DIRECTION-DEPENDENT ACTIVATION OF THE DOOR OPERATION OF A DOMESTIC DISHWASHER

Abstract

A household dishwasher includes a washing container having a loading opening, a door, an electrical drive device configured to move the door between a closed position, in which the door closes the loading opening, and an open position, in which the washing container is accessible from outside, and a control unit configured to identify a manual movement of the door performed by an operator in a direction of movement by detecting a characteristic variable of the drive device and to move the door further in the direction of movement via the drive device as a result of the manual movement of the door by the operator.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A household dishwasher, comprising: a washing container having a loading opening; a door; an electrical drive device configured to move the door between a closed position, in which the door closes the loading opening, and an open position, in which the washing container is accessible from outside; and a control unit configured to identify a manual movement of the door performed by an operator in a direction of movement by detecting a characteristic variable of the drive device and to move the door further in the direction of movement via the drive device as a result of the manual movement of the door by the operator.

17. The household dishwasher of claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to move the door via the drive device as a result of the manual movement of the door by the operator until reaching an end position which corresponds to the open position or the closed position of the door as a function of the direction of movement of the manual movement performed by the operator.

18. The household dishwasher of claim 16, wherein the drive device comprises a permanently excited drive motor which includes a rotor which is mechanically coupled to the door, such that the manual movement of the door by the operator causes a movement of the rotor, thereby inducing an electrical voltage in the drive motor, said control unit configured to detect the electrical voltage as the characteristic variable of the drive device and upon detection of the electrical voltage to operate the drive motor such that the door is moved further in the direction of movement.

19. The household dishwasher of claim 18, wherein the control unit is configured to evaluate a polarity or phase sequence of the electrical voltage, said control unit configured to operate the drive motor by taking into consideration the polarity or phase sequence.

20. The household dishwasher of claim 18, wherein the control unit is configured to evaluate an amount and/or the frequency of the electrical voltage, and/or an amount of an angle of rotation of the rotor, said control unit configured to operate the drive motor by taking into consideration the amount and/or the frequency of the electrical voltage and/or the amount of the angle of rotation of the rotor.

21. The household dishwasher of claim 18, wherein the control unit is configured to determine an angular speed of the rotor at which the rotor rotates due to a movement impulse of the door generated as a result of the manual movement of the door by the operator in the direction of movement, and to predetermine the drive speed of the drive motor as a function of the determined angular speed at which the door is moved further by the drive device in the direction of movement.

22. The household dishwasher of claim 18, further comprising a gear mechanism coupling the drive motor to the door such that a rotation of the rotor causes a movement of the door or a movement of the door causes a rotation of the rotor.

23. The household dishwasher of claim 22, wherein the gear mechanism is not configured to be self-locking.

24. The household dishwasher of claim 18, further comprising a drive cable coupling the drive motor to the door such that a rotation of the rotor causes a movement of the door or a movement of the door causes a rotation of the rotor.

25. The household dishwasher of claim 24, further comprising a rotatably mounted roller, said drive cable being in contact with a rotatably mounted roller, said drive motor configured to drive the roller for moving the drive cable such that the door is moved in a form of a pivoting movement as the drive motor is operated.

26. The household dishwasher of claim 25, wherein the drive cable is wound around the roller.

27. The household dishwasher of claim 25, wherein the roller and the drive cable are configured such that a drive force is transmitted from the roller to the drive cable exclusively via frictional locking.

28. A method for operating a household dishwasher, said method comprising: enabling movement of a door of the household dishwasher by an electrical drive device between a closed position, in which the door closes a loading opening of a washing container of the household dishwasher, and an open position, in which the washing container is accessible from outside; and identifying with a control unit a manual movement of the door by an operator in a direction of movement by detecting a characteristic variable of the drive device to cause the door to be moved further in the direction of movement by the drive device.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: mechanically coupling a rotor of a permanently excited drive motor of the drive device to the door; inducing an electrical voltage in the drive motor of the drive device by a movement of a rotor of the drive motor as a result of the manual movement of the door by the operator; and moving the door further in the direction of movement, when the control unit detects the electrical voltage as the characteristic variable of the drive device.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising: evaluating by the control unit an amount and/or the frequency of the electrical voltage and/or an amount of an angle of rotation of the rotor, as the door is manually moved; and operating the drive motor by taking into consideration the amount and/or the frequency of the electrical voltage and/or the amount of the angle of rotation of the rotor.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising: evaluating by the control unit a polarity or phase sequence of the electrical voltage, and operating the drive motor by taking into consideration the polarity or phase sequence.

