Technical Field

The present invention relates to a multifunctional cleaning unit and a dishwasher comprising the same.

Background of the Invention

Washing devices are used to clean products using water and a cleaning agent. Different washing devices are used to clean different products, wherein washing machines which are used to clean clothes or dishwashers which are used to clean dishes, for example, make the daily life of people much easier, as well as minimizing the use of resources by saving both time and energy.

Despite being efficient in terms of the use of energy resources, these washing devices harm living health and/or nature. For example, in dishwashers used to clean dishes, various cleaning agents with chemical content are used for cleaning the dishes, and over time, the chemical contents in these cleaning agents are increased and/or strengthened in order to clean the products more effectively. The cleaning agents dissolve in the water received into the dishwasher and adhere to the dirt on the dishes, allowing such a dirt to be disintegrated and removed from the dishes. However, since the dishes in the dishwasher are not completely covered with dirt, the cleaning agent in the water can sometimes settle in the small cavities in the dishes and stay there. Cleaning agent residues remaining in these cavities, which are too small to be seen with the naked eye, can also pass into the body of living things during use, for example, with cooked and eaten meals, and cause serious health problems in living things. In addition, when the cleaning process is completed in the dishwasher, the water containing the cleaning agent residues as well as the dirt on the dishes is discharged from the dishwasher, and this discharged water may harm the nature over time, as a result of being released into the nature (for example, soil, spring waters, etc.). In order to prevent such negativities, the washing devices, especially dishwashers, have been equipped with alternative cleaning processes in the known art, and applications where dishes are sterilized with ultraviolet light using (or without using) less water and less cleaning agents have become widespread. However, since such applications are integrated with the dishwasher, it causes extra costs for the users to change their already working machines with such machines, and therefore, they are not as widespread as necessary, especially in terms of protecting the health of nature.

Brief Description of the Invention

A cleaning unit according to the invention is suitable for use in a dishwasher having at least one body, at least one washing compartment located in the body, at least one rack located in the washing compartment for placing the dishes in the washing compartment, which can move into and out of the washing compartment, and at least one impeller located in the washing compartment on an upper side and/or a lower side of the rack and allowing a cleaning liquid to be sprayed on the dishes in the rack, the cleaning unit being suitable for use in the washing compartment and comprising: at least one bearing body in the form of a closed box with at least one cavity therein; at least one ion generator located in the cavity in the bearing body, connected with at least one opening on the bearing body, and enabling the negative ions to be generated and sent to the washing compartment through said opening to prevent bad odour in the washing compartment; at least one sterilization element located in the bearing body, which emits light in ultraviolet wavelength and thus ensures the cleaning/sterilization of the dishes placed in the washing compartment; at least one control unit located in said cavity in the bearing body, connected with the ion generator and the sterilization element, and adjusting the operation of the ion generator and/or sterilization element according to a command received from the user; and at least one rechargeable battery located on the bearing body, which supplies the necessary energy to the control unit, ion generator and sterilization element. The dishwasher according to the invention comprises at least one body; at least one washing compartment located in the body; at least one rack located in the washing compartment for placing the dishes in the washing compartment, which can move into and out of the washing compartment; at least one impeller located in the washing compartment on an upper side and/or a lower side of the rack and allowing a cleaning liquid to be sprayed on the dishes in the rack; and said cleaning unit, which is located in the washing compartment, activated by the command received from the user, eliminates the bad odour in the washing compartment by means of the ion generator therein, and cleans/sterilizes the dishes by means of the sterilization element.

Thanks to the cleaning unit according to the present invention and the dishwasher comprising the same, both sterilization and deodorization feature can be provided to the existing dishwashers. Thus, the amount of water and detergent used can be reduced and a cleaning unit and a dishwasher comprising the same can be obtained, which protect the health of living things and nature.

Object of the Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional cleaning unit and a dishwasher comprising the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning unit with both sterilization and deodorization functions and a dishwasher comprising the same.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning unit that controls impeller rotation as well as sterilization and deodorization functions, and a dishwasher comprising the same.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning unit that contributes to the protection of living health and nature health, and a dishwasher comprising the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional cleaning unit which can be attached and removed from the dishwasher, can be supplied externally and can also be used in existing dishwashers, and a dishwasher comprising the same. Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional cleaning unit that saves energy bit a low cost, and a dishwasher comprising the same.

Exemplary embodiments of the cleaning unit according to the present invention and the dishwasher comprising the same are illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary use of the unit and the dishwasher according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the arrangement of the developed cleaning unit in a rack of the dishwasher according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a front view of the cleaning unit according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a top perspective view of the cleaning unit according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a bottom perspective view of the cleaning unit according to the invention.

