Patent Description:
A dishwasher is used to clean tableware. The dishwasher may reek a smelly odor due to the dirty tableware to be washed, deposition of food particles in a drainage passage of the dishwasher, and other reasons.

<CIT> relates to a machine having a washing tank with bottom wall, lateral wall and a ceiling that forms a cavity for washing a crockery. A front face of the cavity is closed by a door. An odor processing device has a catalyst e.g. titanium dioxide, that is radiated by a source of ultraviolet rays. The device is placed inside an air duct of a dry air aspiration circuit. The device destroys the odors by forming a circulation of air, contained in the machine, from the tank towards the circuit. An air intake opening in the ceiling permits aspiration of odors by a fan.

<CIT> relates to dehumidifiers in domestic equipment that serve to dehumidify an airstream enriched with moisture. The novel dehumidifier makes possible the dehumidification of the process air with simultaneous heat recovery and thus offers a particularly energy-efficient mode of operation. In a laundry drier, heated air is conducted via the fan and the heating apparatus and thus removes the moisture from the laundry. The desiccant container is connected in-between in the air conduction system, so that moisture-laden air is passed into the container and so that the desiccant adsorbs the moisture of the process air. Desiccants which are used are preferably bead-shaped adsorptive zeolite-based desiccants. The dehumidifier is particularly suitable for use in laundry driers, a more favourable efficiency being achieved by the heat recovery potential.

<CIT> relates to a dishwasher comprising a deodorising module arranged in an air passage, the deodorising module including a photocatalyst module and a discharge electrode with counter electrodes.

Embodiments of the present disclosure seek to solve at least one of the problems existing in the related art to at least some extent. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a dishwasher having clean, hygienic and odorless advantages.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a dishwasher as set out in claim <NUM>.

The dishwasher according to embodiments of the present disclosure has clean, hygienic and odorless advantages.

In addition, the dishwasher according to the above embodiments of the present disclosure can have the following technical features.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the gas inlet is defined in a peripheral wall of the accommodating cavity and adjacent to a bottom wall of the accommodating cavity, and the gas outlet is defined in the peripheral wall of the accommodating cavity and adjacent to a top wall of the accommodating cavity.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the catalyst piece includes a substrate and a nanometer titanium dioxide coating applied on the substrate.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dishwasher further includes a fan provided in the air passage.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of fans are provided.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dishwasher further includes a fan; the air passage includes a first sub air passage and a second sub air passage; the first sub air passage has an air inlet in communication with the gas outlet and an air outlet in communication with an air inlet of the fan, and the second sub air passage has an air inlet in communication with an air outlet of the fan and an air outlet in communication with the gas inlet.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the catalyst piece and the ultraviolet lamp are provided in the second sub air passage.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second sub air passage includes: a first connecting segment having a first end connected with the air outlet of the fan; a second connecting segment having a first end connected with the gas inlet; an expanding segment having a first end connected with a second end of the first connecting segment; a receiving segment having a first end connected with a second end of the expanding segment, the catalyst piece and the ultraviolet lamp being arranged in the receiving segment; and a narrowing segment having a first end connected with a second end of the receiving segment and a second end connected with a second end of the second connecting segment, in which a diameter of the receiving segment is equal to a maximum diameter of the expanding segment and a maximum diameter of the narrowing segment.

These and other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following descriptions made with reference to the drawings, in which:.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in the following, and examples of the embodiments will be shown in drawings. The embodiments described herein with reference to drawings are explanatory, and used to interpret the present invention. The embodiments shall not be construed to limit the present invention.

A dishwasher <NUM> according to embodiments of the present d invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the dishwasher <NUM> includes a body <NUM>, an air passage <NUM>, a catalyst piece <NUM> having nanometer titanium dioxide, and an ultraviolet lamp <NUM> used to emit ultraviolet light to the catalyst piece <NUM>.

An accommodating cavity <NUM> used to accommodate tableware is defined in the body <NUM>. A gas inlet <NUM> and a gas outlet <NUM> are defined in a wall of the accommodating cavity <NUM>. An air outlet of the air passage <NUM> is in communication with the gas inlet <NUM>, and an air inlet of the air passage <NUM> is in communication with the gas outlet <NUM>. The catalyst piece <NUM> is provided in the air passage <NUM>, and the ultraviolet lamp <NUM> is provided in the air passage <NUM>.

