JP2004275367A - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Abstract

In a dishwasher for washing dishes by injecting water pressurized by a washing pump from a plurality of washing nozzles, one washing pump is used by using a highly reliable switching valve having a simple structure. In this way, water can be selectively injected from a plurality of washing nozzles, and noise reduction and water saving can be realized without increasing costs or increasing the size of the entire equipment.
A switching valve (17) is provided in the middle of a water path connecting a washing pump and a plurality of washing nozzles. The switching valve (17) has an inlet (19) for introducing water pressurized by the washing pump, and a plurality of introduced water. A plurality of outlets 20 leading out to the washing nozzle, a water passage 18 connecting the inlet 19 and the outlet 20, and a closing member 21 that sequentially closes the outlet 20 while rotating intermittently in the water passage 18. The closing member 21 reciprocates between the inlet 19 and the outlet 20 and includes cam mechanisms 22 and 23 which rotate in one direction by a predetermined angle in conjunction with the reciprocating motion, and a guide member for stabilizing the reciprocating motion. Provide.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a dishwasher for washing dishes by injecting water pressurized by a washing pump from a plurality of washing nozzles.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, this type of dishwasher has been configured as shown in FIGS. Hereinafter, the configuration will be described.
[0003]
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the water supply path 1 supplies tap water to the dishwasher main body 2, and the water supply is controlled by a water supply valve 3. The washing tank 4 is provided inside the dishwasher main body 2, and inside the washing tank 4, a water storage section 5 for storing supplied water is provided, and a water level sensor 6 communicating with the water storage section 5 is provided.
[0004]
The water stored in the water storage unit 5 is heated by a hot water heater 7 provided in the water storage unit 5, pressurized by a cleaning pump 8, and sprayed from a plurality of cleaning nozzles 9 toward tableware in a tableware basket 10. And try to wash dishes. The drain pump 11 discharges water in the washing tank 4.
[0005]
The dishwasher main body 2 is provided with a front door 12 that can be opened and closed so that the dish basket 10 can be taken in and out. The garbage filter 13 captures the garbage attached to the tableware.
[0006]
The operation of the above configuration will be described. When the tableware is placed in the tableware basket 10 and accommodated in the washing tank 4 and the operation is started, the water supply valve 3 is opened and water is supplied to the washing tank 4 through the water supply path 1. The supplied water is stored in the water storage section 5 of the cleaning tank 4. When a predetermined water level is detected by the water level sensor 6, the water supply valve 3 is closed to terminate the water supply, and the cleaning pump 8 is driven.
[0007]
As a result, the water stored in the water storage unit 5 is heated by the hot water heater 7 and pressurized by the cleaning pump 8 to be sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 9 toward the tableware of the tableware basket 10 to wash the tableware. When the washing is completed, the water in the washing tank 4 is discharged by the drain pump 11.
[0008]
Further, as another conventional example, the basic configuration is the same as the above-described conventional example, and a number of cleaning pumps corresponding to the respective cleaning nozzles are provided, and water is selectively injected from the cleaning nozzles, thereby reducing the operation time. There is also a configuration that enables noise reduction and water saving (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-176875 (page 2-3, FIG. 1, FIG. 7)
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a conventional configuration, since water is jetted from the plurality of cleaning nozzles 9 at the same time, noise is large and a large amount of water in the cleaning tank 4 is required.
[0011]
In addition, in a configuration in which washing pumps are provided in a number corresponding to each washing nozzle and water is selectively jetted from the washing nozzles, noise reduction and water saving can be achieved, but providing a plurality of washing pumps is costly. At the same time, there is a problem that the size of the entire device is increased.
[0012]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems. By using a highly reliable switching valve having a simple structure, water can be selectively injected from a plurality of cleaning nozzles by one cleaning pump, thereby increasing costs and equipment. The aim is to realize low noise and water saving without increasing the size of the whole.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a switching valve in the middle of a water path connecting a cleaning pump and a plurality of cleaning nozzles, wherein the switching valve has an inlet for introducing water pressurized by the cleaning pump, A plurality of outlets for guiding the discharged water to a plurality of washing nozzles, a water passage section connecting the inlet and the outlet, and a closing member that sequentially closes the outlet while intermittently rotating in the water passing section, A cam mechanism which reciprocates between the inlet and the outlet and rotates by a predetermined angle in one direction in conjunction with the reciprocating motion is provided, and a guide member for stabilizing the reciprocating motion is provided.
