Dishwasher Door Contact Sensor to Prevent Hot Water Splashing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dishwashers do not effectively prevent hot water splashing when the door is opened during the washing program, posing a safety risk to users.
Innovation Solution
A dishwasher equipped with a sensor that detects user contact with the door and a control unit that stops the circulation motor and water delivery to the spraying members when the door is about to be opened, preventing hot water from splashing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door is opened during the washing program, then the user can add or remove kitchen items, but hot water may splatter onto the user causing safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives a signal from the sensor when the user approaches or contacts the door, and proactively stops the circulation motor before the door is actually opened. This preliminary action prevents the harmful effect of hot water splatter by eliminating water pressure and spray motion in advance, while still allowing the user to open the door for adding or removing items.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor detects user contact with the door and triggers the control unit to stop water delivery to the spraying members before the door opening action is completed. This preliminary stopping of water flow ensures that when the door is opened, no hot water is being sprayed, thus preventing splatter while maintaining operational convenience.
2Productivity
If the circulation motor continues running when the door is opened, then the washing process remains uninterrupted, but the user is exposed to hot water splatter
Solution Approach 1:
The system detects door contact via sensor and immediately stops the circulation motor through the control unit, preventing water flow to the spray arms before the door is opened. This eliminates the harmful splatter effect while the washing cycle can resume afterward, maintaining overall productivity with minimal interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor provides feedback about door contact status to the control unit, which then adjusts the circulation motor operation accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures the motor stops when the door is contacted and can restart when the door is closed, balancing safety with continuous washing operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a sensor and control unit are added to stop the circulation motor, then user safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor acts as an intermediary between the user's door contact action and the circulation motor control. The sensor detects the physical contact and converts it to an electrical signal that the control unit processes, which then controls the motor. This intermediary approach provides safe and reliable control with minimal additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor automatically detects when the user contacts the door and triggers the control unit to stop the circulation motor without requiring any additional user action or complex intervention. The system serves itself by using the door contact as a natural trigger signal, simplifying the overall control architecture while improving safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures user safety by interrupting water delivery to the spraying members when the door is opened, preventing hot water from splashing and enhancing overall safety during the washing process.
Implementation Method 1
the sensor which detects that the door is to be opened when the user contacts the sensor for a predetermined time during the washing program
Implementation Method 2
The water drawn from the main supply line is pumped to the delivery line by means of the circulation motor
Implementation Method 3
The spraying members rotate due to the pressure of the water delivered so as to homogeneously spray water onto the kitchen items
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a dishwasher (1) comprising a body (2); a washing tub (3) which is disposed in the body (2) and wherein the washing process is performed; a door (4) which is provided on the body (2) and which isolates the washing tub (3) from the outer environment; at least one rack (5) which is disposed in the washing tub (3) and whereon the kitchen items are placed; at least one spraying member (6) which sprays water onto the rack (5) so as to clean the kitchen items; a delivery line (7) which provides the delivery of water to the spraying member (6); a circulation motor (8) which controls the delivery of water to the delivery line (7); a sensor (9) which is provided on the door (4) and which detects the contact of the user; and a control unit (10) which stops the circulation motor (8) after it is detected by the sensor (9) that the door (4) is to be opened.