Dishwasher

• US 5,947,135 A
• Filed: 09/06/1996
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abe, Takeo, Fukushima, Yoko, Moriyama, Tetsuo, Sumida, Yoshitake
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/706,708
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 137/99.1, 137/95.1, 137/95.2, 137/95.3, 137/98.1, 137/102.1, 137/102.2, 137/102.3, 137/103.1, 134/27, 134/28, 134/570, 134/560, 134/580, 134/200, 134/201, 204/242, 68/13 A, 68/207, 68/208, 68/902
• US Class Current: 134/95.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0002 Washing processes, i.e. machine working principles characterised by phases or operational steps
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4238 by using electrolytic cells
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2601/06 Electrolysed water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4618 for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46115 Electrolytic cell with membranes or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 68/902 Devices for storage and reuse of soap suds

Abstract

When tableware is washed and rinsed in a dishwasher using a plurality of washing steps, the tableware is washed within 10 minutes using acid ionized water having a pH value of at most 6.0 and a temperature of at least 40° C. in a first washing step, whereby dirt is made to form cohesion and is prevented from being reattached to the tableware, so that a washing load in the following washing steps is reduced. Furthermore, the tableware is washed for at least 15 minutes with alkaline ionized water having a pH value of at least 8.5 and a temperature of at least 55° C. in at least one of the washing steps, whereby the washing effects on fats and oils, protein and starch are improved. In addition, while the two kinds of ionized water mentioned above are being produced simultaneously, one ionized water produced is supplied to a washing vessel for use in the present washing and the other ionized water produced is supplied to and stored in a water tank for use in the next washing, so that provision of two or more water tanks is not necessary, resulting in reduction in size of dishwashers and in manufacturing cost thereof. Moreover, two kinds of ionized water produced simultaneously are used as washing water without being discarded before use, so that water saving can be achieved.

Claims

1. A dishwasher, comprising:

an ionized water producing portion for electrolyzing water supplied from a water supply to produce acid ionized water and alkaline ionized water;

a washing vessel for accommodating tableware and washing said tableware using supplied washing water; and

a discharging portion for discharging said washing water after being used for said washing from said washing vessel, wherein when washing and rinsing of said tableware are carried out in a plurality of washing steps each including said washing and said discharging, a first washing step of said plurality of washing steps uses said acid ionized water as said washing water; and

at least one of second and latter washing steps of said plurality of washing steps uses said alkaline ionized water as said washing water.

2. The dishwasher as recited in claim 1, wherein

said acid ionized water used as said washing water in said first washing step has a temperature of at least 40°

C.

3. The dishwasher as recited in claim 1, wherein

said acid ionized water used as said washing water in said first washing step has a temperature of at least 40°

C.

4. The dishwasher as recited in claim 3, wherein

said acid ionized water used as said washing water in said first washing step has a pH value of at most 6.0, and washing time of said first washing step is at most 10 minutes.

5. The dishwasher as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

a water injecting portion for injecting said washing water to said tableware with variable injection intensity in each of said plurality of washing steps, wherein

said water injecting portion injects said acid ionized water with "low" injection intensity in said first washing step.

6. The dishwasher as recited as in claim 1, wherein the washing water is used before rinsing.

7. A dishwasher, comprising:

an electrolytic washing water adjusting portion for electrolyzing water supplied from a water supply to produce acid ionized water and alkaline ionized water;

a washing vessel for accommodating tableware and washing said tableware using supplied washing water; and

a discharging portion for discharging said washing water after being used for said washing from said washing vessel, wherein

when washing and rinsing of said tableware are carried out in a plurality of washing steps each including said washing and said discharging, and at least one of said plurality of washing steps uses said alkaline ionized water with a PH value of at least 8.5 and having a temperature of at least 55°

C. as said washing water.

8. The dishwasher as recited in claim 7, wherein said alkaline ionized water used as said washing water and having a temperature of at least 55°

C. and a PH value of at least 8.5, includes a washing time with the alkaline ionized water is at least 15 minutes.

9. The dishwasher as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a water injecting portion for injecting said washing water to said tableware with variable injection intensity in each of said plurality of washing steps, wherein

said water injecting portion injects said alkaline ionized water having a temperature of at least 55°

C. with "high" injection intensity.

10. A dishwasher, comprising:

an ionized water producing portion for electrolyzing water supplied from a water supply to produce acid ionized water and alkaline ionized water;

a washing vessel for accommodating tableware and washing said tableware using supplied washing water; and

a discharging portion for discharging said washing water after being used for said washing from said washing vessel, wherein

when washing and rinsing of said tableware are carried out in a plurality of washing steps each including said washing and said discharging, said washing step for said rinsing uses said acid ionized water having a PH value not more than 6 and a temperature of at least 60°

C. as said washing water.

11. A dishwasher for washing and rinsing tableware in a plural number of steps, comprising:

means for simultaneously producing from water supplied from a water supply a prescribed amount of alkaline ionized water and a prescribed amount of acid ionized water which are required for each of said plurality of steps; and

means for carrying out each of said plurality of steps using, in each step, any one of water supplied from said water supply, said prescribed amount of alkaline ionized water and said prescribed amount of acid ionized water which are produced simultaneously, wherein

in said plurality of steps, the number of steps using washing water of a same property which are successively carried out by said step carrying out means is at most two for each of said alkaline ionized water and said acid ionized water.

12. The dishwasher as recited in claim 11, wherein

when said plural number is an odd number, at least one of said plurality of steps is a step using water supplied from said water supply.

13. A dishwasher, comprising:

producing means for producing two kinds of ionized water from water supplied from a water supply;

storing means for storing supplied said ionized water; and

washing means for washing tableware in a plurality of washing steps using supplied said ionized water, wherein

said producing means includes

first supplying means for supplying one of said produced two kinds of ionized water to said washing means for use in present said washing step while said ionized water is being produced, and

second supplying means for supplying another of said produced two kinds of ionized water to said storing means for use in next said washing step while said ionized water is being produced, and

said storing means includes

third supplying means for supplying stored said another ionized water to said washing means when said next washing step is started.

14. The dishwasher as recited in claim 13, wherein

said storing means has a capacity equivalent to an amount of said ionized water required for each of said plurality of washing steps.

15. The dishwasher as recited in claim 13, wherein

the supply of said ionized water by each of said first, second and third supplying means is carried out using both hydraulic pressure at the time when water is supplied from said water supply to said producing means and natural dropping of said ionized water from said storing means to said washing means.