Automatic descaling system of dish washing machine

Abstract

Using the systems and methods disclosed herein, components of a dishwasher are automatically descaled. Automatic descaling logic injects a descaling agent into the dishwasher. When the automatic descaling process begins, the descaling agent is pumped into the water tank of the dishwasher. Water is added to the disincrustant, and the temperature of the water / disincrustant mixture is increased to a predetermined temperature by a heater. After reaching the predetermined temperature, the mixture is maintained in the tank for a predetermined period of time, allowing the detergent to act on the surface of the tank. After the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the mixture is moved from the water tank to a wash tank. A wash cycle is initiated such that the mixture is applied to the surface of the wash tank.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Generally speaking, dishwashers implement a hydraulic system including pumps, water lines, etc. for circulating water / fluid through the spray arms or other water distribution devices of the dishwasher to wash the dishes therein in a continuous or intermittent manner. A typical dishwasher program may include a wash program for circulating detergent-loaded wash water around the dishes via the spray arms or other water distribution devices of the dishwasher. Thereafter, a rinse program may be provided for circulating clean rinse water around the dishes via the same or different spray arms. At least a portion of the wash water and rinse water is heated to various predetermined levels (e.g., the wash water is heated to a temperature generally above 55°C, and the rinse water is heated to a temperature generally equal to or above 82°C) in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the dishwasher while also ensuring proper disinfection of the dishes in the case of the rinse water. Rinse aid may typically be added to the rinse water to facilitate the removal of detergent from the dishes.

[0002] However, during dishwasher use, insoluble solid limestone (calcium carbonate: CaCO₃) often forms within the hydraulic system and / or within the dishwasher's interior exposed to the wash / rinse water. Increasing the temperature of the wash / rinse water exacerbates limestone deposition. In this regard, increasing the temperature of the wash / rinse water reduces the level of dissolved carbon dioxide therein. Consequently, the reduction in dissolved carbon dioxide leads to increased limestone deposition, which can cause limestone to deposit on dishes, within water lines, and on the inner walls of the dishwasher. Furthermore, limestone precipitation on the heating elements of the boiler used to heat the rinse water has a negative impact on their lifespan and the overall power consumption of the dishwasher, with limestone deposition leading to an increase in power consumption for heating the rinse water and an increased rate of degradation of the heating elements due to the increased surface temperature of the heating elements.

[0003] Furthermore, due to the thermal shock experienced during various dishwasher cycles, limestone often breaks off as scale. This limestone scale can circulate throughout the hydraulic system and clog the nozzles of the spray arms. Furthermore, limestone scale can form a strong insulator that slows down the heat exchange between the boiler heating elements and the rinse water. Furthermore, scale formation can reduce the cross-section of the water lines, resulting in lower water flow rates relative to the dishwasher's requirements. Finally, pumps with scale on their components (e.g., circulation pumps / drain pumps) may require increased power to overcome the increased weight and friction, creating a risk of failure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] In the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like reference numerals with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate various embodiments discussed in this document by way of example and not limitation.

[0005] Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B 、 Figure 1C and Figure 1D is a diagram of an embodiment of a dishwasher, Figure 1A shows a front view, Figure 1B shows a side view of the dishwasher with the hood closed, Figure 1C shows a side view with the hood open, and Figure 1D A top view is shown.

[0006] Figure 2 is an example with attachments Figures 1A to 1D Illustration of an embodiment of a dishwasher.

[0007] Figure 3 yes Figures 1A to 1D Illustration of an embodiment of a hydraulic system of a dishwasher.

[0008] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a wash tank of a dishwasher fed by a rinse tank receiving water from a water supply and a descaling agent from a descaling agent supply is illustrated according to some example embodiments.

[0009] Figure 5 An example user interface for setting an automatic descaling option is illustrated according to some example embodiments.

[0010] Figure 6 Example methods for automatic descaling according to some example embodiments are illustrated.

[0011] Figure 7 An example flow chart for automatic descaling according to some example embodiments is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example machine is illustrated according to one embodiment of the present subject matter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Manual descaling of a dishwasher involves the use of strong acid detergents, which present safety risks during use. To perform manual descaling, the internal components of the dishwasher are removed so that they can be washed by hand.

[0014] Using the systems and methods disclosed herein, the components of a dishwasher are automatically descaled. Automatic descaling logic causes a descaling agent to be injected into the dishwasher. Existing dishwasher components used to heat water, fill a tank, and spray water to wash items in the dishwasher are used to dispense the descaling agent within the dishwasher and descale the dishwasher components.

[0015] When the automatic descaling process begins, descaling agent is pumped into the dishwasher's water tank. Water is added to the descaling agent, and the temperature of the water / descaling agent mixture is increased to a predetermined temperature by a heater. After reaching the predetermined temperature, the mixture is maintained in the water tank for a predetermined period of time, allowing the descaling agent to work on the surfaces of the water tank.

