Drying device and dish washing machine

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, in particular to a drying device and a dish washing machine. The drying device comprises an air duct, a fan assembly, heating equipment and a first humidity sensor, the fan assembly, the heating equipment and the first humidity sensor are arranged in the air duct, the air duct is arranged on the outer side wall of the inner container, the two ends of the air duct communicate with the inner container through the first air opening and the second air opening correspondingly, and the first humidity sensor is arranged between the first air opening and the heating equipment. The fan assembly has a first working mode and a second working mode, in the first working mode, airflow in the inner container enters the air duct through the first air opening, is heated and dried by the heating equipment and then returns to the inner container through the second air opening, so that drying of the inner container is achieved, and when the first humidity sensor absorbs water, the fan assembly operates in the second working mode; air flow in the inner container enters the air duct from the second air opening, is heated and dried by the heating equipment and then is blown to the first humidity sensor, so that the problem of abnormal water hanging of the first humidity sensor is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, and in particular to a drying device and a dishwasher. Background Art

[0002] Dishwashers are usually provided with a drying device. The drying device generally includes an air duct, a fan and a heating device provided in the air duct. The fan can continuously draw the wet air in the inner cavity of the dishwasher into the air duct, and after being heated and dried by the heating device, it is sent back to the inner cavity to dry the tableware in the inner cavity. A humidity sensor is usually provided in the air duct to detect the drying effect. However, for the current humidity sensor, due to the very small aperture of its detection port, it is very easy to have water hanging when the air humidity is too high. Summary of the Utility Model

[0003] The purpose of the present utility model is to provide a drying device and a dishwasher, so as to solve the technical problem of abnormal water hanging of the humidity sensor in the prior art to a certain extent.

[0004] The present utility model provides a drying device, which includes an air duct, a fan assembly, a heating device and a first humidity sensor;

[0005] The air duct is used to be arranged on the outer side wall of the inner cavity. One end of the air duct forms a first air outlet communicating with the inner cavity, and the other end of the air duct forms a second air outlet communicating with the inner cavity. The heating device is arranged between the first air outlet and the second air outlet, and the first humidity sensor is arranged between the first air outlet and the heating device;

[0006] The fan assembly has a first working mode and a second working mode. In the first working mode, the fan assembly can draw the air flow in the inner cavity into the air duct through the first air outlet, and then send it back to the inner cavity through the second air outlet. In the second working mode, the fan assembly can draw the air flow in the inner cavity into the air duct through the second air outlet, and then send it back to the inner cavity through the first air outlet.

[0007] Further, the fan assembly includes a first fan and a second fan;

[0008] The first fan is arranged between the first air outlet and the heating device, and the air outlet of the first fan faces the heating device;

[0009] The second fan is arranged between the second air outlet and the heating device, and the air outlet of the second fan faces the heating device.

[0010] Further, a second humidity sensor is arranged in the air duct, and the second humidity sensor is arranged between the heating device and the second air outlet.

[0011] Further, the drying device further includes a controller, and the first humidity sensor, the second humidity sensor, and the fan assembly are all communicatively connected to the controller.

[0012] Further, the controller has a preset first difference a and a second difference b;

[0013] When the heating device is started and the fan assembly operates in the first operating mode:

[0014] The detection result of the first humidity sensor is X1, and the detection result of the second humidity sensor is X2;

[0015] When X1 - X2 ≥ a, the drying device continues to operate;

[0016] When X1 - X2 ≤ b, the drying device stops operating.

[0017] Further, the controller has a preset third difference c;

[0018] When the drying device is initially started, the initial detection result of the first humidity sensor is X0. When the drying device has been operating continuously for a time t, the detection result of the first humidity sensor is X3. If X3 - X0 ≤ c, it is determined that the first humidity sensor is waterlogged.

[0019] Further, when the first humidity sensor is waterlogged, the heating device can be turned off, and the fan assembly continues to operate in the first operating mode;

[0020] The detection result of the second humidity sensor before the heating device is turned off is X4, and the detection result of the second humidity sensor after the heating device is turned off is X5;

[0021] If X5 - X4 ≤ b, it is determined that the drying device has completed drying the inner container, and the heating device is started, and the fan assembly is started in the second operating mode at the same time.

[0022] Further, when the fan assembly operates in the second operating mode, the detection result of the first humidity sensor is X6;

[0023] If X6 - X4 ≤ b, it is determined that the drying of the first humidity sensor is completed, and the drying device stops operating.

[0024] Further, the heating device is a PTC heater.

