JP7731067B2 - dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dishwasher.

Traditionally, dishwashers used to wash dishes have generally been unable to wash light items that are easily blown away by the water jet from the washing nozzle, such as plastic spoons, styrofoam containers, dishcloths, and sponges.

In response to this, dishwashers have been proposed that are equipped with dish guards to hold down dishes and other items (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

However, the dishwasher dish guard disclosed in Patent Document 1 was unable to adequately hold down light items that are easily blown away.

JP 2011-147630 A

The present invention provides a dish basket that can store and wash light items that are easily blown away, and a dishwasher equipped with the same.

The dish basket of the present invention has a first recess and a second recess that are connected to each other . The first recess is attached to the front side of a dish tray that stores dishes via a rotatable first shaft, and the first recess extends from the first shaft. The second recess is attached to the end of the first recess opposite the first shaft via a rotatable second shaft, and the second recess extends from the second shaft. The first and second recesses are rotatably connected to each other via the second shaft, and are configured to store items to be washed in at least the second recess outside the dish tray, and the first and second recesses are configured to be rotatable in and out of the dish tray frame via the first shaft .
The dish basket of the present invention has a first recess and a second recess that are connected to each other. The first recess is attached to the front side of a dish tray that stores dishes via a rotatable first shaft, and the first recess extends from the first shaft. The second recess is attached to the end of the first recess opposite the first shaft via a rotatable second shaft, and the second recess extends from the second shaft. The first recess and the second recess are rotatably connected to each other via the second shaft, and are configured to store items to be washed inside the space formed by the first recess and the second recess, and the first recess and the second recess are configured to be rotatable in and out of the dish tray frame via the first shaft.

The dishwasher of the present invention also includes a washing tub, a dish tray for storing dishes, the dish basket, and a washing unit that sprays washing water onto items to be washed stored in the dish tray and dish basket within the washing tub.

The above-mentioned dish basket and the dishwasher equipped with it allow light items that are easily blown away to be more securely stored in the dish basket attached to the dish tray, allowing them to be washed more effectively.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a washing tub of a dishwasher according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which at least some of the dishes stored in the dish tray are covered by the first recess and the second recess of the basket portion. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the small basket is placed on the dish tray and is configured by the first recess and the second recess of the basket portion. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a small basket outside the dish tray state in which the first recess and the second recess of the basket portion form a small basket outside the dish tray. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the second shaft portion is not rotated and the first recess and the second recess of the basket portion are open. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the basket portion of FIG. 5 in an upside-down state. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the second shaft portion is rotated to form a small basket by the first recess and the second recess. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a case where the basket portion constituting the small basket of FIG. 7 is arranged on the front side.

The following describes a dish basket and a dishwasher equipped with the dish basket according to an embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that substantially identical components in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a dish basket (basket portion) according to the present embodiment and a dishwasher 20 equipped with the dish basket (basket portion) will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 .

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the washing tub 2 of a dishwasher 20 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the first recess 12 and second recess 14 of the basket section 10 cover at least some of the dishes stored in the dish tray 4. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the first recess 12 and second recess 14 of the basket section 10 form a small basket on the dish tray 4, where the small basket is formed by the first recess 12 and second recess 14 of the basket section 10. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the small basket is formed outside the dish tray 4, where the first recess 12 and second recess 14 of the basket section 10 form a small basket outside the dish tray 4.

In the following explanation, the X direction will be from left to right on the front of the dishwasher 20 shown in the figure, the Y direction will be the depth direction, and the Z direction will be vertically upward. Also, in order to show the internal structure, Figure 1 omits the door located on the front.

The dishwasher 20 of this embodiment comprises at least a main body 1, a washing tank 2 stored in the main body 1, a dish tray 4 for storing items to be washed such as dishes, a basket section 10 attached to the dish tray 4 and serving as a dish basket, and washing nozzles 5a, 5b and 5c, which serve as washing sections.

The dish tray 4 is placed on rails 3a and 3b arranged on the inner surface of the washing tank 2 so that it can be pulled out in the -Y direction or pushed in in the Y direction relative to the washing tank 2.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the basket portion 10 is attached to a frame or the like on the front side (-Y direction) of the dish tray 4 via a first shaft portion 11 that can rotate in the direction in which the dish tray 4 is pulled out (-Y direction) or pushed in (Y direction). The basket portion 10 includes a first recess 12 and a second recess 14. The first recess 12 and the second recess 14 are rotatably connected to each other via the second shaft portion 13 of the second recess 14.

Washing nozzles 5a, 5b, and 5c are arranged in the washing tank 2 and spray washing water onto items to be washed, such as dishes stored in the dish tray 4, to wash the items.

