dishwasher

Abstract

Dishwasher, comprising at least a wash tub (1), a door (2) and an expansion line (27) which connects with its first end to the wash chamber (4) of the wash tub (1) and through which water vapor and / or air from the wash chamber (4) can be guided during a pressure equalization process, characterized in that the expansion line (27) is led downwards into a mounting space (15) provided below a wash tub bottom wall (5) and is led with its second line end (28) into an expansion housing (29) having at least one condensation surface (37) which is arranged in the mounting space (15) below the wash tub (1).

Description

The invention relates to a dishwasher according to the preamble of claim 1. Dishwashers are usually equipped with a so-called expansion system, which compensates for the volume expansion of air or water vapor enclosed in the wash chamber due to temperature increases. In a typical dishwasher, the expansion system includes an expansion line. This line can release steam and / or air from the wash chamber to equalize pressure within the wash tub. From DE 101 59 651 A1, a system for absorbing essentially small quantities of liquid in dishwashers is known, which consists of a solid medium for absorbing at least small quantities of liquid and a piping system for transporting the quantity of liquid to the solid medium, wherein the solid medium is arranged on the dishwasher in such a way that at least parts of the solid medium are exposed to the room climate in order to release the stored quantity of liquid to the room climate via evaporation. From the earlier application DE 10 2007 063 618 A1, a dishwasher for commercial use is known, comprising a base frame and a wash chamber with a hood that can be opened and at least partially encloses the wash chamber. This dishwasher includes a condensate collection device which is connected to the wash chamber when the hood is closed, wherein the condensate collection device has at least one fan for extracting steam and / or air from the closed wash chamber and at least one condensation surface for condensing steam. The object of the invention is to provide a dishwasher in which the expansion line is positioned in a structurally simple manner and steam escape towards electrically operated appliance components and / or towards adjacent furniture walls is avoided. The problem is solved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. The solution starts with a dishwasher, at least comprising a wash tank and an expansion line, the first end of which connects to the wash chamber of the wash tank and through which water vapor and / or air can be carried out of the wash chamber during a pressure equalization process. According to the characterizing part of claim 1, the expansion line is guided at its second end into an expansion housing having at least one condensation surface. Any steam escaping from the expansion line can therefore condense on the inner surfaces of the expansion housing, which act as condensation surfaces. This largely prevents steam from escaping the expansion housing. Additionally, the end of the expansion line can be easily secured within the expansion housing. Preferably, the condensation surface is arranged opposite the second end of the pipe. This ensures that steam exiting the second end of the pipe directly impacts the condensation surface to condense. Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the condensation surface is designed as a drainage slope. This ensures that the condensate collects in the bottom area of ​​the expansion housing. It is preferably provided that the discharge slope is essentially vertical. "Essentially vertical" is understood to include a deviation of up to 30°, and in particular 45°, from the vertical direction. To form this discharge slope, the expansion housing can have an essentially trapezoidal cross-section, e.g., a uniform trapezoid. Finally, it is preferably provided that the expansion housing and the condensation surface are made of a single material and / or in one piece, in particular by plastic injection molding. To reduce component complexity, the expansion housing can be integrated into the flushing tank, particularly the tank's bottom wall, using a single piece of material and / or injection molding. This allows the underside of the tank's bottom wall to be used directly as the boundary surface for the expansion housing. Preferably, the expansion housing is closed on the inside of the appliance. This prevents steam from escaping towards the electronic components located below the bottom wall of the wash tank. Alternatively, the expansion housing can also be positioned on the outside of the wash tank. It is preferred that the expansion housing be open on a side facing away from the electrically operated device components. In this context, it is preferred that the expansion housing be open to the outside of the device so that any escaping steam or condensate can exit the expansion housing on a side facing away from the device components. For faster dishwasher installation, easy positioning and attachment of the expansion hose to the expansion housing is crucial. To facilitate this, the expansion housing can have a mounting opening into which the hose end can be inserted. The insertion depth of the expansion hose can vary in one direction, as long as the hose outlet remains within the expansion housing. This allows for simple installation of the expansion hose to the expansion housing with a high degree of tolerance compensation. An embodiment of the invention is shown below with reference to the accompanying figures. The figures show: Fig. 1 in a rough schematic representation of a dishwasher; Fig. 2 in an enlarged detail view of detail Z from Fig. 1; Fig. 3 in a side view of the expansion housing. Figure 1 shows a dishwasher in a roughly schematic, perspective view. For clarity, the housing walls and the appliance door 2 of the dishwasher are indicated by dashed lines. To simplify understanding of the invention, only a wash tank 1 with an externally arranged water inlet or water inlet device 3 and the associated liquid lines is shown, while other appliance components, such as the circulation pump, drain pump, or control electronics components, are omitted. The base wall 5 of the washing container is designed as a plastic injection-molded part in the present embodiment. The base wall 5 is provided with laterally raised edges 7 on which the side walls 9 and the rear wall of the washing container 1 are mounted. The side walls 9 and the rear wall are made of stainless steel sheet. The bottom wall 5, which defines the washing chamber 4 of the washing container 1, is supported on its underside by lateral support profiles 11. A mounting space 15 is formed below the bottom wall 5, in which appliance components, such as a pump housing 17 or the circulation and drain pumps (not shown), are arranged. The installation space 15 is covered at the front by a front panel 19 located below the appliance door 2. Immediately behind the front panel 19 is an appliance-side water inlet valve (not shown). As is known, an inlet hose (also not shown) leading to the water supply network is connected to the water inlet valve. Additionally, an inlet line 21 is connected to the water inlet valve, leading to a housing 23 of the water inlet device 3. The housing 23 of the water inlet device 3 has a connection 25 to which an expansion line or hose 27 is connected. This hose is guided upwards in a loop along the side wall 9 of the wash tank and then downwards in the opposite direction into the mounting space 15. Additionally, a drain hose 30 coming from the pump housing 17 or the drain pump is shown, which is also guided upwards in a loop along the side wall 9. The drain hose 30 is held at its upward-pointing curved section by a retaining clip integrated into the housing 23. Its hose end is held at the rear of the device in a further retaining element 31 and is fluidically connected to an external drain line 33. The housing 23 of the water inlet device 3 opens into the wash chamber 4 of the wash tank 1 via a wash tank opening (not shown). When the wash tank 1 is filled with fresh water, the front-facing water inlet valve (not shown) is opened, allowing fresh water from the water supply network to flow into the wash chamber 4 via the inlet line 21 and the water inlet device 3. In addition to this water inlet function, pressure equalization takes place via the water inlet device 3, whereby heated air or heated steam in the wash chamber 4 is forced through the housing 23 into the expansion line 27 as a result of volume expansion. The expansion line 27 extends with its open end 28 into an expansion housing 29, which is located in the mounting space 15 below the wash tank 1. As the rinsing fluid heats up during a rinsing cycle, the air or water vapor enclosed in the rinsing chamber 4 expands. To equalize the pressure, the expanding air or water vapor can flow through the rinsing tank opening into the water inlet device 3. The water vapor then rises upwards in the direction of arrow I, as shown in Fig. 1, into the expansion line 27. The vertically extending portion of the expansion hose 27 from the connection nozzle 25 serves as a condensation section k, where the vapor condenses and is returned as condensate to the water inlet device 3. If the appliance door 2 is briefly opened during a wash cycle, a so-called "expansion surge" can occur. In this event, the air entering the wash chamber 4 from the outside is suddenly heated, causing an excessive amount of steam or air to be directed into the expansion hose 27. In this case, the steam cannot completely condense along the condensation path k. Instead, some of the water vapor can overcome the condensation path k and be directed via the expansion hose 27 into the expansion housing 29 located in the installation space 15. Therefore, during an expansion surge, steam condensation on the side walls of the cabinet within the dishwasher's installation niche is prevented. Instead, a controlled release of steam occurs in the area of ​​the installation space 15. Figures 2 and 3 show a detailed view of the expansion housing 29. Accordingly, the expansion housing 29 is molded onto a lower surface 35 of the wash tank bottom wall 5 using a plastic injection molding process. The lower surface 35 of the wash tank bottom wall 5 forms the upper boundary of the expansion housing 29. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the expansion housing 29 is closed by a rear wall 36 towards the interior of the mounting space 15. It also has a housing opening and a substantially vertical condensation surface 37, on which steam exiting the second end of the line 28 can condense and run down. Any steam or condensate escaping from the housing opening of the expansion housing 29 can escape within the mounting space 5, spaced away from the electrically operated components, thanks to the arrangement of the housing opening. The open end 28 of the expansion line 27 is guided through a mounting opening 40 in a side wall 41 of the expansion housing 29, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The diameter of the mounting opening 40 is designed such that the line end 38 has some play and can therefore be easily guided through the mounting opening 40. The line end 28 can be inserted into the mounting opening 40 of the expansion housing 29 with a large tolerance compensation a in the insertion direction II, provided that the outlet opening of the expansion line 27 projects into the interior of the expansion housing 29. REFERENCE MARK LIST 1 Wash tank 2 Appliance door 3 Water inlet device 4 Wash chamber 5 Base wall 7 Edges 9 Side wall 11 Support profiles 15 Mounting space 17 Pump housing 19 Front panel 21 Inlet pipe 23 Housing 25 Connection spigot 27 Expansion pipe 28 End of expansion pipe 27 29 Expansion housing 30 Drain hose 31 Retaining element 33 Drain pipe 35 Underside of wash tank base wall 5 36 Rear wall of expansion housing 29 37 Condensation surface 40 Mounting opening 41 Side wall of expansion housing 29 a Tolerance compensation x Appliance side direction z Vertical axis direction I Steam flow II Insertion direction

