Direction-dependent activation of door operation for domestic dishwashers

Abstract

The invention relates to a domestic dishwasher (1) having a washing container (3) with a loading opening (2), wherein the loading opening can be closed by means of a door (10) of the domestic dishwasher (1), wherein the domestic dishwasher (1) comprises an electric drive (4) by means of which the door (10) can be moved between a closed position, in which the door closes the loading opening, and an open position, in which the washing container (3) is accessible from the outside, and wherein the domestic dishwasher (1) is characterized in that the domestic dishwasher (1) has a control unit (5) which is designed to detect a manual movement of the door (10) in a specific movement direction by an operator by detecting a characteristic variable of the drive (4) and, as a result of the movement, to move the door (10) further in the movement direction by means of the drive (4). The invention also provides a method for operating the domestic dishwasher (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a domestic dishwasher comprising a washing container with a loading opening, wherein the loading opening can be closed by means of a door of the domestic dishwasher, wherein the domestic dishwasher comprises an electric drive, with the aid of which the door can be moved between a closed position, in which the door closes the loading opening, and an open position, in which the washing container is accessible from the outside.

[0002] Furthermore, a method for operating a domestic dishwasher having a washing container with a loading opening is proposed, wherein the loading opening can be closed by means of a door of the domestic dishwasher, wherein the domestic dishwasher comprises an electric drive, by means of which the door can be moved between a closed position, in which the door closes the loading opening, and an open position, in which the washing container is accessible from the outside. Background Art

[0003] Domestic dishwashers are known in the prior art and are generally used for washing and subsequently drying soiled items such as dishes or cutlery. During one or more washing steps, the items are exposed to a rinse liquid (water or water with detergent and / or rinse aid) in order to remove soiling from the items. To dry the items, domestic dishwashers have corresponding drying systems for the cleaned items, wherein air absorbs water adhering to the cleaned items, thereby drying the items.

[0004] In order to load the wash items into the rinse container or remove them from the rinse container again after the cleaning process, domestic dishwashers have a door which can be moved between an open position and a closed position, wherein of course intermediate positions are also possible (partial opening).

[0005] It is previously known to support doors via hinges, wherein the door can only be opened and closed manually by an operator through mechanical action.

[0006] Likewise, there are already household dishwashers that have an electric drive motor, by means of which the door can be moved back and forth between an open position and a closed position. To activate the drive, these household dishwashers, for example, have an operating element (e.g., an operating button). The operator operates the operating element, thereby activating the drive to move the door. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to further improve the known prior art.

[0008] This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims.

[0009] The domestic dishwasher according to the invention is characterized in that it has a control unit which is designed to recognize a manual movement of the door in a specific movement direction by an operator by detecting at least one characteristic variable of the drive device and, as a result of this movement, to further move the door in the aforementioned movement direction by means of the drive device.

[0010] The drive is therefore no longer activated by manual operation of an operating element which is preferably pre-set itself. It is further proposed that the domestic dishwasher independently detects the manual movement of the door carried out by the operator and uses the movement pulse of the door triggered by the operator as an output signal in order to continue the movement of the door in the direction of movement in which the door was manually moved by the operator. Therefore, one or more characteristic variables of the drive itself are used to detect the movement of the door by the operator. The background is that, through the coupling connection of the door to the drive, the manual movement of the door also causes a manual movement of the drive or a part of the drive. For example, it is conceivable to continuously monitor one or more elements of the drive (for example a mechanical connection connecting the door to the electric drive motor of the drive) by means of a sensor to monitor whether one or more elements of the drive have moved (for example a rotational movement or a pivoting movement) before the drive has been activated by the control unit, which indicates that the operator has manually moved the door.

[0011] If by control unit identification, implement corresponding movement to door by operator, this shows: operator wants door to be moved further on certain position.In this case, control unit activates drive unit, in order to cause the further movement of door.

[0012] If an initial movement pulse of the door is detected, the door is moved further by means of the drive, wherein the movement pulse is generated by the manual movement of the door by the operator.

[0013] The door of the domestic dishwasher according to the present invention is preferably a front door (as seen from the operator's standpoint, in front of the domestic dishwasher to operate it). The front door is preferably pivotable forward and downward about a lower, width-extending pivot axis. In particular, in the closed position, the front door stands substantially vertically. Here, the door closes the front loading opening of the dishwasher's rinse container. To open, the door can be pivoted forward and downward about a lower, horizontal axis. In particular, in the fully opened position, the door is at least approximately horizontal.

