阅读说明：本技术 泵和包括该泵的洗碗机 (Pump and dishwasher including the same ) 是由 禹相宇 金映秀 朴炯万 于 2018-03-22 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及一种用于输送清洗水并产生蒸汽的泵和包括该泵的洗碗机。该泵包括：外壳；清洗水入口管道,其联接到外壳以接收清洗水；清洗水出口管道,其联接到外壳以排出清洗水；叶轮,其设置在外壳中以将清洗水从清洗水入口管道排出到清洗水出口管道；加热器,其联接到外壳以加热外壳中的清洗水并产生蒸汽；蒸汽排出管道,其用于排出由加热器产生的蒸汽；和换向阀,其联接到蒸汽排出管道以阻挡清洗水的排出但允许蒸汽被排出,由此防止清洗水通过蒸汽排出管道的排出。(The present disclosure relates to a pump for delivering washing water and generating steam and a dishwasher including the same. The pump includes: a housing; a wash water inlet duct coupled to the housing to receive wash water; a wash water outlet pipe coupled to the casing to discharge wash water; an impeller provided in the casing to discharge wash water from the wash water inlet line to the wash water outlet line; a heater coupled to the casing to heat the washing water in the casing and generate steam; a steam discharge duct for discharging steam generated by the heater; and a direction change valve coupled to the steam discharge pipe to block discharge of the washing water but allow the steam to be discharged, thereby preventing discharge of the washing water through the steam discharge pipe.)

1. A pump, comprising:

a housing;

a water inlet duct coupled to the housing and configured to receive wash water;

a water outlet pipe coupled to the housing and configured to discharge wash water;

an impeller located in the housing and configured to flow wash water from the water inlet conduit to the water outlet conduit;

a heater coupled to the housing and configured to heat wash water in the housing, the heater configured to generate steam from the wash water;

a steam discharge duct configured to discharge steam generated by the heater; and

a reversing valve coupled to the steam discharge duct, the reversing valve configured to block discharge of wash water through the steam discharge duct, and the reversing valve allows discharge of steam through the steam discharge duct.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein the reversing valve is further configured to:

closing the steam discharge line based on introduction of wash water to the reversing valve; and

opening the steam vent line based on the introduction of steam to the reversing valve.

3. The pump of claim 1, wherein the reversing valve includes an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being vertically above the inlet.

4. The pump of claim 1, wherein the reversing valve comprises:

a valve body defining a flow path therein;

a valve seat located at an outlet side of the valve body; and

a ball located inside the valve body and configured to close the flow path of the valve body based on contact between the ball and the valve seat.

5. The pump of claim 4, wherein the valve body has a tubular shape and extends in a direction that is inclined upward with respect to a bottom of the housing.

6. The pump of claim 5, wherein the valve body includes a plurality of ribs located inside an inlet side of the valve body, the plurality of ribs protruding in a radial direction of the valve body, and the plurality of ribs being configured to seat the valve ball.

7. The pump of claim 6, wherein the plurality of valve ribs are arranged in a circumferential direction of the valve body and spaced apart from each other.

8. The pump of claim 6, wherein the plurality of valve ribs are spaced apart from each other by a separation distance, and

wherein a diameter of the valve ball is greater than the separation distance between the plurality of ribs and less than an inner diameter of the valve body.

9. The pump of claim 8, wherein an area defined by the separation distance between the plurality of ribs is less than a value corresponding to a cross-sectional area of the valve ball subtracted from a cross-sectional area of the valve body.

10. The pump of claim 4, wherein the valve body has a cubic shape including a bottom surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface opposite the first side surface, and

wherein the directional valve further comprises:

a tubular outflow unit protruding in a horizontal direction from an upper portion of the first side surface with respect to the bottom surface of the valve body, and

a tubular inflow unit protruding from a lower portion of the second side surface in a direction opposite to the horizontal direction.

11. The pump according to claim 4, wherein the valve body has a triangular prism shape including a bottom surface, an inclined upper surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface, and a side surface extending upward from the bottom surface, and

wherein the directional valve further comprises:

a tubular outflow unit protruding in a horizontal direction from an upper portion of the side surface of the valve body with respect to the bottom surface of the valve body, and

a tubular inflow unit protruding in a direction opposite to the horizontal direction from a corner region between the bottom surface and the inclined upper surface.

