A dishwasher with a storage tank

Abstract

The dishwasher according to the present invention comprises a washing compartment (1); a sump (2) located below the washing compartment (1); a first line (3) connected on one side with the mains; a first valve (4) located in the first line (3); a heater (18) for heating the cleaning liquid which is collected in the sump (2) to be delivered to the washing compartment (1); a collection chamber (5) connected with a second side of the first line (3), wherein the water received through the first line (3) is filled into the collection chamber (5); a first storage tank (6) to which water received into collection chamber (5) is transferred; a second line (7) connected with the collection chamber (5) and the first storage tank (6) for transferring water from the collection chamber (5) to the first storage tank (6); a third line (9) connected with the sump (2) and the first storage tank (6) for delivering water from the first storage tank (6) to the sump (2); a second valve (10) located in the third line (9); a second storage tank (11) into which the cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) is transferred when a final rinse is completed; a fourth line (12) connected with the sump (2) and the second storage tank (11) for transferring the cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) to the second storage tank (11); and a third valve (13) located in the fourth line (12).

Description

[0001] A DISHWASHER WITH A STORAGE TANK

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a dishwasher with a storage tank for storing water used in a washing process before the washing process.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] Dishwashers are widely used to clean dishes such as plates, bowls, cutlery. The said dishwashers have a washing compartment, wherein the dishes are placed in the washing compartment by means of a rack. The dishwashers also use a spray device for delivering a cleaning liquid (such a cleaning liquid can only be water and / or water containing a cleaning agent such as detergent, rinse aid, etc.) on the dishes located in the rack, in a pressurized manner. In conventional dishwashers, a sump is provided at the bottom of the washing compartment, wherein the cleaning liquid is collected at the sump, so that it can be heated by a heater in accordance with the cleaning process to be carried out, and transmitted to the spray device via a pump. Rotation of the spray device allows the cleaning liquid to be sent to the dishes. The cleaning liquid sent on the dishes flows towards the sump to be accumulated therein, thus cleaning the dishes by the circulation of the cleaning liquid in the sump.

[0006] In conventional dishwashers, the water to be used in the cleaning process is obtained from the mains. However, temperature of the water obtained from the mains is quite low (e.g. around 4-5°C). However, temperature of the cleaning liquid used in the cleaning processes to be carried out in the dishwasher should sometimes rise up to 75°C. In addition to creating a serious energy need in terms of heating water at a relatively low temperature, it can also shorten the service life of the heater used.

[0007] Brief Description of the Invention

[0008] The dishwasher according to the present invention comprises: • at least one washing compartment for placing the dishes to be washed;

[0009] • at least one sump located below the washing compartment for collecting a cleaning liquid used in a cleaning process;

[0010] • at least a first line connected on one side with the mains and configured to receive water from the mains;

[0011] • at least a first valve located in the first line and configured to control the passage of water through the first line;

[0012] • at least one heater for heating the cleaning liquid which is collected in the sump to be delivered to the washing compartment;

[0013] • at least one collection chamber connected with a second side of the first line, wherein the water received through the first line is filled into the collection chamber;

[0014] • at least a first storage tank to which water received into the collection chamber is transferred;

[0015] • at least a second line connected on one side with the collection chamber and on the other side with the first storage tank for transferring water from the collection chamber to the first storage tank;

[0016] • at least a third line connected on one side with the sump and on the other side with the first storage tank for delivering water from the storage tank to the sump;

[0017] • at least a second valve located in the third line and configured to control the passage of water through the third line;

[0018] • at least a second storage tank into which the cleaning liquid collected in the sump is transferred when a final rinse in the dishwasher is completed;

[0019] • at least a fourth line connected on one side with the sump and on the other side with the second storage tank for transferring the cleaning liquid collected in the sump to the second storage tank; and

[0020] • at least a third valve located in the fourth line and configured to control the passage of liquid through the fourth line.

