Patent Application
20210274993
The present subject matter relates generally to washer appliances, and more particularly to dishwashing appliances methods for managing moisture therein.
Dishwashing appliances generally include a tub that defines a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. Certain dishwashing appliances also include a rack assembly slidably mounted within the wash chamber. A user can load articles, such as plates, bowls, glasses, or cups, into the rack assembly, and the rack assembly can support such articles within the wash chamber during operation of the dishwashing appliance. Spray assemblies within the wash chamber can apply or direct wash fluid towards articles disposed within the rack assemblies in order to clean such articles. Multiple spray assemblies can be provided, including, for example, a lower spray arm assembly mounted to the tub at a bottom of the wash chamber; a mid-level spray arm assembly mounted to one of the rack assemblies; or an upper spray assembly mounted to the tub at a top of the wash chamber. Other configurations may be used as well.
After the spray assemblies have washed or sprayed articles on the rack assemblies, typical dishwashing appliances provide one or more features to circulate air and remove moisture from (i.e., dry) the articles as part of a dry cycle. Commonly, such features are provided as part of a closed loop or an open loop system. Closed loop systems often draw air from the wash chamber through an inlet before returning that same air to the wash chamber (e.g., after being heated or dried). Open loop systems generally motivate air from the ambient environment to the wash chamber, such as through a small vent within the door.
These existing systems present a number of drawbacks. For instance, existing appliances often have difficulty managing the moisture or humidity within the air being circulated. In existing appliances with a closed loop system, an appliance may have difficulty removing moisture from air or may have a limited absorption capacity. Moreover, materials to absorb moisture, such as zeolite, can be expensive or difficult to incorporate. In existing appliances with an open loop system, performance may be uneven. The vent through which air passes may further permit noise and heat to escape, such as during a wash cycle. Attempts have been made to open the door in order to facilitate ventilation. Nonetheless, air often is only permitted to the ambient environment after heating has been completed, hindering performance and drying efficacy of the appliance.
There is, thus, a need for an improved dishwashing appliance. In particular, it would be advantageous to provide a dishwashing appliance with one or more features to efficiently dry air or articles within the wash chamber (e.g., during a dry cycle).
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a dishwashing appliance is provided. The method may include moving a door from a closed position. The method may further include determining the door is in a preset open-vent position following moving the door from the closed position. The method may still further include activating a heating element to generate heat within the wash chamber following moving the door from the closed position.
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a dishwashing appliance is provided. The dishwashing appliance may include a cabinet, a tub, a door, a spray assembly, a heating element, and a controller. The tub may be positioned within the cabinet and define a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. The door may be rotatably mounted to the cabinet to move between a fully-open position, a preset open-vent position, and a closed position. The preset open-vent position may be between the fully-open and closed positions. The spray assembly may be positioned within the wash chamber. The heating element may be mounted within the cabinet in thermal communication with the wash chamber. The controller may be in operative communication with the heating element. The controller may be configured to initiate a dry cycle. The dry cycle may include moving the door from the closed position, determining the door is in the preset open-vent position following moving the door from the closed position, and activating the heating element to generate heat within the wash chamber following moving the door from the closed position.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”). The terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one element from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual elements. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative flow direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the flow direction from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the flow direction to which the fluid flows.
The tub 104 includes a front opening 114 and a door 116 hinged at its bottom for movement between a normally closed (e.g., vertical) position (e.g.,
As illustrated in
Some or all of the rack assemblies 122, 124, 126 may be fabricated into lattice structures including a plurality of wires or elongated members 130 (for clarity of illustration, not all elongated members making up rack assemblies 122, 124, 126 are shown in
Dishwasher 100 further includes a plurality of spray assemblies for urging a flow of water or wash fluid onto the articles placed within wash chamber 106. More specifically, as illustrated in
The various spray assemblies and manifolds described herein may be part of a fluid distribution system or fluid circulation assembly 150 for circulating water and wash fluid in the tub 104. More specifically, fluid circulation assembly 150 includes a pump 152 for circulating water or wash fluid (e.g., detergent, water, or rinse aid) in the tub 104. Pump 152 may be located within sump 138 or within a machinery compartment located below sump 138 of tub 104, as generally recognized in the art. Fluid circulation assembly 150 may include one or more fluid conduits or circulation piping for directing water or wash fluid from pump 152 to the various spray assemblies and manifolds. For example, as illustrated in
As illustrated, primary supply conduit 154 is used to supply wash fluid to one or more spray assemblies (e.g., to mid-level spray arm assembly 140 and upper spray assembly 142). However, it should be appreciated that according to alternative embodiments, any other suitable plumbing configuration may be used to supply wash fluid throughout the various spray manifolds and assemblies described herein. For example, according to another exemplary embodiment, primary supply conduit 154 could be used to provide wash fluid to mid-level spray arm assembly 140 and a dedicated secondary supply conduit (not shown) could be utilized to provide wash fluid to upper spray assembly 142. Other plumbing configurations may be used for providing wash fluid to the various spray devices and manifolds at any location within dishwasher appliance 100.