12. The pump according to claim 4, wherein the valve seat extends in a longitudinal direction, and a slit is defined at an inner circumferential surface of the valve seat, the slit extending in the longitudinal direction from an inlet side of the valve seat.

13. The pump of claim 4, wherein the valve ball comprises alumina.

14. The pump of claim 1, wherein the reversing valve is located vertically above the vapor discharge conduit.

15. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a motor vertically below the reversing valve and configured to rotate the impeller.

16. A dishwasher, comprising:

a barrel;

a spray arm configured to spray wash water into the tub;

a steam nozzle configured to discharge steam into the tub;

a sump configured to store washing water;

a pump configured to supply wash water stored in the sump to the spray arm, the pump configured to generate steam, and the pump configured to supply steam to the steam nozzle; and

a diverter valve located between the pump and the steam nozzle, the diverter valve configured to block discharge of wash water from the pump toward the steam nozzle, and the diverter valve allows discharge of steam from the pump toward the steam nozzle.

17. The dishwasher of claim 16, wherein the diverter valve is further configured to: is closed by water flow pressure upon introduction of wash water from the pump toward the diverter valve.

18. The dishwasher of claim 16, wherein the diverter valve is coupled to the sump.

19. The dishwasher of claim 16, further comprising a supply conduit connecting the sump to the pump,

wherein the diverter valve is located vertically above the supply conduit.

20. The dishwasher of claim 16, wherein the diverter valve is located vertically below the steam nozzle.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a pump and a dishwasher including the same, and more particularly, to a pump for transferring wash water and generating steam and a dishwasher including the same.

Background

A dishwasher is a home appliance that removes foreign substances remaining in dishes by spraying washing water to the dishes. A dishwasher generally includes a tub for providing a washing space, a rack provided in the tub and receiving dishes, a spray arm for spraying washing water into the rack, a sump for storing washing water, and a pump for supplying the washing water stored in the sump to the spray arm.

Meanwhile, the dishwasher cleans or sterilizes the dishes by using heated washing water or by supplying steam to the dishes. The conventional dish washer generally generates hot water or steam by heating wash water stored in a sump by a heater provided inside the sump. In this case, since the heater must be exposed to the inside of the sump and contacted with the washing water, the water level inside the sump must be controlled such that the heater is not exposed to prevent overheating of the heater. In addition, since heat transfer can be performed only when the heater is in contact with the washing water, there are problems in that foreign substances adhere to the surface of the heater to deteriorate heat exchange efficiency and the surface of the heater is corroded to reduce durability.

To overcome these disadvantages, a dishwasher in which a heater is installed in a pump has been recently developed. In this case, a heater in the pump heats the washing water to generate hot water or steam. However, there are the following problems: when the washing water flows out through the flow path through which the steam is discharged, the performance of the pump deteriorates.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a pump and a dishwasher capable of generating steam without deteriorating performance of the pump.

Technical scheme

According to the present invention, a dishwasher includes: a housing; a wash water inlet conduit coupled to the housing to receive the wash water inlet; a wash water outlet pipe coupled to the casing to discharge wash water; an impeller provided in the casing and discharging the washing water flowing into the washing water inlet line into the washing water outlet line; a heater coupled to the casing and heating the washing water in the casing to generate steam; a steam discharge duct that discharges steam generated by the heater; and a direction change valve coupled to the steam discharge pipe to block discharge of the washing water but allow the steam to be discharged, so that the discharge of the washing water through the steam discharge pipe can be prevented.

The direction valve is closed when wash water is introduced, and is opened when steam is introduced.

The inlet of the diverter valve is disposed below the outlet of the diverter valve.

The reversing valve comprises: a valve body having a flow path formed therein; a valve seat provided on an outlet side of the valve body; and a valve ball disposed inside the valve body to close a flow path of the valve body in a state of being in contact with the valve seat.

The valve body is formed in a tubular shape, and the pipe direction is set to be inclined upward.

The valve body has a plurality of ribs. The plurality of ribs are formed in the inlet side of the valve body to protrude in a radial direction. A valve ball is seated on the plurality of ribs.

The plurality of ribs are provided so as to be spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the valve body.

The ball has a diameter greater than the separation distance of the ribs and less than the inner diameter of the valve body.

