Dishwashers

Abstract

To provide a dishwasher capable of improving positioning accuracy in a left-right direction of a lid body to a washing tank.SOLUTION: In a dishwasher, a lifting mechanism 5 comprises: energization means; guide parts 7L, 7R as guide parts 7L, 7R projecting upward from the circumference of a washing tank 7, having first guide surfaces 7L1, 7R1, and second guide surfaces 7L2, 7R2 formed in an outer peripheral surface; and guided parts 8L, 8R as guided parts 8L, 8R disposed in positions corresponding to the guide parts 7L, 7R in a lid body 8, having first guided surfaces 8L1, 8R1 for regulating a position in a front-back direction of the lid body 8 to the washing tank 7 by being brought into contact with the first guide surfaces 7L1, 7R1 when the washing tank 7 moves to a housing position, and second guided surfaces 8L2, 8R2 for regulating a position in a left-right direction of the lid body 8 to the washing tank 7 by being brought into contact with the second guide surfaces 7L2, 7R2 when the washing tank 7 moves to a housing position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to dishwashers. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a conventional dishwasher is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This dishwasher includes a housing, a washing tank, a lid, and a lifting mechanism.

[0003] The housing is open at the front. The cleaning tank is movable between a storage position where it is stored in the housing and a pull-out position where it moves forward from the storage position and is exposed to the outside of the housing. The cleaning tank has a tank opening that is open at the top and can store an object to be cleaned.

[0004] The cover is provided in the housing. The cover is in a closing position where the cover closes the tank opening when the cleaning tank is in the storage position. The lifting mechanism moves the cover between the closing position and a retracted position where the cover is located at the uppermost position away from the closing position and opens the tank opening in conjunction with the movement of the cleaning tank between the storage position and the pull-out position.

[0005] More specifically, the lifting mechanism has a spring, four L-shaped links, and four guide members. The spring is provided between the housing and the lid, and biases the lid toward the retracted position. One end of each link is supported to be swingable on the left and right side walls of the housing. The other end of each link is connected to the left and right side edges of the lid. A roller is rotatably supported at the bent portion of each link. Each guide member is provided at a position on the left and right side walls of the cleaning tank where it can press the roller of each link.

[0006] When the cleaning tank moves from the pulled-out position to the stored position, the lifting mechanism causes each guide member to press the roller of each link, causing each link to swing against the spring, thereby moving the lid to the closed position.

[0007] On the other hand, when the cleaning tank moves from the storage position to the pull-out position, the lifting mechanism causes each guide member to move forward and away from the rollers of each link, causing the springs to swing each link in the opposite direction while moving the lid body to the retracted position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-165744 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In the conventional dishwasher, the washing tub movably supported on the housing has left-right play relative to the housing. Each link swingably supported on the housing has left-right play relative to the housing. The lid connected to each link has left-right play relative to each link.

[0010] For this reason, when the lid moves to the closed position in conjunction with the washing tub moving to the storage position, if the washing tub and the lid are positioned left and right via the housing and each link, errors due to play between them tend to accumulate. As a result, it is difficult to improve the left and right positioning accuracy of the lid relative to the washing tub in this dishwasher.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and has as its problem to be solved the provision of a dishwasher that can improve the left-right positioning accuracy of the lid body relative to the washing tub. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The dishwasher of the present invention comprises a housing having an open front and a cleaning tank that is movable between a storage position stored in the housing and a pull-out position that moves forward from the storage position and is exposed to the outside of the housing, has a tank opening that is open at the top, and is capable of storing an object to be cleaned; a cover provided in the housing and in a closing position for closing the tank opening when the cleaning tank is in the storage position; a lifting mechanism that moves the cover between the closed position and a retracted position that is the uppermost position away from the closed position and opens the cover opening in conjunction with the movement of the washing tub between the storage position and the pull-out position, The lifting mechanism includes a biasing means provided between the housing and the lid, the biasing means biasing the lid toward the retracted position; a guide portion protruding upward from a periphery surrounding the tank opening in the cleaning tank, the guide portion having an outer circumferential surface formed with a first guide surface facing rearward and a second guide surface facing left and right; a guided portion provided at a position corresponding to the guide portion on the lid body, the guided portion having a first guided surface that abuts against the first guide surface when the cleaning tank moves to the storage position to regulate the front-rear position of the lid body relative to the cleaning tank, and a second guided surface that abuts against the second guide surface when the cleaning tank moves to the storage position to regulate the left-right position of the lid body relative to the cleaning tank; The present invention is characterized in that it has the following features.

[0013] In the dishwasher of the present invention, the lifting mechanism brings the guide part of the washing tub closer to the guided part of the lid body when the washing tub moves from the pulled-out position to the stored position. The second guided surface of the guided part abuts against the second guide surface of the guide part to regulate the left-right position of the lid body relative to the washing tub. The first guided surface of the guided part abuts against the first guide surface of the guide part to regulate the front-rear position of the lid body relative to the washing tub.

[0014] The guide portion then becomes a pressing portion that essentially presses the lid body rearward to move the lid body to the closed position against the biasing means. At this time, the second guided surface also abuts against the second guide surface of the guide portion, thereby regulating the left-right position of the lid body relative to the cleaning tank.

[0015] On the other hand, when the cleaning tank moves from the storage position to the pull-out position, the lifting mechanism causes the guide portion to move forward and the first guide surface to move away from the first guided surface of the guided portion, thereby causing the biasing means to move the lid body to the retracted position.

[0016] Thus, when positioning the lid body left-right relative to the washing tub, this dishwasher performs one-to-one positioning between the washing tub and the lid body, thereby reducing the accumulation of errors compared to the conventional dishwasher described above, in which the washing tub and the lid body are positioned via the housing and each link.

