Filter assembly for a dishwasher

• US 10,058,227 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2018
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Delgado, Kristopher L., Fountain, Jordan R., Geda, Jacquelyn R., Rappette, Antony M., Welch, Rodney M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Mikhail
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coleman, Ryan L.
• Application Number:
  US15/909,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 180 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0039 Filter cleaning phases
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4206 Tubular filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4208 Arrangements to prevent clogging of the filters, e.g. self-cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4225 Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/08 Drain or recirculation pump parameters, e.g. pump rotational speed or current absorbed by the motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/14 Water pressure or flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/05 Drain or recirculation pump, e.g. regulation of the pump rotational speed or flow direction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/36 Other output

Abstract

A dishwasher with a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, a liquid spraying system, a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path, and a liquid filtering system. The liquid filtering system includes a rotatable filter disposed in the recirculation flow path to filter the liquid and a diverter overlying and spaced from at least a portion of the upstream surface to form a gap there between.

Claims

1. A dishwasher, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber;

a liquid spraying system configured to supply a spray of liquid to the treating chamber during a cycle of operation;

a liquid recirculation system fluidly coupling the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system and configured to define a recirculation flow path for recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system; and

a liquid filtering system fluidly coupled to the recirculation flow path, the liquid filtering system comprising;

a housing defining a filter chamber and having a housing inlet fluidly coupled to the recirculation flow path and an outlet fluidly coupled to the recirculation flow path;

a rotatable filter having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the rotatable filter located within the housing such that the sprayed liquid passes through the rotatable filter from the upstream surface to the downstream surface to effect a filtering of the sprayed liquid and the rotatable filter divides the filter chamber into a first part that contains filtered soil particles and a second part that excludes filtered soil particles; and

a diverter located in the filter chamber and overlying and spaced from at least a portion of the upstream surface to form a gap there between during rotation of the filter;

wherein during rotating of the rotatable filter an angular velocity of fluid advanced through the gap is increased relative to the angular velocity of the fluid prior to entering the gap and liquid passing between the diverter and the rotatable filter applies a greater shear force on the upstream surface than liquid in an absence of the diverter and wherein the diverter has a deflectable portion that is configured to deflect to permit a passing of objects having a dimension larger than the gap between the diverter and the rotatable filter.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the deflectable portion comprises bristles.

3. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the deflectable portion comprises an elastomeric portion.

4. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the diverter comprises a non-deflectable portion.

5. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein the diverter comprises multiple non-deflectable portions and multiple deflectable portions.

6. The dishwasher of claim 5 wherein the diverter comprises alternating non-deflectable portions and deflectable portions.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the diverter comprises multiple deflectable portions.

8. The dishwasher of claim 7 wherein the diverter comprises multiple slits separating the multiple deflectable portions.

9. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the liquid filtering system further comprises a mechanical scraper that physically contacts at least a portion of the upstream surface to remove soils therefrom.

10. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising an impeller rotatably mounted within the filter chamber and expelling liquid from the filter chamber through the outlet, the impeller operably coupled to the rotatable filter for co-rotation.

11. A dishwasher comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber;

a liquid spraying system supplying a spray of liquid to the treating chamber;

a liquid recirculation system fluidly coupling the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system and defining a recirculation flow path for recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system; and

a liquid filtering system fluidly coupled to the recirculation flow path and comprising;

a housing defining a filter chamber and having a housing inlet fluidly coupled to the recirculation flow path and an outlet fluidly coupled to the recirculation flow path;

a rotatable filter having an upstream surface and a downstream surface and located within the housing such that the sprayed liquid passes through the rotatable filter from the upstream surface to downstream surface to effect a filtering of the sprayed liquid and the rotatable filter divides the filter chamber into a first part that contains filtered soil particles and a second part that excludes filtered soil particles;

a diverter located in the filter chamber and overlying and spaced from at least a portion of the upstream surface to form a gap there between during rotation of the filter; and

a mechanical scraper physically contacting at least a portion of the upstream surface during rotation of the filter;

wherein the diverter and mechanical scraper are portions of a singular body that extends along a length of the rotatable filter, wherein an axial mover is configured to move the singular body over a length of the filter such that different portions of the upstream surface are scraped by the scraper during rotation of the filter and such that different portions of the upstream surface are adjacent to the gap during rotation of the filter; and

wherein during rotation of the rotatable filter an angular velocity of fluid advanced through the gap is increased relative to the angular velocity of the fluid prior to entering the gap and liquid passing between the diverter and the rotatable filter applies a greater shear force on the upstream surface than liquid in an absence of the diverter to remove soils by fluidic scraping and the mechanical scraper removes soils from the upstream surface through mechanical action.

12. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein there are multiple diverters and mechanical scrapers spaced about the rotatable filter.

13. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the singular body includes multiple diverters and multiple mechanical scrapers.

14. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein each of the multiple diverters and multiple mechanical scrapers are alternately located along a length of the singular body.

15. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the singular body is moveably mounted on a pin such that the singular body may axially move along at least a portion of the pin.

16. The dishwasher of claim 15, wherein the axial mover is operably coupled with the singular body and is configured to move the singular body axially along the at least a portion of the pin.

17. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the singular body is mounted on a pin and the pin and singular body may be axially moved along at least a portion of the rotatable filter.

18. The dishwasher of claim 17, wherein the axial mover is operably coupled with at least one of the singular body and the pin and is configured to move the singular body axially along the at least a portion of the rotatable filter.

19. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the mechanical scraper includes at least one of a single blade, multiple blades, and brushes.