Dishwasher with air system

• US 10,595,706 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Vallejo Noriega, Alvaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Pereiro, Jorge A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Logan P
• Application Number:
  US14/731,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20160022115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 34483, 34468, 34474, 34487, 34492, 34507, 34511
• 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 may include a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, an airflow conduit, and a blower assembly fluidly coupled to the airflow conduit. The blower assembly may include a first impeller effecting a flow of ambient air to the treating chamber and a second impeller effecting a flow of mixed air from the treating chamber exhausting the mixed air from the treating chamber. Additionally, at least one of the first and second impellers may effect a flow of ambient air that bypasses the tub and combines with the mixed air before being exhausted from the dishwasher.

Claims

1. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber receiving the dishes for treatment;

an airflow conduit having an inlet section fluidly coupling ambient air to the tub, an outlet section fluidly coupling the tub to the ambient air, and a bypass section fluidly coupling the inlet section to the outlet section and bypassing the tub;

a dual blower assembly fluidly coupled to the airflow conduit and comprising a first impeller and a second impeller, the first impeller partitioned from the second impeller, the first impeller effecting a flow of ambient air through the inlet section to the treating chamber, where the ambient air delivered to the treating chamber mixes with air in the treating chamber to form mixed air, the second impeller effecting a flow of the mixed air from the treating chamber through the outlet section and exhausting the mixed air through an exhaust outlet, and at least one of the first and second impellers effecting the flow of ambient air from the inlet section, through the bypass section, and to the outlet section; and

a condenser provided in the outlet section to receive the mixed air exhausting from the treating chamber and wherein the inlet section is further fluidly coupled with the condenser at a plurality of locations and configured to fluidly couple ambient air to the condenser;

wherein the bypass section is fluidly coupled with the outlet section at one of upstream of the condenser, downstream of the condenser, or at the condenser to mix ambient air with the mixed air exhausting from the treating chamber; and

wherein the inlet section is coupled with the tub and with the bypass section downstream of the first impeller such that a portion of the ambient air supplied to the inlet section by the first impeller is supplied to the tub and a portion of the ambient air supplied to the inlet section by the first impeller is supplied to the bypass section.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the blower assembly comprises a first motor operably coupled to the first impeller and a second motor operably coupled to the second impeller.

3. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the bypass section connects the inlet section downstream of the first impeller to the outlet section upstream of the second impeller.

4. The dishwasher of claim 3 wherein the bypass section connects to the outlet section adjacent a connection of the outlet section to the tub.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a liquid conduit fluidly coupled to the inlet section and to a supply of liquid providing liquid into the tub through the inlet section.

6. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a heater positioned in the inlet section upstream of the bypass section.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the tub includes an open face providing access to the treating chamber, the dishwasher further comprises a closure element selectively closing the open face, and the airflow conduit is located exterior of the closure element.

8. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein air pressure within the inlet section at a connection to the bypass section is higher than air pressure within the outlet section at a connection to the bypass section facilitating the flow of ambient air through the bypass section from the inlet section to the outlet section.

9. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the inlet section is coupled with the treating chamber at a tub inlet and the outlet section is coupled with the treating chamber at a tub outlet, and wherein the tub outlet is above the tub inlet.

10. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein the tub comprises a first and second side wall joined by a rear wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, and the tub inlet and the tub outlet are formed in one of the first or second side walls of the tub.

11. The dishwasher of claim 10 wherein front edges of the first and second side walls, the top wall, and the bottom wall form an open face providing access to the treating chamber, the dishwasher further comprises a closure element selectively closing the open face, and the outlet section terminates at another end at an exhaust outlet located below the closure element when the closure element closes the open face.

12. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the first impeller and the second impeller form opposite sides of the dual blower assembly and are operably coupled to a single motor.