Automatic dishwasher with pump assembly

• US 9,687,135 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Welch, Rodney M., Fountain, Jordan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIGGLEMAN, JASON PAUL
• Application Number:
  US14/731,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20150265129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/06 by means of an impeller in the chamber
• 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 15/4225 Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/02 Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks, B01D35/05 takes precedence; water pipe system filters E03B3/18, E03B7/07; dirt catchers in sewers E03F; filters or strainers for pipe-lines in general B08B, E03F; object or dirt catching devices in sinks or the like E03C1/26; suction strainers or filters for pumps F04B53/005, F04D29/70
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/14 Removing waste, e.g. labels, from cleaning liquid; Regenerating cleaning liquidstreatment of water in general C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/00 Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage C02F3/00 - C02F9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/002 Grey water, e.g. from clothes washers, showers or dishwashers

Abstract

An automatic dishwasher with a tub that at least partially defines a treating chamber, a liquid spraying system that supplies liquid to the treating chamber, and a pump assembly that fluidly couples the treating chamber to the liquid spraying system and where the pump assembly includes a housing having an inlet, a recirculation outlet, and a drain outlet.

Claims

1. An automatic dishwasher for treating dishes according to a cycle of operation, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber having a tub liquid outlet;

a liquid spraying system having a sprayer supplying liquid to the treating chamber; and

a filter and pump assembly, comprising;

a housing having a peripheral wall, defining a sump within the housing, and having a housing inlet fluidly coupled to the tub liquid outlet, a recirculation outlet fluidly coupled to the sprayer to define a liquid recirculation path from the sump to the sprayer, and a drain outlet and where the housing defines a remote sump fluidly coupled to the tub via the housing inlet;

a rotatable filter located within the housing and having an upstream surface and a downstream surface and fluidly separating the housing inlet from the recirculation outlet to filter liquid recirculated through the sump;

a wash pump coupled to the housing and configured to pump the liquid from the sump through the recirculation outlet to the sprayer and where the wash pump includes an impeller and the filter is coupled to the impeller such that the rotation of the impeller rotates the filter; and

a drain pump having a drain pump inlet fluidly coupled to the drain outlet of the housing and a drain pump outlet configured to fluidly couple to a household drain.

2. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the housing inlet and drain outlet are adjacent.

3. The automatic dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the adjacent housing inlet and drain outlet are on a front side of the housing.

4. The automatic dishwasher of claim 3 wherein the housing further comprises a mounting located on the front side and the mounting incorporates the housing inlet and the drain outlet.

5. The automatic dishwasher of claim 4, further comprising a grommet surrounding the mounting.

6. The automatic dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the housing comprises an outer peripheral wall in which the adjacent housing inlet and drain outlet are located.

7. The automatic dishwasher of claim 6 wherein the housing is elongated.

8. The automatic dishwasher of claim 7 wherein the housing is horizontally-orientated.

9. The automatic dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a diverter extending along and spaced away from at least a portion of the rotatable filter to define a gap between the diverter and the rotatable filter.

10. An automatic dishwasher for treating dishes according to a cycle of operation, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber having a tub liquid outlet;

a liquid spraying system having a sprayer supplying liquid to the treating chamber; and

a remote housing and pump assembly comprising;

a housing, defining a sump that is not exposed directly to the tub, and having a housing inlet fluidly coupled to the tub liquid outlet, a recirculation outlet fluidly coupled to the sprayer to define a liquid recirculation path from the sump to the sprayer, and a drain outlet where the housing inlet and drain outlet are adjacent and the housing includes a mounting and the mounting incorporates the housing inlet and the drain outlet;

a wash pump coupled to the housing to pump the liquid from the sump through the recirculation outlet to the sprayer; and

a drain pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the drain outlet of the housing and an outlet configured to fluidly couple to a household drain.

11. The automatic dishwasher of claim 10 wherein the mounting is located on a front side.

12. The automatic dishwasher of claim 11, further comprising a grommet surrounding the mounting.

13. The automatic dishwasher of claim 10 wherein the housing comprises an outer peripheral wall in which the adjacent housing inlet and drain outlet are located.

14. The automatic dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the housing is elongated and horizontally-orientated.

15. The automatic dishwasher of claim 10, further comprising a filter having an upstream surface and a downstream surface and fluidly separating the housing inlet from the recirculation outlet to filter liquid recirculated through the sump.

16. The automatic dishwasher of claim 15 wherein the filter is a rotatable filter and the wash pump comprises an impeller and the filter is coupled to the impeller such that the rotation of the impeller rotates the filter.

17. An automatic dishwasher for treating dishes according to a cycle of operation, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber having a tub liquid outlet;

a liquid spraying system having a sprayer supplying liquid to the treating chamber; and

a filter and pump assembly, comprising;

a housing having a peripheral wall, defining a sump within the housing, and having a housing inlet fluidly coupled to the tub liquid outlet, a recirculation outlet fluidly coupled to the sprayer to define a liquid recirculation path from the sump to the sprayer, and a drain outlet and where the housing defines a remote sump fluidly coupled to the tub via the housing inlet and where the housing inlet and drain outlet are adjacent and the housing includes a mounting located on a front side and the mounting incorporates the housing inlet and the drain outlet;

a filter located within the housing and having an upstream surface and a downstream surface and fluidly separating the housing inlet from the recirculation outlet to filter liquid recirculated through the sump;

a wash pump coupled to the housing and configured to pump the liquid from the sump through the recirculation outlet to the sprayer; and

a drain pump having a drain pump inlet fluidly coupled to the drain outlet of the housing and a drain pump outlet configured to fluidly couple to a household drain.