Dispenser for a drawer-type dishwasher

• US 7,832,417 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Palm, Mark E., Welch, Rodney M., Hedstrom, Kristen K., Gunnerson, Kory A., Reynolds, David K., Werthman, Dean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIGGLEMAN, JASON PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/700,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20070246070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 134/95.1
• US Class Current: 134/95.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/44 Devices for adding cleaning agents; Devices for dispensing cleaning agents, rinsing aids or deodorants
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4409 by tipping containers or opening their lids, e.g. with the help of a programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4418 in the form of liquids A47L15/4409, A47L15/4436, A47L15/4445 take precedence

Abstract

A drawer-type dishwasher includes a dispenser mounted to a basin slidably supported in an outer body of the dishwasher. The dispenser includes a main body portion, a reservoir formed in the main body portion for receiving detergent and a lid hingedly mounted for selectivity closing the reservoir. The reservoir includes front, rear, bottom and opposing side walls, with one of the front, rear and opposing side walls being provided with a drainage port which is adapted to be closed by the lid. The dispenser is provided with a manual actuator that enables a consumer to open the dispenser lid to add detergent. An automatic actuator is provided to open the dispenser lid, exposing the reservoir and the drainage port, at a predetermined point in a washing operation. In addition to detergent, the dispenser can be provided with a reservoir for retaining and releasing rinse aid.

Claims

1. A dishwasher comprising:

an outer body;

a basin slidably supported in the outer body, said basin including front, rear, bottom and opposing side walls that collectively define a wash chamber; and

a dispenser supported on one of the front and opposing side walls of the basin, said dispenser including;

a main body portion;

a first reservoir formed in the main body portion for receiving detergent, said first reservoir being defined by front, rear, bottom and opposing side walls, with the bottom wall being arranged in a generally horizontal plane and the first reservoir having an open top portion exposing the first reservoir for filling from above;

a drainage port provided in one of the front, rear and opposing side walls of the first reservoir;

a lid hingedly mounted to the main body portion, said lid being movable between an open position, wherein the lid rotates upward about a hinge axis to expose the first reservoir such that the first reservoir can be directly exposed to jets of washing fluid, and a closed position wherein the lid is rotated downward about the hinge axis to cover the open top portion such that the first reservoir is shielded from jets of washing fluid and the drainage port is blocked by the lid;

a first actuator for manually operating the lid; and

a second actuator for operating the lid, said second actuator opening the lid during a washing operation in order to expose both the first reservoir and drainage port to washing fluid.

2. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser further includes a second reservoir for selectively storing rinse aid.

3. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the first actuator is constituted by a pivotally mounted element operatively coupled to the lid.

4. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the second actuator is constituted by a linear actuator mounted to the main body portion, said linear actuator including a first actuating element being operated to open the lid during a predetermined portion of the washing operation.

5. The dishwasher according to claim 4, further comprising:

a linkage system operatively coupled to both the linear actuator and the first actuator.

6. The dishwasher according to claim 5, wherein the linkage system includes second, third and fourth actuating elements, said fourth actuating element being connected to the first actuator, said third actuating element being acted upon by the linear actuator to shift the fourth actuating element and the first actuator to open the lid.

7. The dishwasher according to claim 6, wherein the third actuating element is pivotally connected to the fourth actuating element.

8. The dishwasher according to claim 6, wherein the third actuating element includes a first angled surface which abuts a second angled surface of the fourth actuating element, wherein pivoting the third actuating element causes the first angled surface to slide relative to the second angled surface resulting in rotary movement of the fourth actuating element which opens the lid.

9. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the drainage port is constituted by an opening formed in a bottom portion of one of the opposing side walls of the reservoir.

10. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is mounted to the front wall of the basin.

11. A dishwasher comprising:

an outer body;

a basin slidably supported in the outer body, said basin including front, rear, bottom and opposing side walls that collectively define a wash chamber; and

a dispenser supported on one of the front and opposing side walls of the basin, said dispenser including;

a main body portion;

a first reservoir formed in the main body portion for receiving detergent, said first reservoir being defined by front, rear, bottom and opposing side walls;

a drainage port provided in one of the front, rear and opposing side walls of the first reservoir;

a lid hingedly mounted to the main body portion, said lid being movable between an open position, wherein the first reservoir can be directly exposed to jets of washing fluid, and a closed position wherein the first reservoir is shielded from jets of washing fluid and the drainage port is blocked;

a first actuator for manually operating the lid;

a second actuator for operating the lid, said second actuator opening the lid during a washing operation in order to expose both the first reservoir and drainage port to washing fluid;

a second reservoir for selectively storing rinse aid; and

a third reservoir for selectively storing detergent for a pre-wash operation.

12. The dishwasher according to claim 11, wherein the third reservoir is formed in the lid of said first reservoir.

13. The dishwasher according to claim 11, wherein the third reservoir is positioned adjacent to the first reservoir, said third reservoir including an opening exposed to the wash chamber allowing detergent to pass from the third reservoir into the basin.

14. A dishwasher comprising:

an outer body;

a basin slidably supported in the outer body, said basin including front, rear, bottom and opposing side walls that collectively define a wash chamber; and

a dispenser supported on one of the front and opposing side walls of the basin, said dispenser including;

a main body portion;

a first reservoir formed in the main body portion for receiving detergent, said first reservoir being defined by front, rear, bottom and opposing side walls;

a drainage port provided in one of the front, rear and opposing side walls of the first reservoir;

a lid hingedly mounted to the main body portion, said lid being movable between an open position, wherein the first reservoir can be directly exposed to jets of washing fluid, and a closed position wherein the first reservoir is shielded from jets of washing fluid and the drainage port is blocked;

a first actuator for manually operating the lid;

a second actuator for operating the lid, said second actuator opening the lid during a washing operation in order to expose both the first reservoir and drainage port to washing fluid, wherein the second actuator is constituted by a linear actuator mounted to the main body portion, said linear actuator including a first actuating element being operated to open the lid during a predetermined portion of the washing operation;

a linkage system operatively coupled to both the linear actuator and the first actuator;

a second reservoir for selectively storing rinse aid; and

a charging reservoir which is filled with a portion of the rinse aid from the a second reservoir upon movement of the linkage system in a first direction and emptied of the portion of the rinse aid upon movement of the linkage system in a second, opposing direction.