[0014]
As a result, a highly reliable switching valve can be realized with a simple configuration, water can be selectively jetted from a plurality of washing nozzles by one washing pump, and the cost and the size of the entire apparatus can be increased. Without noise, low noise and water saving can be realized.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention has a switching valve in the middle of a water channel connecting a cleaning pump and a plurality of cleaning nozzles, and the switching valve has an inlet for introducing water pressurized by the cleaning pump. And, a plurality of outlets for guiding the introduced water to a plurality of cleaning nozzles, a water passage section connecting the inlet and the outlet, and a closing member that sequentially closes the outlet while intermittently rotating in the water passage section. The closing member reciprocates between an inlet and an outlet, and a cam mechanism that rotates in a predetermined direction in one direction in conjunction with the reciprocating motion is provided, and a guide member that stabilizes the reciprocating motion is provided. Therefore, a highly reliable switching valve can be realized with a simple configuration, water can be selectively jetted from a plurality of washing nozzles by one washing pump, and the cost and the size of the entire apparatus can be increased. Low noise and water saving Rukoto can.
[0016]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the guide member includes a closing member, a hole provided in the water passage portion, and a shaft, and a cross section of the shaft has a cross shape. Therefore, it is possible to prevent clogging of foreign substances such as foodstuffs around the guide member, and to improve the reliability of the switching valve.
[0017]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a predetermined gap is provided between the outer periphery of the closing member and the inner periphery of the water-passing portion. This can prevent the switching valve from getting stuck and improve the reliability of the switching valve.
[0018]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the inlet is opened in a direction substantially perpendicular to the reciprocating motion. Foreign matter clogging, food material, and accumulation of contamination can be prevented, and the reliability of the switching valve can be improved. In addition, the water channel can be configured with a low height, and the size of the entire device can be reduced.
[0019]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the inlet is opened in a direction in which a swirling flow is generated in the same direction as the rotation direction of the closing member. When the rotational motion is converted by the cam mechanism, the rotation is assisted by the swirling flow, so that the reliability of the switching operation can be improved.
[0020]
【Example】
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Components having the same configuration as the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
[0021]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the washing tank 4 is provided inside the dishwasher main body 2, and inside the washing tank 4, a water storage unit 5 for storing supplied water is provided. A hot water heater 7 is provided in the water storage section 5 to heat water stored in the water storage section 5.
[0022]
Inside the cleaning tank 4, a cleaning nozzle 14 is provided on the left side, a cleaning nozzle 15 is provided on the right side, and a cleaning nozzle 16 is provided on the back side, and a switching valve 17 is provided between the cleaning nozzles 14 to 16 and the cleaning pump 8. In addition, the water pressurized by the cleaning pump 8 is sequentially switched so as to flow through any one or two of the cleaning nozzles 14 to 16.
[0023]
The switching valve 17 is configured as shown in FIG. 1, and the water passage section 18 leads the inlet 19 for introducing the water pressurized by the washing pump 8 and the introduced water to the washing nozzles 14 to 16, respectively. The outlets 20a to 20d (see FIG. 5 for details) are connected. Inside the water passage part 18, there is provided a closing member 21 which reciprocates between the inlet 19 and the outlets 20 a to 20 d and sequentially closes the outlets 20 a to 20 d while rotating intermittently. Cam mechanisms 22 and 23 are provided on the closing member 21 so as to rotate in one direction by a predetermined angle in conjunction with the reciprocating motion of the closing member 21.
[0024]
Further, a predetermined gap is provided between the outer periphery of the closing member 21 and the inner periphery of the water passage portion 18, so that the food material contained in the water passing through the water passage portion 18 can pass through the water between the closing member 21 and the water passage portion 18. It is configured so as not to be clogged with the portion 18. Here, the inlet 19 is opened in a direction substantially perpendicular to the reciprocating motion, and foreign matter such as foodstuffs is prevented from being clogged or accumulated on the cam mechanism 23 by applying a water flow to the cam mechanism 23 from the side. It is configured to
[0025]
The closing member 21 is configured as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C and mainly includes a disk 26 having a notch 24 and a flat portion 25. The sliding surfaces 27 a and 27 b are provided on the upper surface of the disk 26 and constitute the cam mechanism 22. The sliding surfaces 27 a and 27 b have an inclination and are continuous on the same circumference around the substantially center of the disk 26. The sliding surface 28 constitutes the cam mechanism 23 with the lower surface of the disk 26, has a slope, and continues on the same circumference around the substantially center of the disk 26 as an axis. The guide hole 29 is provided substantially at the center of the disk 26.
