Garbage disposal

Abstract

We provide a garbage disposal that can reduce costs. [Solution] The disposer 1 of the present invention is characterized in that the lid switch unit 2 comprises a lid 12 in which one magnet 12a is embedded and a sink flange 10 on which one magnetic sensor 16 is provided, and the operating pattern of the disposer 1 is switched by repeatedly rotating the lid 12 to a predetermined position multiple times in a short time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a disposer for crushing kitchen waste generated in a kitchen or the like.

Background Art

[0002] A disposer is connected to a drain outlet of a sink in a kitchen or the like, receives kitchen waste input from the drain outlet by a rotating disk provided at the bottom of a crushing chamber, rotates the rotating disk with an electric motor, and crushes it with a striking blade attached to the upper surface. At the same time, it is finely sheared and crushed between a fixed tooth provided on the inner wall of the bottom of the crushing chamber surrounding the rotating disk and the outer periphery of the rotating disk, and is dropped into a discharge chamber below the rotating disk together with water, and flows out from a discharge pipe connected to the discharge chamber into a sewer pipe.

[0003] In such a disposer, the kitchen waste put into the crushing chamber receives centrifugal force from the rotating disk, so the kitchen waste scatters in the crushing chamber, and the inner wall of the crushing chamber, the bottom surface of the discharge chamber, the inside of the discharge chamber partitioned by the rotating disk, and the discharge pipe are also attached with crushed kitchen waste, oil components and detergent residues flowing in mixed with water. A disposer with an automatic cleaning function that can clean these stains regularly or irregularly has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The disposer described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with control means for operation mode, washing mode, and silent mode. Switching modes required aligning the engaging projection on the lid with the indicators for "operation," "washing," and "silent" respectively (Patent Document 1, paragraphs 0012, 0014). In addition, one sensor is provided for each of the "operation," "washing," and "silent" indicator directions, for a total of three sensors (Patent Document 1, as shown in Figure 4, there are three sensors 22). However, the above-described control means not only has the disadvantage of a complex structure, but also had room for cost reduction.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a disposer that simplifies the structure and reduces costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the disposer according to the present invention comprises a sink flange to be attached to a sink, a removable lid that closes a circular opening located in the center of the sink flange, a magnet embedded in the fitting portion of the lid, a magnetic sensor positioned in the annular portion of the sink flange toward the center of the circular opening and detecting the magnetism of the magnet, and a control device that controls the operation of the disposer based on the signal emitted by the magnetic sensor. The disposer is characterized in that the operating pattern can be switched by attaching the lid to the circular opening of the sink flange and rotating it repeatedly to a predetermined position multiple times in a short time.

[0008] In the disposer according to the present invention, it is preferable to have an electric motor whose rotational speed and rotational direction can be changed.

[0009] In the disposer according to the present invention, it is preferable to have control means for controlling the electric motor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a disposer that simplifies the structure and reduces costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a disposer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the garbage disposal. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a portion of the garbage disposal shown in Figure 1, along line AA. [Figure 4] (A) to (C) are diagrams illustrating the operating procedure. [Figure 5] (A) to (D) are curve diagrams illustrating driving patterns. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation pattern of the garbage disposal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the disposer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Common components in each figure are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0013] Figure 1 shows a disposer 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The disposer 1 is installed under the kitchen sink 60 and crushes food waste. Water can be supplied to the disposer 1 from a faucet 61 while the food waste is being crushed in the disposer 1. When water is supplied to the inside of the disposer 1, the crushed food waste and water are mixed to produce a slurry. The generated slurry is discharged to the sewer pipe 71 through the discharge pipe 70. The mechanism for crushing food waste will be described later.

[0014] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the primary sides of the water supply valve unit 40 and the hot water supply valve unit 50 are connected to the kitchen's water supply pipe 62 and hot water supply pipe 63, respectively, and the secondary sides are connected to the branch adapter 65 of the faucet hose 64. The opening and closing operations of the water supply solenoid valve 41 and the hot water solenoid valve 51 are controlled by a control device 32 (not shown) of the disposer 1 via cables 42 and 52, respectively, and ultimately, water or hot water is supplied from the faucet 61 in coordination with the starting of the disposer 1.

