Dish washing machine

Abstract

A dish washing machine includes a main body, a washing tub provided within the main body, a plurality of spray nozzles configured to spray washing water into an inside of the washing tub, a plurality of vanes configured to respectively move in the washing tub to reflect the washing water sprayed from the spray nozzles toward one or more areas which accommodate dishes, and a rail configured to guide the movement of the vanes. The dishes accommodated in the dish washing machine may be washed in various ways depending on the type of dishes to be washed and a degree of contamination of the dishes, because it is possible to wash divided regions of the washing tub, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dish washing machine comprising:
 a main body;   a washing tub disposed within the main body;   a plurality of spray nozzles to spray a washing water into an inside of the washing tub;   a plurality of vanes to respectively move in the washing tub to reflect the washing water sprayed from the spray nozzles; and   a rail to guide movement of the vanes.   
     
     
         2 . The dish washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vanes are connected to and interlocked with a belt by a drive pulley and an idle pulley. 
     
     
         3 . The dish washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of vanes move angularly due to a water pressure of the washing water sprayed from the spray nozzles. 
     
     
         4 . The dish washing machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a drive device to drive the plurality of vanes. 
     
     
         5 . The dish washing machine of  claim 4 , wherein the drive device comprises the rail, a motor to generate a driving force, and a belt connected to a drive pulley and an idle pulley and rotated thereby so as to deliver the driving force of the motor to the vanes. 
     
     
         6 . The dish washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the rail is provided in the same number as that of the plurality of vanes and each rail couples with each of the vanes independently. 
     
     
         7 . The dish washing machine of  claim 5 , wherein a number of drive devices is provided which is the same number as that of the plurality of vanes and each drive device drives each of the vanes independently. 
     
     
         8 . The dish washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vanes separately wash the inside of the washing tub which is divided into regions. 
     
     
         9 . The dish washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of spray nozzles is a stationary nozzle fixed to an inner wall of the washing tub and at least one of the spray nozzles is a rotating nozzle for spraying the washing water while rotating within the washing tub. 
     
     
         10 . The dish washing machine of  claim 5 , wherein the drive device comprises:
 a rear holder to rotationally support the drive pulley and the rear holder is coupled with an end of the rail by a tension of the belt, and   a front holder to rotationally support the idle pulley and the front holder is coupled with the other end of the rail by a tension of the belt.   
     
     
         11 . A dish washing machine comprising:
 a main body;   a washing tub disposed within the main body;   at least one rotating nozzle to spray washing water into an inside of the washing tub;   a stationary nozzle disposed at an inner wall of the washing tub to spray the washing water; and   at least one vane to reflect the washing water sprayed from the stationary nozzle.   
     
     
         12 . The dish washing machine of  claim 11 , wherein a first region of the washing tub within which the vane moves and a second region of the washing tub within which the washing water is sprayed from the rotating nozzle are washed independently of each other. 
     
     
         13 . The dish washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the first region and the second region are different regions from each other. 
     
     
         14 . The dish washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein at least one portion of the first region and the second region is overlapped. 
     
     
         15 . The dish washing machine of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one vane is provided as a plurality and connected to a belt by a drive pulley and an idle pulley so that the vanes move within the washing tub while being interlocked with the belt. 
     
     
         16 . The dish washing machine of  claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of vanes moves in a first direction and another vane moves in a second direction due to water pressure of the washing water sprayed from the stationary nozzle. 
     
     
         17 . The dish washing machine of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one vane is provided as a plurality and a plurality of vanes move within the washing tub independently of each other. 
     
     
         18 . The dish washing machine of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a drive device to drive the plurality of vanes,   wherein the drive device comprises a motor to generate a driving force, a belt connected to a drive pulley and an idle pulley and rotated thereby so as to deliver the driving force of the motor to the vanes, and a rail to guide movement of the vanes.   
     
     
         19 . The dish washing machine of  claim 18 , wherein the drive device is provided in the same number as that of the plurality of vanes and each drive device drives each of the vanes independently. 
     
     
         20 . The dish washing machine of  claim 11 , wherein the rotating nozzle is provided as a plurality, and the dish washing machine comprises a first region washed by the vane, a second region by one of the rotating nozzles and a third region washed by another one of the rotating nozzles. 
     
     
         21 . A dish washing machine comprising:
 a main body including a door;   a washing tub disposed within the main body;   at least one rotating nozzle to spray washing water into an inside of the washing tub;   a plurality of stationary nozzles disposed in a stationary nozzle assembly at a rear wall of the washing tub to spray the washing water in a direction toward the door; and   at least one vane disposed to move forward and rearward and to reflect the washing water sprayed from the stationary nozzle in an upward direction,   wherein the washing tub comprises of a plurality of regions including a first region which primarily receives washing water reflected from the at least one vane, and a second region which primarily receives washing water sprayed from the at least one rotating nozzle.   
     
     
         22 . The dish washing machine of  claim 21 , wherein the dish washing machine comprises at least two vanes including a first vane and second vane disposed in parallel, and the dish washing machine further comprises at least two drive devices to drive the at least two vanes, including a first drive device to drive the first vane and a second drive device to drive the second vane. 
     
     
         23 . The dish washing machine of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of stationary nozzles includes a first stationary nozzle disposed at a left side of the rear wall of the washing tub and a second stationary nozzle disposed at a right side of the rear wall of the washing tub, each of the first stationary nozzle and the second stationary nozzle including a plurality of spray holes,
 the first vane is disposed along a first rail which is disposed between spray holes of the first stationary nozzle and extends from the stationary nozzle assembly toward the door, and   the second vane is disposed along a second rail which is disposed between spray holes of the second stationary nozzle and extends from the stationary nozzle assembly toward the door.   
     
     
         24 . The dish washing machine of  claim 22 , wherein the first vane and the second vane are controllable to be moved at different speeds and/or different directions from one another. 
     
     
         25 . The dish washing machine of  claim 22 , wherein the first region includes a first sub-region and a second sub-region, and the first sub-region primarily receives washing water reflected from the first vane and the second sub-region primarily receives washing water reflected from the second vane. 
     
     
         26 . The dish washing machine of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one rotating nozzle sprays washing water in an upward direction and is disposed in a lower portion of the washing tub adjacent to the at least one vane,
 the at least one vane is disposed along a rail which extends from the stationary nozzle assembly to a central portion of the washing tub, adjacent to an outer circumferential portion of the at least one rotating nozzle,   the first region primarily receives washing water reflected from the at least one vane, and   the second region primarily receives washing water sprayed from the at least one rotating nozzle.   
     
     
         27 . The dish washing machine of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one rotating nozzle further includes a first rotating nozzle and a second rotating nozzle to spray washing water in an upward direction, the first rotating nozzle and the second rotating nozzle being disposed in a lower portion of the washing tub adjacent to the at least one vane,
 the at least one vane is disposed along a rail which extends from the stationary nozzle assembly to a central portion of the washing tub, adjacent to an outer circumferential portion of the first rotating nozzle and the second rotating nozzle,   the first region primarily receives washing water reflected from the at least one vane, and   the second region includes a first sub-region and a second sub-region, the first sub-region primarily receives washing water sprayed from the first rotating nozzle, and the second sub-region primarily receives washing water sprayed from the second rotating nozzle.