[0017] In addition, in this dishwasher, the first guide surface and the second guide surface are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the guide portion and are located close to each other, and therefore the first guided surface and the second guided surface of the guided portion are also located close to each other. Therefore, the position where the first guide surface and the first guided surface position the lid body in the front-rear direction relative to the washing tub and the position where the second guide surface and the second guided surface position the lid body in the left-right direction relative to the washing tub are close to each other, so that it is possible to prevent the positional relationship between the first guide surface, the second guide surface, the first guided surface, and the second guided surface from being shifted due to deformation of the lid body, such as warping or twisting. As a result, this dishwasher can prevent accumulation of errors due to deformation of the lid body when positioning the lid body in the left-right direction relative to the washing tub.

[0018] Therefore, the dishwasher of the present invention can improve the positioning accuracy of the lid body relative to the washing tub in the left-right direction.

[0019] In addition, this dishwasher is configured so that the first guide surface and the second guide surface are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the guide portion, which is a single convex portion, thereby achieving simplification of the guide portion and improvement in durability compared to a case in which the first guide surface and the second guide surface are formed on separate convex portions, and also achieving simplification of the guided portion corresponding to the guide portion and improvement in durability.

[0020] The guide portion desirably has a left guide portion protruding upward from a position on the periphery that is forward and to the left of the tank opening, and a right guide portion protruding upward from a position on the periphery that is forward and to the right of the tank opening. The guided portion desirably has a left guided portion provided at a front left corner of the lid body at a position corresponding to the left guide portion, and a right guided portion provided at a front right corner of the lid body at a position corresponding to the right guide portion.

[0021] In this case, although the positioning is performed only at the front part of the washing tank and the front part of the lid, the positioning is performed at two points that are widely separated in the left-right direction, so that the lid can be reliably prevented from being positioned at an angle to the washing tank. As a result, this dishwasher can further improve the left-right positioning accuracy of the lid relative to the washing tank. Also, in this case, when the washing tank is pulled out of the housing, the left guide part and the right guide part are exposed to the outside of the housing. Therefore, this dishwasher can easily check whether or not foreign matter is attached to the left guide part and the right guide part, and can easily clean the left guide part and the right guide part when the attachment of foreign matter is confirmed. As a result, this dishwasher can prevent a foreign matter from being caught between the left guide part and the left guided part, or between the right guide part and the right guided part, and thus the left-right positioning accuracy of the lid relative to the washing tank can be reduced.

[0022] It is desirable that the second guide surface of the left guide portion faces to the right, and the second guide surface of the right guide portion faces to the left.It is desirable that the second guided surface of the left guided portion faces to the left, and the second guided surface of the right guided portion faces to the right.It is also desirable that at least one of the pair of the second guide surface of the left guide portion and the second guide surface of the right guide portion, and the pair of the second guided surface of the left guided portion and the second guided surface of the right guided portion, are inclined so as to move away from each other as they proceed rearward.

[0023] In this case, when the second guided surface of the left guided portion abuts against the second guide surface of the left guide portion, and when the second guided surface of the right guided portion abuts against the second guide surface of the right guide portion, the generally V-shaped inclination can reliably regulate the left-right position of the lid body relative to the washing tub. As a result, this dishwasher can further improve the left-right positioning accuracy of the lid body relative to the washing tub. Also, in this case, the left guided portion and the right guided portion can be easily provided by simply recessing the front two left and right corners of the lid body.

[0024] The lifting mechanism preferably has a guided protrusion protruding in the left-right direction from the side edge of the lid, and a guide portion supported by the side wall of the housing, the guide portion having a guide groove extending so as to incline downward toward the rear and into which the guided protrusion is inserted. It is preferable that the guided protrusion slides along the guide groove when the lid moves between the closed position and the retracted position. It is preferable that the second guided surface abuts against the second guide surface while the lid is biased by the biasing means so that the guided protrusion abuts against the front end of the guide groove, thereby regulating the left-right position of the lid relative to the cleaning tank.

[0025] In this case, while the lid is biased by the biasing means and the guided projection is in contact with the front end of the guide groove, the lid is unlikely to become inclined with respect to the washing tub. Also, the degree to which the guided projection is restrained in the left-right direction by the guide groove is weaker than if the lid and the link were connected by a shaft and a shaft hole. Therefore, this dishwasher can reliably regulate the left-right position of the lid with respect to the washing tub by using the above-mentioned timing. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to the dishwasher of the present invention, the accuracy of the left-right positioning of the lid body relative to the washing tub can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a washing tub is in a storage position and a lid is in a closed position. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 1, showing the cleaning tank in the pulled-out position and the lid in the retracted position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the cleaning tank. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the cleaning tank. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lid. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the lid. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view mainly showing the right guide portion, the right guided portion, the guided protrusion, and the guiding portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view mainly showing the right guide portion, the right guided portion, the guided protrusion, and the guiding portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a partial top view illustrating the actions of the left guide portion, the right guide portion, the left guided portion, the right guided portion, the guided protrusion, and the guiding portion when the cleaning tank moves toward the storage position. [Figure 10] 10 is a partial top view illustrating the actions of the left guide portion, the right guide portion, the left guided portion, the right guided portion, the guided protrusion portion, and the guiding portion when the cleaning tank moves further from FIG. 9 toward the storage position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] (Example) As shown in Fig. 1, the dishwasher 1 of the embodiment is an example of a specific embodiment of the dishwasher of the present invention. The dishwasher 1 is a front pull-out type installed under the countertop CT1 of a system kitchen.