[0016] After a predetermined period of time, the mixture is moved from the water tank to the wash tank. A wash cycle is initiated, applying the mixture to the surface of the wash tank. Additional water may be added to the water tank, wash tank, or both to further dilute the water / descaler mixture and rinse the dissolved CaCO3 and descaling agent from the water tank, wash tank, or both. After a second predetermined period of time, the water (and any remaining descaling agent) is drained from the wash tank, completing the descaling process.

[0017] Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B 、 Figure 1C and Figure 1D is a diagram of an embodiment of a dishwasher 100. Figures 1A to 1D As shown and discussed as an example for purposes of illustration and not limitation, dishwasher 100 is a hood-type dishwasher that includes a hood 102 to cover a wash chamber (also referred to as a main wash chamber) 101 during each cleaning cycle. A hood lift handle 103 can be lifted by a user to open hood 102 for loading objects to be washed into wash chamber 101 before the cleaning cycle, lowered by the user to close hood 102 to cover wash chamber 101 before starting the cleaning cycle, and lifted by the user to open hood 102 for unloading cleaned objects after the cleaning cycle is complete. A hood lock 104 mounted on hood 102 automatically locks at the start of a cleaning cycle to prevent hood 102 from being accidentally opened during the cleaning cycle. Figure 1A A front view of the dishwasher 100 is shown when the hood 102 is closed. Figure 1B A side view of the dishwasher 100 is shown when the hood 102 is closed. Figure 1C A side view of the dishwasher 100 is shown when the hood 102 is open. Figure 1D A top view of dishwasher 100 is shown.

[0018] The dishwasher 100 includes a dispenser 105 that holds various chemicals for dispensing during different periods of the cleaning cycle. Each chemical can be in liquid or solid form, and the dispenser 105 is configured to hold the liquid and / or solid form of each chemical depending on the form of the chemical available and intended for use. Each chemical in the dispenser 105 is refillable. In an example, the dishwasher 100 can perform a cleaning cycle including a descaling cycle, a washing cycle, and a rinsing cycle, and the dispenser 105 is an integrated dispenser that can hold descaling agent, detergent, and rinse aid, and can dispense descaling agent for use during the descaling cycle, detergent for use during the washing cycle, and rinse aid for use during the rinsing cycle.

[0019] The dishwasher 100 includes a user interface 106 that visually and / or audibly indicates its operating status and allows the user to control its operation. The user interface 106 may include a display screen, such as a touch screen, that can display the operating status of the dishwasher 100 and receive commands and other information from the user. The user interface 106 may include a power switch for the user to turn the dishwasher 100 on and off. The user interface 106 allows the user to start a cleaning cycle, optionally after indicating to the user that the cleaning cycle is ready to begin (e.g., after closing the hood 102). In an example, the user interface 106 allows the user to select which cycle to include in the cleaning cycle. When, for example, the dishes are known to be clean but need to be disinfected, the user can select only the rinse cycle. The user can select the wash and rinse cycle only when no indication is given that the dishes need to be descaled. In another example, the user interface 106 is configured (e.g., programmed) to follow hygiene regulations and / or comply with regulations for ensuring food safety.

[0020] Dishwasher 100 provides high space and power efficiency to reduce operating costs and / or allow food service organizations to operate under limited space and / or power capacity. For example, dishwasher 100 includes an internal wastewater recirculation system 107 and an internal steam reduction system 111 to recycle the heat energy generated by operation during each cleaning cycle for heating the clean water to be used in operation. Wastewater recirculation system 107 includes: a wash tank (also referred to as a main wash tank) 108 and a wastewater tank 109 (also referred to as an overflow tank), which recirculates the hot washing liquid to be sprayed into and returned from the wash chamber 101 during the wash cycle, and the wastewater tank is used to receive excess hot washing liquid as wastewater from wash tank 108. A heat exchange module is placed in wastewater tank 109 to heat clean water while cooling the wastewater before it is discharged into a drain pipe (e.g., a drain pipe connected to a building's sewer). As needed, heated clean water is added to wash tank 108 and booster tank (also referred to as rinse tank) 110. In the illustrated example, the booster tank 110 receives clean water and a descaling agent to form a descaling solution to be sprayed into the washing chamber 101 during the descaling cycle, and receives clean water and a rinse aid to form a rinse solution to be sprayed into the washing chamber 101 during the rinse cycle. The steam reduction system 111 includes a fan 112 for drawing steam from the washing chamber 101 and a condenser 113 positioned in the steam passage to condense the steam while heating the clean water (in addition to recovering heat from the waste water). The fan 112 blows the remaining steam out of the dishwasher 100.

