Direction-dependent activation of the door operation of a domestic dishwasher

Abstract

The invention proposes a domestic dishwasher (1) comprising a dishwashing compartment (3) which has a loading 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 electrical drive device (4) by means of which the door (10) can be moved between a closed position, in which it closes the loading opening (2), and an open position, in which the dishwashing compartment (3) is accessible from the outside. The domestic dishwasher (1) is distinguished in that the domestic dishwasher (1) has a control unit (5) which is designed to identify a manual movement of the door (10) performed by an operator in a specific direction of movement by detecting a characteristic variable of the drive device (4) and to move the door (10) further in said direction of movement by means of the drive device (4) as a result of the movement. The invention further proposes a method for operating a domestic dishwasher (1).

Description

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

[0003] Household dishwashers are known in the art and are essentially used to clean and then dry soiled items, such as dishes or cutlery. During one or more cleaning steps, the items are exposed to a wash solution (water or water with detergent and / or rinse aid) to remove contaminants from the items. To dry the items, such household dishwashers feature a drying system for the cleaned items, in which air absorbs the water adhering to the cleaned items, thereby drying them.

[0004] In order to place the dishes into the washing container and to remove them from the washing container after the cleaning process, household dishwashers have a door that can be moved between an open and a closed position, although intermediate positions (partially open) are of course also possible.

[0005] Until now, it was mainly known to mount the door on a hinge, whereby the door can only be opened and closed manually by mechanical action by an operator.

[0006] Likewise, there are already household dishwashers that have an electric drive motor that allows the door to be moved back and forth between the open and closed positions. To activate the drive, such household dishwashers have a control element, such as a control button. When the control element is operated by an operator, the drive is activated to move the door.

[0007] For example, DE 10 2017 218 493 A1 describes a household appliance with a door pivotably connected to the housing, a cable connected to the door, a pulley in contact with the cable, and a motor by means of which the pulley can be driven to move the cable in such a way that a pivoting movement of the door can be effected. A user interface such as a push button, a touch display, a microphone, or another input or output device can be provided, which is configured to communicate with a control device by means of which the motor can be controlled in such a way that the pivoting movement of the door is effected.

[0008] The cleaning device of DE 10 2016 205 367 A1 for cleaning items to be cleaned comprises at least one cleaning chamber and at least one cover device that at least partially encloses the cleaning chamber. The cover device can be moved via at least one gear by means of at least one electromechanical drive in an opening direction of movement from a closed position to an open position or in a closing direction of movement from an open position to a closed position. Furthermore, the cleaning device has a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a manual application of force to the cover device in the opening direction of movement or in the closing direction of movement. Furthermore, the cleaning device is configured to control the electromechanical drive in accordance with the detection of the manual application of force.

[0009] US 2015 / 03544261 A1 relates to a hinge for a door at least partially covering a compartment, of the type comprising a fixed support coupled to the compartment frame and a movable support coupled to the door, wherein the movable and fixed supports are at least rotatably connected to each other. The hinge has means for imposing a predefined law of motion on the movable support relative to the fixed support during opening and / or closing of the door. It comprises a controlled motor device for assisting the opening and / or closing of the door, wherein the controlled motor device exerts a compressive and / or tensile force on the movable support relative to the fixed support.

[0010] EP 2 950 002 A1 relates solely to an oven with at least one cooking chamber for preparing food and with at least one manually movable door. At least one loading opening of the cooking chamber can be opened and closed by means of the door. At least one auxiliary motor drive is provided, which is suitable and designed to at least temporarily assist the manual opening of the door (3).

[0011] The object of the present invention is to further develop the known state of the art.

[0012] The problem is solved by the features of the independent patent claims.

[0013] The household 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 carried out by an operator in a specific direction of movement by detecting at least one characteristic variable of the drive device and, as a result of the movement, to move the door further in the said direction of movement with the aid of the drive device.

[0014] The drive device is therefore no longer activated by manually actuating a preferably specially provided control element. Instead, the household dishwasher is designed to automatically detect a manual movement of the door by the operator and interpret the door movement impulse triggered by the operator as an output signal in order to continue the movement of the door in the direction in which it was manually moved by the operator. One or more parameters of the drive device itself are therefore used to detect the movement of the door by the operator. The background to this is that a manual movement of the door, due to the coupling of the door to the drive device, also causes a manual movement of the drive device or parts thereof.For example, it would be conceivable for one or more elements of the drive device, such as a mechanical connection connecting the door to an electric drive motor of the drive device, to be monitored with the aid of a sensor to determine whether a movement (e.g., a rotary movement or a pivoting movement) of one or more elements of the drive device occurs without the drive device having been previously activated by the control unit. This would be an indication that the door was manually moved by the operator.

