Patent ID: 8734592

Claim:
A dishwasher comprising: a washing container; a washing device for washing crockery during a partial program step of a washing process using a rinsing solution in the washing container; a sorption drying device in communication with the washing container such that air passes between the washing container and the sorption drying device, the sorption drying device having a housing containing reversibly dehydratable material that withdraws moisture from the air during passage of the air through the sorption drying device, the housing being coupled at a first end to an air outlet of the washing container and at a second end to an air inlet of the washing container, the housing having walls that guide the air along a flow path from the air outlet of the washing container through the reversibly dehydratable material and into the air inlet of the washing container; a fan that conveys the air along the flow path from the air outlet of the washing container through the reversibly dehydratable material and into the air inlet of the washing container; a heating element disposed inside the walls of the housing of the sorption drying device and in the flow path of the air; and a control unit programmed to control an operation of the washing device, the fan, and the heating element during the partial program step of the washing process to desorp the reversibly dehydratable material of the sorption drying device and to heat the rinsing solution that is disposed in the washing container using the air that is heated by the heating element and that passes along the flow path through the sorption drying device and into the air inlet of the washing container, wherein, during the partial program step of the washing process, the control unit is programmed to continue to operate the heating element after a desorbed condition of the reversibly dehydratable material is attained to continue to heat the rinsing solution that is disposed in the washing container using the air that is heated by the heating element and that passes along the flow path through the sorption drying device and into the air inlet of the washing container until a temperature of the rinsing solution disposed in the washing container is equal to a desired nominal temperature of the rinsing solution for the partial program step of the washing process.