Soil chopping system for a dishwasher

• US 10,058,228 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Jozwiak, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graf, Irina
• Application Number:
  US15/089,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20160213220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/22 Rotary spraying devices
• 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 15/4219 Water recirculation A47L15/0078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4227 with macerator arrangements for chopping entrained food particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/067 Construction of the filtering drums, e.g. mounting or sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/073 arranged for inward flow filtration

Abstract

A dishwasher with 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 defining a recirculation flow path, and a liquid filtering system having a rotating filter. A chopping system is included to macerate foreign objects within the recirculation flow path and includes a blade mounted to the rotating filter.

Claims

1. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation, 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 including a recirculation pump having an impeller and recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system to define a recirculation flow path;

a liquid filtering system, comprising;

a housing defining a filter chamber that extends a length of the housing;

a hollow rotating filter, with the hollow rotating filter having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a hollow interior and where the hollow rotating filter is located within the housing such that the sprayed liquid within the housing passes through the hollow rotating filter from the outer surface into the hollow interior to effect a filtering of the sprayed liquid and where the hollow rotating filter fluidly divides the filter chamber into a first part that contains filtered soil particles and a second part within the hollow interior that excludes the filtered soil particles; and

a soil chopping system comprising at least one blade mounted to the outer surface of the hollow rotating filter for co-rotation therewith, the at least one blade extending from the outer surface and defining a blade path upon rotation of the hollow rotating filter that is about the outer surface.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the housing is remote from the tub such that the hollow rotating filter is inaccessible to a user.

3. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the hollow rotating filter includes at least one non-perforated portion and the at least one blade is mounted to the non-perforated portion.

4. The dishwasher of claim 3 wherein the non-perforated portion extends along the hollow rotating filter and forms a strengthening rib.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the hollow rotating filter is operably coupled to the impeller such that rotation of the impeller effects the rotation of the hollow rotating filter.

6. The dishwasher of claim 5, further comprising a first artificial boundary in the form of a shroud spaced from the outer surface of the hollow rotating filter such that liquid passing between the first artificial boundary and the outer surface applies a greater shear force on the outer surface than liquid in an absence of the first artificial boundary and wherein no portion of the first artificial boundary lies within the blade path.

7. The dishwasher of claim 6, further comprising a second artificial boundary spaced from the inner surface of the hollow rotating filter such that liquid passing between the second artificial boundary and the inner surface applies a greater shear force on the inner surface than liquid in an absence of the second artificial boundary.

8. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one blade has a leading edge that is tangential to the outer surface of the hollow rotating filter.

9. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one blade includes multiple blades.

10. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein the multiple blades form a single blade path.

11. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation, 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 recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system to define a recirculation flow path; and

a liquid filtering system comprising;

a housing defining a filter chamber that extends a length of the housing;

a hollow rotating filter having a filter sheet with an outer surface and an inner surface defining a hollow interior and located within the housing such that the sprayed liquid in the housing passes through the hollow rotating filter from the outer surface into the hollow interior to effect a filtering of the sprayed liquid such that the hollow rotating filter fluidly divides the filter chamber into a first part that contains filtered soil particles and a second part within the hollow interior that excludes the filtered soil particles; and

a first artificial boundary spaced from at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface such that liquid passing between the first artificial boundary and the at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface applies a greater shear force on the at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface that liquid in an absence of the first artificial boundary; and

a soil chopping system comprising at least one blade mounted to the outer surface of the hollow rotating filter for co-rotation therewith, the at least one blade extending from the outer surface and defining a blade path upon rotation of the hollow rotating filter that is about the outer surface of the hollow rotating filter.

12. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the hollow rotating filter is operably coupled to a pump impeller such that rotation of the impeller effects the rotation of the hollow rotating filter.

13. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the first artificial boundary is spaced from the outer surface and no portion of the first artificial boundary lies within the blade path.

14. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the first artificial boundary is a shroud defining a shroud interior within which the hollow rotating filter is located and where the shroud comprises a slot through at least a portion of the shroud so that no portion of the first artificial boundary lies within the blade path.

15. The dishwasher of claim 14, further comprising a second artificial boundary located adjacent a portion of the inner surface such that liquid passing between the second artificial boundary and the inner surface applies a greater shear force on the inner surface than liquid in an absence of the second artificial boundary.

16. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the at least one blade includes multiple blades.

17. The dishwasher of claim 16 where the multiple blades form at least two separate blade paths.

18. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the housing is remote from the tub such that the hollow rotating filter is inaccessible to a user.

19. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation, 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 recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system to define a recirculation flow path; and

a liquid filtering system comprising;

a hollow rotating filter having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a hollow interior and where the sprayed liquid passes through the hollow rotating filter from the outer surface into the hollow interior to effect a filtering of the sprayed liquid such that the hollow rotating filter fluidly divides the sprayed liquid into a first part that contains filtered soil particles and a second part within the hollow interior that excludes the filtered soil particles;

a first artificial boundary spaced from the outer surface such that liquid passing between the first artificial boundary and the outer surface applies a greater shear force on the outer surface than liquid in an absence of the first artificial boundary;

a second artificial boundary spaced from the inner surface such that liquid passing between the second artificial boundary and the inner surface applies a greater shear force on the inner surface than liquid in an absence of the second artificial boundary; and

a soil chopping system comprising at least one blade mounted to the hollow rotating filter for co-rotation therewith, the at least one blade extending radially from the hollow rotating filter and defining a blade path upon rotation of the hollow rotating filter that is about the hollow rotating filter.

20. The dishwasher of claim 19 wherein the at least one blade includes multiple blades and the multiple blades form at least two separate blade paths.