[0015] First, the overall configuration of the disposer 1 in this embodiment will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 2.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the disposer 1 of this embodiment includes an upper casing 20 fixed to a sink 60 (not shown) via a sink flange 10, a packing 11, and a tightening nut 13, and connected to the lower end of the sink flange 10 via vibration-damping rubber 14 and metal bands 15a and 15b, and a lower casing 21 fixed to the lower end of the upper casing 20. The entire structure obtained by joining the lower casing 21 to the upper casing 20 corresponds to the "casing" of the present invention. In this embodiment, the area surrounded by the upper casing 20 and the lower casing 21 corresponds to the "inside of the casing". The remaining area after excluding the area surrounded by the upper casing 20 and the lower casing 21 from all the illustrated areas corresponds to the "outside of the casing".

[0017] Below the lower casing 21, the electric motor 30 and cover 33 are positioned. The electric motor 30 is fixed to the lower casing 21, and the cover 33 is fixed to the electric motor 30. The lower casing 21 also serves as the load-side bracket for the electric motor 30, and the rotating shaft 31 of the electric motor 30 passes through the lower casing 21 and protrudes into the interior of the casing. A rotating disc 22 is also positioned inside the lower casing 21. The rotating disc 22 is connected to the rotating shaft 31 of the electric motor 30 and is rotationally driven by the electric motor 30 around the rotating shaft O.

[0018] Below the lower casing 21, a space Y is formed between the bottom surface of the lower casing 21 and the upper surface of the electric motor 30. Inside the space Y, a control device 32 is accommodated. The control device 32 is a circuit board that controls the disposer 1, and for example, a microcomputer or other electronic components are mounted thereon.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, fixed teeth 24 are fixed to the lower casing 21, and the fixed teeth 24 surround the periphery of the rotating disk 22. Also, a gap is formed between the fixed teeth 24 and the rotating disk 22.

[0020] With respect to the rotating disk 22, the swing hammers 23a and 23b are each configured to be swingably supported around the rotation axes X1 and X2. When the rotating disk 22 is rotationally driven around the rotation axis O during the operation of the disposer 1, centrifugal force acts on the swing hammers 23a and 23b, so they swing out toward the fixed teeth 24.

[0021] Therefore, the kitchen waste put into the casing is received by the rotating disk 22 provided at the bottom of the lower casing 21, the rotating disk 22 is rotated by the electric motor 30 and struck by the swing hammers 23a and 23b attached to the upper surface, and is finely crushed between the fixed teeth 24 fixed to the upper inner wall of the lower casing 21 surrounding the periphery of the rotating disk 22, and falls below the rotating disk 22 together with water, and is discharged to the outside of the casing.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the disposer 1 includes a control device 32. The control device 32 is an example of the control means of the present invention. The disposer 1 executes a control program pre-installed in the control device 32 according to the operation pattern of the lid 12 to perform an operation pattern and a water supply pattern. The operation pattern, the operation pattern, and the water supply pattern will be described later.

[0023] When power is supplied to the disposer 1, the control device 32 starts up, and a control program is executed based on the signal emitted by the magnetic sensor 16. The control program includes an operating pattern and a water supply pattern.

[0024] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a lid switch unit 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the bottom. As shown in Figure 3, the lid switch unit 2 is assembled during manufacturing in the following steps: 1. Assemble the magnetic sensor 16 and two fastening rivets 18 to the sensor cover 17; 2. Assemble the sensor cover 17 and three tightening screws 19 to the sink flange 10; 3. Assemble the packing 11 and then the tightening nut 13 to the sink flange 10 in that order; 4. Embed the magnet 12a in the lid 12 and attach it to the circular opening Z of the sink flange 10. The assembly process is arbitrary and may be carried out in steps other than those described above. Also, the shape of the magnetic sensor 16 is an example and is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped; it may be a regular hexahedron, cylinder, or other shape.

[0025] Figure 4 shows the top surface of the lid switch unit 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4(A), the cover 12 is marked with ON12b, OFF12c, and SET12d, respectively, indicating operation, stop, and installation. The sink flange 10 is marked with an indicator 10a (in the example shown, it is a triangle). Note that the above markings and indicators are just examples, and other characters or shapes may be used.

[0027] The lid 12 has a magnet 12a embedded in it. By aligning the printed SET 12d on the lid 12 with the indicator 10a on the sink flange 10 and rotating the printed ON 12b to align with the indicator 10a, the magnetic sensor 16 detects the magnetic force of the magnet 12a and sends a signal to a control device 32 (not shown).

