Dishwasher

Abstract

The utility model relates to a dishwasher (1) having at least one rinsing container (2) for receiving and treating rinsing items and at least one drying device for rinsing items, which dishwasher is designed to be provided with at least one air supply device (18), by means of which warm and humid air can be sucked out of the rinsing container (2) during a drying phase, a storage device (20) for storing hot water is provided, which storage device can be heated or filled by means of water obtained from the flushing container (2) during the treatment of the flushing material, and at least one heat exchanger (21) is provided in which air drawn from the flushing container (2) can be used to preheat supplementary air (22) flowing into the flushing container (2), a single-channel or multi-channel guide channel for replenishing air is provided, which guide channel is in thermal contact with a heat dissipation component (24) located in the device base (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a dishwasher with at least one drying device. Background Art

[0002] It is desirable to be able to remove the rinse items processed in the rinse container of a dishwasher, such as plates, glasses, cutlery etc., suitably dry and free of water or scale stains at the end of the rinse cycle. Dishwashers are therefore known which have various drying devices which enable the processed rinse items in the rinse container to be dried as efficiently as possible before removal. However, the high energy consumption required for drying is often undesirable and is increasingly becoming a sales barrier with the introduction of energy labels. Utility Model Content

[0003] The problem underlying the invention is to provide a dishwasher with drying of the rinse items which is as energy-efficient as possible.

[0004] The utility model solves the problem by means of a dishwasher with a drying device.

[0005] A dishwasher is proposed here, which has at least one rinsing container for receiving and treating rinsed goods and at least one drying device for the rinsed goods, the dishwasher is equipped with at least one air supply device, by means of which warm and humid air can be sucked out of the rinsing container during the drying phase, and the dishwasher is equipped with a storage device for storing hot water, the storage device can be heated or filled with the water obtained from the rinsing container during the treatment of the rinsed goods, and the dishwasher is equipped with at least one heat exchanger, in which the air sucked out of the rinsing container can be used to preheat the make-up air flowing into the rinsing container, and the dishwasher is equipped with a single-channel or multi-channel guide channel for the make-up air, which guide channel is in thermal contact with a heat dissipation component located in the base of the appliance.

[0006] It is further proposed that the make-up air can be sucked in by means of the negative pressure generated by the air supply device. It is further proposed that the make-up air can be freely sucked in by a dedicated air supply component and that the dishwasher is equipped with only one air supply component for sucking out air from the rinsing container. It is further proposed that for the suction of the make-up air, the dishwasher is equipped with at least one air inlet opening accessible from the outside in the region of the appliance base and an adjoining air duct in the dishwasher which is in thermal contact with the heated structural unit. It is further proposed that during the drying phase, the storage device for storing hot water is filled with hot water obtained from the rinsing container during the treatment of the rinsed goods. It is further proposed that at least one heat exchanger can be used on the countercurrent principle between the warm air sucked out of the rinsing container and the make-up air flowing into the rinsing container. It is further proposed that the sequence of heating of the make-up air by the storage device for storing hot water from the rinsing container during the treatment process and by the heat exchanger and by thermal contact with a heat sink located in the appliance base can be varied, and thus the arrangement of the storage device, the heat exchanger and the heat sink in the dishwasher can also be varied. Furthermore, it is proposed that the storage device, the heat exchanger and the heat dissipation element can act successively and / or adjacently to one another for preheating the make-up air.

[0007] According to the invention, at least one storage device for storing hot water is provided, which can be heated or filled with water obtained from the rinse container during the processing of the rinsed items, so that an energy storage device is obtained, which does not require any energy consumption except for the rinse cycle of the dishwashing program to be performed, and can be used to preheat the make-up air during the drying phase at the end of the rinsing process of the dishwashing program or during another drying phase after the end of the rinse cycle, such as a so-called storage phase. By additionally providing at least one heat exchanger in which the air sucked out of the rinse container can be used to preheat the make-up air flowing into the rinse container, a further possibility for preheating the ambient air is provided without requiring additional energy input. By additionally providing a single-channel or multi-channel guide channel for the make-up air, which guide channel is in thermal contact with a heat sink located in the base of the appliance, a further energy-efficient possibility for preheating the make-up air is provided. At the same time, by providing at least one air supply device, by means of which warm and moist air can be sucked out of the rinsing container during the drying phase, this warm and moist air can be conveyed through the heat exchanger, thereby providing warm air during the drying process, so that the associated high thermal energy that can be used for air preheating in the heat exchanger can be subsequently replenished. When a dishwashing program is carried out in the dishwasher, all of this thermal energy reserve is already generated during the rinsing process preceding its drying process, wherein the rinsing process includes one or more partial rinsing phases with rinsing liquid or rinse liquid to be heated and therefore does not require any energy to be replenished from the outside, resulting in a particularly high energy efficiency.

