EP4085815B1 - Dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a dishwasher with a washing container providing a washing compartment, which has a loading opening for loading items to be cleaned, which can be closed in a fluid-tight manner by means of a pivotably mounted washing compartment door, and with a camera unit which serves to visually record the washing compartment at least in some areas, the Camera unit has a camera and a housing housing the camera, which housing has a housing part that is open on one side and a visible part covering the open side of the housing part, the housing part and the visible part being arranged on the washing compartment door with the interposition of an inner door panel of the washing compartment door which has an opening, wherein the visible part rests against the inner door panel on the washing compartment side of the inner door panel and a seal is arranged between the inner door panel and the visible part for sealing the housing part on the washing compartment side.

Dishwashers as such are well known from the prior art, which is why separate printed evidence is not required at this point. It is therefore only an example of this EP 3 205 764 A1 and the DE 10 2019 104 519 A1 referred.

A dishwasher of the typical design has a washing compartment that provides a washing space. This is accessible on the user side via a loading opening, which can be closed in a fluid-tight manner by means of a pivotably mounted washing compartment door. When used as intended, the washing container serves to hold items to be cleaned, which can be, for example, dishes, cutlery and/or the like.

From the one mentioned at the beginning EP 3 205 764 A1 A dishwasher is known that has two cleaning cameras arranged in the washing compartment. These cameras are used to detect soiling of items to be cleaned in the washing compartment.

The one also mentioned at the beginning DE 10 2019 104 519 A1 shows a generic one Dishwasher that has a camera unit located on the washing compartment door. This camera unit is used to visually record the washing area at least in certain areas.

The camera unit used in the previously known dishwasher has a housing which has a housing part on the one hand and a visible part on the other. The housing part and the visible part are arranged on the washing compartment door with the interposition of an inner door panel of the washing compartment door which has a door opening.

In order to avoid the unwanted penetration of moisture, in particular of washing liquid circulated within the washing container, into the housing of the camera, a seal is arranged between the inner door panel and the visible part to seal the housing part on the washing compartment side.

The WO 20181231180 A2 discloses a sensor housing with a seal for a dishwasher.

Although the construction described above has proven itself in everyday practical use, it is not free from disadvantages. In particular, it has been shown that despite the existing seal between the inner door panel and the visible part, an adequate and permanently secure seal of the camera unit cannot be achieved. It is therefore the object of the invention to further develop a generic dishwasher in such a way that a permanently reliable seal of the camera unit is guaranteed.

To solve this problem, the invention proposes a dishwasher with the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, a second seal is provided. In contrast to the first seal, the second seal is not provided on the washing compartment door side, but is arranged between a connecting piece of the visible part which projects into the housing part on the one hand and the housing part on the other hand. This also creates a seal on the side of the inner door panel facing away from the washing compartment. The result of this design is that the camera unit is sealed both on the washing compartment side washroom door side.

The first seal, i.e. the seal between the visible part and the inner door panel, seals the camera unit from the washing compartment. In a manner known per se, this seal prevents unwanted penetration of washing liquor coming from the washing compartment.

The second seal provided according to the invention ensures that the camera unit is sealed on the washing compartment door side of the camera unit. This ensures that any condensation or other residual moisture that forms inside the washing compartment door cannot penetrate the camera unit. The second seal also ensures that dust particles or other contaminants cannot penetrate the camera unit. This effectively protects the camera housed in the housing of the camera unit from dirt and/or moisture, which advantageously ensures long-term functionality of the camera unit.

In contrast to the prior art, the invention proposes a double seal. This ensures a permanently secure seal of the camera unit, not only with regard to the washing liquor in the washing compartment, but also with regard to dirt and/or residual moisture accumulating in the cavity between the outer door panel and the inner door panel of the washing compartment door.

According to a further feature of the invention it is provided that the first seal and the second seal are designed as a one-piece sealing element. Accordingly, the first seal and the second seal are formed in one piece. Together they form a sealing element that can be handled in a particularly simple manner and, in particular, assembled during production. In addition, in the event of a defect, the unit is easy to replace.

According to a further feature of the invention, according to a first alternative embodiment, it is provided that the sealing element is designed to be annular and has a U-shaped cross section. According to this embodiment, the seal is designed as a ring seal. It has a U-shaped cross section, which makes it easy to arrange and secure its position on one side The breakthrough in the inner door panel provided for the camera unit is permitted. Another advantage of this design is that it is geometrically less complex, which allows for simple and cost-effective production.

According to a further feature of the invention it is provided that the housing part itself is designed to be liquid and dust tight. This, in combination with the seal design according to the invention, ensures that the volume space provided by the housing of the camera unit for accommodating the camera is designed to be completely liquid and dust tight.

