Dishwasher with improved drying performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9763555-B2
Application number	US-201414889826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2014
Priority date	May 6, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dishwasher ( 1 ) comprising a tub ( 2 ) wherein the washing items are washed, rinsed and dried, a fan ( 4 ) that enables the hot and humid air to be sucked from a suction channel ( 3 ) opening into the tub ( 2 ) during the drying process and to be mixed with the dry air from the outside environment in a certain ratio, an outlet port ( 5 ) that directs the air blown by the fan ( 4 ), a discharge channel ( 6 ) that is connected to the outlet port ( 5 ) of the fan ( 4 ) and that enables the air blown by the outlet port ( 5 ) of the fan ( 4 ) to be delivered to the outside environment, and a return channel ( 7 ) that enables the air blown by the outlet port ( 5 ) to be redelivered into the tub ( 2 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dishwasher ( 1 ), comprising:
a tub ( 2 ) wherein washing items are washed, rinsed and dried;
a fan ( 4 ) enables hot and humid air to be sucked through a suction channel ( 3 ) that opens into the tub ( 2 ) during a drying process and to be mixed with dry air from the outside environment in a certain ratio;
an outlet port ( 5 ) that guides the air blown by the fan ( 4 );
a discharge channel ( 6 ) that is connected to the outlet port ( 5 ) and that enables the air blown by the fan ( 4 ) to be delivered to the outside environment;
a return channel ( 7 ) that is connected to the outlet port ( 5 ) and that enables the air blown by the fan ( 4 ) to be redelivered into the tub ( 2 ); and
a guiding means ( 8 ) positioned at the outlet port ( 5 ) that enables the air sucked from the suction channel ( 3 ) and from the outside environment, and blown from the outlet port ( 5 ) by the fan ( 4 ), to be discharged directly to the outside environment, the guiding means ( 8 ) being configured to guide the air to the discharge channel ( 6 ) or to the return channel ( 7 ), to be redelivered into the tub ( 2 ), depending on a humidity or a temperature of the air.

2. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 1 , wherein the guiding means ( 8 ) has an actuation mechanism ( 9 ) and a valve ( 10 ) that can be changed to two different positions by being rotated by the actuation mechanism ( 9 ), which when in the first position, enables the air blown from the outlet port ( 5 ) to be guided to the return channel ( 7 ) by closing the discharge channel ( 6 ) and opening the return channel ( 7 ) and when in the second position, enables the air blown from the outlet port ( 5 ) to be guided to the discharge channel ( 6 ) by closing the return channel ( 7 ) and opening the discharge channel ( 6 ).

3. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 2 , wherein the actuation mechanism ( 9 ) has an electric motor that enables the valve ( 10 ) to be rotated around its axis, and also has a cam and a micro switch that enables the position of the valve ( 10 ) to be detected.

4. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 2 , wherein the actuation mechanism ( 9 ) has a thermal pusher ( 11 ) that enables the valve ( 10 ) to be changed to the first or the second position by rotating around its axis by converting the linear movement generated by the thermal pusher ( 11 ) into circular movement.

5. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 1 , wherein the guiding means ( 8 ) enables the air mixed by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be first directed to the discharge channel ( 6 ) for a certain time period (tdischarge) and to be directly discharged to the outside environment and afterwards to be guided to the return channel ( 7 ) for a certain time period (tcirculate) in order to be circulated and to be redelivered to the tub ( 2 ).

6. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 1 , further comprising one or more than one cooling surface ( 12 ) arranged inside the suction channel ( 3 ) that enables the hot and humid air sucked thereinto by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be condensed, and a drainage channel ( 13 ) that opens outside from the suction channel ( 3 ) and that enables the condensed water to be discharged outside.

7. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as claim 2 , wherein the guiding means ( 8 ) enables the air mixed by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be first directed to the discharge channel ( 6 ) for a certain time period (tdischarge) and to be directly discharged to the outside environment and afterwards to be guided to the return channel ( 7 ) for a certain time period (tcirculate) in order to be circulated and to be redelivered to the tub ( 2 ).

8. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as claim 3 , wherein the guiding means ( 8 ) enables the air mixed by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be first directed to the discharge channel ( 6 ) for a certain time period (tdischarge) and to be directly discharged to the outside environment and afterwards to be guided to the return channel ( 7 ) for a certain time period (tcirculate) in order to be circulated and to be redelivered to the tub ( 2 ).

9. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 2 , further comprising one or more than one cooling surface ( 12 ) arranged inside the suction channel ( 3 ) that enables the hot and humid air sucked thereinto by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be condensed, and a drainage channel ( 13 ) that opens outside from the suction channel ( 3 ) and that enables the condensed water to be discharged outside.

10. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 3 , further comprising one or more than one cooling surface ( 12 ) arranged inside the suction channel ( 3 ) that enables the hot and humid air sucked thereinto by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be condensed, and a drainage channel ( 13 ) that opens outside from the suction channel ( 3 ) and that enables the condensed water to be discharged outside.

11. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 4 , further comprising one or more than one cooling surface ( 12 ) arranged inside the suction channel ( 3 ) that enables the hot and humid air sucked thereinto by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be condensed, and a drainage channel ( 13 ) that opens outside from the suction channel ( 3 ) and that enables the condensed water to be discharged outside.

12. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 5 , further comprising one or more than one cooling surface ( 12 ) arranged inside the suction channel ( 3 ) that enables the hot and humid air sucked thereinto by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be condensed, and a drainage channel ( 13 ) that opens outside from the suction channel ( 3 ) and that enables the condensed water to be discharged outside.

13. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 7 , further comprising one or more than one cooling surface ( 12 ) arranged inside the suction channel ( 3 ) that enables the hot and humid air sucked thereinto by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be condensed, and a drainage channel ( 13 ) that opens outside from the suction channel ( 3 ) and that enables the condensed water to be discharged outside.

14. The dishwasher ( 1 ) as in claim 8 , further comprising one or more than one cooling surface ( 12 ) arranged inside the suction channel ( 3 ) that enables the hot and humid air sucked thereinto by the fan ( 4 ) during the drying process to be condensed, and a drainage channel ( 13 ) that opens outside from the suction channel ( 3 ) and that enables the condensed water to be discharged outside.

Assignees

• Arcelik As

Inventors

• Kan Ugur
• Atabey Orhan
• Ak Gokhan
• Bayraktar Songul

Classifications

• A47L15/488 Primary

  Connections of the tub with the ambient air, e.g. air intake or venting arrangements · CPC title

• Y02B40/00

  Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers · CPC title