[0008] In particular, supplementary air can be sucked in by means of the negative pressure generated by the air supply device, so that no control device or a separate air supply device is required and only as much air as previously delivered is sucked in.

[0009] At least one air outlet can, for example, be directed toward the front side of the dishwasher and discharge the still warm and moist air sucked out of the rinse container during the drying phase, in particular at the front side, outwardly into the environment, thereby preventing condensation that could occur in the kitchen appliance.

[0010] Furthermore, the air outlet is thermally decoupled from at least one, in particular external, air inlet, for example by a distance of several tens of centimeters. For example, the distance may be lateral. For example, the one or more external air inlets may in particular be formed by one or more through holes or other openings in an outer wall of the device base.

[0011] The supplementary air flowing into the rinsing chamber of the rinsing container can be freely sucked in by a dedicated air supply member. Then, only a single air supply member is provided in total to suck out air from the rinsing container. The suction of the supplementary fresh air flowing into the rinsing chamber of the rinsing container can only be achieved by the negative pressure generated by sucking air from the rinsing chamber of the rinsing container, so it is optimized in terms of structure.

[0012] Advantageously, at least one air inlet is provided in the area of ​​the base which is accessible from the outside and an adjoining air duct which is in thermal contact with the heated structural unit in the device for drawing in the make-up air. The make-up air can then come into thermal contact with the hot components in the base and both experience a specific preheating and cause these components to cool down.

[0013] The construction is very simple and space-saving if during the drying phase the storage device for storing hot water is filled with hot water previously obtained from the rinsing container in the course of treating the rinsing material (i.e., process water), and the make-up air flowing into the rinsing container is in thermal contact with the storage device filled with hot water on its way to at least one air inlet of the rinsing container. This eliminates the need for a heat exchanger between the fresh water that must flow into the storage tank and the water flow from the rinsing container.

[0014] Advantageously, at least one heat exchanger can be operated between the air, i.e. the exhaust air from the rinsing container, and the fresh air, i.e. the supply air, flowing into the rinsing container on the counterflow principle between the two air flows, thereby saving space and operating efficiently. In particular, the exhaust air or supply air counterflow heat exchanger ensures that the warm, moist rinsing chamber air sucked out of the rinsing chamber of the rinsing container by the air supply device during the respective drying process is at least partially dehumidified. Thus, the rinsing chamber air blown out of the dishwasher by the air supply device into the environment can be dried sufficiently by the exhaust air or supply air counterflow heat exchanger. This means that the rinsing chamber air flowing out into the environment has a reduced moisture content after passing through the exhaust air or supply air counterflow heat exchanger, so that condensation of water on surfaces outside the dishwasher, for example on the floor in front of the dishwasher, is substantially avoided.

[0015] It is also advantageous that the sequence of heating of the make-up air by means of a storage device for storing hot water obtained from the rinsing container during the treatment process and by means of a heat exchanger and by means of thermal contact with a heat sink located in the base of the appliance can be varied. The arrangement of the thermal functional units mentioned in the dishwasher can thus also be varied so that their respective structural characteristics and space requirements can be better taken into account.

[0016] It is particularly advantageous if a plurality of the thermal functional units mentioned can act on the preheating of the make-up air in succession (series connection) and / or adjacent to one another (parallel connection).

[0017] In general, the waste heat generated by the rinsing process of a dishwashing program performed before the drying process is used to heat the ambient make-up air or fresh air flowing into the dishwasher as much as possible during the entire drying process.

[0018] In the context of the present invention, a drying process is in particular a drying phase of a dishwashing program at the end of a rinse cycle and / or a further drying phase following the end of a dishwashing program, for example a so-called storage phase, during which the rinsed goods are stored in the rinse container with the dishwasher door closed and are to remain dry for a longer storage time, for example 96 hours.

