This application claims the priorities of German Patent Application, Ser. No. 10 2015 208 661.5, filed May 11, 2015, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.
The present invention relates to a dishwasher.
A dishwasher has a dishwasher cavity and at least one receptacle for items to be washed that can be moved into or out of the dishwasher cavity. In particular, the dishwasher can have a number of receptacles for items to be washed that are arranged one above the other, such as for instance a bottom basket, a top basket or a cutlery basket. Since the bottom basket is arranged close to a base of the dishwasher cavity, in order to load and unload the bottom basket it is necessary for the user to flex his knees or bend towards the bottom basket.
The publication EP 2 818 092 A1 describes a dishwasher with a lifting device for a bottom basket of the dishwasher. With the aid of the lifting device, the bottom basket can be moved from a lower position into an upper position or vice versa. The lifting device comprises a drive device.
Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dishwasher.
Accordingly, a dishwasher with a receptacle for items to be washed and a lifting device is proposed. The lifting device is designed to lift the receptacle for items to be washed from a starting position into an end position or to lower it from the end position into the starting position, wherein the lifting device has an electrical drive device which is arranged on a dishwasher cavity or on a base support of the dishwasher.
The capability of the electrical drive device to be positioned freely allows the electrical drive device to be placed with no significant impact on the architecture of the dishwasher. This produces great design freedom. Furthermore, the installation space available for the electrical drive device can be used optimally. The drive device is preferably arranged outside of, in particular completely outside of the dishwasher cavity. The drive device is preferably provided on the outside of the dishwasher cavity. The dishwasher is preferably a domestic dishwasher.
According to one embodiment, the electrical drive device can include an active drive element, in particular an electric motor.
The electrical drive device may have a number of drive elements.
According to a further embodiment, the electrical drive device can include a transmission.
The driving force of the drive element can be translated thereby. As a result, the drive element can be dimensioned smaller, as a result of which the dishwasher can be manufactured more cost-effectively and the available installation space can be better utilized.
According to a further embodiment, the transmission can be a worm gear.
The transmission is advantageously a self-locking worm gear. This prevents the receptacle for items to be washed from automatically moving back from the end position into the starting position due to its tare weight.
According to a further embodiment, the transmission can include a worm wheel which is non-rotatably connected to a swivel arm of the lifting device and a worm that engages into the worm wheel.
The lifting device can include two swivel arms, which are pivotably connected both with the dishwasher cavity of the dishwasher and also with a guide device of the receptacle for items to be washed. The worm wheel is advantageously connected with just one of the swivel arms.
According to a further embodiment, the worm wheel can have a circle segment shape.
Installation space can be saved thereby. Furthermore, the weight of the worm wheel and thus of the dishwasher can be reduced thereby.
According to a further embodiment, the worm can be secured to a drive shaft, which is arranged on a front side and vertically on the dishwasher cavity.
The drive shaft advantageously runs on the front side of the dishwasher cavity from the active drive element downwards in the direction of the worm wheel.
According to a further embodiment, the drive shaft can be coupled to an active drive element, in particular an electric motor, of the electrical drive device with the aid of a bevel gear.
The bevel gear allows a rotational movement of the active drive element to be deflected about 90°.
According to a further embodiment, an active drive element, in particular an electric motor, of the electrical drive device can be arranged on a side wall of the dishwasher cavity, a ceiling of the dishwasher cavity or a transition area between the side wall and the ceiling.
In particular, the active drive element can be positioned entirely freely. Any design of the dishwasher is possible in this way.
According to a further embodiment, provision may be made for an active drive element, in particular an electric motor, of the electrical drive device instead of a counterweight which can be arranged in the base support.
The drive element can replace the counterweight entirely or partially. In this way it is possible to completely dispense with the counterweight or for it at least to be dimensioned smaller. This allows the dishwasher to be manufactured more cost-effectively.
According to a further embodiment, the dishwasher can include two electrical drive devices.
An electrical drive device is preferably provided on each of two opposing side walls of the dishwasher cavity.
Further possible implementations of the dishwasher also comprise combinations—not explicitly cited—of features or embodiments described above or below in respect of the exemplary embodiments. Here the person skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or amendments to the respective basic form of the dishwasher.
Further advantageous embodiments and aspects of the dishwasher form the subject matter of the subclaims and the exemplary embodiments of the dishwasher described below. The dishwasher is also described in greater detail on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached figures, in which:
Elements which are the same or function the same have been provided with the same reference characters in the figures, unless specified otherwise.
The dishwasher 1 has a dishwasher cavity 2. The dishwasher cavity 2 is in particular cuboid-shaped. The dishwasher cavity 2 is preferably manufactured from steel sheet. Alternatively, the dishwasher cavity 2 can be manufactured at least partially from a plastic material. The dishwasher cavity 2 comprises a base 3, a ceiling 4 arranged opposite to the base 3, two oppositely arranged side walls 5, 6, a rear wall 7 and a loading opening 8 arranged opposite to the rear wall 7. The loading opening 8 can be sealed in a watertight manner with a door (not shown in
The dishwasher 1 may further comprise a number of receptacles for items to be washed that can be accommodated in the dishwasher cavity 2. The receptacles for items to be washed can be moved into and out of the dishwasher cavity 2 with the aid of guide devices. Furthermore, the dishwasher 1 has a lifting device 10 (
The electrical drive device 15 further comprises a transmission 17. The transmission 17 is preferably a worm gear with a worm wheel 18 non-rotatably connected to the swivel arm 14 of the lifting device 10 and a worm 19 that engages into the worm wheel 18. As
Now returning to
Although the present invention was described on the basis of exemplary embodiments, it can be modified in a variety of ways.
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