[0014] According to an advantageous improvement, a control unit is provided which, due to the movement of the operator, moves the door further with the aid of a drive until it reaches the end position. Here, the end position corresponds to the open position or the closed position of the door, depending on the direction of movement of the manual movement performed by the operator. If the operator moves the door a little further in the direction of the open position, this is interpreted by the control unit as a sign that the operator wants to open the door completely. In this case, the door continues to move until it reaches its open position (the open position is a position in which the door cannot be opened any further). It is also conceivable that, in the case where the operator moves the door in the direction of the closed position, this is evaluated by the control unit as the operator wanting to completely close the door (= closed position). After detecting the corresponding movement pulse, the control unit activates the drive in this case until the door is in its closed position.

[0015] Preferably, the operator only needs to make a brief movement in the direction of the open position or in the direction of the closed position in order to indicate to the control unit that the operator wants to brake the door to the corresponding end position (open position or closed position). The remaining movement is then carried out by the drive device, which is activated accordingly by the control unit.

[0016] The respective end position can be detected, for example, by means of one or more sensors. It is also conceivable that the control unit determines the door's current position by evaluating one or more characteristic variables of the drive. Based on this data, the control unit ultimately also knows how far it must move the door further after detecting a manual movement pulse in order to reach the respective end position. In this case, sensors for detecting the door's end position are unnecessary.

[0017] According to another refinement, the drive device includes a permanent magnet-excited drive motor with a rotor. The drive motor is mechanically coupled to the door so that manual movement of the door by the operator causes movement of the rotor. The permanent magnet-excited drive motor has the characteristic that, when the rotor rotates, an electromotive force is generated in the winding (stator), thereby inducing a voltage in the drive motor that can be connected to the motor terminals and evaluated by the control unit. In this case, when the door is manually moved, the inactive drive motor thus acts as a generator.

[0018] When force is applied to the door using a hand, knee, or foot, it moves slightly and, through dynamic engagement with the drive motor, can rotate itself by a certain angle, which briefly generates a voltage pulse at the motor terminals. The polarity or phase sequence of this voltage depends on the direction of movement and the voltage value is proportional to the angular velocity of the door.

[0019] In this case, the control unit is designed to detect a voltage as a characteristic variable of the drive (in this case, the voltage corresponds to the aforementioned characteristic variable). Furthermore, the control unit is designed to operate the drive motor to further move the door in the direction of movement when the voltage is detected. This has the particular advantage that no additional sensors are required to detect the movement of the door or the drive motor. Furthermore, during the manual movement of the door, the drive motor itself provides a characteristic variable, which can be detected or evaluated by the control unit, through so-called generation operation.

[0020] By evaluating the induced voltage, the control unit can thus detect the intended direction and intention of door activation without requiring additional complex sensors and activate the drive to further move the door in the movement direction preset by the operator by manually moving the door.

[0021] If the door is moved manually by an operator, a voltage is induced in the drive motor, wherein the control unit is designed to detect this voltage as a characteristic variable of the drive device, and wherein the control unit is designed to operate the drive motor to continue moving the door in the described movement direction when the voltage is detected.

[0022] For example, a further characteristic variable that can be monitored additionally or alternatively by the control unit is, for example, the rotation of the rotor, which can be monitored by means of a sensor.

[0023] According to one advantageous refinement, the control unit is designed to evaluate the polarity (in the case of a DC motor or an AC motor) and the phase sequence (in the case of a three-phase motor) of the voltage induced by the movement of the rotor when the operator manually causes the door to move. The polarity of the voltage here refers to its sign (+ or -), while the phase sequence is understood to be the temporal sequence of the energization of the three-phase current applied to the drive motor or the three electrical phases of the generated voltage. Furthermore, the control unit is designed to operate the drive motor while taking the polarity or phase sequence into account. Since the polarity or phase sequence depends on whether the operator manually moves the door in the direction of the open position or the direction of the closed position, the control unit can identify from the polarity or phase sequence whether the operator intends to open or close the door.

[0024] In particular, it is proposed that, after detecting an induced voltage at the drive motor, the control unit drives the drive motor in a direction (clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the rotor) so that the door is moved by means of the drive in a movement direction that corresponds to the movement direction of the previously performed manual movement of the door. The control unit thus causes the door to continue moving in the same movement direction after the manual movement pulse.

