaning means 7. The cleaning means 7 is composed of a nozzle 53, a filter 54, and a pump 55. The nozzle 53 has multiple discharge holes 53a, and can spray cleaning water from each discharge hole 53a into the cleaning space 5h. A portion of the nozzle 53 extends into the dish basket 9 and thus into the cleaning space 5h. Here, the spray direction of the cleaning water from the nozzle 53 can be changed in various directions so that the first object to be washed TW1 and the second object to be washed TW2 can be washed, and the inner wall surface of the cleaning space 5h and the dish basket 9 can also be washed.

The filter 54 and pump 55 are disposed below the nozzle 53 in the water storage chamber 51. The filter 54 removes foreign matter such as food scraps that have become mixed in the cleaning water. The pump 55 is attached to the bottom of the water storage chamber 51. When operating in forward direction, the pump 55 supplies cleaning water that has passed through the filter 54 in the water storage chamber 51 to the nozzle 53. On the other hand, when operating in reverse direction, the pump 55 circulates cleaning water that has passed through the filter 54 in the water storage chamber 51 to the drain pipe P2.

The heater chamber 52 is located at the rear lower part of the cleaning tank 5, and is located below the cleaning space 5h. A heater 52a is provided inside the heater chamber 52. The heater 52a is capable of heating the cleaning water and the air in the cleaning space 5h to a predetermined temperature.

The cleaning tank 5 is further provided with a water level detection tank 56 and a drying fan 57. The water level detection tank 56 is located in front of the water storage chamber 51. The water level detection tank 56 is connected to the water storage chamber 51 via a connecting pipe P3, allowing some of the cleaning water to flow into the tank. The water level detection tank 56 is also provided with a float-type water level sensor 56a. The water level sensor 56a detects the level of the cleaning water in the cleaning space 5h through the cleaning water that has flowed into the water level detection tank 56.

The drying fan 57 can introduce air from outside the dishwasher 1 and supply the air into the washing space 5h by rotating. The air supplied into the washing space 5h by the drying fan 57 flows through the washing space 5h while drying the first washed object TW1 and the second washed object TW2, and is then discharged outside the washing tank 5 through the exhaust passage 5a.

The front upper end of the washing tub 5 is provided with a grip portion 5g, an operation portion 40, and a notification portion 41. The operation portion 40 allows the user of the dishwasher 1 to operate the dishwasher 1. Specifically, the user selects the type of washing operation and the time for the washing operation through the operation portion 40. The notification portion 41 has a liquid crystal panel (not shown). The notification portion 41 displays the type of washing operation and the time selected by the user on the liquid crystal panel.

Furthermore, an automatic detergent dispenser 60 and a control unit 30 are provided at the front of the washing tub 5, below the grip portion 5g. The automatic detergent dispenser 60 is adjacent to the front inner wall surface of the washing space 5h. The automatic detergent dispenser 60 stores detergent inside, and automatically dispenses the stored detergent into the washing space 5h at a predetermined timing. Note that the dishwasher 1 may be configured without the automatic detergent dispenser 60.

The control unit 30 stores a control program for controlling the operation of the dishwasher 1. The control unit 30 is electrically connected to the operation unit 40, the notification unit 41, and the automatic detergent dispenser 60, and is also electrically connected to the water supply solenoid valve 37, the heater 52a, the pump 55, the water level sensor 56a, and the drying fan 57. The control unit 30 controls the automatic detergent dispenser 60 and the like based on the control program, and operates the dishwasher 1.

The cleaning tank 5 is connected to a slide rail mechanism (not shown) provided inside the housing 3, and moves in the front-to-rear direction relative to the housing 3. Here, FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which the cleaning tank 5 has moved all the way to the rear relative to the housing 3. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the cleaning tank 5 moves forward relative to the housing 3 and is exposed to the outside of the housing 3 through the housing opening 3h. And, by moving all the way forward relative to the housing 3, the cleaning tank 5 exposes the entire cleaning space 5h to the outside of the housing 3.

The lid body 35 also moves up and down inside the housing 3 in conjunction with the front-to-rear direction of the cleaning tank 5 relative to the housing 3. As a result, when the cleaning tank 5 is located inside the housing 3, the lid body 35 moves downward to close the upper part of the cleaning space 5h. Then, as the cleaning tank 5 moves forward, the lid body 35 moves upward. As a result, the lid body 35 opens the upper part of the cleaning space 5h and allows the cleaning tank 5 to move forward.

The dish basket 9 is provided in the washing space 5h. The dish basket 9 is capable of housing the first items to be washed TW1. The first items to be washed TW1 include plates, bowls, bowls, and drinking vessels such as glasses. Although not shown in detail, the dish basket 9 is provided with a support member that supports the plates, bowls, etc. in a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 1.

The small item box 11 is separate from the dish basket 9 and can be attached to and detached from the dish basket 9. The small item box 11 is provided in the washing space 5h by being attached to the dish basket 9. On the other hand, the small item box 11 can be removed from the washing space 5h by being detached from the dish basket 9. In this way, the small item box 11 can be attached and detached into the washing space 5h through the dish basket 9.

Here, the position of the small item box 11 relative to the dish basket 9 in Figure 1 is one example, and the position at which the small item box 11 is attached to the dish basket 9 is designed appropriately depending on the size of the small item box 11 as well as the direction in which the cleaning water is sprayed. The small item box 11 may be attached to the dish basket 9 by simply being placed on the dish basket 9, or may be attached to the dish basket 9 by being engaged with the dish basket 9 while placed on the dish basket 9. Note that the shape of the small item box 11 is exaggerated in Figure 1 for ease of explanation.

As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the small item box 11 has a box body 61, a first partition wall 63, a second partition wall 65, and a holding handle 67. The first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are examples of the "partition wall" in the present invention. The holding handle 67 is an example of the "restraining member" in the present invention.