All the parts illustrated in figures are individually assigned a reference numeral and the corresponding terms of these numbers are listed below:

Body (G)

Washing compartment (Y)

Rack (Y1)

Impeller (Y2)

Cleaning unit (1)

Bearing body (1a)

Opening (1b)

Sterilization element (1c)

Battery (1d)

First movement sensor (1 e)

Second movement sensor (1f)

Lighting element (1g) of the Invention

Conventional dishwashers comprise at least one washing compartment, at least one rack located in the washing compartment, and an impeller rotating along a horizontal plane around an axis such that the dishes on the rack are sprayed with a cleaning liquid. The washing process carried out in dishwashers is commonly carried out with the use of a cleaning agent with a chemical content, such as water and detergent, which can cause various harms to both living health and nature. For this reason, various applications have been developed that both minimize the use of resources and have almost no harm in terms of living and natural health, wherein dishwashers which cleans the dishes with ultraviolet light are available in the known art, for example. However, in such dishwashers, applications that protect living and nature health are integrated with the machine and cannot provide a solution for the existing machines. This poses a serious obstacle to the widespread use of such applications. However, considering that our resources are decreasing day by day, it is an inevitable fact that the use of water and cleaning agents should be seriously reduced. Therefore, in order to solve above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a multifunctional cleaning unit suitable for use in dishwashers, and a dishwasher comprising the same.

The cleaning unit (1) according to the present invention, exemplary views of which are illustrated in Figures 3-5, is suitable for use in a dishwasher illustrated in Figures 1-2, which has at least one body (G), at least one washing compartment (Y) located in the body (G), at least one (preferably at least two, one at the bottom and one at the top) rack (Y1) located in the washing compartment (Y) for placing the dishes in the washing compartment (Y), which can move into and out of the washing compartment (Y), and at least one (preferably at least one for each rack, in particular preferably at least two) impeller (Y2) located in the washing compartment on an upper side and/or a lower side of the rack (Y1) and allowing a cleaning liquid (this cleaning liquid can only be water and/or water mixed with a cleaning agent, such as detergent) to be sprayed on the dishes in the rack (Y1), wherein the cleaning unit (1) is suitable for use in the washing compartment (Y) of the dishwasher, preferably on the said rack (Y1). The cleaning unit (1) according to the present invention comprises at least one bearing body (1a) in the form of a closed box, preferably of a cylindrical shape, with at least one cavity therein; at least one ion generator located in the cavity in the bearing body (1a), connected with at least one opening (1b) on the bearing body (1a), and enabling the negative ions (e.g. Ozone) to be generated and sent to the washing compartment (Y) through said opening (1b) to prevent bad odour in the washing compartment (Y); at least one sterilization element (1c) (e.g. an ultraviolet LED) located in the bearing body (1a), preferably on an upper surface of the bearing body (1a), which emits light in ultraviolet wavelength and thus ensures the cleaning/sterilization of the dishes placed in the washing compartment (Y); at least one control unit located in said cavity in the bearing body (1a), connected with the ion generator and the sterilization element (1c), and adjusting (e.g. activating and/or de-activating) the operation of the ion generator and/or sterilization element (1c) according to a command received from the user (such a command can be received, for example, by means of a data input element on the bearing body (1a), such as a knob, button, switch, etc.); and at least one rechargeable battery (1d) located on the bearing body (1a), which can preferably be attached or removed from the bearing body (1a) (or, preferably, fixed to the bearing body (1a)) and supplies the necessary energy to the control unit, ion generator and sterilization element (1c).

The dishwasher according to the present invention, as illustrated in Figures 1-2, which has at least one body (G), at least one washing compartment (Y) located in the body (G), at least one (preferably at least two, one at the bottom and one at the top) rack (Y1) located in the washing compartment (Y) for placing the dishes in the washing compartment (Y), which can move into and out of the washing compartment (Y), and at least one (preferably at least one for each rack, in particular preferably at least two) impeller (Y2) located in the washing compartment on an upper side and/or a lower side of the rack (Y1) and allowing a cleaning liquid (this cleaning liquid can only be water and/or water mixed with a cleaning agent, such as detergent) to be sprayed on the dishes in the rack (Y1), comprises said cleaning unit (1) which is located in the washing compartment (Y), preferably on the rack (Y1), activated by the command received from the user, eliminates the bad odour in the washing compartment (Y) by means of the ion generator therein, and cleans/sterilizes the dishes by means of the sterilization element (1c).