When the dishwasher <NUM> reeks a smelly odor or after the dishwasher <NUM> has been used for a period of time, a user may turn on the ultraviolet lamp <NUM>, and the ultraviolet lamp <NUM> emits the ultraviolet light to the catalyst piece <NUM> for photocatalysis, thereby producing hydroxyl radicals (OH radicals) and peroxide ions with high electroactivity. The hydroxyl radicals and peroxide ions can enter the accommodating cavity <NUM> through the air passage <NUM>. The hydroxyl radicals and peroxide ions can be combined with contaminants (such as bacteria, fungi, volatile organic compounds, any other substances that can produce unpleasant odors) in the air within the accommodating cavity <NUM>, and a chemical reaction will occur after the combination, so as to oxidize these contaminants effectively. Thus, these contaminants are decomposed (destroyed) into harmless carbon dioxide and water molecules, thereby eliminating the unpleasant odors from the dishwasher <NUM>, and making the air in the accommodating cavity <NUM> cleaner and odorless.

For the dishwasher <NUM> according to embodiments of the present invention, the ultraviolet lamp <NUM> and the catalyst piece <NUM> having nanometer titanium dioxide are arranged in the air passage <NUM>, thus the ultraviolet light can radiate the catalyst piece <NUM> to produce the hydroxyl radicals and peroxide ions, such that the hydroxyl radicals and peroxide ions can be utilized to oxidize the contaminants (such as bacteria, fungi, volatile organic compounds, and so on) and produce harmless carbon dioxide and water molecules. Thus, the air within the accommodating cavity <NUM> in the dishwasher <NUM> can become cleaner and odorless, thereby making the dishwasher <NUM> cleaner and more hygienic.

In addition, the photocatalysis has advantages of low cost, easy accomplishment, non-toxic, chemical mechanical stability and high utilization rate. Moreover, the photocatalysis may avoid production of an intermediate product compared with direct photolysis technology.

Therefore, the dishwasher <NUM> according to embodiments of the present invention has clean, hygienic and odorless advantages.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the dishwasher <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present invention includes the body <NUM>, the air passage <NUM>, the catalyst piece <NUM> having nanometer titanium dioxide, and the ultraviolet lamp <NUM> used to emit ultraviolet light to the catalyst piece <NUM>.

The accommodating cavity <NUM> used to accommodate tableware is defined in the body <NUM>. The gas inlet <NUM> and the gas outlet <NUM> are defined in the wall of the accommodating cavity <NUM>. Advantageously, as shown in <FIG>, the gas inlet <NUM> is provided in a peripheral wall of the accommodating cavity <NUM> and adjacent to a bottom wall of the accommodating cavity <NUM>; the gas outlet <NUM> is provided in the peripheral wall of the accommodating cavity <NUM> and adjacent to a top wall of the accommodating cavity <NUM>.

The hydroxyl radicals and peroxide ions enter the accommodating cavity <NUM> through the gas inlet <NUM> adjacent to the bottom wall of the accommodating cavity <NUM>, and flow upwards, so as to oxidize the contaminants throughout the whole accommodating cavity <NUM> and avoid any dead area. Thus, the dishwasher <NUM> can have a more reasonable structure.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the dishwasher <NUM> further includes a fan <NUM>, and the fan <NUM> is provided in the air passage <NUM>. By providing the fan <NUM>, it is possible to step up a flow rate of the hydrogen radicals and the peroxide ions in the accommodating cavity <NUM>, thereby accelerating a speed of eliminating the unpleasant odor from the dishwasher <NUM>.

Advantageously, a plurality of fans <NUM> may be provided, so as to further step up the flow rate of the hydrogen radicals and the peroxide ions in the accommodating cavity <NUM> and hence accelerate the speed of eliminating the unpleasant odor from the dishwasher <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in some examples of the present invention, the dishwasher <NUM> further includes the fan <NUM>, and the air passage <NUM> includes a first sub air passage <NUM> and a second sub air passage <NUM>. An air inlet <NUM> of the first sub air passage <NUM> is in communication with the gas outlet <NUM>, and an air outlet <NUM> of the first sub air passage <NUM> is in communication with an air inlet of the fan <NUM>; an air inlet <NUM> of the second sub air passage <NUM> is in communication with an air outlet of the fan <NUM>, and an air outlet <NUM> of the second sub air passage <NUM> is in communication with the gas inlet <NUM>. Thus, the fan <NUM> can be installed more conveniently and easily, and the structure of the dishwasher <NUM> can become more reasonable.

