Patent Application
20220233048
This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0011653, filed on Jan. 27, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a dishwasher, and more particularly, to a dishwasher having an air jet generator for generating air bubbles.
A dishwasher is a household appliance that removes food particles remaining on dishes by spraying water on the dishes.
The dishwasher includes a tub having a space formed therein, and a sump mounted on the bottom of the tub to store water. The pump is configured to move the water stored in the sump to the inner space of the tub, where the pumped water washes dishes disposed in the inner space of the tub, and then flows into the sumpilters out after foreign substances are filtered out by a filter. The water circulates through the sump and the tub to wash dishes.
A conventional dishwasher includes an air jet generator that generates air bubbles in water supplied to a tub by using a part of water that is moved by a pump.
However, the air jet generator in the conventional dishwasher may generate noise caused by friction with water when air is sucked in. Such noise is generated during operation of the dishwasher and may provide discomfort to a user.
The present disclosure is directed to a dishwasher capable of minimizing noise occurring during an operation of an air jet generator.
The present disclosure is also directed to a dishwasher that secures a flow rate of water supplied to an air jet generator.
According to one aspect of the subject matter described in this application, a dishwasher can include a tub defining a space that is configured to receive a target object to be washed, a sump disposed below the tub and configured to receive water, a pump connected to the sump and configured to move the water in the sump to the space of the tub, an air jet generator configured to receive a part of the water discharged from the pump and configured generate air bubbles in the water, and a control valve configured to control a flow of the water to the air jet generator.
Implementations according to this aspect can include one or more of the following features. For example, the pump can include a housing, a water inlet pipe that protrudes from a first side of a circumferential surface of the housing and that is connected to the sump, a water outlet pipe that protrudes from the first side of the circumferential surface of the housing and that is connected to a spray nozzle disposed inside the space, an impeller rotatably disposed inside the housing and configured to move water inside the housing, and a branch pipe that protrudes from a circumferential surface of the water outlet pipe and that is configured to move a part of water flowing through the water outlet pipe to the air jet generator. The control valve can be configured to control a flow of water to the branch pipe.
In some implementations, the dishwasher can include a connection pipe connecting the branch pipe to the air jet generator, where the control valve can be disposed at the connection pipe. In some examples, the pump can further include a heater configured to heat the water inside the housing, and a steam discharge pipe that protrudes from a circumferential surface of the water outlet pipe and that is configured to supply steam to the space of the tub. The branch pipe can protrude below the steam discharge pipe.
In some implementations, the control valve can be configured to, based on a main wash cycle of washing the target object using a detergent being completed, block the flow of the water to the air jet generator. In some implementations, the dishwasher can further include a connection pipe configured to move a part of the water discharged from the pump to the air jet generator. The control valve can be configured to, based on a main wash cycle of washing the target object using a detergent being completed, reduce an opening area of a flow path provided inside the connection pipe.
In some examples, the air jet generator can have a Venturi tube shape and can be configured to pulverize air introduced through an air inlet hole with water flowing through a flow path perpendicular to a bottom surface of the tub. In some implementations, the spray nozzle can be configured to spray water to the space.
In some implementations, the air jet generator can be configured to discharge the water having air bubbles to the space. In some implementations, the air jet generator can include an air crushing pipe including a first pipe providing (i) an inlet at a lower side of the air crushing pipe, (ii) an opening in a water flowing direction, and (iii) a cross-sectional area reducing in the water flowing direction, and a second pipe disposed above the first pipe, the second pipe providing (i) an opening in the water flowing direction and (ii) a cross-sectional area increasing in the water flowing direction, and an air tab disposed at an upper portion of the second pipe and vertically provided with a plurality of air holes.
In some examples, an air inlet hole can be provided at a first side of the air crushing pipe. In some examples, the air inlet hole can be provided at an upstream end of the second pipe.
In some implementations, the air inlet hole can be provided at a lower end of the second pipe. In some implementations, the air inlet hole can be provided perpendicularly to a direction of a flow path where the water flows into the second pipe.
In some implementations, the air jet generator can include an air chamber, and the air inlet hole can provide fluid communication between an inside of the air crushing pipe and an outside of the air crushing pipe through the air chamber. In some examples, the air inlet hole can be defined at a lower end of the air chamber. In some examples, the air chamber can define an external air inlet hole through which external air is introduced.