[0025] According to an advantageous refinement, the control unit is designed to evaluate the value and / or frequency of a voltage induced during the movement of the rotor when the door is manually moved by an operator, wherein the evaluation unit is further designed to operate the drive motor taking into account the value and / or frequency of the induced voltage. For example, it is conceivable that the control unit selects the drive speed of the drive motor and the door movement speed caused by the drive motor based on the value and / or frequency of the induced voltage. Thus, if the operator manually moves the door quickly, the drive motor will also continue to move the door relatively quickly. Conversely, if the operator moves the door relatively slowly, the drive motor will also move the door relatively slowly. To be able to determine the drive speed of the drive motor accordingly, limit values ​​or ranges can be stored in the control unit for the detected value and / or frequency of the induced voltage, wherein a specific drive speed of the drive motor is selected based on the detected value.

[0026] Additionally or alternatively, it is also conceivable that the control unit is designed to evaluate the value of the rotor's rotational angle during manual door movement, wherein the control unit is also designed to operate the drive motor while taking into account the value of the rotational angle. By evaluating the rotational angle, the control unit can determine the door's current position or the position it has assumed after manual movement by the operator. For example, if the door has a maximum opening angle of 90° and the control unit detects a 10° movement of the door from the closed position, the control unit knows that the door must be moved a further 80° after the operator's manual movement impulse in order to return the door to its open position. The door's opening angle can be calculated from the rotor's rotational angle, as the rotor is mechanically connected to the door. Therefore, a specific rotor rotational angle always corresponds to a specific door opening angle.

[0027] According to one advantageous refinement, the drive motor is mechanically coupled to the door via a transmission, such that rotation of the electric drive motor's rotor causes movement of the door, or vice versa. The advantage of using a transmission is that the speed and torque of the drive motor can be selected so that the rotational motion of the rotor optimally matches the requirements of the door opening mechanism. Preferably, a reduction gear is provided, wherein the transmission ratio between the drive speed of the electric drive motor's rotor and the output speed of the output shaft of the transmission is greater than 1. The output shaft is preferably connected to a rotatably supported roller in a torque-proof manner, and a drive cable is partially located around the outer circumference of the roller, which is coupled to the door for movement. The roller is, for example, mounted on the side wall of a base support member disposed below the rinsing container and accommodating functional components (e.g., a circulation pump, an emptying pump, a program control unit, a descaling system, etc.). The reduction gear allows the drive motor to be kept sufficiently compact, which simplifies its placement, particularly within the base support member below the rinsing container of a domestic dishwasher. At the same time, a sufficiently high torque can be generated on the roller and drive cable for moving the door. The transmission can be, for example, a planetary gear transmission, a spur gear transmission, or a belt transmission. It can be particularly advantageous if the drive connection between the door and the drive motor is cordless and / or beltless. Preferably, the drive connection between the door and the drive motor is established solely via a fixed body (i.e., without a drive cord or belt). Advantageously, the torque of the drive motor can be transmitted to the door reliably and with minimal vibration.

[0028] According to an advantageous refinement, the transmission is designed to be non-self-locking. This has the advantage that the door can be moved by an operator even when the drive motor is inactive. Therefore, the transmission does not cause the door to lock when the drive motor is inactive. Therefore, even when the electric drive motor is de-energized, the driven shaft of the non-self-locking transmission can be rotated by manually moving the door.

[0029] According to an advantageous refinement, the drive motor is coupled to the door via a drive cable, so that rotation of the rotor causes movement of the door, and vice versa. Consequently, the drive motor is not, or not entirely, connected to the door via a fixed transmission component. Furthermore, at least a portion of the transmission chain between the drive motor or its rotor and the door is realized via the drive cable.

[0030] According to an advantageous refinement, a drive cable contacts a rotatably mounted roller of the domestic dishwasher, in particular, is wound around the roller, and the drive motor is designed to drive the roller to move the drive cable, so that the door moves in a pivoting motion when the drive motor is operated. By directly driving the roller, which is driven by the drive cable connected to the door, a particularly space-saving arrangement can be achieved. For example, the door movement can be directly influenced by the drive roller. Furthermore, a domestic dishwasher can be provided that achieves automatic door movement using a small number of components. In the present invention, a "roller" is, for example, a rotatably mounted element that is particularly symmetrical about a central axis. The roller can be, for example, a drive cable roller. Here, the drive cable contacts the roller along a wrap angle, wherein the wrap angle remains (particularly substantially) constant during movement of the drive cable. In other words, the contact surface between the drive cable and the roller remains constant, for example. Preferably, the drive cable comprises a synthetic material or metal. Alternatively or additionally, the drive cable can comprise yarn or textiles, in particular natural and / or synthetic fibers. For example, the drive cable is formed from multiple mechanically connected drive cable segments. For example, the drive rope has no fixed connection to the roller, but is only in contact with the roller. The roller acts as a direct drive for the drive rope. For example, the drive rope is driven only by means of the roller.