[0030] In this embodiment, the side that a user using the system kitchen faces the housing 9, i.e., the left side of the paper in Fig. 1, is defined as the front of the housing 9, and the opposite side, that is, the right side of the paper in Fig. 1, is defined as the rear of the housing 9. Also, the side that the user faces to the left when facing the housing 9, i.e., the back side of Fig. 1, is defined as the left side of the housing 9, and the side that the user faces to the right, i.e., the front side of the paper in Fig. 1, is defined as the right side of the housing 9. Also, the front-rear directions, left-right directions, and up-down directions shown in Fig. 2 and subsequent figures are all displayed in correspondence with Fig. 1.

[0031] <Housing, cleaning tank and lid> The dishwasher 1 comprises a housing 9, a washing tub 7 and a lid 8.

[0032] The housing 9 is substantially box-shaped. The top of the housing 9 is covered with a top plate CT1. The housing 9 has a housing opening 9H. The housing opening 9H opens a wide area from the top to the bottom of the front of the housing 9. The housing opening 9H connects the inside of the housing 9 to the outside.

[0033] The cleaning tank 7 is housed in a housing 9. The position of the cleaning tank 7 shown in Fig. 1 is referred to as the housed position. When the cleaning tank 7 is in the housed position, it closes the housing opening 9H.

[0034] The cleaning tank 7 is substantially box-shaped. In this embodiment, the cleaning tank 7 is a resin molded product having heat resistance in the temperature range of the heated cleaning water and the heated air for drying.

[0035] A slide rail mechanism (not shown) is disposed between the cleaning tank 7 and the housing 9. As shown in Fig. 2, the cleaning tank 7 is capable of sliding in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 9 by the slide rail mechanism.

[0036] 3 and 4, the cleaning tank 7 has a tank opening 7H. The tank opening 7H opens the upper part of the cleaning tank 7. The cleaning tank 7 also has an annular periphery 7E surrounding the tank opening 7H.

[0037] A resin cover member 77 is attached to a portion located between the front and upper end of the cleaning tank 7 and the peripheral edge 7E. The rear end edge of the cover member 77 is adjacent to the front end edge of the peripheral edge 7E.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 1, a handle 7G is provided at the upper end of the front part of the cleaning tank 7. When a user grips the handle 7G and manually slides the cleaning tank 7 from the storage position shown in Fig. 1 to the front of the housing 9, the cleaning tank 7 moves to a drawn-out position exposed to the outside of the housing 9 through a housing opening 9H as shown in Fig. 2. When a user manually slides the cleaning tank 7 from the drawn-out position shown in Fig. 2 to the rear of the housing 9, the cleaning tank 7 returns to the stored position shown in Fig. 1.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, when the washing tub 7 is moved to the pulled-out position, a user can place tableware TW1 in the washing tub 7 or remove it from the washing tub 7 through the tub opening 7H.

[0040] The tableware TW1 is, for example, tableware such as bowls, plates, glasses, etc., and eating and drinking utensils such as chopsticks, spoons, forks, etc. The tableware TW1 is an example of the "item to be washed" in the present invention.

[0041] 1, a water storage section 71 capable of storing washing water for washing tableware TW1 is provided at the bottom of the washing tub 7. A dish basket 70 is also arranged in the washing tub 7. The tableware TW1 is placed in the dish basket 70.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lid 8 is disposed at the upper part inside the housing 9. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the lid 8 is a substantially rectangular flat plate, and is formed with ribs and irregularities for reinforcement. In this embodiment, the lid 8 is a resin molded product having heat resistance in the temperature range of the heated cleaning water and the heated air for drying, similar to the cleaning tank 7.

[0043] Reinforcing frames 8W1, 8W2, and 8W3 are attached to the left and right side edges and the front edge of the lid body 8. The reinforcing frames 8W1 to 8W3 are steel plates bent into a generally U-shaped cross section. The reinforcing frames 8W1 to 8W3 reinforce the lid body 8 to suppress deformation such as warping and twisting of the lid body 8.

[0044] 5, a sealing member 80 is provided on the underside of the lid 8. The upper portion of the sealing member 80 is fitted into fitting grooves recessed in the left and right side edges, the front edge, and the rear edge of the lid 8, and is held in place by reinforcing frames 8W1-8W3 so as not to come out of the fitting grooves.

[0045] The sealing member 80 has an annular shape that fits to a periphery 7E surrounding the tank opening 7H of the cleaning tank 7. The sealing member 80 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, a foam material with closed cells, or the like.

[0046] The lower portion of the sealing member 80 has, for example, a circular cross section, and is easily deformed so as to be crushed in the vertical direction and expanded in width in the horizontal direction when it comes into contact with the peripheral edge 7E surrounding the tank opening 7H.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 1, when the cleaning tank 7 is in the storage position, the cover 8 is in the closing position to close the tank opening 7H. At this time, the sealing member 80 seals the gap between the periphery 7E surrounding the tank opening 7H and the cover 8 in the closing position. In Fig. 3, the area E1 of the periphery 7E where the sealing member 80 abuts is shown shaded.

[0048] <Lifting mechanism> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the dishwasher 1 further includes a lifting mechanism 5. As will be described in detail below, the lifting mechanism 5 moves the lid body 8 between the closed position shown in Figure 1 and the retracted position shown in Figure 2 in conjunction with the movement of the washing tub 7 between the stored position shown in Figure 1 and the pulled-out position shown in Figure 2, and moves the lid body 8 between the closed position shown in Figure 1 and the retracted position shown in Figure 2. The retracted position of the lid body 8 is a position within the housing 9 that is farthest above and forward from the closed position and opens the tub opening 7H.

[0049] The lifting mechanism 5 has a tension coil spring 59 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, a guided convex portion 85 shown in Figures 5 to 10, a guide portion 50 shown in Figures 7 to 10, and a cam portion 57 shown in Figures 4 and 8.