According to a further feature of the invention, it is provided that the connecting piece of the visible part has locking means on the housing part side, which cooperate with locking counter-means on the housing side. The locking means on the socket side can be, for example, spring-elastic locking arms which carry locking cams on the housing part side. In the final assembled state, these locking cams engage behind locking countermeasures in the form of, for example, projections which are formed on the housing part side.

This locking configuration is particularly advantageous with regard to simplified assembly. For proper final assembly, it is sufficient to bring the visible part on the inside of the inner door panel to the opening for the camera unit. The housing part is brought to the opening from the other side, i.e. on the outside of the inner door panel. With the inner door panel in between, the connecting piece of the visible part is immersed in the housing part until the locking means of the visible part engage in a form-fitting manner with the anti-locking means of the housing part provided for this purpose. In this way, a positionally secure arrangement of the housing part on the one hand and the visible part on the other hand on the washing compartment door is ensured in a simple manner and this with a defined contact pressure at the same time, so that the seals provided according to the invention are also permanently held in a secure position and sealingly.

According to the invention, it is provided that the sealing element is pot-shaped and has an annular body arranged between the housing part and the nozzle of the visible part and a base which closes the ring body on the nozzle side.

Accordingly, the sealing element is designed in the manner of a pot. It has a ring body on the one hand and a base that closes the ring body on the nozzle side on the other hand. This configuration has the advantage that a cavity provided by the sealing element is created, which accommodates the camera in the final assembled state.

According to a further feature of the invention it is provided that the base has recesses for locking means on the socket side. In the final assembled state, the locking means provided by the connecting piece of the visible part, for example in the form of locking arms, are passed through these recesses. The locking means lie on the edge of the recesses of the sealing element, so that a moisture- and dust-tight contact of the sealing element on the locking means is ensured.

According to a further feature of the invention, it is provided that the bottom of the sealing element is arranged at a distance from the viewing window of the visible part and a liquid- and dust-tight volume space is formed between the viewing window and the floor. In combination of the pot-like sealing element on the one hand and the viewing pane of the visible part that fits tightly to the sealing element on the other hand, a liquid and dust-tight volume space is provided overall, which permanently securely accommodates the camera of the camera unit.

According to a further feature of the invention it is provided that the housing part has air passage openings.

The special design of the sealing element in the manner of a pot and the associated liquid and dust-tight volume space allows the housing part to be equipped with air passage openings located outside the sealing element. This in turn has the advantage that at least one camera board of the camera can be arranged outside the sealing element within the housing of the camera, which is particularly advantageous for reasons of improved cooling of the camera. The liquid- and dust-sensitive optics of the camera are still arranged liquid- and dust-tight within the camera housing due to the design according to the invention. Only the camera circuit board is designed outside the sealing element for the purpose of improved cooling. This advantageously results in a significantly extended shelf life.

According to a further feature of the invention, it is provided that the camera has a camera board and camera optics, the bottom of the sealing element having an opening for sealingly receiving the camera board or the camera optics.

According to this embodiment, the pot-shaped sealing element has an opening on the bottom side. Through this opening, the camera's optics protrude either completely or only partially into the volume space provided by the sealing element. The remaining parts of the camera are arranged outside the sealing element for improved cooling. The opening in the bottom of the sealing element is designed in such a way that the opening seals against the edge either on the circuit board or on the optics.

According to a further feature of the invention, it is provided that the annular body of the sealing element has a section which lies against the nozzle on the inside of the nozzle of the visible part.

According to this embodiment, the bottom of the sealing element is laid in the direction of the door inner panel, in contrast to the previously described embodiment, which reduces the volume space sealed by the sealing element in comparison. The result of this embodiment is an enlarged area through which air flows for cooling purposes.

According to a further feature of the invention, it is provided that the sealing element has a web section arranged circumferentially on the ring body, which rests on the inner door panel on the washing compartment side of the inner door panel. In the manner already described, this web section ensures a seal between the viewing window of the visible part on the one hand and the inner door panel on the other, which provides protection against unwanted ingress of flushing liquid.

With the design according to the invention, an overall improved sealing of the camera unit is achieved. This is because there is not only a seal against the washing liquid, but also against any residual moisture and/or dust particles and other contaminants that may be present in the washing compartment door. This significantly increases the functionality and lifespan of the camera unit.

Fig. 1

in schematischer Seitenansicht eine erfindungsgemäße Geschirrspülmaschine;

Fig. 2

in schematischer Schnittdarstellung eine Kameraeinheit gemäß einer ersten beispielhaften Ausführungsform, welche kein Teil des beanspruchten Gegenstands darstellt;

Fig. 3

in schematischer Schnittdarstellung eine erfindungsgemäße Kameraeinheit gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform;

Fig. 4

in unterschiedlichen Ansichten ein Dichtelement nach der Erfindung gemäß der Ausführungsform nach Fig. 3;

Fig. 5

in geschnittener Seitenansicht eine erfindungsgemäße Kameraeinheit gemäß einer dritten Ausführungsform und

Fig. 6

in unterschiedlichen Ansichten ein erfindungsgemäßes Dichtelement gemäß der dritten Ausführungsform.

Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description based on the figures. Show it

Fig. 1

a schematic side view of a dishwasher according to the invention;

Fig. 2

in a schematic sectional view a camera unit according to a first exemplary embodiment, which does not represent part of the claimed subject matter;

Fig. 3

a schematic sectional view of a camera unit according to the invention according to a second embodiment;

Fig. 4

in different views a sealing element according to the invention according to the embodiment Fig. 3 ;

Fig. 5

in a sectional side view a camera unit according to the invention according to a third embodiment and

Fig. 6

in different views a sealing element according to the invention according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows a dishwasher 1 according to the invention in a schematic side view. The dishwasher 1 has, in a manner known per se, a washing container 3 which provides a washing compartment 2. When used as intended, the washing compartment 2 serves to hold items 5 to be cleaned.

To load the washing container 3 with items 5 to be cleaned, a loading opening is provided, which can be closed in a fluid-tight manner by means of a pivotably mounted washing compartment door 4.

The dishwasher 1 also has a camera unit 6, which serves to visually record the washing compartment 2 at least in certain areas. The camera unit 6 is arranged on the washing compartment door 4.

Fig. 2 shows a camera unit 6 in a first embodiment.

As can be seen from the detailed illustration Fig. 2 results, the washing compartment door 4 has an outer door panel 11 and an inner door panel 12. The outer door panel 11 and the inner door panel 12 are arranged at a distance from one another to form a cavity 13.

The camera unit 6 in turn has a housing 8 and a camera 7 accommodated by the housing 8.

The housing 8 is in turn designed in two parts and has a housing part 9 and a visible part 10. In the final assembled state, the housing part 9 and the visible part 10 are arranged on the washing compartment door 4 with the inner door panel 12 in between. The housing part 9 is located on the outside of the inner door panel 12, i.e. in the cavity 13 between the outer door panel 11 and the inner door panel 12. The visible part 10 is arranged on the washing compartment side and lies on the inside of the inner door panel 12 on the inner door panel 12.

The camera 7 is arranged within the volume space provided by the housing 8. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this has a camera board 20 on the one hand and a camera lens 21 on the other.

How Fig. 2 can also be seen, the visible part 10 has a viewing window 16 and a connector 17 arranged on the housing part side. In the final assembled state, the connector 17 reaches through the opening 14 provided by the inner door panel 12 and protrudes into the housing part 9.

To seal the camera unit 6, according to the invention a sealing element 19 is provided, which provides a first seal 15 and a second seal 18. The first seal 15 ensures a seal against the washing chamber 2. The second seal 18, however, ensures a seal against the cavity 13 of the washing chamber door 4. The volume space provided by the housing 8 is therefore both opposite and opposite to the washing liquor coming from the washing chamber sealed from residual moisture and/or other contaminants originating from the cavity 13.

According to the in Fig. 2 In the embodiment shown, the sealing element 19 is annular formed and has a U-shaped configuration in cross section. The sealing element 19 has a first U-leg, a second U-leg and a web connecting the two U-legs. In the final assembled state, the first U-leg rests on the inside of the inner door panel 12 and seals the viewing window 16 of the visible part 10 from the inner door panel 12. This U-leg therefore forms the first seal 15.

The second U-leg rests on the outside of the inner door panel 12 on the inner door panel 12 and seals the inner door panel 12 from the housing part 9.

The web connecting the two U-legs lies between the visible part 10, namely the connection piece 17 of the visible part 10 and the housing part 9. This web thus forms the second seal 18 in the sense of the invention, which serves to seal the visible part 10 from the housing part 9. This second seal 18 therefore ensures that residual moisture and/or dust particles or similar contaminants, which may be in the cavity 13 of the washing compartment door 3, do not unintentionally penetrate into the camera unit 6.

The Figs. 3 and 4 show a first embodiment according to the invention. The sealing element 19 is then designed in the manner of a pot and has an annular body 23 which is closed by means of a base 24. On the washing compartment side, the sealing element 19 has a circumferential web section 26, which rests on the inside of the inner door panel 12 in the final assembled state.

The bottom 24 of the sealing element 19 is equipped with an opening 27 through which the camera optics 21 and the camera board 20 are guided in sections. In the final assembled state, the camera board 20 rests in a sealing manner on the edge of the opening 27 on the sealing element 19. This creates a liquid- and dust-tight volume space 28, which partially accommodates the camera board 20 and the camera optics 21 completely.

Like the synopsis of the Figs. 3 and 4 can also be seen, the web section 26 serves as the first seal 15 between the visible part 10 and the door inner panel 12, whereas the ring body 23 between the visible part 10 and the housing part 9 serves as the second seal 18.

