Water-Driven Dishwasher Pump for Low-Pressure Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional dishwashers fail to achieve optimal cleaning results, especially at low water pressure, and face challenges in durability and hygiene of wash bladder materials.

Innovation Solution

A water-driven pump generates pressurized flushing water from a portion of the supply water, providing higher pressure during specific phases and using normal water pressure between phases, eliminating the need for electrical components and ensuring safety without electricity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a water-driven pump is used to generate pressurized flushing water, then cleaning effectiveness is significantly improved, but device complexity increases due to additional pump components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidpump structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pump is driven automatically by the supply water pressure itself, eliminating the need for external motors or power sources. The supply water flows through a drive wheel that directly powers the pumping mechanism, making the system self-regulating and mechanically simple while achieving high cleaning effectiveness through pressurized flushing phases.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system alternates between pressure flushing phases (when the pump operates and delivers high-pressure water) and normal flushing phases (when the pump is inactive and supply water flows directly to the dishes). This periodic operation allows the pump to build pressure in cycles, achieving superior cleaning without requiring continuous complex mechanical operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If elastic washing bladders are used to create wiping movement, then cleaning effect is improved, but durability and hygiene are compromised due to material limitations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectVSAvoidwash bladder durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the elastic washing bladders from the system entirely, replacing them with a rigid pump-driven pressurized water delivery system. The cleaning function previously achieved by the bladders' wiping motion is now accomplished through high-pressure water jets, eliminating the durability and hygiene issues associated with elastic bladder materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If electrical components are eliminated to reduce cost and safety hazards, then device complexity and cost are reduced, but ability to generate high pressure is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical component eliminationVSAvoidflushing water pressure
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses purely hydraulic principles to generate high pressure, with the pump mechanism driven by water flow itself. The pump incorporates a drive wheel, pistons, and check valves that convert the kinetic energy of flowing water into pressurized flushing water, achieving high pressure without any electrical components and maintaining mechanical simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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 significantly enhances cleaning effectiveness while being cost-effective and safe, as it operates solely on water pressure, achieving better cleaning results even at typical household water pressures.

Implementation Method 1

A water-driven pump (24) has an inlet (36) for supply water V, an outlet (38) for normal flushing water N and an outlet (40) for flushing water D under pressure. The pump (24) is driven by the supply water V.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic energy conversion: Hydraulic Press

Implementation Method 2

From part of the supply water V, the pump (24) generates the pressurized flushing water D, which has a higher pressure than the supply water V.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWater pressure compression: Hydraulic Press

Data Source

PatentEP1952747B1Dishwasher
Publication Date: 2011.07.20 STOVICLEAN
  • EP1952747B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1952747B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1952747B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The dishwasher has a piston pump (24) driven by a part of a supply water (V), where the pump produces pressurized washing water (D) for a washing process from another part of the supply water. The pressurized washing water has a higher pressure than the supply water. An expansion vessel (26) collects the pressurized washing water. A valve (28) is controlled by the pressure prevalent in the expansion vessel, where the valve releases the pressurized washing water for the washing process when the valve exceeds a predetermined pressure.