Dishwasher

Abstract

A dishwasher including a washing compartment at which washing of dishware is performed, a water collecting unit provided at a lower portion of the washing compartment in a concave manner to collect water that has been used for the washing, a micro filter disposed at the water collecting unit and configured to filter garbage being generated at the time of the washing of the dishware, and an ultrasonic wave generating apparatus configured to radiate an ultrasonic wave at the micro filter, thereby automatically cleaning the micro filter and thus, a user may not need to directly clean the micro filter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dishwasher, comprising:
 a washing compartment at which washing of dishware is performed,   a water collecting unit provided at a lower portion of the washing compartment in a concave manner to collect water that has been used for the washing,   a micro filter disposed at the water collecting unit and configured to filter garbage being generated at the time of the washing of the dishware, and   at least one ultrasonic wave generating apparatus configured to radiate an ultrasonic wave at the micro filter.   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the micro filter comprises a filter film to filter garbage of micro size, and a frame formed in a shape of a grid so that the filter film maintains a constant shape. 
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the micro filter is formed in a shape of a cylinder having an upper surface thereof and a lower surface thereof open, and
 the ultrasonic wave generating apparatus comprises an ultrasonic wave vibrator that is formed in a shape of a cylinder having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the micro filter and is disposed at an inside the micro filter.   
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic wave generating apparatus comprises:
 at least one vibration plate; and   at least one ultrasonic wave vibrator disposed at one surface of the vibration plate and allowing the vibration plate to be vibrated.   
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher of  claim 4 , wherein the vibration plate has an arc-shape cross section, and is disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the water collecting unit, and
 the ultrasonic wave vibrator makes contact with an outer circumferential surface of the vibration plate while passing through the water collecting unit.   
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher of  claim 4 , wherein the vibration plate is formed in a shape of a panel and disposed at a lower surface of an inside of the water collecting unit, and
 the ultrasonic wave vibrator makes contact with a lower surface of the vibration plate while passing through the water collecting unit.   
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher of  claim 6 , wherein the micro filter has a diameter that gradually increases while proceeding from one of an upper end thereof and a lower end thereof to the other one of the upper end thereof and the lower end thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , further comprising a turbidity sensor installed at the water collecting unit to measure turbidity of the water that is stored at the water collecting unit. 
     
     
         9 . A dishwasher, comprising:
 a body having a washing compartment at which washing of dishware is being performed, and a water collecting unit provided at a lower portion of the washing compartment in a concave manner,   at least one nozzle disposed at an inside the washing compartment to spray water toward the dishware disposed at an inside the washing compartment,   at least one filter disposed at the water collecting unit to filter garbage, and   at least one ultrasonic wave generating apparatus disposed at the water collecting unit to radiate an ultrasonic wave at the filter.   
     
     
         10 . The dishwasher of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the filter comprises a micro filter formed in a shape of a cylinder having an upper surface thereof and a lower surface thereof open, a coarse filter installed through the open upper surface of the micro filter, and a fine filter installed to cover the water collecting unit.   
     
     
         11 . The dishwasher of  claim 10 , wherein the micro filter comprises a filter film configured to filter garbage of micro size, and a frame formed in a shape of a grid so that the filter film maintains a constant shape. 
     
     
         12 . The dishwasher of  claim 10 , wherein the ultrasonic wave generating apparatus comprises an ultrasonic wave vibrator that is formed in a shape of a cylinder having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the micro filter and is disposed at an inside the micro filter. 
     
     
         13 . The dishwasher of  claim 10 , wherein the ultrasonic wave generating apparatus comprises:
 at least one vibration plate; and   at least one ultrasonic wave vibrator disposed at one surface of the vibration plate and allowing the vibration plate to be vibrated.   
     
     
         14 . The dishwasher of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a circulation pump and a circulation pipe that are configured to deliver the water of the water collecting unit to the at least one nozzle, and a draining pump and a draining pipe that are configured to drain the water of the water collecting unit to an outside.   
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling a dishwasher, the method comprising:
 supplying water into a washing compartment;   washing dishware by spraying water of a water collecting unit provided at a lower portion of the washing compartment through at least one nozzle;   draining water having being used in the washing from the water collecting unit to an outside; and   cleaning a micro filter by radiating an ultrasonic wave at the micro filter when the water collecting unit is filled with water.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the cleaning of the micro filter by radiating the ultrasonic wave at the micro filter is performed before the draining of water having been used the washing starts. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the cleaning of the micro filter by radiating the ultrasonic wave at the micro filter is performed during the draining of water having been used in the washing is performed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a time during which the cleaning of the micro filter by radiating the ultrasonic wave at the micro filter is performed is shorter than a time during which the draining of water having been used in the washing is performed. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the draining of water having been used in the washing comprises a first draining to drain a portion of the water having been used in the washing to an outside through a draining pump, and a second draining to drain a remaining of the water having been used in the washing to an outside through the draining pump, and   the draining pump is temporarily stopped after the first draining is performed, the micro filter is cleaned when the draining pump is stopped, and the second draining is performed after the cleaning of the micro filter.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the cleaning of the micro filter by radiating the ultrasonic wave at the micro filter is selectively performed according to turbidity of the water, which is detected through a turbidity sensor, at an inside the water collecting unit. 
     
     
         21 . A method of controlling a dishwasher, the method comprising:
 supplying water so that a micro filter installed at a water collecting unit of a washing compartment is submerged under the water;   cleaning the micro filter by radiating an ultrasonic wave at the micro filter; and   draining the water of the water collecting unit to an outside.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein in the supplying of the water, the cleaning of the micro filter and the draining of the water are selectively performed according to an input from a user. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein in the supplying of the water, the cleaning of the micro filter and the draining of the water are selectively performed according to turbidity of water that is detected by a turbidity sensor disposed at the water collecting unit. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein in the supplying of the water, the cleaning of the micro filter and the draining of the water are repeated until the turbidity of water detected by the turbidity sensor reaches below a predetermined level. 
     
     
         25 . The dishwasher of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one vibration plate is installed on inner side surfaces of the water collecting unit and the corresponding ultrasonic wave vibrator makes contact with the vibration plate. 
     
     
         26 . The dishwasher of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one vibration plate is formed of a metal panel. 
     
     
         27 . The dishwasher of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one vibration plate is formed of a metal panel.