Method for operating a dish washing machine and dish washing machine

Abstract

In a method for operating a dishwasher, in particular a domestic dishwasher, items to be washed arranged in an interior of the dishwasher are washed during a wash program. A quantity of a specific gas in the interior is determined during the wash program, and a hygiene program is started and/or a notification is outputted to a user of the dishwasher relating to a start of the hygiene program as a function of the determined quantity of the specific gas.

Claims

1. A dishwasher, comprising: a controller configured to execute a wash program to wash items to be washed in an interior of the dishwasher, the wash program comprising at least one of a pre-rinse, a cleaning cycle, an intermediate rinse, or a final rinse; a dispenser for dispensing a hygiene material in the interior of the dishwasher; at least one gas sensor configured to determine a quantity of a specific gas in the interior during a performance of the wash program; wherein the controller is configured to automatically start a hygiene program as a function of the determined quantity of the specific gas and during the performance of the wash program, such that the hygiene program and the wash program are performed at the same time; and an output notifier for outputting a notification to a user of the dishwasher relating to a start of the hygiene program as a function of the determined quantity of the specific gas and during the performance of the wash program, wherein the hygiene program comprises at least one of: 1) a hygiene tablet or hygiene powder is dispensed by the dispenser in the interior of the dishwasher, 2) an active oxygen is dispensed by the dispenser into the interior of the dishwasher, or 3) a salt is dispensed by the dispenser to the interior of the dishwasher.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1, constructed in the form of a domestic dishwasher.

3. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the at least one gas sensor comprises a plurality of different gas sensors for determining quantities of a plurality of different specific gases in the interior.

4. The dishwasher of claim 3, further comprising a spectrometer configured to determine a spectrum in response to the determined quantities of the plurality of different specific gases.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the output notifier is integrated as a unit in the controller.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous configurations and aspects of the invention are set out in the subclaims and the exemplary embodiments of the invention described in the following. The invention is described in more detail below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a dishwasher;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a dishwasher;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a third exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a dishwasher;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a dishwasher;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a dishwasher; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of a further embodiment of a dishwasher.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

(8) Identical elements or those of identical function are shown with the same reference characters in the figures, unless otherwise specified.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a dishwasher 1.

(10) The dishwasher 1 is in particular a domestic dishwasher. The dishwasher 1 has an interior 2. The interior 2 comprises in particular a wash container 2′. The interior 2 is designed to hold items to be washed. The dishwasher 1 also comprises a control apparatus or controller 12, which is designed to control the performance of a number of wash programs to wash the items to be washed in the wash container 2′. Examples of a dishwasher 1 are illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 and are described in more detail in the following.

(11) The first exemplary embodiment of the method according to FIG. 1 comprises the steps 101 and 102:

(12) In step 101 a quantity of at least one specific gas in the interior 2 or wash container of the dishwasher 1 is determined during the performance of the wash program. Determining 101 the quantity of the specific gas in the interior 2 during the wash program comprises for example determining the absolute quantity of the specific gas in the interior 2. Alternatively or additionally a change in the absolute quantity of the specific gas in the interior 2 over time can be determined. Alternatively or additionally a concentration of the specific gas in the interior 2 can also be determined.

(13) In step 102 a hygiene program is automatically started and/or a notification is output to a user of the dishwasher 1 relating to the start of the hygiene program as a function of the determined quantity of the at least one specific gas in the interior 2. The automatic start of the hygiene program is preferably initiated by the control apparatus 12 of the dishwasher 1. To output the notification to the user the dishwasher 1 in particular comprises an output unit or output notifier 15 (see FIG. 5), which is designed to output the notification to the user. The output unit 15 in particular comprises a screen, a touchscreen and/or a speaker. The notification can be output visually and/or acoustically. The notification states for example: “Please start the hygiene program”. To start the hygiene program, the dishwasher 1 can preferably comprise a prespecified start means, for example a specific button or a specific switching element or switch on a touchscreen. The start of the hygiene program can be triggered by the user of the dishwasher 1 for example also by way of a voice input.

(14) The hygiene program comprises for example a cleaning segment, during which water or a water/detergent mixture is applied to the items being washed. Additionally or alternatively a hygiene tablet and/or hygiene powder can be dispensed during the hygiene program. Additionally or alternatively active oxygen can also be dispensed into the interior 2 of the dishwasher 1 during the hygiene program. Additionally or alternatively a salt can also be dispensed to the interior 2 during the hygiene program to bring about the hygiene function. Additionally or alternatively a wash liquor present in the interior 2 can also be cooled, in particular frozen, or warmed, in particular heated, during the hygiene program.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a dishwasher 1. The second exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2 comprises the steps 201, 202 and 203. Steps 201 and 202 correspond to steps 101 and 102 in FIG. 1 and are therefore not explained again here.

(16) In step 203 the wash program is adjusted as a function of the determined quantity of the at least one specific gas, if the determined quantity is greater than a specific threshold value. This adjustment of the wash program is calculated and initiated in particular by the control apparatus 12 of the dishwasher 1.

(17) FIG. 3 shows a third exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a dishwasher.

(18) The third exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3 comprises the steps 301, 302 and 303:

(19) In step 301 a respective quantity of a plurality of different specific gases in the interior 2 is determined by means of a plurality of different gas sensors 13 (see FIG. 6) during the wash program.

(20) In step 302 a spectrum of the gas mixture present in the interior 2 is determined by means of the determined quantity of the plurality of different specific gases.

(21) In step 303 the hygiene program is automatically started and/or the notification is output to the user relating to the start of the hygiene program as a function of the determined spectrum.

