Heat pump dishwasher

Abstract

The present invention discloses a heat pump dishwasher, comprising: a heat pump system installed in the dishwasher; the heat pump system comprises a condenser, the condenser is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchange sleeves bent in the same direction; the heat exchange sleeve comprises an inner tube and an outer tube which are mutually nested, the inner tube is communicated with a washing water pipeline, and the outer tube is communicated with a heat pump working medium. The present invention uses a plurality of heat exchange sleeves which are interconnected, thereby reducing the bending radius of the condenser as a whole; avoiding the disadvantage of the large overall outer dimensions of the sleeve, and in the manufacturing process of the sleeve, it is no longer necessary to use a high-powered pipe bending and forming machine, and the use of multiple sleeves makes the overall size of the condenser smaller and the space utilization more efficient; reducing the height of the condenser, and avoiding the phenomenon of water accumulation in the heat exchange sleeve caused by the water inlet being located at the bottom and the height being lower than the circulation pump without increasing the installation height.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of kitchen equipment, and in particular relates to a heat pump dishwasher. Background Art

[0002] Dishwashers are used to automatically wash dishes such as bowls, chopsticks, plates, dishes, knives, forks, etc. They can be divided into two categories according to their structure: box-type and conveyor-type. They reduce the labor intensity of cooks in restaurants, hotels, and canteens of government agencies, improve work efficiency, and promote cleanliness and hygiene. Now, many small dishwashers have been launched on the market and are gradually entering ordinary households.

[0003] Existing dishwashers all use heating tubes to heat the dishes, which are built into the water tank at the bottom of the inner tank. When washing, the heating tubes are used to heat the dishes while the circulating pumps are used to circulate water to wash the dishes. However, this method consumes a lot of power and does not dry the dishes thoroughly.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, there are some dishwashers that use other heating methods. For example, the Chinese utility model patent with application number 201420465616.1, named a heat pump dishwasher, provides a heat pump dishwasher, including an inner tank, a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device and an evaporator. The condenser is arranged close to the outer wall of the inner tank; the outlet of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the inlet of the evaporator through the throttling device, and the outlet of the evaporator is connected to the inlet of the compressor. In order to save energy consumption during washing, the utility model embeds a heat pump system mainly composed of a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device and an evaporator in the dishwasher, and uses a copper tube or an aluminum tube as the condenser of the heat pump system, which is tightly attached or wrapped around the outer wall of the inner tank. The utility model changes the existing dishwasher's heating method using a heating tube, applies the heat pump system to the field of dishwashers, and opens up a new heating and drying method, which greatly reduces energy consumption and has a better user experience.

[0005] However, the above patent has the following problems: the invention transfers the high heat from the condenser to the inner tank, and heats the washing water through the inner tank. Not only is the heat transfer efficiency of the washing water low, but it also requires high-efficiency insulation materials for the inner tank of the dishwasher, and the manufacturing cost and processing technology requirements are very high. In comparison, the use of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger to directly exchange heat between the heat pump working fluid and the washing water through the condenser has a much higher heat exchange efficiency.

[0006] The shell and tube heat exchanger is mainly used in the fields of refrigeration, chemical industry, thermal energy engineering, etc. The shell and tube heat exchanger currently used has a coil-shaped structure, which is an oblong or circular shape, and the middle part is therefore empty. The spiral coil-shaped shell and tube heat exchanger has the disadvantage of being larger in size, so it takes up a larger installation space in the main unit, affecting the design of the main unit. In addition, since the spiral coil-shaped shell and tube heat exchanger needs to bend the steel pipe and the copper pipe therein during the manufacturing process, a high-power pipe bending and forming machine is required.

[0007] In view of this, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a heat pump dishwasher. The present invention uses a plurality of interconnected heat exchange sleeves to reduce the overall bending radius of the condenser; avoids the disadvantage of large overall outer dimensions of the sleeves, and in the manufacturing process of the sleeves, there is no need to use a high-power pipe bending and forming machine. The use of multiple sleeves makes the overall size of the condenser smaller and the space utilization more efficient; reduces the height of the condenser, and without increasing the installation height, avoids the phenomenon of water accumulation in the heat exchange sleeve caused by the water inlet being located at the bottom and lower than the circulation pump.

[0009] In order to achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0010] A heat pump dishwasher comprises: a heat pump system installed in the dishwasher; the heat pump system comprises a condenser, the condenser is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchange shells bent in the same direction; the heat exchange shells comprise an inner tube and an outer tube which are nested with each other, the inner tube is communicated with a washing water pipeline, and the outer tube is communicated with a heat pump working medium.

[0011] Furthermore, the bending directions and angles of the heat exchange sleeves are the same, and the figures surrounded by the axes of the heat exchange sleeves are similar to each other.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner tubes of two adjacent heat exchange sleeves are connected to each other to form a closed washing water passage, and the washing water passage is connected to the washing water pipeline to provide the dishwasher with washing water that has undergone heat exchange with the condenser.

[0013] Furthermore, the outer tubes of two adjacent heat exchange sleeves are connected to each other to form a closed heat pump working fluid passage, and the heat pump working fluid passage is connected to the heat pump system.