The sectional area based on the separation distance of the plurality of ribs is smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the sectional area of the valve ball from the sectional area of the valve body.

The valve body is formed in a cubic shape, and the direction valve further includes: a tubular outflow unit protruding in a horizontal direction from an upper portion of one side surface of the valve body; and a tubular inflow unit protruding in a horizontal direction from a lower portion of the other side surface of the valve body.

The valve body is formed in a triangular prism shape having an inclined upper surface, and the direction valve further includes: a tubular outflow unit protruding in a horizontal direction from an upper portion of one side of the valve body; and a tubular inflow unit protruding in a horizontal direction from a lower portion of the other side of the valve body.

The valve seat has a slit formed in an inner peripheral surface of the inlet side in a longitudinal direction.

The valve ball is formed of alumina.

The reversing valve is arranged above the steam discharge pipe.

The dishwasher further comprises a motor for rotating the impeller, and the reversing valve is disposed above the motor.

According to the present invention, a dishwasher includes: a barrel; a spray arm; a steam nozzle discharging steam into the tub; a sump for storing washing water; a pump for supplying the washing water stored in the sump to the spray arm and generating steam to be supplied to the steam nozzle; and a direction change valve disposed between the pump and the steam nozzle to block discharge of the washing water but allow the steam to be discharged.

When wash water is introduced from the pump, the reversing valve is closed by wash water flow pressure.

The diverter valve is coupled to the sump.

The dishwasher further includes a supply pipe connecting the sump and the pump, and the direction change valve is disposed above the supply pipe.

The reversing valve is arranged below the steam nozzle.

Drawings

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a dishwasher in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a pump according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a pump according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a reversing valve of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5a and 5b are views illustrating an example operation of a reversing valve of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a valve seat of a reversing valve of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a valve seat of a reversing valve of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a reversing valve of a dishwasher according to another embodiment of the present invention; and is

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a direction valve of a dishwasher according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. A detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to explain a pump and a dishwasher including the same according to embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a dishwasher in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The dishwasher 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a cabinet 1 forming an external appearance, a tub 11 disposed inside the cabinet 1 to receive dishes, a plurality of spray arms 3 and 5 to spray wash water into the tub 11, a steam supply unit 6 to discharge steam into the tub 11, a sump 13 to store wash water, and a pump 8, the pump 8 to supply the wash water stored in the sump 13 to the plurality of spray arms 3 and 5 and to generate steam to be supplied to the steam supply unit 6.

A plurality of racks 191 and 193 for storing dishes may be provided in the tub 11. The plurality of shelves 191 and 193 may include an upper shelf 191 disposed in an upper region of the tub 11 and a lower shelf 193 disposed in a lower region of the tub 11.

The tub 11 may be opened and closed by a door 16 provided on one side of the cabinet. The user can take out the plurality of shelves 191 and 193 from the tub 11 after opening the door 16.

The plurality of spray arms 3 and 5 may include an upper arm 3 for spraying the washing water to the upper shelf 191 and a lower arm 5 for spraying the washing water to the lower shelf 193. The wash water sprayed from the plurality of spray arms 3 and 5 may be collected in the sump 13.

A sump 13 may be provided in a lower portion of the tub 11 to store washing water. A sump cover 15 may be provided at an upper side of the sump 13. The sump cover 15 may be provided with a recovery hole 151 so that the washing water in the tub 11 can pass through the recovery hole 151 and flow into the sump 13.

The water collection tank 13 may be coupled to an external water source through a water supply pipe 135. The water supply pipe 135 may be opened and closed by a water supply valve 136. The washing water stored in the sump 13 may be discharged to the outside of the cabinet 1 through the drain line 137 and the drain pump 139.

The washing water stored in the sump 13 may be supplied to the plurality of spray arms 3 and 5 through the pump 8 and the washing water supply unit 7. The wash water supply unit 7 may include a main connection pipe 77 coupled to the pump 8, an upper connection pipe 71 connecting the main connection pipe 77 and the upper arm 3, and a lower connection pipe 73 connecting the main connection pipe 77 and the lower arm 5.

The upper and lower connection pipes 71 and 73 may be branched from the main connection pipe 77, and a switching valve 75 for controlling opening and closing of the upper and/or lower connection pipes 71 and 73 may be provided in the branch point of the upper and lower connection pipes 71 and 73.