The catalyst piece <NUM> can include a substrate and a nanometer titanium dioxide coating on the substrate. That is, nanometer titanium dioxide can be a film supported on a suitable substrate, and can be easily separated from treated water.

As shown in <FIG>, in an example of the present invention, a plurality of catalyst pieces <NUM> can be provided and spaced apart along a length direction of the ultraviolet lamp <NUM>. A length direction of each catalyst piece <NUM> is perpendicular to the length direction of the ultraviolet lamp <NUM>. Thus, a photocatalytic reaction can be performed better, and more hydroxyl radicals and peroxide ions can be produced, so as to purify the air in the accommodating cavity <NUM> and eliminate the unpleasant odor in the accommodating cavity <NUM> more effectively.

Advantageously, the catalyst piece <NUM> and the ultraviolet lamp <NUM> are provided in the second sub air passage <NUM>. Thus, the structure of the dishwasher <NUM> can become more reasonable.

In a specific example of the present invention, as shown in <FIG>, the second sub air passage <NUM> includes a first connecting segment <NUM>, a second connecting segment <NUM>, an expanding segment <NUM>, a receiving segment <NUM> and a narrowing segment <NUM>. A first end of the first connecting segment <NUM> is connected with the air outlet of the fan <NUM>, and a first end of the second connecting segment <NUM> is connected with the gas inlet <NUM>.

A first end of the expanding segment <NUM> is connected with a second end of the first connecting segment <NUM>. A first end of the receiving segment <NUM> is connected with a second end of the expanding segment <NUM>. The catalyst piece <NUM> and the ultraviolet lamp <NUM> are provided in the receiving segment <NUM>. A first end of the narrowing segment <NUM> is connected with a second end of the receiving segment <NUM>, and a second end of the narrowing segment <NUM> is connected with a second end of the second connecting segment <NUM>.

A diameter of the receiving segment <NUM> is equal to a maximum diameter of the expanding segment <NUM> and a maximum diameter of the narrowing segment <NUM>. That is, a space defined in the expanding segment <NUM> and a spaced defined in the narrowing segment <NUM> each can be shaped into a truncated cone, and a diameter of the space defined in the expanding segment <NUM> increases along an air flow direction while a diameter of the space defined in the narrowing segment <NUM> decreases along the air flow direction. A spaced defined in the receiving segment <NUM> has a cylindrical shape. Thus, the catalyst piece <NUM> and the ultraviolet lamp <NUM> can be installed more conveniently and easily, thereby making the structure of the dishwasher <NUM> more reasonable.

In the specification, it is to be understood that terms such as "central," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "peripheral" should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion.

In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or significance or to imply the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the feature defined with "first" and "second" may comprise one or more of this feature. In the description of the present invention, the term "a plurality of" means two or more than two, unless specified otherwise.

In the present invention, unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "coupled," "fixed" and the like are used broadly, and may be, for example, fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; may also be mechanical or electrical connections; may also be direct connections or indirect connections via intervening structures; may also be inner communications of two elements, which can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In the present invention, unless specified or limited otherwise, a structure in which a first feature is "on" or "below" a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, and may also include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are not in direct contact with each other, but are contacted via an additional feature formed therebetween.

Claim 1:
A dishwasher (<NUM>), comprising:
a body (<NUM>) defining an accommodating cavity (<NUM>) used to accommodate tableware, a wall of the accommodating cavity (<NUM>) defining a gas inlet (<NUM>) and a gas outlet (<NUM>);
an air passage (<NUM>) having an air outlet in communication with the gas inlet (<NUM>), and an air inlet in communication with the gas outlet (<NUM>), a catalyst piece (<NUM>) having nanometer titanium dioxide and provided in the air passage (<NUM>); and
an ultraviolet lamp (<NUM>) configured to emit ultraviolet light to the catalyst piece (<NUM>) and provided in the air passage (<NUM>),
wherein a plurality of catalyst pieces (<NUM>) are provided, characterised in that the plurality of catalyst pieces (<NUM>) are spaced apart across the air passage along a length direction of the ultraviolet lamp (<NUM>), and a length direction of each catalyst piece (<NUM>) is in an air flow direction of the air passage and
along the air passage perpendicular to the length direction of the ultraviolet lamp (<NUM>).