[0050] In addition, the lifting mechanism 5 has a left guide portion 7L shown in Figures 3, 4, 9 and 10, a right guide portion 7R shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7 to 10, a left guided portion 8L shown in Figures 5, 6, 9 and 10, and a right guided portion 8R shown in Figures 5 to 10.

[0051] The tension coil spring 59 is an example of the "urging means" of the present invention. The left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R are an example of the "guide portion" of the present invention. The left guided portion 8L and the right guided portion 8R are an example of the "guided portion" of the present invention.

[0052] <Tension coil spring> 6, a pair of tension coil springs 59 are provided on the left side edge side and the right side edge side of the cover body 8. The rear ends of the pair of tension coil springs 59 are engaged with engagement pieces 8W1A, 8W2A protruding from the middle parts of the reinforcing frames 8W1, 8W2.

[0053] 1 and 2, the front ends of the pair of tension coil springs 59 are engaged with the front ends of the upper wall of the housing 9. The pair of tension coil springs 59 are provided between the housing 9 and the lid body 8, and bias the lid body 8 forward toward the retracted position shown in FIG.

[0054] <Guided protrusion> As shown in Fig. 5, four guided protrusions 85 are provided on the front and rear ends of the left and right side edges of the cover 8. Each guided protrusion 85 is a substantially cylindrical member made of metal. Each guided protrusion 85 is fastened to reinforcing frames 8W1, 8W2 and protrudes in the left and right directions from the left and right side edges of the cover 8. The tip of each guided protrusion 85 is expanded in diameter into a flange shape to prevent it from coming off.

[0055] <Information Department> Four guiding portions 50 are provided corresponding to the four guided protrusions 85. Figs. 7 and 8 show one set of guided protrusions 85 and guiding portions 50 located at the front and right side within the housing 9. Figs. 9 and 10 show two sets of guided protrusions 85 and guiding portions 50 located at the front and left and right sides within the housing 9. Two sets of guided protrusions 85 and guiding portions 50 located at the rear and left and right sides within the housing 9 are similar and therefore are not shown.

[0056] 7, the guide portion 50 is disposed between a side wall 9S of the housing 9 and a side edge of the cover 8. Although the side wall 9S of the housing 9 is not shown in FIG. 8, the side wall 9S is located on the front side of the drawing with respect to the guide portion 50.

[0057] The support shaft 50X shown in Fig. 8 is a multi-stage cylinder that extends short in the left-right direction and is fastened to a side wall 9S of the housing 9. A restricting piece 9S1 shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 8 is a small piece cut out so as to protrude from the side wall 9S into the housing 9. A restricting edge 9S2 shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 8 is part of the periphery of a notch for cutting out the restricting piece 9S1.

[0058] The guide portion 50 is fitted onto the support shaft 50X and is supported by the side wall 9S by being restricted so as not to come off the support shaft 50X by a restricting piece 9S1 and a restricting edge 9S2 which engage with the rear portion of the guide portion 50X.

[0059] In this embodiment, the guide portion 50 is a resin molded product, and integrally includes a convex portion 51T and a pair of deformation portions 51U and 51D.

[0060] The protruding portion 51T is a column that protrudes into the housing 9 from the lower end of the guiding portion 50. The pair of deformation portions 51U, 51D each have a substantially U-shape and sandwich the restricting piece 9S1 in the vertical direction.

[0061] The guide portion 50 is capable of swinging within a small angular range around the support shaft 50X by the elastic deformation of the deformation portions 51U and 51D.

[0062] 7 and 8, a guide groove 58 is formed in the upper portion of the guide part 50. The guide groove 58 extends rearward from the front end 58F so as to slope downward, and the downward slope angle gradually decreases as the guide groove 58 extends rearward so as to become approximately horizontal. The guided protrusion 85 is inserted into the guide groove 58.

[0063] When the cover 8 moves between the closed position shown in Fig. 1 and the retracted position shown in Fig. 2, the guided protrusion 85 slides along the guide groove 58. The position of the cover 8 shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is the closed position, where the guided protrusion 85 is separated rearward from the front end 58F of the guide groove 58. The position of the cleaning tank 7 shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is the storage position.

[0064] 9 and 10 is in the retracted position, where the lid 8 is biased by a pair of tension coil springs 59 and the guided protrusion 85 is stopped in contact with the front end 58F of the guide groove 58. The state of the cleaning tank 7 shown in Figures 9 and 10 is a transitional state in which the cleaning tank 7 moves from the pulled-out position to the stored position.

[0065] <Cam section> As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the cam portion 57 is integrally formed on the side surface of the cleaning tank 7. Four cam portions 57 are provided corresponding to the protrusions 51T of the four guide portions 50. Figures 4 and 8 show one cam portion 57 located at the front of the right side surface of the cleaning tank 7. The three cam portions 57 located at the rear of the right side surface of the cleaning tank 7 and at the front and rear of the left side surface of the cleaning tank 7 are similar and therefore are not shown.

[0066] The lower surface of the cam portion 57 slopes downward from the rear end toward the front, and then extends horizontally toward the front. When the cleaning tank 7 moves from the pull-out position shown in Fig. 2 toward the storage position shown in Fig. 1, and the lid body 8 is pressed backward by the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R of the cleaning tank 7 as described later, the guided protrusion 85 slides so as to slope downward toward the rear along the guide groove 58. This causes the lid body 8 to descend, and the sealing member 80 comes into contact with the peripheral edge 7E of the cleaning tank 7. Then, as shown in Fig. 8, the lower surface of the cam portion 57 comes into contact with the protrusion 51T of the guide portion 50 from above.

[0067] 8, the guide portion 50 is pushed down by the protrusion 51T, and swings in the clockwise direction on the page of FIG. 8, further compressing and deforming the sealing member 80. As a result, when the cleaning tank 7 reaches the storage position, the sealing member 80 can reliably seal the gap between the periphery 7E surrounding the tank opening 7H and the lid body 8 in the closed position.