The box body 61 is made of resin. The box body 61 has a bottom wall 61a and a peripheral wall 61b. The box body 61 may also be made of metal.

The bottom wall 61a is located at the bottom of the box body 61 and has a rectangular plate shape. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the bottom wall 61a has a sectioned plate shape in which the length in the left-right direction is longer than the length in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the front and rear edges of the bottom wall 61a are longer than the right and left edges. Due to the shape of the bottom wall 61a, the box body 61 has a sectioned shape in which the length in the left-right direction is longer than the length in the front-to-rear direction. Note that the box body 61 may be formed into a sectioned shape in which the length in the front-to-rear direction and the length in the left-to-right direction are equal.

As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom wall 61a has a shape that has an apex at the center C in the front-to-rear direction and gradually slopes downward from the center C in the front-to-rear direction toward the front end and rear end. In other words, the bottom wall 61a has a mountain shape that is highest at the center C in the front-to-rear direction. The bottom wall 61a may also be formed flat.

Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a plurality of first through holes 111 are formed in the bottom wall 61a. Each first through hole 111 has a rectangular shape and penetrates the bottom wall 61a in the vertical direction. Note that, as long as there are multiple first through holes 111, the number of them can be designed appropriately. Furthermore, the shape of each first through hole 111 can also be designed appropriately.

The peripheral wall 61b is integral with the bottom wall 61a. The peripheral wall 61b is composed of a front wall portion 611, a rear wall portion 612, a right wall portion 613, and a left wall portion 614. The front wall portion 611 is integral with the front edge of the bottom wall 61a and extends vertically upward from the bottom wall 61a. The rear wall portion 612 is integral with the rear edge of the bottom wall 61a and extends upward from the bottom wall 61a parallel to the front wall portion 611. The right wall portion 613 is integral with the right edge of the bottom wall 61a and extends vertically upward from the bottom wall 61a. The left wall portion 614 is integral with the left edge of the bottom wall 61a and extends upward from the bottom wall 61a parallel to the right wall portion 613.

The right wall portion 613 and the left wall portion 614 are each integral with the front wall portion 611 at their front ends and with the rear wall portion 612 at their rear ends. As a result, the right wall portion 613 and the left wall portion 614 are located between the front wall portion 611 and the rear wall portion 612. The right wall portion 613 and the left wall portion 614 face each other in the left-right direction with the front wall portion 611 and the rear wall portion 612 in between. The front wall portion 611 and the rear wall portion 612 face each other in the front-rear direction with the right wall portion 613 and the left wall portion 614 in between. In this way, the peripheral wall 61b surrounds the bottom wall 61a in the circumferential direction. Here, the positions of the upper ends of the front wall portion 611, the rear wall portion 612, the right wall portion 613, and the right wall portion 613 are all the same in the peripheral wall 61b.

In addition, a plurality of second through holes 112 are formed in the peripheral wall 61b. Each second through hole 112 penetrates the front wall portion 611, the rear wall portion 612, the right wall portion 613, and the left wall portion 614 in the plate thickness direction. In other words, each second through hole 112 penetrates the front wall portion 611 and the rear wall portion 612 in the front-rear direction, and penetrates the right wall portion 613 and the left wall portion 614 in the left-right direction. Note that, as long as there are multiple second through holes 112, the number can be designed as appropriate. Furthermore, the shape of each second through hole 112 can also be designed as appropriate.

The bottom wall 61a and peripheral walls 61b give the box body 61 a rectangular box shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the front-to-back direction and is open at the top. As shown by the two-dot chain lines in Figures 4, 9, and 10, the box body 61 has a storage section 71. The storage section 71 is located at the left end inside the box body 61. The storage section 71 may also be formed at the right end inside the box body 61, etc.

As shown in FIG. 6, the box body 61 has a first length L1 from the bottom wall 61a to the upper end of the peripheral wall 61b. As described above, the front and rear ends of the bottom wall 61a are lower than the center C in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, strictly speaking, the first length L1 of the box body 61 is set from the lowest point of the bottom wall 61a to the upper end of the peripheral wall 61b. In this embodiment, this first length L1 is set to a length of 80 mm or more and 100 mm or less. The first length L1 can be designed as appropriate.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, a first mounting hole 613a is formed in the right wall portion 613 of the peripheral wall 61b. The first mounting hole 613a is formed in an upper portion of the right wall portion 613, at a position forward of the center C in the front-to-rear direction. The first mounting hole 613a penetrates the right wall portion 613 in the left-right direction.

Similarly, a second mounting hole 614a is formed in the left wall portion 614. The second mounting hole 614a is formed in the left wall portion 614 at a position that is aligned with the first mounting hole 613a in the left-right direction, and penetrates the left wall portion 614 in the left-right direction. In other words, the second mounting hole 614a is formed in the upper part of the left wall portion 614, at a position forward of the center C in the front-rear direction.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the peripheral wall 61b has first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j formed on the rear surface of the front wall portion 611. Also, the front surface of the rear wall portion 612 has first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j formed.

The first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j extend linearly downward from the upper end of the front wall portion 611. The first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j contact the bottom wall 61a at their lower ends. Of the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j, the first to ninth front engagement grooves 611a to 611i are disposed at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The tenth front engagement groove 611j is disposed adjacent to the left side of the ninth front engagement groove 611i.

The first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j extend linearly downward from the upper end of the rear wall portion 612. Like the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j, the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j also contact the bottom wall 61a at their lower ends. Of the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j, the first to ninth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612i are disposed at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The tenth rear engagement groove 612j is disposed adjacent to the left side of the ninth rear engagement groove 612i.

