Patent Application
20200146528
Home appliances, such as a dishwasher for example, generally have a cabinet defining a treating chamber and having an opening through which dishes loaded/unloaded. A door opens to provide access to the opening, and closes to seal the opening. With the door closed, the interior of the dishwasher defines a dish treating chamber. The chamber comprises or is fluidly coupled to elements that dispense a treating chemistry such as dishwashing liquid or powder from a reservoir Dishwashers typically have one or more movable racks and wash baskets for carrying dishes during a wash cycle.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a utensil basked for removable mounting in a dishrack of a dishwasher having a liquid distribution system, the utensil basket comprising a housing with an open top and a porous bottom, multiple seats provided within the housing in spaced relationship, with each seat configured to support only a single utensil, a utensil separator having a portion located between each of the seats, and a sprayer, carried by the housing, and configured to emit a spray of liquid toward the multiple seats.
In another aspect, a utensil basket for removable mounting in a dishrack of a dishwasher having a liquid distribution system, the utensil basket comprising a housing with an open top and a porous bottom, multiple seats provided within the housing in spaced relationship, with each seat configured to support a single utensil, a utensil separator having a plurality of peaks and valleys, and the valleys located between each of the seats, and a sprayer, carried by the housing, and configured to emit a spray of liquid toward the multiple seats.
In yet another aspect, a utensil basket for removable mounting in a dishrack of a dishwasher having a liquid distribution system, the utensil basket comprising a housing with an open top and a porous bottom, multiple seats provided within the housing in spaced relationship, with each seat of the multiple seats configured to support a single utensil, a utensil separator having a wire-like body with a plurality of peaks and valleys, and the valleys located between each of the seats, and a sprayer, carried by the housing, and having multiple nozzles configured to emit a spray of liquid onto the multiple seats, with each seat of the multiple seats having a dedicated nozzle.
In the drawings:
It should be appreciated that the door assembly 18 may be secured to the lower front edge of the chassis 12 or to the lower front edge of the tub 14 via a hinge assembly (not shown) configured to pivot the door assembly 18. When the door assembly 18 is closed, user access to the treating chamber 16 may be prevented, whereas user access to the treating chamber 16 may be permitted when the door assembly 18 is open.
Dish holders, illustrated in the form of upper and lower dish racks 26, 28, are located within the treating chamber 16 and receive dishes for washing. The upper and lower dish racks 26, 28 are typically mounted for slidable movement in and out of the treating chamber 16 for ease of loading and unloading. Other dish holders may be provided, such as a silverware basket. As used in this description, the term “dish(es)” is intended to be generic to any item, single or plural, that may be treated in the dishwasher 10, including, without limitation, dishes, plates, pots, bowls, pans, glassware, and silverware.
A liquid distribution system is provided for spraying liquid in the treating chamber 16 and is provided in the form of a first lower spray assembly 34, a second lower spray assembly 36, a rotating mid-level spray arm assembly 38, and/or an upper spray arm assembly 40. Upper sprayer 40, mid-level rotatable sprayer 38 and lower rotatable sprayer 34 are located, respectively, above the upper dish rack 26, beneath the upper dish rack 26, and beneath the lower dish rack 28 and are illustrated as rotating spray arms. The second lower spray assembly 36 is illustrated as being located adjacent the lower dish rack 28 toward the rear of the treating chamber 16. The second lower spray assembly 36 is illustrated as including a vertically oriented distribution header or spray manifold 44. Such a spray manifold is set forth in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,513, issued Sep. 29, 2009, and titled “Multiple Wash Zone Dishwasher,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A recirculation system is provided for recirculating liquid from the treating chamber 16 to the spray system. The recirculation system may include a sump 30 and a pump assembly 31. The sump 30 collects the liquid sprayed in the treating chamber 16 and may be formed by a sloped or recess portion of a bottom wall of the tub 14. The pump assembly 31 may include both a drain pump 32 and a recirculation pump 33. The drain pump 32 may draw liquid from the sump 30 and pump the liquid out of the dishwasher 10 to a household drain line (not shown). The recirculation pump 33 may draw liquid from the sump 30 and the liquid may be simultaneously or selectively pumped through a supply tube 42 to each of the assemblies 34, 36, 38, 40 for selective spraying. While not shown, a liquid supply system may include a water supply conduit coupled with a household water supply for supplying water to the treating chamber 16.