[0021] The dishwasher 100 can be sized to allow for easy operation and maintenance by users 150 cm or taller. The force required to open the hood 102 by lifting the hood lift handle 103 can be approximately 3.5 kg or less. In this example, the wash tank 108 has a capacity of approximately 24 L, the waste water tank 108 has a capacity of approximately 12 L, and the boost tank 110 has a capacity of approximately 10 L.

[0022] Figure 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of a dishwasher 100 having several accessories. Figure 2As shown, by way of example and not limitation, the accessories may include a dirty dish rack 220, a clean dish rack 223, a dishwasher rack 224, and an exhaust hood 225. The dirty dish rack 220 includes one or more sinks 221 and one or more faucets 222. When necessary or convenient, dishes and / or other objects to be cleaned can be placed in the sink 221 and pre-washed using water from the faucet 222 before being loaded into the washing chamber 101 (with the hood 102 open). When the washing chamber 101 is empty, a rack 224 can be placed in the washing chamber, and for each cleaning cycle, dishes and / or other objects can be placed into the rack 224. After the cleaning cycle is complete, the rack 224 loaded with cleaned dishes and / or other objects can be removed from the washing chamber 101 (with the hood 102 open) and placed on the clean dish rack 223 before use and / or further distribution. The exhaust hood 225 may discharge steam blown from the dishwasher 100 by the fan 112 to the outside of a building where the dishwasher 100 is placed.

[0023] Figure 3 is a diagram of an embodiment of a hydraulic system 329 of a dishwasher 100. Figure 3 As shown, by way of example for purposes of illustration and not limitation, the hydraulic system 329 may support liquid movement functions during a descaling cycle, a wash cycle, and a rinse cycle.

[0024] The hydraulic system 329 includes a main water valve 335 (e.g., a solenoid-controlled valve) that can be opened to receive clean water from a water source (e.g., a building's water main). The clean water can be heated in the wastewater tank 109 and then directed to the wash tank 108 and the booster tank 110. When needed (e.g., for dissolving one or more solid chemical reagents), the clean water can also be directed to the dispenser 105 through the dispenser valve 336.

[0025] During the descaling cycle, the descaling agent is dispensed from the dispenser 105 into the booster tank 110 to form a descaling liquid with the heated clean water in the booster tank 110. The descaling liquid is pumped to the rinse arm 330 by the rinse pump 333. The rinse arm 330 is positioned above and below the washing chamber 101 and rotates to spray the descaling liquid from above and below into the washing chamber 101. After passing through the washing chamber 101, the descaling liquid flows into the wash tank 108.

[0026] During the wash cycle, detergent is dispensed from the dispenser 105 into the wash tank 108 to form a wash liquid with the heated clean water in the wash tank 108. The wash liquid is pumped by the wash pump 331 to the wash arms 332. The wash arms 332 are positioned above and below the wash chamber 101 and rotate to spray the wash liquid from above and below into the wash chamber 101. The wash liquid returns to the wash tank 108 after passing through the wash chamber 101.

[0027] During the rinse cycle, rinse aid is dispensed from the dispenser 105 into the booster tank 110 to form a rinse liquid with the heated clean water in the booster tank 110. The rinse liquid is pumped to the rinse arm 330 by the rinse pump 333. The rinse arm 330 is rotated to spray the rinse liquid from above and below into the washing chamber 101. After passing through the washing chamber 101, the rinse liquid flows into the wash tank 108.

[0028] Therefore, the washing tank 108 collects all the liquid sprayed into the washing chamber 101. When the liquid level in the washing tank 108 exceeds a set threshold, the excess liquid flows into the waste water tank 109 as waste water. Figure 3 As shown, hydraulic system 329 includes a wastewater recirculation system that includes a drain valve 337 and two watertight or waterproof seals 338 and 339 to separate wastewater from drain water (which is wastewater that is to be discharged from dishwasher 100 to the drain). Drain pump 334 pumps drain water from the wastewater recirculation system to the drain. When drain pump 334 is off and drain valve 337 is closed, wastewater flows from wash tank 108 into wastewater tank 109, then out of wastewater tank 109 and into the drain at seal 339. When drain pump 334 is on and drain valve 337 is closed, wastewater (being pumped) flows out of wastewater tank 109, through the passageway including drain pump 334, and into the drain at seal 339. When drain valve 337 is open, wastewater flows directly from the wash tank to the drain (without passing through wastewater tank 109 or drain pump 334). The heat exchange coil 363 is placed in the waste water tank 109. The clean water flows through the heat exchange coil 363 to be heated by the waste water before being directed into the wash tank 109 or the boost tank 110, while the waste water is cooled by the clean water before being discharged to the drain.