Each spray arm assembly 134, 140, 142, integral spray manifold 144, or other spray device may include an arrangement of discharge ports or orifices for directing wash fluid received from pump 152 onto dishes or other articles located in wash chamber 106. The arrangement of the discharge ports, also referred to as jets, apertures, or orifices, may provide a rotational force by virtue of wash fluid flowing through the discharge ports. Alternatively, spray arm assemblies 134, 140, 142 may be motor-driven, or may operate using any other suitable drive mechanism. Spray manifolds and assemblies may also be stationary. The resultant movement of the spray arm assemblies 134, 140, 142 and the spray from fixed manifolds provides coverage of dishes and other dishwasher contents with a washing spray. Other configurations of spray assemblies may be used as well. For example, dishwasher 100 may have additional spray assemblies for cleaning silverware, for scouring casserole dishes, for spraying pots and pans, for cleaning bottles, etc. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments discussed herein are used for the purpose of explanation only and are not limitations of the present subject matter.
In operation, pump 152 draws wash fluid in from sump 138 and pumps it to a diverter assembly 156 (e.g., which may be positioned within sump 138 of dishwasher appliance 100). Diverter assembly 156 may include a diverter disk (not shown) disposed within a diverter chamber 158 for selectively distributing the wash fluid to the spray arm assemblies 134, 140, 142 or other spray manifolds or devices. For example, the diverter disk may have a plurality of apertures that are configured to align with one or more outlet ports (not shown) at the top of diverter chamber 158. In this manner, the diverter disk may be selectively rotated to provide wash fluid to the desired spray device.
According to an exemplary embodiment, diverter assembly 156 is configured for selectively distributing the flow of wash fluid from pump 152 to various fluid supply conduits, only some of which are illustrated in
The dishwasher 100 is further equipped with a controller 160 to regulate operation of the dishwasher 100. The controller 160 may include one or more memory devices and one or more microprocessors, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with a cleaning cycle. The memory may represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. In some embodiments, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. For certain embodiments, the instructions include a software package configured to operate appliance 100, such as according to one or more programmed cycles methods (e.g., 600 and 700 described below). The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, controller 160 may be constructed without using a microprocessor (e.g., using a combination of discrete analog or digital logic circuitry, such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software.
The controller 160 may be positioned in a variety of locations throughout dishwasher 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 160 may be located within a control panel area 162 of door 116, as shown in
In some embodiments, a heating element 170 is operably coupled (e.g., electrically coupled) to the controller 160 to selectively provide heat to the wash chamber 106 (e.g., during a dry cycle). For example, heating element 170 may be provided as a resistive or sheathed heating element 170 (e.g., CALROD®) mounted to a bottom portion of tub 104. In some such embodiments, heating element 170 is attached to a bottom wall 108 within the sump 142 or wash chamber 106.
Nonetheless, heating element 170 may include or be provided any suitable heater for heating wash chamber 106 (e.g., to dry articles therein), as is generally understood. During use, the controller 160 may thus transmit one or more heating signals (e.g., as an electrical current) in order to activate heating element 170 and initiate the generation of heat therefrom.
It should be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular style, model, or configuration of dishwasher 100. The exemplary embodiment depicted in
As noted above, a door closure assembly 118 is included in some embodiments. In certain embodiments, door closure assembly 118 includes a lock actuator or motor 172 to selectively move or motivate door 116, such as between a closed position (e.g.,
Generally, lock motor 172 may be in operative (e.g., electrical or wireless) communication with controller 160. Moreover, lock motor 172 may include any suitable motor or actuator for translating or pivoting the door 116 (e.g., as directed by controller 160). Thus, controller 160 may be configured to direct door 116 between, for example, the closed position and a preset open-vent position.
