Dishwasher and dispensing assembly

• US 9,999,340 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2017
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: DeWeerd, Brent A., Beshears, Jr., Paul E., Sundaram, Sathish A., Delgado, Kristopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osterhout, Benjamin L
• Application Number:
  US15/412,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0047 Energy or water consumption, e.g. by saving energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0055 Metering or indication of used products, e.g. type or quantity of detergent, rinse aid or salt; for measuring or controlling the product concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/006 using wireless communication between internal components of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4445 Detachable devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/449 Metering controlling devices A47L15/4229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/023 Quantity or concentration of the consumable product
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/04 Crockery or tableware details, e.g. material, quantity, condition
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/10 Water cloudiness or dirtiness, e.g. turbidity, foaming or level of bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/12 Water temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/26 Loading door status, e.g. door latch opened or closed state
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/07 Consumable products, e.g. detergent, rinse aids or salt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/26 Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/30 Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control controlling processes of washer-dryers D06F33/50
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/05 for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control

Abstract

A dishwasher having a tub having an open face and at least partially defining a treating chamber for holding dishes during an automatic cycle of operation, a door moveably mounted between an opened position, wherein a user the treating chamber is accessible, and a closed position, wherein the door closes the open face of the tub and dispensing assembly configured to activate an indicator to emit a human-detectable signal in response to a first signal indicating a predetermined amount of treating chemistry and a second signal indicating a predetermined amount of illumination.

Claims

1. A dishwasher, comprising:

a tub having an open face and at least partially defining a treating chamber configured for holding dishes during an automatic cycle of operation;

a door moveably mounted between an opened position, wherein the treating chamber is accessible to a user, and a closed position, wherein the door closes the open face of the tub; and

a dispensing assembly, comprising;

at least one treating chemistry container configured to store a treating chemistry and selectively fluidly coupled to the treating chamber;

a chemistry detector outputting a first signal indicative of an amount of treating chemistry in the at least one treating chemistry container;

an illumination detector outputting a second signal indicative of ambient illumination;

an indicator outputting a human-detectable signal; and

a controller receiving the first and second signals and operably coupled to the indicator to activate the indicator to emit the human-detectable signal in response to the first signal indicating a predetermined amount of treating chemistry and the second signal indicating a predetermined amount of illumination.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the predetermined amount of treating chemistry is less than or equal to a low level of treating chemistry.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the low level of treating chemistry comprises an amount of treating chemistry less than a single dose.

4. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the low level of treating chemistry comprises an empty treating chemistry container.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the predetermined amount of illumination is greater than 30 lux.

6. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising multiple treating chemistry containers with corresponding chemistry detectors.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the chemistry detector comprises a level sensor.

8. The dishwasher of claim 7 wherein the level sensor is an array of spaced electrodes.

9. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the illumination detector comprises a photo-detector.

10. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the human-detectable signal comprises at least one of a visible signal and an audible signal.

11. A dispensing assembly, comprising:

at least one treating chemistry container configured to store a treating chemistry;

a chemistry detector outputting a first signal indicative of an amount of treating chemistry in the at least one treating chemistry container;

an illumination detector outputting a second signal indicative of ambient illumination;

an indicator outputting a human-detectable signal; and

a controller receiving the first and second signals and operably coupled to the indicator to activate the indicator to emit the human-detectable signal in response to the first signal indicating a predetermined amount of treating chemistry and the second signal indicating a predetermined amount of illumination.

12. The dispensing assembly of claim 11 wherein the predetermined amount of treating chemistry is less than or equal to a low level of treating chemistry.

13. The dispensing assembly of claim 12 wherein the low level of treating chemistry comprises an amount of treating chemistry less than a single dose.

14. The dispensing assembly of claim 12 wherein the low level of treating chemistry comprises an empty treating chemistry container.

15. The dispensing assembly of claim 11 wherein the predetermined amount of illumination is greater than 30 lux.

16. The dispensing assembly of claim 11, further comprising multiple treating chemistry containers with corresponding chemistry detectors.

17. The dispensing assembly of claim 11 wherein the chemistry detector comprises a level sensor.

18. The dispensing assembly of claim 17 wherein the level sensor is an array of spaced electrodes.

19. The dispensing assembly of claim 11 wherein the illumination detector comprises a photo-detector.

20. The dispensing assembly of claim 11 wherein the human-detectable signal comprises at least one of a visible signal and an audible signal.