[0025] The present utility model further provides a dishwasher, including the drying device according to any one of the above, and the drying device is disposed on the outer side wall of the inner container of the dishwasher.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present utility model are as follows:

[0027] The drying device provided by the present utility model includes an air duct, a fan assembly, a heating device, and a first humidity sensor. The air duct is configured to be disposed on the outer side wall of the inner tank of a device such as a dishwasher. One end of the air duct is formed with a first air outlet communicating with the inner tank, and the other end of the air duct is formed with a second air outlet communicating with the inner tank, such that the air flow between the air duct and the inner tank can circulate with each other. The fan assembly, the heating device, and the first humidity sensor are all disposed in the air duct. The heating device is disposed between the first air outlet and the second air outlet, and the first humidity sensor is disposed between the first air outlet and the heating device. The fan assembly is used to draw the air flow in the inner tank into the air duct, and after being heated and dried by the heating device in the air duct, it is sent back to the inner tank.

[0028] The fan assembly has a first working mode and a second working mode. When the drying device is started to dry the items in the inner tank, the fan assembly operates in the first working mode. The air flow in the inner tank enters the air duct through the first air outlet, is heated and dried by the heating device, and then returns to the inner tank through the second air outlet. The humidity of the air flow entering the air duct can be detected by the first humidity sensor in the air duct to detect the dryness degree of the inner tank.

[0029] When water hangs on the first humidity sensor, the fan assembly operates in the second working mode, so that the air flow in the inner tank enters the air duct through the second air outlet, then sequentially flows through the heating device and the first humidity sensor, and then returns to the inner tank through the first air outlet, so that the air flow in the air duct is heated by the heating device to perform hot air drying on the first humidity sensor, thereby solving the problem of abnormal water hanging on the first humidity sensor.

[0030] The present utility model also provides a dishwasher including the above-mentioned drying device, so the dishwasher also has the beneficial effects of the drying device. Description of the Drawings

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are some embodiments of the present utility model. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the drying device provided by the embodiment of the present utility model.

[0033] Reference Numerals:

[0034] 1 - Inner container, 2 - First air outlet, 3 - First humidity sensor, 4 - First fan, 5 - Heating device, 6 - Second humidity sensor, 7 - Second air outlet, 8 - Second fan, 9 - Air duct. Detailed implementation manners

[0035] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Apparently, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present utility model.

[0036] The components of the embodiments of the present utility model usually described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present utility model provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present utility model, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present utility model.

[0037] All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without making creative efforts fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0038] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0039] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "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 directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific situations.

[0040] The following refers to Figure 1 Describe a drying device and a dishwasher according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0041] The present application provides a drying device, such as Figure 1As shown in the figure, the drying device includes an air duct 9, a fan assembly, a heating device 5, and a first humidity sensor 3. The air duct 9 is configured to be disposed on the outer sidewall of the inner tank 1 of a device such as a dishwasher. One end of the air duct 9 forms a first air inlet 2 communicating with the inner tank 1, and the other end of the air duct 9 forms a second air inlet 7 communicating with the inner tank 1, such that the air flow between the air duct 9 and the inner tank 1 can circulate with each other. The fan assembly, the heating device 5, and the first humidity sensor 3 are all disposed in the air duct 9. The heating device 5 is disposed between the first air inlet 2 and the second air inlet 7, and the first humidity sensor 3 is disposed between the first air inlet 2 and the heating device 5. The fan assembly is used to draw the air flow in the inner tank 1 into the air duct 9, and after being heated and dried by the heating device 5 in the air duct 9, it is sent back to the inner tank 1.

[0042] The fan assembly has a first working mode and a second working mode. In the first working mode, the fan assembly can draw the air flow in the inner tank 1 into the air duct 9 through the first air inlet 2, and then send it back to the inner tank 1 through the second air inlet 7; in the second working mode, the fan assembly can draw the air flow in the inner tank 1 into the air duct 9 through the second air inlet 7, and then send it back to the inner tank 1 through the first air inlet 2.

[0043] When the drying device is started to dry the items in the inner tank 1, the fan assembly operates in the first working mode. The air flow in the inner tank 1 enters the air duct 9 through the first air inlet 2, is heated and dried by the heating device 5, and then returns to the inner tank 1 through the second air inlet 7. The humidity of the air flow entering the air duct 9 can be detected by the first humidity sensor 3 in the air duct 9 to detect the dryness of the inner tank 1.

[0044] When the first humidity sensor 3 gets waterlogged, the fan assembly operates in the second working mode, so that the air flow in the inner tank 1 enters the air duct 9 through the second air inlet 7, then sequentially flows through the heating device 5 and the first humidity sensor 3, and then returns to the inner tank 1 through the first air inlet 2, so that the air flow in the air duct 9 is heated by the heating device 5 to perform hot air drying on the first humidity sensor 3, so as to solve the problem of abnormal waterlogging of the first humidity sensor 3.

[0045] In this embodiment, preferably, the fan assembly includes a first fan 4 and a second fan 8. The first fan 4 is disposed between the first air inlet 2 and the heating device 5, the second fan 8 is disposed between the second air inlet 7 and the heating device 5, and the air outlets of the first fan 4 and the second fan 8 both face the heating device 5.