[0015] If the control unit detects that the operator has initiated a corresponding movement of the door, it interprets this as meaning that the operator wishes to continue this movement until the door reaches a certain position. In this case, the control unit activates the drive device to cause the door to continue moving.

[0016] The door is therefore moved further with the help of the drive device when an initial movement impulse of the door is detected, which was caused by the operator manually moving the door.

[0017] The door of the household dishwasher according to the invention is preferably a front door that can be pivoted forwards and downwards about a lower pivot axis running in the width direction (as viewed from the standpoint of a user standing in front of the household dishwasher to operate it). In its closed position, this front door is, in particular, essentially vertically upright. It closes the front loading opening of the washing tub of the household dishwasher. It can be pivoted forwards and downwards about the lower horizontal axis to open it. In the fully open position, it is, in particular, at least almost horizontal.

[0018] According to an advantageous development, the control unit is designed to move the door with the aid of the drive device as a result of the movement by the operator until it reaches an end position. Depending on the direction of movement of the manual movement performed by the operator, the end position corresponds to the open position or the closed position of the door. Therefore, if the operator moves the door a short distance toward the open position, the control unit interprets this as a signal that the operator wishes to fully open the door. In this case, the door is moved further until it assumes its open position (the open position is the position in which the door cannot be opened any further).It is also conceivable that if the operator manually moves the door toward the closed position, the control unit interprets this as meaning that the operator intends to close the door completely (= closed position). Upon detecting a corresponding movement impulse, the control unit activates the drive device until the door has reached its closed position.

[0019] Ideally, the operator only needs to briefly move the door toward the open or closed position to signal the control unit that they want to move the door to the corresponding end position (open or closed). The remaining movement is then performed by the drive device, which is activated accordingly by the control unit.

[0020] The respective end position can be detected, for example, using one or more sensors. It is also conceivable for the control unit to always know the current position of the door by evaluating one or more parameters of the drive system. Based on this data, the control unit also knows how far it needs to move the door after detecting a manual movement impulse to reach the corresponding end position. A sensor that detects the corresponding end position of the door is not necessary in this case.

[0021] According to the invention, the drive device comprises a permanently excited drive motor with a rotor that is mechanically coupled to the door in such a way that the movement of the door manually initiated by the operator causes a movement of the rotor. Permanently excited drive motors have the property of generating an electromotive force in the winding (stator) when the rotor rotates, thereby inducing an electrical voltage in the drive motor, which can be tapped at the motor terminals and evaluated by the control unit. In this case, the deactivated drive motor acts as a generator when the door is moved manually.

[0022] When a force is applied to the door with a hand, knee, or foot, the door will move slightly, and the frictional connection to the drive motor will cause the rotor to rotate a certain angle, briefly generating a voltage pulse at the motor terminals. The polarity or phase sequence of the voltage depends on the direction of movement, and the voltage level is proportional to the angular velocity of the door.

[0023] In this case, the control unit is designed to detect the electrical voltage as a characteristic of the drive device (in this case, the electrical voltage corresponds to the aforementioned characteristic). Furthermore, upon detection of the electrical voltage, the control unit is designed to operate the drive motor such that the door continues to move in the aforementioned direction of movement. The particular advantage is that additional sensors are not required to detect movement of the door or the drive motor. Rather, the drive motor itself, through the aforementioned generator operation during manual movement of the door, provides a characteristic that can be detected or evaluated by the control unit.

[0024] By evaluating the induced electrical voltage, both the request and the intended direction of door activation can be detected by the control unit without additional complex sensors and the drive device can be activated to continue moving the door in the direction of movement specified by the operator by manually moving the door.

[0025] When the door is moved manually by the operator, an electrical voltage is induced in the drive motor, wherein the control unit is designed to detect the electrical voltage as a characteristic of the drive device, and wherein the control unit is designed, upon detection of the electrical voltage, to operate the drive motor in such a way that the door is moved further in the said direction of movement.

[0026] Another parameter that could be monitored additionally or alternatively by the control unit is, for example, the rotation of the rotor, which could be monitored with the help of a sensor.