Here, the left-right spacing between the first to ninth front engagement grooves 611a to 611i is equal to the left-right spacing between the first to ninth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612i. As a result, the first to ninth front engagement grooves 611a to 611i and the first to ninth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612i face each other in the front-rear direction inside the box body 61. The tenth front engagement groove 611j and the tenth rear engagement groove 612j face each other in the front-rear direction inside the box body 61. The tenth front engagement groove 611j and the tenth rear engagement groove 612j are arranged in the storage section 71. The number and left-right spacing of the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j and the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j can be designed as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are formed in a generally rectangular plate shape extending in the up-down and front-rear directions. Here, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are formed with a plate thickness that allows them to enter the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a-611j and the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a-612j. The first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are made of resin. The first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 may also be made of metal.

The first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 have the same shape. Below, the configuration will be described based on the first partition wall 63. As shown in FIG. 6, the length of the first partition wall 63 in the front-to-rear direction is approximately equal to the length of the interior of the box body 61 in the front-to-rear direction. In addition, the lower end of the first partition wall 63 has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the bottom wall 61a. Specifically, the lower end of the first partition wall 63 has a shape that gradually slopes downward from the center C in the front-to-rear direction toward the front and rear.

The first partition wall 63 is set to a second length L2 from the bottom end to the top end. More precisely, the second length L2 is the point farthest apart in the vertical direction from the bottom end to the top end. The second length L2 is set to be longer than the first length L1. The second length L2 can be designed as appropriate.

A retaining recess 73 is formed in the first partition wall 63. The retaining recess 73 is located at the center C in the front-rear direction of the first partition wall 63. The retaining recess 73 is recessed downward from the upper end of the first partition wall 63 in a generally U-shape. The depth of the deepest part of the retaining recess 73, that is, the length from the upper end of the first partition wall 63 to the lower end of the retaining recess 73, is the third length L21. As a result, the retaining recess 73 extends downward beyond the upper end of the peripheral wall 61b when the first partition wall 63 is attached to the box body 61.

The length from the holding recess 73 to the bottom end of the first partition wall 63 is the fourth length L22. Here, the fourth length L22 is the value obtained by subtracting the third length L21 from the second length L2. The third length L21 and the fourth length L22 will be described in detail later.

Furthermore, a plurality of third through holes 113 are formed in the first partition wall 63. Each third through hole 113 penetrates the first partition wall 63 in the plate thickness direction, i.e., in the left-right direction. Note that, as long as there are multiple third through holes 113, the number of them can be designed appropriately. Furthermore, the shape of each third through hole 113 can also be designed appropriately.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 can be engaged with the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j and the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j by inserting their front end edges from the upper end of the peripheral wall 61b into the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j and the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j. This makes it possible to attach the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 to the inside of the box body 61 in a position parallel to the front-to-rear direction in this small box 11. In addition, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 attached to the box body 61 stand at approximately a right angle from the bottom wall 61a inside the box body 61.

Here, in this small box 11, it is possible to select the 1st to 10th front engagement grooves 611a to 611j into which the front edges of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 enter, and it is also possible to select the 1st to 10th rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j into which the rear edges of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 enter. As a result, in this small box 11, it is possible to select the 1st to 10th front engagement grooves 611a to 611j and the 1st to 10th rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j into which the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 engage.

2 and 3, the first partition wall 63 is engaged with the fifth front engagement groove 611e and the fifth rear engagement groove 612e, and the second partition wall 65 is engaged with the second front engagement groove 611b and the second rear engagement groove 612b. On the other hand, in FIG. 4, the first partition wall 63 is engaged with the fifth front engagement groove 611e and the fifth rear engagement groove 612e, and the second partition wall 65 is engaged with the third front engagement groove 611c and the third rear engagement groove 612c. As a result, in the small item box 11 shown in FIG. 4, the second partition wall 65 is disposed closer to the left of the first partition wall 63 than in the small item box 11 shown in FIG. 2 and 3.

In this way, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 attached to the inside of the box body 61 are capable of dividing the inside of the box body 61. That is, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 form a first storage chamber 81, a second storage chamber 82, and a third storage chamber 83 inside the box body 61. In the box body 61, the bottom wall 61a forms the bottoms of the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83. Furthermore, the peripheral wall 61b surrounds the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83.

More specifically, the first storage chamber 81 is formed by the bottom wall 61a, the front wall portion 611, the rear wall portion 612, the left wall portion 614, and the first partition wall 63. Here, the first storage chamber 81 is adjacent to the storage section 71 and is continuous with the storage section 71. The second storage chamber 82 is formed by the bottom wall 61a, the front wall portion 611, the rear wall portion 612, the first partition wall 63, and the second partition wall 65. The third storage chamber 83 is formed by the bottom wall 61a, the front wall portion 611, the rear wall portion 612, the right wall portion 613, and the second partition wall 65. As described above, in FIG. 4, the second partition wall 65 is disposed closer to the left of the first partition wall 63 than in FIG. 2. Therefore, in the small box 11 shown in FIG. 4, the second storage chamber 82 is narrower in the left-right direction than the small box 11 shown in FIG. 2, while the third storage chamber 83 is wider in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 10, in this small box 11, for example, the second partition wall 65 can be placed in the storage section 71 by engaging the second partition wall 65 with the tenth front engagement groove 611j and the tenth rear engagement groove 612j. This allows the second partition wall 65 to be stored in the storage section 71. At this time, the second partition wall 65 is stored in the storage section 71 in a state where it is aligned with the left wall portion 614 of the peripheral wall 61b. In other words, the second partition wall 65 is stored in the storage section 71 in a position parallel to the left wall portion 614 while facing the left wall portion 614 in the left-right direction. Note that the first partition wall 63 can also be stored in the storage section 71 instead of the second partition wall 65.