In other words, in the dishwasher 20 of this embodiment, light items that are easily blown away are stored in the basket portion 10 attached to the dish tray 4. This prevents the light items from being blown away, allowing the items to be washed more reliably and efficiently.

Below, the components that make up the dishwasher 20 will be explained section by section, with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

<Main unit>
The main body 1 forms the outer shell of the dishwasher 20 and houses the washing tub 2 inside. The main body 1 may be stored as a built-in type under a kitchen counter, for example. Alternatively, the main body 1 may form the main body of a dishwasher that can be placed independently on a counter.

<Cleaning tank>
The washing tank 2 has an opening on the front side (-Y direction) of the main body 1. A dish tray 4 for storing dishes and other items to be washed is placed inside the washing tank 2. The washing tank 2 may also have an opening at the top, and a dish tray for storing dishes and other items to be washed may be placed from above.

<Door>
A door (not shown) is provided so as to be able to open and close the opening of the cleaning tank 2. When the opening of the cleaning tank 2 is on the front side, the door is provided on the front side, and when the opening is on the top side, the door is provided on the top side. The door may be configured as one door or a combination of two or more doors.

When the door opens toward the front (-Y direction), it may be configured so that the opening position is located at the lower front, or at the upper front. Furthermore, when the door opens toward the left (-X direction) or right (X direction), it may be configured so that the opening position is located on the left or right side. Furthermore, when the door is configured with two or more doors, each door may open symmetrically, like a double door, or each door may open in the same direction.

<Dish tray>
The dish tray 4 is used to place or store dishes and other items to be washed (not shown). The dish tray 4 is arranged so that it can be inserted and removed from the front side of the washing tank 2, for example, along a pair of rails 3a and a pair of rails 3b provided on both sides of the inner surface of the washing tank 2 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the example shown in Figure 1, rails 3a are provided on the upper side and rails 3b on the lower side, so that the dish trays 4 can be arranged in two levels, upper and lower.

The dish tray 4 is arranged so that it can be pulled out to the front side (-Y direction) of the washing tub 2 or pushed in to the rear side (Y direction) of the washing tub 2.

Note that hereafter, when simply referring to the "pull-out direction," this includes either the Y direction, the -Y direction, or both the Y direction and the -Y direction.

In addition, the dish tray 4 is configured so that a basket portion 10, which is a dish basket, can be attached at least to the front (-Y direction) side.

<Cleaning nozzle (cleaning part)>
Washing nozzles 5a, 5b, and 5c, which are the washing units, are disposed, for example, at different positions or different heights within washing tub 2. Washing nozzles 5a, 5b, and 5c spray washing water onto items to be washed, such as dishes stored in dish tray 4 and basket unit 10, to wash the items. At this time, washing nozzles 5a, 5b, and 5c are disposed so that they spray washing water mainly from below to above washing tub 2 to wash the items to be washed.

In addition, the cleaning nozzles 5a, 5b, and 5c are not limited to the above arrangement, and it is desirable to arrange them at appropriate positions within the cleaning tank 2 depending on the configuration and shape of the cleaning tank 2, the shape and arrangement of the dish tray, etc.

<Basket section (dish basket)>
The basket section 10, which is the dish basket of this embodiment, can be in one of three states, as described below. Specifically, the basket section 10 can be selected from three states: (1) a cover state, (2) a small basket state above the dish tray, and (3) a small basket state outside the dish tray.

The three states are explained in more detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 4.

(1) Covered State As shown in FIG. 2, the covered state is a state in which the first recess 12 and the second recess 14 of the basket portion 10 are open, covering at least some of the dishes stored on the dish tray 4. The covered state is achieved by rotating the first shaft 11 of the first recess 12 in the pushing direction (Y direction) of the dish tray 4 without rotating the second shaft 13 of the second recess 14. In this case, the second shaft 13 of the second recess 14 may rotate slightly depending on the size of some of the dishes. This allows the basket portion 10 to press down from above on relatively light dishes and other items to be washed, stabilizing them while washing them.

(2) Small basket state above dish tray The small basket state above dish tray is a state in which the first recess 12 and the second recess 14 form a small basket inside which items to be washed can be stored, on the surface of the dish tray 4 on which dishes and other items are placed, as shown in Figure 3.

In other words, the small basket state above the dish tray is achieved by rotating the first shaft 11 and second shaft 13 from the cover state in the direction in which the dish tray 4 is pulled out (-Y direction) and then further rotating them in the Z direction. At this time, the first recess 12 covers the second recess 14. As a result, the first recess 12 and the second recess 14 form a small basket. The small basket holds light items that will be blown away by the sprayed cleaning water during washing, such as plastic spoons, styrofoam containers, dishcloths, and sponges. This allows light items to be held stably within the small basket and washed effectively.

