Dishwasher with unitary wash module

• US 9,119,515 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Tuller, Barry E., Welch, Rodney M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSTERHOUT, BENJAMIN LEE
• Application Number:
  US12/959,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20120138111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 134/56.D, 134/57.D, 134/58.D, 134/111
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0018 Controlling processes, i.e. processes to control the operation of the machine characterised by the purpose or target of the control for control of water softening or water softener regeneration A47L15/4229; for control of water level A47L15/4244; for control of bad smells or odours A47L15/4276; for control of water temperature A47L15/4287; for control of water pressure A47L15/4289; for control of condition of crockery or tableware A47L15/4295; for control of condition of washing water A47L15/4297
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0021 Regulation of operational steps within the washing processes, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending from the detergent nature or from the condition of the crockery
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0084 of drawer-type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4202 Water filter means or strainers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4219 Water recirculation A47L15/0078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4225 Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/08 Other manual input
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/02 Consumable products information, e.g. information on detergent, rinsing aid or salt; Dispensing device information, e.g. information on the type, e.g. detachable, or status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/18 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/19 Air humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/26 Loading door status, e.g. door latch opened or closed state
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/07 Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/20 Spray nozzles or spray arms
• 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: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays

Abstract

An automatic dishwasher having a tub defining a treating chamber and a housing physically separate from the tub and defining a sump to receive liquid sprayed into the tub, the housing having an inlet fluidly connected to a liquid outlet of the tub and an outlet fluidly coupled to a sprayer located within the tub to define a recirculation path for the sprayed liquid.

Claims

1. A dishwasher comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior;

a tub located within the cabinet and at least partially defining a treating chamber having a liquid outlet;

a sprayer located in the treating chamber and spraying liquid into the treating chamber; and

a remote sump and filter unit located exteriorly of the tub and comprising;

a housing defining a sump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub liquid outlet and an outlet fluidly coupled to the sprayer to define a liquid recirculation path from the sump to the sprayer;

a filter located within the sump and fluidly separating the housing inlet from the housing outlet to filter liquid recirculated through the sump; and

a wash pump, having an impeller, fluidly coupled to the recirculation path to pump the liquid from the sump to the sprayer;

wherein the filter is mounted to the impeller of the wash pump to effect rotation of the filter.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the wash pump is mounted to the housing.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2, further comprising a drain pump mounted to the housing and having an inlet fluidly coupled to the sump and an outlet configured to fluidly couple to a household drain.

4. The dishwasher of claim 3 wherein the housing further comprises opposing ends and the wash pump is mounted to one of the opposing ends and the drain pump is mounted to the other of the opposing ends.

5. The dishwasher of claim 3 wherein the impeller of the wash pump is rotatable about a first axis of rotation, the drain pump has an impeller rotatable about a second axis of rotation, and the housing has a longitudinal axis, and the wash pump, drain pump, and housing are arranged such that the first and second axes of rotation are generally parallel with the longitudinal axis to form an overall elongated configuration.

6. The dishwasher of claim 5 wherein the filter is a rotating filter having a third rotational axis, which is parallel to the first and second axes of rotation and the longitudinal axis.

7. The dishwasher of claim 6 wherein the first, second, and third axes of rotation are collinear.

8. The dishwasher of claim 7 wherein the longitudinal axis is collinear with the first, second, and third axes of rotation to define a longitudinal axis for the remote sump and filter unit.

9. The dishwasher of claim 5 wherein the remote sump and filter unit is located in a lower-rear portion of the interior such that the longitudinal axis of the remote sump and filter unit is generally parallel to a rear wall of the cabinet.

10. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the cabinet further comprises a moveable element for providing access to the tub.

11. The dishwasher of claim 10 wherein the moveable element is one of a door and a drawer.

12. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the drawer defines the tub and the remote sump and filter unit are not carried by the drawer.

