Dishwasher and ozone generator

• US 9,451,867 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Karhoff, Jacob R., Rao, Prithi, Beshears, Paul E. Jr., Senninger, Mark M., Stowe, Elliott V., Wright, Tremitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US13/742,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20130192642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 134/104.1, 134/18, 134/25.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/23 moved by means of the sprays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4219 Water recirculation A47L15/0078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/424 by using ozone
• 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 2401/07 Status of hydraulic components, e.g. open/close status of water inlet/outlet valves, operating position of water diverters

Abstract

A dishwasher comprising a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber in which liquid may be sprayed from at least one sprayer for the treating of dishes within the treating chamber. A liquid recirculation system may be provided for recirculating the sprayed liquid back to the at least one sprayer. An ozone generator may be provided in communication with the treating chamber to supply ozone to the treating chamber.

Claims

1. A method of operating a dishwasher having a treating chamber, a recirculating system for recirculating liquid for treating dishes in the treating chamber, and an ozone generator having a proton exchange membrane (PEM) for generating ozone, the method comprising:

during a sanitizing rinse, introducing ozonated liquid into the treating chamber by passing liquid through the PEM to generate the ozonated liquid and then providing the ozonated liquid into the treating chamber; and

back flushing the PEM to clean the PEM by reversing a direction of liquid passing through the PEM during the introduction of the ozonated liquid into the treating chamber during the sanitizing rinse.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reversing the direction further comprises reversing the direction for each introduction of ozonated liquid.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reversing the direction further comprises reversing the direction at predetermined time intervals.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising washing the dishes by recirculating detergent liquid to the treating chamber.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the introducing the ozonated liquid is separate from a wash phase for treating the dishes.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the introducing the ozonated liquid occurs after the wash phase.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the reversing the direction is conducted during a recirculation of liquid by the recirculation system during the sanitizing rinse.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the reversing the direction is conducted at a beginning of the recirculation of liquid by the recirculation system during the sanitizing rinse.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the reversing the direction is conducted at an end of the recirculation of liquid by the recirculation system during the sanitizing rinse.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reversing the direction comprises diverting at least a portion of the recirculated liquid from the recirculating system through the proton exchange membrane.