In addition, during washing, the dishes on the dish tray 4 placed below the small basket can also be held down from above by the weight of the small basket. Therefore, the dishes on the dish tray 4 can be washed while being held in a stable position.

(3) Small basket state outside the dish tray The small basket state outside the dish tray is a state in which, as shown in Figure 4, a small basket is formed outside the frame body of the dish tray 4 by the first recess 12 and the second recess 14, inside which items to be washed can be stored.

In other words, the small basket outside the dish tray state is achieved by rotating the second shaft 13 in the direction of pulling out the dish tray 4 (-Y direction) without rotating the first shaft 11 while the first recess 12 extends downward from the first shaft 11, and then further rotating it in the -Z direction. At this time, the small basket is positioned in a state where it protrudes from the front side (-Y direction) of the dish tray 4.

In this configuration, regular dishes are placed on the dish tray 4. The small basket holds light items that will be blown away during washing. This allows the dishes and other items on the dish tray 4 and the light items in the small basket to be washed simultaneously.

As described above, depending on whether there are any light items to be washed that may be blown away during washing, or whether there are any relatively light dishes on the dish tray 4, the appropriate state of the basket section 10 can be selected, for example from the three states described above, to more reliably wash the items to be washed.

Below, the basket portion 10, which is the dish basket of this embodiment, will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 5 to 8.

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the second shaft portion 13 is not rotated and the first recess 12 and second recess 14 of the basket portion 10 are open. Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the basket portion 10 of Figure 5 turned upside down. Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the second shaft portion 13 is rotated to form a small basket using the first recess 12 and second recess 14. Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the basket portion forming the small basket of Figure 7 when placed on the front side. Note that Figure 8 corresponds to the state in which the basket portion 10 is placed on the dish tray 4 shown in Figure 4.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the basket portion 10 that constitutes the dish basket is attached to a frame or the like on the front side (-Y direction) of the dish tray 4 via a first axis portion 11 that can rotate in the direction in which the dish tray 4 is pulled out (-Y direction) or pushed in (Y direction).

The basket portion 10 also has a first recess 12 and a second recess 14, which are rotatably connected to each other via the second shaft portion 13. The first recess 12 extends from the first shaft portion 11. The second shaft portion 13 is provided at the end of the second recess 14 on the opposite side of the first recess 12 from the first shaft portion 11, and is configured to be rotatable in the pull-out direction of the dish tray 4 (-Y direction). The second recess 14 extends from the second shaft portion 13. Note that, while the above description uses an example in which the second shaft portion 13 is rotatable in the pull-out direction, this is not limited to this. For example, depending on the timing of rotating the second shaft portion 13, the second shaft portion 13 may be configured to be rotatable in the push-in direction (Y direction). In other words, the second shaft portion 13 may be rotated in different directions depending on the situation in which it is rotated.

The basket portion 10 rotates the second recess 14 toward the first recess 12 via the second shaft portion 13, thereby covering the openings of the first recess 12 and the second recess 14, thereby forming a small basket.

In this embodiment, the basket portion 10 is configured so that the depth of the second recess 14 is deeper than the depth of the first recess 12. Here, the depth of the recess corresponds to, for example, the depth (length) in the Y direction in Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 5, when the basket portion 10 is opened, light items to be washed that tend to fly away are first stored in the second recess 14. At this time, the second recess 14 can be opened toward the front in Figure 5 via the second shaft portion 13. Therefore, small items to be washed can be easily stored in the second recess 14 from the front. At this time, when the second recess 14 is opened toward the front from the state shown in Figure 4, the dish tray 4 located at the rear (Y direction) provides support. Therefore, the state in which the second recess 14 is opened toward the front can be maintained more stably. As a result, small items and other items to be washed can be stored in the second recess 14 from the front in a stable state.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the opening of the first recess 12 and the opening of the second recess 14 can be aligned and closed. This allows light items to be stored stably inside the basket portion 10.

In addition, the basket portion 10 of this embodiment is configured so that the second recess 14 is heavier than the first recess 12. This allows dishes and other items placed on the dish tray 4 to be stably held down and washed in the covered state shown in Figure 2.

In this embodiment, the first recess 12 is described as being formed in a "recessed shape," but this is not limited to this. For example, the first recess 12 may be formed as a "flat portion" rather than a "recess." In this case, the "recess" of the first recess 12 may include a "flat portion" in part.

In addition, although not specifically mentioned in this embodiment, the machine may also be equipped with a drying section, such as that found in ordinary dishwashers, for drying washed dishes.

The dish basket of this embodiment may also be installed in a dish dryer that does not have a washing function. In other words, it may be installed in a dish dryer that has a drying section or the like and blows air to dry dishes in the washing tub.

Note that this disclosure includes appropriate combinations of any of the various embodiments described above. These combinations can also achieve the same effects as the individual embodiments.