13. A dishwasher comprising:

a cabinet;

a tub located within the cabinet and at least partially defining a treating chamber with a bottom wall having a liquid outlet;

a sprayer located in the treating chamber above the bottom wall and having a plurality of spray nozzles through which a liquid is sprayed into the tub, with none of the spray nozzles spraying directly onto the tub liquid outlet;

a housing physically separate from the tub and defining a sump to receive liquid sprayed into the tub, the housing having an inlet fluidly connected to the liquid outlet and an outlet fluidly coupled to the sprayer to define a recirculation path for the sprayed liquid;

a filter located within the housing and fluidly separating the housing outlet from the housing inlet to filter liquid passing through the sump; and

a wash pump, having an impeller, fluidly coupled to the recirculation path to pump the liquid from the sump to the sprayer;

wherein the sump is located within the cabinet and remote from the tub such that the filter is not directly exposed to the tub and wherein the filter is mounted to the impeller of the wash pump to effect rotation of the filter.

14. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the pump has an inlet fluidly coupled to the housing outlet and an outlet fluidly coupled to the sprayer.

15. The dishwasher of claim 14 wherein the wash pump is mounted to the housing.

16. The dishwasher of claim 15, further comprising a drain pump fluidly coupled to the sump and mounted to the housing.

17. The dishwasher of claim 16 wherein the housing comprises opposing ends and the wash pump is mounted to one of the opposing ends and the drain pump is mounted to the other of the opposing ends.

18. The dishwasher of claim 16 wherein the wash pump comprises an impeller having a first rotational axis, the drain pump comprises an impeller having a second rotational axis, and the first and second rotational axes are parallel.

19. The dishwasher of claim 18 wherein the filter is a rotating filter having a third rotational axis, which is parallel to the at least one of the first and second rotational axes.

20. The dishwasher of claim 19 wherein the first, second, and third rotational axes are parallel.

21. The dishwasher of claim 20 wherein the first, second, and third rotational axes are collinear.

22. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the cabinet further comprises a door moveably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the tub.

23. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the cabinet further comprises a drawer and the drawer defines the tub.

24. A dishwasher comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior;

a tub located within the cabinet and at least partially defining a treating chamber having a liquid outlet;

a sprayer located in the treating chamber and spraying liquid into the treating chamber; and

a pump unit located exteriorly of the tub and comprising;

a housing defining a sump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub liquid outlet;

a wash pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the sump and an outlet fluidly coupled to the sprayer to recirculate liquid from the sump back to the sprayer;

a filter located in the housing and fluidly separating the housing inlet from the wash pump inlet to filter liquid being recirculated from the sump to the sprayer and where the filter is mounted to an impeller of the wash pump to effect rotation of the filter; and

a drain pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the sump and an outlet configured to fluidly couple to a household drain; and

wherein the impeller of the wash pump is rotatable about a first axis of rotation, the drain pump has an impeller rotatable about a second axis of rotation, and the housing has a longitudinal axis, and the wash pump, drain pump, and housing are arranged such that the first and second axes of rotation are generally parallel with the longitudinal axis to form an overall elongated configuration.

25. The dishwasher of claim 24 wherein the wash pump and drain pump are mounted to the housing.

26. The dishwasher of claim 25 wherein the housing further comprises opposing ends and the wash pump is mounted to one of the opposing ends and the drain pump is mounted to the other of the opposing ends.

27. The dishwasher of claim 26 wherein the first and second axes are collinear with the longitudinal axis to define a longitudinal axis for the pump unit.

28. The dishwasher of claim 27 wherein the pump unit is located in a lower-rear portion of the interior such that the longitudinal axis of the pump unit is generally parallel to a rear wall of the cabinet.

29. The dishwasher of claim 28 wherein the cabinet further comprises a moveable element for providing access to the tub.

30. The dishwasher of claim 29 wherein the moveable element is one of a door and a drawer.

31. The dishwasher of claim 30 wherein the drawer defines the tub and the pump unit is not carried by the drawer.

32. The dishwasher of claim 24 wherein the filter has a third rotational axis, which is parallel to the first and second axes of rotation and the longitudinal axis.

33. The dishwasher of claim 32 wherein the first, second, and third axes of rotation are collinear.

34. The dishwasher of claim 33 wherein the longitudinal axis is collinear with the first, second, and third axes of rotation to define a longitudinal axis for the pump unit.