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram 400 is illustrated of a dishwasher according to some example embodiments, wherein a wash tank 410 is fed by a rinse tank 420 that receives water from a water supply 430 and a descaling agent from a descaling agent supply 440. Also shown in the schematic diagram 400 are valves 450, 460, and 470 and a pump 480.

[0030] To perform a wash cycle, water from water supply 430 is allowed to enter rinse tank 420 by opening valve 470. A sensor in rinse tank 420 determines the amount of water in rinse tank 420. When a predetermined amount of water for a wash cycle is present in rinse tank 420, valve 470 closes and valve 460 opens, thereby transferring the predetermined amount of water to wash tank 410. When the wash cycle is complete, wash tank 410 is drained by opening valve 450.

[0031] To perform an automatic descaling operation, a descaling agent is pumped from the descaling agent supply 440 into the rinse tank 420 by the pump 480. After a predetermined amount of descaling agent (e.g., 0.5 liters) has been pumped into the rinse tank 420, the pump 480 is turned off. A predetermined amount of water is added to the rinse tank 420 by opening the valve 470 for a predetermined amount of time. Alternatively, a predetermined amount of water can be added to the rinse tank 420 by opening the valve 470 until a sensor in the rinse tank 420 determines that the volume of liquid in the rinse tank 420 has reached a predetermined value.

[0032] In some example embodiments, the liquid (a mixture of descaling agent and water) in the rinse tank 420 is heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 50° C.) and the liquid is maintained in the rinse tank 420 for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 minutes or 20 minutes). The predetermined period of time may be the total time the liquid remains in the rinse tank 420 or the time the liquid remains in the rinse tank 420 at the predetermined temperature.

[0033] Liquid is moved from the rinse tank 420 to the wash tank 410 by opening valve 460. After the transfer is complete, valve 460 is closed. For example, a liquid level sensor in the rinse tank 420 may indicate that the rinse tank 420 is empty, and in response, valve 460 is closed. A descaling agent mixture can be used instead of water to perform the wash cycle. During the wash cycle, liquid is sprayed throughout the interior of the wash tank 410, allowing the interior surfaces of the wash tank 410 to be descaled. After a predetermined period of time, the liquid is drained by opening valve 450.

[0034] The descaling agent mixture can be rinsed from the wash tank 410 by filling the rinse tank 420 with water from the water supply 430, supplying water from the rinse tank to the wash tank 410 by opening the valve 460, and performing another wash cycle. Alternatively, the descaling agent solution can be diluted by allowing the liquid to partially drain from the wash tank 410 and replacing the liquid with water. The partial draining of the liquid from the wash tank 410 can be achieved by opening the valve 450 for a period of time sufficient to allow some, but not all, of the liquid to escape from the wash tank 410. The dilution process can be performed in a predetermined number of steps.

[0035] For example, half of the liquid can be drained and replaced with water, followed by a two-minute rinse cycle. Thereafter, half of the diluted liquid can be drained and replaced with water, followed by another two-minute rinse cycle. This process can be repeated until five partial draining, replacement, and rinse cycles have been performed. Thus, the final rinse solution will have 1 / 32 the descaling agent concentration of the original solution. After emptying the wash tank 410, another rinse can be performed with pure water.

[0036] Figure 5 An example user interface 500 for setting an automatic descaling option according to some example embodiments is illustrated. The user interface 500 includes a title 510, options 520, 530, 540, 550, 560, and 570, and buttons 580 and 590. The user interface 500 can be presented on a display device of a dishwasher, a computing device coupled to the dishwasher (e.g., via a connected to a display device of a smartphone coupled to the dishwasher), or any suitable combination thereof.

[0037] Title 510 indicates that user interface 500 is used to set automatic descaling options. Options 520 to 570 can be populated by the user (e.g., using text boxes, drop-down selection boxes, combo boxes, or any suitable combination thereof) to configure the main wash temperature (e.g., in ° C.), the rinse descaling temperature, the duration for adding descaling agent to the rinse tank (e.g., in seconds), the rest time allowed for the descaling solution to remain in the rinse tank before being added to the wash tank (e.g., in minutes), the number of rinse cycles to be performed after descaling, and the main wash pump operation time (e.g., in minutes). Button 580 is operable to cancel the option setting operation. Button 590 is operable to apply the settings indicated by options 520 to 570.

[0038] Figure 6 An example method 600 for automatic descaling according to some example embodiments is illustrated. The example method 600 includes operations 610, 620, 630, and 640. The method 600 can be performed in response to a user instruction (e.g., pressing a dedicated physical "descaler" button on the dishwasher or a "descaler" button in a user interface on a display device) or in response to a triggering event (e.g., at a particular time of day, after a predetermined period of time has passed since the last automatic descaling operation, or any suitable combination thereof).