[0068] <Left guide section and right guide section> As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R are integrally formed with a peripheral edge 7E of the cleaning tank 7 that surrounds the tank opening 7H.

[0069] The left guide portion 7L protrudes upward from a position on the periphery 7E that is forward and to the left of the tank opening 7H, and the right guide portion 7R protrudes upward from a position on the periphery 7E that is forward and to the right of the tank opening 7H.

[0070] A first guide surface 7L1 and a second guide surface 7L2 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the left guide portion 7L. The first guide surface 7L1 is a surface facing rearward and is a flat surface extending in the up-down and left-right directions.

[0071] The second guide surface 7L2 faces to the right and is connected to the right end of the first guide surface 7L1. The second guide surface 7L2 extends in the vertical direction and, when viewed from above, extends in an arc shape from the right end of the first guide surface 7L1 forward, then extends obliquely forward and to the right, and finally extends forward.

[0072] A first guide surface 7R1 and a second guide surface 7R2 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the right guide portion 7R. The first guide surface 7R1 is a surface facing rearward and is a flat surface extending in the up-down and left-right directions.

[0073] The second guide surface 7R2 faces leftward and is connected to the left end of the first guide surface 7R1. The second guide surface 7R2 extends in the vertical direction and, when viewed from above, extends in an arc shape from the left end of the first guide surface 7R1 forward, then extends at an angle forward and to the left, and finally extends forward again.

[0074] The pair of second guide surfaces 7L2 of the left guide portion 7L and second guide surfaces 7R2 of the right guide portion 7R are inclined so as to move away from each other toward the rear.

[0075] Reinforcing protrusions 77L and 77R are integrally formed on the cover member 77. The reinforcing protrusion 77L protrudes upward from a rear and left corner of the cover member 77 and abuts against a front-facing surface of the outer circumferential surface of the left guide portion 7L to reinforce the left guide portion 7L. The reinforcing protrusion 77R protrudes upward from a rear and right corner of the cover member 77 and abuts against a front-facing surface of the outer circumferential surface of the right guide portion 7R to reinforce the right guide portion 7R.

[0076] <Left guided part and right guided part> 6 and 9, the left guided portion 8L and the right guided portion 8R are formed integrally with the cover body 8. The left guided portion 8L is recessed at a position that corresponds to the left guide portion 7L at the front left corner of the cover body 8. The right guided portion 8R is recessed at a position that corresponds to the right guide portion 7R at the front right corner of the cover body 8.

[0077] The left guided portion 8L has a first guided surface 8L1 and a second guided surface 8L2. The first guided surface 8L1 is a front-facing flat surface that extends in the up-down and left-right directions.

[0078] The second guided surface 8L2 faces leftward and is connected to the right end of the first guided surface 8L1. The second guided surface 8L2 extends in the vertical direction and, when viewed from above, extends from the right end of the first guided surface 8L1 so as to incline forward and to the right.

[0079] The right guided portion 8R has a first guided surface 8R1 and a second guided surface 8R2. The first guided surface 8R1 is a flat surface that faces forward and extends in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0080] The second guided surface 8R2 faces to the right and is connected to the left end of the first guided surface 8R1. The second guided surface 8R2 extends in the vertical direction and, when viewed from above, extends from the left end of the first guided surface 8R1 so as to incline forward and leftward.

[0081] The pair of the second guided surface 8L2 of the left guided portion 8L and the second guided surface 8R2 of the right guided portion 8R are inclined so as to move away from each other toward the rear.

[0082] In a transitional state in which the cleaning tank 7 moves from the pulled-out position to the stored position, if the cover 8 is displaced leftward and the second guided surface 8L2 of the left guided portion 8L is also displaced leftward, as in the cover 8 (8A) shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 9, the second guided surface 8L2 comes into contact with the second guide surface 7L2 of the left guide portion 7L. Then, the second guided surface 8L2 is pushed rightward by the second guide surface 7L2, so that the cover 8 moves rightward and the leftward displacement is eliminated.

[0083] 9, when the cover 8 is displaced to the right and the second guided surface 8R2 of the right guided portion 8R is also displaced to the right, the second guided surface 8R2 comes into contact with the second guide surface 7R2 of the right guide portion 7R. The second guided surface 8R2 is pushed leftward by the second guide surface 7R2, so that the cover 8 moves leftward and the displacement to the right is eliminated.

[0084] In this way, while the lid body 8 is biased by a pair of tension coil springs 59 and the guided protrusion 85 is abutted against the front end 58F of the guide groove 58, the second guided surfaces 8L2, 8R2 abut against the second guide surfaces 7L2, 7R2, thereby regulating the left-right position of the lid body 8 relative to the cleaning tank 7.

[0085] When the cleaning tank 7 moves further from the state shown in Figure 9 toward the storage position and reaches the state shown in Figure 10, the first guided surface 8L1 of the left guided portion 8L abuts against the first guide surface 7L1 of the left guide portion 7L, and the first guided surface 8R1 of the right guided portion 8R abuts against the first guide surface 7R1 of the right guide portion 7R, so that the first guided surfaces 8L1, 8R1 regulate the fore-and-aft position of the lid body 8 relative to the cleaning tank 7.

[0086] Thereafter, the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R essentially become pressing portions that press the cover body 8 rearward, and move the cover body 8 against the pair of tension coil springs 59 to the closed position shown in FIG.

[0087] <Water supply pipes, water supply solenoid valves, drain pipes, nozzles and pumps> As shown in FIG. 1, the dishwasher 1 further includes a water supply pipe P1, a water supply electromagnetic valve 69, a drain pipe P2, a nozzle 61, and a pump 62.