[0021] Thanks to the dishwasher according to the present invention, temperature of the water to be used in the cleaning process is enabled to be higher than the mains water, so that the energy needs for heating the water can be reduced. Thus, a reliable and long-lasting dishwasher with reduced energy consumption can be obtained. of the Invention

[0022] An object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher with a storage tank for storing water used in a washing process before the washing process.

[0023] Another object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher with reduced energy needs.

[0024] A further object of the present invention is to provide a reliable and long-lasting dishwasher.

[0025] An exemplary embodiment of the dishwasher according to the present invention is illustrated in the attached drawing, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 is a side sectional view of a schematic illustration of the dishwasher according to the invention.

[0027] All the parts illustrated in figures are individually assigned a reference numeral and the corresponding terms of these numbers are listed below:

[0028] Washing compartment (1)

[0029] Sump (2)

[0030] First line (3)

[0031] First valve (4)

[0032] Collection chamber (5)

[0033] First storage tank (6)

[0034] Second line (7)

[0035] Water softener reservoir (8)

[0036] Third line (9)

[0037] Second valve (10)

[0038] Second storage tank (11)

[0039] Fourth line (12) Third valve (13)

[0040] First pump (14)

[0041] Fifth line (15)

[0042] Sixth line (16)

[0043] Seventh line (17)

[0044] Heater (18)

[0045] Second pump (19)

[0046] Description of the Invention

[0047] Dishwashers generally comprise at least one washing compartment for placing the dishes to be washed; at least one sump located below the washing compartment for collecting a cleaning liquid used in a cleaning process; at least one spray device for delivering the cleaning liquid collected at the sump onto the dishes; and at least one pump for sending the cleaning liquid in the sump into the spray device, wherein depending on the cleaning process to be carried out in the dishwasher, the cleaning liquid can be heated by a heater and transmitted to the spray device. Water to be used in the cleaning process is obtained from the mains, collected in the sump and heated to be sprayed on the dishes. However, temperature of the water obtained from the mains is relatively well below the temperature required for the cleaning liquid to be used in the cleaning process. For this reason, the heater sometimes needs to operate at very high powers, which increases the amount of energy required by the dishwasher. In addition, this may cause the heater to fail in a shorter time. In this context, the present invention provides a dishwasher to solve said problems.

[0048] The dishwasher according to the present invention, which is illustrated in figure 1, comprises at least one washing compartment (1) for placing the dishes to be washed; at least one sump (2) located below the washing compartment (1) for collecting a cleaning liquid used in a cleaning process; at least a first line (3) connected on one side with the mains and configured to receive water from the mains; at least a first valve (4) located in the first line (3) and configured to control the passage of water through the first line (3); and at least one heater (18) for heating the cleaning liquid which is collected in the sump (2) to be delivered to the washing compartment (1). The dishwasher according to the invention also comprises at least one collection chamber (5) (i.e. a water pocket) connected with a second side of the first line (3) (this second side is preferably opposite to the first side), wherein the water received through the first line (3) is filled into the collection chamber (5); at least a first storage tank (6) to which water received into collection chamber (5) is transferred; at least a second line (7) connected on one side with the collection chamber (5) (preferably with a lower area of the collection chamber (5)) and on the other side with the first storage tank (6) (preferably with a lower area of the first storage tank (6)) for transferring water from the collection chamber (5) to the first storage tank (6); at least a third line (9) connected on one side with the sump (2) and on the other side with the first storage tank (6) (preferably with a lower area of the first storage tank (6)) for delivering water from the first storage tank (6) to the sump (2); at least a second valve (10) located in the third line (9) and configured to control the passage of water through the third line (9); at least a second storage tank (11) into which the cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) is transferred when a final rinse in the dishwasher is completed; at least a fourth line (12) connected on one side with the sump (2) and on the other side with the second storage tank (11) (preferably with a lower area of the second storage tank (12)) for transferring the cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) to the second storage tank (11); and at least a third valve (13) located in the fourth line (12) and configured to control the passage of liquid through the fourth line (12).