[0039] In operation 610, one or more processors cause a descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank. Figure 4 , the processor can activate the pump 480 to pump the descaling agent from the descaling agent supply 440 to the rinse tank 420. The amount of descaling agent added can be controlled by controlling the amount of time the pump 480 is running.

[0040] In operation 620, one or more processors cause water to be added to the rinse tank. For example, referring again to Figure 4 , the processor can open valve 470 to allow water from water supply 430 to enter rinse tank 420. The amount of water added can be controlled by controlling the amount of time valve 470 is open, the degree to which valve 470 is open, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0041] After the first predetermined period of time, the one or more processors cause the rinse pump to move liquid from the rinse tank to the wash tank (operation 630). Figure 4 The rinse tank 420 is shown coupled to the wash tank 410 via a valve 460. This may be suitable for certain configurations of the wash tank 410 and the rinse tank 420, where gravity is sufficient to move liquid from the rinse tank 420 to the wash tank 410 when the valve 460 is open. In other configurations of the wash tank 410 and the rinse tank 420, a rinse pump may be used to move liquid from one tank to the other, as in operation 630. The first predetermined time period may be a period of several minutes, such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or 20 minutes.

[0042] In operation 640, after a second predetermined period of time, the one or more processors cause the wash tank to be drained. The second predetermined period of time can be a period of several minutes, such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or 20 minutes. During the second predetermined period of time, additional water can be moved through the rinse tank to the wash tank to dilute the descaling agent and rinse the rinse tank and wash tank, preparing the dishwasher to resume dishwashing duties while preventing contamination of food contact surfaces with the descaling agent.

[0043] Figure 7 An example method 700 for automatic descaling according to some example embodiments is illustrated. The method 700 may be performed by a computing device integrated into or in communication with a dishwasher (e.g., via The method 700 is executed by one or more processors of a computer or a smart phone connected to a controller of a mechanism in a dishwasher via a network. The method 700 includes operations 705, 710, 715, 720, 725, 730, 735, 740, 745, 750, 755, and 760. By way of example and not limitation, the method 600 is described as being performed by Figure 8 The computing device 800 uses FIG. 1 to Figure 4 The method 700 may be performed to replace operations 625 to 655 of the method 600 .

[0044] To prepare the dishwasher for descaling, in operation 705, Figure 4The wash tank 410 and the rinse tank 420 are emptied. For example, valve 450 can be opened until a sensor in the wash tank 410 indicates that drainage is complete to empty the wash tank 410. Alternatively, valve 450 can remain open for a predetermined period of time. As another example, valve 560 can be opened, or the rinse pump is started, until a sensor in the rinse tank 420 indicates that the rinse tank 420 has been emptied. After the rinse tank 420 is emptied, the wash tank 410 can be emptied again.

[0045] In operation 710, one or more processors determine whether the descaling agent container is at a low level. For example, Figure 4 A level sensor in the descaling agent supply 440 can indicate whether the descaling agent supply 440 contains at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent (e.g., sufficient descaling agent to complete the descaling operation). If the descaling agent container is low, the descaling process is stopped in operation 715 and a warning is displayed on the screen (operation 720). For example, the dishwasher's display device can display a prompt requesting the user to add descaling agent to the descaling agent supply 340 or to abort the descaling process. Operation 710 can be repeated so that after descaling agent is added to the descaling agent container, the method 700 can proceed to operation 725.

[0046] If the descaling agent container is not low in operation 710, descaling agent is added to the rinse tank in operation 725. For example, Figure 4 The pump 480 can be engaged to transfer a predetermined amount of descaling agent (e.g., the amount of descaling agent verified in operation 710) from the descaling agent supply 440 to the rinse tank 420. The rinse tank is filled with water by adding water from the water supply 430 to the rinse tank 420 (e.g., adding water to the descaling agent in the rinse tank 420 until the rinse tank 420 is full) (operation 730).

[0047] In operation 735, one or more processors activate the rinse heater to heat the rinse tank to a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature can be a temperature set by the user of the user interface 500. After reaching the predetermined temperature, the descaling agent mixture remains in the rinse tank for a rest time (operation 740). The rest time can be an amount of time set by the user of the user interface 500.

[0048] In operation 745, the one or more processors activate the rinse pump to empty the rinse tank and fill the wash tank. Activating the rinse pump in operation 745 may occur within a predetermined time period after completion of operation 730. The predetermined time period may be the amount of time it takes to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to the predetermined temperature (in operation 735) plus a second predetermined time period (the rest time of operation 740).

