Dishwasher Optical Drying Detection to Prevent Recondensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Household dishwashers often fail to completely dry dishes, leading to recondensation issues, which restrict user convenience and require manual drying or additional rack usage.
Innovation Solution
A household dishwasher equipped with an optical sensor and evaluation unit that identifies the drying state of dishes through acquired optical signals, allowing for measures like zeolite drying, condensation removal, and user notifications to optimize drying performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional drying methods (condensation drying, zeolite drying units, rinse aid) are used, then some drying effect is achieved, but dishes are not completely dry and moisture recondenses back onto the dishes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an optical sensor to continuously monitor the drying state of dishes and provides feedback to the control device. The control device adjusts drying parameters (heating power, fan speed, door opening) based on this feedback to achieve complete drying and prevent recondensation, resolving the contradiction between achieving drying completeness and preventing harmful recondensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical drying methods with an optical detection system that identifies the drying state of dishes. This optical-based feedback mechanism substitutes traditional open-loop drying control, enabling precise adjustment of drying parameters to eliminate recondensation issues.
2Ease of operation
If dishes are removed immediately after washing cycle, then user convenience is maintained, but dishes are still wet requiring manual drying or additional rack usage
Solution Approach 1:
The control device uses optical sensor feedback to monitor drying progress in real-time and notifies the user when dishes reach optimal dryness. This allows users to remove dishes at the precise moment they are completely dry, maximizing convenience while eliminating the need for manual drying or additional rack space.
Solution Approach 2:
The dishwasher performs the drying function automatically with the assistance of optical detection and user notification. The system serves itself by monitoring its own drying performance and communicating the result to the user, eliminating the need for manual intervention or additional drying racks.
3Measurement precision
If optical sensor and evaluation unit are added to detect drying state, then precise drying monitoring is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical sensor and evaluation unit that use optical fields to detect the drying state of dishes, replacing complex mechanical or electrical sensing methods. This optical-based approach achieves high measurement precision while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through non-contact detection.
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
Enables precise identification of dish drying state, facilitating faster drying, preventing recondensation, and informing users when to remove dishes for optimal dryness.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sensor for acquiring an optical sensor signal of the washing compartment and an evaluation unit. The evaluation unit is configured to identify a drying state of the items to be washed arranged in the washing compartment as a function of the acquired optical sensor signal
Data Source
AI summary
A household dishwasher includes a washing compartment receiving items to be washed, a control device configured to carry out a washing program selected from a number of washing programs for washing the items to be washed in the washing compartment, an optical sensor configured to acquire an optical sensor signal of the items to be washed in the washing compartment, and an evaluation unit configured to identify a drying state of the items to be washed in the washing compartment as a function of the acquired optical sensor signal.