[0028] Next, the operation pattern of the lid 12 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0029] The typical way to use a garbage disposal is to put food waste into the casing, supply an appropriate amount of water from a faucet, activate it via an operating switch, and discharge the slurry consisting of crushed food waste and water into the sewer pipe.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4(B), when the printed SET 12d on the lid 12 is aligned with the indicator 10a on the sink flange 10 and the printed ON 12b is rotated to align with the indicator 10a (in the example shown, it is rotated counterclockwise), the electric motor 30 (not shown) rotates and the food waste is crushed. During the crushing process, the control device 32 (not shown) measures the load on the electric motor 30 according to the installed control program and determines when the crushing process is complete and when to lock the electric motor. The completion of the crushing process and the locking of the electric motor will be described later. In addition, during the crushing process, the user can rotate the lid 12 at any time to align the printed OFF 12c or SET 12d on the sink flange 10 with the indicator 10a, and the electric motor 30 will stop.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4(C), the disposer 1 starts the cleaning mode by a control program pre-installed in a control device 32 (not shown) when the user rotates the lid 12 to align the printed SET 12d with the indicator 10a on the sink flange 10, and then performs the following repetitive operations within 1.5 seconds: 1. Rotate the lid 12b to align with the printed ON 12b, 2. Immediately afterwards rotate the lid 12 to align with the printed OFF 12c or SET 12d with the indicator 10a on the sink flange 10, and 3. Immediately afterwards rotate the lid 12 again to align with the printed ON 12b with the indicator 10a.

[0032] Next, the operation pattern of the disposer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0033] Figure 5(A) shows an example of the control characteristics of the "operating mode". From the start, the motor 30 rotates forward at a rotational speed N1 (low speed) for a time T1, then increases to a rotational speed N2 (high speed) and rotates forward for a time T2 before stopping. Note that the above rotation direction is arbitrary and can also be reversed.

[0034] In "operating mode," the control device 32 measures the load on the electric motor 30 and, when it exceeds the lower limit of a preset load range, determines that the food waste has been removed and stops the electric motor 30 to complete the crushing process. Furthermore, if the load on the electric motor 30 exceeds the upper limit of the load range, the control device determines that the electric motor 30 is locked and, after a second has elapsed, reverses the rotation direction of the electric motor 30, then resumes forward rotation.

[0035] Figure 5(B) shows an example of the control characteristics of the "cleaning mode". The automatic cleaning function of the disposer is a known technology (see Patent Document 1). From the start of the cleaning mode, the electric motor 30 rotates forward at rotational speed N1 for time T1, then 1. water is collected inside the casing and time T2 has elapsed, and immediately after that, 2. the electric motor 30 rotates forward at rotational speed N2 for time T3. This process of 1-2 is repeated several times (3 times in the example shown in the figure) to clean the inside of the casing and the discharge pipe. Note that the number of repetitions is just an example and is not limited to this.

[0036] Figure 5(C) shows another example of the embodiment shown in Figure 5(B). From the start of the cleaning mode, the motor 30 rotates forward at rotational speed N1 for time T1, then 1. water accumulates inside the casing for time T2, 2. the motor 30 rotates backward at rotational speed N3 for time T3, 3. water accumulates inside the casing again for time T2, and 4. the motor 30 rotates forward at rotational speed N2 for time T3. These steps 1-4 are repeated several times (three times in the example shown) to clean the inside of the casing and the discharge pipe. Note that the number of repetitions is just an example and is not limited to this. Note that rotational speeds N2 and N3 are the same rotational speed but rotate in different directions.

[0037] Figure 5(D) shows another example of the control characteristics of the "cleaning mode". From the start of the cleaning mode, the motor 30 rotates forward at rotational speed N1 for time T1, then 1. rotates in the reverse direction at rotational speed N3 for time T2, and immediately after that 2. rotates forward at rotational speed N2 for time T2. This process of 1-2 is repeated several times (3 times in the example shown in the figure) to clean the inside of the casing and the discharge pipe. Note that the number of repetitions is just an example and is not limited to this. Note that rotational speeds N2 and N3 are the same rotational speed but rotate in different directions.

[0038] Next, a water supply pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0039] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the water supply pattern performed by the control device 32, namely the opening and closing control of the water supply solenoid valve 41 and the hot water supply solenoid valve 42.

[0040] As shown in Figure 6, after power is supplied to the disposer 1, the control device 32 first performs the necessary initial settings (step S1). These initial settings include register settings for built-in devices (brushless motor, buzzer, AC outlet, etc.) and settings for the memory device.