[0014] Furthermore, each of the heat exchange sleeves has at least one bent portion bent to one side, thereby forming a sleeve bend; two ends of the sleeve bend are located on the same side of the tangent of the bent portion;

[0015] Preferably, the sleeve elbow is C-shaped or U-shaped.

[0016] Further, the inner tubes are connected to each other through inner tube bends along the flow direction of the washing water, and the bending angle of the inner tube bends is greater than 90 degrees;

[0017] Preferably, the heat exchange sleeves are parallel to each other, and the bending angle of the inner tube bend is 180 degrees.

[0018] Furthermore, the water inlet and outlet of the washing water of the inner tube are located on the same side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and the liquid inlet and outlet of the heat pump working medium of the outer tube are also located on the same side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger;

[0019] Preferably, the water inlet and outlet of the washing water and the liquid inlet and outlet of the heat pump working medium are located on the same side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger;

[0020] Preferably, the direction of flow of the washing water in the casing is opposite to the direction of flow of the heat pump working medium.

[0021] Further, the dishwasher comprises a processing chamber, and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is installed at the lower part of the processing chamber;

[0022] Preferably, a base for fixing the dishwasher is provided at the lower part of the dishwasher processing chamber, and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is installed in the base.

[0023] Furthermore, the bending portion of each sleeve bend is located on a side close to the back of the dishwasher; the plane where the sleeve bend of the heat exchange sleeve is located is a horizontal plane;

[0024] Preferably, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is a single-layer structure, and all heat exchange shells are in the same plane;

[0025] Preferably, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is a multi-layer structure, and different heat exchange shells are located in different horizontal planes.

[0026] Furthermore, the washing water pipeline includes a circulation pump for circulating washing water, the circulation pump has a water inlet and a water outlet, and the lowest point of the heat exchange sleeve is higher than the highest point of the water outlet of the circulation pump.

[0027] After adopting the above technical scheme, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art.

[0028] A heat pump dishwasher of the present invention uses a shell-and-tube heat exchanger as a condenser, which has a higher heat exchange efficiency. At the same time, a plurality of heat exchange shells connected to each other are used to reduce the bending radius of the condenser as a whole, so that the condenser can be arbitrarily changed in shape according to the requirements of the installation space, so that the installation space of the heat pump system is compressed, and the installation space of the dishwasher heating system can be reduced.

[0029] In order to achieve the interconnection of multiple sleeves and meet the overall bending requirements of the heat exchanger, independent elbows are used to connect the inner and outer tubes of two adjacent heat exchange sleeves, so that the sleeves not only meet the requirements of the inner tube for washing water transmission, but also meet the requirements of the outer tube for heat pump working medium circulation. The method of using elbows to connect multiple sleeves instead of bending the entire sleeve avoids the disadvantage of the larger overall size of the sleeve. In addition, it is no longer necessary to use a high-powered pipe bending and forming machine during the manufacturing process of the sleeve. The use of multiple sleeves makes the overall size of the condenser smaller, the space utilization is more efficient, and the implementation and installation are easier.

[0030] The figures formed by the axes of the heat exchange sleeves in the present invention are similar to each other, so that the heat exchange sleeves can be installed more closely in the same plane, the number of sleeves per unit area is increased, and the heat exchange efficiency of washing water is improved. The sleeve distribution method of the present invention reduces the overall height of the condenser, which not only saves installation space, but also avoids the phenomenon of water accumulation in the heat exchange sleeves caused by the condenser water inlet being located at the bottom and lower than the circulating pump without increasing the installation height of the condenser.

[0031] Each of the heat exchange sleeves of the present invention has at least one bent portion bent to one side, thereby forming a sleeve bend; the two ends of the sleeve bend are located on the same side of the tangent of the bent portion, and the formed sleeve bend is C-shaped or U-shaped, which facilitates full utilization of the space surrounded by the sleeve bend. In the semi-enclosed space surrounded by the heat exchange sleeve, other throttling devices or compressors of the heat pump or other water channel devices can be installed, the space utilization can be more sufficient, and the placement of various components is more compact.

[0032] The present invention arranges the water inlet and outlet of the washing water and the liquid inlet and outlet of the heat pump working medium of the outer tube on the same side of the heat exchanger, and installs the shell and tube heat exchanger at the lower part of the treatment chamber, which facilitates the user's installation and modification work of connecting the dishwasher with the existing water circuit, and also facilitates the user to add or repair the heat pump working medium.

[0033] The shell-and-tube heat exchanger of the present invention is installed at the lower part of the treatment chamber, which can make full use of the internal space in the base of the treatment chamber, so that the overall size of the dishwasher meets the installation requirements of the user. The plane where the shell bend of the heat exchange shell is located is a horizontal plane, and multiple heat exchange shells are placed horizontally and parallelly, so that the heat exchange shells are arranged to be located in the same plane. This design allows the inlet and outlet heights of the washing water to remain consistent, so that the washing water after the dishwashing operation is completed can flow back into the sink from the water inlet and / or outlet of the heat exchange shell at the same time, thus completely avoiding the problem of water accumulation in the shell.