[0031] According to an advantageous improvement, the roller and drive rope are designed so that the driving force from the roller to the drive rope is transmitted by means of frictional interaction. Preferably, the driving force from the roller to the drive rope is transmitted by means of friction in the drive rope. For example, the generated drive rope force generates a tangential static friction force along the roller circumference where the roller contacts the roller, which is used to achieve movement of the door. Advantageously, this can limit the tension caused by the drive rope at the door because, after exceeding a limit tension, sliding friction occurs at the contact surface between the drive rope and the roller. This has the advantage of providing a safety device. This prevents body parts caught between the door and the housing from being crushed. In addition, damage to objects colliding with the door can be avoided.

[0032] In particular, the door has a lever to which the end of the drive cable can be connected, wherein the door, the drive motor and the drive cable are arranged such that a changing tension on the lever by means of the drive motor and the drive cable causes a pivoting movement of the door.

[0033] Preferably, the household dishwasher includes an elastic element connected to the housing and to the drive cable and configured to at least partially compensate for the weight of the door. This has the advantage of preventing the door from falling in an uncontrolled manner. Furthermore, it facilitates manual closing of the door. The elastic element is preferably a coil spring. For example, the elastic characteristic curve of the elastic element may be progressive, decreasing, or linear. For example, the elastic element stretches and is thereby preloaded as the door opening angle increases. Preferably, the elastic element is designed as a tension spring. Preferably, the drive cable is provided as a continuous drive cable between the roller and the lever, and between the roller and the elastic element. It is also conceivable to arrange the drive cable and roller so that the drive cable slides over the roller as the door opening angle changes due to manual force applied to the door.

[0034] The method according to the present invention is characterized in that a control unit of the domestic dishwasher detects a characteristic variable of a drive mechanism, and detects a manual movement of the door by the operator in a specific direction of movement. As a result of this movement, the door is further moved in the aforementioned direction by the drive mechanism. Therefore, the operator does not have to fully move the door to the desired end position. Furthermore, it is sufficient for the operator to generate a certain movement pulse by manually moving the door, which is detected by the control unit of the domestic dishwasher. After detecting this movement pulse, the control unit activates the drive mechanism of the domestic dishwasher, causing the door to continue moving in the direction of movement predetermined by the operator. In this case, the majority of the door movement is performed by the drive mechanism, with the initial movement of the door by the operator merely serving as a starting signal for the movement.

[0035] According to an advantageous improvement, the drive device includes a permanent magnet excitation drive motor, which is mechanically coupled to the door so that the movement of the door caused manually by the operator causes the movement of the rotor, whereby a voltage is induced in the drive motor, wherein the control unit detects the voltage as a characteristic variable of the drive device, and wherein the control unit operates the drive motor during the detection of the voltage so that the door continues to move in the direction of movement. For other features of the delivery motor, reference is made to the above description. The advantage of this drive motor is that the movement of the rotor is detected as soon as the door moves, because the rotor is in effective connection with the door. If the movement of the rotor is detected when the drive motor is not actually activated, the control unit evaluates this as the operator's desire to move the door. As a result, a sensor for detecting door movement (e.g. a proximity sensor) can be omitted.

[0036] According to an advantageous refinement, the control unit evaluates the value and / or frequency of the voltage induced during rotor movement when the door is manually moved by an operator, and / or the value of the rotor's rotational angle during manual door movement, and the drive motor is operated taking into account the values ​​of the voltage and / or frequency and / or rotational angle. For example, during manual door movement, it is possible to correlate the door movement caused by the drive motor with the induced voltage. Thus, a higher induced voltage is equivalent to a greater door movement than a lower induced voltage. Alternatively or additionally, the value of the rotational angle can be used to determine how much further the door has moved after the operator-induced movement pulse has been detected.

[0037] According to an advantageous refinement, the control unit evaluates the polarity and phase sequence of the voltage induced by the rotor during manual door movement by the operator, wherein the drive motor is operated taking into account the polarity and phase sequence. In particular, the evaluation of the voltage polarity or phase sequence enables the identification of the direction in which the operator is moving the door. The subsequent movement direction by the drive motor corresponds to the direction of movement of the door by the operator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The present invention and its advantageous designs and improvements as well as their advantages are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They are shown in schematic principle sketches:

[0039] Figure 1 shows a side view of a domestic dishwasher,

[0040] Figure 2 a side view, partly in section, showing a section through a domestic dishwasher according to the invention,

[0041] Figure 3 shows a side view, partly in section, of a domestic dishwasher according to the invention, and

[0042] Figure 4 A top view of a section through a domestic dishwasher according to the invention is shown.

