HOUSEHOLD DISHWASHER HAVING AT LEAST ONE AIR OUTLET

Abstract

A household dishwasher includes a dishwasher cavity for receiving items to be washed for treatment, and a structural unit sized to extend over at least half of a width of the household dishwasher. The structural unit includes an air outlet for blowing air out of the dishwasher cavity, an extensive slotted blow-out opening in an upper region of the structural unit, and a collecting tank in a lower region of the structural unit for collecting condensate.

Claims

1-22. (canceled)

23. A household dishwasher, comprising: a dishwasher cavity for treating items to be washed; and a structural unit configured to extend over at least half of a width of the household dishwasher, said structural unit comprising an air outlet for blowing air out of the dishwasher cavity, an extensive slotted blow-out opening in an upper region of the structural unit, and a collecting tank in a lower region of the structural unit for collecting condensate.

24. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the structural unit comprises a condensation region rising upwardly and extending in a width direction of the household dishwasher, and an inlet opening leading into the condensation region at a rear of the structural unit, said blow-out opening extending from the condensation region to a front face of the household dishwasher.

25. The household dishwasher of claim 24, wherein the structural unit is configured integrally with the blow-out opening, the inlet opening and the condensation region.

26. The household dishwasher of claim 25, wherein the structural unit is configured in one piece.

27. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the air outlet is at least 40 centimeters wide overall.

28. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the air outlet is configured as a flat slotted outlet with a height-to-width ratio of less than 1:10.

29. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the air outlet has a height-to-width ratio of less than 1:20.

30. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the air outlet is divided into a plurality of partial slots which are aligned adjacent to one another.

31. The household dishwasher of claim 30, wherein two to three of the plurality of partial slots are provided adjacent to one another.

32. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the air outlet is arranged on a user-facing front face of the household dishwasher.

33. The household dishwasher of claim 32, wherein the air outlet is arranged such that the structural unit comprising the air outlet is arranged entirely at a lower end of the front face of the household dishwasher.

34. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the structural unit extends over an entire width of the front face of the household dishwasher.

35. The household dishwasher of claim 32, wherein the structural unit includes a front outer wall delimiting the condensation region, said air outlet protruding forward relative to remaining outer walls of the structural unit toward the front face such that the blow-out opening faces further forward, in particular by several centimeters, than the front outer wall.

36. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the blow-out opening has a uniform height over its width extent.

37. The household dishwasher of claim 23, wherein the blow-out opening is formed between an upper lip and a lower lip of the structural unit, said lower lip configured to rise steadily from the condensation region to the blow-out opening.

38. The household dishwasher of claim 37, wherein the upper lip has a downwardly facing side formed with a drip edge which is located above the lower lip.

39. The household dishwasher of claim 24, further comprising an air channel, in particular several tens of centimeters long, being arranged upstream of the structural unit and connectable in a flexible manner to the inlet opening of the structural unit.

40. The household dishwasher of claim 39, wherein the air channel has a variable length up to a connection to the inlet opening of the structural unit.

41. The household dishwasher of claim 39, further comprising a conveying member for conveying air out of the dishwasher cavity to the air outlet through the air channel.

42. The household dishwasher of claim 41, wherein the conveying member is activatable in a clocked manner, even over a period of several days.

43. The household dishwasher of claim 41, wherein the conveying member is activatable by detecting a level of moisture in the dishwasher cavity.

44. The household dishwasher of claim 24, further comprising a panel arranged in front of the condensation region toward the front face.

45. A household dishwasher, comprising: a dishwasher cavity for receiving items to be washed for treatment; and a structural unit comprising an air outlet for blowing air out of the dishwasher cavity, a condensation region which rises upwardly and which extends in a width direction of the household dishwasher, a blow-out opening extending from the condensation region to a front face of the household dishwasher, and an inlet opening leading into the condensation region at a rear of the structural unit.

46. The household dishwasher of claim 45, wherein the structural unit is configured integrally with the blow-out opening, the inlet opening and the condensation region.

47. The household dishwasher of claim 45, wherein the structural unit is configured in one piece.

Description

[0035] The invention and its advantageous embodiments and developments as well as the advantages thereof are described hereinafter in more detail with reference to the drawings showing exemplary embodiments.

