Rotating filter for a dishwasher and methods of cleaning a rotating filter

• US 9,826,882 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2017
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Geda, Jacquelyn R., Rappette, Antony M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLEMAN, RYAN L
• Application Number:
  US15/641,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 146 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0057 Cleaning of machines parts, e.g. removal of deposits like lime scale or proteins from piping or tub
• 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 24/46 Regenerating the filtering material in the filter B01D24/44 takes precedence

Abstract

A pump and filter assembly including an impeller adapted to recirculate liquid, a housing defining an interior and exterior, a rotating filter having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the filter located within the interior such that liquid being pumped through the pump and filter assembly passes through the filter from the upstream surface to the downstream surface to effect a filtering of the liquid, and a granular agent supply with granular agent cleaning the rotating filter by scouring the filter.

Claims

1. A pump and filter assembly of a dishwasher, comprising:

an impeller adapted to recirculate liquid;

a housing defining an interior and exterior;

a rotating filter having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the rotating filter located within the interior such that liquid being pumped through the pump and filter assembly passes through the rotating filter from the upstream surface to the downstream surface to effect a filtering of the liquid; and

a granular agent reservoir in open communication with at least a portion of the rotating filter and storing a granular agent, which contacts and scours the rotating filter to clean the rotating filter during rotation.

2. The pump and filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the granular agent reservoir is spaced from the rotating filter to define a gap between the granular agent reservoir and the rotating filter.

3. The pump and filter assembly of claim 2 wherein the granular agent reservoir comprises a channel and the granular agent is located within the channel.

4. The pump and filter assembly of claim 3 wherein the granular agent comprises at least one bead.

5. The pump and filter assembly of claim 4 wherein the granular agent reservoir further comprises a flow diverter that increases shear forces acting on a surface of the rotating filter.

6. The pump and filter assembly of claim 5 wherein the granular agent reservoir comprises a shroud enshrouding the rotating filter.

7. The pump and filter assembly of claim 4 wherein relative rotation of the rotating filter to the granular agent reservoir and the at least one bead generates physical contact on the rotating filter to remove soils.

8. The pump and filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the rotating filter comprises two filter elements spaced from each other to form a gap.

9. The pump and filter assembly of claim 8 wherein the granular agent is located within the gap.

10. The pump and filter assembly of claim 1 wherein the impeller is operably coupled to the rotating filter to effect rotation of the rotating filter.

11. A pump and filter assembly of a dishwasher, comprising:

an impeller adapted to recirculate liquid;

a housing defining an interior and exterior;

a rotating filter having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the rotating filter located within the interior such that liquid being pumped through the pump and filter assembly passes through the rotating filter from the upstream surface to the downstream surface to effect a filtering of the liquid; and

a granular agent supply comprising a granular agent configured to be dispensed from the granular agent supply into contact with the rotating filter such that the granular agent cleans the rotating filter by scouring the rotating filter.

12. The pump and filter assembly of claim 11 wherein the impeller is operably coupled to the rotating filter to effect rotation of the rotating filter.

13. The pump and filter assembly of claim 11, further comprising a structure spaced from the rotating filter to define a gap between the structure and the rotating filter.

14. The pump and filter assembly of claim 13 wherein the granular agent supply is configured to supply the granular agent adjacent the gap.

15. The pump and filter assembly of claim 14 wherein the structure comprises a channel and the granular agent supply is configured to supply the granular agent into the channel.

16. The pump and filter assembly of claim 15 wherein the granular agent is in the form of magnetic balls.

17. The pump and filter assembly of claim 16, further comprising a magnetic field generator located relative to the channel such that one of activation and deactivation of the magnetic field either releases or captures the magnetic balls.

18. The pump and filter assembly of claim 11, further comprising a reservoir for storing the granular agent.

19. The pump and filter assembly of claim 18 wherein the granular agent comprises a magnetic granular agent stored in the reservoir.

20. The pump and filter assembly of claim 11 wherein the granular agent supply is configured to supply the granular agent to an upstream side of the rotating filter.