In some embodiments, a position sensor 176 is provided on dishwasher appliance 100 on or in communication with door 116. In particular, position sensor 176 may be configured to detect one or more positions of door 116. For instance, position sensor 176 may be in communication (e.g., electric or wireless communication) with controller 160 to generate one or more signals indicating what position door 116 is currently in or has recently reached. Position sensor 176 may thus detect or determine if door 116 is in the closed position, fully-open position, or one or more intermediate positions (e.g., a preset open-vent position) between the closed position and the fully-open position.
Generally, position sensor 176 is configured to detect movement or the static position of the door 116 relative to the vertical direction V. Optionally, position sensor 176 may be or include an accelerometer, which measures translational motion along one or more directions. Additionally or alternatively, position sensor 176 may be or include a gyroscope, which measures rotational motion or position about an axis. Also additionally or alternatively, position sensor 176 may be or include contact switch to selectively contact latch 174 (e.g., in the closed position or open-vent position). In some such embodiments, closure assembly 118 includes a first contact 176A mounted to tub 104 and a second contact 176B mounted to door 116 (e.g., to rotate therewith). For instance, the first contact 176A may provide a rail or catch that receives or contacts the second contact 176B (e.g., latch 174) when door 116 is in the closed position or open-vent position.
Further additionally or alternatively, position sensor 176 may be or include another suitable device capable of detecting or measuring an angle of door 116 relative to the vertical direction V, such as a potentiometer (e.g., mounted at the hinge of door 116), a limit switch (e.g., mechanical or magnetic switch in selective engagement with the door 116 at a set position or threshold), a rotary encoder (e.g., optical sensor, a Hall effect sensor, etc.), a load cell, or a strain gauge.
Turning briefly to
In certain embodiments, position sensor 176 is configured to detect if or when door 116 reaches or exceeds a set vent gap 180 (e.g., transverse distance between the top end 216 of door 116 and tub 104). As shown, when door 116 is in the closed position, the door 116 contacts cabinet 102, generally sealing the front opening of dishwashing appliance 100 and preventing the venting of air or vapor therefrom. For instance, door 116 may define an angle of 0° relative to the vertical direction V. By contrast, when door 116 is in the fully-open position, the door 116 may define an angle of 90° relative to the vertical direction V. The predetermined set vent gap 180 may be defined as a transverse distance or opening between 1 centimeter and 13 centimeters. Optionally, the predetermined set vent gap 180 may be defined as a transverse distance or opening between 3 centimeters and 9 centimeters.
As noted above, lock motor 172 may be configured to independently (e.g., without direct user input) move door 116 between the closed and the open-vent positions (e.g., by moving latch 174 within a cavity or as part of a dry cycle). In turn, lock motor 172 may move door 116 forward from the closed position to the open-vent position or rearward from the open-vent position. Lock motor 172 (or door closure assembly 118, generally) may further lock door 116 or restrict movement of door 116 from the closed position or the open-vent position. Thus, door 116 may be maintained in the open-vent or closed position if the door 116 is inadvertently pushed or pulled (e.g., by a user during a dry cycle). Upon completion of a washing operation or a dry cycle, the door 116 may be released from door closure assembly 118 such that a user may further open the door 116 to the fully-open position (
Turning now to
Advantageously, the present methods may serve to facilitate drying of articles within a dishwashing appliance by permitting water vapor to exit the wash chamber. In particular, heat may be added to the wash chamber as (or subsequent to) water vapor escaping the wash chamber. Notably, such advantages may be realized without increasing a user's exposure to a heating element or, additionally or alternatively, providing a passive vent through which noise or heat can escape (e.g., during a wash cycle).
Turning especially to
At 620, the method 600 includes determining the door is in a preset open-vent position. As described above, the open-vent position may be defined as a predetermined spacing or distance (e.g., along the transverse direction) between the top end of the door and a top portion of the cabinet or tub. In some embodiments, the determination requires receiving a position signal from a sensor (e.g., position sensor) in operable communication with the door. For instance, a position sensor may be mounted to the door or on the tub to engage a portion of the door (e.g., a latch) in contact with or received within the tub. Additionally or alternatively, feedback may be received (e.g., as a position signal) from a lock motor actuating the door. Upon reaching the open-vent position, a door closure assembly (e.g., lock motor) may hold or maintain the door in the open-vent position for a set period (e.g., predetermined period of time, a period continuing until completion of a dry cycle, etc.).
