Dishwasher

• US 10,136,793 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Delellis, Thomas M., Feddema, Mark S., Vallejo Noriega, Alvaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, LOGAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/804,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20160022116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 34218, 34449, 34467, 34468, 34469, 34470
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/483 by using condensers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/486 Blower arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/488 Connections of the tub with the ambient air, e.g. air intake or venting arrangements

Abstract

A dishwasher includes a tub having an air outlet, an airflow conduit fluidly coupling the tub air outlet to ambient air, a blower assembly forcing air to flow from the tub and through the tub air outlet into the airflow conduit, a first reservoir associated with the airflow conduit and collecting liquid condensed from the air forced through the airflow conduit, the first reservoir fluidly coupled to the tub for draining the collected liquid into the tub, and a second reservoir associated with the airflow conduit downstream of the first reservoir and collecting liquid condensed from the air prior to the exhaustion of the air to the ambient air, wherein any liquid not collected by the first reservoir is collected by the second reservoir for evaporation.

Claims

1. A dishwasher comprising:

a tub having an open face and at least partially defining a treating chamber receiving dishes for treatment and having a tub air outlet located in an upper portion of the tub and a tub air inlet located in a lower portion of the tub;

a door assembly moveable between an opened position and a closed position where the door assembly closes the open face;

an airflow conduit extending along a portion of the tub and fluidly coupling the tub air outlet to ambient air;

a blower assembly forcing air to flow from the tub and through the tub air outlet into the airflow conduit;

a first reservoir associated with the airflow conduit and located vertically between the tub air outlet and tub air inlet, the first reservoir collecting liquid condensed from the air forced through the airflow conduit, the first reservoir having a liquid outlet at a nadir of the first reservoir and wherein the liquid outlet is fluidly coupled to an opening the tub via a liquid conduit for draining the collected liquid into the tub and wherein the opening in the tub comprises a water inlet for the tub, wherein the water inlet receives water from a household water supply; and

a second reservoir associated with the airflow conduit downstream of the first reservoir and collecting liquid condensed from the air prior to exhaustion of the air to the ambient air;

wherein any liquid not collected by the first reservoir is collected by the second reservoir for evaporation.

2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the first reservoir is located above the second reservoir.

3. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the airflow conduit comprises a dogleg, and the first reservoir lies upstream of the dogleg and the second reservoir lies downstream of the dogleg.

4. The dishwasher according to claim 3, wherein the first reservoir is defined by a portion of the airflow conduit upstream of the dogleg.

5. The dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the first reservoir is above the water inlet.

6. The dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the tub air outlet is above the water inlet.

7. The dishwasher according to claim 6 wherein the tub comprises a pair of side walls joined by a rear wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, and the tub air outlet and the water inlet are formed in one wall of the pair of side walls.

8. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the blower assembly comprises at least one impeller operably coupled to a motor, the at least one impeller effecting a flow of ambient air into the airflow conduit.

9. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the second reservoir is formed by a portion of the blower assembly.

10. A dishwasher comprising:

a tub having an open face and at least partially defining a treating chamber receiving dishes for treatment and having a tub air outlet located in an upper portion of the tub and a tub air inlet located in a lower portion of the tub;

a door assembly moveable between an opened position and a closed position where the door assembly closes the open face;

an airflow conduit extending along a portion of the tub and having an inlet section fluidly coupling ambient air to the tub air inlet and an outlet section fluidly coupling the tub air outlet to the ambient air, wherein the first and second reservoirs are;

a blower assembly forcing air to flow from the tub and through the tub air outlet into the airflow conduit;

a first reservoir provided in the outlet section of the airflow conduit and located vertically between the tub air outlet and tub air inlet, the first reservoir collecting liquid condensed from the air forced through the airflow conduit, the first reservoir having a liquid outlet fluidly coupled to the tub via a liquid conduit for draining the collected liquid into the tub; and

a second reservoir provided in the outlet section of the airflow conduit downstream of the first reservoir and collecting liquid condensed from the air prior to exhaustion of the air to the ambient air;

wherein any liquid not collected by the first reservoir is collected by the second reservoir for evaporation, wherein the tub air inlet further receives water from a household water supply, and wherein the first reservoir drains into the tub through the tub air inlet.

11. The dishwasher according to claim 10, wherein the liquid outlet is at a nadir of the first reservoir.

12. The dishwasher according to claim 11 wherein the liquid conduit couples the liquid outlet to an opening in the tub.

13. The dishwasher according to claim 10, wherein the first reservoir is fluidly coupled to the inlet section of the airflow conduit for draining the collected liquid into the tub.

14. The dishwasher according to claim 10 wherein the first reservoir is located above the second reservoir.

15. The dishwasher according to claim 10 wherein the airflow conduit comprises a dogleg, and the first reservoir lies upstream of the dogleg and the second reservoir lies downstream of the dogleg.

16. The dishwasher according to claim 15 wherein the first reservoir is defined by a portion of the airflow conduit upstream of the dogleg.

17. The dishwasher according to claim 10 wherein the second reservoir is formed by a portion of the blower assembly.