US-12622565-B2 - Food waste disposer

US12622565B2US 12622565 B2US12622565 B2US 12622565B2US-12622565-B2

Abstract

A food waste disposer includes a transfer pipe connectable to a dishwasher to transfer washing water containing food waste from the dishwasher, a pump to be installed to the transfer pipe to provide power to transfer the washing water through the transfer pipe, a separation device connectable to the transfer pipe to separate the food waste from the washing water transferred from the transfer pipe, and a storage container detachably coupled to the separation device to receive the separated food waste from the separation device and to dispose the received separated food waste.

Inventors

Yongjun HWANG
Keonpyo KOO
Kyoungmok Kim
Jiho SEO

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220729
Priority Date: 20210930

Claims (14)

1 . A food waste disposer comprising: a transfer pipe connectable to a tub of a dishwasher to transfer washing water containing food waste discharged from the tub of the dishwasher therethrough; a separation device connectable to the transfer pipe to separate the food waste from the washing water transferred from the transfer pipe; a storage container detachably coupled to the separation device to receive the separated food waste from the separation device and to dispose the received separated food waste; a pump to be installed to the transfer pipe to pump the washing water and the food waste to be transferred to the separation device which is located higher than the pump; a sensor mounted to an end of the transfer pipe connected to the tub; a controller configured to control the pump to be operated in response to detecting washing water by the sensor; and a circulation pipe respectively connectable to the separation device and a sump of the dishwasher to transfer the washing water separated from the food waste by the separation device to the sump therethrough, wherein in response to turning on a circulation mode in the dishwasher, the washing water separated from the food waste is circulated by being introduced into the sump of the dishwasher from the separation device through the circulation pipe, and then being re-introduced into the tub of the dishwasher by a circulation pump of the dishwasher which is connected to the sump.
2 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , wherein in response to turning off the circulation mode of the dishwasher, the washing water introduced into the sump is discharged to a drain member of the dishwasher which is connected to the sump.
3 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , wherein the separation device comprises: a housing; a conveyor screw rotatably installed inside the housing to transfer the separated food waste to the storage container; and a filter arranged between the housing and the conveyor screw to separate water from the food waste and filter the separated water.
4 . The food waste disposer of claim 3 , wherein the housing comprises: a housing body; and a discharge nozzle arranged above the storage container, and having an outlet to discharge the separated food waste to the storage container.
5 . The food waste disposer of claim 4 , wherein the housing body comprises: an inlet extending in a first direction with respect to the housing body and connectable to the transfer pipe to introduce the transferred washing water; and a liquid discharge tube extending in a second direction which is an opposite direction of the first direction to discharge the water separated by the filter.
6 . The food waste disposer of claim 5 , wherein the outlet of the discharge nozzle is formed in a rotation axis direction of the conveyor screw and the liquid discharge tube is formed in a radial direction of the conveyor screw.
7 . The food waste disposer of claim 4 , wherein the discharge nozzle comprises: a body coupler coupled to the housing body; and a nozzle comprising a cross section gradually reduced from the body coupler toward the outlet.
8 . The food waste disposer of claim 3 , wherein the separation device further comprises a motor configured to supply power to the conveyor screw to rotate the conveyor screw.
9 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , wherein the storage container comprises: an outer housing; and a grinding device detachably installed from an inside of the outer housing to an outside of the outer housing and configured to grind the food waste discharged from the separation device.
10 . The food waste disposer of claim 9 , wherein the separation device is biasedly mounted to one side of the storage container not to interfere with the grinding device when the grinding device is separating from the outer housing.
11 . The food waste disposer of claim 9 , wherein the storage container further comprises a deodorizer arranged on one side of the grinding device to suck odors generated by the grinding device and to discharge the odors to the outside.
12 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , wherein the transfer pipe is connected to a drain pipe of a sink to directly transfer the food waste and water from the sink.
