Patent Application
20220313056
Dishwashers are used in many single-family and multi-family residential applications to clean dishes, silverware, cutlery, cups, glasses, pots, pans, etc. (collectively referred to herein as “utensils”). Many dishwashers rely primarily on rotatable spray arms that are disposed at the bottom and/or top of a tub and/or are mounted to a rack that holds utensils. A spray arm is coupled to a source of wash fluid and includes multiple apertures for spraying wash fluid onto utensils, and generally rotates about a central hub such that each aperture follows a circular path throughout the rotation of the spray arm. The apertures may also be angled such that force of the wash fluid exiting the spray arm causes the spray arm to rotate about the central hub.
While traditional spray arm systems are simple and mostly effective, they have the shortcoming that they must spread the wash fluid over all areas equally to achieve a satisfactory result. In doing so, resources such as time, energy and water are generally wasted because wash fluid cannot be focused precisely where it is needed. Moreover, because spray arms follow a generally circular path, the corners of a tub may not be covered as thoroughly, leading to lower cleaning performance for utensils located in the corners of a rack. In addition, in some instances the spray jets of a spray arm may be directed to the sides of a wash tub during at least portions of the rotation, leading to unneeded noise during a wash cycle.
The herein-described embodiments address these and other problems associated with the art by providing a dishwasher and method for making and/or using the same utilizing one or more walking tubular spray elements that may be used to effectively increase the spray coverage area of the tubular spray elements through rotation and/or movement of the walking tubular spray elements in directions other than about the longitudinal axes thereof.
Therefore, consistent with one aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub, a fluid supply configured to supply fluid to the wash tub, a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, the tubular spray element including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with the fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, where the longitudinal axis is a first axis, and the tubular spray element is linearly movable along a second axis that is generally transverse to the first axis, and at least one tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element about the longitudinal axis and to move the tubular spray element linearly along the second axis.
In some embodiments, the at least one tubular spray element drive includes a first tubular spray element drive configured to rotate the tubular spray element about the longitudinal axis and a second tubular spray element drive configured to move the tubular spray element linearly along the second axis. In addition, some embodiments may further include a linear track, and the at least one tubular spray element drive is configured to rotate the tubular spray element about the longitudinal axis and to move the tubular spray element linearly along the second axis by rolling the tubular spray element along the track.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub including a back wall and first and second side walls, a fluid supply configured to supply fluid to the wash tub, a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, the tubular spray element including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with the fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, and at least one tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element about longitudinal axis and to move the tubular spray element in a direction that is generally parallel to at least one of the back wall and the first and second side walls.
Also, in some embodiments, the at least one tubular spray element drive is configured to move the tubular spray element linearly in the direction that is generally parallel to the at least one of the back wall and the first and second side walls. Further, in some embodiments, the at least one tubular spray element drive is configured to move the tubular spray element within a substantially horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the at least one tubular spray element drive is configured to move the tubular spray element within a substantially vertical plane. In addition, in some embodiments, the at least one tubular spray element drive includes first and second tubular spray element drives, the first tubular spray element drive configured to rotate the tubular spray element about the longitudinal axis, and the second tubular spray element drive configured to move the tubular spray element in the direction that is generally parallel to the at least one of the back wall and the first and second side walls.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub, a fluid supply configured to supply fluid to the wash tub, a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, the tubular spray element including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with the fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, where the longitudinal axis is a first axis, and the tubular spray element is rotatable about a second axis that is generally transverse to the first axis and positioned proximate a corner of the wash tub, and at least one tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element about the longitudinal axis and to rotate the tubular spray element about the second axis.