Description

[0038] The invention and its advantageous embodiments and developments and the advantages thereof are described hereinafter in more detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, in each case in a schematic basic sketch:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a household dishwasher,

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a partial sectional side view of a detail of a household dishwasher according to the invention,

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a partial sectional side view of a household dishwasher according to the invention, and

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a detail of a household dishwasher according to the invention.

[0043] Elements which are the same or functionally the same have been shown in the figures with the same reference numerals, unless specified otherwise.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a household dishwasher 1. The household dishwasher 1 comprises a washing container 3 which can be closed by a door 10 in a watertight manner. The washing container 3 is preferably cuboidal. The washing container 3 and the door 10 form an internal washing chamber for washing washware.

[0045] The door 10 is shown in FIG. 1 by solid lines in its closed position in which it closes the washing chamber toward the outside. The door 10 is also shown by dashed lines in its open position, wherein in the open position the washing chamber is accessible to an operator via a loading opening 2, in order to place washware in the household dishwasher 1 or to remove washware therefrom. The door 10 can thus be closed or opened by pivoting about a pivot axis 11 provided at a lower end of the door 10.

[0046] The household dishwasher 1 also has at least one washware receptacle, not shown. Preferably, a plurality of washware receptacles, for example three thereof, can be provided, for example a lower washware receptacle or a lower basket, an upper washware receptacle or an upper basket or a cutlery drawer.

[0047] A bottom housing 17 which is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is arranged below the washing container. The washing container 3 is preferably fixedly connected to the bottom housing 17. For example, the bottom housing 17 and the washing container 3 form a housing 15 of the household dishwasher 1. The housing 15 comprises, for example, further housing portions (not identified by reference numerals) which surround and cover the washing container 3.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a schematic detail of the side view of a household dishwasher 1 with further details. In this case, the household dishwasher 1 comprises the housing 15, the door 10 which is pivotably connected to the housing 15, a drive cable 8 which is connected to the door 10, a roller 9 which is in contact with the drive cable 8, and an electrical drive motor 6 which is designed to drive the roller 9 for moving the drive cable 8 such that a pivoting movement of the door 10 is brought about.

[0049] Moreover, the door 10 comprises a lever 13 to which a first end of the drive cable 8 is connected. The door 10, the drive motor 6 and the drive cable 8 are designed such that a change in a tensile force F1 on the lever 13 by means of the drive motor 6 and the drive cable 8 brings about the pivoting movement of the door 10. To this end, the roller 9 is connected in terms of drive to the drive motor 6.

[0050] The door 10 is connected, for example, by means of a hinge 12 to the housing 15. In this case, the pivot axis 11 runs through the hinge 12. Moreover, the door 10 comprises a plate-shaped door portion which covers or closes the loading opening 2 when the door 10 is closed (see FIG. 1).

[0051] The roller 9 and the drive cable 8 are preferably designed such that a drive force is transmitted from the roller 9 to the drive cable 8 exclusively by means of frictional locking. To this end, a friction surface 16 is formed between the roller 9 and the drive cable 8. The frictional locking is implemented, for example, by means of cable friction. In this case, the drive cable 8 is wound around the roller 9 along a circumferential angle which can be denoted as an angle of wrap a. For example, the angle of wrap a is between 90° and 540°. In this case, the angle of wrap a is substantially constant when the drive cable 8 is moved by means of the roller 9.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows in a schematic side view a further embodiment of the household dishwasher 1 which further develops the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. In contrast to FIG. 2 the drive cable 8 has an angle of wrap a around the roller 9 of between 360° and 540°, preferably between 400° and 500°, more preferably between 425° and 475° and even more preferably between 445° and 455°. For example, the angle of wrap a is exactly 450°. This can also be denoted as 1.25 cable windings around the roller 9. Advantageously, a maximum tensile force which pulls on the lever 13 can be set or limited by such an angle of wrap a.

[0053] Moreover, the household dishwasher 1 comprises a spring element 20 which is connected to the housing 15 and the drive cable 8 and which is designed to compensate at least partially for a weight force G of the door 10. In this case, a second end 21 of the drive cable 8 is connected to the spring element 20. For example, the spring element 20 is configured as a helical spring and a tension spring. The spring element 20 comprises a first end 22 which is connected to the second end 21 of the drive cable 8. Moreover, the spring element 20 comprises a second end 23 which is fixedly connected to the bottom housing 17. If the drive motor 6 now drives the roller 9 such that the door 10 performs an opening movement, then the spring element 20 is lengthened.