[0036] In each case in a schematic basic sketch:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view obliquely from the front of an exemplary household dishwasher with a plinth in the lower region with a partially open door,

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic individual partial view of a structural unit with a blow-out opening, a condensation region and a rear inlet for an air channel,

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a view of the structural unit according to FIG. 2 from the front face (upper illustration) and a section along the line A-A in the upper illustration,

[0040] FIG. 4 shows the blow-out opening in an enlarged individual partial view, and

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a typical plinth of a household dishwasher, in this case with a structural unit which is mounted on the front face and which can also be clad with a front panel.

[0042] In FIGS. 1 to 5 parts which correspond to one another are provided with the same reference signs. Only those constituent parts of a household dishwasher which are necessary for understanding the invention are provided and described with reference signs.

[0043] The household appliance 1 shown schematically in FIG. 1 is in this case a dishwasher 1 and namely a household dishwasher. Other household appliances 1 with a drying function for the items to be treated are also relevant in principle for a configuration according to the invention.

[0044] The household dishwasher 1, which is described hereinafter according to FIG. 1, has a dishwasher cavity 2 for receiving items to be washed and to be treated, such as crockery, pots, cutlery, glasses, cooking utensils, and the like, as a constituent part of an appliance body 5 which is partially open or closed to the outside. The items to be washed can be held, for example, in crockery baskets 11 and/or a cutlery drawer 10 and so-called washing liquor can be applied thereto. “Washing liquor” is understood to mean in this case fresh water or, in particular, water circulating during operation with or without detergent and/or rinse aid and/or drying agent. In particular, the washing liquor has passed through an ion exchanger for softening. The washing liquor can additionally be subjected to a greater or lesser extent to contamination from the ongoing operation. The dishwasher cavity 2 can have an at least substantially rectangular footprint with a front face V facing a user in the operating position. This front face V can form at the same time a part of a kitchen front consisting of items of kitchen furniture standing adjacent to one another or in a stand-alone appliance can be unrelated to other items of furniture.

[0045] The dishwasher cavity 2 can be closed, in particular, on this front face V by a front door or flap 3. This door 3 is shown in FIG. 1 in the partially open position and thus obliquely to the vertical. In its closed position, however, the door stands upright and, according to the drawing, for the opening thereof is able to be pivoted open toward the front about a lower horizontal axis and downwardly in the direction of the arrow 4 so that it is located at least approximately horizontally in the fully open position.

[0046] On the vertical outer face and front face V facing the user, in the closed position thereof, the door 3 can be provided with a decorative panel 6 in order to achieve thereby a visual and/or haptic enhancement and/or an adaptation to the surrounding items of kitchen furniture.

[0047] The household dishwasher is configured here as a stand-alone appliance or as a so-called partially integrated or even fully integrated appliance. In the last-mentioned case the appliance body 5 can also be substantially terminated by the outer walls of the dishwasher cavity 2. A housing outwardly surrounding the dishwasher cavity can then be dispensed with. A plinth 12 can be located in the lower region of the household dishwasher for receiving, in particular, functional elements, such as for example a pump for circulating the washing liquor and an air outlet 14 which is described in more detail below.

[0048] In the exemplary embodiment according to the drawing, the movable door 3 is assigned in its upper region a control panel 8 which extends in the transverse direction Q of the household dishwasher and which can comprise an access opening 7 which is accessible from the front face V for manually opening and/or closing the door 3. In the transverse direction Q the household dishwasher frequently has an extent of 45, 50 or 60 centimeters. In the depth direction T from the front face V to the rear, the extent is also frequently approximately 60 centimeters. The values are not mandatory.

[0049] The dishwasher cavity 2 is defined over the periphery, when the front door or flap 3 is closed, by a total of three fixed vertical walls 13 and two horizontal walls 13, one thereof (above) forming a ceiling and another (below) forming a bottom of the dishwasher cavity 2. A left-hand upright side wall 13 to the left and a right-hand upright side wall 13 to the right in the transverse direction Q adjoin the front face V facing the user.

[0050] The wall 13 forming the bottom of the dishwasher cavity 2 and defining this dishwasher cavity substantially downwardly is located approximately horizontally above the plinth 12, i.e. parallel to an external floor B on which the household dishwasher 1 can stand. A higher installation, for example approximately level with a countertop, is also possible, in particular within a cabinet. The lower edge of the household dishwasher 1 is then located in the installed position ca. 70 to 110 centimeters above the floor.