In some embodiments, the second axis is disposed proximate an end of the tubular spray element such that an opposite end of the tubular spray element moves along an arcuate path when rotated about the second axis by the at least one tubular spray element drive. In addition, in some embodiments, the tubular spray element is a first tubular spray element, the corner is a first corner of the wash tub, the dishwasher further includes a second tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and being rotatable about a third, longitudinal axis thereof, the second tubular spray element is further rotatable about a fourth axis that is generally transverse to the third axis, the fourth axis is disposed proximate an end of the second tubular spray element, is generally parallel to the second axis and is disposed proximate an opposite corner of the wash tub from the first corner, and the at least one tubular spray element drive is further configured to rotate the second tubular spray element about each of the third and fourth axes.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the first and second tubular spray elements are configured to rotate about the second and fourth axes generally within a same plane, and the dishwasher further includes a controller coupled to the at least one tubular spray element drive to coordinate rotation of the first and second tubular spray elements to substantially cover a cross-sectional area of the wash tub without collision between the first and second tubular spray elements. In some embodiments, the first and second tubular spray elements are configured to rotate about the second and fourth axes generally within separate planes to avoid collision between the first and second tubular spray elements.
Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a dishwasher may include a wash tub, a fluid supply configured to supply fluid to the wash tub, a track defining a path of travel, a tubular spray element disposed in the wash tub and engaged with the track, the tubular spray element being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and including one or more apertures extending through an exterior surface thereof, and the tubular spray element in fluid communication with the fluid supply to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures, and at least one tubular spray element drive coupled to the tubular spray element and configured to rotate the tubular spray element about the longitudinal axis and to move the tubular spray element along the path of travel defined by the track.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the track includes a plurality of teeth extending along at least a portion of the path of travel and the tubular spray element includes a toothed gear coupled thereto and rotatable about the longitudinal axis, and the at least one tubular spray element drive is configured to move the tubular spray element along the path of travel defined by the track by rotating the toothed gear along the path of travel to engage with the plurality of teeth. In some embodiments, the toothed gear is fixedly mounted to the tubular spray element such that rotation of the toothed gear rotates the tubular spray element about the longitudinal axis and moves the tubular spray element along the path of travel defined by the track. In addition, in some embodiments, the track includes first and second opposing guides, and the plurality of teeth extend along the first opposing guide and the second opposing guide includes a non-toothed surface.
In some embodiments, the tubular spray element is configured to rotate while moving along at least a portion of the path of travel defined by the track. Moreover, in some embodiments, the tubular spray element is configured to maintain a predetermined rotational orientation while moving along at least a portion of the path of travel defined by the track. Also, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the path of travel extends linearly. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the path of travel is curved. In addition, in some embodiments, the path of travel forms a closed loop. Also, in some embodiments, the path of travel includes first and second linear portions extending substantially parallel to one another and joined at common ends by a curved portion of the path of travel.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the wash tub includes a back wall and first and second side walls, and the track is generally parallel to at least one of the back wall and the first and second side walls. Some embodiments may further include a rotatable supply tube coupled to and in fluid communication between the fluid supply and the tubular spray element to supply fluid from the fluid supply to the tubular spray element, the rotatable supply tube coupled to the tubular spray element through first and second ball joints, and the rotatable supply tube coupled to the at least one tubular spray element drive such that rotation of the rotatable supply tube by the at least one tubular spray element drive causes the tubular spray element to move along the path of travel defined by the track.
Other embodiments may include various methods for making and/or using any of the aforementioned constructions.
These and other advantages and features, which characterize the invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto and forming a further part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages and objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the Drawings, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described example embodiments of the invention. This summary is merely provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description, and is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In some embodiments consistent with the invention, one or more walking tubular spray elements may be used in a dishwasher to effectively increase the spray coverage area of the tubular spray elements through rotation and/or movement of the walking tubular spray elements in directions other than about the longitudinal axes thereof.