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, when a cleaning process is completed and / or the dishwasher is energized, the first valve (4) is opened and the mains water is received into the collection chamber (5) (in other words, the water pocket) via the first line (3). The water received into the collection chamber (5) is transferred to the first storage tank (6) via the second line (7) and is kept there for the next cleaning process. In this way, it is ensured that the mains water, which has a relatively low temperature, is slightly warmed (for example, to about room temperature) with the ambient temperature. When the last rinsing phase of a cleaning process is completed, the relatively clean cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) is transferred to the second storage tank (11) via the fourth line (12) by opening the third valve (13), and is kept there until the next cleaning process is started. When a user starts another cleaning process in the dishwasher, the second valve (10) is opened, allowing the water in the first storage tank (6) to pass through the third line (9) with the effect of gravity, so that the sump (2) is filled. Similarly, the third valve (13) is also opened, allowing the cleaning liquid in the second storage tank (11) to pass through the fourth line (12) with the effect of gravity, so that the sump (2) is filled. Then, the cleaning process is carried out by heating the water in the sump (2), preferably by means of the heater (18), and sending it to the washing compartment (1). Thanks to the dishwasher according to the invention, temperature of the water to be used in the washing process can be higher than the mains water temperature. Therefore, the amount of energy required by the heater (18) to heat the water can be reduced, so that the dishwasher is operated more efficiently. In addition, since the heater (18) is operated at a lower power, the probability of malfunction is reduced and a long-lasting dishwasher is obtained.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dishwasher according to the invention comprises at least a fifth line (15) connected on one side with an upper area of the collection chamber (5) and on the other side with an upper area of the first storage tank

[0051] (15) for transferring air and excess water in the first storage tank (6) to the collection chamber (5) during the filling phase of the first storage tank (6); and at least a sixth line

[0052] (16) connected on one side with the collection chamber (5) (preferably with an upper area of the collection chamber (5)) and on the other side with the washing compartment (1) for delivering the air and the excess water in the collection chamber (5) to the washing compartment (1). Before the filling process, the first storage tank (6) contains air. In order to perform the filling process, air in the first storage tank (6) must be discharged, wherein while the water in the collection chamber (5) fills the first storage tank (6), the air also passes into the collection chamber (5) and the washing compartment (1) thanks to the fifth line (15) and the sixth line (16). In addition, if excess water is received into the first storage tank (6) while filling the first storage tank (6), excess water in the first storage tank (6) can be transferred through the fifth line (15) to the collection chamber (5) and through the sixth line (16) to the washing compartment (1), in order to prevent a possible overflow situation. The dishwasher according to this embodiment further comprises at least a seventh line

[0053] (17) connected on one side with an upper area of the second storage tank (11) and on the other side with an upper area of the first storage tank (6) for transferring air and excess liquid in the second storage tank (11) to the first storage tank (6) and from there to the collection chamber (5) during the filling phase of the second storage tank (11). Similar to the first storage tank (6), air inside the second storage tank (11) can be transferred through the seventh line (17) to the first storage tank (6) and from there to the collection chamber (5) and the washing compartment (1) during filling. If the second storage tank (11) is filled with excess liquid, this excess liquid can be transferred through the seventh line (17) to the first storage tank (6) and from there to the collection chamber (5) and the washing compartment (1). Thus, a reliable dishwasher can be obtained.

[0054] In another alternative embodiment, the dishwasher according to the invention preferably comprises at least a first pump (14) located in the fourth line (12) for delivering the cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) to the second storage tank (11). In this embodiment, the dishwasher also preferably comprises at least a second pump (19) for delivering the cleaning liquid in the sump (2) to the washing compartment (1). Therefore, cleaning liquid in the sump (2) can be sent separately to the relevant places depending on the operating state of the dishwasher, and the cleanest cleaning liquid can be stored in the second storage tank (11).