The sump 13 may be coupled to the pump 8 and the supply pipe 131. The supply pipe 131 may guide the washing water in the sump 13 to the pump 8.

The steam supply unit 6 may discharge steam into the tub 11. The steam discharged from the steam supply unit 6 may ascend and act on the dishes received in the plurality of racks 191 and 193. The steam supply unit 6 may include a steam nozzle 61 provided in the tub 11 or the door 16 to discharge steam into the tub 11, and a steam supply pipe 63 connecting the steam nozzle 61 and the pump 8.

The pump 8 may transfer the washing water stored in the sump 13 to the washing water supply unit 7. The pump 8 may heat the washing water transferred to the washing water supply unit 7. The pump 8 may suck the wash water stored in the sump 13 and supply it to the plurality of spray arms 3 and 5 through the wash water supply unit 7.

The pump 8 may generate steam and supply the steam to the steam supply unit 6. The pump 8 may generate steam by heating the washing water stored in the pump 8 without transferring the washing water. The steam generated in the pump 8 may be discharged into the tub 11 through the steam supply unit 6.

The pump 8 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 2 and the following drawings.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a pump according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the pump according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The pump 8 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a casing 82 fixed inside the cabinet 1 having a cylindrical shape, a wash water inlet pipe 841 coupled to the casing 82 and into which wash water flows, a wash water outlet pipe 849 coupled to the casing 82 and discharging the wash water, an impeller 85 disposed inside the casing 82 and discharging the wash water flowing into the wash water inlet pipe 841 to the wash water outlet pipe 849, a heater 81 coupled to the casing 82 and heating the wash water inside the casing 82 to generate steam, a steam discharge pipe 845 disposed in the wash water outlet pipe 849 and discharging the steam generated by the heater 81, and a direction change valve 83 coupled to the steam discharge pipe 845 and blocking discharge of the wash water but allowing discharge of the steam.

The housing 82 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having an open top and bottom. The housing cover 823 may be coupled to an upper end of the housing 82, and the heater 81 may be coupled to a lower end of the housing 82. The housing cover 823 may cover an upper portion of the housing 82, and the housing cover 823 may be provided with the motor 87 to generate a rotational force for rotating the impeller 85.

A dividing wall 84 may be disposed inside the housing 82. The partition wall 84 may divide the inner space of the housing 82 into upper and lower portions. The partition wall 84 may form a negative pressure chamber C1 and a positive pressure chamber C2 inside the housing 82. The negative pressure chamber C1 may be where negative pressure is generated by rotation of the impeller 85, and the positive pressure chamber C2 may be where positive pressure is generated by rotation of the impeller 85. The negative pressure chamber C1 may be coupled to the sump 13 through the supply pipe 131 and the washing water inlet pipe 841. The plenum C2 may be coupled to the plurality of spray arms 3, 5 by wash water outlet piping 849 and wash water supply unit 7.

The partition wall 84 may be provided with a communication hole 86 for communicating the negative pressure chamber C1 and the positive pressure chamber C2. The surface of the partition wall 84 on the side of the positive pressure chamber C2 may be formed in a volute shape (volume).

The impeller 85 may be rotated by a motor 87 to discharge the water in the housing 82 to the outside. The impeller 85 may be rotatably disposed in the plenum C2. The impeller 85 may transfer the washing water flowing from the negative pressure chamber C1 into the positive pressure chamber C2 through the communication hole 86 to the washing water outlet pipe 849.

The heater 81 may be coupled to a lower end of the housing 82 to form a bottom surface of the housing 82. The heater 81 may heat the washing water flowing inside the casing 82 as the impeller 85 rotates. When the impeller 85 is stopped, the heater 81 may generate steam by heating wash water in the casing 82.

The wash water inlet pipe 841 may be coupled to the negative pressure chamber C1 side of the casing 82. The washing water inlet pipe 841 may be coupled to the supply pipe 131, and the washing water of the sump 13 may flow into the negative pressure chamber C1. The wash water inlet pipe 841 may be provided to protrude outward from a lower sidewall of the housing 82. The wash water inlet pipe 841 may be arranged in such a manner that the pipe direction is horizontal, thereby flowing the wash water in a horizontal direction. A check valve 842 for opening and closing the wash water inlet line 841 may be provided in the wash water inlet line 841.