This alternative embodiment has the advantage that the housing part 9 can be equipped with air passage openings 23, which enables the camera board 20 to be cooled by penetrating air.

The Figs. 5 and 6 show a further alternative embodiment according to the invention, which is essentially the one according to Figs. 3 and 4 corresponds. In contrast to the second embodiment, the third embodiment has the Figs. 5 and 6 via a floor 24 which is moved in the direction of the viewing window 16 of the viewing part 10. This ensures that the housing space surrounded by air is enlarged, which enables the camera board 20 to be completely surrounded by air. According to this exemplary embodiment, the camera optics 21 lies sealingly against the opening-side edge of the base 24. For additional guidance and sealing, it is also provided that the sealing element 19 has a circumferential section 31 which rests on the inside of the connecting piece 17 of the visible part.

Both embodiments according to the Figs. 3 and 4 on the one hand and 5 and 6 on the other hand, what is common is that for the form-fitting connection of the visible part 10 and the housing part 9, locking means 29 in the form of spring-elastic locking arms are used, which in the final assembled state engage behind locking means in the form of projections. Corresponding recesses 25 are provided for the locking means 29 to pass through the sealing element 19. In the final assembled state, the locking means 29 rest sealingly on the edge edges of the recesses 25, so that the volume space 28 provided by the sealing element 19 is designed to be liquid and dust-tight.

Reference symbols

1

dishwasher

2

Washroom

3

Rinse container

4

Washroom door

5

items to be washed

6

Camera unit

7

camera

8th

Housing

9

Housing part

10

visible part

11

Door outer panel

12

Door inner panel

13

cavity

14

breakthrough

15

poetry

16

viewing window

17

Support

18

second seal

19

Sealing element

20

Camera board

21

Camera optics

22

Air passage opening

23

Ring body

24

Floor

25

recess

26

Bridge section

27

opening

28

volume space

29

Rest means

30

Rest antidote

31

Section

Claims (10)

1. Dishwasher comprising a washing container (3) which provides a washing chamber (2) and has a loading opening for loading with washware (5) to be cleaned, which loading opening can be closed in a fluid-tight manner by means of a pivotably mounted washing chamber door (4), and comprising a camera unit (6) which is used to visually capture the washing chamber (2) at least in regions, the camera unit (6) having a camera (7) and a housing (8) which accommodates the camera (7), the housing (8) having a housing part (9) which is open on one side and a viewing part (10) which covers the open side of the housing part (9), the housing part (9) and the viewing part (10) being arranged on the washing chamber door (4) with the interposition of a door inner panel (12) of the washing chamber door (4), the door inner panel having an aperture (14), the viewing part (10) resting against the door inner panel (12) on the washing-chamber side of the door inner panel (12) and a seal (15) being arranged between the door inner panel (12) and the viewing part (10) in order to seal the housing part (9) on the washing-chamber side,

   and the viewing part (10) having a connecting piece (17) on the housing-part side, which connecting piece, in the end-mounted state, projects through the aperture (14) in the door inner panel (12) into the housing part (9),

   characterised in that

   a second seal (18) is provided, which is arranged between the housing part (9) and the connecting piece (17) of the viewing part (10),

   the first seal (15) and the second seal (18) being designed as a one-piece sealing element (19),

   the sealing element (19) being pot-shaped and having an annular body (23) arranged between the housing part (9) and the connecting piece (17) of the viewing part (10), as well as a base (24) which closes the annular body (23) on the connecting-part side.
2. Dishwasher according to claim 1, characterised in that the sealing element (19) is designed to be annularly continuous and has a U-shaped cross section.
3. Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 4,
   characterised in that the housing part (9) is liquid-tight and dust-tight.
4. Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that the connecting piece (17) of the viewing part (10) has latching means (29) on the housing-part side which interact with latching counter-means (30) on the housing-part side.
5. Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the base has recesses (25) for the latching means (29) on the connecting-piece side.
6. Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the base (24) of the sealing element (19) is arranged at a distance from the viewing window (16) of the viewing part (10) and a liquid-tight and dust-tight volume space (28) is formed between the viewing window (16) and the base (24).
7. Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that the housing part (9) comprises air passage openings (22).
8. Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that the camera (7) has a camera board (20) and a camera lens (21), the base (24) of the sealing element (19) having an opening (27) for sealingly receiving the camera board (20) or the camera lens (21).
9. Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that the annular body (23) of the sealing element (19) has a portion (31) which rests against the connecting piece (17) of the viewing part (10) on the inside of the connecting piece (17).
10. Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that the sealing element (19) has a strip portion (26) which is arranged circumferentially on the annular body (23) and which rests against the door inner panel (12) on the washing-chamber side of the door inner panel (12).

Images