[0034] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The accompanying drawings are part of the present invention and are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention, but do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the accompanying drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall arrangement of a heat pump system of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 is a side view of a heat pump system of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 It is a heat exchange sleeve structure diagram of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance of a heat exchange sleeve of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance of another form of a heat exchange sleeve of Example 2 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a top view of the structure of Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 4 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 4 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 It is a bottom view structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 4 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0044] Fig. 9 It is a rear view structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 4 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0045] Fig.10 It is a schematic structural diagram of a heat pump system of Example 5 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0046] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of a heat pump system structure of Example 5 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention, viewed from above;

[0047] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the coordination between the softening chamber and the condenser in the heat pump system of Example 5 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0048] Fig.13 is a top view of an evaporator of Embodiment 3 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention;

[0049] Fig.14 It is an overall schematic diagram of an evaporator of Example 3 of a heat pump dishwasher of the present invention.

[0050] In the figure: 1. heat exchange sleeve; 2. compressor; 3. water receiving tank; 4. fan; 5. evaporator; 6. softening chamber; 7. base; 8. containing cavity; 9. water collecting tank; 10. water pipe; 11. water distribution valve; 12. circulation pump; 13. vent; 14. fan gap; 15. connecting plate; 101. outer pipe; 102. inner pipe; 103. sleeve elbow; 104. inner pipe elbow; 105. outer pipe elbow; 106. washing water inlet; 107. washing water outlet; 108. heat pump working fluid inlet; 109. heat pump working fluid outlet; 51. air duct; 52. inner concave part.

[0051] It should be noted that these drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the conceptual scope of the present invention in any way, but are intended to illustrate the concept of the present invention for those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “inside” and “outside” are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0054] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 14As shown, the present invention discloses a heat pump dishwasher, comprising: a heat pump system installed in the dishwasher; the heat pump system comprises a condenser, the condenser is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchange sleeves 1 bent in the same direction; the heat exchange sleeve 1 comprises an inner tube 102 and an outer tube 101 which are mutually nested, the inner tube 102 is communicated with a washing water pipeline, and the outer tube 101 is communicated with a heat pump working medium. The present invention uses a plurality of heat exchange sleeves connected to each other, reduces the bending radius of the condenser as a whole, avoids the disadvantage of a large overall outer size of the sleeve, and does not need to use a high-power pipe bending and forming machine in the manufacturing process of the sleeve, and uses a plurality of sleeves to make the overall size of the condenser smaller and the space utilization more efficient; reduces the height of the condenser, and avoids the phenomenon of water accumulation in the heat exchange sleeve caused by the water inlet being located at the bottom and the height being lower than the circulating pump without increasing the installation height.

[0056] Example 1

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, a heat pump dishwasher is disclosed in this embodiment. The dishwasher includes a processing chamber not shown in the figure; a spray port is provided in the processing chamber, and the spray port sprays and cleans the tableware located in the processing chamber through the washing water provided by the washing water circuit. The washing water circuit is connected to an inlet valve, a breather, a drainage pump, a circulation pump and a spray port. The washing water enters the washing water circuit through the inlet valve and flows into the processing chamber containing the tableware. The washing water is circulated in the washing water circuit by the circulation pump and sprayed onto the tableware through the spray port to clean the tableware. After cleaning, the dirty water is discharged through the drainage pump. The breather is used to prevent siphonage of the washing water circuit.

[0058] In order to improve the cleaning effect of the dishwasher, the present invention heats the washing water by a heat pump. Figure 1 As shown, a base 7 for fixing the dishwasher is provided at the lower part of the dishwasher treatment chamber, and the heat pump system is installed in the base 7 as a whole.

[0059] The heat pump system comprises a heat pump system consisting of heat pump devices connected to each other: Figure 1 As shown, the heat pump device includes: a fan 4, an evaporator 5, a compressor 2, a condenser (the condenser of the present invention is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger composed of a plurality of heat exchange sleeves 1 bent in the same direction), and a throttling element not shown in the figure. The working principle of the heat pump system is to achieve energy transfer through the conversion of the gas-liquid state of the heat pump working medium. Specifically, the high-pressure refrigerant vapor discharged by the compressor 2 flows into the condenser, and the refrigerant vapor condenses to release latent heat. The condensed liquid refrigerant flows through the throttling element and enters the evaporator 5. The evaporator 5 absorbs external heat through the air sucked in by the fan 4 and evaporates. The evaporated vapor is sucked in by the compressor to complete the heating cycle.

[0060] The present invention utilizes the latent heat released by the condenser to heat the washing water. During washing, the tap water passes through the water inlet valve and is softened by the softener before entering the dishwasher. The circulating pump drives the washing water through the sprayer to wash the dishes. When the washing water needs to be heated, the circulating pump drives the water through the condenser (tube heat exchanger) and then through the sprayer to wash the dishes. Figure 1 As shown, the condenser of the present invention is a shell and tube heat exchanger, such as Figure 3 As shown, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange shells 1 bent in the same direction; the heat exchange shell 1 includes an inner tube 102 and an outer tube 101 which are mutually nested, the inner tube 102 is connected to the washing water pipeline, and the outer tube 101 is connected to the heat pump working medium. When the washing water flows through the inner tube 102 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the heat pump working medium in the tube of the condenser releases latent heat to heat the washing water in the inner tube. The circulating pump on the washing water waterway drives the washing water to flow in the washing water waterway, thereby realizing the heating of the washing water in the dishwasher.