[0054] Moreover, the household dishwasher 1 comprises a deflection roller 19 which is designed to deflect the drive cable 8 between the roller 9 and the door 10. For example, the path of the drive cable 8 (cable path) can be designed by means of the deflection roller 19. For example, by the use of the deflection roller 19 the wrap angle a can be increased or adapted to the geometric boundary conditions of the housing 15.

[0055] Moreover, the drive cable 8 and the roller 9 are designed such that, with a change in an opening angle 13 of the door 10 by a manual force F2 acting on the door 10, the drive cable 8 slips over the roller 9. This takes place, in particular, when the spring element 20 is abruptly relaxed, in particular with a rapid closure of the door 10 by means of the manual force F2, and a spring force F3 pulls on the second end 21 of the drive cable 8 when the roller 9 is blocked. In this case, the opening angle 13 is an angle which is spanned between the door 10 and a vertical plane V through which the pivot axis 11 runs. The household dishwasher 1 is designed, for example, such that a cooperation of the spring force F3 and the weight force G of the door 10 with each opening angle 13 of the door 10 permits a slip-free winding of the drive cable 8 onto the roller 9 and unwinding of the drive cable 8 from the roller 9.

[0056] Moreover, the household dishwasher 1 comprises a control unit 5 which is designed to control the drive motor 6 such that the pivoting movement of the door 10 is brought about. For example, the control unit 5 is designed to control the drive motor 6 such that the door 10 performs a full opening movement and/or a partial opening movement and/or a full closing movement and/or a partial closing movement. To this end, the control unit 5 and the drive motor 6 are coupled together in terms of signal technology (indicated in dashed lines). For example, the household dishwasher 1 comprises a user interface 18 which is designed to communicate with the control unit 5 for controlling the drive motor 6. Preferably, the user interface 18 comprises a push button, a touch display, a microphone, a sensor or another input device.

[0057] The roller 9 and/or the drive cable 8 and/or the spring element 20 and/or the drive motor 6 and/or the lever 13 can, for example, be provided redundantly and be arranged, for example, along the side walls of the household dishwasher 1.

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a detail of a section through the bottom housing 17 in a plan view. The drive motor 6 is preferably connected in terms of drive to the roller 9 by means of the rotor 7 of the drive motor 6 (this comprises a rotor 7 and a stator).

[0059] The drive motor 6 or the rotor thereof 7 can be operatively connected directly to the roller 9, or even via a gear mechanism 24, in particular a worm gear.

[0060] The roller 9 is rotated by means of the drive motor 6 and the gear mechanism 24 about a central axis M. The roller 9 has a rotational symmetry, for example, relative to the central axis M. For example, the gear mechanism 24 is designed to lock the movement of the roller 9 when a torque is applied to the roller 9 from outside the gear mechanism 24. This case can occur, for example, when an operator manually opens the door 10 such that the spring force F3 pulls at the second end of the drive cable 8 and thereby applies a torque onto the roller 9. If, for example, such a spring force F3 exceeds a predetermined amount, then the drive cable 8 slips over the roller 9. Then a sliding friction is produced on the friction surface 16.

[0061] According to the present invention, it is thus provided that irrespective of the precise design of the drive device 4 one or more characteristic variables of the drive motor 6 are identified and evaluated during a movement of the door 10 performed manually by the operator. If a manual movement of the door 10 is identified, the control unit 5 ultimately operates the drive motor of the drive device 4 such that the initial manual movement of the door 10 is continued. Preferably, the door 10 is moved further and sufficiently far until a defined end position (preferably the open position or the closed position of the door 10) is reached.

[0062] If the door 10 is now manually moved by the operator, the rotor 7 of the drive motor 6 is also moved since the door 10 is mechanically coupled to the rotor 7. By the movement of the rotor 7, an electrical voltage is induced in the drive motor 6 which can be evaluated by the control unit 5. A detected electrical voltage on the drive motor 6, which is actually deactivated, means that the door 10 has been manually moved by the operator. This is perceived by the control unit 5 to the effect that the operator might wish to open or close the door 10. After or even during the movement impulse brought about by the operator, the drive motor 6 is finally activated, wherein the door 10 is moved further in the same direction of movement as it was moved by the operator.

[0063] In the household dishwasher 1 according to the invention, therefore, a control element via which a movement of the door 10 is activated by the drive motor 6 is preferably not present. Rather, the drive motor 6 is indirectly activated by the manual movement of the door 10.