[0027] According to an advantageous development, the control unit is designed to evaluate the polarity (in the case of a DC or AC motor) or phase sequence (in the case of a three-phase motor) of the electrical voltage that is induced when the rotor moves when the door is moved manually by the operator. The polarity of the electrical voltage here means its sign (+ or -), while the phase sequence is understood to be the temporal sequence of the energization of three electrical phases of the three-phase current applied to the drive motor or of the generated generator voltage. Furthermore, the control unit is designed to operate the drive motor taking the polarity or phase sequence into account. Since the polarity or phase sequence depends on whether the operator moves the door manually towards the open position or towards the closed position, the polarity or phase sequence can be used to determine the polarity or phase sequence.The phase sequence allows the control unit to detect whether the operator wants to open or close the door.

[0028] In particular, it is provided that the control unit drives the drive motor after detecting an induced voltage on the drive motor in a direction (clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the rotor), which causes the door to be moved by the drive device in the direction of movement corresponding to the direction of the previous manual movement of the door. Thus, the control unit causes the door to continue moving in the same direction of movement after a manual movement impulse.

[0029] According to an advantageous development, the control unit is designed to evaluate the magnitude and / or frequency of the electrical voltage induced by the movement of the rotor during the manual movement of the door by the operator, wherein the control unit is further designed to operate the drive motor taking into account the magnitude and / or frequency of the induced electrical voltage. For example, it would be conceivable for the control unit to select the drive speed of the drive motor and thus the movement speed of the door caused by the drive motor depending on the aforementioned magnitude and / or frequency of the induced electrical voltage. Therefore, if the door is moved quickly manually by the operator, the door will also be moved relatively quickly by the drive motor.If, however, the door is moved relatively slowly by the operator, the drive motor will also move relatively slowly. To be able to set the drive motor's speed accordingly, limit values ​​or ranges for the detected amount and / or the frequency of the induced electrical voltage can be stored in the control unit. A specific drive motor speed is selected depending on the detected amount.

[0030] Additionally or alternatively, it is also conceivable for the control unit to be designed to evaluate the angle of rotation of the rotor during the aforementioned manually initiated movement of the door, wherein the control unit is further designed to operate the drive motor taking the angle of rotation into account. By evaluating the angle of rotation, the control unit is able to recognize the current position of the door and the position it will be in after the manual movement by the operator. For example, if the door has a maximum opening angle of 90° and the control unit detects that the door has been moved 10° from the closed position, the control unit knows that it must move the door a further 80° after the operator's manual movement impulse in order to bring the door into its open position.The door's opening angle can be calculated from the rotor's rotation angle, as the rotor is mechanically coupled to the door. A specific rotor rotation angle therefore always corresponds to a specific door opening angle.

[0031] According to an advantageous development, the drive motor is mechanically coupled to the door via a gear mechanism, so that a rotation of the rotor of the electric drive motor causes the door to move, and a movement of the door causes the rotor to rotate. The use of a gear mechanism has the advantage that the speed and torque of the drive motor can be converted such that the rotary movements of the rotor can be optimally adapted to the requirements of a door opening mechanism. Preferably, a reduction gear mechanism is provided in which the gear ratio of the input speed of the rotor of the electric drive motor to the output speed of the output shaft of the gear mechanism is greater than 1. The output shaft is preferably connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a rotatably mounted roller, on the outer circumference of which a drive cable rests at least in sections, which is coupled to the door for its movement.The roller is attached, for example, to a side wall of a base support which is arranged beneath the wash tub and serves to accommodate functional components such as the circulation pump, drain pump, program control unit, descaling system, etc. The reduction gear allows the drive motor to be kept sufficiently compact, which makes it easier to accommodate, particularly in the base support beneath the wash tub of the household dishwasher. At the same time, a sufficiently large torque can be generated on the roller and the drive cable for door movement. The gear can be a planetary gear, a spur gear, or a belt drive, for example. However, it can be particularly advantageous if the drive connection between the door and the drive motor is cable-free and / or belt-free.Preferably, the drive connection between the door and the drive motor is made exclusively using solid elements (i.e., no drive cables or belts). This advantageously allows the torque from the drive motor to be transmitted to the door reliably and with minimal vibration.

[0032] According to an advantageous development, the gear mechanism is not self-locking. This has the advantage that the door can be manually moved by the operator even when the drive motor is deactivated. The gear mechanism therefore does not cause the door to lock when the drive motor is deactivated. The output shaft of this non-self-locking gear mechanism can therefore be rotated by manually moving the door when the electric drive motor is de-energized.

[0033] According to an advantageous development, the drive motor is coupled to the door via a drive cable, so that a rotation of the rotor causes the door to move, and a movement of the door causes the rotor to rotate. The drive motor is therefore not connected to the door, or at least not exclusively, by means of solid-state gear components. Rather, at least part of the drive train between the drive motor or its rotor and the door is realized by a drive cable.