A tubular spray element, in this regard, may be considered to be a type of rotatable conduit that includes a body capable of communicating a fluid such as water, a wash fluid including water, detergent and/or another treatment composition, or pressurized air, and that is capable of communicating the fluid to one or more apertures or nozzles to spray fluid onto utensils within a wash tub. A tubular spray element generally includes an elongated body, which may be generally cylindrical in some embodiments but may also have other cross-sectional profiles in other embodiments, and which has one or more apertures disposed on an exterior surface thereof and in fluid communication with a fluid supply, e.g., through one or more internal passageways defined therein. A tubular spray element also has a longitudinal axis generally defined along its longest dimension and about which the tubular spray element rotates. Further, when a tubular spray element is mounted on a rack and configured to selectively engage with a dock based upon the position of the rack, this longitudinal axis may also be considered to be an axis of insertion. A tubular spray element may also have a cross-sectional profile that varies along the longitudinal axis, so it will be appreciated that a tubular spray element need not have a circular cross-sectional profile along its length as is illustrated in a number embodiments herein. In addition, the one or more apertures on the exterior surface of a tubular spray element may be arranged into nozzles in some embodiments, and may be fixed or movable (e.g., rotating, oscillating, etc.) with respect to other apertures on the tubular spray element. Further, the exterior surface of a tubular spray element may be defined on multiple components of a tubular spray element, i.e., the exterior surface need not be formed by a single integral component.
In addition, in some embodiments a tubular spray element may be discretely directed by a tubular spray element drive to multiple rotational positions about the longitudinal axis to spray a fluid in predetermined directions into a wash tub of a dishwasher during a wash cycle. In some embodiments, the tubular spray element may be operably coupled to such a drive through a support arrangement that both rotates the tubular spray element and supplies fluid to the tubular spray element, as will become more apparent below. Further details regarding tubular spray elements may be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 10,531,781 to Digman et al., which is assigned to the same assignee as that of the present application, and which is incorporated by reference herein. In other embodiments, however, a tubular spray element may rotate in a less controlled fashion, e.g., through the use of an electric drive, a hydraulic drive, or based upon a force generated in reaction to the ejection of wash fluid from the tubular spray element itself. In such instances, the rotational position of a tubular spray element may not be discretely controlled and/or known at any given time, although other aspects of the rotation or operation of the tubular spray may still be controlled in some embodiments, e.g., the speed of rotation, whether rotation is enabled or disabled, and/or whether fluid flow is provided to the tubular spray element, etc.
Turning now to the drawings, wherein like numbers denote like parts throughout the several views,
In addition, consistent with some embodiments of the invention, dishwasher 10 may include one or more tubular spray elements (TSEs) 26 to direct a wash fluid onto utensils disposed in racks 18, 20. As will become more apparent below, tubular spray elements 26 are rotatable about respective longitudinal axes and may be discretely directable by one or more tubular spray element drives (not shown in
Some tubular spray elements 26 may be fixedly mounted to a wall or other structure in wash tub 16, e.g., as may be the case for tubular spray elements 26 disposed below or adjacent lower rack 18. For other tubular spray elements 26, e.g., rack-mounted tubular spray elements, the tubular spray elements may be removably coupled to a docking arrangement such as docking arrangement 28 mounted to the rear wall of wash tub 16 in
The embodiments discussed hereinafter will focus on the implementation of the hereinafter-described techniques within a hinged-door dishwasher. However, it will be appreciated that the herein-described techniques may also be used in connection with other types of dishwashers in some embodiments. For example, the herein-described techniques may be used in commercial applications in some embodiments. Moreover, at least some of the herein-described techniques may be used in connection with other dishwasher configurations, including dishwashers utilizing sliding drawers or dish sink dishwashers, e.g., a dishwasher integrated into a sink.
Now turning to
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, pump 36 and air supply 38 collectively implement a fluid supply for dishwasher 100, providing both a source of wash fluid and pressurized air for use respectively during wash and drying operations of a wash cycle. A wash fluid may be considered to be a fluid, generally a liquid, incorporating at least water, and in some instances, additional components such as detergent, rinse aid, and other additives. During a rinse operation, for example, the wash fluid may include only water. A wash fluid may also include steam in some instances. Pressurized air is generally used in drying operations, and may or may not be heated and/or dehumidified prior to spraying into a wash tub. It will be appreciated, however, that pressurized air may not be used for drying purposes in some embodiments, so air supply 38 may be omitted in some instances. Moreover, in some instances, tubular spray elements may be used solely for spraying wash fluid or spraying pressurized air, with other sprayers or spray arms used for other purposes, so the invention is not limited to the use of tubular spray elements for spraying both wash fluid and pressurized air.