The wash water outlet pipe 849 may be coupled to the plenum C2 side of the housing 82. The wash water outlet pipe 849 may be coupled to the connection pipe 77 of the wash water supply unit 7 such that the wash water of the plenum C2 flows out to the connection pipe 77. The wash water outlet pipe 849 may be disposed to protrude outward from an upper sidewall of the housing 82. The wash water outlet pipe 849 may be arranged in such a manner that the pipe direction is horizontal, thereby flowing the wash water in a horizontal direction.

The steam discharge duct 845 may couple the housing 82 and the steam supply unit 6. The steam discharge pipe 845 may be preferably provided in the housing 82 or the washing water outlet pipe 849. The steam discharge duct 845 may supply the steam generated in the housing 82 by the heater 81 to the steam supply unit 6.

The direction change valve 83 may be disposed between the steam discharge pipe 845 and the steam supply unit 6. The direction change valve 83 may be opened and closed to allow the steam discharged from the steam discharge tube 845 to flow to the steam supply unit 6 and to prevent the washing water flowing into the steam discharge tube 845 from flowing out to the steam supply unit 6. When steam is introduced or when the direction change valve 83 is in a normal state (when wash water is not introduced), an internal flow path of the direction change valve 83 may be opened, and when wash water is introduced, the internal flow path may be closed. The inlet of the diverter valve 83 may be set lower than the outlet. At this time, the inlet may be a side to which steam or wash water is introduced, and the outlet may be a side to which steam is discharged. The direction valve 83 may be coupled to the steam discharge pipe 845 and the valve pipe 846. An inlet of the direction valve 83 may be coupled to the valve pipe 846, and the outlet may be coupled to the steam supply pipe 63 of the steam supply unit 6.

The direction change valve 83 may be disposed at an upper side of the steam discharging pipe 845. The direction valve 83 may be provided on the upper side of the motor 87. The direction change valve 83 may be provided at a lower side of the steam nozzle 61. The direction valve 83 may be provided at a lower side of the tub 11.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a direction change valve of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention, fig. 5a and 5b illustrate an example operation of the direction change valve of the dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention, fig. 6 is a perspective view of a valve seat of the direction change valve of the dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention, fig. 7 is a sectional view of the valve seat of the direction change valve of the dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 8 is a partial perspective view of the dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The direction valve 83 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a valve body 831 having a flow path formed therein, a valve seat 833 disposed at an outlet 8312 side of the valve body 831, and a valve ball 832 disposed inside the valve body 831 and contacting the valve seat 833 to close the flow path of the valve body 831.

In the present embodiment, the valve body 831 may be formed to have a tubular shape having a flow path formed therein. Both ends of the valve body 831 may be opened to form an inlet 8311 through which washing water or steam is introduced and an outlet 8312 through which steam is discharged. The valve body 831 may be provided in such a manner that the pipe direction C is inclined upward. That is, the inlet 8311 of the valve body 831 may be disposed lower than the outlet 8312.

The pipe direction C of the valve body 831 may have an angle i, which is an acute angle, with respect to the horizontal direction. The following experiment was performed with respect to the angle i of the pipe direction C of the valve body 831.

TABLE 1

As a result of this experiment, when the included angle is 0 degrees, that is, when the pipe direction C of the valve body 831 is horizontal, the inlet of the valve seat 833 may be closed by the valve ball 832 at the time of steaming, which is not desirable. In addition, when the angle i is 45 degrees or more, the RPM of the motor 87 should be too high in order to close the inlet of the valve seat 833 with the valve ball 832, which causes a waste of energy. In the case where the angle i ranges from 15 to 30 degrees, the steam start time, which is the time taken to inject steam into the tub 11 after the operation of the heater 81, is shortened.

Therefore, it is preferable that the angle i of the pipe direction C for the valve body 83115 range from 15 degrees to 30 degrees.

The inlet 8311 of the valve body 831 may be coupled to the valve pipe 846, and the outlet 8312 may be coupled to the steam supply pipe 63 of the steam supply unit 6. The valve seat 833 may be inserted and coupled to the outlet 8312 side of the valve body 831. The valve ball 832 may be received in the valve body 831.