[0049] The washing tank may be at a lower temperature than the rinsing tank.In order to perform descaling of the washing tank at a predetermined temperature, a washing heater is activated to heat the washing tank to the predetermined temperature (Operation 750).

[0050] After the wash tank reaches the predetermined temperature, in operation 755, one or more processors activate the wash pump to circulate the water and descaling agent in the wash tank for a predetermined period of time, thereby descaling the interior of the dishwasher. The predetermined period of time can be set by the user of the user interface 500. After the predetermined period of time has passed, the wash tank is emptied (operation 760). For example, Figure 4 The washing tank is emptied by operation of valve 450. Nevertheless, some descaling agent residue may remain on the interior surfaces of the dishwasher. Therefore, operations 730 to 760 may be repeated (without repeating operation 725) to rinse the components of the dishwasher with water. This helps prevent any harmful descaling agent chemicals from being deposited on surfaces that will come into contact with food.

[0051] After finishing method 700, dishwasher has been descaling.When with hot solution rather than cold solution execution, descaling may be more effective.Therefore, using operations 735 and 750 to heat the descaling solution in rinsing tank 420 and washing tank 410 can improve the validity of descaling process with respect to the method that does not heat rinsing tank, washing tank or both.Allowing descaling agent solution to act on the surface of rinsing tank can slow down the speed that scaling recurs in washing tank.Therefore, using operation 740 to allow descaling solution time to work in rinsing tank can improve the validity of descaling process with respect to the method that does not provide rest time.Any one in these differences or their combination can allow to carry out descaling method 700 less frequently and have excellent result.

[0052] Additionally, because the dishwasher can be programmed to perform the automatic descaling method 700 periodically (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, or after a predetermined number of wash cycles (e.g., 10 wash cycles or 100 wash cycles)), the effectiveness of descaling is improved by ensuring that human error does not cause the process to be forgotten or overlooked.

[0053] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example machine 800 is illustrated, according to one embodiment of the present subject matter, on which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methods) discussed herein may be performed. The machine 800 may include a controller 800 ( Figure 8As described herein, examples may include logic or multiple components or mechanisms in the machine 800, or operate through them. A circuit (e.g., a processing circuit) is a collection of circuits implemented in a tangible entity of the machine 800 that includes hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Circuit membership may be flexible over time. A circuit includes members that can perform specified operations individually or in combination when in operation. In an example, the hardware of the circuit may be permanently designed to perform a specific operation (e.g., hardwired). In an example, the hardware of the circuit may include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.), including physically modified machine-readable media (e.g., magnetic, electrically movable placement of aggregated particles with constant mass, etc.) to encode instructions for a specific operation. When the physical components are connected, the basic electrical properties of the hardware components change, for example, from an insulator to a conductor, or vice versa. The instructions enable embedded hardware (e.g., an execution unit or a loading mechanism) to create members of the circuit in hardware through variably connected components to perform parts of a specific operation when in operation. Thus, in examples, the machine-readable medium element is part of a circuit or is communicatively coupled to other components of the circuit during operation of the device. In examples, any physical component can be used in more than one member of more than one circuit. For example, during operation, an execution unit can be used in a first circuit in a first circuit system at one point in time and reused by a second circuit in the first circuit system or by a third circuit in the second circuit system at a different time. Additional examples of these components with respect to machine 800 are as follows.

[0054] In an alternative embodiment, the machine 800 can be operated as a standalone device or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 800 can operate as a server machine, a client machine, or the capabilities of both in a client-server network environment. In an example, the machine 800 can act as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The machine 800 can be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a network appliance, a network router, a switch or a bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequentially or otherwise) that specify the actions that the machine will take. In addition, although only a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" should also be understood to include any collection of machines that individually or collectively execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein, such as cloud-based computing, software as a service (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations, etc.

[0055] The machine (e.g., a computer system) 800 may include a hardware processor 802 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 804, a static memory (e.g., memory or storage for firmware, microcode, basic input and output (BIOS), a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), etc.) 806, and a mass storage device 808 (e.g., a hard drive, a tape drive, a flash storage device, or other block device), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interconnect (e.g., a bus) 830. The machine 800 may also include a display unit 810, an alphanumeric input device 812 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 814 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit 810, the input device 812, and the UI navigation device 814 may be a touch screen display. The machine 800 may also include a mass storage device (e.g., a drive) 808, a signal generating device 818 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 820, and one or more sensors 816, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. The machine 800 may include an output controller 828, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.).

[0056] The registers of the processor 802, main memory 804, static memory 806, or mass storage 808 may be or include a machine-readable medium 822 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 824 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functionality described herein. During execution of the instructions 824 by the machine 800, the instructions may also reside, completely or at least partially, within any register of the processor 802, main memory 804, static memory 806, or mass storage 808. In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 802, main memory 804, static memory 806, or mass storage 808 may constitute the machine-readable medium 822. Although the machine-readable medium 822 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 824.