In some implementations, based on the pump being operated, the water can flow upwards from the first pipe towards the second pipe.
According to another aspect of the subject matter described in this application, a method for controlling a dishwasher can include receiving water by a sump, operating a pump to move the water in the sump to a space inside a tub disposed in the dishwasher, controlling a control valve so that a part of the water discharged from the pump is supplied to an air jet generator that is configured to generate air bubbles in the water, opening a dispenser to supply a detergent to the space, stopping the pump and operating a drain pump to drain the water from the sump, receiving water by the sump again, operating the pump to move the water in the sump to the space, and controlling the control valve to block the supply of the water discharged from the pump to the air jet generator.
According to another aspect of the subject matter described in this application, a method for controlling a dishwasher can include performing a main wash cycle of operating a pump and removing foreign substances from a target object to be washed placed inside a space of the dishwasher using a detergent, and performing a rinse cycle of operating the pump and washing the target object having undergone through the main wash cycle using water. In the main wash cycle, a control valve cam be controlled to cause a part of the water from the pump to move to an air jet generator that is configured to generate air bubbles, and, in the rinse cycle, the control valve can be controlled to block a part of the water from the pump from being introduced to the air jet generator.
The dishwasher can have following advantages.
First, the dishwasher can minimize noise occurring in the air jet generator by controlling water supplied to the air jet generator according to a washing step.
Second, as the branch pipe for supplying water to the air jet generator protrudes from the water outlet pipe downward compared to the steam discharge pipe in the dishwasher, the dishwasher can stably secure the flow rate of water flowing to the air jet generator.
Referring to
The dishwasher 10 can include a dispenser that stores detergent received from a user and that sprays the detergent into the tub 24 in a wash cycle. The dispenser can be disposed at the door 22. In some implementations, the tub 24 defines the space 24s in which the dishes are disposed for washing dishes.
The dishwasher 10 can further include racks 30 and 32 for accommodating dishes in the tub 24, a plurality of spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38 for spraying water toward the dishes accommodated in the racks 30 and 32, a sump 26 disposed below the tub 24 and configured to receive and store water, and a pump 50 for pressurizing the water stored in the sump 26 to move the water to the plurality of spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38.
The dishwasher 10 can further include a motor 58 for driving the pump 50, and a brushless direct current motor (BLDC) capable of controlling a rotational speed may be used as the motor 58.
The dishwasher 10 can further include a water supply device 70 for supplying water to the sump 26, a drain device 72 connected to the sump 26 to discharge water to the outside of the dishwasher, and a filter 78 installed in the sump 26 and filters water.
The dishwasher 10 can further include a plurality of supply tubes 42, 44, and 46 for moving water pumped by the pump 50 to each of the plurality of spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38, and a flow path switching part 40 for moving the water pumped by the pump 50 to at least one of the plurality of spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38.
The water supply device 70 can be configured to receive water from the outside of the dishwasher and supply the water to the sump 26, and opens and closes a water supply valve 71a disposed on the water supply flow path 71 to supply external water into the sump 26. The drain device 72 can discharge the water stored in the sump 26 to the outside of the dishwasher, and can include a drain flow path 74 and a drain pump 76.
The filter 78 can filter out foreign substances such as food particles contained in the water, and can be disposed on a flow path of the water flowing from the tub 24 to the sump 26.
The dishwasher 10 can further includes the pump 50 for pressurizing the water stored in the sump 26 to move the water to the spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38. The pump 50 can includes a pump housing 51, a pump impeller 54 disposed in the pump housing 51 and rotating to supply water to the spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38, a motor 58 for rotating the pump impeller 54, and a heater 56 for heating the water inside the pump housing 51.
The pump 50 can be connected to the sump 26 through a water supply tube 60 and can be connected to the flow path switching part 40 through a water outlet pipe 62. A branch pipe 66 can be provided in the water outlet pipe 62, so that a part of the water flowing from the pump 50 can flow to an air jet generator 100 through the branch pipe 66.
Steam generated by the heater 56 disposed in the pump 50 can flow to a steam nozzle 48 through a steam discharge pipe 64, and can be supplied into the tub 24 through the steam nozzle 48.
The dishwasher can further include the air jet generator 100 that can generate micro air bubbles in the water.
