Self-Cleaning Dishwasher Microfilter With Rotating Sprayer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dishwasher microfilters clog due to residue accumulation, leading to decreased washing performance and requiring user intervention for cleaning, which often goes neglected.
Innovation Solution
A dishwasher design featuring a hollow cylindrical microfilter with a sprayer system that uses nozzles to rotate and clean the filter surface by spraying water, eliminating the need for user intervention through a controlled water flow and valve system, ensuring effective residue removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a microfilter is used to filter residues in the washing tub, then filtration quality is improved, but the microfilter clogs due to residue accumulation and requires user cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The microfilter cleaning system enables the filter to clean itself automatically. A sprayer device with nozzles sprays water onto the microfilter surface, and a rotation mechanism turns the microfilter to expose all surfaces to the cleaning water flow, eliminating the need for manual user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs cleaning action before the microfilter becomes completely clogged. The control unit activates the sprayer and rotation mechanism at predetermined intervals or based on usage conditions, preventing residue accumulation that would require manual intervention.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the microfilter is cleaned manually by users, then residue removal is achieved, but washing performance decreases due to user neglect or improper assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic cleaning system eliminates reliance on user action. The sprayer and rotation mechanism work together to ensure complete residue removal from all microfilter surfaces, and the system automatically reassembles the filter, preventing improper assembly issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit monitors the cleaning process and activates the sprayer and rotation mechanism at appropriate times. The system ensures cleaning is completed before the microfilter is reused, maintaining consistent washing performance through automated control.
3Extent of automation
If a sprayer system with nozzles is added to clean the microfilter, then automation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sprayer system uses the existing water circulation infrastructure of the dishwasher. The same pump and water distribution system that serves the washing function is adapted to provide cleaning water to the microfilter, reducing the need for separate dedicated components.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation mechanism transforms a static cleaning problem into a dynamic solution. By rotating the microfilter during spraying, the system achieves complete surface coverage with a single sprayer position, eliminating the need for multiple nozzles or complex positioning mechanisms.
4Productivity
If water is sprayed at high pressure to remove residues, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation of the microfilter during spraying distributes the cleaning action over time and space. This allows the use of moderate water pressure combined with mechanical motion to achieve the same cleaning effect that would require high pressure alone, reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous water flow and rotation during the cleaning cycle, ensuring that all microfilter surfaces are constantly exposed to cleaning action. This continuous process is more energy-efficient than intermittent high-pressure bursts, as it utilizes the existing water circulation system continuously.
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 autonomously cleans the microfilter, enhancing filtration quality and washing performance by preventing residue re-attachment after the rinsing step, thus improving overall dishwasher efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Since the water sprayed through the nozzles exits by skimming the sprayer surface in a pressured manner, it creates a moment force such that it will rotate the sprayer around its own axis
Implementation Method 2
By the sprayer rotating faster, the residues and filths adhered to the microfilter surface are removed more easily
Data Source
AI summary
The dishwasher (1) of the present invention comprises a washing tub (2) wherein items to be washed are placed, a receptacle (3) which is located at the lower portion of the washing tub (2) and wherein the water in the washing tub (2) is collected during the washing process, a hollow cylindrical microfilter (5) which is located in the middle of the receptacle (3) and which holds the residues carried by the water that passes from the receptacle (3) to the water circulation line, a pump (4) which returns the water accumulated in the receptacle (3) to the washing tub (2), an additional line (6), one end of which is connected to the pump (4) and the other end opening to the middle of the microfilter (5), and a sprayer (8) which is disposed into the microfilter (5) and which has more than one nozzle (7) that are located on the surface of the sprayer (8) and that provide the water supplied from the pump (4) by means of the additional line (6) to be sprayed towards the inner surface of the microfilter (5).