Dishwasher and method of controlling the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dishwasher and a method of controlling the dishwasher. A dishwasher according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a tub forming a dishwashing space; a plurality of wash arms disposed in the tub and spraying wash water; a plurality of wash arm pipes connected with the wash arms, respectively, and supplying wash water; a reusing pipe diverging from at least any one of the wash arm pipes; and a reusing section storing wash water supplied from the reusing pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dishwasher comprising:
 a tub forming a dishwashing space;   a plurality of wash arms disposed in the tub to spray wash water;   a plurality of wash arm pipes connected with the plurality of the wash arms, respectively, to supply wash water to the respective plurality of the wash arms;   a reusing pipe diverging from at least one of the wash arm pipes and capable of receiving the wash water from the at least one of the wash arm pipes; and   a reusing section to store the wash water supplied from the reusing pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the reusing pipe diverges from any one of the wash arm pipes. 
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of the wash arm pipes is an upper wash arm pipe connected with an upper wash arm which is at a highest position in the tub among the plurality of the wash arms, and
 the reusing pipe diverges from the upper wash arm pipe.   
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher of  claim 3 , further comprising a channel switch unit that opens or closes to control a flow of the wash water to any one of the plurality of the wash arm pipes, wherein the channel switch unit is in an opened state to allow the flow of the wash water through the upper wash arm pipe to the reusing section when the wash water is stored into the reusing section. 
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a wash pump that pressurizes and sends the wash water to the upper wash arm pipe;   a controller; and   an upper arm nozzle that is disposed on the upper wash arm to spray the wash water,   wherein the controller controls the wash pump to pump up the wash water through the upper wash arm pipe such that the wash water does not reach the upper arm nozzle, when the wash water is stored into the reusing section.   
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher of  claim 5 , wherein the controller controls to store the wash water in the reusing section after a wash cycle or a rinse cycle of the dishwasher. 
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher of  claim 5 , further comprising a reusing valve that opens and closes the reusing pipe. 
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher of  claim 7 , wherein the controller controls to open the reusing valve to supply the wash water stored in the reusing section to at least one wash arm during a wash cycle, a pre-wash cycle, or a rinse cycle of the dishwasher. 
     
     
         9 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , further comprising an reusing-communicating portion to discharge the wash water overflowing from the reusing section. 
     
     
         10 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the reusing section is disposed at a side of the dishwasher. 
     
     
         11 . A dishwasher comprising:
 a tub forming a dishwashing space;   a sump where wash water sprayed in the tub collects;   a wash arm to spray the wash water that collects in the sump;   a reusing section having a storage space to store the wash water collected in the sump; and   a wash pump to pressure the wash water collected in the sump up to a pressure at which the wash water is not sprayed from the wash arm, such that the wash water is sent to the reusing section.   
     
     
         12 . The dishwasher of  claim 11 , further comprising a reusing valve that opens or closes to control a flow of the wash water to or from the reusing section. 
     
     
         13 . The dishwasher of  claim 12 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller controls the wash pump and the reusing valve to store the wash water in the reusing section after a wash cycle or a rinse cycle of the dishwasher. 
     
     
         14 . The dishwasher of  claim 13 , wherein the controller controls to open the reusing valve to supply the wash water stored in the reusing section to the wash arm during another wash cycle, pre-wash cycle, or rinse cycle of the dishwasher. 
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling a dishwasher, the method comprising:
 collecting wash water, which is sprayed from a plurality of wash arms, into a sump;   pressurizing the wash water collecting in the sump by driving a wash pump;   sending the wash water by the water pump to a wash arm pipe connected with a reusing pipe among a plurality of wash arm pipes; and   storing the wash water, which flows through the reusing pipe, into a reusing section connected with the reusing pipe.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising opening a reusing valve that opens/closes the reusing pipe. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising closing the reusing valve after the storing of wash water into the reusing section. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising stopping the wash pump after the storing of wash water into the reusing section. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising supplying the wash water, which is discharged from the wash pump, to an upper wash arm pipe among the plurality of wash arm pipes connected with an upper wash arm which is at a highest position in the tub among the plurality of wash arms by driving a channel switch unit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the driving of the wash pump is driven such that the wash water is not sprayed from the upper wash arm.