13 . A food waste disposer comprising: a transfer pipe connectable to both a drain pipe of a sink and a tub of a dishwasher respectively to transfer washing water including food waste discharged from the sink and to transfer washing water including food waste discharged from the dishwasher therethrough; a separation device connectable to the transfer pipe to separate the food waste from the washing water transferred from the transfer pipe; a storage container to which the separation device is coupled to one side thereof, the storage container including a grinding device configured to grind the separated food waste discharged from the separation device; a pump mountable to the transfer pipe to pump the washing water from the drain pipe of the sink and the washing water from the tub of the dishwasher to be transferred to the separation device which is located higher than the pump; a sensor mounted to an end of the transfer pipe connected to the tub; a controller configured to control the pump to be operated in response to detecting washing water by the sensor; and a circulation pipe respectively connectable to the separation device and a sump of the dishwasher to transfer the washing water separated from the food waste by the separation device to the sump therethrough, wherein in response to turning on a circulation mode in the dishwasher, the washing water separated from the food waste is circulated by being introduced into the sump of the dishwasher from the separation device through the circulation pipe, and then being re-introduced into the tub of the dishwasher by a circulation pump of the dishwasher which is connected to the sump.
14 . The food waste disposer of claim 13 , wherein the storage container further includes an outer housing, and the separation device is placed inside the outer housing and detachably coupled to the outer housing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a), of international application No. PCT/KR2022/010209, filed on Jul. 13, 2022, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0130417, filed on Sep. 30, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to a food waste disposer, and more particularly to a food waste disposer including an improved structure. 2. Description of Related Art Generally, a food waste disposer is a device for disposing of food waste by grinding the food waste. The operations of the food waste disposer may be classified into a method in which food waste mixed with water is grinded and then discharged with water to a drain pipe, or a method in which food waste is dried, stirred, grinded and then discharged. Particularly, the food waste disposer that drying and disposing of food waste includes a grinding device for stirring and grinding food waste, and a heat generating device for applying heat to the grinding device so as to dry the food waste in the grinding device. The grinding device includes a grinding case corresponding to a container in which the food waste is stored, and a grinder rotatable inside the grinding case. As for the food waste disposer that grinds food waste and discharges the grinded food waste together with water, food waste may block a drain pipe, causing water to flow back or food waste remaining in the drain pipe may cause a bad odor. In addition, as for the food waste disposer that is installed in a separate space to dry, stir, grind and then discharge the food waste, there may be inconvenience in that a user has to directly move the food waste mixed with water to the food waste disposer. SUMMARY Therefore, it is an aspect of the disclosure to provide a food waste disposer capable of disposing of food waste mixed with water without separate manual transport. It is another aspect of the disclosure to provide a food waste disposer capable of separating water and food waste by being connected to a dishwasher, and capable of re-circulating the separated water to the dishwasher. It is another aspect of the disclosure to provide a food waste disposer capable of automatically separating water and food waste by being connected to a sink and a dishwasher, and capable of disposing of the separated food waste. Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a food waste disposer includes a transfer pipe connectable to a dishwasher to transfer washing water containing food waste from the dishwasher therethrough, a pump to be installed to the transfer pipe to provide power to transfer the washing water through the transfer pipe, a separation device connectable to the transfer pipe so as to separate the food waste from the washing water transferred from the transfer pipe, and a storage container detachably coupled to the separation device to receive the separated food waste from the separation device and to dispose the received separated food waste. The food waste disposer may further include a circulation pipe connectable to the separation device and a sump of the dishwasher to transfer the washing water separated from the food waste by the separation device to the sump therethrough. The transfer pipe may be connectable to a tub of the dishwasher to transfer the washing water from the tub to the separation device. In response to turning on a circulation mode in the dishwasher, the washing water separated from the food waste may be circulated by being introduced into the sump of the dishwasher from the separation device through the circulation pipe, and then being re-introduced into the tub of the dishwasher by a circulation pump of the dishwasher which is connected to the sump. In response to turning off the circulation mode of the dishwasher, the washing water introduced into the sump may be discharged to a drain member of the dishwasher which is connected to the sump. The separation device may include a housing, a conveyor screw rotatably installed inside the housing to transfer the separated food waste to the storage container, and a filter arranged between the housing and the conveyor screw to separate water from the food waste and filter the separated water. The housing may include a housing body, and a discharge nozzle arranged above the storage container, and having an outlet to discharge the separated food waste from the storage container. The housing body may include an inlet extending in a first direction with respect to the housing body and connectable to the transfer pipe to introduce the transferred washing water, and a liquid discharge tube extending in a second direction