Dishwasher in the form of a programmable machine and method for operating it

Abstract

The invention relates to a dishwasher ( 100 ) in the form of a programmable machine for the mechanical basic cleaning of washing stock and to a corresponding method for the cleaning of washing stock. The method according to the invention comprises a cleaning phase, in which a cleaning fluid is sprayed out of a tank ( 4 ) in to a treatment chamber ( 2 ) through a line system ( 10 ) by means of a pump ( 8 ) and can flow back from the treatment chamber ( 2 ) into the tank ( 4 ) by gravity, and a rinsing phase, in which fresh water is sprayed as rinsing fluid in to the treatment chamber ( 2 ) through a rinsing-line system ( 15 ) by means of a rinsing pump ( 12 ) and can flow from the treatment chamber ( 2 ) in to the tank ( 4 ) by gravity.

1 . Method for the cleaning of washing stock in a commercial dishwasher that is configured as a programmable machine, containing the following program-controlled method steps to be executed in succession:
 a) a cleaning phase, in which a cleaning fluid is sprayed from a tank in to a treatment chamber through a line system by means of a pump and can flow back from the treatment chamber in to the tank by gravity; and   b) a rinsing phase, in which fresh water is sprayed as rinsing fluid in to the treatment chamber through a rinsing-line system by means of a rinsing pump and can flow from the treatment chamber in to the tank by gravity,   characterized in that, depending on whether a standard cleaning or a basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out, the treatment parameters of the cleaning phase and the treatment parameters of the rinsing phase are automatically set in adaptation to one another.   
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , in which the cleaning fluid is fresh water with added detergent, characterized in that the type of detergent added to the fresh water and/or the detergent concentration in the cleaning fluid depends on whether the standard cleaning or the basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 1 , in which heated cleaning fluid is sprayed during the cleaning phase, characterized in that the temperature of the cleaning fluid is set automatically, depending on whether the standard cleaning or the basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the temperature of the cleaning fluid is increased automatically when the basic cleaning of the washing stock is carried out instead of the standard cleaning. 
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the time of action between the cleaning fluid and the washing stock to be cleaned is set automatically, depending on whether the standard cleaning or the basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the time of action between the cleaning fluid and the washing stock to be cleaned is increased automatically when the basic cleaning of the washing stock is carried out instead of the standard cleaning. 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the nozzle pressure used in the spraying of the cleaning fluid during the cleaning phase is set automatically, depending on whether the standard cleaning or the basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the nozzle pressure used in the spraying of the cleaning fluid during the cleaning phase is increased automatically when the basic cleaning of the washing stock is carried out instead of the standard cleaning. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the quantity of rinsing fluid sprayed overall during the rinsing phase is set automatically, depending on whether the standard cleaning or basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out. 
     
     
         10 . Method according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the quantity of rinsing fluid sprayed overall during the rinsing phase is increased automatically when the basic cleaning of the washing stock is carried out instead of the standard cleaning. 
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 1  for carrying out a plurality of successive basic-cleaning cycles for the basic cleaning of washing stock, each basic-cleaning cycle having a cleaning phase and a rinsing phase following this, characterized in that, before the start of the cleaning phase of the first basic-cleaning cycle, the tank is filled with a reduced quantity of fluid, as compared with the overall capacity of the tank, and in that, before the start of the cleaning phase of each basic-cleaning cycle, a quantity of basic detergent adapted to the fluid quantity received in the tank is added in such a way that, during the cleaning phase of each basic-cleaning cycle, the basic-detergent concentration in the cleaning fluid sprayed during the cleaning phase is constant. 
     
     
         12 . Commercial dishwasher in the form of a programmable machine, which has the following:
 a program control device for executing a selected cleaning program;   a treatment chamber, in to which washing stock can be inserted and can be removed manually;   a tank, in to which fluid from the treatment chamber can flow by gravity;   a cleaning system with a pump and with a line system for the conveyance of cleaning fluid during a cleaning phase out of the tank through cleaning nozzles in to the treatment chamber; and   a rinsing system with a rinsing pump and with a rinsing-line system for the conveyance of rinsing fluid during a rinsing phase through rinsing nozzles in to the treatment chamber,   
       characterized in that the program control device is designed, depending on whether a standard cleaning or a basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out, automatically to set the treatment parameters of the cleaning phase and the treatment parameters of the rinsing phase in adaptation to one another. 
     
     
         13 . Dishwasher according to  claim 12 , in which, furthermore, a heating arrangement for the heating of the cleaning fluid to be sprayed during the cleaning phase is provided, characterized in that the heating arrangement can be activated by the program control device in such a way that a temperature of the cleaning fluid is set automatically, depending on whether the standard cleaning or the basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out. 
     
     
         14 . Dishwasher according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the program control device is designed, depending on whether the standard cleaning or the basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out, for automatically setting the nozzle pressure used in the spraying of the cleaning fluid during the cleaning phase. 
     
     
         15 . Dishwasher according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the program control device is designed, depending on whether the standard cleaning or basic cleaning of the washing stock is to be carried out, for automatically setting the quantity of rinsing fluid sprayed overall during the rinsing phase. 
     
     
         16 . Dishwasher according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the program control device is designed for automatically increasing the quantity of rinsing fluid sprayed overall during the rinsing phase, when the basic cleaning of the washing stock is carried out by the dishwasher instead of the standard cleaning; and/or in that the program control device is designed for automatically increasing the temperature of the cleaning fluid recirculating during the cleaning phase, when the basic cleaning of the washing stock is carried out by the dishwasher instead of the standard cleaning; and/or in that the program control device is designed for automatically increasing the nozzle pressure used in the spraying of the cleaning fluid during the cleaning phase, when the basic cleaning of the washing stock is carried out by the dishwasher instead of the standard cleaning.