Dishwasher with shared heater

• US 9,034,112 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Tuller, Barry E., Welch, Rodney M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barton, Jeffrey T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kang, Tae-Sik
• Application Number:
  US12/959,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20120138096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 134/56.R
• US Class Current: 134/56.D
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0047 Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0049 Detection or prevention of malfunction, including accident prevention arrangements to prevent clogging of filters A47L15/4208; safety arrangements for preventing water damage A47L15/421
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4285 Water-heater arrangements steam generating arrangements A47L15/4234
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/488 Connections of the tub with the ambient air, e.g. air intake or venting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/06 Water supply, circulation or discharge information water level A47L2401/09; water pressure or flow rate A47L2401/14
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/18 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/22 Number of operational cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/06 Water heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/11 Air heaters

Abstract

An automatic dishwasher having a heater shared by the recirculation system and the air supply system to heat the liquid in the recirculation system and the air in the air supply system.

Claims

1. A dishwasher comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes;

a recirculation system comprising a wash unit having a housing, with an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub and an outlet fluidly coupled to the tub, and a filter element located in the housing and fluidly disposed between the inlet and outlet;

an air supply system having an air supply conduit fluidly coupled to the tub for supplying air to the tub and where the air supply conduit is fluidly separate from an interior of the housing; and

a heater mounted to an outside of the housing and shared by the recirculation system and the air supply system to heat liquid in the housing and air in the air supply conduit.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the housing and the air supply conduit comprise a shared wall and the heater is provided on the shared wall.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the heater is a film heater mounted on the shared wall.

4. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the heater is mounted to an exterior of the housing.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a wall and the air supply conduit at least partially envelopes the wall, and the heater is provided on the wall.

6. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the housing is remote from the tub.

7. The dishwasher of claim 6, further comprising a liquid coupling system having a first recirculation conduit fluidly coupling the tub to the housing inlet and a second recirculation conduit fluidly coupling the housing outlet to the tub.

8. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the recirculation system further comprises a recirculation pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the housing and an outlet and wherein the filter fluidly separates the housing from the pump inlet.

9. The dishwasher of claim 8, wherein the filter is a rotating filter and is mounted to an impeller of the recirculation pump to effect the rotation of the filter.

10. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the air supply conduit comprises an inlet fluidly open to air in the dishwasher.

11. The dishwasher of claim 1 further comprising an outlet fluidly open to ambient air.

12. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the air supply system comprises a blower fluidly coupled with the air supply conduit to supply air to the tub and the blower is operably coupled to the air supply conduit upstream from the heater.

13. A dishwasher comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes;

a sump having a housing, with an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub and an outlet fluidly coupled to the tub, and collecting liquid supplied to the tub;

a recirculation system fluidly coupling the housing and the tub to recirculate the liquid;

an air supply system having an air supply conduit at least partially enveloping the housing and fluidly coupled to the tub; and

a heater provided on a portion of an exterior of the housing enveloped by the air supply conduit;

wherein the air supplied to the tub through the air supply conduit and the liquid in the sump are heated by the heater.

14. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the housing is remote from the tub.

15. The dishwasher of claim 14, further comprising a liquid coupling system having a first recirculation conduit fluidly coupling the tub to the housing inlet and a second recirculation conduit fluidly coupling the housing outlet to the tub.

16. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the recirculation system comprises a recirculation pump fluidly coupled to the housing.

17. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the air supply conduit wraps around the housing.

18. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the housing is cylindrical and the air supply conduit wraps around the cylindrical housing.

19. The dishwasher of claim 18 wherein the heater is provided on the cylindrical housing where the air supply conduit wraps around the housing.

20. The dishwasher of claim 18 wherein the heater is a film heater mounted on the cylindrical housing.

21. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the heater is capable of supplying different wattages for heating of the supplied air and the liquid.

22. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the air supply system comprises a blower fluidly coupled with the air supply conduit to supply air to the tub and the blower is operably coupled to the air supply conduit upstream from the heater.

23. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the air supply system comprises an inlet fluidly open to air in the dishwasher.

24. The dishwasher of claim 13, further comprising an outlet fluidly open to ambient air.