[0061] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the bending directions and angles of the heat exchange sleeves 1 are the same, and the figures formed by the axes of the heat exchange sleeves 1 are similar to each other. The heat exchange sleeves in this embodiment have the same thickness, the same bending angle, and the same or different lengths. The purpose is to make the heat exchange sleeves in the same plane and install them more closely to each other, thereby increasing the number of sleeves per unit area and improving the heat exchange efficiency of washing water.

[0062] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in order to realize the heat exchange of the integral heat exchange sleeve, the inner tubes 102 of two adjacent heat exchange sleeves 1 are connected to each other to form a closed washing water passage, which is connected to the washing water pipeline to provide the dishwasher with washing water that has undergone heat exchange in the condenser. At the same time, the outer tubes 101 of two adjacent heat exchange sleeves 1 are connected to each other to form a closed heat pump working medium passage, which is connected to the heat pump system. In order to achieve a good heating effect, the direction of the washing water flow in the sleeve and the direction of the heat pump working medium flow are preferably reversed.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown, the inner tubes 102 are connected to each other through the inner tube bends 104 along the flow direction of the washing water, and the bending angle of the inner tube bends 104 is greater than 90 degrees. Preferably, the heat exchange sleeves 1 are parallel to each other, and the bending angle of the inner tube bends 104 is 180 degrees. In this way, each heat exchange sleeve can be as close as possible, thereby minimizing the space occupied by the condenser.

[0064] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, each heat exchange sleeve 1 has at least one bent portion bent to one side, thereby forming a sleeve elbow 104; the two ends of the sleeve elbow 104 are located on the same side of the tangent of the bent portion; preferably, the sleeve elbow is C-shaped or U-shaped. The sleeve is bent into a sleeve elbow 104 bent in the same direction, and other throttling devices or compressors of the heat pump or other water channel devices can be installed in the semi-enclosed space surrounded by the heat exchange sleeve 1, so that the space can be fully utilized and the placement of various components is more compact.

[0065] like Figure 4 As shown, the washing water inlet 106 and the washing water outlet 107 of the inner tube 102 of this embodiment are located on the same side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and the heat pump medium inlet 108 and the heat pump medium outlet 109 of the outer tube 101 are also located on the same side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Preferably, the washing water inlet and outlet, and the heat pump medium inlet and outlet are all located on the same side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Due to the limited internal space of the heat pump dishwasher, the installation of various components is very compact, which poses new problems for later maintenance. In such a small space, when repairing a certain system, it is best to ensure that other systems are not affected as much as possible, and the smaller the space occupied by the operation when repairing the system, the better. In this embodiment, the washing water inlet and outlet and the heat pump medium inlet and outlet are all arranged on one side of the heat exchange sleeve, which facilitates the user's installation and modification work of docking the dishwasher with the existing waterway, and also facilitates the user to add or repair the heat pump medium.

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown, the bending portion of each sleeve elbow 103 in this embodiment is located on the side near the back of the dishwasher; the plane where the sleeve elbow 103 of the heat exchange sleeve is located is a horizontal plane. Placing the sleeve elbow 103 in a horizontal position can reduce the overall height of the condenser, and as mentioned above, other equipment can be placed in the space surrounded by the condenser, so that the space in the base of the dishwasher can be fully utilized. The circulating pump of the washing water pipeline has a water inlet and a water outlet, such as Figure 2 As shown, the lowest point of the heat exchange sleeve 1 of this embodiment is higher than the highest point of the water outlet of the circulation pump, thereby avoiding the water accumulation phenomenon caused by the water inlet being located at the bottom and the water inlet being lower than the water outlet of the circulation pump.

[0067] In this embodiment, all heat exchange sleeves 1 are further arranged in the same plane, which minimizes the overall height of the condenser, and the U-shaped shape formed by the axes of the two sections of heat exchange sleeves 1 are in the same plane. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the inlet and outlet heights of the washing water of the sleeve are consistent, and the water in the sleeve can flow back into the sink from the inlet and outlet at the same time, thereby completely solving the problem of water accumulation in the sleeve.

[0068] Example 2

[0069] This embodiment is a supplement to Embodiment 1. Figure 5 As shown, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger described in this embodiment is a multi-layer structure, and each heat exchange shell has the same thickness, the same bending angle, and the same length. The difference from Example 1 is that different heat exchange shells are located in different horizontal planes. This embodiment is suitable for using the height of the dishwasher base to expand the heat exchange volume of the condenser.

[0070] Example 3

[0071] like Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the condenser of this embodiment is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, which includes a heat exchange shell 1, and the heat exchange shell 1 includes an inner tube and an outer tube that are nested with each other. The inner tube is connected to the washing water pipeline, and the outer tube is connected to the heat pump working medium. When the washing water flows through the inner tube of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the heat pump working medium in the tube of the condenser releases latent heat to heat the washing water in the inner tube. The circulating pump on the washing water waterway drives the washing water to flow in the washing water waterway, thereby realizing the heating of the washing water in the dishwasher. During the entire heating cycle, the evaporator 5 absorbs external heat through the air inhaled by the fan 4, so that the heat pump system obtains heat from the outside.

