FLUID FLOW DIVERTER FOR A DISHWASHER APPLIANCE
First Claim
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1. A fluid flow diverter for a dishwashing appliance, comprising:
- a housing that includes;
an inlet for the ingress of fluid into the housing;
a dual outlet for the egress of fluid from the housing, the dual outlet formed by an outer port that surrounds and is concentric with an inner port, the outer port providing a separate fluid flow path from the inner port;
a rotatable disk for selectively allowing the flow of fluid from the inlet to either the inner port or the outer port of the dual outlet, said rotatable disk having a plurality of openings for flow through of fluid; and
,a motor connected with said rotatable disk and configured for turning said rotatable disk so as to align one or more of the plurality of openings of said rotatable disk with the dual outlet.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a diverter that may be used to control the flow of fluid to different locations or components within a dishwashing appliance. One or more dual outlets, each having an outer port that surrounds an inner port, can be used with a rotating disk (or rotating valve) to selectively control the flow of fluid to various locations within the appliance. One or more single outlets may also be added to the diverter as desired depending upon the number of locations in the dishwasher to which the delivery of the fluid is desirable.
55 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A fluid flow diverter for a dishwashing appliance, comprising:
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a housing that includes; an inlet for the ingress of fluid into the housing; a dual outlet for the egress of fluid from the housing, the dual outlet formed by an outer port that surrounds and is concentric with an inner port, the outer port providing a separate fluid flow path from the inner port; a rotatable disk for selectively allowing the flow of fluid from the inlet to either the inner port or the outer port of the dual outlet, said rotatable disk having a plurality of openings for flow through of fluid; and
,a motor connected with said rotatable disk and configured for turning said rotatable disk so as to align one or more of the plurality of openings of said rotatable disk with the dual outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A dishwasher appliance, comprising:
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a chamber for the receipt of dishes for cleaning; a spray-arm assembly for applying a fluid to the dishes, the spray-arm assembly comprising a first spray-arm that causes the spray-arm assembly to rotate in a first direction when fluid is ejected from the first spray arm; a second spray arm that causes the spray-arm assembly to rotate in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction when fluid is ejected from the second spray arm; a diverter for the control of fluid provided to said spray-arm assembly, said diverter comprising; an inlet for the ingress of fluid into said diverter; a dual outlet for the egress of fluid from said diverter to said spray-arm assembly, the dual outlet comprising an outer port and an inner port that provide for separate flows of fluid to said spray-arm assembly, and wherein the outer port surrounds the inner port; and a rotatable valve located proximate to the dual outlet, said rotatable valve comprising a first opening and a second opening positioned upon said rotatable valve such that either the first opening or second opening can be selectively aligned with said dual outlet to provide for a flow of fluid to either the inner port or the outer port. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A fluid flow diverter for a dishwashing appliance, comprising:
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a housing that includes an inlet for the ingress of fluid into the housing; at least two dual outlets for the egress of fluid from the housing, each dual outlet formed by an outer port that surrounds and is concentric with an inner port, the outer port providing a separate fluid flow path from the inner port; a rotatable disk for selectively allowing the flow of fluid from the inlet to either the inner port or the outer port of the dual outlets, said rotatable disk having a plurality of openings for flow through of fluid; and
,a motor connected with said rotatable disk and configured for turning said rotatable disk so as to align one or more of the plurality of openings of said rotatable disk with said at least two dual outlets.
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Specification