In this small box 11, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 can be disengaged from the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j and the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j by allowing the front and rear edges of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 to escape upward from the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j and the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j. This makes it possible to remove the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 from the box body 61 in this small box 11. In this way, in this small box 11, it is possible to change the positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 when attached inside the box body 61. Details regarding the attachment and detachment of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 to the box body 61 and the changing of the positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 inside the box body 61 will be described later.

In this small item box 11, a second object to be cleaned TW2 can be stored inside the box body 61, i.e., inside the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83. The second object to be cleaned TW2 is an object to be cleaned that is smaller than the first object to be cleaned TW1 shown in FIG. 1. Examples of the second object to be cleaned TW2 include eating and drinking utensils such as the fork 200, spoon (not shown), and chopsticks (not shown) shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as well as a small plate 300 shown in FIG. 9 and a small container 400 shown in FIG. 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, the holding handle 67 is formed from a resin rod having a circular cross section. As shown in FIG. 3, the holding handle 67 has a main body 67a, a first connecting portion 67b, a second connecting portion 67c, a first shaft portion 67d, and a second shaft portion 67e. The main body 67a extends in the left-right direction. Here, the left-right length of the main body 67a is set to be shorter than the left-right length of the box main body 61. The holding handle 67 may be formed from a resin rod having a rectangular cross section. The holding handle 67 may also be made of metal.

The first connection part 67b is integral with the main body part 67a at the right end of the main body part 67a and extends at a substantially right angle from the right end of the main body part 67a. The second connection part 67c is integral with the main body part 67a at the left end of the main body part 67a and extends at a substantially right angle from the left end of the main body part 67a in parallel with the first connection part 67b.

The first shaft portion 67d is integral with the first connection portion 67b on the opposite side to the main body portion 67a, and extends from the first connection portion 67b to the right at an approximately right angle. The second shaft portion 67e is integral with the second connection portion 67c on the opposite side to the main body portion 67a, and extends from the second connection portion 67c to the left at an approximately right angle. The first shaft portion 67d and the second shaft portion 67e are coaxial. The main body portion 67a, the first and second connection portions 67b, 67c, and the first and second shaft portions 67d, 67e form the holding handle 67 in an approximately crank-shaped bent shape.

In the holding handle 67, the first shaft 67d is inserted from the left into the first mounting hole 613a in the right wall portion 613, and the second shaft 67e is inserted from the right into the second mounting hole 614a in the left wall portion 614. In this way, the first shaft 67d and the second shaft 67e are connected to the right wall portion 613 and the left wall portion 614, respectively.

Here, in the right wall portion 613, the first mounting hole 613a is formed at a position forward of the center C in the front-rear direction. Similarly, in the left wall portion 614, the second mounting hole 614a is formed at a position forward of the center C in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the first shaft portion 67d and the second shaft portion 67e are connected to the right wall portion 613 and the left wall portion 614 at a position different from the center C in the front-rear direction. In other words, the first shaft portion 67d and the second shaft portion 67e are connected to the right wall portion 613 and the left wall portion 614 at a position shifted forward of the center C in the front-rear direction. In this way, the holding handle 67 is attached to the peripheral wall 61b and, by extension, to the box body 61. Note that in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, a part of the holding handle 67 is omitted for ease of explanation.

As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, the axis of the first shaft portion 67d and the second shaft portion 67e of the holding handle 67 is the pivot axis O, and the holding handle 67 can pivot back and forth about the pivot axis O relative to the box body 61.

In the dishwasher 1 configured as described above, when washing the first object to be washed TW1 and the second object to be washed TW2, the user moves the washing tank 5 forward to expose the washing space 5h and the dish basket 9 to the outside of the housing 3. In this state, the first object to be washed TW1 is stored in the dish basket 9, and the second object to be washed TW2 is stored inside the box body 61 of the small item box 11. Here, when storing the second object to be washed TW2 inside the box body 61, this may be done with the small item box 11 attached to the dish basket 9, or it may be done with the small item box 11 removed from the dish basket 9.

First, we will explain the case where a fork 200 is stored inside the box body 61 as the second object to be washed TW2. As shown in Figure 7, the fork 200 has a fork body 200a and a handle 200b that extends away from the fork body 200a, and has a shape that extends long in the longitudinal direction. The overall length of the fork 200 is appropriately designed depending on the application, etc., but the overall length of the forks 200 that are commonly used tends to be set to about 130 mm to 200 mm.

Incidentally , although the fork 200 has a shape that extends long in the longitudinal direction, if the overall length of the fork 200 is shorter than the left-right length of the box body 61, the fork 200 can be stored inside the box body 61 in a state parallel to the bottom wall 61a of the box body 61, that is, in a state where it is laid down on the bottom wall 61a. However, in this state, it becomes difficult to remove the fork 200 from inside the box body 61 after the washing operation is completed.

In this dishwasher 1, when the second object to be washed TW2 has a shape that extends long in the longitudinal direction, such as the fork 200, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are attached to the box body 61, and the second object to be washed TW2 is stored in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83. Here, as shown in Figures 4 and 7, the first partition wall 63 is attached to the box body 61 by engaging it with the fifth front engagement groove 611e and the fifth rear engagement groove 612e, and the second partition wall 65 is attached to the box body 61 by engaging it with the third front engagement groove 611c and the third rear engagement groove 612c.

In this dishwasher 1, the fork 200 is stored in the second storage chamber 82 by leaning it against the first partition wall 63 so that a part of the fork 200, more specifically, a part of the fork body 200a, protrudes upward from the box body 61.