[0034] According to an advantageous development, the drive cable is in contact with, in particular wraps around, a rotatably mounted roller of the household dishwasher, and the drive motor is designed to drive the roller to move the drive cable in such a way that the door is moved in a pivoting motion by operating the drive motor. By having the drive cable, which is connected to the door, moved directly by a driven roller, a particularly space-saving arrangement can be provided. For example, the movement of the door can be directly influenced with the help of the driven roller. Furthermore, a household dishwasher can be provided in which automatic door movement can be realized with a small number of components. "Roller" in this case means, for example, a rotatably mounted element that, in particular, has rotational symmetry with respect to a central axis.The pulley can also be referred to, for example, as a drive cable pulley. In this case, a drive cable is in contact with the pulley along a wrap angle, wherein, for example, the wrap angle remains, in particular substantially, constant during a movement of the drive cable. In other words, for example, an amount of a contact surface between the drive cable and the pulley remains constant. Preferably, the drive cable comprises plastic or metal. Alternatively or additionally, the drive cable can comprise yarn or textiles, in particular natural fibers and / or chemical fibers. For example, the drive cable is formed from several drive cable sections that are mechanically connected to one another. For example, the drive cable does not have a fixed connection to the pulley, but merely has a contact with the pulley. The pulley acts as a direct drive for the drive cable.For example, the drive cable is only driven by the pulley.

[0035] According to an advantageous development, the roller and the drive cable are designed such that the drive force is transmitted from the roller to the drive cable exclusively by means of a frictional connection. Preferably, the drive force is transmitted from the roller to the drive cable by means of drive cable friction. The generated drive cable force develops, for example, along a contacted roller circumference, a tangential static friction force which is used to realize the door movement. Advantageously, this makes it possible to limit the tensile force on the door exerted by the drive cable, since once a limit tensile force is exceeded, sliding friction sets in at a contact surface between the drive cable and the roller. This has the advantage of creating a safety device. This can prevent crushing of body parts trapped between the door and the housing.Furthermore, damage to objects with which the door collides can be avoided.

[0036] In particular, the door has a lever to which one end of the drive cable is connected, wherein the door, the drive motor and the drive cable are arranged such that a change in a tensile force on the lever with the aid of the drive motor and the drive cable causes the pivoting movement of the door.

[0037] The household dishwasher preferably comprises a spring element that is connected to the housing and to the drive cable and is designed to at least partially compensate for the weight of the door. This has the advantage of preventing the door from falling open uncontrollably. Furthermore, manual closing of the door is made easier. The spring element is preferably a helical spring. For example, a spring characteristic curve of the spring element is progressive, degressive, or linear. For example, when the opening angle of the door increases, the spring element is elongated and thus pretensioned. The spring element is preferably designed as a tension spring. The drive cable is preferably provided as a continuous drive cable between the roller and the lever and between the roller and the spring element.It is also conceivable that the drive cable and the roller are arranged in such a way that when the opening angle of the door is changed by a hand force acting on the door, the drive cable slides over the roller.

[0038] The method according to the invention is characterized in that a manual movement of the door performed by an operator in a specific direction of movement is recognized by detecting a characteristic variable of the drive device with the aid of a control unit of the household dishwasher, wherein as a result of the movement, the door is moved further in the said direction of movement with the aid of the drive device. The operator therefore does not have to move the door completely into the desired end position. Rather, it is sufficient for the operator to generate a certain movement impulse by manually moving the door, which is recognized by a control unit of the household dishwasher. After detecting the movement impulse, the control unit activates the drive device of the household dishwasher such that the door is moved further in the direction of movement specified by the operator.In this case, the majority of the door movement is carried out by the drive device, with the initial movement of the door by the operator merely serving as a start signal for the movement.

[0039] According to the invention, the drive device comprises a permanently excited drive motor with a rotor which is mechanically coupled to the door in such a way that the movement of the door manually effected by the operator causes a movement of the rotor, whereby an electrical voltage is induced in the drive motor, wherein the control unit detects the electrical voltage as a characteristic of the drive device, and wherein the control unit, upon detection of the electrical voltage, operates the drive motor in such a way that the door continues to move in the said direction of movement. With regard to further features of the said drive motor, reference is made to the above description. The advantage of such a drive motor is that a movement of the rotor is detected as soon as the door is moved, since the rotor is operatively connected to the door.If a rotor movement is detected while the drive motor is actually deactivated, the control unit interprets this as a signal that the operator requests door movement. Separate sensors that detect door movement, such as a proximity sensor, are not required.

