Dish washer and method of controlling the same

Abstract

Disclosed are a dish washer and a method of controlling the same, in which the amount of water consumed is reduced and a washing time is maintained while assuring a washing performance. The dish washer includes a washing tub; dish baskets provided in the washing tub to accommodate dishes; and a plurality of nozzles to spray washing water to the dish baskets, where spray holes to spray the washing water are formed through each of the plurality of nozzles, and the spray holes formed through the plurality of nozzles have areas different from one another.

1 . A dish washer, comprising:
 a washing tub;   dish baskets provided in the washing tub to accommodate dishes; and   a plurality of nozzles spraying washing water to the dish baskets, each of the nozzles having spray holes spraying the washing water formed through each of the nozzles, the spray holes being sized differently from one another for each of the nozzles.   
     
     
         2 . The dish washer according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of nozzles includes upper and lower nozzles installed above and below the dish baskets and a middle nozzle installed between the dish baskets; and   the spray holes formed through the middle nozzle have an area larger than an area of the spray holes formed through the lower nozzle so that an amount of the washing water sprayed from the middle nozzle is larger than an amount of the washing water sprayed from the lower nozzle.   
     
     
         3 . The dish washer according to  claim 2 , wherein the middle nozzle has a first set of spray holes to spray the washing water upwardly from the middle nozzle and a second set of spray holes to spray the washing water downwardly from the middle nozzle formed there through. 
     
     
         4 . The dish washer according to  claim 2 , further comprising a control unit to control a flow of the washing water supplied to the upper, middle, and lower nozzles, the control unit setting an amount of the washing water in at least one mode out of a plurality of modes of washing the dishes with the washing water to be smaller than an amount of the washing water in other modes of the plurality of modes. 
     
     
         5 . The dish washer according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one mode is a preliminary washing mode or a preliminary rinsing mode. 
     
     
         6 . The dish washer according to  claim 5 , further comprising a circulation pump to circulate the washing water in the washing tub to guide the washing water to the upper, middle, and lower nozzles,
 wherein the control unit controls the upper and middle nozzles to spray the washing water by an operation of the circulation pump in the preliminary washing mode or the preliminary rinsing mode.   
     
     
         7 . A method of controlling a dish washer having a washing tub, dish baskets provided in the washing tub to accommodate dishes, a plurality of nozzles to spray washing water to the dish baskets, and a heater to heat the washing water, the method comprising:
 supplying an amount of the washing water in at least one mode out of a plurality of modes of washing the dishes with the washing water less than an amount of the washing water supplied in other modes of the plurality of modes.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one mode is a mode in which the heater is not operated. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the mode in which the heater is not operated is a preliminary washing mode or a preliminary rinsing mode. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the supply of the washing water is controlled such that a level of the washing water in the washing tub is sensed, and when the sensed level is less than a predetermined low water level during an operation of the heater, the washing water is supplied to the washing tub. 
     
     
         11 . The dish washer according to  claim 2 , wherein a nozzle area ratio of the middle nozzle to the lower nozzle is 1.5 to 1. 
     
     
         12 . A method of controlling a dish washer having upper, middle and lower nozzles and a heater, comprising:
 supplying washing water only through the upper and middle nozzles in a mode in which the heater is not operated, an amount of the water supplied through the middle nozzle being greater than an amount of the water supplied through the upper and lower nozzles.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the washing water is supplied through only the upper and middle nozzles in a preliminary washing mode or a preliminary rinsing mode, the preliminary washing mode and the preliminary rinsing modes being modes prior to a main washing mode and a main rinsing mode, respectively. 
     
     
         14 . A dishwasher, comprising:
 a plurality of nozzles including at least a middle nozzle, the middle nozzle being provided at a middle portion of the dishwasher, the middle nozzle having a water supplying capacity greater than that of a water supplying capacity of other nozzles of the plurality of nozzles.   
     
     
         15 . The dishwasher according to  claim 14 , wherein the middle nozzle has a plurality of spray holes formed there through having a larger area than an area of a plurality of spray holes formed through the other nozzles. 
     
     
         16 . The dishwasher according to  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of nozzles includes an upper nozzle provided at an upper portion of the dishwasher, the middle nozzle supplying the water only with the upper nozzle in a preliminary washing mode or a preliminary rinsing mode, the preliminary washing and rinsing modes being modes prior to a main washing mode and a main rinsing mode, respectively. 
     
     
         17 . A method of controlling a dishwasher having upper, middle and lower nozzles and a heater, the method comprising:
 supplying water through only the upper and middle nozzles in a preliminary washing mode or a preliminary rinsing mode, the preliminary washing and rinsing modes being modes prior to a main washing mode and a main rinsing mode, respectively; and   supplying water through all of the upper, middle and lower nozzles in the main washing mode and a main rinsing mode.