However, if the fork 200 leaned against the first partition wall 63 stands almost vertically, the fork 200 is likely to move unnecessarily in the second storage chamber 82 during the washing operation. Therefore, in this dishwasher 1, the fork 200 is leaned against the first partition wall 63 at a certain degree of inclination. At this time, in this dishwasher 1, as shown in FIG. 8, the fork 200 is leaned against the first partition wall 63 while a part of the handle 200b of the fork 200 is inserted into the holding recess 73 to hold the fork 200 in the holding recess 73.

Here, if the third length L21 from the upper end of the first partition wall 63 to the lower end of the holding recess 73 is short, that is, if the holding recess 73 is formed shallow, the fork 200 cannot be tilted appropriately even if a part of the handle 200b of the fork 200 is inserted into the holding recess 73. Also, if the third length L21 is short and the fork 200 is formed short in the longitudinal direction, it becomes difficult to insert the fork 200 sufficiently into the holding recess 73.

In this regard, in the dishwasher 1, the holding recess 73 extends below the upper end of the peripheral wall 61b when the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are attached to the box body 61. This allows the third length L21 to be sufficiently long in the dishwasher 1, so that the fork 200 can be held in the holding recess 73 while being suitably tilted. Also, in the dishwasher 1, even if the fork 200 is short in the longitudinal direction, the fork 200 can be suitably inserted into the holding recess 73. Specifically, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned effect can be achieved as long as the third length L21 is 20 mm or more.

On the other hand, if the third length L21 is set too long and the holding recess 73 extends too far downward, the fork 200 will be stored in the second storage chamber 82 in an excessively tilted state. This makes it difficult to appropriately remove the fork 200 from the second storage chamber 82 and, by extension, the box body 61 after the washing operation. In addition, if the fork 200 is excessively tilted, it is necessary to ensure that the second storage chamber 82 is wider in the left-right direction by that amount. As a result, the first storage chamber 81 and the third storage chamber 83 become narrow, and a sufficient number of second objects to be washed TW2 cannot be stored in the first storage chamber 81 and the third storage chamber 83.

To solve this problem, the inventor discovered that when the fork 200 is tilted and the handle 200b of the fork 200 is partially inserted into the holding recess 73 and the fork 200 is leaned against the first partition wall 63, in this embodiment, it is preferable to set the distance A1 from the tip of the handle 200b, i.e., the opposite end of the fork body 200a, to the contact point T1 between the edge of the fork 200 and the holding recess 73 to 80 mm or less.

In addition, in this dishwasher 1, the left-right width W1 of the second storage chamber 82 is determined by the left-right distance between the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65. The first partition wall 63 engages with the fifth front engagement groove 611e and the fifth rear engagement groove 612e, and the second partition wall 65 engages with the third front engagement groove 611c and the third rear engagement groove 612c, so that in this embodiment, the width W1 of the second storage chamber 82 is 47 mm.

The first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are attached to the box body 61 so that they stand up almost vertically from the bottom wall 61a. Therefore, the contact point T1 between the fork 200 and the edge of the holding recess 73 is located vertically above the bottom wall 61a.

Based on these conditions, in order to accommodate the fork 200 in the second storage chamber 82 in an inclined state and to set the distance A1 from the tip of the handle 200b of the fork 200 to the contact point T1 to 80 mm, in this embodiment, based on Pythagoras' theorem, the fourth length L22 from the retaining recess 73 to the bottom end of the first partition wall 63 is set to 65 mm.

In this way, in the dishwasher 1, when the second object to be washed TW2 is a fork 200, it is possible to set the mounting positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61 according to the length of the fork 200. This makes it possible for the dishwasher 1 to form the second storage chamber 82 according to the length of the fork 200. In the second storage chamber 82 thus formed, the fork 200 is held in the holding recess 73, so that the fork 200 can be conveniently stored in the second storage chamber 82 in an inclined state.

Furthermore, after storing the fork 200 in the second storage chamber 82 in this manner, the dishwasher 1 swings the holding handle 67 to position the main body portion 67a of the holding handle 67 above the holding recess 73. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the main body portion 67a is brought into contact with the fork 200. As a result, while the main body portion 67a is in contact with the fork 200, it prevents the fork 200 from moving forward within the holding recess 73. In this way, the fork 200 is held by both the holding recess 73 and the holding handle 67 within the second storage chamber 82.

Here, even if the second object to be washed TW2 is something other than the fork 200 and has a shape that extends long in the longitudinal direction, such as a spoon or chopsticks, in this dishwasher 1, it can be stored in the second storage chamber 82 in the same way as the fork 200. In addition to the fork 200, the first storage chamber 81 and the third storage chamber 83 can also store the second object to be washed TW2 that extends long in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the first storage chamber 81 and the third storage chamber 83 can also store the second object to be washed TW2 other than the fork 200.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a case where a fork 200 and multiple small plates 300 are stored inside the box body 61 will be described. The small plates 300 are smaller than the plates and the like as the first object to be washed TW1 shown in FIG. 1. For this reason, if the small plates 300 are included in the first object to be washed TW1 and are also stored in the dish basket 9, the support member cannot properly support the small plates 300. This makes it easier for the small plates 300 to move inside the dish basket 9 due to vibrations during the washing operation and the water pressure of the washing water. Therefore, in this dishwasher 1, such small plates 300 are also stored inside the box body 61 as the second object to be washed TW2.

However, unlike the fork 200, the small plate 300 is difficult to store inside the box body 61 while leaning against the first partition wall 63 or the second partition wall 65 due to its shape. Therefore, the small plate 300 is stored inside the box body 61 in a horizontal position. In addition, the mounting positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61 are determined according to the small plate 300 in a horizontal position. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the first partition wall 63 is attached to the box body 61 by engaging with the seventh front engagement groove 611g and the seventh rear engagement groove 612g, and the second partition wall 65 is attached to the box body 61 by engaging with the second front engagement groove 611b and the second rear engagement groove 612b. As a result, compared to the small box 11 shown in FIG. 4, in the small box 11 shown in FIG. 9, the first storage chamber 81 and the third storage chamber 83 are formed small, while the second storage chamber 82 is formed large.