[0040] According to an advantageous development, the control unit evaluates the magnitude and / or frequency of the electrical voltage induced by the movement of the rotor during the manual movement of the door by the operator and / or the magnitude of the angle of rotation of the rotor during said manually operated movement of the door, and the drive motor is operated taking into account the magnitude and / or frequency of the electrical voltage and / or the magnitude of the angle of rotation. For example, it would be conceivable to correlate the movement of the door caused by the drive motor with the induced electrical voltage during the manual door movement. A high induced electrical voltage is thus synonymous with a relatively high door movement by the drive motor compared to a lower induced electrical voltage.The amount of the angle of rotation can be used alternatively or additionally to determine how far the door is moved after the movement impulse caused by the operator is detected.

[0041] According to an advantageous development, the polarity or phase sequence of the electrical voltage induced by the movement of the rotor during the manual movement of the door by the operator is evaluated by the control unit, whereby the drive motor is operated taking the polarity or phase sequence into account. In particular, by evaluating the polarity or phase sequence of the electrical voltage, it is possible to determine the direction in which the door is moved by the operator. The subsequent direction of movement by the drive motor ultimately corresponds to the direction in which the door was moved by the operator.

[0042] The invention and its advantageous embodiments and developments, as well as their advantages, are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show, in a schematic diagram: Figure 1 a side view of a household dishwasher, Figure 2 a partially sectioned side view of a section of a household dishwasher according to the invention, Figure 3 a partially sectioned side view of a household dishwasher according to the invention, and Figure 4 a plan view of a section of a household dishwasher according to the invention.

[0043] In the figures, identical or functionally equivalent elements have been given the same reference numerals unless otherwise stated.

[0044] Fig. 1shows a schematic side view of a household dishwasher 1. The household dishwasher 1 comprises a washing container 3, which can be closed watertight by a door 10. The washing container 3 is preferably cuboid-shaped. The washing container 3 and the door 10 form an internal washing chamber for washing dishes.

[0045] Door 10 is in the Fig. 1 The door 10 is shown in its closed position by solid lines, in which it closes off the wash chamber from the outside. Furthermore, the door 10 is shown in its open position by dashed lines. In the open position, the wash chamber is accessible to an operator via a loading opening 2 for placing washware in or removing it from the household dishwasher 1. The door 10 can thus be closed or opened by pivoting about a pivot axis 11 provided at a lower end of the door 10.

[0046] The household dishwasher 1 further comprises at least one dishware receptacle (not shown). Preferably, several, for example three, dishware receptacles can be provided, for example, a lower dishware receptacle or a lower basket, an upper dishware receptacle or an upper basket, or a cutlery drawer.

[0047] Below the rinsing container there is a base housing 17 which is inserted into the Figures 2 to 4 The washing container 3 is preferably firmly connected to the base housing 17. For example, the base housing 17 and the washing container 3 form a housing 15 of the household dishwasher 1. The housing 15 comprises, for example, further housing sections (not identified by reference numerals) that surround and cover the washing container 3.

[0048] Fig. 2shows a schematic section of the side view of a household dishwasher 1 with further details. The household dishwasher 1 comprises the housing 15, the 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 configured to drive the roller 9 to move the drive cable 8 in such a way that a pivoting movement of the door 10 is effected.

[0049] The door 10 further 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 configured such that a change in a tensile force F1 on the lever 13, with the aid of the drive motor 6 and the drive cable 8, causes the pivoting 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 runs through the hinge 12. Furthermore, the door 10 comprises a plate-shaped door section which, when the door 10 is closed, forms the loading opening 2 (see Fig. 1 ) covers or closes.

[0051] The pulley 9 and the drive cable 8 are preferably configured such that the drive force is transmitted from the pulley 9 to the drive cable 8 exclusively by means of a frictional connection. A friction surface 16 is formed between the pulley 9 and the drive cable 8 for this purpose. The frictional connection is achieved, for example, by means of cable friction. The drive cable 8 wraps around the pulley 9 along a circumferential angle, which can be referred to as the wrap angle α. For example, the wrap angle α is between 90° and 540°. During the movement of the drive cable 8 with the aid of the pulley 9, the wrap angle α remains essentially constant.

[0052] Fig. 3 shows in a schematic side view a further embodiment of the household dishwasher 1, which Fig. 2 shown embodiment is further developed. In contrast to the Fig. 2The drive cable 8 has a wrap angle α around the pulley 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 1.25 cable wraps around the pulley 9. Advantageously, with such a wrap angle α, a maximum tensile force acting on the lever 13 can be set or limited.