[0072] like Figures 6 to 9 As shown, the evaporator 5 of the present invention is located at the bottom of the processing chamber, and the bottom of the processing chamber has a protrusion protruding from the lower surface, such as Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, the surface of the evaporator 5 has an inner concave portion 52 that cooperates with the protrusion and is concave inward. The protrusion is a protruding surface formed by the lower surface of the treatment chamber protruding outward, and / or a component installed outside the treatment chamber and fixed to the lower surface of the treatment chamber. The component can be a water collection tank 9 for collecting washing water in the treatment chamber, and / or a water diversion valve 11 for controlling washing water in the dishwasher according to different design requirements.

[0073] In this embodiment, the protrusion is a water collection tank 9. The water collection tank 9 is located at the bottom of the dishwasher and is connected to the water collection tank 9. Figure 7 The water collecting tank 3 is shown in the figure. The water collecting tank 9 collects the washing water in the treatment chamber through the water collecting tank 3, and communicates with the washing water pipeline in the heat pump system through the water pipe 10, so that the washing water circulates between the treatment chamber and the heat pump system. The water collecting tank 9 is a connector that connects multiple water channels at the same time, which not only occupies a large installation space, but also blocks the circulation of air and reduces the heat absorption efficiency of the evaporator.

[0074] The inner concave portion 52 of the evaporator 5 cooperates with at least part of the peripheral side surface of the water collecting tank 9. As shown in the figure, the water collecting tank 9 is a cylindrical structure as a whole. Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, the inner concave portion 52 of the evaporator 5 is an inner concave arc surface. The height of the water collecting tank 9 is fully utilized, and the installation space is reasonably utilized without reducing the heat exchange surface area of ​​the evaporator 5, thereby reducing the length and width of the heat pump system. In addition, there is a gap between the mating surface of the water collecting tank 9 and the surface of the inner concave portion, so that the water collecting tank 9 is not only embedded in the evaporator 5, but also allows air to flow smoothly on the surface of the evaporator through the gap.

[0075] like Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the water collection tank 9 is connected to the washing water channel of the dishwasher through a water pipe 10, and the water pipe 10 is connected to the water collection tank 9 on the surface other than the matching surface on the water collection tank 9; Figure 6 As shown, the water pipe 10 is connected to the water collecting tank 9 on the peripheral side surface of the water collecting tank 9 opposite to the matching surface. This not only ensures the realization of the water channel connection function of the water collecting tank 9, but also reduces the tortuosity of the water pipe. At the same time, correspondingly, the water diversion valve 11 that controls the opening and closing of the water channel and the water pipe 10 connected to the water collecting tank 9 are also located on the side surface of the water collecting tank 9 away from the inner concave part, thereby reducing the space occupied by the water pipe 10 inside the heat pump system.

[0076] like Figures 6 to 8 As shown, and Fig.13 As shown, the evaporator of this embodiment has an air duct 51 located on its heat exchange surface to guide the flow of wind, and the air duct 51 is located on the side of the evaporator 1 near the water collecting tank 9 and is a part of the evaporator. The air duct 51 is concave at the position corresponding to the water collecting tank 9, forming the concave part 52 that is concave toward the inside of the evaporator 5.

[0077] like Figure 7 As shown, the dishwasher base 7 of this embodiment constitutes a heat pump accommodating chamber for placing the heat pump system, and the evaporator 5 and the fan 4 are installed in the base 7. The fans 4 are arranged side by side on both sides of the inner concave portion of the evaporator 5, and at least part of the structure of the water collecting tank 9 is located in the inner concave portion formed by the air duct 51 and the space with an opening surrounded by the fans 4 on both sides of the inner concave portion.

[0078] In order to reasonably set the distance between the inner concave portion formed by the air duct 51 and the fan 4, make the structure more compact, and enable the air sucked by the fan 4 to be completely guided by the air duct 51 of the evaporator 5, so that the flow direction is reasonably controlled and the utilization rate of the air kinetic energy is improved, the width of the inner concave portion formed by the air duct 51 is not greater than the distance between the fans on both sides of the inner concave portion. Preferably, in this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the distance between the fans 4 is greater than the width of the water collecting tank 9.

[0079] like Figure 6 and 7As shown, the dishwasher of this embodiment includes a base 7, which accommodates the evaporator 5 and the fan 4; at least one side of the base 7 is provided with a vent 13 that cooperates with the fan 4, and the evaporator 5 is located between the fan 4 and the vent 13. The vent 13 of this embodiment is located on the front panel of the dishwasher, and the evaporator 5 is arranged on a side of the base 7 near the vent 13. Since there is ample space in front of the front panel of the dishwasher in general households, it is more convenient for the fan to inhale air from the outside by arranging the vent 13 on the front panel. At the same time, a grid-like device is arranged on the vent 13 of the front panel, and the hole size in the grid is reasonably designed according to the requirements, so that it not only meets the ventilation requirements, but also prevents foreign objects from extending therein, thereby improving the safety of the equipment.

[0080] Example 4

[0081] like Figures 6 to 9 As shown, the evaporator of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of fans 4 for accelerating the air flow on the surface of the evaporator 6, wherein at least two adjacent fans 4 are arranged at intervals. In this embodiment, the number of fans is 2, and the size and / or power and / or model of the fans are the same.