A plurality of ribs 8313 in which the valve ball 832 is seated may be formed in the inlet side of the valve body 831. Each of the plurality of ribs 8313 may protrude from an inner surface of the valve body 831 in a radial direction. A longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of ribs 8313 may be disposed in a pipe direction of the valve body 831, and a height direction thereof may be disposed in a radial direction of the valve body 831. The plurality of ribs 8313 may be provided to be spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the valve body 831. At least one upper end of the plurality of valve ribs 8313 may contact the valve ball 832 when wash water does not flow into the interior of the valve body 831.

A valve coupling unit 8314 for coupling the valve body 831 to the water collection tank 13 may be formed in an outer surface of the valve body 831. Referring to fig. 8, the valve coupling unit 8314 may be coupled to the sump coupling unit 132 formed in the sump 13 by bolts (not shown). The direction change valve 83 may be provided on a side surface of the sump 13. The reversing valve 83 may be provided on the upper side of the pump 8. Preferably, the direction valve 83 is provided on the upper side of the main connection pipe 77. Preferably, the direction valve 83 is provided on the upper side of the supply pipe 131.

The valve seat 833 may be formed in a tubular shape, and may be inserted into the outlet 8312 of the valve body 831. The valve seat 833 may be formed of rubber or plastic of a flexible material. When wash water flows into the valve body 831, the lower end of the valve seat 833 can be brought into close contact with the valve ball 832. When wash water is introduced, the inlet of valve seat 833 may be closed by valve ball 832.

The valve ball 832 may be movably disposed within the valve body 831. The valve ball 832 is movable between the upper ends of the plurality of ribs 8313 and the inlet of the valve seat 833 in the valve body 831. The diameter D4 of the valve ball 832 may be smaller than the inner diameter D1 (inner diameter of the valve body 831) of a portion where the plurality of ribs 8313 and the valve seat 833 are not provided. The diameter D4 of the valve ball 832 may be greater than the inner diameter D2 of the valve seat 833. The diameter D4 of the valve ball 832 may be greater than the separation distance D3 of the plurality of ribs 8313. Here, the separation distance D3 of the plurality of ribs 8313 may be a diameter D3 of an imaginary circle connecting free ends of the plurality of ribs 8313.

Since the valve ball 832 is in contact with at least one of the plurality of valve ribs 8313 when steam is generated, the steam should be able to smoothly pass between the plurality of valve ribs 8313. In order to secure the sectional area of the steam flow path, it is preferable that the inner diameter D1 of the valve body 831 is sufficiently larger than the diameter D4 of the valve ball 832. In addition, it is preferable that the sectional area S3 based on the separation distance D3 of the plurality of ribs 8313 is smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the sectional area S4 based on the diameter D4 of the valve ball 832 from the sectional area S1 based on the inner diameter D1 of the valve body 831. That is, it is preferable that S3 < (S1-S4).

Referring to fig. 5a, when steam flows into the valve body 831, the valve ball 832 may contact the plurality of ribs 8313 or at least one of the plurality of ribs 8313 and the inner surface of the valve body 831 due to the weight of the valve ball 832 itself. The steam flowing into the valve body 831 may pass through spaces between the plurality of valve ribs 8313 and spaces between the valve ball 832 and the inner surface of the valve body 831, thereby discharging the steam from the valve body 831 to the steam supply pipe 63.

Referring to fig. 5b, when wash water flows into the valve body 831, the valve ball 832 may be brought into close contact with the inlet of the valve seat 833 by the flow pressure or buoyancy of the wash water. When wash water flows into the valve body 831, the valve ball 832 may close the inlet of the valve seat 833 and close the flow path of the valve body 831. The wash water flowing into the valve body 831 may not be discharged from the valve body 831 to the steam supply pipe 63.

Since the valve ball 832 should be seated in the plurality of valve ribs 8313 by its own weight and should be in close contact with the inlet of the valve seat 833 by the flow pressure and buoyancy of the washing water, it is preferable that the valve ball 832 is made of a metal material having a specific gravity of 1 or more. As shown in fig. 5b, when the valve ball 832 is in close contact with the inlet of the valve seat 833, since the washing water does not flow, the flow pressure of the washing water is not applied. Thus, the valve ball 832 can be released from the valve seat 833. Therefore, it is preferable that the valve ball 832 is made of a relatively light metal so as to be brought into close contact with the inlet of the valve seat 833 by buoyancy. In addition, since the washing water is high-temperature and contains a cleaning agent and various foreign substances, the valve ball 832 is required to have firmness, heat resistance, and chemical resistance. To satisfy the above conditions, the valve ball 832 is preferably made of alumina.