In this way, in this dishwasher 1, each small plate 300 can be stored in the second storage chamber 82 while in a horizontal position. The fork 200 is stored in the third storage chamber 83. Here, in the small item box 11 shown in FIG. 9, the size of the third storage chamber 83 is the same as the second storage chamber 82 in the small item box 11 shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the fork 200 can be stored in the third storage chamber 83 in approximately the same state as described above.

Here, when storing the small plate 300 in the second storage chamber 82, if the second storage chamber 82 is excessively large in the left-right direction compared to the small plate 300 in a horizontal position, the small plate 300 will tend to move within the second storage chamber 82 during the washing operation. In this regard, in this dishwasher 1, the attachment positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61 are determined according to the size of the small plate 300 in a horizontal position, making it possible to form the second storage chamber 82 to a size suitable for storing the small plate 300. Therefore, in this dishwasher 1, the small plate 300 can be effectively prevented from moving within the second storage chamber 82 during the washing operation.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, a case where multiple small containers 400 are stored inside the box body 61 will be described. Like the small plates 300, the small containers 400 are also smaller than the first item to be washed TW1 shown in FIG. 1, so when stored in the dish basket 9, the support member cannot adequately support the small containers 400. For this reason, in this dishwasher 1, such small containers 400 are also stored inside the box body 61 as the second item to be washed TW2.

The small container 400 is a cylindrical shape with a deeper bottom than the small plate 300 so that food can be stored inside. As with the small plate 300, the small container 400 is stored inside the box body 61 in a horizontal position. The attachment positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61 are determined according to the size of the small container 400. Here, as shown in FIG. 10, the first partition wall 63 is attached to the box body 61 by engaging it with the ninth front engagement groove 611i and the ninth rear engagement groove 612i. Meanwhile, the second partition wall 65 is stored in the storage section 71 by engaging it with the tenth front engagement groove 611j and the tenth rear engagement groove 612j.

As a result, in the small item box 11 shown in FIG. 10, only the first storage chamber 81 is formed inside the box body 61 by the first partition wall 63, the bottom wall 61a, the front wall portion 611, the rear wall portion 612, and the right wall portion 613. Therefore, the first storage chamber 81 is formed large inside the box body 61. The first partition wall 63 also separates the first storage chamber 81 from the storage section 71. On the other hand, the second partition wall 65 is stored in the storage section 71, and therefore does not participate in the division of the inside of the box body 61.

In this way, in the dishwasher 1, each small container 400 can be stored in the first storage chamber 81 while being in a horizontal position.

After storing the second item to be washed TW2 in the box body 61 and thus in the small item box 11, and storing the first item to be washed TW1 in the dish basket 9 in this manner, the user moves the washing tub 5 backwards as shown in FIG. 1, positioning the washing tub 5 inside the housing 3. The user then operates the operation unit 40. This causes the control unit 30 to carry out various operational controls of the water supply solenoid valve 37, the pump 55, the automatic detergent dispenser 60, etc., based on the control program, and starts the washing operation.

When the washing operation is started, the water supply solenoid valve 37 opens and water is supplied into the washing space 5h through the water supply pipe P1. Furthermore, detergent is appropriately dispensed into the washing space 5h by the automatic detergent dispenser 60. Furthermore, washing water is sprayed from each discharge hole 53a of the nozzle 53 into the washing space 5h and further toward the first washed object TW1 and the second washed object TW2. As a result, the first washed object TW1 and the second washed object TW2 are washed with washing water for a predetermined time in the washing space 5h.

While the first object to be washed TW1 and the second object to be washed TW2 are being washed, the water level detection tank 56 detects the level of the washing water in the washing space 5h. The control unit 30 then appropriately controls the operation of the water supply solenoid valve 37, etc., based on the level of the washing water detected by the water level detection tank 56.

Here, in the small item box 11, a plurality of first to third through holes 111 to 113 are formed in the bottom wall 61a, the peripheral wall 61b, the first partition wall 63, and the second partition wall 65, respectively. Therefore, the cleaning water sprayed from each discharge hole 53a flows through the first to third through holes 111 to 113, and thus effectively enters the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83. Therefore, in this dishwasher 1, the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83, and ultimately the second washed object TW2 contained inside the box body 61, can be effectively washed with the cleaning water.

During the cleaning operation, vibrations occur and the water pressure of the cleaning water acts on the second object to be cleaned TW2. However, as described above, the second object to be cleaned TW2 is suitably prevented from moving within the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 during the cleaning operation.

After the first and second objects TW1 and TW2 have been washed, the drying fan 57 dries the first and second objects TW1 and TW2. The washing water is then discharged through the drain pipe P2 to the outside of the housing 3 and, ultimately, to the outside of the dishwasher 1. In this way, the dishwasher 1 finishes its washing operation.

The bottom wall 61a of the box body 61 is gradually inclined downward from the center C in the front-to-rear direction toward the front and rear ends. This allows the cleaning water in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 to be efficiently discharged to the outside of the box body 61 through the first and second through holes 111 and 112. This makes it difficult for cleaning water to remain in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 after the cleaning operation is completed.

In this way, after the washing operation is completed, the user can remove the first washed item TW1 from the dish basket 9 in the washing space 5h and the second washed item TW2 from the small item box 11 by moving the washing tank 5 forward. The user can also continue to store the first washed item TW1 and the second washed item TW2 in the dish basket 9 and the small item box 11.