[0053] The household dishwasher 1 also comprises a spring element 20, which is connected to the housing 15 and to the drive cable 8 and is designed to at least partially compensate for a weight force G of the door 10. A second end 21 of the drive cable 8 is connected to the spring element 20. For example, the spring element 20 is designed as a helical spring and a tension spring. The spring element 20 comprises a first end 22, which is connected to the second end 21 of the drive cable 8. Furthermore, the spring element 20 comprises a second end 23, which is fixedly connected to the base housing 17. If the drive motor 6 now drives the roller 9 in such a way that the door 10 performs an opening movement, the spring element 20 is lengthened.

[0054] The household dishwasher 1 also includes a deflection pulley 19 configured to deflect the drive cable 8 between the pulley 9 and the door 10. With the aid of the deflection pulley 19, for example, the path of the drive cable 8 (cable routing) can be designed. For example, the use of the deflection pulley 19 can increase the wrap angle α or adapt it to the geometric boundary conditions of the housing 15.

[0055] Furthermore, the drive cable 8 and the roller 9 are configured such that when an opening angle β of the door 10 changes due to a manual force F2 acting on the door 10, the drive cable 8 slips over the roller 9. This occurs in particular when the spring element 20 is abruptly relieved, in particular when the door 10 is quickly closed using the manual force F2, and a spring force F3 pulls on the second end 21 of the drive cable 8 when the roller 9 is blocked. The opening angle β is an angle spanned between the door 10 and a vertical plane V through which the pivot axis 11 runs. The household dishwasher 1 is designed, for example, such that a combination of spring force F3 and weight force G of the door 10 enables slip-free winding of the drive cable 8 onto the roller 9 and unwinding of the drive cable 8 from the roller 9 at any opening angle β of the door 10.

[0056] The household dishwasher 1 further comprises a control unit 5 configured to control the drive motor 6 such that the pivoting movement of the door 10 is effected. For example, the control unit 5 is configured to control the drive motor 6 such that the door 10 executes a full opening movement and / or a partial opening movement and / or a full closing movement and / or a partial closing movement. For this purpose, the control unit 5 and the drive motor 6 are signal-coupled to one another (indicated by dashed lines). For example, the household dishwasher 1 comprises a user interface 18 configured to communicate with the control unit 5 to control the drive motor 6. The user interface 18 preferably comprises a push button, a touch display, a microphone, a sensor, or another input device.

[0057] The roller 9 and / or the drive cable 8 and / or the spring element 20 and / or the drive motor 6 and / or the lever 13 can, for example, be provided redundantly and, for example, be arranged along the side walls of the household dishwasher 1.

[0058] Fig. 4 shows a section through the base housing 17 in a top view. The drive motor 6 is preferably connected to the roller 9 by means of the rotor 7 of the drive motor 6 (which 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] The roller 9 is rotated about a central axis M with the aid of the drive motor 6 and the gear 24. The roller 9 has, for example, rotational symmetry with respect to the central axis M. For example, the gear 24 is configured to inhibit the movement of the roller 9 when a torque is applied to the roller 9 from outside the gear 24. This can occur, for example, when an operator manually opens the door 10, so that the spring force F3 pulls on the second end of the drive cable 8 and thereby applies a torque to the roller 9. If, for example, such a spring force F3 exceeds a certain amount, the drive cable 8 slips over the roller 9. Sliding friction then occurs on the friction surface 16.

[0061] According to the present invention, it is now provided that, regardless of the precise design of the drive device 4, one or more characteristic variables of the drive motor 6 are detected and evaluated during a manual movement of the door 10 by the operator. If a manual movement of the door 10 is detected, the control unit 5 ultimately operates the drive motor of the drive device 4 such that the initial manual movement of the door 10 is continued. Preferably, the door 10 is moved further until a defined end position (preferably the open position or the closed position of the door 10) is reached.

[0062] If the door 10 is now moved manually by the operator, the rotor 7 of the drive motor 6 is also moved, since the door 10 is mechanically coupled to the rotor 7. The movement of the rotor 7 induces an electrical voltage in the drive motor 6, which can be evaluated by the control unit 5. A detected electrical voltage on the otherwise deactivated drive motor 6 means that the door 10 was moved manually by the operator. The control unit 5 evaluates this to the effect that the operator wishes to open or close the door 10. After or even during the movement impulse caused by the operator, the drive motor 6 is finally activated, whereby the door 10 continues to move in the same direction in which it was moved by the operator.

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

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

[0065] Finally, some possible aspects in connection with the present invention will be discussed again, whereby the following points can be considered individually or in any combination.