[0057] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 800 and causing the machine 800 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include solid-state memory, optical media, magnetic media, and signals (e.g., radio frequency signals, other photon-based signals, sound signals, etc.). In an example, a non-transitory machine-readable medium includes a machine-readable medium having a plurality of particles whose mass is constant (e.g., stationary), and is therefore a composition of matter. Thus, a non-transitory machine-readable medium is a machine-readable medium that does not include a transient propagating signal. Specific examples of non-transitory machine-readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0058] The instructions 824 may be further transmitted or received over a communication network 826 via the network interface device 820 using a transmission medium utilizing any of a variety of transmission protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile telephone network (e.g., a cellular network), a plain old telephone (POTS) network, and a wireless data network (e.g., a wireless network known as a cellular network). The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series of standards, known as .16 family of standards), IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, and the like. In an example, the network interface device 820 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 826. In an example, the network interface device 820 may include multiple antennas to enable wireless communication using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technology. The term "transmission medium" shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions to be executed by the machine 800, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media to facilitate communication of such software. A transmission medium is a machine-readable medium.

[0059] Example

[0060] Embodiment 1 is a system comprising: a rinse tank; a rinse pump; a wash tank; a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors configured by the instructions to perform operations comprising: causing a descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank; causing water to be added to the rinse tank after the descaling agent is added to the rinse tank; causing the rinse pump to move water from the rinse tank to the wash tank a first predetermined time period after the water is added to the rinse tank; and causing the wash tank to be emptied a second predetermined time period after the water is moved from the rinse tank to the wash tank.

[0061] In embodiment 2, according to the subject matter of embodiment 1, causing the descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank comprises: determining using a sensor that a descaling agent container contains at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0062] In embodiment 3, the subject matter of embodiments 1-2, wherein the operation further comprises draining water from the wash tank before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0063] In embodiment 4, according to the subject matter of embodiments 1 to 3, the operation further comprises draining water from the rinse tank before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0064] In Example 5, the subject matter of Examples 1 to 4 is according to which causing the descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that a descaling agent container does not contain at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; causing a prompt to be presented on a user interface requesting additional descaling agent; determining, using the sensor, that the descaling agent is added to the descaling agent container; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0065] In Example 6, according to the subject matter of Examples 1 to 5, the operations further comprise causing a rinse heater to increase the temperature of liquid in the rinse tank to a predetermined temperature while the descaling agent and the water are in the rinse tank.

[0066] In embodiment 7, according to the subject matter of embodiment 6, the first predetermined period of time is the amount of time to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to the predetermined temperature plus a third predetermined period of time.

[0067] Embodiment 8 is a method comprising: causing, by one or more processors, a descaling agent to be added to a rinse tank; causing water to be added to the rinse tank after the descaling agent is added to the rinse tank; causing a rinse pump to move water from the rinse tank to a wash tank a first predetermined period of time after the water is added to the rinse tank; and causing the wash tank to be drained a second predetermined period of time after the water is moved from the rinse tank to the wash tank.

[0068] In Example 9, according to the subject matter of Example 8, causing the descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank comprises: determining using a sensor that a descaling agent container contains at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0069] In embodiment 10, the subject matter of embodiments 8-9 includes draining water from the wash tank before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0070] In embodiment 11, the subject matter of embodiments 8 to 10 includes draining water from the rinse tank before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0071] In Example 12, the subject matter of Examples 8 to 11 is according to which causing the descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that a descaling agent container does not contain at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; causing a prompt to be presented on a user interface requesting additional descaling agent; determining, using the sensor, that the descaling agent is added to the descaling agent container; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0072] In embodiment 13, the subject matter of embodiments 8 to 12 includes causing a rinse heater to increase the temperature of liquid in the rinse tank to a predetermined temperature while the descaling agent and the water are in the rinse tank.

[0073] In embodiment 14, the subject matter of embodiment 13 wherein the first predetermined period of time is the amount of time to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to the predetermined temperature plus a third predetermined period of time.

[0074] Embodiment 15 is a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: causing a descaling agent to be added to a rinse tank; causing water to be added to the rinse tank after the descaling agent is added to the rinse tank; causing a rinse pump to move water from the rinse tank to a wash tank a first predetermined time period after the water is added to the rinse tank; and causing the wash tank to be drained a second predetermined time period after the water is moved from the rinse tank to the wash tank.