[0019] Further advantages and features result from the exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention which are shown in the drawings and described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings show:

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a dishwasher, viewed diagonally from the front, with a base or base carrier for accommodating various functional elements in the lower region and with an air inlet in the lower region,

[0022] Figure 2 shows the temperature of the heated air entering through the air inlet relative to the unheated air drawn in over time (x-axis) (a constant is shown parallel to the x-axis),

[0023] Figure 3 Schematic flow chart showing the supply of ambient air and its preheating on its guide path before entering the rinse container of the dishwasher as well as the suction and release of warm rinse chamber air to the environment during the drying process,

[0024] Figure 4 shows different possibilities for a series connection of the functional units for heating the make-up air,

[0025] Figure 5 The parallel paths of the heating functional units for the make-up air are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Figure 1 The household appliance schematically shown in FIG. 1 is a dishwasher 1 , ie, a domestic dishwasher. Other household appliances are also generally conceivable for the design according to the present invention.

[0027] according to Figure 1 The household dishwasher described below has: a rinsing container 2 as a component of an equipment body 5 that is at least partially opened or closed outwards, which is used to accommodate the rinse objects to be processed, such as cutlery, pots, cutlery, glasses, cookware, etc. The rinse objects can be kept in a cutlery basket 11 and / or a cutlery drawer 10, for example, and can be loaded with so-called rinsing liquid. The term "rinsing liquid" should be understood as fresh water or water that circulates during operation, especially with or without detergent and / or rinse agent and / or drying agent. The rinsing liquid may also contain more or less pollutants from the ongoing operation. Specifically, the water newly supplied to the rinsing container has been softened by a water softening system such as an ion exchanger. The rinsing container 2 may have a plan view that is at least substantially rectangular, with its front side V facing the user in the operating position. The front side V may form a part of the kitchen front made of kitchen appliances adjacent to each other, or it may also be independent of other furniture in the case of independent appliances.

[0028] The rinsing container 2 can be closed, in particular at the front side V, by a door 3 or a cover. Figure 1 In the drawing, the door is shown in a partially opened position and is therefore at an angle to the vertical. However, the door is upright in its closed position and can be pivoted forwards and downwards in the direction of arrow 4 about a lower horizontal axis according to the drawing to its opening, so that the door is at least almost horizontal in the fully opened position.

[0029] The door 3 is provided with a decorative panel 6 which, in the closed position, is located on the vertical outer side and front side V of the dishwasher 1 facing the user, thereby providing a visual and / or tactile upgrade and / or adapting to the surrounding kitchen equipment.

[0030] The dishwasher is designed here as a stand-alone device or as a so-called partially integrated or fully integrated device. In the latter case, the device body 5 can also be substantially flush with the outer wall of the rinsing container 2. This eliminates the need for a housing surrounding the outside. In the lower region of the dishwasher there can be a base 12 or a base carrier, which is used in particular to accommodate functional elements, such as a pump for circulating rinsing liquid. The rinsing container 2 is arranged on the base 12 of the device.

[0031] In the embodiment according to the drawings, the movable door 3 is equipped with a control panel 8 in its upper region, which extends in the transverse direction Q of the dishwasher and can include an access opening 7 accessible from the front side V as a door handle, which is used to manually open and / or close the door 3. For example, the access opening is closed at the front and top like a shell and can be entered from below. In the transverse direction Q, the dishwasher usually has an extension of 45 cm, 50 cm or 60 cm. In the depth direction from the front side V to the rear, the extension is usually around 60 cm. These values ​​are not mandatory. The dishwasher 1 also does not have to stand directly on the base plate B, but can also be installed in the kitchen appliance at approximately eye level. In the installed position, the lower edge of the dishwasher 1 is preferably about 70 cm to 110 cm from the base plate.

[0032] When the door 3 or the cover is closed, the rinsing container 2 is delimited circumferentially by a total of three vertically fixed walls 13 and two horizontal walls, one of which forms the ceiling (top) of the rinsing container and the other of which forms the floor (bottom) of the rinsing container 2. The left upright wall adjoins on the left the front side V facing the user in the transverse direction Q and on the right the right upright wall, which extends at least almost to the vertical height H of the dishwasher 1.

[0033] The wall forming the bottom of the washing container 2 and substantially delimiting it downwards is located approximately horizontally above the base 12, i.e. parallel to the outer floor B that the dishwasher 1 can occupy. As mentioned above, this wall can also be installed at a higher position, for example at the height of a worktop.