In the dishwasher 10, a part of the water moved by the pump 50 is supplied to the air jet generator 100 in addition to the spray nozzles 34, 36, 38 through the branch pipe 66. In the air jet generator 100, the water can be supplied through a flow path branched from the pump 50 and air can be introduced into the supplied water, and the air jet generator 100 can crash or pulverize the introduced air to generate micro air bubbles. The air jet generator 100 can be connected to the tub 24 or the sump 26. In some implementations, when the pump is operated, the water with the air bubbles generated by the air jet generator 100 can be supplied into the sump 26, so the water pumped to the spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38 includes the air bubbles.
A bottom hole can be defined at a bottom of the tub 24 so that a portion of an upper side of the air jet generator 100 can pass the bottom hole. The upper side of an air crushing pipe 110 of the air jet generator 100 (see
The water stored in the sump 26 of the dishwasher 10 can be supplied to the spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38 through the pump 50, and the water supplied to the spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38 can be sprayed into the tub 24, and the water sprayed into the tub 24 can be introduced to the sump 26 again. In some implementations, a part of the water pumped from the pump 50 can be introduced into the air jet generator 100 that generates air bubbles in the water. A part of the water flowing by the pump 50 can flow to the air jet generator 100 through the branch pipe 66.
A part of the water discharged from the pump 50 can be supplied to the air jet generator 100. The air jet generator 100 can move the introduced water to pass through an impeller 170, an air inlet hole 150, an air crushing pipe 110 including a first tube 120 and a second tube 130, and an air tab 180 so as to generate air bubbles in the water (see
The water including the air bubbles can be introduced into the sump 26 again. The water including the air bubbles can be discharged through the tub 24 and introduced into the sump 26. Therefore, when the pump 50 is operated upon the operation of the dishwasher 10, air bubbles can be generated in the water.
Hereinafter, the configuration and arrangement of the air jet generator will be described with reference to
The air jet generator 100 can be disposed at a bottom surface 25 of the tub 24. The air jet generator 100 can be disposed at an edge of the bottom surface 25 of the tub 24.
A mounting hole through which a part of the air jet generator 100 passes through can be defined at the bottom surface 25 of the tub 24 at a portion where the air jet generator 100 is mounted.
Referring to
Referring to
The connection pipe 68 can move a part of the water flowing through the water outlet pipe 62 to the air jet generator 100. For example, the connection pipe 68 can be branched from the water outlet pipe 62 and can be connected to the air jet generator 100.
The impeller 170 can be configured to apply a centrifugal force to the water flowing into the air crushing pipe 110 and can be disposed at an end of the connection pipe 68. The impeller 170 can be mounted inside one side of the connection pipe 68. The impeller 170 can be coupled to the inside of the connection pipe 68 by fusion bonding.
Referring to
The vane 174 of the impeller 170 can apply centrifugal force to the water flowing into the first tube 120. The vane 174 of the impeller 170 can be fixed or rotatable, and the water passing through the vane 174 can be swirled and introduced into the air crushing pipe 110.
Referring to
The air crushing pipe 110 can include the first tube 120 in which the cross-sectional area of a flow path decreases in a flow direction of the water to depressurize the water flowing therein, and the second tube 130 in which the cross-sectional area of a flow path increases in a flow direction of the water to pressurize the water containing air. The first tube 120 and the second tube 130 can each provide a flow path opened in a vertical direction. The first tube 120 can be disposed at the upstream of the second tube 130. The first tube 120 can be disposed at a position lower than that of the second tube 130.
The air inlet hole 150 for introducing external air into the air crushing pipe 110 by applying negative pressure occurring in the tube can be defined at a circumferential surface of a lower end of the second tube 130. The air inlet hole 150 can be defined at an upstream end of the second tube 130.
The air crushing pipe 110 can be disposed below the bottom surface 25 of the tub 24. The air crushing pipe 110 can be disposed to be perpendicular to the ground or the bottom surface 25 of the tub 24.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The second tube 130 can be longer than the first tube 120. The second tube 130 can be divided into a second tube lower part 132 for primarily pressurizing the water introduced from the first tube and a second tube upper part 134 for secondarily pressurizing the water passing through the second tube lower part 132. The second tube lower part 132 can pressurize the water gradually compared to the second tube upper part 134. The second tube lower part 132 can have a smaller rate of change of the flow path cross-sectional area than that of the second tube upper part 134.