[0055] Yet in another preferred embodiment, the dishwasher comprises at least one water softener reservoir (8) located in the second line (7), containing a softening agent such as a salt that softens the water, wherein the water delivered from the collection chamber (5) to the first storage tank (6) is passed through the water softener reservoir (8) to be softened. Thus, the water is stored in the first storage tank (6) in a softened state, and softened water can be used in the cleaning process. In addition, the possibility of scale accumulation in the first storage tank (6) can be minimized and a long-lasting and reliable dishwasher can be obtained.

[0056] Thanks to the dishwasher according to the present invention, temperature of the water to be used in the cleaning process is enabled to be higher than the mains water, so that the energy needs for heating the water can be reduced. Thus, a reliable and long-lasting dishwasher with reduced energy consumption can be obtained.

Claims

CLAIMS A dishwasher comprising at least one washing compartment (1) for placing the dishes to be washed; at least one sump (2) located below the washing compartment (1) for collecting a cleaning liquid used in a cleaning process; at least a first line (3) connected on one side with the mains and configured to receive water from the mains; at least a first valve (4) located in the first line (3) and configured to control the passage of water through the first line (3); and at least one heater (18) for heating the cleaning liquid which is collected in the sump (2) to be delivered to the washing compartment (1), characterized by comprising:• at least one collection chamber (5) connected with a second side of the first line (3), wherein the water received through the first line (3) is filled into the collection chamber (5);• at least a first storage tank (6) to which water received into collection chamber (5) is transferred;• at least a second line (7) connected on one side with the collection chamber (5) and on the other side with the first storage tank (6) for transferring water from the collection chamber (5) to the first storage tank (6);• at least a third line (9) connected on one side with the sump (2) and on the other side with the first storage tank (6) for delivering water from the first storage tank (6) to the sump (2);• at least a second valve (10) located in the third line (9) and configured to control the passage of water through the third line (9);• at least a second storage tank (11) into which the cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) is transferred when a final rinse in the dishwasher is completed;• at least a fourth line (12) connected on one side with the sump (2) and on the other side with the second storage tank (11) for transferring the cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) to the second storage tank (11); and• at least a third valve (13) located in the fourth line (12) and configured to control the passage of liquid through the fourth line (12).

82. A dishwasher according to claim 1 , characterized in that the third line (19) is connected with a lower area of the first storage tank (6).

3. A dishwasher according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the fourth line (12) is connected with a lower area of the second storage tank (11).

4. A dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second line (7) is connected with a lower area of the collection chamber (5).

5. A dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second line (7) is connected with a lower area of the first storage tank (6).

6. A dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least a fifth line (15) connected on one side with an upper area of the collection chamber (5) and on the other side with an upper area of the first storage tank (15) for transferring air and excess water in the first storage tank (6) to the collection chamber (5) during the filling phase of the first storage tank (6); and at least a sixth line (16) connected on one side with the collection chamber (5) and on the other side with the washing compartment (1) for delivering the air and the excess water in the collection chamber (5) to the washing compartment (1).

7. A dishwasher according to claim 6, characterized in that the sixth line (16) is connected with an upper area of the collection chamber (5).

8. A dishwasher according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that it comprises at least a seventh line (17) connected on one side with an upper area of the second storage tank (11) and on the other side with an upper area of the first storage tank (6) for transferring air and excess liquid in the second storage tank (11) to the first storage tank (6) and from there to the collection chamber (5) during the filling phase of the second storage tank (11).

9. A dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least a first pump (14) located in the fourth line (12) for delivering the cleaning liquid collected in the sump (2) to the second storage tank (11).9A dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least a second pump (19) for delivering the cleaning liquid in the sump (2) to the washing compartment (1). A dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one water softener reservoir (8) located in the second line (7), containing a softening agent that softens the water, wherein the water delivered from the collection chamber (5) to the first storage tank (6) is passed through the water softener reservoir (8) to be softened.10

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