Controller 30 may also be coupled to a dispenser 44 to trigger the dispensing of detergent and/or rinse agent into the wash tub at appropriate points during a wash cycle. Additional sensors and actuators may also be used in some embodiments, including a temperature sensor 46 to determine a wash fluid temperature, a door switch 48 to determine when door 12 is latched, and a door lock 50 to prevent the door from being opened during a wash cycle. Moreover, controller 30 may be coupled to a user interface 52 including various input/output devices such as knobs, dials, sliders, switches, buttons, lights, textual and/or graphics displays, touch screen displays, speakers, image capture devices, microphones, etc. for receiving input from and communicating with a user. In some embodiments, controller 30 may also be coupled to one or more network interfaces 54, e.g., for interfacing with external devices via wired and/or wireless networks such as Ethernet, Bluetooth, NFC, cellular and other suitable networks. Additional components may also be interfaced with controller 30, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure. For example, one or more tubular spray element (TSE) drives 56 and/or one or more tubular spray element (TSE) valves 58 may be provided in some embodiments to discretely control one or more tubular spray elements disposed in dishwasher 10, as will be discussed in greater detail below.
It will be appreciated that each tubular spray element drive 56 may also provide feedback to controller 30 in some embodiments, e.g., a current position and/or speed, although in other embodiments a separate position sensor may be used. In addition, as will become more apparent below, flow regulation to a tubular spray element may be performed without the use of a separately-controlled tubular spray element valve 58 in some embodiments, e.g., where rotation of a tubular spray element by a tubular spray element drive is used to actuate a mechanical valve.
Moreover, in some embodiments, at least a portion of controller 30 may be implemented externally from a dishwasher, e.g., within a mobile device, a cloud computing environment, etc., such that at least a portion of the functionality described herein is implemented within the portion of the controller that is externally implemented. In some embodiments, controller 30 may operate under the control of an operating system and may execute or otherwise rely upon various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data structures, etc. In addition, controller 30 may also incorporate hardware logic to implement some or all of the functionality disclosed herein. Further, in some embodiments, the sequences of operations performed by controller 30 to implement the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented using program code including one or more instructions that are resident at various times in various memory and storage devices, and that, when read and executed by one or more hardware-based processors, perform the operations embodying desired functionality. Moreover, in some embodiments, such program code may be distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that the invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of computer readable media used to actually carry out the distribution, including, for example, non-transitory computer readable storage media. In addition, it will be appreciated that the various operations described herein may be combined, split, reordered, reversed, varied, omitted, parallelized and/or supplemented with other techniques known in the art, and therefore, the invention is not limited to the particular sequences of operations described herein.
Numerous variations and modifications to the dishwasher illustrated in
Now turning to
Moreover, as illustrated in
Tubular spray element 100 is in fluid communication with a fluid supply 106, e.g., through a port 108 of tubular spray element drive 102, to direct fluid from the fluid supply into the wash tub through the one or more apertures 104. Tubular spray element drive 102 is coupled to tubular spray element 100 and is configured to discretely direct the tubular spray element 100 to each of a plurality of rotational positions about longitudinal axis L. By “discretely directing,” what is meant is that tubular spray element drive 102 is capable of rotating tubular spray element 100 generally to a controlled rotational angle (or at least within a range of rotational angles) about longitudinal axis L. Thus, rather than uncontrollably rotating tubular spray element 100 or uncontrollably oscillating the tubular spray element between two fixed rotational positions, tubular spray element drive 102 is capable of intelligently focusing the spray from tubular spray element 100 between multiple rotational positions. It will also be appreciated that rotating a tubular spray element to a controlled rotational angle may refer to an absolute rotational angle (e.g., about 10 degrees from a home position) or may refer to a relative rotational angle (e.g., about 10 degrees from the current position).