[0082] like Figure 6 As shown, two spaced fans 4 are arranged side by side on the same side of the heat exchange surface of the evaporator 5 to accelerate the air flow speed of the heat exchange surface of the evaporator 5 near the fan 4. The side-by-side arrangement of the fans ensures the area of ​​the accelerated air flow, thereby ensuring the working efficiency of the evaporator. At the same time, a fan gap 14 is formed between the spaced fans.

[0083] The dishwasher of the present invention includes a treatment chamber for washing dishes, the treatment chamber is located above the evaporator 5, and the bottom of the treatment chamber has a protruding portion protruding outward, and the protruding portion is at least partially located in the fan gap 14, and is located in the space with an opening surrounded by the evaporator and the fans arranged at intervals. The protruding portion is a protruding surface formed by the lower surface of the treatment chamber protruding outward, and / or a component installed outside the treatment chamber and fixed to the lower surface of the treatment chamber. The component can be a sump 9 for collecting washing water in the treatment chamber, and / or a water diversion valve 11 for controlling washing water of the dishwasher, depending on the design requirements.

[0084] In this embodiment, the protrusion is a water collection tank 9. The water collection tank 9 is located at the bottom of the dishwasher and is connected to the water collection tank 9. Figure 7 The water collecting tank 3 is shown inside the dishwasher. The water collecting tank 9 collects the washing water in the treatment chamber through the water collecting tank 3, and communicates with the washing water pipeline in the heat pump system through the water pipe 10, so that the washing water circulates between the treatment chamber and the heat pump system.

[0085] In this embodiment, the width of the fan gap 14 is greater than the width of the protrusion, and the protrusion is entirely located within the fan gap 14. Figure 6 As shown, the water collecting tank 9 in this embodiment is installed in the fan gap 14 between the two fans 4, which fully utilizes the thickness of the two fans 4 and compresses the overall size of the heat pump system. In addition, since the fans are respectively arranged on both sides of the water collecting tank 9, the air sucked by each fan will not be blocked by the protruding water collecting tank 9, which ensures the wind speed of the heat exchange surface of the evaporator 5, thereby ensuring the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator.

[0086] like Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the water collecting tank 9 is connected to the washing water circuit of the dishwasher through a water pipe 10, and the water pipe 10 is connected to the water collecting tank 9 at the side of the water collecting tank 9 far from the fan gap 14. It is ensured that the water collecting tank 9 is partially extended into the fan gap 14 without affecting its connection with the washing water circuit. The water pipe 10 is connected to the water collecting tank 9 on the side far from the fan 4. Since the condenser of the heat pump system is also arranged on the other side far from the fan 4, the tortuosity of the water pipe 10 is reduced, and the space occupied by the water pipe 10 inside the heat pump system is reduced, so that the space utilization rate of the base 7 is higher.

[0087] like Figure 7 As shown, the dishwasher base 7 of this embodiment constitutes a heat pump accommodating chamber for placing the heat pump system, and the evaporator 5 and the fan 4 are installed in the base 7; at least one side of the base 7 is provided with a vent 13 that cooperates with the fan 4, and the evaporator 5 is located between the fan 4 and the vent 13 in the base 7. The fan uses the principle of air suction to increase the air flow speed on the surface of the evaporator 5, thereby accelerating the circulation of air in the heat pump system.

[0088] At the same time, there is a gap between the fan 4 and the outer surface of the evaporator 5, so that the air stirred by the fan 4 flows between the fan 4 and the outer surface of the evaporator 5 through the gap. Each of the spaced fans 4 accelerates the air flow rate of the effective area on the heat exchange surface of the evaporator 5 near the fan side, and through the gap between the fan and the outer surface of the evaporator, and / or the angle between the fan and the outer surface of the evaporator, the effective area is not less than 60% of the surface area of ​​the heat exchange surface of the evaporator near the fan side. That is to say, in the two fans 4 in this embodiment, each fan 4 can effectively provide heat dissipation for more than half of the surface of the evaporator 5. At the same time, the effective areas of the two adjacent spaced fans 4 have an overlapping area at the fan gap 14, and the width of the overlapping area is greater than the width of the fan gap 14. Such a setting enables the action areas of the adjacent fans 4 to overlap each other, ensures the air flow at the fan gap 14, and enables the fan to not affect the wind speed due to the blocking of the interval and the protrusion of the fan 4, so that the accelerated air can act on the entire surface of the evaporator.

[0089] In order to achieve a more compact installation of the dishwasher, the surface of the evaporator 5 at the fan gap 14 has an inner concave portion that cooperates with the protrusion and is recessed inward. The width of the inner concave portion is not greater than the width of the fan gap at that location. At least part of the structure of the water collection tank 9 is located in the space with an opening formed by the inner concave portion of the evaporator 5 and the fan gap 14.

[0090] like Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, two adjacent fans 4 arranged at intervals are connected and fixed to each other through a plate-shaped connecting plate 15 that is respectively fixedly connected to the bottom of the fan 4. The connecting plate 15 is connected and fixed to the bottom of the evaporator 5, so that the fan is fixedly connected relative to the evaporator 5. In order to make the installation more compact, preferably, the width of the connecting portion of the connecting plate 15 and the fan 4 is smaller than the thickness of the fan 4. The fan and the evaporator are fixed together to form an integral component, which further improves the efficiency of the installation.

