Dishwasher insulation blanket

• US 9,427,133 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Rockwell, Anthony L., Johnson, Phillip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HANH VAN
• Application Number:
  US14/643,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20150250375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 312/228
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4209 Insulation arrangements, e.g. for sound damping or heat insulation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4246 Details of the tub A47L15/4272 takes precedence; insulation arrangements A47L15/4209
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4257 Details of the loading door
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 11/02 with fibres or particles being present as additives in the layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 11/06 of paper or cardboard
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 11/10 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/101 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/102 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/54 Yield strength; Tensile strength
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2509/00 Household appliances
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/04 characterised by at least one layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer ; characterised by at least one layer enveloping or enclosing a material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties

Abstract

A dishwasher insulation blanket includes a sound absorbing layer, a sound reflecting layer; and a heat activated adhesive layer on a first side of the sound reflecting layer. The heat activated adhesive layer is configured to be activated by heat that emanates from a dishwasher during normal operation of the dishwasher.

Claims

1. A moisture management system for a dishwasher, comprising:

a first insulation blanket disposed over a top wall and two side walls of a dishwasher tub;

wherein the insulation blanket comprises a sound reflecting layer and a porous sound absorbing layer;

wherein the sound reflecting layer is positioned between the dishwasher tub and the the porous sound absorbing layer; and

wherein the sound reflecting layer retains heat from a wash cycle and releases the heat through the top wall and the two side walls, thereby driving moisture away from a front door of the dishwasher;

wherein the sound reflecting layer is disposed over only a forward portion of the dishwasher tub and wherein a width W_s of the sound reflecting layer is less than one half of a width W_p of the porous sound absorbing layer to drive moisture from a forward portion of the tub toward a rearward portion of the tub.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive layer that adheres the sound reflecting layer to the tub.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the adhesive layer is a heat activated adhesive layer that is configured such that operation of the dishwasher activates the adhesive layer to bond the sound reflecting layer to the tub.

4. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the sound reflecting layer is configured such that operation of the dishwasher bonds the sound reflecting layer to the tub.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the sound reflecting layer covers less than one half of a surface of each side wall.

6. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the sound reflecting layer is a continuous strip disposed over the top wall and against each side wall.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the sound reflecting layer comprises asphalt.

8. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the sound absorbing layer comprises fiberglass.

9. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the tub is a plastic tub.

10. A dishwasher installation, comprising:

cabinets;

a countertop disposed on the cabinets;

wherein the cabinets and the countertop are arranged to form a dishwasher cavity;

a dishwasher disposed in the cavity, the dishwasher comprising;

a plastic tub having a top wall and two side walls;

an insulation blanket disposed over the tub top wall and the two side walls wherein the insulation blanket is not fixedly attached to the tub prior to a first wash cycle;

wherein the insulation blanket comprises a sound reflecting layer, a porous sound absorbing layer, and a heat activated adhesive layer;

upon activation of the heat activated adhesive layer using heat generated during operation of the dishwasher at least, the adhesive layer fixedly attaches the blanket to the tub;

thereby eliminating a need for a baking-on process.

11. The dishwasher installation of claim 10 wherein the sound reflecting layer is positioned against at least one of the two side walls of the plastic tub.

12. The dishwasher installation of claim 10 wherein the sound reflecting layer covers less than one half of a surface of each side wall.

13. The dishwasher installation of claim 10 wherein the sound reflecting layer covers a majority of each side wall.

14. The dishwasher installation of claim 10 wherein the sound reflecting layer is a continuous strip disposed over the top wall and against each side wall.

15. The dishwasher installation of claim 10 wherein the sound reflecting layer comprises asphalt.

16. The dishwasher installation of claim 10 wherein the sound absorbing layer comprises fiberglass.

17. The dishwasher installation of claim 10 further comprising:

a front door having an inner wall and an outer wall;

a second insulation blanket disposed in the front door between the inner wall and the outer wall wherein the second insulation blanket is not fixedly attached to the inner wall prior to a first wash cycle;

wherein the second insulation blanket comprises a second sound reflecting layer that faces toward the inner wall, a second porous sound absorbing layer that faces toward the outer wall, and a second heat activated adhesive layer that is configured to adhere the sound reflecting layer to the inner wall of the door;

wherein the heat activated adhesive layer is configured such that operation of the dishwasher activates the heat activated adhesive layer to bond the sound reflecting layer to the inner wall of the door during operation of the dishwasher;

thereby eliminating a need for a baking-on process.

18. The dishwasher of claim 17 wherein the the second sound reflecting comprises asphalt.