In this way, in this dishwasher 1, the holding recess 73 is formed in the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65. Therefore, when the second object TW2 to be washed has a shape long in the longitudinal direction, like the fork 200, it is possible to hold a part of the second object TW2 to be washed in the holding recess 73. As a result, in this dishwasher 1, the second object TW2 to be washed can be suitably stored in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83, and further in the inside of the box body 61, in a tilted state. In addition, by holding the second object TW2 to be washed in the holding recess 73, the second object TW2 to be washed can only move within the width of the holding recess 73, even if it is affected by vibration during washing operation or the water pressure of the washing water. Therefore, even if the second object TW2 to be washed has a shape long in the longitudinal direction, it is possible to suitably suppress the movement of the second object TW2 to be washed in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83. This allows the dishwasher 1 to effectively wash the second items to be washed TW2 contained inside the box body 61.

Furthermore, by having the second object to be cleaned TW2 tilted to a certain degree relative to the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65, even if a part of the second object to be cleaned TW2 stored in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 protrudes from the upper part of the box body 61, the amount of protrusion can be reduced. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the second object to be cleaned TW2 from coming into contact with the first object to be cleaned TW1 stored in the box body 61 during the cleaning operation.

Therefore, according to the dishwasher 1 of the embodiment, the second object to be washed TW2 can be sufficiently washed in the small item box 11, and damage to the first object to be washed TW1 and the second object to be washed TW2 can be prevented with high reliability during the washing operation.

In particular, in this dishwasher 1, the small item box 11 has a holding handle 67. The holding handle 67 is made up of a main body 67a, first and second connection parts 67b, 67c, and first and second shaft parts 67d, 67e. This makes it possible to simplify the structure of the holding handle 67.

In addition, in this dishwasher 1, when the second object TW2 has a long shape in the longitudinal direction, the main body 67a of the holding handle 67 is brought into contact with the second object TW2, so that the second object TW2 can be held by the holding handle 67 in addition to the holding recess 73. At this time, the main body 67a, while being in contact with the second object TW2, prevents the second object TW2 from moving forward within the holding recess 73. As a result, in this dishwasher 1, the second object TW2 is less likely to move within the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 during the washing operation. Therefore, in this dishwasher 1, the second objects TW2 stored in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 are less likely to come into contact with each other during the washing operation.

Furthermore, the holding handle 67 is capable of swinging around the swing axis O relative to the box body 61. Therefore, the holding handle 67 is less likely to get in the way when storing the second object to be cleaned TW2 in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 or removing the second object to be cleaned TW2 from the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83.

Here, in the holding handle 67, the first and second shaft portions 67d, 67e are connected to the peripheral wall 61b at a position different from the center C in the front-to-rear direction of the peripheral wall 61b. Therefore, compared to when the first and second shaft portions 67d, 67e are connected to the peripheral wall 61b at the center C in the front-to-rear direction, it is possible to appropriately ensure the swinging range of the holding handle 67 relative to the peripheral wall 61b even if the lengths of the first and second connection portions 67b, 67c are designed to be shorter. Therefore, in this dishwasher 1, it is also possible to miniaturize the holding handle 67.

In addition, when attaching or detaching the dish basket 9 and the small item box 11, by grasping the main body 67a of the holding handle 67, this dishwasher 1 makes it possible to easily attach or detach the dish basket 9 and the small item box 11, and in turn, to easily attach or detach the small item box 11 to or from the washing space 5h.

In addition, in this dishwasher 1, by changing the positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61, it is possible to change the sizes of the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 according to the shape of the second object to be washed TW2. This makes it possible for this dishwasher 1 to accommodate a greater variety of second objects to be washed TW2 in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83, and therefore in the small item box 11. In recent years, from the standpoint of improving design and convenience, the shapes of the handle 200b of the fork 200, for example, have become more diverse, but even in such cases, this dishwasher 1 can accommodate them. This makes it possible for this dishwasher 1 to be more convenient.

Furthermore, in this dishwasher 1, by changing the size of the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83, it is possible to suitably store the second object to be washed TW2 in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83. As a result, for example, the fork 200 can be stored in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83 while being tilted at a suitable angle, and the small plate 300 and small container 400 can be easily made to stand upright in a horizontal position when stored in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83. In this way, in this dishwasher 1, the washing operation can be performed with the second object to be washed TW2 standing upright in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83. In this respect, too, this dishwasher 1 is able to suitably wash the second object to be washed TW2 with washing water.

In this dishwasher 1, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 can be removably engaged with the first to tenth front engagement grooves 611a to 611j and the first to tenth rear engagement grooves 612a to 612j formed in the peripheral wall 61b. This allows the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 to be easily attached and detached to the box body 61 in this dishwasher 1, and makes it possible to easily change the positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61.

The first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 have a second length L2 from the lower end to the upper end, which is longer than the first length L1 from the bottom wall 61a to the upper end of the peripheral wall 61b. Therefore, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 protrude upward beyond the peripheral wall 61b when attached to the box body 61. Therefore, by grasping the portions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 that protrude upward beyond the peripheral wall 61b, it is easy to change the positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61.

Here, in this embodiment, the third length L21 from the upper end of the first partition wall 63 or the second partition wall 65 to the lower end of the holding recess 73 is set to 40 mm. Therefore, the holding recess 73 extends downward from the upper end of the peripheral wall 61b. Also, as described above, the fourth length L22 from the upper end to the lower end of the holding recess 73 in the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 is 65 mm. Therefore, in this embodiment, the second length L2 in the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 is 105 mm. As a result, even if the first length L1 of the peripheral wall 61b is set to any length between 80 mm and 100 mm, in this dishwasher 1, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are configured to protrude upward from the peripheral wall 61b when attached to the box body 61.