For example, referring to
In the second tube lower part 132, the air introduced into the air inlet hole 150 can be crushed or pulverized by the flow velocity of the water and the centrifugal force. The second tube upper part 134 can pressurize the water due to the rapid expansion of the flow path cross-sectional area, so that the air contained in the water can be effectively crushed.
The air inlet hole 150 can be defined at an upstream end of the second tube 130. The air inlet hole 150 can be defined at a lower end 132a of the second tube 130.
Referring to
The air inlet hole 150 can provide fluid communication between the inside of the air crushing pipe 110 and the outside of the air crushing pipe 110 through the air chamber 152. In the air crushing pipe 110, external air may be introduced into the air crushing pipe 110 through the air inlet hole 150. For example, the term “external air” may refer to the external air of the air crushing tube. Accordingly, “external air” may include internal air of a cabinet 20 or internal air of a tub 24.
The water flowing through the air crushing pipe 110 can be depressurized while passing through the first tube 120. Since negative pressure is formed due to the depressurization of the water passing through the first tube, external air can be suctioned into the air crushing pipe 110 through the air inlet hole 150. The air introduced into the air crushing pipe 110 through the air inlet 150 hole can be primarily crushed or pulverized by a swirl flow of water flowing at a high speed along the first tube 120.
Referring to
The air chamber 152 can provide a space in which noise propagates. The air chamber 152 can be disposed at the outside of the air crushing pipe 110 in which the air inlet hole 150 is defined. The air inlet hole 150 that is in fluid communication with the inside of the air crushing pipe 110 is defined at one side of the lower end of the air chamber 152.
Referring to
The air chamber 152 can be disposed at an outside of the air crushing pipe 110 in which the air inlet hole 150 is defined.
Referring to
The bottom surface of the tub 24 can be disposed between the lower fixing plate 138 and the fixing ring 190 coupled to the upper fixing part 140. The upper fixing part 140 can be combined with the fixing ring 190 to reduce downward movement of the air crushing pipe 110.
The fixing ring 190 can have a ring shape and can be coupled to the upper fixing part 140 of the air crushing pipe 110. An inner circumferential surface of the fixing ring 190 can provide a thread corresponding to the upper fixing part 140.
The bottom surface 25 of the tub 24 can be disposed between the lower fixing plate 138 and the fixing ring 190 of the air crushing pipe 110. A sealer for reducing leakage of the water flowing on the bottom surface 25 of the tub 24 from leaking downward can be disposed between the lower fixing plate 138 of the air crushing pipe 110 and the fixing ring 190. The sealer can be disposed below and/or above the bottom surface 25 of the tub 24.
The air tab 180 can have a disk shape, and a plurality of holes 182 penetrating the air tab 180 can be provided. The water passing through the second tube 130 can pass through the air tab 180. Air in the water can be tertiarily crushed while passing through the plurality of holes 182 provided in the air tab 180.
The larger the contact area with the air bubbles, the greater the shear force can be applied to the air bubbles, which can increase the amount of air bubbles. Thus, the holes 182 provided in the air tab 180 can be a long hole type compared to a through hole type.
A nozzle 200 can be disposed above the air crushing pipe 110. The nozzle 200 can be disposed above the air jet generator 100 and configured to discharge the water passing through the air jet generator 100 into the tub 24. The nozzle 200 can be disposed above the air tab 180. The nozzle 200 can be coupled to the air tab 180 by fusion bonding.
Referring to
Referring to
In the air jet generator 100, a flow path through which the water flows can be disposed perpendicular to the ground or the bottom surface of the tub 24. Therefore, an area in which the water flowing through the second tube 130 does not flow due to the rapid expansion of the flow path in the second tube upper part 134 can be minimized.
Referring to
Referring to
A solenoid valve can be used for the control valve 69. Therefore, the inside of the connection pipe 68 can be closed or opened according to a current signal. When the solenoid valve is used, the control valve 69 can be controlled to open or close the inside of the connection pipe 68 according to a cycle of the dishwasher.
A flow control valve for controlling an opening area of the flow path provided in the connection pipe 68 can also be used as the control valve 69. Therefore, when the flow control valve is used, the control valve 69 can control the opening area of the inside of the connection pipe 68 according to a cycle of the dishwasher.
The steam discharge pipe 64 can protrude upward from the circumferential surface of the water outlet pipe 62. A direction in which the branch pipe 66 extends from the water outlet pipe 62 can be disposed to be downward compared to a direction in which the steam discharge pipe 64 extends from the water outlet pipe 62. Referring to
Referring to
The entire operation of the dishwasher will be described briefly as follows. The preliminary wash cycle S100 is a step of removing foreign substances mainly of protein with water at room temperature without heating the water, and water supply, washing, and drainage can be performed in the preliminary wash cycle S100.