Tubular spray element drive 102 is also illustrated with an electrical connection 110 for coupling to a controller 112, and a housing 114 is illustrated for housing various components in tubular spray element drive 102 that will be discussed in greater detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, tubular spray element drive 102 is configured as a base that supports, through a rotary coupling, an end of the tubular spray element and effectively places the tubular spray element in fluid communication with port 108.
By having an intelligent control provided by tubular spray element drive 102 and/or controller 112, spray patterns and cycle parameters may be increased and optimized for different situations. For instance, tubular spray elements near the center of a wash tub may be configured to rotate 360 degrees, while tubular spray elements located near wash tub walls may be limited to about 180 degrees of rotation to avoid spraying directly onto any of the walls of the wash tub, which can be a significant source of noise in a dishwasher. In another instance, it may be desirable to direct or focus a tubular spray element to a fixed rotational position or over a small range of rotational positions (e.g., about 5-10 degrees) to provide concentrated spray of liquid, steam and/or air, e.g., for cleaning silverware or baked on debris in a pan. In addition, in some instances the rotational velocity of a tubular spray element could be varied throughout rotation to provide longer durations in certain ranges of rotational positions and thus provide more concentrated washing in particular areas of a wash tub, while still maintaining rotation through 360 degrees. Control over a tubular spray element may include control over rotational position, speed or rate of rotation and/or direction of rotation in different embodiments of the invention.
In addition, an optional position sensor 122 may be disposed in tubular spray element drive 102 to determine a rotational position of tubular spray element 100 about axis L. Position sensor 122 may be an encoder or hall sensor in some embodiments, or may be implemented in other manners, e.g., integrated into a stepper motor, whereby the rotational position of the motor is used to determine the rotational position of the tubular spray element. Position sensor 122 may also sense only limited rotational positions about axis L (e.g., a home position, 30 or 45 degree increments, etc.). Further, in some embodiments, rotational position may be controlled using time and programming logic, e.g., relative to a home position, and in some instances without feedback from a motor or position sensor. Position sensor 122 may also be external to tubular spray element drive 102 in some embodiments.
An internal passage 124 in tubular spray element 100 is in fluid communication with an internal passage 126 leading to port 108 (not shown in
Turning to
In some embodiments, valve 140 may be actuated independent of rotation of tubular spray element 144, e.g., using an iris valve, butterfly valve, gate valve, plunger valve, piston valve, valve with a rotatable disc, ball valve, etc., and actuated by a solenoid, motor or other separate mechanism from the mechanism that rotates tubular spray element 144. In other embodiments, however, valve 140 may be actuated through rotation of tubular spray element 144. In some embodiments, for example, rotation of tubular spray element 144 to a predetermined rotational position may close valve 140, e.g., where valve 140 includes an arcuate channel that permits fluid flow over only a range of rotational positions. In other embodiments, a valve may be actuated through over-rotation of a tubular spray element, or through counter rotation of a tubular spray element. Further, in some embodiments, a valve may be variable, e.g., configured as an iris valve, to regulate fluid flow to the tubular spray element, and may be independently actuated from rotation of a tubular spray element in some embodiments (e.g., via a solenoid or motor), or may be actuated through rotation of a tubular spray element, e.g., through rotation to a predetermined position, an over-rotation, or a counter-rotation, using appropriate mechanical linkages. Other variations will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
Now turning to
Moreover, as illustrated by tubular spray element 150 of
In still other embodiments, a tubular spray element may be rack-mounted.