[0088] Water supply pipe P1 supplies water to the washing tub 7 from a water supply source (not shown) provided outside the dishwasher 1. Water supply solenoid valve 69 opens and closes water supply pipe P1 to switch between supplying and stopping water to the washing tub 7. Drain pipe P2 drains the washing water in the washing tub 7 to the outside of the dishwasher 1.

[0089] The nozzle 61 is disposed in the cleaning tank 7. The pump 62 is attached to the lower part of the water storage section 71 of the cleaning tank 7.

[0090] Nozzle 61 is capable of spraying cleaning water from multiple outlet holes into washing tank 7. The spray direction of nozzle 61 can be changed in various directions in order to reliably wash multiple pieces of tableware TW1 stacked in washing tank 7 and to clean the inner wall surface of washing tank 7 and dish basket 70.

[0091] When pump 62 is rotating in the forward direction, it supplies the washing water stored in the water storage section 71 of the washing tub 7 to the nozzle 61 to spray it into the washing tub 7. The sprayed washing water is stored in the water storage section 71, and is repeatedly supplied to the nozzle 61 by the pump 62. When pump 62 is rotating in the reverse direction, it drains the washing water in the washing tub 7 to the outside of the dishwasher 1 via the food residue filter 67 and the drain pipe P2.

[0092] <Heater, temperature sensor and drying fan> The dishwasher 1 further comprises a heater 63 , a temperature sensor 31 and a drying fan 68 .

[0093] The heater 63 heats the cleaning water stored in the water storage section 71 of the cleaning tank 7 or the air in the cleaning tank 7. The temperature sensor 31 detects the temperature of the cleaning water stored in the water storage section 71 of the cleaning tank 7 or the air in the cleaning tank 7 in the vicinity of the heater 63.

[0094] Drying fan 68 rotates with heater 63 operating to send heated air into washing tub 7 to dry the tableware TW1. The air sent into washing tub 7 by drying fan 68 is exhausted to the outside of dishwasher 1 via exhaust passage 79 that opens at the front of washing tub 7 and communicates with the inside of washing tub 7.

[0095] <Washing operation> In the dishwasher 1 having the above-described configuration, when the user pulls out the washing tub 7 to the storage position shown in Figure 2 in order to store the tableware TW1 in the washing tub 7, the lifting mechanism 5 moves the lid body 8 to the retracted position shown in Figure 2 in conjunction with the movement of the washing tub 7.

[0096] After the user places tableware TW1 in the washing tank 7 and sets up and starts the washing operation, the washing tank 7 is pushed into the storage position shown in Figure 1, causing the lifting mechanism 5 to move the lid body 8 to the closed position shown in Figure 1 in conjunction with the movement of the washing tank 7.

[0097] Then, the control unit (not shown) confirms using a sensor or the like that the cleaning tank 7 is locked in the storage position and the tank opening 7H is blocked by the lid body 8, and then operates the pump 62 to perform a cleaning operation in which cleaning water is sprayed into the cleaning tank 7 from the nozzle 61.

[0098] During the washing operation, the control unit sequentially executes a washing step using washing water containing detergent and a rinsing step using clean washing water to thoroughly wash the tableware TW1 in the washing tub 7. The control unit executes a drying step at the end of the washing operation, and appropriately operates the heater 63 and the drying fan 68 to dry the tableware TW1 in the washing tub 7, and then ends the washing operation.

[0099] <Action and effect> In the dishwasher 1 of the embodiment, when the cleaning tub 7 moves from the pulled-out position shown in Figure 2 to the stored position shown in Figure 1, the lifting mechanism 5 enters a transitional state shown in Figures 9 and 10, bringing the left guide portion 7L and right guide portion 7R of the cleaning tub 7 closer to the left guided portion 8L and right guided portion 8R of the lid body 8.

[0100] 9, the second guided surface 8L2 of the left guided portion 8L abuts against the second guide surface 7L2 of the left guide portion 7L, thereby regulating the left-right position of the lid body 8 relative to the cleaning tank 7. The second guided surface 8R2 of the right guided portion 8R abuts against the second guide surface 7R2 of the right guide portion 7R, thereby regulating the left-right position of the lid body 8 relative to the cleaning tank 7.

[0101] As shown in Figure 10, the first guided surface 8L1 of the left guided portion 8L abuts against the first guide surface 7L1 of the left guide portion 7L, and the first guided surface 8R1 of the right guided portion 8R abuts against the first guide surface 7R1 of the right guide portion 7R, so that the first guided surfaces 8L1, 8R1 regulate the fore-and-aft position of the lid body 8 relative to the cleaning tank 7.

[0102] Thereafter, the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R essentially become pressing portions that press the cover body 8 rearward, and move the cover body 8 against the pair of tension coil springs 59 to the closed position shown in FIG.

[0103] At this time, the second guided surface 8L2 of the left guided portion 8L abuts against the second guide surface 7L2 of the left guide portion 7L, thereby regulating the left-right position of the lid body 8 relative to the cleaning tank 7. The second guided surface 8R2 of the right guided portion 8R abuts against the second guide surface 7R2 of the right guide portion 7R, thereby regulating the left-right position of the lid body 8 relative to the cleaning tank 7.

[0104] On the other hand, when the cleaning tank 7 moves from the storage position shown in FIG. 1 to the pull-out position shown in FIG. 2, the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R move forward and the first guide surfaces 7L1, 7R1 move away from the first guided surfaces 8L1, 8R1 of the left guided portion 8L and the right guided portion 8R, causing the pair of tension coil springs 59 to move the lid body 8 to the retracted position shown in FIG. 2.