[0043] Unless otherwise indicated, identical or functionally identical elements in the figures are provided with the same reference symbols. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic side view of a domestic dishwasher 1 is shown. The domestic dishwasher 1 comprises a rinsing container 3, which can be closed by a door 10. The rinsing container 3 is preferably square. The rinsing container 3 and the door 10 form a rinsing chamber located inside, which is used for rinsing wash items.

[0045] exist Figure 1In the figure, the door 10 is shown in its closed position by solid lines, in which it closes the washing chamber outward. Furthermore, the door 10 is shown in its open position by dashed lines, wherein the washing chamber is accessible to an operator via the loading opening 2 in order to place wash items into or remove them from the domestic dishwasher 1. The door 10 can be closed or opened by pivoting about a pivot axis 11 provided at its lower end.

[0046] The domestic dishwasher 1 also has at least one rinse product receptacle (not shown). Preferably, a plurality of, for example, three rinse product receptacles can be provided, such as a lower rinse product receptacle or lower basket, an upper rinse product receptacle or upper basket or cutlery drawer.

[0047] A bottom housing 17 is arranged below the rinsing container. Figures 2 to 4 The rinsing container 3 is preferably fixedly connected to the bottom housing 17. For example, the bottom housing 17 and the rinsing container 3 form the housing 15 of the domestic dishwasher 1. The housing 15 includes, for example, further housing parts (not explicitly shown with reference numerals) that surround or cover the rinsing container 3.

[0048] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional detail of a side view of a domestic dishwasher 1 is shown. The domestic dishwasher 1 comprises a housing 15, a door 10 pivotably connected to the housing 15, a drive cable 8 connected to the door 10, a roller 9 in contact with the drive cable 8, and an electric drive motor 6, which is provided to drive the roller 9 to move the drive cable 8, thereby causing a pivoting movement of the door 10.

[0049] Furthermore, the door 10 comprises a lever 13, to which a first end of the drive cable 8 is connected. The door 10, the drive motor 6 and the drive cable 8 are arranged such that a change in the tension F1 on the lever 13 by means of the drive motor 6 and the drive cable 8 causes a vanity movement of the door 10. For this purpose, the roller 9 is drive-connected to the drive motor 6.

[0050] The door 10 is connected to the housing 15, for example, by means of a hinge 12. The pivot axis 11 extends through the hinge 12. The door 10 also comprises a plate-shaped door section which, when the door 10 is closed, covers or closes the loading opening 2 (see FIG. Figure 1 ).

[0051] The roller 9 and the drive rope 8 are preferably arranged such that the drive transmission from the roller 9 to the drive rope 8 is achieved solely by frictional engagement. For this purpose, a friction surface 16 is formed between the roller 9 and the drive rope 8. This friction surface is achieved, for example, by rope friction. The drive rope 8 wraps around the roller 9 along a wrap angle, which can be referred to as the wrap angle α. For example, the wrap angle α can be between 90° and 450°. The wrap angle α remains substantially constant during the movement of the drive rope 8 by means of the roller 9.

[0052] Figure 3 A schematic side view of another embodiment of a domestic dishwasher 1 is shown. Figure 2 An improved design of the embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 2 In contrast, the drive rope 8 has a wrap angle α around the roller 9 of between 360° and 540°, preferably between 400° and 500°, more preferably between 425° and 475°, and even more preferably between 445° and 455°. For example, the wrap angle α is exactly 450°. This can also be referred to as a 1.25° wrap of the rope around the roller 9. Advantageously, this wrap angle α can be used to adjust or limit the maximum pulling force on the lever 3.

[0053] The domestic dishwasher 1 also includes an elastic element 20, which is connected to the housing 15 and the drive cord 8 and is provided to at least partially compensate for the weight G of the door 3. The second end 21 of the drive cord 8 is connected to the elastic element 20. For example, the elastic element 20 can be designed as a coil spring or a tension spring. The spring element 20 includes a first end 22, which is connected to the second end of the drive cord 8. Furthermore, the spring element 20 includes a second end 23, which is connected to the bottom housing 17. The drive motor 6 then drives the roller, causing the door 10 to open, and the elastic element 20 is then stretched.

[0054] Furthermore, the domestic dishwasher 1 comprises a guide roller 19 which is provided for redirecting the drive cable 8 between the roller 9 and the door 10. The guide roller 19 can be used, for example, to control the course (rope course) of the drive cable 8. For example, the wrap angle can be increased by using the guide roller 19. α Or the geometric boundary conditions of the housing 15 are adapted.

