Dishwasher Sieve Cleaning by Underside Spray Nozzles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The sieve systems in dishwashers, comprising a surface sieve, coarse sieve, and micro sieve, become clogged with food residues and particles, impairing washing performance and re-contamination occurs due to ineffective cleaning methods.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with spray nozzles is integrated within the pump pot to rinse the sieve elements from the underside, opposite to the usual flow direction, using the dishwasher's hydraulic circuit to provide high-pressure liquid jets for effective cleaning, and can be activated automatically or manually.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If spray nozzles on the lower spray arm are used to clean the sieve surface, then some dirt particles can be removed, but caraway seeds and similar particles are pressed into the sieve openings and solidify, worsening the clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device sprays water onto the underside of the sieve element from the pump pot, cleaning the sieve from the opposite side rather than from above. This reverses the cleaning approach so that water jets strike the underside of the sieve, preventing particles from being pressed into openings while effectively removing adhered dirt and food residues.
2Productivity
If the sieve system is cleaned from the top surface during rinsing, then water flow can remove loose particles, but adhered dirt and food residues remain on the sieve surface
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning action is moved from the vertical top surface to the horizontal underside of the sieve element. By positioning spray nozzles in the pump pot below the sieve, the cleaning occurs from a different spatial dimension, allowing water jets to access and remove particles from the underside without interfering with the normal top-down washing flow.
3Device complexity
If no cleaning device is provided in the pump pot, then the hydraulic circuit remains simple, but the sieve element cannot be effectively cleaned and becomes clogged with food residues
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic circuit is designed so that the same water circulation system serves dual purposes: normal washing during the main cycle and sieve cleaning during rinsing phases. The pump pot and circulation pump are used for both washing dishes and cleaning the sieve element, eliminating the need for separate dedicated cleaning components while maintaining effective sieve maintenance.
4Reliability
If the sieve element is cleaned during the rinsing operation in the opposite direction to flow, then adhered dirt can be effectively removed, but additional cleaning infrastructure is required
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device is integrated into the existing pump pot structure, merging the cleaning function with the existing hydraulic components. The spray nozzles are positioned within the pump pot and use the same water supply and circulation system already present in the dishwasher, combining multiple functions into existing structures rather than adding separate independent systems.
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
This solution ensures continuous optimal sieve performance by effectively removing adhered dirt from the sieve surfaces, preventing clogging and maintaining the washing quality.
Implementation Method 1
at least one cleaning device is provided within the pump pot, with which the sieve element can be cleaned... The cleaning of the sieve element therefore does not take place on the sieve surface that is clogged with food residues, but rather on the side of the sieve element facing away from it, whereby the sieve element can be rinsed against the direction of flow that occurs during the rinsing operation
Implementation Method 2
The cleaning device has at least one spray nozzle, in particular a plurality of spray nozzles, which can act mechanically on the sieve element by means of liquid jets
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a dishwasher, in particular a household dishwasher, in the hydraulic circuit of which washing liquid can be circulated by means of a circulation pump (13) which is connected on the suction side to a pump sump (11) through which washing liquid flows and which has at least one screen element (20, 21, 22) which retains the dirt particles in the rinsing liquid. According to the invention, at least one cleaning device (35) is provided in the pump sump (11), with which the sieve element (20, 21, 22) can be cleaned.