EP1236431A2

EP1236431A2 - Device for a dishwasher

Info

Publication number: EP1236431A2
Application number: EP02445016A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anders Haegermarck
Original assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Current assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Priority date: 2001-02-28
Filing date: 2002-02-07
Publication date: 2002-09-04
Also published as: EP1236431A3; SE0100679L; SE0100679D0

Abstract

This invention relates to a device for a dishwasher comprising a treatment chamber (12) for dish and a door (11) closing a charging opening to said chamber when the dishwasher is used and a dispensing device (16) arranged in the door. The dispensing device is connected to a storage compartment (17) for a powder detergent the storage compartment communicating with a fill opening (21) arranged in the door. The door or an area of the dishwasher joining the door is provided with a sealing (19) to seal the chamber (12) from the surrounding the fill opening (21) being arranged outside said sealing.

Description

This invention relates to a device for a dishwasher comprising a treatment chamber for dish and a door closing a charging opening for said chamber when the dishwasher is used and a dispensing device arranged in the door.
It is previously known to use powder detergents dispensing means for dishwashers. Such dispensing means are mainly shaped as a box which is placed in the door. The operator fills manually a suitable amount of detergent in the box when the door is in its open position. By closing a lid of the box the detergent is prevented from falling out of the box when the door is closed. When the dish washing operation has reached the point where the detergent is to be dispensed the lid is opened by means of some suitable electromechanical device whereby the powder enters into the treatment chamber. These devices are reliable but have the disadvantage that new detergent has to be filled before each dishwashing operation.
There has however been a wish to provide a dishwasher with a dispensing device and a storage compartment having such a volume that it is possible to store a larger amount of powder in the compartment and to take it out in smaller doses. Devices intended to fulfil such wishes are described for instance in EP 57217 and 611843 respectively. It has however proved that such devices do not operate properly depending on that it is very difficult to achieve a good sealing function between the dispensing device and the treatment chamber as well as between the storage compartment and the treatment chamber in case the fill opening should be placed close to it. It should in this connection be mentioned that the powder shaped detergent is hygroscopical which means that damp that enters into the dispensing means and into the storage compartment clogs the detergent and jeopardizes the function of the dispensing device.
The purpose of this invention is to safeguard that the powder detergent which is stored in a compartment in the door is not wetted via the fill opening by the damp which is present in the treatment chamber. This is achieved by means of the device mentioned in the claims.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings on which Fig. 1 shows a dishwasher of the type where the invention is to be used whereas Fig. 2 is a vertical, schematical, section through said dish washer.
The dishwasher 10 comprises a door 11 normally covering a charging opening to a treatment chamber 12. The treatment chamber 12 comprises conventional baskets 13 on which the dish is placed, spray arms, circulation pump, drain pump and other convential means.
The door 11 has an outer and an inner panel 14 and 15 resp. between which a schematically shown dispensing means 16 is arranged. The dispensing means is connected to a storage compartment 17 in which a larger amount of detergent is stored. The dispensing means has an outlet 18 which is directly connected to the treatment chamber. The dispensing means and the storage compartment are described more closely in Swedish patent application No. 0100678-2 filed simultanaeously with this application. The dishwasher 10 is provided with a sealing 19 extending along the edge parts of the door when the door is in its closed position. The sealing prevents the treatment liquid from flowing out from the treatment chamber and cooperates with a sealing portion 20 at the door. The door 11 also has a fill opening 21 for the powder detergent and the opening is via a shaft 22 connected to the storage compartment 17. The fill opening 21 is arranged at the upper portion of the edge part of the door outside the sealing 18 and is normally covered by a lid 23 which by means of a hinge 24 can be turned to such a position that it fascilitates the filling of the detergent which takes place when the lid is close to its vertical position. Since the fill opening according to this arrangement is placed such that it is completely separated from the treatment chamber there is no risk for water or damp to penetrate from the treatment chamber into the storage compartment.
Preferably the outlet opening 18 is provided with a flap or the like facing the treatment chamber and which in the horizontal position of the door 11 is closed to prevent food spillage from falling into the opening 18 when dish is inserted into the treatment chamber whereas the flap is open when the door is in its vertical position such that the opening is cleaned during the treatment. This function can easily be achieved by means of gravity and by means of a counter weight and a suitable support of the flap.
It should be mentioned that it is also within the scop of the invention to place the fill opening at other parts of the door for instance at its front side.

Claims

Device for a dishwasher comprising a treatment chamber (12) for dish and a door (11) closing a charging opening for said chamber when the dishwasher is used and a dispensing device (16) arranged in the door characterized in that the dispensing device is connected to a storage compartment (17) for a powder detergent the storage compartment communicating with a fill opening (21) arranged in the door, the door or an area of the dishwasher joining the door being provided with a sealing (19) to seal the chamber (12) from the surrounding, the fill opening (21) being arranged outside said sealing.
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the door (11) in its closed position is vertical and comprises an upper edge part, the fill opening (21) being arranged in or at said edge part.
Device according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the fill opening (21) is normally covered by a lid (23).
Device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the dispensing device is connnected to an outlet opening (18) facing the treatment chamber and provided with a flap or the like which in the horizontal position of the door is in a closed position and which in the vertical position is in an open position.