As an alternative, and as illustrated in
In some embodiments, tubular spray elements 196, 198 by themselves may provide sufficient washing action and coverage. In other embodiments, however, additional tubular spray elements, e.g., tubular spray elements 199 supported above upper rack 192 on one or both of the top and back walls of wash tub 190, may also be used. In addition, in some embodiments, additional spray arms and/or other sprayers may be used. It will also be appreciated that while 10 tubular spray elements are illustrated in
It will also be appreciated that in some embodiments, multiple tubular spray elements may be driven by the same tubular spray element drive, e.g., using geared arrangements, belt drives, or other mechanical couplings. Further, tubular spray elements may also be movable in various directions in addition to rotating about their longitudinal axes, e.g., to move transversely to a longitudinally axis, to rotate about an axis of rotation that is transverse to a longitudinal axis, etc. In addition, deflectors may be used in combination with tubular spray elements in some embodiments to further the spread of fluid and/or prevent fluid from hitting tub walls. In some embodiments, deflectors may be integrated into a rack, while in other embodiments, deflectors may be mounted to a wall of the wash tub. In addition, deflectors may also be movable in some embodiments, e.g., to redirect fluid between multiple directions. Moreover, while in some embodiments tubular spray elements may be used solely to spray wash fluid, in other embodiments tubular spray elements may be used to spray pressurized air at utensils during a drying operation of a wash cycle, e.g., to blow off water that pools on cups and dishes after rinsing is complete. In some instances, different tubular spray elements may be used to spray wash fluid and spray pressurized air, while in other instances the same tubular spray elements may be used to alternately or concurrently spray wash liquid and pressurized air.
As noted above, it may be desirable in some embodiments to provide a tubular spray element, also referred to herein as a walking tubular spray element, that is also rotatable or otherwise movable in addition to rotating about its longitudinal axis, as well as in different planes. One limitation of non-walking tubular spray elements, which rotate about a longitudinal axis that is substantially fixed in both position and orientation in a dishwasher, is that the spray coverage area can be fairly limited for some applications. Generally, the spray coverage area of a sprayer is the integral of the jet diameter over the sweep of rotation, and the only manner of increasing the spray coverage area is through larger sweeps. For some applications, however, it may be desirable to configure a tubular spray element to rotate or move in a direction other than about its longitudinal axis to increase the integrated area of the spray coverage.
It will be appreciated that each hub 208, 210 may include multiple tubular spray element drives, including one tubular spray element drive for rotating the tubular spray element 202, 204 about its longitudinal axis and one tubular spray element drive for rotating the tubular spray element 202, 204 about the transverse axis of rotation. In some embodiments, the two drives may also be interconnected and/or share common components (e.g., gears and/or motors). In other embodiments, tubular spray element drives for rotating about a longitudinal axis and/or rotating about a transverse axis of rotation may be separate from the hub 202, 204 and mechanically coupled in an appropriate manner that will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
It will be appreciated that through the movement of tubular spray elements along paths A1, A2, substantially the entire cross-section of wash tub 206 may be covered, including the corners, thereby minimizing dead zones where insufficient spraying occurs. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that, in order to avoid collisions between tubular spray elements 202, 204, the tubular spray elements may be configured to rotate in different planes (e.g., at different elevations in the wash tub), or alternatively control of the position of each tubular spray element 202, 204 along paths A1, A2 may be coordinated to avoid collisions, even where the elements are in the same plane.
Now turning to
It will be appreciated that movement of tubular spray elements 224, 226 along axes A3, A4 is generally parallel to back wall 232 of wash tub 222. In other embodiments, however, e.g., where a tubular spray element is supported by or otherwise extends from a side wall such as one of side walls 234, 236 of wash tub 222, such a tubular spray element may be movable in a direction that is generally parallel to one or both of those side walls. Furthermore, if a tubular spray element is movable in a generally vertical plane, rather than the horizontal plane 238 for the arrangement of
Furthermore, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments, movement of a tubular spray element beyond about its longitudinal axis may include a path of travel that is not necessarily linear, generally transverse to the longitudinal axis and/or generally parallel to a back and/or side wall of the wash tub along its entire length. The path of travel, for example, may include one or more linear and/or curved sections, and may be limited to a single dimension in some instances, but alternatively may include movement in two or more dimensions in other instances. In some instances, rotation about one or more axes other than the longitudinal axis may also be used within the path of travel for a tubular spray element.