[0046] In the first working mode, the first fan 4 is started and the second fan 8 is turned off. Under the action of the first fan 4, the air flow in the inner tank 1 enters the air duct 9 through the first air inlet 2, then enters the first fan 4 and is blown by the first fan 4 towards the heating device 5, so that the air flow is heated by the heating device 5 and then returns to the inner tank 1 through the second air inlet 7 to perform hot air drying on the items in the inner tank 1.

[0047] In the second working mode, the first fan 4 is turned off and the second fan 8 is started. Under the action of the second fan 8, the air flow in the inner tank 1 enters the air duct 9 through the second air outlet 7, then enters the second fan 8 and is blown by the second fan 8 towards the heating device 5, so that the air flow is heated by the heating device 5 and then blown towards the first humidity sensor 3 to perform hot air drying on the first humidity sensor 3, solving the problem of abnormal water hanging on the first humidity sensor 3.

[0048] In this embodiment, preferably, a second humidity sensor 6 is further provided in the air duct 9. The second humidity sensor 6 is arranged between the heating device 5 and the second air outlet 7. When the fan assembly operates in the first working mode, the humidity of the hot air sent to the inner tank 1 after being heated by the heating device 5 can be detected through the second humidity sensor 6.

[0049] In this embodiment, preferably, the drying device further includes a controller. The first humidity sensor 3, the second humidity sensor 6, the heating device 5, and the fan assembly (i.e., the first fan 4 and the second fan 8) are all communicatively connected to the controller. The first humidity sensor 3 and the second humidity sensor 6 can upload the detection results to the controller, and the controller can control the start and stop of the heating device 5, the start and stop of the fan assembly, and the switching of the working mode of the fan assembly according to the received data.

[0050] It should be noted that the drying device can be configured with a separate controller, or when the drying device is used in a dishwasher, the controller is the controller of the dishwasher.

[0051] Specifically, the controller has a preset first difference a and a second difference b. When the drying device is started to dry the inner tank 1, the heating device 5 is started to heat the flowing air flow, and the fan assembly operates in the first working mode, that is, the first fan 4 is started and the second fan 8 is turned off; the real-time detection result obtained by the first humidity sensor 3 is X1, and the real-time detection result obtained by the second humidity sensor 6 is X2. If X1 - X2 ≥ a, the controller determines that the drying of the inner tank 1 is not completed, and controls the drying device to continue running to dry the inner tank 1. If X1 - X2 ≤ b, it means that the humidity of the air in the inner tank 1 has approached the humidity of the air after being heated and dried by the heating device 5, then the controller determines that the inner tank 1 is dried, and controls the drying device to stop running.

[0052] Preferably, the first difference a is between 5% and 10%, and the second difference b is between 5% and 10%. The first difference a and the second difference b can be the same or different. For example, both the first difference a and the second difference b can be set to 10%, or the first difference a is set to 10% and the second difference b is set to 5%.

[0053] Existing drying devices usually rely on fixed program settings to perform drying operations for a preset duration. With the drying device of the present application, when the items in the inner container 1 have been dried during the program operation, the drying device can automatically stop the operation to avoid waste of electric energy. When the items in the inner container 1 are still not dried after the program operation is completed, the drying device can continue to run to compensate for the drying time until the items in the inner container 1 are dried.

[0054] In this embodiment, preferably, the controller also has a preset third difference value c and an operating time t. When the drying device is started to dry the inner container 1, at the initial stage of starting the drying device, the first humidity sensor 3 obtains an initial detection result X0. When the drying device has been running for the time t, the detection result of the first humidity sensor 3 is X3. If X3 - X0 ≤ c, that is, after the drying device has been running for a period of time, the humidity value detected by the first humidity sensor 3 does not decrease compared to the initial humidity value, and even increases, then the controller determines that the first humidity sensor 3 has water hanging on it.

[0055] Preferably, the third difference value c is between 0 and 20%, and the operating time t is 1 h to 1.5 h.

[0056] After the controller determines that the first humidity sensor 3 has water hanging on it, the controller can send an instruction to the heating device 5 to turn off the heating device 5, and make the fan assembly continuously operate in the first working mode. The detection result obtained by the second humidity sensor 6 before the heating device 5 is turned off is X4, and the detection result of the second humidity sensor 6 after the heating device 5 is turned off is X5. If X5 - X4 ≤ b, that is, the detection result of the second humidity sensor 6 after the heating device 5 is turned off is close to the detection result before the heating device 5 is turned off, then the controller determines that the drying device has completed drying the inner container 1.