[0105] Thus, when positioning the lid body 8 in the left-right direction relative to the washing tub 7, this dishwasher 1 performs one-to-one positioning between the washing tub 7 and the lid body 8, thereby reducing accumulation of errors compared to the conventional dishwasher 1 described above, in which the washing tub 7 and the lid body 8 are positioned via the housing 9 and each link.

[0106] In addition, in this dishwasher 1, as shown in Figure 4, the first guide surface 7L1 and the second guide surface 7L2 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the left guide portion 7L and are positioned close to each other, and therefore, as shown in Figure 6, the first guided surface 8L1 and the second guided surface 8L2 of the left guided portion 8L are also positioned close to each other.

[0107] As shown in Figure 4, the first guide surface 7R1 and the second guide surface 7R2 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the right guide portion 7R and are positioned close to each other, and accordingly, as shown in Figure 6, the first guided surface 8R1 and the second guided surface 8R2 of the right guided portion 8R are also positioned close to each other.

[0108] Therefore, the position where the first guide surface 7L1 and the first guided surface 8L1 position the lid body 8 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the cleaning tank 7 becomes close to the position where the second guide surface 7L2 and the second guided surface 8L2 position the lid body 8 in the left-to-right direction relative to the cleaning tank 7. Also, the position where the first guide surface 7R1 and the first guided surface 8R1 position the lid body 8 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the cleaning tank 7 becomes close to the position where the second guide surface 7R2 and the second guided surface 8R2 position the lid body 8 in the left-to-right direction relative to the cleaning tank 7.

[0109] This makes it possible for the dishwasher 1 to prevent deviations in the positional relationships between the first guide surfaces 7L1, 7R1, the second guide surfaces 7L2, 7R2, the first guided surfaces 8L1, 8R1, and the second guided surfaces 8L2, 8R2 due to deformation such as warping or twisting of the lid 8. As a result, the dishwasher 1 can prevent accumulation of errors due to deformation of the lid 8 when positioning the lid 8 with respect to the washing tub 7 in the left-right direction.

[0110] Therefore, the dishwasher 1 of the embodiment can improve the positioning accuracy of the lid 8 in the left-right direction relative to the washing tub 7. As a result, when the washing tub 7 reaches the storage position, the dishwasher 1 can reliably seal the gap between the edge 7E surrounding the tub opening 7H and the lid 8 in the closed position by the sealing member 80 that precisely abuts against the area E1 shown in Fig. 3, and can reliably prevent water leakage from the gap.

[0111] Furthermore, in the dishwasher 1, as shown in Fig. 4, the first guide surface 7L1 and the second guide surface 7L2 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the left guide portion 7L, which is a single convex portion. The first guide surface 7R1 and the second guide surface 7R2 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the right guide portion 7R, which is a single convex portion. With this configuration, the dishwasher 1 can simplify the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R and improve their durability, as well as simplify the left guided portion 8L and the right guided portion 8R corresponding to the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R, and improve their durability, compared to a case in which the first guide surface 7L1 and the second guide surface 7L2 are formed on separate convex portions and the first guide surface 7R1 and the second guide surface 7R2 are formed on separate convex portions.

[0112] In addition, in this dishwasher 1, the left guide portion 7L protrudes upward from a position on the periphery 7E surrounding the tub opening 7H that is forward and to the left of the tub opening 7H. The right guide portion 7R protrudes upward from a position on the periphery 7E surrounding the tub opening 7H that is forward and to the right of the tub opening 7H. The left guided portion 8L is provided at a front and left corner of the lid body 8, at a position corresponding to the left guide portion 7L. The right guided portion 8R is provided at a front and right corner of the lid body 8, at a position corresponding to the right guide portion 7R.

[0113] In other words, while the dishwasher 1 is configured to position only the front part of the washing tub 7 and the front part of the lid 8, positioning is performed at two points that are widely separated in the left-right direction, which highly reliably prevents the lid 8 from being positioned at an angle to the washing tub 7. As a result, the dishwasher 1 can further improve the accuracy of positioning the lid 8 relative to the washing tub 7 in the left-right direction.

[0114] Furthermore, when the washing tub 7 is pulled out from the housing 9, the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R are exposed to the outside of the housing 9. Therefore, in the dishwasher 1, it is easy to check whether or not foreign matter is attached to the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R, and when it is confirmed that foreign matter is attached, the left guide portion 7L and the right guide portion 7R can be easily cleaned. As a result, the dishwasher 1 can prevent a foreign matter from being caught between the left guide portion 7L and the left guided portion 8L, or between the right guide portion 7R and the right guided portion 8R, resulting in a decrease in the accuracy of positioning the lid body 8 in the left-right direction relative to the washing tub 7.

[0115] Furthermore, in this dishwasher 1, as shown in Figure 9, both the pair of second guide surface 7L2 of the left guide portion 7L and the second guide surface 7R2 of the right guide portion 7R, and the pair of second guided surface 8L2 of the left guided portion 8L and the second guided surface 8R2 of the right guided portion 8R are inclined so as to move away from each other as they proceed rearward.

[0116] With this configuration, when the second guided surface 8L2 of the left guided portion 8L abuts against the second guide surface 7L2 of the left guide portion 7L, and when the second guided surface 8R2 of the right guided portion 8R abuts against the second guide surface 7R2 of the right guide portion 7R, the generally V-shaped inclination can reliably regulate the left-right position of the lid body 8 relative to the washing tub 7. As a result, this dishwasher 1 can further improve the left-right positioning accuracy of the lid body 8 relative to the washing tub 7. Also, the left guided portion 8L and the right guided portion 8R can be easily provided simply by recessing the front two left and right corners of the lid body 8.