[0075] In Example 16, the subject matter of Example 15 wherein causing the descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank comprises: determining using a sensor that a descaling agent container contains at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0076] In Example 17, the subject matter of Examples 15-16 wherein the operation further comprises draining water from the wash tank before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0077] In Example 18, the subject matter of Examples 15 to 17, wherein the operation further comprises draining water from the rinse tank before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0078] In Example 19, the subject matter of Examples 15 to 18 is according to which causing the descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that a descaling agent container does not contain at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; causing a prompt to be presented on a user interface requesting additional descaling agent; determining, using the sensor, that the descaling agent is added to the descaling agent container; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

[0079] In Example 20, the subject matter of Examples 15 to 19, wherein the operations further comprise causing a rinse heater to increase the temperature of liquid in the rinse tank to a predetermined temperature while the descaling agent and the water are in the rinse tank.

[0080] In embodiment 21, the subject matter of embodiment 20 wherein the first predetermined period of time is the amount of time to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to the predetermined temperature plus a third predetermined period of time.

[0081] Embodiment 22 is at least one machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform operations to implement any one of embodiments 1 to 21.

[0082] Embodiment 23 is a device comprising means for implementing any one of embodiments 1 to 21.

[0083] Embodiment 24 is a system for implementing any one of embodiments 1 to 21.

[0084] Embodiment 25 is a method for implementing any one of embodiments 1 to 21.

[0085] This detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as "examples." Such examples may include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the inventors also contemplate examples that provide only those elements shown or described.

[0086] In this document, as is common in patent documents, the terms "a" or "an" are used to include one or more than one, independent of any other instance or usage of "at least one" or "one or more." In the following claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0087] The above description is intended to be illustrative, not restrictive. For example, the examples described above (or one or more of them) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments may be used, such as those of ordinary skill in the art who review the above description and can use other embodiments.

Claims

1. A system, comprising: rinse tank; Rinse pump; washing tanks; a memory storing instructions; as well as One or more processors, the one or more processors being configured by the instructions to perform operations comprising: adding a descaling agent to the rinse tank; adding water to the rinse tank after adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank; causing the rinse pump to move water from the rinse tank to the wash tank a first predetermined period of time after adding the water to the rinse tank; and The wash tank is drained a second predetermined period of time after moving the water from the rinse tank to the wash tank.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that the descaling agent container contains at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

3. The system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: Before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank, water is drained from the wash tank.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operations further comprise: Before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank, water is drained from the rinse tank.

5. The system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that the descaling agent container does not contain at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; causing a prompt to be presented on a user interface requesting additional descaling agent; determining, using the sensor, that descaling agent is added to the descaling agent container; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operations further comprise: When the descaling agent and the water are in the rinse tank, a rinse heater is caused to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to a predetermined temperature. 7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first predetermined period of time is the amount of time it takes to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to the predetermined temperature plus a third predetermined period of time.

8. A method comprising: causing a descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank by one or more processors; adding water to the rinse tank after adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank; causing a rinse pump to move water from the rinse tank to a wash tank a first predetermined period of time after the water is added to the rinse tank; and The wash tank is drained a second predetermined period of time after moving the water from the rinse tank to the wash tank.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that the descaling agent container contains at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

10. The method according to claim 8 or claim 9, further comprising: Before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank, water is drained from the wash tank.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising: Before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank, water is drained from the rinse tank.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that the descaling agent container does not contain at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; causing a prompt to be presented on a user interface requesting additional descaling agent; determining, using the sensor, that descaling agent is added to the descaling agent container; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising: When the descaling agent and the water are in the rinse tank, a rinse heater is caused to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to a predetermined temperature.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first predetermined period of time is the amount of time to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to the predetermined temperature plus a third predetermined period of time.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: Add descaling agent to the rinse tank; adding water to the rinse tank after adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank; causing a rinse pump to move water from the rinse tank to a wash tank a first predetermined period of time after the water is added to the rinse tank; and The wash tank is drained a second predetermined period of time after moving the water from the rinse tank to the wash tank.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein causing the descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that the descaling agent container contains at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: Before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank, water is drained from the wash tank.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the operations further comprise: Before adding the descaling agent to the rinse tank, water is drained from the rinse tank.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein causing the descaling agent to be added to the rinse tank comprises: determining, using a sensor, that the descaling agent container does not contain at least a predetermined amount of descaling agent; causing a prompt to be presented on a user interface requesting additional descaling agent; determining, using the sensor, that descaling agent is added to the descaling agent container; and causing a descaling agent pump to add the predetermined amount of descaling agent to the rinse tank.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the operations further comprise: When the descaling agent and the water are in the rinse tank, a rinse heater is caused to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to a predetermined temperature.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first predetermined period of time is the amount of time it takes to increase the temperature of the liquid in the rinse tank to the predetermined temperature plus a third predetermined period of time.

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