Dishwasher with overflow conduit

• US 9,532,700 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Welch, Rodney M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSTERHOUT, BENJAMIN LEE
• Application Number:
  US13/485,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20130319483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4208 Arrangements to prevent clogging of the filters, e.g. self-cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/421 Safety arrangements for preventing water damage
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/48 Drying arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/023 Quantity or concentration of the consumable product
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/09 Water level
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/12 Water temperature
• 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 2501/01 Water supply, e.g. opening or closure of the water inlet valve
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/03 Water recirculation, e.g. control of distributing valves for redirection of water flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/05 Drain or recirculation pump, e.g. regulation of the pump rotational speed or flow direction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/07 Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/12 Air blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/26 Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
• 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

Abstract

A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation and having a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber and defining an access opening, a sprayer providing a spray of liquid into the treating chamber, a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path for recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the sprayer, and an air supply system having a conduit configured to function as an overflow conduit.

Claims

1. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation, the dishwasher comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber and defining an access opening;

a sprayer providing a spray of liquid into the treating chamber;

a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path for recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the sprayer; and

an air supply system having a blower, an air supply conduit having an outlet and configured to provide air to the treating chamber, and an air return conduit having an inlet and configured to remove air from the treating chamber wherein at least one of the air supply conduit outlet or the air return conduit inlet are located in a lower portion of the treating chamber; and

wherein the at least one of the air supply conduit or the air return conduit is fluidly open to the treating chamber such that it is configured to function as an overflow conduit to remove liquid from the treating chamber when the liquid is a predetermined amount above a normal operating condition, which is indicative of an over fill event.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the air supply conduit or the air return conduit comprises a standpipe that extends through a bottom wall of the tub into the treating chamber.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the at least one of the air supply conduit outlet or the air return conduit inlet are located above the bottom wall of the tub.

4. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the tub further comprises a bottom wall having a front lip with an upper portion that at least partially defines a portion of the access opening.

5. The dishwasher of claim 4, further comprising a closure operable to selectively open and close the access opening.

6. The dishwasher of claim 5 wherein the at least one of the air supply conduit outlet or the air return conduit inlet is below the upper portion of the front lip allowing the corresponding conduit to function as an overflow conduit.

7. The dishwasher of claim 6, further comprising a base pan located outside the treating chamber and fluidly coupled to the at least one of the air supply conduit outlet or the air return conduit inlet.

8. The dishwasher of claim 7, further comprising a float mechanism located in the base pan and configured to detect liquid in the base pan during the over fill event.

9. The dishwasher of claim 8, further comprising a liquid supply system having a liquid source and a valve operably coupled to the liquid source to control the supply of liquid to the treating chamber.

10. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein the float mechanism is operably coupled to the valve to stop the supply of liquid to the treating chamber when liquid is detected in the base pan.

11. The dishwasher of claim 10, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the float mechanism and the valve and wherein the float mechanism outputs a signal to the controller indicative of liquid in the base pan and the controller is configured to operate the valve to stop the supply of liquid.

12. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the float mechanism comprises a floatable block operably coupled to a float switch and where the float switch outputs a signal to the controller indicative of liquid in the base pan.

13. The dishwasher of claim 11, further comprising a valve operably coupled to the liquid recirculation system to stop the recirculation of the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the sprayer.

14. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein the at least one of the air supply conduit or the air return conduit is located in a center of the bottom wall of the tub and extends into the treating chamber.

15. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a remote sump and filter unit located exteriorly of the tub and comprising:

a housing defining a sump having a housing inlet fluidly coupled to a liquid outlet of the tub and a housing outlet fluidly coupled to the sprayer to define a liquid recirculation flow 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 fluidly coupled to the recirculation flow path to pump the liquid from the sump to the sprayer.

16. The dishwasher of claim 15 wherein the air supply system further comprises a blower fluidly coupled with the air supply conduit to supply air to the tub and the blower is mounted to the remote sump and filter unit.

17. The dishwasher of claim 16, further comprising a heater located on the housing and wherein the heater is configured to heat air in the air supply system and the liquid in the liquid recirculation system.

18. The dishwasher of claim 15 wherein the filter is mounted to an impeller of the wash pump to effect rotation of the filter.

19. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a door operably coupled to the tub and moveable to provide selective access to the tub through the access opening.

20. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation, the dishwasher comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber and defining an access opening;

a sprayer providing a spray of liquid into the treating chamber;

a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path for recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the sprayer;

an air supply system having a blower, an air supply conduit having an outlet and configured to provide air to the treating chamber, and an air return conduit having an inlet and configured to remove air from the treating chamber wherein at least one of the air supply conduit outlet or the air return conduit inlet are located in a lower portion of the treating chamber;

a base pan located outside the treating chamber and fluidly coupled to the at least one of the air supply conduit outlet or the air return conduit inlet; and

a float mechanism located in the base pan and configured to detect liquid in the base pan during the over fill event; and

wherein the at least one of the air supply conduit or the air return conduit is configured to function as an overflow conduit to remove liquid from the treating chamber when the liquid is a predetermined amount above a normal operating condition, which is indicative of an over fill event.