[0066] A household dishwasher (another name for a household dishwasher) generally has a movable door, in particular a front door, which can be opened or closed manually for loading and unloading the dishes via hinges, preferably at any angle from 0° to a maximum of 90° from vertical to horizontal, whereby the door weight is compensated by a spring mechanism and a friction element prevents the door from moving automatically, so that any stable intermediate positions are possible.

[0067] A mechatronic drive system, referred to as CADOC, consisting of a cable drive, gear unit, electric motor, control electronics, and sensors, can now take over the previously manually performed door movement, thus increasing device comfort and improving ergonomics. The advantage here is that it recognizes 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 permanent magnet electric motor (DC or PMSM) can be used in the mechatronic drive train. This drive motor can be connected to the door hinge and the door leaf via a mechanical power flow using suitable gear elements.

[0069] Permanent magnet drive motors have the property of generating an electromotive force (EMF voltage / back EMF) in the winding when the rotor rotates, which can be tapped at the motor terminals. In this case, the deactivated drive motor acts as a generator.

[0070] When a force is applied to the door with a hand, knee, or foot, the door will move slightly, and the frictional connection to the drive motor will cause the rotor to rotate a certain angle, briefly generating a voltage pulse at the motor terminals. The polarity or phase sequence of the voltage depends on the direction of movement, and the voltage level is proportional to the angular velocity of the door.

[0071] Thus, by evaluating this signal, both the request and the intended direction of door activation can be recognized by the electronics without additional complex sensors and the corresponding direction of door movement can be activated.

[0072] With a speed-controlled drive, the door speed can be variably adjusted via the angular velocity in response to the impulse of the intended movement.

[0073] It is advantageous for the proposed solution if the intermediate gear is not self-locking throughout the entire power flow.

[0074] Among other things, the described solution has the following advantages: Convenient activation of the door opening or closing function without additional complex components and cabling. No wear or aging expected. No sensors in areas exposed to moisture. Cost reduction for the entire CADOC system.

[0075] A mechatronic drive consisting of a permanent magnet drive motor with a gear unit for opening and closing the door of a household dishwasher is therefore conceivable, whereby the activation of the drive takes place by an external push of the door, whereby the mechanical coupling of the door with the drive motor induces a generator voltage in the latter by rotating the rotor, which is used as an activation signal for the door drive.

[0076] In particular, an evaluation of the voltage direction and / or the phase sequence of the generator voltages induced in the motor windings is conceivable in order to detect the desired direction of movement of the door and to activate it accordingly.

[0077] The voltage level of the generator voltages induced in the motor windings can also be evaluated to influence the speed of the door movement.

[0078] Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. Rather, all combinations of the described individual features, as shown or described in the claims, the description, and the figures, and to the extent that such a combination appears technically possible or reasonable, are the subject of the invention. List of reference symbols

[0079] 1 Household dishwasher 2 Loading opening 3 Washing container 4 Drive unit 5 Control unit 6 Drive motor 7 Rotor 8 Drive cable 9 Roller 10 Door 11 Pivot axis 12 Hinge 13 Lever 14 First end of the drive cable 15 Housing 16 Friction surface 17 Base housing 18 Operator interface 19 Deflection pulley 20 Spring element 21 Second end of the drive cable 22 First end of the spring element 23 Second end of the spring element 24 Gearbox F1Tensile force F2Hand force F3Spring force GGWeight force VVertical plane MCenter axis αWrap angle βOpening angle

Claims

1. Household dishwasher (1) comprising a washing container (3) which has a loading opening (2), wherein the loading opening (2) can be closed by means of a door (10) of the household dishwasher (1), wherein the household dishwasher (1) comprises an electrical drive device (4), by means of which the door (10) can be moved between a closed position, in which it closes the loading opening (2), and an open position, in which the washing container (3) is accessible from outside, characterised in that the household dishwasher (1) has a control unit (5) which is designed to identify a manual movement of the door (10) performed by an operator in a specific direction of movement by detecting at least one characteristic variable of the drive device (4) and to move the door (10) further in the aforementioned direction of movement by means of the drive device (4) as a result of the movement, and that the drive device (4) comprises a permanently excited drive motor (6) with a rotor (7) which is mechanically coupled to the door (10), such that the movement of the door (10) manually brought about by the operator brings about a movement of the rotor (7), whereby an electrical voltage is induced in the drive motor (6), wherein the control unit (5) is configured to detect the electrical voltage as a characteristic variable of the drive device (4) and wherein the control unit (5) is configured, when detecting the electrical voltage, to operate the drive motor (6) such that the door (10) is moved further in the aforementioned direction of movement.