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the cleaning unit (1) is placed in the washing compartment (Y). For this arrangement, preferably, a rack (Y1) can be used, which is located in the washing compartment (Y) and on which dishes are placed. Thanks to the ion generator and the sterilization element (1c) in the cleaning unit (1), while it is ensured that the dishes in the washing compartment (Y) are cleaned and sterilized using less water and detergent, it is also possible to eliminate the bad odour in the washing compartment (Y), especially due to the waiting dishes, as a result of the destruction of microorganisms such as bacteria, which cause odour. In addition, thanks to the battery (1d) and the control unit provided in the cleaning unit (1), said cleaning unit (1) can be used independently of the dishwasher. Thus, by supplying only the cleaning unit (1), the user can provide both a deodorization function and a water-free and detergent-free sterilization function to the dishwasher she/he already owns. Thanks to the portable structure of the cleaning unit (1), the user can take this cleaning unit (1) wherever she/he wishes; for example, when she/he stays in a different residence for a long time in summer, she/he can easily use it in another dishwasher provided therein. The cleaning unit (1) is preferably placed in a lower rack closer to the bottom of the washing compartment (Y). Thus, the cleaning unit (1) remains in a lower region of the washing compartment (Y), and in this way, the ultraviolet light emitted by the sterilization element (1c) can reach dishes in greater amount more effectively. However, the bad odour becoming intense in the bottom part of the washing compartment (Y) can be removed more effectively. Alternatively, the cleaning unit (1) can preferably be positioned between two impellers (Y2) located in the washing compartment (Y) (for example, by hanging it inside the washing compartment (Y) and/or attaching it to a side wall of the washing compartment (Y), etc.).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning unit (1) according to the invention comprises at least one odour sensor which is connected with the control unit, detects the bad odour in the environment and transmits it to the control unit to compare it with a threshold value and to check the operation of the ion generator as a result of this comparison. In this embodiment, the data detected by the odour sensor is processed by the control unit and compared with the said threshold value. For example, if the detected data is above the threshold value, the control unit activates the ion generator, otherwise it does not and/or stops it. Thus, an effective odour control can be achieved.

In another alternative embodiment, the cleaning unit (1) preferably comprises at least one movement detection assembly in connection with the control unit, which is located in the bearing body (1a) and enables the movement of said impeller (Y2) to be detected; and at least one warning unit in connection with the control unit, which informs the user that the impeller (Y2) is rotating and/or not rotating according to the data coming from the movement detection assembly. According to this embodiment, the movement detection assembly detects whether the impeller (Y2) is rotating and transmits the related data to the control unit. Accordingly, the control unit can warn the user by means of the warning unit. For example, when the rotation of the impeller (Y2) stops, the warning unit may emit a corresponding sound signal. In another alternative embodiment, the warning unit comprises at least one wireless communication module (e.g. Bluetooth®), wherein the wireless communication module can communicate with an application on a mobile device of the user, which is paired with the control unit. Thus, the user can be informed about the rotation of the impeller (Y2) at certain periods through the said application. In this embodiment, the movement detection assembly preferably comprises at least a first movement sensor (1e) located on an upper surface of the bearing body (1a); and at least a second movement sensor (1f) located on a lower surface of the bearing body (1a) opposite the upper surface thereof. Thus, if more than one impeller (Y2) is provided in the washing compartment (Y), the rotation of each impeller (Y2) can be followed separately.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the cleaning unit (1) preferably comprises at least one wireless communication module (e.g. Bluetooth®) which can communicate with a mobile application on a mobile device of the user (e.g. a smartphone) paired with the control unit, and allows the commands given by the user through said mobile application to be transferred to the control unit. According to this embodiment, the commands to be given by the user for the control of the cleaning unit (1) can be received via the mobile application by means of the user's mobile device, and transferred to the control unit by the wireless communication module. For example, after placing the cleaning unit (1) in the washing compartment (Y) and running the dishwasher, the user can give a command to activate or de-activate the sterilization element (1c) via this mobile application, or give a command to start or stop the ion generator, for example, in order to eliminate the odour that occurs when the dishwasher is not operated for a long time. In this embodiment, the cleaning unit (1) may also preferably comprise a time counter which is connected with the control unit, wherein when the user gives a command for a function to be active for a certain period of time, this time can be counted by the time counter and when this time expires, the associated function can be terminated.

In another preferred embodiment, the cleaning unit (1) comprises at least one lighting element (1g) in the form of a strip preferably surrounding, at least partially, at least one part of the bearing body (1a), which is located on the bearing body (1a), connected with the control unit and receives energy supply from the battery (1d). Thanks to the lighting element (1g), the user can see the inner part of the washing compartment (Y) more easily and can easily access the dishes in the dishwasher in cases where the ambient light is insufficient (for example, when the electricity is cut off).

Thanks to the cleaning unit (1) according to the present invention and the dishwasher comprising the same, both sterilization and deodorization feature can be provided to the existing dishwashers. Thus, the amount of water and detergent used can be reduced and a cleaning unit and a dishwasher comprising the same can be obtained, which protect the health of living things and nature.