Water recirculator in dishwasher

• US 20050263174A1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeon, Si Moon, Han, Dae Yeong, Yoon, Sang Heon, Park, Nung Seo
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/104.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4202 Water filter means or strainers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4219 Water recirculation A47L15/0078 takes precedence

Abstract

A water recirculator in a dishwasher supplies water to spray arms for washing dishes and also purifies contaminated water after washing the dishes. The water recirculator includes a sump for holding water, a water supply pump connected to the sump, a guide passage for guiding a portion of the water pumped by the water supply pump to a spray arm in a washing chamber, a pre-filtering unit for purifying a rest of the water pumped by the water pumped by the water supply pump by means of precipitating contaminants included in the water therein, and a main filtering unit for purifying the rest of the water passed through the pre-filtering unit.

Claims

1. A water recirculator in a dishwasher, comprising:

a sump for holding water;

a water supply pump connected to the sump and pumping the water;

a guide passage for guiding a portion of the pumped water to a spray am in a washing chamber;

a pre-filtering unit for precipitating contaminants contained in the water to purify a rest of the pumped water; and

a main filtering unit for purifying the rest of the water passed through the pre-filtering unit.

2. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main filtering unit comprises:

a reservoir for holding the rest of the water passed through the pre-filtering unit; and

a main filter provided above the reservoir, for purifying the water which overflows from the reservoir and returns to the sump.

3. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-filtering unit comprises:

a bypass for guiding the rest of the water pumped by the water supply pump to the main filtering unit; and

a precipitate vessel provided at a middle of the bypass, and having a spacious inner space for precipitating contaminants included in the water therein.

4. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the precipitate vessel comprises a drain pump provided at a middle of the bypass, and connected to the sump, for being capable of draining the water in the sump.

5. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the precipitate vessel is disposed below the main filtering unit.

6. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pre-filtering unit further comprises a supplementary filter provided in the precipitate vessel, for purifying the water which moves to the main filtering unit from the precipitate vessel.

7. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a supplementary bypass being capable of making the sump to be communicated with the pre-filtering unit when a water pressure in the main filtering unit is higher than a predetermined water pressure.

8. A water recirculator in a dishwasher, comprising:

a sump for holding water;

a water supply pump connected to the sump and pumping the water;

a housing including a guide passage for guiding a portion of the pumped water to a spray arm in a washing chamber, and a reservoir provided at the same height as the guide passage, for holding the water;

a bypass for guiding a rest of the pumped water to the reservoir;

a drain pump provided at a middle of the bypass for purifying the water which moves to the reservoir from the guide passage, and connected to the sump for being capable of draining the water in the sump; and

a cover provided on the housing, and including a main filter for purifying the water which overflows from the reservoir and returns to the sump.

9. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the drain pump precipitates contaminants included in the water therein to purify the rest of the pumped water.

10. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a supplementary bypass being communicated with the bypass and the sump, for being capable of making the sump to be communicated with the bypass when water pressure in the reservoir is higher than a predetermined water pressure.

11. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a supplementary filter provided in the drain pump for purifying the water which is pumped by the water supply pump and moves to the reservoir.

12. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 11, wherein the supplementary filter is coarser than the main filter.

13. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cover further comprises at least one hole for guiding the water, which is passed through the main filter or which is fallen from the washing chamber, to the sump.

14. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cover covers the reservoir and the guide passage.

15. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the drain pump is disposed below the housing.

16. A water recirculator in a dishwasher, comprising:

a sump for holding water;

a water supply pump connected to the sump and pumping the water;

a housing including a guide passage for guiding a portion of the pumped water to a spray arm in a washing chamber, and a reservoir provided above the guide passage for holding water;

a bypass for guiding a rest of the pumped water to the reservoir;

a drain pump provided at a middle of the bypass for purifying water which moves to the reservoir, and connected to the sump for being capable of draining the water in the sump; and

a cover provided on the reservoir and covering the reservoir, the cover including a main filter for purifying the water which overflows from the reservoir and returns to the sump.

17. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 16, wherein the drain pump precipitates contaminants included in the water therein to purify the rest of the pumped water.

18. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a supplementary bypass being communicated with the bypass and the sump for being capable of making the bypass to be communicated with the sump when water pressure in the reservoir is higher than a predetermined water pressure.

19. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a supplementary filter provided in the drain pump for purifying the water which is pumped by the water supply pump and moves to the reservoir.

20. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 19, wherein the supplementary filter is coarser than the main filter.

21. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cover further comprises at least one hole for guiding the water, which is passed through the main filter or which is fallen from the washing chamber, to the sump.

22. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 16, wherein the drain pump is disposed below the housing.

23. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 16, wherein the guide passage is covered by a lower portion of the reservoir.

24. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 16, wherein the reservoir has a looped curved shape when the reservoir is seen from a top thereof.

25. The water recirculator as claimed in claim 16, wherein the guide passage passes through a part of the reservoir so as to be communicated with the spray arm.