[0051] The household dishwasher 1 is provided with at least one air outlet 14 for blowing, in particular humid, air out of the dishwasher cavity 2. This air outlet is a constituent part of a structural unit 15 which is shown by way of example in FIG. 2 as a whole. The structural unit 15, comprising the at least one air outlet 14, extends over at least half of the width Q of the household dishwasher 1. According to the drawing, the structural unit 15 preferably extends over the entire width Q of the household dishwasher.

[0052] Amongst other things, the structural unit 15 comprises in its upper region an extensive slotted blow-out opening 16 and in its lower region a collecting tank 17 for condensate. In the mounted position the blow-out opening faces toward the front face V of the household dishwasher 1 and protrudes by several centimeters relative to a front wall 18 of a condensation region 19. An inlet opening 20 leading into the condensation region 19 is provided on the rear face located opposite the blow-out opening 14, the inlet opening by way of example comprising here a protruding flange for pushing on a hose. The structural unit 15 comprises the aforementioned functional parts 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and optionally 21 in an integral manner. The structural unit can be configured in a modular manner and is able to be mounted preassembled.

[0053] In the structural unit 15 comprising the at least one air outlet 14, the condensation region 19 is configured as an internal hollow space which rises upwardly and which extends substantially in the transverse direction Q of the appliance 1. In the depth direction T, however, in order to save space the extent is very small and typically is only approximately one to three centimeters. The front wall of the condensation region 19, which in the mounted position is in contact with room air, can from a cool surface and, for example, can be provided with cooling ribs 21. In particular, the front wall 18 comprises a material having a high thermal capacity. The front wall can be cooled simply by the ambient air, by water or other materials. The blow-out opening 16 extending therefrom to the front face V of the household dishwasher 1 and an inlet opening 20 leading into the condensation region at the rear are encompassed in an integral manner. The lower collecting tank 17 can also be an integral constituent part of the structural unit 15 and can preferably extend over the entire width of the condensation region 19 in order to collect water produced there in a reliable manner.

[0054] The structural unit 15 comprising the air outlet 14 can be configured, in particular, in one piece, for example from plastics.

[0055] In particular, to this end the—one-piece or multi-piece—air outlet 14 is at least 40 centimeters wide overall. The air outlet is configured according to FIG. 2 as a flat slotted outlet with a height-to-width ratio of less than 1:10, in particular of less than 1:20. Thus, for example, with an air outlet 4 which is 40 centimeters wide, the height thereof in the vertical direction H is preferably less than ca. 2 centimeters.

[0056] As already indicated above, the air outlet 14 can be divided into a plurality of partial slots which are aligned adjacent to one another. These partial slots do not all have to be of the same length. It is important that overall an air outlet 14 is provided which extends over the width and which permits a high air throughput, in order to achieve in this manner a wide distribution of the moisture contained in the air.

[0057] As already indicated above and as can be seen in FIG. 5, for example, the air outlet 14 is advantageously arranged on the front face V of the household dishwasher 1 facing the user. The air outlet can thus blow out air in the space in front of the household dishwasher 1 and effectively distribute the moisture so that the humid air does not disappear inside fitted furniture and potentially cause damage therein.

[0058] The air outlet 14 is preferably arranged according to the drawing such that the structural unit 15 comprising the air outlet is arranged entirely at the lower end of the front face V of the household dishwasher 1. In particular, the structural unit 15 is fixed at the front end of the plinth 12 and in turn can be clad toward the front face V with a front panel.

[0059] Both for a uniform design and also for wide distribution of moisture it is advantageous if the structural unit 15 preferably extends over the entire width Q of the front face V of the household dishwasher 1.

[0060] The air outlet 14 is arranged at the upper end of the structural unit 15. The air outlet protrudes forward relative to the remaining outer walls of the structural unit toward the front face V such that the blow-out opening 16 faces further forward, in particular by several centimeters, than the front outer wall 18 of the condensation region 19. To this end, the internal hollow space initially extends from the condensation region 19 at least approximately vertically upwards and then transitions at the top into the horizontally located air outlet 14, as can be derived for example from FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0061] The blow-out opening 16 preferably has a uniform height over its width extent, so that the fluid distribution is also uniform. Internal air guiding devices—not shown here—can also ensure that even regions of the air outlet 14 which are located furthest to the outside in the transverse direction Q are uniformly supplied with air.