In this embodiment, path of travel 258 is defined by a pair of opposing guides 260, 262, with guide 260 having a toothed surface including a plurality of teeth 264 suitable for engaging with a toothed gear 266 formed or otherwise mounted on elongated tube 252 of tubular spray element 250, such that rotation of toothed gear 266 causes tubular spray element 250 to travel along path of travel 258 as a result of the engagement of toothed gear 266 with teeth 264. Guide 262 includes a non-toothed, e.g., a substantially smooth, surface so as to not engage with toothed gear 266 as the tubular spray element moves along the path of travel.
In the embodiment of
A tubular spray element drive, functionally illustrated at 268 in
A pair of ball joints 272, 274 couple rotatable supply tube 270 to tubular spray element 250, with inner ball joint ends 276, 278 defined at the ends of rotatable supply tube 270 and tubular spray element 250, respectively, and with an intermediate supply tube 280 defining outer ball joint ends 282, 284 that engage with inner ball joint ends 276, 278, respectively. With such an arrangement, longitudinal axis L2 of rotatable supply tube 270 may be fixed in position, while a fluid and mechanical coupling may be maintained between rotatable supply tube 270 and tubular spray element 250 as the longitudinal axis L1 of tubular spray element 250 travels along path of travel 258.
It will be appreciated that other mechanical couplings suitable for driving a tubular spray element along a path of travel may be used in other embodiments. Moreover, while the embodiment of
A pair of tubular spray element drives 320, 322 are used to separately move tubular spray element 300 along track 310, and rotate tubular spray element 300 about its longitudinal axis L3. Tubular spray element drive 320, also referred to as a translational drive, causes rotation of rotatable supply tube 314, intermediate supply tube 312, guide tube 304, and thus toothed gear 306 to cause movement along the path of travel defined by track 310, in a similar manner to tubular spray element 250.
Tubular spray element drive 322, also referred to as a rotational drive, is coupled to elongated tube 302 of tubular spray element 320 to cause rotation of elongated tube 302 relative to guide tube 304 about longitudinal axis L3. In some embodiments, for example, a flexible cable 324 may extend through the interior of tubes 314, 312, and 304 and affix to a mounting block 326 formed in or otherwise mounted to elongated tube 302, such that rotation of flexible cable 324 causes relative rotation between elongated tube 302 and guide tube 304. As such, through coordination of tubular spray element drives 320, 322, both the rotational orientation of tubular spray element 300, and its movement along track 310, may be separately controlled.
It will be appreciated, however, that a wide variety of alternate arrangements may be used to separately control the rotational orientation and movement of a tubular spray element. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement disclosed herein.
Returning to
It will also be appreciated that where a track is not formed as a continuous loop, various types of position sensing may be used in some instances to detect when a tubular spray element reaches an end of a track, e.g., limit switches that are positioned proximate the ends of a track, or in other manners that would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure. In addition, while tubular spray elements may be discretely directed in some embodiments, in other embodiments, it may be desirable to enable tubular spray elements to rotate uncontrollably or otherwise without concern for their precise rotational orientation.
It will be appreciated that, while certain features may be discussed herein in connection with certain embodiments and/or in connection with certain figures, unless expressly stated to the contrary, such features generally may be incorporated into any of the embodiments discussed and illustrated herein. Moreover, features that are disclosed as being combined in some embodiments may generally be implemented separately in other embodiments, and features that are disclosed as being implemented separately in some embodiments may be combined in other embodiments, so the fact that a particular feature is discussed in the context of one embodiment but not another should not be construed as an admission that those two embodiments are mutually exclusive of one another. Various additional modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments consistent with the invention. Therefore, the invention lies in the claims hereinafter appended.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16707181 | Dec 2019 | US |
| Child | 17323350 | US | |
| Parent | 15721099 | Sep 2017 | US |
| Child | 16707181 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17323350 | May 2021 | US |
| Child | 17848858 | US |