[0026]
5A and 5B show a cross section indicated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5A is a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 1, FIG. 5B is a cross section taken along line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 1 shows a cross section taken along line CC of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5D shows a cross section taken along line DD of FIG.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 5A, an outlet for leading water to the washing nozzles 14 to 16 is composed of four outlets 20a to 20d, the outlet 20a leading water to the washing nozzle 14 on the left side, and the outlet 20c for the right side. The outlet 20d guides water to the washing nozzle 16 on the back side, and the outlet 20b guides water to both the washing nozzles 14 and 15.
[0028]
Each of the outlets 20a to 20d has a flat opening surface 30 on the same surface, faces the flat portion 25 on the closing member 21, and the hole diameter D1 of the opening surface 30 is set smaller than the outer diameter D2 of the flat portion 25. are doing. When the closing member 21 reciprocates between the inlet 19 and the outlets 20a to 20d, the flat portion 25 comes into contact with the opening surface 30 in a watertight manner, and the outlets 20a to 20c coincide with the positions of the notches 24 on the closing member 21. One of the outlets 20d serves as an outlet for drawing water to the washing nozzle, and the remaining three outlets 20a to 20d are closed.
[0029]
FIG. 6 is an example showing a state in which the flat portion 25 of the closing member 21 is in contact with the opening surface 30. In this case, the outlets 20a, 20c, and 20d are closed, and only the outlet 20b is opened as the outlet. Then, the water will be discharged to both the cleaning nozzles 14 and 15.
[0030]
Assuming that the movement when the closing member 21 moves upward is the outward path, and the movement when moving downward is the return path, the flat portion 25 of the closing member 21 contacts the opening surface 30 at the end of the forward path. At the end, the flat portion 25 of the closing member 21 has a predetermined gap with the opening surface 30. When the reciprocating movement is performed once by moving the forward path and the return path one time, the closing member 21 is moved by the cam mechanisms 22 and 23 around the center axis 31 of the guide hole 29 in the outlets 20a to 20d. It is set to rotate by the angle created by two adjacent outlets.
[0031]
Therefore, when the closing member 21 descends from the state of FIG. 6 and moves to the end of the return path, and then the closing member 21 moves upward and moves to the end of the outward path, the closing member 21 is moved by the angle formed by the outlets 20b and 20c. Is rotated, the outlets 20a, 20b, and 20d are closed, only the outlet 20c is opened as an outlet, and water is led to the cleaning nozzle 15 on the right side.
[0032]
The reciprocating movement of the closing member 21 is mainly performed by the hydraulic force of the water pressurized by the cleaning pump 8 and the gravity acting on the closing member 21 itself. Although the gravity always acts on the closing member 21, the hydraulic force generated by the cleaning pump 8 is much larger than the gravity acting on the closing member 21, so that the time during which the closing member 21 receives the hydraulic force almost ignores the effect of the gravity. be able to. Therefore, the closing member 21 reciprocates by alternately operating and stopping the cleaning pump 8.
[0033]
As described above, the closing member 21 rotates by a predetermined angle around the center axis 31 of the guide hole 29 while reciprocating between the inlet 19 and the outlets 20a to 20d, so that three outlets 20a to 20d are sequentially and simultaneously. It is closed, and one of the outlets 20a to 20d is sequentially opened. For example, when the rotation direction of the closing member 21 is as shown in FIG. 6, the openings are opened in the order of 20a → 20b → 20c → 20d → 20a, and accordingly, the cleaning nozzle 14 → both of the cleaning nozzles 14 and 15 → cleaning Water is led out sequentially from the nozzle 15 to the washing nozzle 16 to the washing nozzle 14. Here, it is assumed that the outlet 20b is connected to both the cleaning nozzles 14 and 15.
[0034]
Next, the cam mechanism 22 will be described. The sliding surface 27a of the closing member 21 is in sliding contact with a rib 32 that is a part of the opening surface 30 that forms the outlets 20a to 20d, and converts the linear motion into the rotary motion by forming the cam mechanism 22. The ribs 32 radially extend from substantially the center of the opening surface 30 at substantially equal intervals.
[0035]
The closing member 21 is set at the lowered position, that is, at the end of the return path, so that the sliding surface 27a and the rib 32 overlap each other when viewed planarly from above. When it rises due to the hydraulic power of the water, the sliding surface 27a and the rib 32 abut.
[0036]
Although the closing member 21 receives a force upward due to the hydraulic force even after the contact, the sliding member 27 is slid by the inclination of the sliding surface 27a, and ascends while rotating. When the rib 32 slides on the sliding surface 27a, the rib 32 comes into contact with the flat portion 25 of the closing member 21, and the rising and the rotating motion of the closing member 21 stop simultaneously. At this time, all of the plurality of ribs 32 abut on the flat portion 25 of the closing member 21 without any gap, and the outlet 20 closed by the disk 26 of the closing member 21 is watertight. If the sliding surface 27b and the rib 32 are set to be in sliding contact with each other, the rotation direction of the closing member 21 is reversed.
