Filter assembly for a dishwasher

• US 9,005,369 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Delgado, Kristopher L., Fountain, Jordan R., Rappette, Antony M., Welch, Rodney M., Geda, Jacquelyn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLEMAN, RYAN L
• Application Number:
  US13/164,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20120318295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• US Class Current: 134/25.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0039 Filter cleaning phases
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4206 Tubular filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4208 Arrangements to prevent clogging of the filters, e.g. self-cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4225 Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/08 Drain or recirculation pump parameters, e.g. pump rotational speed or current absorbed by the motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/14 Water pressure or flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/05 Drain or recirculation pump, e.g. regulation of the pump rotational speed or flow direction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/36 Other output

Abstract

A dishwasher with a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, a liquid spraying system, a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path, and a liquid filtering system. The liquid filtering system includes a rotating filter disposed in the recirculation flow path to filter the liquid.

Claims

1. An automatic dishwasher for washing utensils according to a cycle of operation, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber;

a liquid spraying system supplying a spray of liquid to the treating chamber;

a liquid recirculation system fluidly coupling the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system and defining a recirculation flow path for recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system; and

a liquid filtering system fluidly coupled to the recirculation flow path and comprising;

a rotating filter having an upstream surface and a downstream surface and located within the recirculation flow path such that the sprayed liquid passes through the filter from the upstream surface to the downstream surface to effect a filtering of the sprayed liquid; and

a diverter overlying and moveable relative to at least a portion of the upstream surface to form a gap between the diverter and the upstream surface, with a size of the gap varying with a position of the diverter relative to the upstream surface;

a sensor providing an output indicative of a degree of clogging of the rotating filter; and

a controller operably coupled to the diverter and the sensor and configured to move the diverter relative to the upstream surface in response to the sensor output to control the size of the gap based on the degree of clogging.

2. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1 further comprising a pump having a motor operably coupled to the filter and the controller, such that a rotational speed of the pump may be controlled by the controller to affect a control of a rotational speed of the filter.

3. The automatic dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a motor torque sensor providing output indicative of the torque of the motor or a pressure sensor providing output indicative of the pressure of the liquid output by the pump.

4. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the controller is a microprocessor receiving input from the sensor and controlling movement of the diverter.

5. The automatic dishwasher of claim 4 wherein the diverter is mounted for rotation about a pivot axis.

6. The automatic dishwasher of claim 5 wherein the pivot axis is non-aligned with the flow path such that the liquid within the flow path rotates the diverter about the pivot axis.

7. The automatic dishwasher of claim 5 wherein the controlling the movement of the diverter comprises reversing the rotation of the rotating filter to alter the liquid within the flow path and change an orientation of the diverter.

8. The automatic dishwasher of claim 7 wherein reversing the rotation of the rotating filter reduces the gap between the diverter and the upstream surface.

9. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the controller further comprises an electro-mechanical linkage coupling the rotating filter to the diverter such that the size of the gap is controlled based on a rotational speed of the rotating filter.

10. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1 further comprising a motor operably coupled to the diverter to effect movement of the diverter in response to the controller.

11. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the rotating filter is a cylinder.

12. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to move the diverter such that the diverter moves closer to the filter as the degree of clogging increases.

13. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the liquid filtering system further comprises a mechanical scraper that physically contacts at least a portion of the upstream surface to remove soils therefrom.

14. A method of controlling the operation of an automatic dishwasher having a treating chamber supplied liquid by a liquid spraying system including sprayers, a liquid recirculation system recirculating the supplied liquid back to the liquid spraying system to form a recirculation flow path, a rotating filter located within the recirculation flow path, and a flow diverter located above the rotating filter to define a gap therebetween, the method comprising:

spraying liquid within the treating chamber;

recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the sprayers for subsequent spraying to define a recirculation flow path;

rotating the filter within the recirculation flow path during the recirculating of the liquid;

determining a degree of clogging of the filter; and

automatically moving the flow diverter relative to the rotating filter based on the degree of clogging of the rotating filter to adjust a size of the gap based on the degree of clogging.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the moving of the flow diverter is proportional to the degree of clogging.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the moving of the flow diverter is such that the flow diverter moves closer to the filter as the degree of clogging increases.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein determining the degree of clogging comprises determining at least one a torque of a motor rotating the filter or a pressure output of a pump recirculating the liquid.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the determining at least one of a torque of a motor rotating the filter or a pressure output of a pump recirculating the liquid comprises determining a change in at least one of a torque of a motor rotating the filter or a pressure output of a pump recirculating the liquid.