[0041] Next, it is determined whether the output signal from the magnetic sensor 16 is ON or OFF (step S2). If the power is turned on while the magnetic sensor 16 is ON, the initialization process (step 3) is executed. In the initialization process, tasks stored in the memory of the control device 32 are cleared and initial values ​​are set in the work area.

[0042] If the output signal from the magnetic sensor 16 is not on, the program is started (step S4).

[0043] Next, the number of signals from the magnetic sensor 16 (step S5) is received, and the subsequent "standard mode" or "cleaning mode" is performed based on the number of times the input signal has been transmitted (in the example shown in the figure, there are two possibilities: one transmission and two transmissions). The above number of transmissions refers to the number of times a type of switch inside the magnetic sensor 16 has been closed.

[0044] In the standard mode of step S601, the following operations are performed: 1. The water supply solenoid valve is turned on in step S602; 2. Low-speed operation begins in step S603; 3. The system transitions to high-speed operation in step S604; 4. Operation ends in step S605; and 5. The water supply solenoid valve is turned off in step S606. A key feature of this mode is that if a lock is detected between the low-speed operation in step S603 and the high-speed operation in step S604, a lock operation (step S10) is performed, and if the lock is not resolved, an abnormal stop (step S11) occurs.

[0045] In step S701, the cleaning mode begins with the activation of the hot water solenoid valve in step S702, followed by the operation of high-speed operation in step S703. Then, the operation of steps 1 and 2 is repeated several times (three times in the example shown in the figure), starting with 1. water accumulation in step S704, and then 2. low-speed operation in step S705. Finally, the operation ends in step S710, followed by the activation of the hot water solenoid valve in step S711. If a lock is detected while the high-speed operation in step S703 is in operation, the lock operation (step S10) is performed. Note that the water accumulation in step 704 may be omitted. Note that in the low-speed operation in step 705, the motor 30 may alternate between forward and reverse rotation.

[0046] Furthermore, the waterway in step S602 described above may be replaced with a hot water supply.

[0047] Furthermore, the waterway in step S702 described above may be replaced with a water supply channel.

[0048] Furthermore, the water channels related to the above water supply pattern may be for hot water supply only.

[0049] Furthermore, the water channels related to the above water supply pattern may be used solely for water supply. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1. Garbage disposal 2. Cover switch unit 10 Sink flange 10a indicator 11 Gasket 12 Lid 12a Magnet 12b ON 12c OFF 12d SET 13. Tightening nut 14. Vibration-damping rubber 15a Metal Band 15b Metal band 16 Magnetic Sensors 17 Sensor cover 18 rivets 19. Tightening screws 20 Upper casing 21 Lower casing 22 Rotating disks 23a Swing Hammer 23b Swing Hammer 24 Fixed teeth 30 Electric motor 31 Rotation axis 32 Control device 33 Cover 40 Water supply unit 41 Water supply solenoid valve 42 Cables 50 Hot water supply units 51 Hot water solenoid valve 52 Cables 60 sink 61 Faucets 62 Water supply pipe 63 Hot water pipe 64 Faucet Hose 65 Splitter Adapter 70 Discharge pipe 71 Sewer pipe O Rotation axis X1 Rotation axis X2 Rotation axis Y Space Z circular opening

Claims

1. A sink flange positioned on top of the disposer, with a circular opening in the center, A concave cover that closes the circular opening of the sink flange, A magnet is placed in the recess of the lid, facing inward towards the circular opening of the sink flange, A magnetic sensor is provided in the annular portion of the sink flange, positioned toward the center of the circular opening, and for detecting the magnetism of the magnet. A disposer comprising a control device that controls the operation of an electric motor based on a signal emitted by the magnetic sensor, The lid is attached to the circular opening of the sink flange, and rotated repeatedly to a predetermined position within a short time to switch the operation pattern of the disposer. A garbage disposal characterized by the following features.

2. In claim 1, The garbage disposal is characterized in that the control device comprises control means for controlling the opening and closing of solenoid valves for water supply and hot water supply in coordination with the operating pattern.

3. In claim 1, The aforementioned control device is characterized by comprising control means for rotating the electric motor at a low speed for a certain period of time from the start of operation, and then rotating it at a high speed for a certain period of time thereafter.

4. In claim 1, The aforementioned control device is characterized by comprising control means for rotating the electric motor at high speed for a certain period of time from the start of operation, and then periodically repeating low-speed rotation and stopping for a certain period of time.

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