[0091] like Figure 6 and 7 As shown, the dishwasher of this embodiment includes a base 7, which accommodates the evaporator 5 and the fan 4; at least one side of the base 7 is provided with a vent 13 that cooperates with the fan 4, and the evaporator 5 is located between the fan 4 and the vent 13. The vent 13 of this embodiment is located on the front panel of the dishwasher. Since there is ample space in front of the front panel of the dishwasher in general households, it is more convenient for the fan to inhale air from the outside by arranging the vent 13 on the front panel. At the same time, a grid-shaped device is arranged on the vent 13 of the front panel, and the size of the holes in the grid is reasonably designed according to the requirements, so that it not only meets the ventilation requirements, but also prevents foreign objects from extending therein, thereby improving the safety of the equipment.

[0092] In order to achieve uniform heat exchange of the evaporator and improve heat exchange efficiency, in other embodiments, the number of fans is an even number and is evenly distributed on both sides of the fan gap.

[0093] Example 5

[0094] like Figures 10 to 12 As shown, a heat pump dishwasher is disclosed in this embodiment. The dishwasher includes a processing chamber not shown in the figure; a spray port is provided in the processing chamber, and the spray port sprays and cleans the tableware located in the processing chamber through the washing water provided by the washing water circuit. The washing water circuit is connected to an inlet valve, a breather, a drainage pump, a circulation pump and a spray port. The washing water enters the washing water circuit through the inlet valve and flows into the processing chamber containing the tableware. The washing water is circulated in the washing water circuit by the circulation pump and sprayed onto the tableware through the spray port to clean the tableware. After cleaning, the dirty water is discharged through the drainage pump. The breather is used to prevent siphonage of the washing water circuit.

[0095] like Fig.10 As shown, the softening device is provided with a softening chamber 6, in which a softening core or a softening medium is installed, and the softening core or the softening medium is made of resin, or the softening chamber 6 itself is a salt water chamber containing salt water, and the resin and / or the salt water in the softening chamber 6 have functional ions that can exchange calcium and magnesium ions. Before the washing water enters the dishwasher, the washing water first flows into the softening chamber 6, and the functional ions used for softening the water in the softening chamber 6 are exchanged with the calcium and magnesium ions in the water, thereby absorbing the excess calcium and magnesium ions in the water, achieving the purpose of removing calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate, and the softened washing water flows out of the softening chamber 6, and is used to wash the tableware, thereby enhancing the washing effect.

[0096] At the same time, in order to improve the cleaning effect of the heat pump dishwasher of the present invention, the present invention heats the washing water through a heat pump. Fig.10 As shown, a base 7 for fixing the dishwasher is provided at the lower part of the dishwasher treatment chamber, and the heat pump system is installed in the base 7 as a whole.

[0097] The heat pump system comprises a heat pump system consisting of heat pump devices connected to each other: Fig.10 As shown, the heat pump device includes: a fan 4, an evaporator 5, a compressor 2, a condenser (the condenser of this embodiment is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger formed by winding a heat exchange sleeve 1), and a throttling element not shown in the figure. The working principle of the heat pump system is to achieve energy transfer through the conversion of the gas-liquid state of the heat pump working medium. Specifically, the high-pressure refrigerant vapor discharged by the compressor 2 flows into the condenser, and the refrigerant vapor condenses to release latent heat. The condensed liquid refrigerant flows through the throttling element and enters the evaporator 5. The evaporator 5 absorbs external heat through the air sucked in by the fan 4 and evaporates. The evaporated vapor is sucked in by the compressor to complete the heating cycle.

[0098] The present invention utilizes the latent heat released by the condenser to heat the washing water. During washing, the tap water passes through the water inlet valve and is softened by the softener before entering the dishwasher. The circulating pump drives the washing water through the sprayer to wash the dishes. When the washing water needs to be heated, the circulating pump drives the water through the condenser (tube heat exchanger) and then through the sprayer to wash the dishes. Fig.10 As shown, the condenser of the present invention is a shell and tube heat exchanger, such as Fig.12As shown, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger includes a heat exchange shell 1 wound around the same axis; the heat exchange shell 1 includes an inner tube 102 and an outer tube 101 that are mutually nested, the inner tube 102 is connected to the washing water pipeline, and the outer tube 101 is connected to the heat pump working medium. When the washing water flows through the inner tube 102 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the heat pump working medium in the condenser tube releases latent heat to heat the washing water in the inner tube. The circulating pump on the washing water waterway drives the washing water to flow in the washing water waterway, thereby realizing the heating of the washing water in the dishwasher.

[0099] like Fig.10 As shown, in the heat pump dishwasher of the present invention, the softener includes a soft water chamber 6 for accommodating washing water, the condenser has a receiving cavity 8 for accommodating the soft water chamber, and the soft water chamber 6 is placed in the receiving cavity 8. The softener in this embodiment includes a brine chamber for accommodating brine and / or a resin chamber for accommodating resin, and the soft water chamber 6 is the brine chamber and / or the resin chamber.