As described above, the dish basket of the present invention has a first recess and a second recess that are connected to each other so that they can be opened and closed. The first recess is attached to the front side of the dish tray via a first shaft that is rotatable in the direction in which the dish tray storing dishes is pulled out or pushed in, and extends from the first shaft. The second recess is attached to the end of the first recess opposite the first shaft via a second shaft that is rotatable in the direction in which the dish tray is pulled out or pushed in, and extends from the second shaft. The second recess can be rotated toward the first recess via the second shaft to store items to be washed inside the area formed by the first and second recesses.

With the above configuration, light items that are easily blown away can be more reliably stored and washed in the dish basket attached to the dish tray.

In addition, the dish basket of the present invention rotates the first shaft in the direction of pushing the dish tray and rotates the second shaft to open the first recess and the second recess in a substantially horizontal direction. It is desirable that the first recess and the second recess then form a cover state that covers at least some of the dishes stored in the dish tray.

In addition, the dish basket of the present invention may be configured as a small basket that can store items to be washed by rotating the first axis portion in the direction of pushing the dish tray, thereby essentially closing the first recess and the second recess on top of the dish tray.

In addition, the dish basket of the present invention may be configured so that the first axis portion is rotated in the direction of pulling out the dish tray, and a small basket is formed outside the dish tray using at least the second recess.

These configurations allow the state of the dish basket to be selected appropriately depending on whether there are any light items to be washed that may be blown away during washing, or whether there are any relatively light items to be washed, such as dishes on the dish tray. This allows for more effective washing of the items to be washed.

It is also desirable that the second recess of the dish basket of the present invention be heavier than the first recess.

With the above configuration, when in the covered state, items to be washed, such as dishes, can be more stably held down and washed.

The dishwasher of the present invention also includes a washing tub, a dish tray for storing dishes, the dish basket, and a washing unit that sprays washing water onto items to be washed stored in the dish tray and dish basket within the washing tub.

With the above configuration, light items that are easily blown away can be stored in the dish basket attached to the dish tray, while still being able to wash the items more effectively.

The present invention can be applied to dish baskets and dishwashers equipped with such baskets, as well as dish dryers that blow air, where stable washing and drying of light items that are easily blown away is required.

1 Main body 2 Washing tank 3a, 3b Rail 4 Dish tray 5a, 5b, 5c Washing nozzle (washing section)
10 Basket section (dish basket)
11 First shaft portion 12 First recess portion 13 Second shaft portion 14 Second recess portion 20 Dishwasher

Claims (5)

A cleaning tank;
A dish tray for storing dishes,
A dish basket and
a washing unit that sprays washing water onto the dish tray and the dish basket in the washing tub,
The dish basket has a first recess and a second recess that are connected to each other, and the first recess is attached to the front side of the dish tray that stores dishes via a rotatable first shaft, and the first recess extends from the first shaft,
the second recess is attached to an end of the first recess opposite to the first shaft portion via a rotatable second shaft portion, and the second recess extends from the second shaft portion;
the first recess and the second recess are rotatably connected to each other via the second shaft portion,
The dish tray is configured so that the object to be cleaned can be stored in at least the second recess outside the dish tray, and the first recess and the second recess can be rotated in and out of the frame of the dish tray via the first shaft portion.
dishwasher. A cleaning tank;
A dish tray for storing dishes,
A dish basket and
a washing unit that sprays washing water onto the dish tray and the dish basket in the washing tub,
The dish basket has a first recess and a second recess that are connected to each other, and the first recess is attached to the front side of the dish tray that stores dishes via a rotatable first shaft, and the first recess extends from the first shaft,
the second recess is attached to an end of the first recess opposite to the first shaft portion via a rotatable second shaft portion, and the second recess extends from the second shaft portion;
the first recess and the second recess are rotatably connected to each other via the second shaft portion,
The object to be cleaned can be accommodated inside the space defined by the first recess and the second recess,
The first recess and the second recess are rotatable in and out of the frame of the dish tray via the first shaft.
dishwasher. The dish tray is configured so that the items to be washed can be stored inside the area formed by the first recess and the second recess, and by rotating the first shaft portion and rotating the second shaft portion to open the first recess and the second recess in a substantially horizontal direction, the dish tray is configured to have a cover state in which the first recess and the second recess cover at least some of the dishes stored in the dish tray.
3. The dishwasher according to claim 1 or 2. The second recess can be rotated toward the first recess via the second shaft portion, and the object to be cleaned can be stored inside an area defined by the first recess and the second recess,
The first shaft portion is rotated to substantially close the first recess and the second recess on the dish tray, thereby forming a small basket capable of storing the items to be washed.
3. The dishwasher according to claim 1 or 2. A dishwasher according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second recess is heavier than the first recess.