[0055] Furthermore, drive cable 8 and roller 9 are arranged such that, when the opening angle β of door 10 changes, manual force F2 acting on door 10 causes drive cable 8 to slide via roller 9. This allows, when spring element 20 is suddenly loaded, particularly when door 10 is quickly closed using manual force F2, spring force F3 to pull on second end 21 of drive cable 8 when roller 9 is locked. Opening angle β is the angle between door 10 and vertical plane V, through which pivot axis 11 moves taut. For example, domestic dishwasher 1 is designed such that the combination of spring force F3 and weight G of door 10 allows drive cable 8 to be wound up on roller 9 and unwound from roller 9 at every opening angle β of door 10.

[0056] The domestic dishwasher 1 also includes a control unit 5 configured to control a drive motor 6 so as to cause a pivoting movement of the door 10. For example, the control unit 5 is configured to control the drive motor 6 so that the door 10 performs a complete opening movement and / or a partial opening movement and / or a complete closing movement and / or a partial closing movement. To this end, the control unit 5 and the drive motor 6 are coupled to each other via signal technology (indicated by dashed lines). For example, the domestic dishwasher 1 includes an operator interface 18 configured to communicate with the control unit 15 in order to control the drive motor 6. The operator interface 18 preferably includes buttons, a touch screen, a microphone, sensors, or other input devices.

[0057] The roller 9 and / or the drive cable 8 and / or the elastic element 20 and / or the drive motor 6 and / or the lever 13 can be provided, for example, redundantly and arranged, for example, along a side wall of the domestic washing machine 1 .

[0058] Figure 4 A top view of a section through a cutout of the bottom shell 17 is shown. The drive motor 6 is preferably drivingly connected to the roller 9 by means of a rotor 7 of the drive motor 6 (the drive motor comprises a rotor 7 and a stator).

[0059] The drive motor 6 or its rotor 7 can be operatively connected to the roller 9 directly or via a gear 24 , in particular a worm gear.

[0060] Roller 9 rotates about central axis M via drive motor 6 and transmission 24. Roller 9 is, for example, rotationally symmetrical about central axis M. Transmission 24 is configured to brake the movement of roller 9 when a torque is applied to roller 9 from outside the transmission. For example, when an operator manually opens door 10, a situation may arise whereby spring force F3 pulls at the second end of drive cable 8, thereby applying a torque to roller 9. If, for example, spring force F3 exceeds a certain value, drive cable 8 slips across the roller, generating sliding friction at the friction surface.

[0061] According to the present invention, it is now proposed that, regardless of the exact assembly of the drive device 4, one or more characteristic parameters of the drive motor can be detected or evaluated during the manual movement of the door 10 by the operator. If manual movement of the door 10 is detected, the control unit 5 ultimately operates the drive motor of the drive device 4 in such a way that the initial manual movement of the door 10 is continued. Preferably, the door 10 continues to move until it reaches a defined final position (preferably an open or closed position of the door 10).

[0062] Even if the door 10 is now moved manually by the operator, the rotor 7 of the drive motor 6 also moves because the door 10 is mechanically coupled to the rotor 7. The movement of the rotor 7 induces a voltage in the drive motor 6, which can be evaluated by the control unit 5. Therefore, the voltage detected at the inactive drive motor 6 means that the door 10 is being moved manually by the operator. This is interpreted by the control unit 5 as the operator wanting to open or close the door 10. After or during the movement momentum generated by the operator, the drive motor 6 is finally activated, and the door 10 continues to move in its own direction of movement, as if it were still being moved by the operator.

[0063] In the domestic dishwasher 1 according to the invention, there is preferably no operating element via which the movement of the door is activated by the drive motor 6. Furthermore, the drive motor 6 is activated indirectly by manual movement of the door 10.

[0064] In order to be able to regulate or control the movement speed and the opening angle of the door 10 during movement by the drive motor 6 , it is advantageous if the control unit 5 detects and evaluates a voltage which is induced in the drive motor 6 during manual movement of the door 10 by the operator.

[0065] Finally, we discuss several possible aspects within the context of the present invention, wherein the following points can be considered individually or in any combination.

[0066] Domestic dishwashers (also known as household dishwashers) generally have a movable door, in particular a front door, which can be opened or closed via hinges for loading and unloading dishes, preferably at any angle between 0° and a maximum of 90°, from vertical to horizontal, wherein the door weight is compensated by a spring mechanism and the door's independent movement is prevented by a damping element, so that any stable intermediate positions can be achieved.