[0037]
Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the inlet 19 that guides water to the water passage 18 is opened in a direction shifted from the central axis 31 so that a swirling flow is generated inside the water passage 18. The direction of the swirling flow coincides with the rotation direction of the closing member 21 and acts to assist the closing member 21 to rotate by the cam mechanism 22. Therefore, the reliability of the rotation of the closing member 21 is improved, and the reliability of the operation as the switching valve 17 can be improved.
[0038]
Next, the cam mechanism 23 will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a sliding surface 33 forming a pair with the sliding surface 28 of the closing member 21 and constituting the cam mechanism 23. The sliding surface 33 has an inclination and continues on the same circumference around the central axis 31. A shaft 34 that fits into the guide hole 29 of the closing member 21 is provided at the center of the sliding surface 33 as a guide member that stabilizes the reciprocating motion of the closing member 21. Here, the cross section of the shaft 34 has a cross shape, and by providing a large gap with the inner peripheral surface of the guide hole 29, foreign substances such as foodstuffs contained in passing water are less likely to be clogged. As described above, the action of the guide hole 29 and the shaft 34 can improve the reliability of the operation as the switching valve 17.
[0039]
The cam mechanism 23 performs the same operation as the cam mechanism 22 and converts the linear motion into the rotary motion by the sliding surface 28 of the closing member 21 slidingly contacting the sliding surface 33. That is, at the position where the closing member 21 is raised, that is, at the end of the outward path, the sliding surface 28 and the sliding surface 33 are set to be in a position where the sliding surface 28 and the sliding surface 33 overlap when viewed in plan from below. 8 When the descent is caused by gravity in a state where no hydraulic force is applied at the time of stop, the sliding surfaces 28 and 33 come into contact with each other. Although the closing member 21 receives a downward force due to gravity even after the contact, the sliding member 28 slides due to the inclination of the sliding surface 28 and descends while performing a rotary motion.
[0040]
When the sliding surface 33 slides on the sliding surface 28, the downward movement and the rotational movement of the closing member 21 stop simultaneously. At this time, the flat portion 25 of the closing member 21 and the outlet 20 are stopped at a predetermined interval. Then, when the flat member 21 rises again due to the hydraulic power next time, the notch 24 of the closing member 21 is adjacent to an outlet other than the outlets 20a to 20d that were opened last time, for example, next to the outlet 20a. It coincides with the exit 20b.
[0041]
Next, the overall operation of the above configuration will be described. When the tableware is arranged in the tableware basket 10 and housed in the washing tank 4 and the operation is started, the water supply valve 3 is opened and water is supplied to the washing tank 4 through the water supply path 1. The supplied water is stored in a water storage section 5 in the cleaning tank 4. When a predetermined water level is detected by the water level sensor 6, the water supply valve 3 is closed to terminate the water supply, and the cleaning pump 8 is driven.
[0042]
As a result, the water stored in the water storage unit 5 is pressurized by the cleaning pump 8, passes through the switching valve 17, is jetted from the cleaning nozzles 14 to 16 toward the tableware in the tableware basket 10, and is discharged to the water storage unit 5. Circulate on the return path. At this time, the cleaning pump 8 operates intermittently. For example, the operation is repeatedly performed such as stopping for 25 seconds after driving for 25 seconds. The intermittent operation of the cleaning pump 8 causes the closing member 21 constituting the switching valve 17 to be intermittently subjected to hydraulic power, so that the closing member 21 moves up and down, that is, reciprocates along with the influence of gravity. become.
[0043]
This reciprocating motion is converted into a rotary motion by cam mechanisms 22 and 23 constituting the switching valve 17, and the closing member 21 rotates by a predetermined angle each time the reciprocating motion is performed. 20a to 20d. As a result, water is sequentially jetted from the cleaning nozzles 14 to 16.
[0044]
For example, if the cleaning operation is performed for a total of 30 minutes, the switching valve 17 performs the switching operation 60 times when the cleaning pump 8 is repeatedly operated to stop for 5 seconds after operating for 25 seconds. Since there are a total of four outlets 20a to 20d of the switching valve 17, by setting the number of switching operations of the switching valve 17 to a multiple of 4 as in the case of the above-described 60 times, the entire tableware arranged in the tableware basket 10 is provided. Water can be sprayed uniformly.