(22) VOC sensors in particular are used as the gas sensors 13. The spectrum is determined in particular by means of pattern recognition using a neural network and a reference database. The reference database stores the prespecified reference patterns of spectra.

(23) FIG. 4 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a dishwasher 1.

(24) The fourth exemplary embodiment in FIG. 4 comprises the steps 401 to 405:

(25) In step 401 a specimen of a gas mixture 17 present in the interior 2 of the dishwasher 1 during the wash program is taken (see FIG. 6). The specimen of the gas mixture 17 present in the interior 2 is taken during the wash program using warm air 16. The warm air 16 is generated in particular by means of a heater and supplied to the interior 2 by means of a fan or blower.

(26) In step 402 the specimen of the gas mixture 17 taken is supplied to a gas sensor container 19 holding a plurality of different gas sensors 13 (see FIG. 6).

(27) In step 403 a respective quantity of a plurality of different specific gases is determined by means of the gas sensors 13 in the gas sensor container 19 during the wash program.

(28) In step 404 a spectrum is determined by means of the determined quantity of the plurality of different gases. A spectrometer 21 for example is deployed for this purpose (see FIG. 6).

(29) In step 405 the start of the hygiene program is automatically initiated and/or a notification is output to the user of the dishwasher 1 relating to the start of the hygiene program as a function of the determined spectrum. The user can then initiate the start of the hygiene program him/herself.

(30) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a dishwasher 1. The dishwasher 1 is in particular a domestic dishwasher. The dishwasher 1 has the interior 2, in particular the wash container 2′, for holding items to be washed. The dishwasher 1 also has a carcass enclosing the wash container 2′ and a door 3. The wash container 2′ and the door 3 form a wash chamber 4 for washing items to be washed. The door 3 is shown in its opened position in FIG. 1. The door 3 can be closed or opened by pivoting about a pivot axis S provided at a lower end of the door 3.

(31) The wash container 2′ is box-shaped for example and can comprise a base 5, a top 6 opposite the base 5, a rear wall 7 opposite the door 3 and two opposing side walls 8, 9. The side walls 8, 9 in particular can be made of stainless steel sheet.

(32) The dishwasher 1 also has at least one loading level 10. The at least one loading level 10 is preferably a holder for items to be washed in the dishwasher 1. A number of loading levels 10 in particular can be provided, comprising a lower rack, an upper rack and/or a flatware drawer. The several loading levels 10 are preferably arranged one above the other in the wash container 2′. Each loading level 10 can be moved as required into the wash container 2′ in an insertion direction E or out of it in a pull-out direction A. To this end a rail 11 is preferably provided on both sides of a respective loading level 10.

(33) A control apparatus 12 optionally provided in the carcass or door 3 of the dishwasher 1 is designed to control the sequence of wash programs for washing items being washed.

(34) The dishwasher 1 also comprises at least one gas sensor 13, a start unit 14 and the output unit or output notifier 15. The start unit 14 and output unit 15 are integrated in particular in the control apparatus 12. The gas sensor 13 is designed to determine a quantity of at least one specific gas in the interior 2 during the wash program. The start unit 14 is designed to start a hygiene program as a function of the determined quantity of the at least one specific gas. The output unit 15 is designed to output a notification to a user of the dishwasher relating to the start of the hygiene program as a function of the determined quantity of the at least one specific gas. In particular the dishwasher 1 comprises a plurality of different gas sensors 13 (see FIG. 6) for determining a plurality of different specific gases in the interior 2.

(35) FIG. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of a further embodiment of a dishwasher 1.

(36) The reference character 16 in FIG. 6 designates warm air, which is used to take a specimen of a gas mixture 17 from the interior 2 during the wash program. The warm air 16 is generated for example by means of a heater and supplied to the wash container 2′ by means of a blower. The specimen of the gas mixture 17 is supplied to a concentration container 18 by means of the warm air 16. The gas mixture 17 present in the concentration container 18 is then supplied to a gas sensor container 19, which holds a plurality of different gas sensors 13. In the example in FIG. 6 the gas sensor container 19 comprises nine different gas sensors 13, which are arranged in a matrix. The different gas sensors 13 analyze the complex mixture of molecules in the gas mixture 17. The different gas sensors 13 output signals 20 or a signal pattern describing the molecular composition of the gas mixture 17. These signals 20 are supplied to a computation unit 21′, which in particular also comprises the spectrometer 21. The computation unit 21′ determines a spectrum 23 of the gas mixture 17 from the signals 20. To this end the computation unit 21′ can use reference patterns, which are stored in a reference database 22. The computation unit 21′ can determine the spectrum by means of pattern recognition using a neural network and the reference database 22.

(37) The determined spectrum 23 is supplied to the control apparatus 12 of the dishwasher 1. The control apparatus 12 can start the hygiene program automatically or initiate the outputting of a notification to the user of the dishwasher 1 as a function of the determined spectrum 23. The control apparatus 12 can also adjust the wash program as a function of the spectrum 23. This adjustment is shown as a feedback path with the reference character 24 in FIG. 6.

(38) Although the present invention has been described based on exemplary embodiments, multiple modifications are possible.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS USED

(39) 1 Dishwasher 2 Interior 2′ Wash container 3 Door 4 Wash chamber 5 Base 6 Top 7 Rear wall 8, 9 Side walls 10 Loading level 11 Rail 12 Control apparatus 13 Gas sensor 14 Start unit 15 Output unit 16 Warm air 17 Gas mixture 18 Concentration container 19 Gas sensor container 20 Signals, signal pattern 21 Spectrometer 21′ Computation unit 22 Reference database 23 Spectrum 24 Adjusted wash program