Dishwasher with sprayer

• US 9,839,340 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Feddema, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/372,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 134176, 134179, 134 18, 1341032, 134 56 D, 134198, 134 57 D, 134172, 134 58 D, 134178, 134144, 134181, 134183, 239251, 239245, 239261, 23922217, 239227, 239214, 239237, 239240, 239242
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/23 moved by means of the sprays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4282 Arrangements to change or modify spray pattern or direction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4289 Spray-pressure measuring or regulating arrangements nozzles A47L15/4278

Abstract

A dishwasher includes a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber and a spraying system having a sprayer supplying liquid to the treating chamber. The sprayer may include a liquid passage and multiple spray outlets to emit sprays to wash the dishes, a first valve body to couple at least one of the multiple spray outlets to the liquid passage, and a second valve body to control a flow of liquid.

Claims

1. A dishwasher for washing dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes for cleaning; and

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

a sprayer body mounted within the tub for movement about a rotatable axis and having an interior;

a liquid passage provided in the interior;

multiple spray outlets extending through the sprayer body and in fluid communication with the liquid passage and configured to emit a spray of liquid into the treating chamber to wash the dishes;

a first valve body moveable relative to the sprayer body and having at least one opening to fluidly couple at least one of the multiple spray outlets to the liquid passage to define a fluid coupling; and

a second valve body located between the first valve body and the sprayer body and selectively moveable relative to at least one of the sprayer body or the first valve body to control a flow of liquid through the at least one opening or through at least one of the multiple spray outlets where the second valve body is configured to move between a first position where the second valve body does not block the fluid coupling between the at least one of the multiple spray outlets and the liquid passage and a second position where the second valve body blocks the fluid coupling between the at least one of the multiple spray outlets and the liquid passage.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the second valve body located in the second position results in less liquid emitted from the sprayer than when the second valve body is located in the first position to define a restricted flow.

3. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the second valve body located in the second position blocks a flow from the sprayer into a predetermined area of the treating chamber to define a restricted zone.

4. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the sprayer body comprises a rotating spray arm and the first valve body is reciprocally moved within the rotating spray arm.

5. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein the first valve body and the second valve body are operably coupled and move in tandem.

6. The dishwasher of claim 5 wherein the first valve body comprises multiple openings to fluidly couple multiple spray outlets to the liquid passage.

7. The dishwasher of claim 6 wherein the first valve body is moveable between the first position in which at least some of the multiple spray outlets are coupled to the liquid passage and the second position in which other of the multiple spray outlets are coupled to the liquid passage.

8. The dishwasher of claim 6, further comprising a drive system operably coupling the rotating spray arm and the first valve body and where the drive system is configured to moves the first valve body between the two positions based on rotational movement of the rotating spray arm.

9. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the second valve body comprises a second slidable element that has solid portions which may block the fluid coupling between at least one of the multiple spray outlets and the liquid passage.

10. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the second valve body is manually movable between the first position and the second position.

11. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the second valve body is automatically moved based on a selected cycle of operation of the dishwasher.

12. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the second valve body is selectively operably coupled to an actuator that is configured to move the second valve body between the first position and the second position.

13. The dishwasher of claim 12 wherein the actuator includes a laterally extendable gear that mates with teeth formed in the second valve body.

14. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the actuator further comprises a solenoid operably coupled to the laterally extendable gear and wherein the solenoid may raise, lower, and rotate the laterally extendable gear.

15. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the sprayer body comprises a rotating disk and the first valve body rotates within the sprayer body based on the rotation of the sprayer body.

16. A dishwasher for washing dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes for cleaning; and

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

a sprayer body mounted within the tub for movement about a rotatable axis and having an interior;

a liquid passage provided in the interior;

multiple spray outlets extending through the sprayer body and in fluid communication with the liquid passage and configured to emit a spray of liquid into the treating chamber to wash the dishes;

a first valve body moveable relative to the sprayer body and having at least one opening to define a fluid coupling between at least one of the multiple spray outlets and the liquid passage; and

a second valve body selectively moveable relative to at least one of the sprayer body or the first valve body and where the second valve body has at least one solid portion that is configured to block the fluid coupling between the at least one of the multiple spray outlets and the liquid passage and where the second valve body has at least one open portion that is configured to allow the fluid coupling between the at least one of the multiple spray outlets and the liquid passage;

wherein the second valve body is configured to be positioned relative to at least one of the sprayer body or the first valve body based on a selected cycle of operation of the dishwasher.

17. The dishwasher of claim 16 wherein the second valve body is automatically positioned relative to at least one of the sprayer body or the first valve body based on a selected cycle of operation of the dishwasher.

18. The dishwasher of claim 17 wherein when the selected cycle of operation calls for greater coverage, the second valve body is automatically moved to a position where the fluid coupling between the at least one of the multiple spray outlets and the liquid passage is allowed.

19. The dishwasher of claim 17 wherein when the selected cycle of operation calls for a water saving mode, the second valve body is automatically moved to a position where the fluid coupling between one or more of the at least one of the multiple spray outlets and the liquid passage is blocked.

20. A dishwasher for washing dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, comprising:

a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes for cleaning; and

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

a sprayer body mounted within the tub for movement about a rotatable axis and having an interior;

a liquid passage provided in the interior;

multiple spray outlets extending through the sprayer body and in fluid communication with the liquid passage and configured to emit a spray of liquid into the treating chamber to wash the dishes;

a first valve body moveable relative to the sprayer body and having at least one opening to fluidly couple at least one of the multiple spray outlets to the liquid passage; and

a second valve body selectively moveable relative to at least one of the sprayer body or the first valve body to directly control a flow of liquid from the sprayer body where the second valve body is configured to move between a first position where the second valve body does not block the at least one opening or the at least one of the multiple spray outlets and a second position where the second valve body blocks at least one of the at least one opening or the at least one of the multiple spray outlets.