[0045]
Water is circulated by the washing pump 8 and is heated by the hot water heater 7 to be heated. When the cleaning is completed, the water in the cleaning tank 4 is discharged by the drain pump 11, and the cleaning process is completed.
[0046]
As described above, according to this embodiment, since the washing pump 8 is used as one and the water is sequentially jetted from the plurality of washing nozzles 14 to 16 by the switching valve 17 having a simple structure, the cost is not increased and the equipment is not increased. The whole does not have to be large. Further, the switching valve 17 itself does not require a special driving source and only operates the cleaning pump 8 intermittently, so that it can be realized at low cost, and high reliability and durability can be obtained.
[0047]
In addition, the noise during operation is largely caused by the sound of the water jetted from the cleaning nozzles 14 to 16 hitting the cleaning tank 4. Therefore, the smaller the amount of water jetted at the same time, the quieter the noise becomes. According to this, the amount of water to be sprayed at the same time can be reduced since the water is sequentially sprayed from each of the cleaning nozzles, as compared with the case where water is sprayed from all the cleaning nozzles at the same time, and low noise can be realized.
[0048]
In addition, water saving is achieved by reducing the amount of circulating water because the amount of water stored in the water storage unit 5 can be reduced. However, according to the present embodiment, compared to the case of simultaneously jetting from all the cleaning nozzles, Since the water is sequentially jetted from each cleaning nozzle, the amount of circulating water can be reduced and water can be saved.
[0049]
Further, according to the present embodiment, the water supply capacity of the cleaning pump 8 can be reduced by the reduced amount of the circulating water, and the cost of the cleaning pump 8 and the size of the cleaning pump 8 can be reduced. As a result, the size of the entire device can be reduced.
[0050]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a switching valve is provided in the middle of a water path connecting the cleaning pump and the plurality of cleaning nozzles, and the switching valve is pressurized by the cleaning pump. An inlet for introducing water, a plurality of outlets for guiding the introduced water to a plurality of cleaning nozzles, a water passage connecting the inlet and the outlet, and an obstruction for sequentially closing the outlet while intermittently rotating in the water passage. Since the closing member reciprocates between the inlet and the outlet, a cam mechanism that rotates a predetermined angle in one direction in conjunction with the reciprocating motion is provided, and a guide member that stabilizes the reciprocating motion is provided. A highly reliable switching valve having a very simple structure in which a closing member having a guide member reciprocates by intermittent operation of a pump, and the reciprocating movement is rotated by a predetermined angle by a cam mechanism provided on the closing member. By providing A plurality of cleaning nozzles with one wash pump can be selectively jetting the water, the entire cost and equipment without upsizing, it is possible to realize low noise and water saving.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a switching valve of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the dishwasher. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the dishwasher. Side view of the closing member of the switching valve of the dishwasher (b) Top perspective view of the closing member of the switching valve of the dishwasher (c) Lower perspective view of the closing member of the switching valve of the dishwasher (A) A-A sectional view of the dishwasher (b) B-B sectional view of the dishwasher (c) C-C sectional view of the dishwasher (d) Dishwasher FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a closing member and an opening surface of the dishwasher are in contact with each other. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a sliding surface constituting a cam mechanism of the dishwasher. FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a conventional dishwasher. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of a conventional dishwasher.
8 Cleaning Pump 14 Cleaning Nozzle 15 Cleaning Nozzle 16 Cleaning Nozzle 17 Switching Valve 18 Water Flow Port 19 Inlet 20 Outlet 21 Closing Member 22 Cam Mechanism 23 Cam Mechanism 29 Guide Hole (Guide Member)
34 shaft (guide member)

Claims (5)

A switching valve is provided in the middle of a water path connecting the cleaning pump and the plurality of cleaning nozzles, and the switching valve is an inlet for introducing water pressurized by the cleaning pump, and leading the introduced water to the plurality of cleaning nozzles. A plurality of outlets, a water passage connecting the inlet and the outlet, and a closing member that sequentially closes the outlet while intermittently rotating in the water passing unit, wherein the closing member includes an inlet and an outlet. A dishwasher provided with a cam mechanism that reciprocates between spaces and rotates a predetermined angle in one direction in conjunction with the reciprocating motion, and a guide member that stabilizes the reciprocating motion. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the guide member includes a closing member, a hole provided in the water passage, and a shaft, and a cross section of the shaft has a cross shape. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined gap is provided between an outer periphery of the closing member and an inner periphery of the water passage portion. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the inlet is opened in a direction substantially perpendicular to the reciprocating motion. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the inlet is opened in a direction in which a swirling flow in the same direction as the rotation direction of the closing member is generated.

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