[0057] When the control determines that the first humidity sensor 3 has water hanging on it and the drying device has completed drying the inner container 1, the controller sends an instruction to the heating device 5 to start the heating device 5. At the same time, the controller sends an instruction to the fan assembly to make the fan assembly operate in the second working mode, that is, turn off the first fan 4 and start the second fan 8. At this time, the fan assembly can draw the air flow in the inner container 1 into the air duct 9, and make the air flow blown to the first humidity sensor 3 after being heated by the heating device 5 in the air duct 9 to dry the first humidity sensor 3.

[0058] In this embodiment, preferably, when the drying device dries the first humidity sensor 3, the detection result obtained by the first humidity sensor 3 is X6. When X6 - X4 ≤ b, that is, the value of X6 is close to X4, then the controller determines that the first humidity sensor 3 has been dried, and then the controller can send an instruction to the drying device to stop the operation, that is, turn off the heating device 5 and the second fan 8.

[0059] Therefore, the drying device of the present application can determine whether the first humidity sensor 3 has water hanging abnormality, and can continue to complete the drying of the inner tank 1 when there is water hanging abnormality, and can switch the operation mode of the drying device to dry the first humidity sensor 3 after completing the drying of the inner tank 1, so that when the first humidity sensor 3 has water hanging abnormality, there is no need to disassemble and repair the dishwasher externally.

[0060] In an embodiment of the present application, preferably, the heating device 5 is a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater, so as to ensure the heating and drying effect on the air flow.

[0061] The present application also provides a dishwasher, including the drying device of any of the above embodiments.

[0062] In this embodiment, the dishwasher includes a drying device, and the drying device is arranged on the outer side wall of the inner tank of the dishwasher. Therefore, the dishwasher has all the beneficial effects of the drying device, which will not be elaborated one by one here.

[0063] Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drying device, characterized in that, It includes an air duct (9), a fan assembly, a heating device (5), and a first humidity sensor (3); The air duct (9) is configured to be disposed on the outer sidewall of the inner container (1). One end of the air duct (9) forms a first air outlet (2) communicating with the inner container (1), and the other end of the air duct (9) forms a second air outlet (7) communicating with the inner container (1). The heating device (5) is disposed between the first air outlet (2) and the second air outlet (7), and the first humidity sensor (3) is disposed between the first air outlet (2) and the heating device (5); The fan assembly has a first working mode and a second working mode. In the first working mode, the fan assembly can draw the air flow in the inner container (1) into the air duct (9) through the first air outlet (2), and then send it back to the inner container (1) through the second air outlet (7). In the second working mode, the fan assembly can draw the air flow in the inner container (1) into the air duct (9) through the second air outlet (7), and then send it back to the inner container (1) through the first air outlet (2).

2. The drying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fan assembly includes a first fan (4) and a second fan (8); The first fan (4) is disposed between the first air outlet (2) and the heating device (5), and the air outlet of the first fan (4) faces the heating device (5); The second fan (8) is disposed between the second air outlet (7) and the heating device (5), and the air outlet of the second fan (8) faces the heating device (5).

3. The drying device according to claim 1, wherein A second humidity sensor (6) is disposed in the air duct (9), and the second humidity sensor (6) is disposed between the heating device (5) and the second air outlet (7).

4. The drying device according to claim 3, characterized in that The drying device further includes a controller, and the first humidity sensor (3), the second humidity sensor (6), and the fan assembly are all communicatively connected to the controller.

5. The drying device according to claim 4, characterized in that The controller has a preset first difference a and a second difference b; When the heating device (5) is started and the fan assembly operates in the first working mode: The detection result of the first humidity sensor (3) is X1, and the detection result of the second humidity sensor (6) is X2; When X1 - X2 ≥ a, the drying device continues to operate; When X1 - X2 ≤ b, the drying device stops operating.

6. The drying device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller has a preset third difference c; When the drying device is initially started, the initial detection result of the first humidity sensor (3) is X0. When the drying device has been continuously operating for a time t, the detection result of the first humidity sensor (3) is X3. If X3 - X0 ≤ c, it is determined that the first humidity sensor (3) is waterlogged.

7. The drying device according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the first humidity sensor (3) is waterlogged, the heating device (5) can be turned off, and the fan assembly continues to operate in the first working mode; The detection result of the second humidity sensor (6) before the heating device (5) is turned off is X4, and the detection result of the second humidity sensor (6) after the heating device (5) is turned off is X5; If X5 - X4 ≤ b, it is determined that the drying device has completed drying the inner container (1), the heating device (5) is started, and the fan assembly is started in the second working mode at the same time.

8. The drying device according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the fan assembly operates in the second working mode, the detection result of the first humidity sensor (3) is X6; If X6 - X4 ≤ b, it is determined that the drying by the first humidity sensor (3) is completed, and the drying device stops operating.

9. The drying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating device (5) is a PTC heater.

10. A dishwasher, characterized in that, Comprising the drying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the drying device is arranged on the outer side wall of the inner container (1) of the dishwasher.

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