In addition, since the storage section 71 is provided inside the box body 61, there is no need to provide a dedicated space for storing the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the washing tank 5 or the dish basket 9. In addition, since the box body 61 has the storage section 71, there is no need to store the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 in a location separated from the box body 61. Therefore, even if the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are not involved in the division of the inside of the box body 61, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are easy to find. In addition, with this dishwasher 1, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 can be effectively prevented from being lost. In this respect, the dishwasher 1 is also highly convenient.

Furthermore, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 engage with the tenth front engagement groove 611j and the tenth rear engagement groove 612j in the storage section 71. As a result, the storage section 71 stores the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 along the left wall portion 614. As a result, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 stored in the storage section 71 are less likely to interfere with storing the second object to be washed TW2 in the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83.

In addition, in the storage section 71, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are aligned along the left wall section 614, so that the second through holes 112 formed in the left wall section 614 face the third through holes 113 of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 in the left-right direction. This makes it easier for wash water to flow between the second through holes 112 and the third through holes 113. Therefore, in this dishwasher 1, even if the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are stored in the storage section 71, wash water can easily enter the first to third storage chambers 81 to 83.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to examples, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above examples and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the dishwasher 1 of the embodiment, the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 are configured to be detachable from the box body 61, thereby changing the positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61. However, this is not limited to this, and the positions of the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 relative to the box body 61 may be changed by sliding the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 in the left-right direction or the front-back direction relative to the box body 61 while maintaining the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 attached to the box body 61.

Also, by removing both the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 from the box body 61, the entire interior of the box body 61, including the storage section 71, may be made into the first storage chamber 81.

The second partition wall 65 may be omitted from the small item box 11, or a partition wall may be added to the first partition wall 63 and the second partition wall 65 to form the small item box 11.

Furthermore, the holding handle 67 may be of a different shape, or the small item box 11 may be constructed without the holding handle 67.

The small item box 11 may also be provided in the washing space 5h separately from the dish basket 9. In this case, the small item box 11 may be provided removably in the washing space 5h, or may be fixed in the washing space 5h.

Furthermore, although the dishwasher 1 in the embodiment is incorporated into the system kitchen 100, this is not limited thereto, and the dishwasher 1 may be configured to be separate from the system kitchen 100 and installed on the countertop 100a, etc.

The present invention can be used in dishwashers, dishwasher-dryers, kitchen equipment, etc.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1: Dishwasher 5: Washing tank 9: Dish basket 11: Small item box 53: Nozzle (cleaning means)
54...Filter (cleaning means)
55...Pump (cleaning means)
61: Box body; 61a: Bottom wall; 61b: Peripheral wall; 63: First partition wall (partition wall)
65...Second partition wall (partition wall)
67...Holding handle (restraining member)
67a...Main body portion 67b...First connection portion (connection portion)
67c: second connection portion (connection portion)
67d...first shaft portion (shaft portion)
67e: second shaft portion (shaft portion)
73... Holding recess 111... First through hole 112... Second through hole 113... Third through hole TW1... First object to be cleaned TW2... Second object to be cleaned

Claims (6)

A cleaning tank;
A cleaning means capable of spraying cleaning water into the cleaning tank;
a dish basket provided in the washing tank and capable of accommodating a first object to be washed;
a small box provided in the cleaning tank and capable of accommodating a second object to be cleaned that is smaller than the first object to be cleaned;
The small box includes a box body capable of accommodating the second object to be cleaned therein and having an opening at the top;
a partition wall attached to the box body to partition the inside of the box body, thereby forming a storage chamber inside the box body;
The box body has a bottom wall that constitutes a bottom of the storage chamber, and a peripheral wall that is connected to the bottom wall and extends upward from the bottom wall to surround the storage chamber,
The bottom wall is formed with a plurality of first through holes through which the cleaning water can flow,
A plurality of second through holes through which the cleaning water can flow are formed in the peripheral wall,
a holding recess is formed in the partition wall, the holding recess extending downward from an upper end thereof and allowing the second object to be leaned against the partition wall in an inclined state and held therein;
the partition wall is capable of changing a position relative to the box body to change a size of the storage chamber and a tilt angle of the second object to be cleaned held in the holding recess,
The partition wall is formed in a plate shape extending in a vertical direction and a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and protrudes upward beyond an upper end of the peripheral wall when attached to the box main body,
The retaining recess extends from an upper end of the partition wall to a position lower than an upper end of the peripheral wall,
The length from the upper end of the partition wall to the lower end of the holding recess is L21,
When the length from the lower end of the holding recess to the lower end of the partition wall is L22,
A dishwasher characterized in that L22 is longer than L21 . The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall has a plurality of third through holes through which the washing water can flow. The partition wall is attached to the box body so as to stand substantially vertically from the bottom wall,
The second object to be cleaned includes a fork,
A1 is a distance from a contact position between the fork and the bottom wall to a contact position between the fork and the holding recess when the fork is stored in the storage chamber and leaned against the partition wall in an inclined state to be held in the holding recess,
When the length of the storage chamber in which the fork is stored is W1, the length of the storage chamber in the second direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the first direction is W1,
3. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein L22 is shorter than A1 and longer than W1. The small box has a suppression member swingably provided on the peripheral wall,
The dishwasher according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the restricting member is positioned above the partition wall and abuts against the second object to be cleaned, thereby restricting movement of the second object to be cleaned. The box body has a section shape extending in the first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the first direction,
The partition wall is attached to the box body parallel to the first direction,
The suppressing member has a main body portion extending in the second direction and capable of contacting the second object to be cleaned;
A connection portion that is connected to the main body portion;
a shaft portion provided at the connection portion, extending toward the peripheral wall, and connected to the peripheral wall so as to be pivotable about its own axis;
The dishwasher according to claim 4 , wherein the shaft portion is connected to the peripheral wall at a position different from a center of the peripheral wall in the first direction. The dishwasher according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the small item box is removably attached inside the washing tank.

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