[0067] The mechanical drive system (hereinafter also referred to as CADOC) consists of a cable drive, a transmission, an electric motor, drive electronics, and sensors. In the future, it will be possible to take over the previously manually performed door movements, thereby increasing system comfort and improving ergonomics. The advantage here is that it detects the operator's intention to open or close the door and activates the door drive accordingly.

[0068] Preferably, within the scope of the invention, a permanently excited electric motor (DC or PMSM) can be used in the electromechanical drive process, which drive motor can be connected to the door hinge and the door leaf via a mechanical energy flow by means of suitable transmission elements.

[0069] The characteristic of a drive motor with permanent magnet excitation is that when the rotor rotates, a motor force (EMK voltage / back electromotive force) is generated in the winding, which can be taken out at the motor terminals. In this case, the inactive drive motor acts as a generator.

[0070] When force is applied to the door using a hand, knee, or foot, the door moves a small amount, and the rotor, through the force connection to the drive motor, rotates a certain angle. This generates a short-lived voltage pulse at the motor terminals. The polarity and phase sequence of the voltage are related to the direction of movement of the door, and the voltage value is proportional to the angular velocity of the door.

[0071] Thus, the desired and intended direction of door activation can be detected electronically by evaluating the signal without additional complex sensor systems and the corresponding direction of door movement can be activated.

[0072] In the case of a speed-controlled drive, the door speed can be set variably via the angular speed in response to a motion-sensitive impulse.

[0073] The proposed solution is advantageous if the inserted transmission does not self-lock during the entire force flow.

[0074] Furthermore, the described solution has the following advantages:

[0075] - Convenient activation of the door opening or door closing function without the need for additional complex structural elements and wiring.

[0076] - Wear and aging are not expected.

[0077] - No sensing device in areas susceptible to moisture.

[0078] - Reduce the cost of the entire CADOC system.

[0079] Thus, an electromechanical drive can be considered, which is composed of a permanently excited drive motor with a transmission unit for opening and closing the door of a domestic dishwasher, wherein the drive is activated by external contact with the door, wherein the drive motor is mechanically coupled to the door, wherein a voltage is induced by the rotation of the rotor, and this voltage is used as an activation signal for the door drive.

[0080] In particular, it is conceivable to evaluate the voltage direction and / or the phase sequence of the resulting voltage induced in the motor winding in order to detect the desired direction of movement of the door and to activate accordingly in this direction.

[0081] The magnitude of the produced voltage induced in the motor windings can also be evaluated to influence the speed of door movement.

[0082] Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown. Furthermore, all combinations of the individual features described, as shown or described in the claims, the description and the drawings, are subject matter of the invention, as long as the respective combination is technically feasible or meaningful.

[0083] Reference Signs List

[0084] 1 household dishwasher

[0085] 2 openings for loading

[0086] 3. Rinse the container

[0087] 4 drive unit

[0088] 5Control Unit

[0089] 6 drive motors

[0090] 7 rotors

[0091] 8 drive ropes

[0092] 9 rollers

[0093] 10 doors

[0094] 11 pivot axis

[0095] 12 hinges

[0096] 13 Leverage

[0097] 14 First end of the drive rope

[0098] 15 Housing

[0099] 16 friction surface

[0100] 17 Bottom shell

[0101] 18 Operation Interface

[0102] 19 guide roller

[0103] 20 elastic element

[0104] 21 Second end of the drive rope

[0105] 22 first end portion of the elastic element

[0106] 23 Second end portion of the elastic element

[0107] 24 Transmission

[0108] F1 Rally

[0109] F2 manual force

[0110] F3 elastic force

[0111] G Gravity

[0112] V vertical plane

[0113] M Central Axis

[0114] α Wrap Angle

[0115] β Opening angle.

Claims

1. A domestic dishwasher (1) comprising a rinsing container (3) having a filling opening (2), wherein: The loading opening (2) can be closed by means of a door (10) of the domestic dishwasher (1), wherein the domestic dishwasher (1) comprises an electric drive (4) by means of which the door (10) can be moved between a closed position, in which the door closes the loading opening (2), and an open position, in which the rinsing container (3) is accessible from the outside, and is characterized in that the domestic dishwasher (1) has a control unit (5) designed to recognize a manual movement of the door (10) in a specific movement direction by an operator by detecting at least one characteristic variable of the drive (4), and to detect the manual movement of the door (10) in a specific movement direction by detecting the manual movement of the door (10) by the operator by detecting at least one characteristic variable of the drive (4), and The drive device (4) causes the door (10) to continue to move in the movement direction. The drive device (4) includes a permanently excited drive motor (6) with a rotor (7), and the drive motor is mechanically coupled to the door (10) so that the movement of the door (10) caused manually by the operator causes the movement of the rotor (7), thereby inducing a voltage in the drive motor (6), wherein the control unit (5) is designed to detect the voltage as a characteristic variable of the drive device (4), and wherein the control unit (5) is designed to drive the door (10) to continue to move in the movement direction when the voltage of the drive motor (6) is detected.