[0034] like Figure 1As shown, in the area of ​​the base 12 facing the front side V, that is, here in the base plate 15, an exhaust port 16 and an air inlet 17 spaced apart from the exhaust port and thus thermally decoupled are preferably provided. Additionally or independently of this, one or more air inlets can be provided in one or more other outer boundary walls of the device base. The exhaust port 16 and the air inlet 17 can both have an extension of several centimeters and be approximately circular, oval or angular. The distance between the exhaust port 16 and the air inlet 17 is provided here in the transverse direction Q and is generally about 30 cm to 50 cm. The exhaust port 16 and the air inlet 17 can be at the same height in a visually attractive manner. Specifically, the shape of the exhaust port 16 can be like a nozzle, thereby ensuring an accelerated air jet, which delivers the air far in front of the dishwasher 1 and thus prevents the undesirable condensation of water directly on the base plate 15.

[0035] According to the invention, the main functional principle is to utilize the waste heat generated during the rinsing process as effectively as possible in the subsequent drying process and to heat the ambient air 22 flowing into the dishwasher as much as possible during the entire drying process.

[0036] To achieve this, at least one air supply device 18 is provided, by means of which warm and moist air 23 can be sucked out of the rinsing container 2 during the drying phase. This generates a slight negative pressure in the rinsing container 2 during operation of the air supply device 18 (for example a blower or fan), by which ambient air 22 is automatically fed into the rinsing container via at least one air inlet, without the necessity of having a special conveying, in particular blowing, fan 19. Figure 3 This is shown as a dashed option.

[0037] In addition, at least one storage device 20 for storing hot water is provided, which is also referred to as a "hot water storage tank" in the figures. This storage device 20 can be filled with hot water from the rinse container, or the storage device 20 can be heated with water obtained from the rinse container 2 during the treatment of the rinse product, for example via a heat exchanger.

[0038] Furthermore, at least one heat exchanger 21 is provided in which the air sucked out of the rinsing container (exhaust air) can be used indirectly or directly to preheat the make-up air (supply air) flowing into the rinsing container and thus also the make-up air from the environment. Figure 3, a heat exchanger 21 is additionally arranged upstream of the storage device 20 for additional preheating of the make-up air from the environment. Alternatively, a pure air-to-air heat exchanger can also be used as the heat exchanger, wherein the gas 23 (exhaust air) sucked out of the rinsing container during the drying phase directly preheats the make-up air (supply air) from the rinsing container 2. The gas 23 is advantageously sucked out through an opening which is preferably located in the upper half of the rinsing container 2, so that no liquid is sucked out.

[0039] In addition, single-channel or multi-channel guide channels are provided for the make-up air, which are in thermal contact with a heat sink 24 , shown as a whole, located in the base 12 of the device and thus also ensure heating of the make-up air.

[0040] All these measures lead to an efficient use of the heat energy contained in the rinsing container due to the previous rinsing process. However, a (additional) heater 25 (which is located in the upper part of the housing) is provided for replenishing air and / or for heating water to optimize or accelerate the drying process. Figure 3 However, the heater can be operated more economically without the design of the present invention.

[0041] As described above, the supplementary air can be sucked in by the negative pressure generated by the air supply device 18, so that the supplementary air can be freely sucked in by the dedicated air supply component, and only one air supply component is required in total for sucking out the gas 23 from the rinsing container 2. This is advantageous in terms of energy, and the number of components is also minimized.

[0042] In order to be able to draw in the make-up air in a targeted and energy-optimized manner, at least one air inlet 17 accessible from the outside is provided in the area of ​​the base 12. An air duct is provided in the appliance, i.e. the dishwasher 1, which adjoins the air inlet so that the make-up air can be guided to thermally contact the components to be heated in the dishwasher 1 before it enters the rinse container 2. The air duct can be designed as an open or closed channel at least in some areas and guides the make-up air, in particular, through the heat pump and the above-mentioned storage device 20 and the heat exchanger 21 and into thermal contact so that the make-up air can be heated at these components. For example, as soon as the air supply device 18 delivers air from the rinse container 2, the suction starts automatically, which is usually preferably done during the entire drying phase.

[0043] During the drying phase, the storage device 20 for storing hot water can be filled with hot water obtained from the rinse tank during the processing of the rinse product, so that the heat generated early in the rinse cycle (such as in the rinse cycle) can continue to be used instead of simply pumping out the hot water obtained there. As mentioned above, the storage device can be filled directly with water from the rinse tank 2 or can be preheated by the heat storage device with fresh water from the rinse tank that can be preheated by waste heat.

