Dishwasher with unitary wash module

• US 9,532,697 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• 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:
  US14/827,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20150342438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• 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;

a low voltage user interface;

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 high voltage module located within the cabinet and exteriorly of the tub and comprising;

a housing defining a sump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub liquid outlet to collect liquid sprayed in the treating chamber;

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

a controller operably coupled to the user interface, wash pump, and drain pump to control the actuation of the wash pump and drain pump in accordance with a cycle of operation residing in memory of the controller as initiated by a user via the user interface; and

wherein low voltage wiring couples the user interface to the controller and high voltage wiring couples components of the high voltage module including the wash pump, drain pump, and controller.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a high voltage inlet on the cabinet and a high voltage wiring harness extending from the high voltage inlet to the high voltage module.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the high voltage wiring harness is the only high voltage electrical supply in the cabinet.

4. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the cabinet further comprises a moveable element for providing access to the tub and the high voltage wiring harness bypasses the moveable element.

5. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein the moveable element is one of a door and drawer.

6. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the high voltage inlet is a standard high voltage plug.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the wash pump, drain pump, and controller are mounted to the housing.

8. The dishwasher of claim 7, further comprising 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.

9. The dishwasher of claim 8 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.

10. The dishwasher of claim 9 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.

11. The dishwasher of claim 10 wherein the first, second, and third rotational axes are parallel.

12. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the first, second, and third rotational axes are co-linear.

13. The dishwasher of claim 12 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.

14. The dishwasher of claim 12 wherein the filter is mounted to the impeller of the wash pump to effect the rotation of the filter.

15. A dishwasher comprising:

a cabinet;

a low voltage user interface;

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 high voltage module located within the cabinet and exteriorly of the tub and comprising;

a housing defining a sump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub liquid outlet to collect liquid sprayed in the treating chamber;

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

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

a controller operably coupled to the user interface, wash pump, and drain pump to control the actuation of the wash pump and drain pump in accordance with a cycle of operation residing in memory of the controller as initiated by a user via the user interface;

wherein low voltage wiring couples the user interface to the controller and high voltage wiring couples components of the high voltage module including the wash pump, drain pump, and controller.