2. Household dishwasher (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the control unit (5) is configured to move the door (10) by means of the drive device (4) as a result of the movement 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) as a function of the direction of movement of the manual movement performed by the operator.

3. Household dishwasher (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the control unit (5) is configured to evaluate the polarity or phase sequence of the electrical voltage, which is induced when the rotor (7) is moved with the movement of the door (10) manually brought about by the operator, wherein the control unit (5) is also configured to operate the drive motor (6) by taking into consideration the polarity or phase sequence.

4. Household dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the control unit (5) is configured to evaluate the amount and / or the frequency of the electrical voltage which is induced when the rotor (7) is moved with the movement of the door (10) manually brought about by the operator, wherein the control unit (5) is also configured to operate the drive motor (6) by taking into consideration the amount and / or the frequency of the electrical voltage.

5. Household dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the control unit (5) is configured to evaluate the amount of the angle of rotation of the rotor (7) with the aforementioned movement of the door (10) which is manually brought about, wherein the control unit (5) is also configured to operate the drive motor (6) by taking into consideration the amount of the angle of rotation.

6. Household dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the control unit (5) is configured to determine the angular speed of the rotor (7) at which this rotor rotates due to the movement impulse of the door (10) generated manually by the operator in the aforementioned direction of movement, and in that the control unit (5) is configured to predetermine the drive speed of the drive motor (6) as a function of the determined angular speed at which the door (10) is moved further by means of the drive device (4) in the aforementioned direction of movement.

7. Household dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the drive motor (6) is coupled to the door (10) via a gear mechanism (24), such that a rotation of the rotor (7) brings about a movement of the door (10) or a movement of the door (10) brings about a rotation of the rotor (7).

8. Household dishwasher (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the gear mechanism (24) is not configured to be self-locking.

9. Household dishwasher (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the drive motor (6) is coupled to the door (10) via a drive cable (8), such that a rotation of the rotor (7) brings about a movement of the door (10) or a movement of the door (10) brings about a rotation of the rotor (7).

10. Household dishwasher (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the drive cable (8) is in contact with a rotatably mounted roller (9) of the household dishwasher (1), in particular is wound around said roller, and in that the drive motor (6) is configured to drive the roller (9) for moving the drive cable (8), such that the door (10) is moved in the form of a pivoting movement by operating the drive motor (6).

11. Household dishwasher (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the roller (9) and the drive cable (8) are configured such that a drive force is transmitted from the roller (9) to the drive cable (8) exclusively by means of frictional locking.

12. Method for operating a household dishwasher (1) comprising a washing container (3) which has a loading opening (2), wherein the loading opening (2) can be closed by means of a door (10) of the household dishwasher (1), wherein the household dishwasher (1) comprises an electrical drive device (4), by means of which the door (10) is moved between a closed position, in which it closes the loading opening (2), and an open position, in which the washing container (3) is accessible from outside, characterised in that a manual movement of the door (10), performed by an operator in a specific direction of movement, is identified by means of a control unit (5) of the household dishwasher (1) by a characteristic variable of the drive device (4) being detected, wherein as a result of the movement the door (10) is moved further in the aforementioned direction of movement by means of the drive device (4), and that the drive device (4) comprises a permanently excited drive motor (6) with a rotor (7) which is mechanically coupled to the door (10), such that the movement of the door (10) manually brought about by the operator brings about a movement of the rotor (7), whereby an electrical voltage is induced in the drive motor (6), wherein the control unit (5) detects the electrical voltage as a characteristic variable of the drive device (4) and wherein, when the electrical voltage is detected, the control unit (5) operates the drive motor (6) such that the door (10) is moved further in the aforementioned direction of movement.

13. Method according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the amount and / or the frequency of the electrical voltage which is induced when the rotor (7) is moved with the movement of the door (10) manually brought about by the operator is evaluated by the control unit (5) and the drive motor (6) is operated by taking into consideration the amount and / or the frequency of the electrical voltage.

14. Method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the amount of the angle of rotation of the rotor (7) with the aforementioned movement of the door (10) which is manually brought about is evaluated by the control unit (5) and the drive motor (6) is operated by taking into consideration the amount of the angle of rotation.

15. Method according to claim 12 to 14, characterised in that the polarity or phase sequence of the electrical voltage, which is induced when the rotor (7) is moved with the movement of the door (10) manually brought about by the operator, is evaluated by the control unit (5), wherein the drive motor (6) is operated by taking into consideration the polarity or phase sequence.

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