In order to prevent the valve ball 832 from being separated from the valve seat 833 because the flow pressure of the washing water is not applied when the valve ball 832 is brought into close contact with the inlet of the valve seat 833 as shown in fig. 5b, a slit 8331 may be formed in the inner circumferential surface of the valve seat 833 at the inlet side (the side in contact with the valve ball 832) in the longitudinal direction.

Referring to fig. 6 and 7, the slit 8331 may prevent the valve ball 832 from completely blocking the inlet side of the valve seat 833. A slit 8331 may be formed in the inner circumferential surface of the valve seat 833 in the longitudinal direction. It is not desirable that the slit 8331 is formed from the inlet side to the outlet side of the valve seat 833, but the slit 8331 may be formed not to exceed half the length of the valve seat 833 in the inlet side of the valve seat 833. A plurality of slits 8331 may be formed, and two slits 8331 are formed in the present embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a direction valve of a dishwasher according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The direction valve 83-1 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a valve body 831-1 formed in a substantially cubic shape, a tubular outflow unit 8312-1 protruding in a horizontal direction from an upper portion of one side surface of the valve body 831-1, and a tubular inflow unit 8311-1 protruding in a horizontal direction from a lower portion of the other side surface of the valve body 831-1. The inflow unit 8311-1 may receive wash water or steam, and the outflow unit 8312-1 may discharge steam. A valve ball 832-1 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be disposed inside the valve body 831-1. The diameter of the valve ball 832-1 may be greater than the inner diameter of the inlet 8311-1. A valve seat 833-1 according to another embodiment of the invention may be inserted and coupled to the outlet flow unit 8312-1.

The valve ball 832-1 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the valve body 831-1 when the steam flows into the valve body 831-1. When wash water flows into the valve body 831-1, the valve ball 832-1 may be in close contact with the inlet of the valve seat 833-1 due to flow pressure or buoyancy of the wash water.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a direction valve of a dishwasher according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The direction valve 83-2 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a valve body 831-2 formed in a substantially triangular prism shape having an inclined upper surface, a tubular outflow unit 8312-2 protruding in a horizontal direction from an upper portion of one side of the valve body 831-2, and a tubular inflow unit 8311-2 protruding in a horizontal direction from a lower portion of the other side of the valve body 831-2. The valve body 831-2 may be formed in the form of a triangular prism whose front and rear surfaces are substantially triangular. The inflow unit 8311-2 may receive wash water or steam, and the outflow unit 8312-2 may discharge steam. A valve ball 832-2 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be disposed inside the valve body 831-2. The diameter of the valve ball 832-2 may be greater than the inner diameter of the inflow unit 8311-2. A valve seat 833-2 according to another embodiment of the invention may be inserted and coupled to the outlet flow unit 8312-2. The outflow unit 8312-2 may be formed to have a diameter that becomes larger toward a side where the inlet side is coupled with the valve body 831-2. At least a portion of the valve ball 832-2 may be inserted into the inlet side of the outlet flow unit 8312-2.

The valve ball 832-2 may be disposed on a bottom surface of the valve body 831-2 when steam flows into the interior of the valve body 831-2. When wash water flows into the valve body 831-2, the valve ball 832-2 may be in close contact with the inlet of the valve seat 833-2 due to flow pressure or buoyancy of the wash water.

According to the pump and the dishwasher including the same of the present invention, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

First, a valve that allows steam to be discharged but prevents washing water from being discharged is applied to the steam discharge pipe, thereby preventing washing water from being discharged through the steam discharge pipe.

Second, the valve is operated by the flow pressure of the washing water, thereby realizing a simple structure and not requiring a separate control.

Third, the structure and arrangement of the valve is optimized so that the steam performance is not deteriorated.

Fourth, the sectional area of the vapor flow path inside the valve is secured, so that the vapor can smoothly pass through.

Fifth, it is possible to prevent the blockage of the washing water from being released due to the reduction of the flow pressure of the washing water due to the close contact between the valve ball and the valve seat inside the valve.

In the foregoing, although the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and variations thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention claimed in the appended claims.