A controller 50 may also be included in the dishwasher 10, which may be operably coupled with various components of the dishwasher 10 to implement a cycle of operation. The controller 50 may be located within the door 18 as illustrated, or it may alternatively be located somewhere within the chassis 12. The controller 50 may also be operably coupled with a control panel or user interface 56 for receiving user-selected inputs and communicating information to the user. The user interface 56 may include operational controls such as dials, lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands, such as a cycle of operation, to the controller 50 and receive information.
Sprayer 250 is also carried on housing 205 and can be coupled to the dishwasher's liquid distribution system for spraying or emitting liquid onto the utensil seats 210. The sprayer 250 comprises a manifold 255 for distributing liquid throughout the utensil basket 200. The manifold 255 can be carried by the housing 205 and may be separately attached or integrally molded to or with the housing 205. While not required, the sprayer 250 can have one or more spray nozzles 251 fluidly coupled to the manifold 255 and directed toward the seats 210. In a specific implementation each seat 210 can have a dedicated spray nozzle 251 directed toward it.
The secondary manifold system 312 can have a diverter valve 320 integrally coupled therewith. While the illustrated example shows the diverter valve 320 being positioned near the back of the dish rack 26, 28, it could positioned in various other places on the dish rack 26, 28 without limiting the scope of the invention. The diverter valve 320 associated with the secondary manifold system 312 of the dish rack 26, 28 has a receiving port 325. The utensil basket 200 comprises a mounting port 330 configured to be received in the receiving port 325 on dish rack 26, 28 in a predetermined location. In this way, the manifold 255 of the utensil basket 200 selectively couples to the dish rack 26, 28, which selectively couples to the dishwasher's liquid distribution system via supply tube 42.
The diverter valve 320 can be mechanically opened when the utensil basket 200 is coupled the dishrack 26, 28 and the dishwasher 10 can be programmed with a cycle that provides liquid to the utensil basket 200 during a portion of a wash cycle. Alternatively, the dishwasher 10 can be programmed with a user activated cycle select which could provide liquid to the utensil basket 200 during a portion of a preprogrammed wash cycle. In an alternate embodiment, the dishwasher 10 could also be configured with one or more sensors to sense the connection of the utensil basket 200 to either one of the dish racks 26, 28. Upon sensing the presence of the utensil basket 200, the dishwasher 10 can be programmed with a cycle that provides liquid to the utensil basket 200 during a portion of a wash cycle. In addition, the diverter valve 320 can be configured to open or close at various places in the wash cycle.
Similar to the embodiment shown in
Similar to the utensil basket 200 of
Similar to the other embodiments, the housing 405 also carries a sprayer 450 coupled to the dishwasher's liquid distribution systems for spraying or emitting liquid generally on and around seats 410. The sprayer 450 comprises a manifold 455 for distributing liquid throughout the wash basket 400. The manifold 455 can be carried by the housing 405 and may be separately attached or integrally molded to or with the housing 405. While not required, the sprayer 450 can have one or more spray nozzles 451 directed toward each seat 410 and specifically directed toward both sides of each utensil 406. In a specific implementation each seat 410 can have a dedicated spray nozzle 451 directed toward it. In a non-limiting embodiment, utensil separators 415 may each carry a spray nozzle 451 directed toward an adjacent seat 410. It should be recognized that the manifold 455 and spray nozzles 451 could be set up in many ways without limiting the scope of the disclosure.
Like the utensil basket 200 in
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/628,685, filed Jun. 21, 2017, and now allowed, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15628685 | Jun 2017 | US |
| Child | 16744482 | US |