[0100] In order to fully utilize the installation space in the dishwasher base 7, the shape of the condenser receiving cavity 6 is matched with the shape of the soft water receiving cavity 8, so that the inner wall of the receiving cavity 8 fits the outer wall of the soft water receiving cavity. Figures 10 to 12 As shown, the condenser in this embodiment is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger composed of a heat exchange sleeve 1, and the accommodating cavity 8 is a hollow cavity formed by winding the heat exchange sleeve 1 around the same axis.

[0101] like Fig.12 As shown, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this embodiment is composed of a heat exchange shell 1, which is wound around the same axis and in the same rotation direction and spirally ascends to form the accommodating cavity 8. The soft water accommodating cavity 6 of the softener is vertically placed in the accommodating cavity 8. Not only is the hollow space generated by the winding of the heat exchange shell 1 utilized, but the soft water accommodating cavity 6 is also well fixed by the wound heat exchange shell 1, eliminating the fixed installation structure designed for the softener, making the processing and installation process of the softener simple.

[0102] The heat exchange sleeve 1 in this embodiment includes an inner tube 102 and an outer tube 101 which are mutually nested, wherein the inner tube 102 is communicated with the washing water pipeline of the dishwasher, and the outer tube 101 is communicated with the heat pump working medium of the heat pump system. In order to improve the heat exchange effect of the condenser, preferably, the direction of the washing water flowing in the inner tube of the heat exchange sleeve is opposite to the direction of the heat pump working medium flowing in the outer tube.

[0103] like Fig.12As shown, the washing water outlet 107 of the inner tube 102 of the heat exchange sleeve 1 and the heat pump working fluid inlet 108 of the outer tube 101 are located at the upper part of the sleeve heat exchanger; the washing water inlet 106 of the inner tube 102 of the heat exchange sleeve and the heat pump working fluid outlet 109 of the outer tube 101 are located at the lower part of the sleeve heat exchanger. The height of the sleeve heat exchanger is not higher than the height of the soft water chamber, which is convenient for taking out the soft water chamber 6.

[0104] The circulating pump of the heat pump dishwasher of the present invention has a water inlet and a water outlet, and the lowest point of the inner tube 102 of the heat exchange sleeve 1 is higher than the highest point of the water outlet of the circulating pump. Water accumulation occurs because the height of the inner tube is lower than the water outlet of the circulating pump.

[0105] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any form. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not used to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make some changes or modify the technical contents suggested above into equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still fall within the scope of the solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heat pump dishwasher, comprising: A heat pump system installed in a dishwasher; the heat pump system includes a condenser, wherein the condenser is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange shells bent in the same direction; the heat exchange shells include an inner tube and an outer tube that are mutually nested, the inner tube is communicated with a washing water pipeline, and the outer tube is communicated with a heat pump working medium; The inner tubes of two adjacent heat exchange sleeves are connected to each other to form a closed washing water passage, and the washing water passage is connected to the washing water pipeline to provide the dishwasher with washing water that has undergone heat exchange with the condenser; The outer tubes of two adjacent heat exchange sleeves are connected to each other to form a closed heat pump working medium passage, and the heat pump working medium passage is connected to the heat pump system; The water inlet and outlet of the washing water of the inner tube are located on the same side of the shell and tube heat exchanger, and the liquid inlet and outlet of the heat pump working medium of the outer tube are also located on the same side of the shell and tube heat exchanger.

2. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bending directions and angles of the heat exchange sleeves are the same, and the figures surrounded by the axes of the heat exchange sleeves are similar to each other.

3. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the heat exchange sleeves has at least one bent portion bent to one side, thereby forming a sleeve bend; two ends of the sleeve bend are located on the same side of the tangent of the bent portion.

4. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sleeve elbow is C-shaped or U-shaped.

5. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner tubes are connected to each other through inner tube bends along the flow direction of the washing water, and the bending angle of the inner tube bends is greater than 90 degrees.

6. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 5, characterized in that: The heat exchange sleeves are parallel to each other, and the inner tube bend angle is 180 degrees.

7. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water inlet and water outlet of the washing water and the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the heat pump working medium are all located on the same side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger.

8. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The direction of flow of the washing water in the casing is opposite to the direction of flow of the heat pump working medium.

9. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dishwasher comprises a processing chamber, and the double-tube heat exchanger is installed at the lower part of the processing chamber.

10. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that: A base for fixing the dishwasher is arranged at the lower part of the dishwasher processing chamber, and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is installed in the base.

11. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bending part of each sleeve bend is located on a side close to the back of the dishwasher; and the plane where the sleeve bend of the heat exchange sleeve is located is a horizontal plane.

12. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 11, characterized in that: The shell and tube heat exchanger is a single-layer structure, and all heat exchange shells are located in the same plane.

13. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell-and-tube heat exchanger is a multi-layer structure, and different heat exchange shells are located in different horizontal planes.

14. The heat pump dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that: The washing water pipeline comprises a circulation pump for circulating washing water, wherein the circulation pump has a water inlet and a water outlet, and the lowest point of the heat exchange sleeve is higher than the highest point of the water outlet of the circulation pump.

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