Water injector system and method for using same
First Claim
1. A water injector for interconnecting a water inlet hose to a fill opening in a wall of a dishwasher tub, said wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface;
- said water injector comprising;
an elongated hollow body member having first and second ends and forming an elongated chamber therein, said body member having a water ingress opening and a water egress opening adjacent said first and second ends respectively, and providing communication from outside said body member to said elongated chamber;
coupling means integral with said body member adjacent said egress opening for coupling said body member to said exterior surface of said tub wall with said egress opening in fluid communication with said fill opening in said tub wall;
conduit means having a hinged portion integrally formed with said body member and being sized to be connected to said water inlet hose, said conduit means being movable about said hinged portion into communication with said ingress opening of said body member for conducting water from said water inlet hose into said elongated chamber of said body member.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A water injector system is provided for inter-connecting a water hose to a fill opening in the wall of a dishwasher tub. The injector includes an elongated body having a water ingress opening at the upper end and a water egress opening at the bottom end. A coupler having a plurality of lugs is provided at the lower end of the body and is adapted to cooperate with notches surrounding the fill opening of the dishwasher tub for connecting the injector to the tub and for holding the egress opening in communication with the fill opening of the tub. A ferrule is integrally provided on the upper end of the body for connection to a water hose to provide fluid communication from the hose through the injector into the fill opening of the water tub.
31 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A water injector for interconnecting a water inlet hose to a fill opening in a wall of a dishwasher tub, said wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface;
- said water injector comprising;
an elongated hollow body member having first and second ends and forming an elongated chamber therein, said body member having a water ingress opening and a water egress opening adjacent said first and second ends respectively, and providing communication from outside said body member to said elongated chamber; coupling means integral with said body member adjacent said egress opening for coupling said body member to said exterior surface of said tub wall with said egress opening in fluid communication with said fill opening in said tub wall; conduit means having a hinged portion integrally formed with said body member and being sized to be connected to said water inlet hose, said conduit means being movable about said hinged portion into communication with said ingress opening of said body member for conducting water from said water inlet hose into said elongated chamber of said body member. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- said water injector comprising;
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2. A water injector for interconnecting a water inlet hose to a fill opening in a wall of a dishwasher tub, said wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface;
- said water injector comprising;
an elongated hollow body member having first and second ends and forming an elongated chamber therein, said body member having a water ingress opening and a water egress opening adjacent said first and second ends respectively, and providing communication from outside said body member to said elongated chamber; coupling means integral with said body member adjacent said egress opening for coupling said body member to said exterior surface of said tub wall with said egress opening in fluid communication with said fill opening in said tub wall; conduit means integrally formed with said body member and having a movable portion positioned adjacent said ingress opening, said conduit means being sized to be connected to said water inlet hose, said conduit means being movable relative to said body member into fluid communication with said ingress opening of said body member for directing water from said water inlet hose into said elongated chamber of said body member; said coupling means comprising a cylindrical shank surrounding said egress opening and sized to matingly fit within said fill opening of said tub, and a sealing flange surrounding said cylindrical shank and positioned to be sealed with said exterior surface of said tub wall whenever said cylindrical shank is within said fill opening; said body member, said coupling means, and said conduit means being formed of plastic material molded into a single integral unit. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
- said water injector comprising;
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10. A water injector for interconnecting a water inlet hose to a fill opening in a wall of a dishwasher tub, said wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface;
- said water injector comprising;
an elongated hollow body member having first and second ends and forming an elongated chamber therein, said body member having a water ingress opening and a water egress opening adjacent said first and second ends respectively, and providing communication from outside said body member to said elongated chamber; coupling means integral with said body member adjacent said egress opening for coupling said body member to said exterior surface of said tub wall with said egress opening in fluid communication with said fill opening in said tub wall; conduit means integrally formed with said body member and having a movable portion positioned adjacent said ingress opening, said conduit means being sized to be connected to said water inlet hose, said conduit means being movable into general alignment with said ingress opening of said body member for directing water from said water inlet hose into said elongated chamber of said body member; vacuum breaker means integral with said body member adjacent said ingress opening for preventing reverse siphoning of water from said elongated chamber through said conduit means; said body member, said coupling means, said conduit means and said vacuum breaker means being formed from plastic material molded into a single integral unit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19)
- said water injector comprising;
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16. In combination:
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a water hose having a discharge end; a dishwasher tub having at least one tub wall with a fill opening extending therethrough, said tub wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface; an elongated hollow body member having first and second ends and forming an elongated hollow chamber therein, said body member having a water ingress opening and a water egress opening providing communication from outside said body member to said elongated chamber within said body member; coupling means integral with said body member adjacent said egress opening and coupling said body member to said exterior surface of said tub wall with said egress opening in fluid communication with said fill opening in said tub wall, said coupling means permitting said body member to pivot with respect to said tub wall about an axis formed by said coupling means from an operable position to a removal position; stop means on said exterior surface of said wall engaging said body member when said body member is in said operable position to hold said body member against movement from said operable to said removal position; said body member being sufficiently flexible to permit said first end thereof to deflect away from said exterior surface of said tub wall and around said stop means so as to permit pivotal movement of said body member between said operable and removal positions; conduit means integrally formed with said body and being connected to said discharge end of said water hose for receiving water therefrom, said conduit means being in fluid communication with said ingress opening of said body member for conducting water flow from said inlet hose to said elongated chamber of said body member. - View Dependent Claims (17, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for connecting a discharge end of a water hose to a fill opening in a tub wall of a dishwasher tub, said tub wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface and first locking means adjacent said fill opening, said method comprising:
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taking an elongated hollow flexible body member having first and second ends and having an elongated hollow chamber therein, said body member having an ingress opening adjacent said first end and an egress opening adjacent said second end, and having conduit means in communication with said ingress and egress openings, said body member having coupling means adjacent said egress opening, said coupling means having a shank portion and second locking means; inserting said shank portion of said coupling means axially into said fill opening of said tub wall while said coupling means is positioned in a first rotational orientation relative to said fill opening, whereby said first locking means and said second locking means cooperate to permit said shank portion to fit within said fill opening with said egress opening of said body member in fluid communication with said fill opening; rotating said body member and said shank portion in unison so that said shank portion rotates within said fill opening from said first rotational orientation to a second rotational orientation wherein said first and second locking means cooperate to prevent removal of said shank portion axially from said fill opening and to hold said egress opening in sealed communication with said fill opening; deflecting said body member outwardly away from exterior surface of said tub wall and around a stop member on said exterior surface of said wall during rotation of said body from said first rotational orientation to said second rotational orientation; using said stop member to limit rotation of said body member from said second rotational orientation to said first rotational orientation when said body member is in said second rotational orientation; connecting said water hose to said conduit means so as to provide fluid communication from said water hose to the interior of said elongated chamber.
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Specification