The main wash cycle S200 is a step of removing foreign substances remaining on dishes and the like using dishwashing detergent, and water supply, washing, and drainage can be performed in the main wash cycle S200. In the main wash cycle S200, water can be heated by a heater to remove foreign substances. In addition, in the process of the main wash cycle S200, steam can be supplied into the space 24s through the steam nozzle 48. In the process of the main wash cycle S200, the dispenser can be opened to put detergent into the space 24s.
The rinse cycle S300 is a step of washing dishes having undergone through the main wash cycle using water, and water supply, rinsing, and drainage can be performed. An operation of heating water may be added in the rinse cycle.
The dry cycle S400 is a step of removing water from dishes that have been washed and rinsed, and water remaining on the dishes can be removed using air heated by a heater in the dry cycle S400.
The control valve 69 can open the connection pipe 68 so that the water flows to the air jet generator 100 in the main wash cycle S200. For example, in the preliminary wash cycle S100 or the rinse cycle S300, the control valve 69 can close the flow path inside the connection pipe 68.
When the water is supplied to the air jet generator 100, noise may be transferred to the outside of the dishwasher as the introduced air is crushed. Therefore, by reducing an operating time of the air jet generator 100, the transfer of the noise to the outside can be reduced. In the case of the main wash cycle, when water including air bubbles is supplied toward dishes, food particles on the dishes can be effectively removed. Therefore, in the main wash cycle S200, the control valve 69 can open the connection pipe 68 so that the water is supplied to the air jet generator 100.
Referring to
However, in the rinse cycle S300, the control valve 69 can be controlled to block the water supplied to the air jet generator 100. In this case, noise occurring in the rinse cycle can be reduced. Similarly, in the preliminary wash cycle S100, the control valve 69 can be controlled to block the water supplied to the air jet generator 100.
In addition, in the rinse cycle S300 and the preliminary wash cycle S100, the control valve 69 can also be controlled to reduce the area of the flow path formed in the connection pipe 68. When the flow rate of the water flowing to the air jet generator 100 decreases, the amount of air introduced into the air jet generator 100 can also decrease, thereby reducing noise.
Referring to
First, an operation S210 of supplying water to the sump 26 is performed. The water can be supplied to the sump 26 from an external water source.
An operation S220 of operating the pump 50 so that the water is supplied to the space 24s through the spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38 can be performed. In addition, an operation S230 of controlling the control valve 69 so that the connection pipe 68 or the branch pipe 66 connecting the pump 50 and the air jet generator 100 is opened can be performed. The operation S220 of operating the pump 50 and the operation S230 of controlling the control valve 69 can be performed simultaneously or sequentially, and the order of the operations S220 and S230 can be changed.
A part of the water supplied from the pump 50 flows to the air jet generator 100 and is then supplied to the space 24s. As the water circulates, the air bubbles generated by the air jet generator 100 can be supplied to the dishes through the spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38.
In addition, an operation of S240 of opening the dispenser to supply detergent into the space 24s can be performed.
Thereafter, the operation of the pump 50 can be stopped in operation S250, and the drain pump 76 can operate to discharge the water inside the sump 26 in operation S260. Then, as the drain pump 76 can be stopped in operation S270, the main wash cycle S200 can be finished.
Then, an operation S310 of re-supplying water to the sump 26 can be performed.
An operation S320 of operating the pump 50 to supply the water to the space 24s through the spray nozzles 34, 36, and 38 can be performed. In addition, an operation S330 of controlling the control valve 69 to close the connection pipe 68 or the branch pipe 66 can be performed. The operation S320 of operating the pump 50 and the operation S330 of controlling the control valve 69 can be performed simultaneously or sequentially, and the order of the operations S320 and S330 can be changed.
In this case, even when the pump 50 is operated, the water does not flow to the air jet generator 100, and thus, no noise is generated in the air jet generator 100.
Then, the pump 50 is stopped in operation S340, and the drain pump 76 is operated in operation S350 to drain the water in the sump 26. When the drainage is completed, the drain pump 76 can be stopped in operation S360.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2021-0011653 | Jan 2021 | KR | national |