[0064] In order to regulate or control the movement speed or the opening angle of the door 10, it is advantageous during the movement by the drive motor 6 if the control unit 5 identifies and evaluates an electrical voltage which is induced in the drive motor 6 when the door 10 is moved manually by the operator.

[0065] Finally, details might be discussed again of several possible aspects in connection with the present invention, wherein the following points can be considered individually or in any combination.

[0066] A household dishwashing machine (another term for a household dishwasher) generally has a movable door, in particular a front door, which can be opened or closed manually via hinges, preferably at any angle from 0° to a maximum of 90° from the perpendicular to horizontal, for loading and unloading the crockery, wherein the door weight is compensated by a spring mechanism and a friction element prevents an automatic movement of the door such that any stable intermediate positions are possible.

[0067] A mechatronic drive system, denoted below as CADOC, consisting of cable drive, gear mechanism, electrical motor, control electronics and sensor system, can undertake in future the door movement which was previously manually carried out and thereby enhance the ease of use of the appliance and improve the ergonomics. The identification of the intention of the operator that he wishes to open or close the door and correspondingly activate the door drive is advantageous here.

[0068] Preferably, in the context of the invention a permanently excited electrical motor (DC or PMSM) can be used in the mechatronic drive train. This drive motor can be connected by means of suitable gear elements to the door hinge and the door leaf via a mechanical flow of force.

[0069] Permanently excited drive motors have the property of generating an electromotive force (EMF voltage/back-EMF) in the winding when the rotor is rotated, said electromotive force being able to be tapped at the motor terminals. In this case, the non-activated drive motor acts as a generator.

[0070] When exerting a force on the door by a hand, knee or foot, the door will move a little and the rotor can rotate by a certain angular amount due to the frictional connection to the drive motor, whereby for a short time a voltage impulse is generated at the motor terminals. The polarity or phase sequence of the voltage is dependent on the direction of movement and the voltage level is proportional to the angular speed of the door.

[0071] Thus by evaluating this signal without an additional complex sensor system, both the desire to activate the door and the intended direction of the door activation can be identified by the electronics and the corresponding direction of the door movement activated.

[0072] With a speed-controlled drive, the door speed can be set in a variable manner via the angular speed as a reaction to the impulse of the intended movement.

[0073] It is advantageous for the proposed solution if the interposed gear mechanism is not self-locking in the entire flow of force.

[0074] The described solution has the following advantages, amongst other things: [0075] convenient activation of the door opening or closing function without additional complex structural elements and cabling, [0076] no wear or ageing to be anticipated, [0077] no sensor system in the region prone to moisture, [0078] cost reduction of the entire CADOC system.

[0079] A mechatronic drive consisting of a permanently excited drive motor with a gear unit for opening and closing the door of a household dishwashing machine is thus conceivable, wherein the drive is activated by externally pushing the door, wherein by the mechanical coupling of the door to the drive motor a generator voltage is induced therein by rotating the rotor, which is used as an activation signal for the door drive.

[0080] In particular, an evaluation of the voltage direction and/or the phase sequence of the generator voltages induced in the motor windings is conceivable in order to identify the desired direction of movement of the door and correspondingly to activate the door in this direction.

[0081] The voltage level of the generator voltages induced in the motor windings can also be evaluated for influencing the speed of the door movement.

[0082] Moreover, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown. Rather, all combinations of the described individual features are as shown or described in the claims, the description and the figures, and if a corresponding combination appears technically possible or expedient, form the subject matter of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0083] 1 Household dishwasher [0084] 2 Loading opening [0085] 3 Washing container [0086] 4 Drive device [0087] 5 Control unit [0088] 6 Drive motor [0089] 7 Rotor [0090] 8 Drive cable [0091] 9 Roller [0092] 10 Door [0093] 11 Pivot axis [0094] 12 Hinge [0095] 13 Lever [0096] 14 First end of drive cable [0097] 15 Housing [0098] 16 Friction surface [0099] 17 Bottom housing [0100] 18 User interface [0101] 19 Deflection roller [0102] 20 Spring element [0103] 21 Second end of drive cable [0104] 22 First end of spring element [0105] 23 Second end of spring element [0106] 24 Gear mechanism [0107] F1 Tensile force [0108] F2 Manual force [0109] F3 Spring force [0110] G Weight force [0111] V Vertical plane [0112] M Central axis [0113] α Angle of wrap [0114] β Opening angle