WASH PUMP IMPELLER FOR A DISHWASHING APPLIANCE AND A METHOD OF ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20190313878A1
• Filed: 04/16/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Dries, John Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/953,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20190313878A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/06 by means of an impeller in the chamber
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4225 Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/30 Regulation of machine operational steps within the washing process, e.g. performing an additional rinsing phase, shortening or stopping of the drying phase, washing at decreased noise operation conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/12 by photopolymerisation, e.g. stereolithography [SLA] or digital light processing [DLP]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/18 by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/36 of energy beam parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/41 characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/10 Sintering only
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 17/0081 Process control
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 : Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/2216 : Shape, geometry F04D29/2211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/2227 : for special materials
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/22 : by sintering
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/31 : Layer deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

A wash pump impeller for a dishwasher appliance and a method of forming the same using an additive manufacturing process are provided. The wash pump impeller includes a hub and a plurality of vanes integrally formed with the hub and extending at an extension angle of less than 60 degrees relative to a flow surface of the hub and the vanes may be curved in three dimensions. The wash pump impeller is formed by establishing a three-dimensional model of the wash pump impeller, converting that model into slices defining cross-sectional layers of the wash pump impeller, and successively forming those layers using an additive manufacturing process.

Claims

1. A dishwasher appliance comprising:

a wash tub defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing;

a sump for collecting wash fluid;

a wash pump impeller in fluid communication with the wash fluid in the sump and being configured for urging a flow of wash fluid into the wash chamber for cleaning articles, the wash pump impeller comprising;

a hub defining a flow surface, an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction;

a plurality of vanes integrally formed with the hub, the vanes extending from the hub at an extension angle relative to the flow surface of the hub, the extension angle being less than 60 degrees.

2. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, where the extension angle is less than 45 degrees.

3. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of vanes defines a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the extension angle is larger proximate the trailing edge.

4. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the vanes are curved within a radial plane defined perpendicular to the axial direction.

5. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the hub defines a hub projection area within a radial plane defined perpendicular to the axial direction, and wherein the vanes define a vane projection area within the radial plane, wherein the vane projection area covers greater than 30% of the hub projection area.

6. The dishwasher appliance of claim 5, wherein the vane projection area is greater than 50% of the hub projection area.

7. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the flow surface defines at least one convex portion, at least one concave portion, and at least one straight portion.

8. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the hub defines a hub diameter that is less than five inches.

9. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vanes comprise seven vanes.

10. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vanes and the hub are additively manufactured as a single monolithic component.

11. The dishwasher appliance of claim 10, wherein the additive manufacturing process comprises at least one of fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, stereolithography, and digital light processing.

12. The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the wash pump impeller comprises a plurality of layers formed by:

depositing a layer of additive material on a bed of an additive manufacturing machine; and

selectively directing energy from an energy source onto the layer of additive material to fuse a portion of the additive material.

13. A method for forming a wash pump impeller for a dishwasher appliance, the method comprising:

establishing three-dimensional information of the wash pump impeller;

converting the three-dimensional information of the wash pump impeller into a plurality of slices, each slice of the plurality of slices defining a respective cross-sectional layer of the wash pump impeller; and

successively forming each cross-sectional layer of the wash pump impeller with an additive manufacturing process.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the wash pump impeller comprises:

a hub defining a flow surface, an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction;

a plurality of vanes integrally formed with the hub, the vanes extending from the hub at an extension angle relative to the flow surface of the hub, the extension angle being less than 60 degrees.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of vanes defines a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the extension angle is larger proximate the trailing edge.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the hub defines a hub projection area within a radial plane defined perpendicular to the axial direction, and wherein the vanes define a vane projection area within the radial plane, wherein the vane projection area covers greater than 30% of the hub projection area.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the hub defines a hub diameter that is less than five inches and the plurality of vanes comprise seven vanes.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the additive manufacturing process comprises at least one of fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, stereolithography, and digital light processing.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the wash pump impeller is a single monolithic component after said step of successively forming.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the wash pump impeller is formed from a plastic material.