[0117] In addition, in this dishwasher 1, as shown in FIG. 9, while the lid body 8 is biased by the pair of tension coil springs 59 and the guided protrusion 85 is abutted against the front end 58F of the guide groove 58, the second guided surfaces 8L2, 8R2 abut against the second guide surfaces 7L2, 7R2 to regulate the left-right position of the lid body 8 with respect to the washing tub 7. While the lid body 8 is biased by the pair of tension coil springs 59 and the guided protrusion 85 is abutted against the front end 58F of the guide groove 58, the lid body 8 is unlikely to become inclined with respect to the washing tub 7. In addition, the degree to which the guide groove 58 restrains the guided protrusion 85 in the left-right direction is weaker than when the lid body 8 and the link are connected by a shaft and a shaft hole. Therefore, the dishwasher 1 can regulate the left-right position of the lid body 8 with high reliability by the above-mentioned timing.

[0118] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0119] In the embodiment, the first guide surfaces 7L1 and 7R1 are flat surfaces, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the first guide surfaces may include a portion that is inclined in the front-rear direction or a portion that is rounded as long as they face rearward. The same applies to the first guided surfaces 8L1 and 8R1.

[0120] In the embodiment, the lifting mechanism 5 has the guided protrusion 85 and the guide portion 50, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the lifting mechanism may have a link connected to the housing and the cover.

[0121] In the embodiment, the pair of the second guide surface 7L2 of the left guide portion 7L and the second guide surface 7R2 of the right guide portion 7R and the pair of the second guided surface 8L2 of the left guided portion 8L and the second guided surface 8R2 of the right guided portion 8R are inclined so as to move away from each other toward the rear, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, one of the two pairs may extend parallel to the front-rear direction.

[0122] For example, the guide portion may have two second guide surfaces, one on the left and one on the right, with the left second guide surface connected to the left end of the first guide surface and facing left, and the right second guide surface connected to the right end of the first guide surface and facing left. In this case, the guided portion has two second guided surfaces, one on the left and one on the right, with the left second guided surface connected to the left end of the first guided surface and facing right, and the right second guided surface connected to the right end of the first guided surface and facing left. [Industrial Applicability]

[0123] The present invention can be used, for example, in dishwashers, dishwashers and dryers with a drying function, kitchen equipment, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1. Dishwasher 9…Housing 7H...tank opening TW1…Objects to be washed (tableware) 7. Cleaning tank 8…Lid body 5...Lifting mechanism 59... Urging means (tension coil spring) 7E...Edge surrounding the tank opening in the cleaning tank 7L, 7R...Guide section (7L...left guide section, 7R...right guide section) 7L1, 7R1...First guide surface (7L1...First guide surface of the left guide section, 7R1...First guide surface of the right guide section) 7L2, 7R2...Second guide surface (7L2...Second guide surface of the left guide section, 7R2...Second guide surface of the right guide section) 8L, 8R... Guided part (8L... Left guided part, 8R... Right guided part) 8L1, 8R1...First guided surface (8L1...First guided surface of the left guided part, 8R1...First guided surface of the right guided part) 8L2, 8R2...Second guided surface (8L2...Second guided surface of the left guided part, 8R2...Second guided surface of the right guided part) 85...Guided protrusion 9S…Side wall of the case 50…Information Department 58...Guide groove 58F…Front end of guide groove

Claims

1. A case with an open front, a cleaning tank that is movable between a storage position stored in the housing and a pull-out position that moves forward from the storage position and is exposed to the outside of the housing, has a tank opening that is open at the top, and is capable of storing an object to be cleaned; a cover provided in the housing and in a closing position for closing the tank opening when the cleaning tank is in the storage position; a lifting mechanism that moves the cover between the closed position and a retracted position that is the uppermost position away from the closed position and opens the cover opening in conjunction with the movement of the washing tub between the storage position and the pull-out position, The lifting mechanism includes a biasing means provided between the housing and the lid, the biasing means biasing the lid toward the retracted position; a guide portion protruding upward from a periphery surrounding the tank opening in the cleaning tank, the guide portion having an outer circumferential surface formed with a first guide surface facing rearward and a second guide surface facing left and right; a guided portion provided at a position corresponding to the guide portion on the lid body, the guided portion having a first guided surface that abuts against the first guide surface when the cleaning tank moves to the storage position to regulate the front-rear position of the lid body relative to the cleaning tank, and a second guided surface that abuts against the second guide surface when the cleaning tank moves to the storage position to regulate the left-right position of the lid body relative to the cleaning tank; having The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the guided portion is recessed rearward from a front end edge of the lid body.

2. The guide portion has a left guide portion that protrudes upward from a position on the periphery that is forward and to the left of the tank opening, and a right guide portion that protrudes upward from a position on the periphery that is forward and to the right of the tank opening, 2. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the guided portion includes a left guided portion provided at the front and left corner of the lid body, which corresponds to the left guide portion, and a right guided portion provided at the front and right corner of the lid body, which corresponds to the right guide portion.

3. the second guide surface of the left guide portion faces the right; the second guide surface of the right guide portion faces the leftward, the second guided surface of the left guided portion faces the leftward, the second guided surface of the right guided portion faces the right, 3. The dishwasher of claim 2, wherein at least one of the pair of the second guide surface of the left guide portion and the second guide surface of the right guide portion and the pair of the second guided surface of the left guided portion and the second guided surface of the right guided portion are inclined so as to move away from each other as they proceed rearward.

4. The lifting mechanism includes a guided protrusion protruding in the left-right direction from a side edge of the cover body. a guide portion supported on a side wall of the housing, the guide portion having a guide groove extending backward and inclining downward, into which the guided protrusion is inserted; When the cover moves between the closed position and the retracted position, the guided protrusion slides along the guide groove, A dishwasher as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein while the lid body is biased by the biasing means and the guided convex portion is abutted against the front end of the guide groove, the second guided surface abuts against the second guide surface, thereby regulating the left-right position of the lid body relative to the washing tub.

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