[0062] By means of its forwardly oriented projection—which in this case is preferably approximately horizontal—the air outlet 14 can be attached to the upper edge of a plinth board or a plinth strip or kick strip. In particular, the air outlet 14 is located with the lower edge of its forwardly oriented projection on the upper edge of the plinth board. In FIG. 2 a plinth board SB is indicated by dotted lines. The vertically extending condensation region 19 is arranged behind the plinth board SB. Irrespective of the height of the plinth board or the plinth strip, the structural unit 15 can be positioned thereon in a manner which is simple and easy to mount, such that it is always ensured that the blow-out opening is arranged above the upper edge of the plinth board and as a result the air can blow freely out of the dishwasher interior. It is thus always avoided that the blow-out path of the air from the blow-out opening 16 of the air outlet 14 is shielded by a plinth board SB placed in front of the structural unit 15.

[0063] A particularly advantageous development provides that the blow-out opening 16 is formed as a wide slot of low height, between an upper lip 23 and a lower lip 24, and the lower lip 24 rises steadily from the condensation region to the blow-out opening. Water dripping on the lower lip is then reliably conducted back into the condensation region 19 and the collecting tank 17 and does not drip into the outside space. During idling periods of the household dishwasher 1 the water collected in the channel-shaped collecting tank can condense again.

[0064] In particular, the upper lip 23 on its downwardly facing side can have a drip edge 25 which is located above the lower lip 24, i.e. slightly inwardly offset relative to the actual blow-out opening 16, for example by 4 to 8 millimeters. Water from the drip edge 25 then reliably comes into contact with the lower lip 24 and can flow back. To this end, the lower lip 24 can be extended further than the upper lip 23.

[0065] In order to permit the removal of air, in particular also humid air, from the dishwasher cavity 2, an air channel 26, in particular several tens of centimeters long, which originates from the dishwasher cavity 2 is arranged upstream of the air outlet 14. This air channel 26 starts high up in the dishwasher cavity 2, in particular at least within the upper 50% of the height H of the dishwasher cavity 2 in one of its walls 13. It is particularly advantageous for the rising water vapor, if the air channel starts in the upper 50%, in particular 30%, of the height of the dishwasher cavity 2, for example in a side wall 13.

[0066] In a very advantageous manner, the air channel 26 has a variable length up to the connection at the inlet 20 of the structural unit 15. This is possible, for example, via a folding bellows-type hose. In the depth direction T the arrangement of the structural unit 15 is variable.

[0067] A fan wheel or similar conveying member is provided for conveying air from the dishwasher cavity 2 to the air outlet 14. This conveying member can be activated, in particular. Alternatively and particularly effectively, the conveying member is controlled via a moisture sensor system which provides a measurement of the current level of moisture of the items to be washed which are located in the dishwasher cavity.

[0068] In both cases, the conveying member is only switched on now and again in order to convey humid air repeatedly out of the dishwasher cavity 2 and thus to preserve the quality of the cleaning of the items to be washed, even over a lengthy time period. Due to the short effective running times, the energy consumption is low—as is the noise emitted by the at least one fan wheel or similar conveying member. The items to be washed can then also be stored over several days in the dishwasher cavity 2.

[0069] The risk of condensation at the air outlet 14 is significantly reduced overall by means of the invention. The dew point of the air is also reduced by the condenser 19 arranged upstream thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0070] 1 Household dishwasher [0071] 2 Dishwasher cavity [0072] 3 Door [0073] 4 Opening direction [0074] 5 Appliance body [0075] 6 Decorative panel [0076] 7 Handle recess [0077] 8 Control panel [0078] 10 Cutlery drawer [0079] 11 Crockery basket [0080] 12 Plinth [0081] 13 Walls of dishwasher cavity [0082] 14 Air outlet [0083] 15 Structural unit [0084] 16 Blow-out opening [0085] 17 Collecting tank [0086] 18 Front wall [0087] 19 Condensation region [0088] 20 Inlet opening [0089] 21 Cooling ribs [0090] 22 Internal hollow space [0091] 23 Upper lip [0092] 24 Lower lip [0093] 25 Drip edge [0094] 26 Air channel [0095] V Front face [0096] Q Transverse direction [0097] T Depth direction [0098] H Height