[0044] At least one heat exchanger 21 can be operated on the counter-flow principle between the warm air 23 sucked out of the rinsing container 2 and the make-up air flowing into the rinsing container 2 , thereby forming an air-to-air heat exchanger and achieving an efficient heat transfer. Figure 2 It is shown how great the difference is between the temperature of the fresh air in the drying phase without and with the design of the utility model. The temperature of the air sucked in at the beginning of the drying phase increases from about 24° C. to about 33° C. without the need for additional external energy input. The sucked in air is therefore dry and warm at its at least one inlet into the rinsing container 2 and is therefore very suitable for drying dishes, while most of the moisture is carried away from the rinsed items with the discharged process air. The heat exchanger 21 can also work indirectly with hot water from the storage device 20, wherein the heat exchanger 21 and the storage device 20 can also be combined in one structural unit (combination tank).

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, the sequence of heating of the make-up air through the storage device 20 for storing hot water originating from the rinsing container 2 during the treatment process and through the heat exchanger 21 and through thermal contact with the heat sink 24 located in the base 12 of the appliance can be varied, and thus also the arrangement of the above-mentioned thermal functional units in the dishwasher 1. Figure 4 The overall theoretical sequential arrangement of the above-mentioned structural units is shown in . When entering the area of ​​the base 12, the air will usually first contact hot components, such as pumps, asphalt, weights and / or softening systems (eg ion exchangers), but this is not mandatory.

[0046] The above structural units are Figure 4 are shown in series with one another, and according to Figure 5 It can be seen from the illustration that, for preheating the make-up air, a plurality of the above-described thermal functional units can act not only successively but also optionally adjacent to one another in parallel.

[0047] In addition to the drying device according to the invention which implements a heat recovery system using heat already present or generated from the plant, additional drying devices, for example by door opening or zeolite drying, can also be provided.

[0048] Through the utility model, the thermal energy potential of the dishwasher and the combination of different heat sources are efficiently utilized.

[0049] Reference Numbers List

[0050] 2 Rinse the container

[0051] 3 doors

[0052] 5 Equipment body

[0053] 6 Decorative panels

[0054] 7 Enter the opening

[0055] 8 Control Panel

[0056] 10 Cutlery drawer

[0057] 11 Cutlery basket

[0058] 12 Base

[0059] 15 Base plate

[0060] 16 Exhaust port

[0061] 17 Air Inlet

[0062] 18 Air supply device

[0063] 19 Fan

[0064] 20 Storage Device

[0065] 21 Heat exchanger

[0066] 22 Ambient air

[0067] 24 Heat sink

[0068] V front

[0069] Q Horizontal direction

[0070] B Base Plate

[0071] H vertical height

Claims

1. A dishwasher having at least one rinsing container (2) for receiving and processing rinsed goods and at least one drying device for the rinsed goods, It is characterized in that The dishwasher is equipped with at least one air supply device, by means of which warm and moist air can be sucked out of the rinsing container (2) during the drying phase, and is equipped with a storage device for storing hot water, which can be heated or filled with water obtained from the rinsing container (2) during the processing of the rinsed goods, and The dishwasher is equipped with at least one heat exchanger (21), in which the air sucked out of the rinse container (2) can be used to preheat the make-up air flowing into the rinse container (2), and The dishwasher is equipped with a single-channel or multi-channel guide channel for the make-up air, which guide channel is in thermal contact with a heat sink located in the base of the appliance.

2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The supplementary air can be sucked in by means of the negative pressure generated by the air supply device.

3. The dishwasher according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The make-up air can be freely sucked in by a dedicated air supply element, and the dishwasher is equipped with only one air supply element for sucking air out of the rinse container (2).

4. The dishwasher according to claim 2 or 3, It is characterized in that For drawing in the make-up air, the dishwasher is equipped with at least one air inlet (17) accessible from the outside in the region of the appliance base and an adjoining air duct in the dishwasher which is in thermal contact with the heated structural unit.

5. The dishwasher according to claim 1, It is characterized in that During the drying phase, the storage device for storing hot water is filled with hot water obtained from the rinsing container (2) in the course of processing the rinse product.

6. The dishwasher according to claim 1, It is characterized in that At least one heat exchanger (21) can be used on the counter-flow principle between the warm air sucked out of the rinsing container (2) and the make-up air flowing into the rinsing container (2).

7. The dishwasher according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The sequence of heating of the make-up air through the storage device for storing hot water from the rinsing container (2) during the treatment process and through the heat exchanger (21) and through thermal contact with the heat sink located in the appliance base can be varied, and thus the arrangement of the storage device, the heat exchanger (21) and the heat sink in the dishwasher can also be varied.

8. The dishwasher according to claim 7, It is characterized in that The storage device, the heat exchanger (21) and the heat dissipation element can act on the preheating of the make-up air in succession and / or adjacent to each other.

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