2. The household dishwasher (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit (5) is designed to move the door (10) by means of the drive device (4) as a result of the movement caused by the operator until an end position is reached, wherein the end position corresponds to the open position or the closed position of the door (10) depending on the movement direction of the manual movement performed by the operator.

3. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The control unit (5) is designed to evaluate the polarity or phase sequence of the voltage induced when the rotor (7) moves when the door (10) is manually moved by the operator, wherein the control unit (5) is also designed to operate the drive motor (6) while taking the polarity or phase sequence into account.

4. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The control unit (5) is designed to evaluate the value and / or frequency of the voltage, which is induced when the rotor (7) moves when the door (10) is manually moved by the operator, and / or the control unit is designed to evaluate the value of the rotation angle of the rotor (7) when the movement of the door (10) is manually caused, wherein the control unit (5) is also designed to operate the drive motor (6) taking into account the value and / or frequency of the voltage and / or taking into account the value of the rotation angle.

5. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The control unit (5) is designed to determine the angular velocity of the rotor (7), which is rotated at the angular velocity by the movement pulse of the door (10) manually generated by the operator in the movement direction, and the control unit (5) is designed to provide the drive speed of the drive motor (6) according to the determined angular velocity, and to cause the door (10) to continue to move in the movement direction at the drive speed by means of the drive device (4).

6. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The drive motor (6) is coupled to the door (10) via a transmission device (24) so ​​that the rotation of the rotor (7) causes the movement of the door (10), or the movement of the door (10) causes the rotation of the rotor (7).

7. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The transmission device (24) is designed to be non-self-locking.

8. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The drive motor (6) is coupled to the door (10) via a drive rope (8), so that the rotation of the rotor (7) causes the movement of the door (10), or the movement of the door (10) causes the rotation of the rotor (7).

9. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that The drive rope (8) contacts a rotatably mounted roller (9) of the domestic dishwasher (1), and the drive motor (6) is designed to drive the roller (9) to move the drive rope (8), whereby the door (10) is moved in a pivoting manner by operation of the drive motor (6).

10. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that The drive rope (8) is wound around the roller.

11. The domestic dishwasher (1) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The roller (9) and the drive rope (8) are designed to achieve the transmission of driving force from the roller (9) to the drive rope (8) only by means of friction fit.

12. A method for operating a domestic dishwasher (1) having a washing container (3) with a filling opening (2), wherein: The loading opening (2) can be closed by means of a door (10) of the domestic dishwasher (1), wherein the domestic dishwasher (1) comprises an electric drive (4), the door (10) being moved by means of the drive between a closed position and an open position, in which the door closes the loading opening (2) and in which the rinsing container (3) is accessible from the outside, characterized in that a manual movement of the door (10) in a specific movement direction by an operator is identified by detecting a characteristic variable of the drive (4) by means of a control unit (5) of the domestic dishwasher (1), wherein the movement is performed by means of the drive. The device (4) causes the door (10) to continue to move in the movement direction, the drive device (4) includes a permanently excited drive motor (6) with a rotor (7), and the drive motor is mechanically coupled to the door (10) so that the movement of the door (10) caused by the operator manually causes the movement of the rotor (7), thereby inducing a voltage in the drive motor (6), wherein the control unit (5) detects the voltage as a characteristic variable of the drive device (4), and wherein the control unit (5) operates the drive motor (6) when the voltage is detected to cause the door (10) to continue to move in the movement direction.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The control unit (5) evaluates the value and / or frequency of the voltage, induces the voltage when the rotor (7) moves when the door (10) is manually moved by the operator, and / or the control unit evaluates the value of the rotation angle of the rotor (7) when the door (10) is manually moved, and operates the drive motor (6) taking into account the value and / or frequency of the voltage and / or taking into account the value of the rotation angle.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: The control unit (5) evaluates the polarity or phase sequence of the voltage, which is induced when the rotor (7) moves when the door (10) is manually moved by the operator, wherein the drive motor (6) is operated taking the polarity or phase sequence into account.

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