Dishwasher

Abstract

A dishwasher is proposed. The dishwasher includes a case accommodating a cleaning target, a sump connected to an interior of the case to collect wash water, a wash pump into which the wash water collected in the sump flows and which generates steam, a steam nozzle spraying the steam, generated in the wash pump, into the case, and a steam valve disposed on a steam path connecting an outlet of the wash pump and the steam nozzle and including an actuator and a valve cap driven by the actuator to open or close the steam path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dishwasher, comprising:
 a case accommodating a cleaning target;   a sump connected to an interior of the case to store wash water;   a wash pump into which the wash water stored in the sump flows, and generating steam;   a steam nozzle spraying the steam, generated in the wash pump, into the case; and   a steam valve configured such that a valve cap is driven by an actuator, and opening or closing a steam path which connects the wash pump and the steam nozzle.   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the valve cap is stretched and shrunk in the steam path by the actuator to open or close the steam path, and seals the actuator. 
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher of  claim 2 , wherein the steam valve comprises a valve chamber, a valve-chamber inlet communicating with the wash pump to introduce steam and a valve-chamber outlet communicating with the steam nozzle to discharge the steam being formed in the valve chamber, and
 the valve cap is accommodated in the valve chamber to open or close the valve-chamber inlet.   
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher of  claim 3 , wherein the valve cap is disposed to be opposite to the valve-chamber inlet, and is linearly stretched and shrunk by the actuator to open or close the valve-chamber inlet. 
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher of  claim 4 , wherein the valve chamber is opened at a side surface opposite to the valve-chamber inlet, so that the valve cap is inserted into and coupled to the valve chamber, and
 the valve cap comprises at least one gasket on a coupling part coupled to the valve chamber.   
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher of  claim 5 , wherein the valve cap is made of an elastic material, with at least one gasket being formed on the coupling part coupled to the valve chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher of  claim 4 , wherein the valve chamber comprises a protrusion which extends from a surface having the valve-chamber inlet to an inside of the valve chamber by a predetermined length, with the valve-chamber inlet being formed on the protrusion. 
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher of  claim 2 , wherein the steam valve comprises a roof member comprising a coupling part which has a hole at a side thereof to be coupled to a head of the actuator, and a roof which surrounds an upper portion of the actuator, and the valve cap is coupled to the coupling part of the roof member coupled to the head of the actuator. 
     
     
         9 . The dishwasher of  claim 8 , wherein the valve cap is provided to be integrated with the roof member. 
     
     
         10 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the steam valve is disposed on a base in the case on which the sump and the wash pump are disposed. 
     
     
         11 . The dishwasher of  claim 10 , wherein the steam valve is disposed on the base such that a path length between the steam valve and the steam nozzle is longer than a path length between the steam valve and the wash pump.