Claims

Dishwasher, comprising at least a wash tub (1), a door (2) and an expansion line (27) which connects with its first end to the wash chamber (4) of the wash tub (1) and through which water vapor and / or air from the wash chamber (4) can be guided during a pressure equalization process, characterized in that the expansion line (27) is led downwards into a mounting space (15) provided below a wash tub bottom wall (5) and is led with its second line end (28) into an expansion housing (29) having at least one condensation surface (37) which is arranged in the mounting space (15) below the wash tub (1). Dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that the condensation surface (37) is arranged opposite the second end of the line (28). Dishwasher according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the condensation surface (37) is designed as a drain slope. Dishwasher according to claim 3 characterized in that the drain slope is essentially vertical. Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion housing (29) and the condensation surface (37) are made of a single material and / or in one piece, in particular by plastic injection molding. Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first end of the expansion line (27) is arranged on a side wall (9) of the washing container (1). Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the washing container (1), in particular the bottom wall (5) of the washing container, and the expansion housing (29) are made of a single material and / or in one piece, in particular by plastic injection molding. Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion housing (29) is closed to the inside of the appliance. Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion housing (29) is designed to be open to the outside of the appliance. Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expansion housing (29) has a mounting opening (40) into which the line end (28) of the expansion line (27) can be inserted. Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing interiors of the expansion housing (29) are condensation surfaces for steam condensation.

Images