Dishwasher with filter assembly

• US 9,538,898 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Tuller, Barry E., Welch, Rodney M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Markoff, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/870,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20160015239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4202 Water filter means or strainers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4206 Tubular filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4208 Arrangements to prevent clogging of the filters, e.g. self-cleaning
• 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

Abstract

A dishwasher with a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, a liquid spraying system, a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path, and a liquid filtering system. The liquid filtering system includes a filter disposed in the recirculation flow path to filter the liquid.

Claims

1. A dishwasher for treating utensils according to a cycle of operation, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber;

a liquid spraying system supplying a spray of liquid to the treating chamber;

a liquid recirculation system recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system to define a recirculation flow path;

a rotating filter having an upstream surface and a downstream surface and located within the recirculation flow path such that the recirculation flow path passes through the filter from the upstream surface to the downstream surface to effect a filtering of the sprayed liquid;

a first artificial boundary spaced from and rotatable relative to one of the downstream and upstream surfaces; and

a second artificial boundary spaced from and rotatable relative to the other of the downstream and upstream surfaces;

wherein the first and second artificial boundaries have un-matched shapes and their relative rotation forms an increased shear force zone acting on the filter.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second artificial boundaries has a helical shape.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the other of the first and second artificial boundaries has a linear shape.

4. The dishwasher of claim 3 wherein the linear shape extends along the rotational axis of the filter.

5. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein one of the first and second artificial boundaries has an airfoil cross section.

6. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second artificial boundaries has a linear shape.

7. The dishwasher of claim 6 wherein the linear shape extends at an angle relative to the rotational axis.

8. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second artificial boundaries has an airfoil cross section.

9. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the upstream surface is an exterior surface of the rotating filter.

10. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein the downstream surface is an interior surface of the rotating filter.

11. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein one first and second artificial boundaries rotates about the filter to create the relative rotation.

12. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein both the first and second artificial boundaries rotate about the filter to create the relative rotation.

13. The dishwasher of claim 12 wherein the first and second artificial boundaries rotate in opposite directions.

14. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the rotating filter comprises a cylinder having an outer surface forming one of the downstream or upstream surfaces and an inner surface forming the other of the downstream or upstream surfaces.

15. The dishwasher of claim 14 wherein the outer surface is the upstream surface and the inner surface is the downstream surface.

16. The dishwasher of claim 15 wherein the recirculation system comprises a pump housing having a recirculation inlet and a pump inlet.

17. The dishwasher of claim 16 wherein the rotating filter is located in the pump housing to fluidly separate the recirculation inlet from the pump inlet, wherein liquid entering the pump housing must pass through the rotating filter before reaching the pump inlet.