At 630, the method 600 includes activating a heating element to generate heat within a wash chamber. For instance, the heating element may be activated and generate heat as the door is in the preset open-vent position. Thus, the heating element may actively heat the wash chamber while the door is partially open (i.e., in neither the closed position nor the fully-open position). In some embodiments, the heating element remains active (e.g., continuously or according to a programmed duty cycle) for a set period (e.g., predetermined period of time, a period continuing until completion of a dry cycle, etc.).
At 640, the method 600 includes deactivating the heating element. For instance, the heating element may be deactivated to stop actively generating heat within the wash chamber. Thus, deactivation may stop a continuous heating cycle of the heating element. Additionally or alternatively, deactivation may stop a duty cycle (e.g., in which the heating element is cycled on-off) of the heating element. In some embodiments, deactivation at 640 is initiated in response to completion of the corresponding set period or dry cycle. Thus, the deactivation may be a timed or anticipated step. Additionally or alternatively, 640 may be initiated in response to an intervening event. For instance, the method 600 may include determining the door has moved from the preset open-vent position, such as when the door is suddenly or accidentally further opened or closed by a user. The determination may be made based on a movement signal received, for instance, from the position sensor. Thus, deactivation at 640 may indicate the door has unexpectantly moved from the preset open-vent position.
At 650, the method 600 includes permitting the door to a fully-open position. In particular, 650 may occur subsequent to 640. Thus, the heating element may be deactivated when the door is in the fully-open position. Optionally, 650 may include releasing the door from the open-vent or closed position, such as by releasing the door at the door closure assembly.
Turning especially to
At 720, the method 700 includes moving the door from the closed position (e.g., subsequent to 710). In some embodiments, 720 includes pushing or rotating the door forward such that at least a portion of the door (e.g., at the top end) separates from the tub. For instance, a lock motor may actuate the door forward from the closed position.
At 730, the method 700 includes determining the door is a preset open-vent position. As described above, the open-vent position may be defined as a predetermined spacing distance (e.g., along the transverse direction) between the top end of the door and a top portion of the cabinet or tub. In some embodiments, the determination requires receiving a position signal from a sensor (e.g., position sensor) in operable communication with the door. For instance, a position sensor may be mounted to the door or on the tub to engage a portion of the door (e.g., a latch) in contact with or received within the tub. Additionally or alternatively, feedback may be received (e.g., as a position signal) from a lock motor actuating the door.
At 740, the method 700 includes holding the door in the preset open-vent position. For instance, upon reaching the open-vent position at 730, a door closure assembly (e.g., lock motor) may hold or maintain the door in the open-vent position for a set vapor release period (e.g., predetermined period of time, such as between one minute and five minutes).
At 750, the method 700 includes deactivating the heating element to prevent heat generation within the wash chamber (e.g., while the door is held in the preset open-vent position). For instance, the heating element may be deactivated to stop actively generating heat within the wash chamber. Thus, deactivation may stop a continuous heating cycle of the heating element. Additionally or alternatively, deactivation may stop a duty cycle (e.g., in which the heating element is cycled on-off) of the heating element. In some embodiments, deactivation at 750 is initiated in response to the determination at 730. Thus, the deactivation may coincide with 730 and continue through 740.
At 760, the method 700 includes returning the door to the closed position. In particular, 760 may follow (i.e., occur subsequent to) 740 and 750. For instance, 760 may be initiated in response to completion of the set vapor release period. In some embodiments, 760 includes pulling or rotating the door rearward (e.g., from the open-vent position) to the closed position. As an example, the lock motor may actuate the door rearward to the closed position.
At 770, the method 700 includes reactivating the heating element to generate heat within the wash chamber. Reactivation at 770 may be initiated in response to or following 760. Thus, reactivation may occur while the door is in the closed position. Similar to 710, at 770, the heating element may be activated and generate heat as the as part of a dry cycle. Thus, the heating element may actively heat the wash chamber while the door is fully closed. In some embodiments, the heating element remains active (e.g., continuously or according to a programmed duty cycle) for a set period (e.g., predetermined period of time, a period continuing until completion of another portion of a dry cycle, etc.).
Following 770, one or more steps (e.g., 720, 730, 740, 760, or 770) may be repeated in sequence. Thus, the door may be repeatedly be reopened (e.g., to the open-vent position) and closed. Additionally or alternatively, the heating element may be repeatedly reactivated and deactivated. The repetition may be performed according to a set sequence or programmed intervals, for instance, until completion of the corresponding dry cycle. Further, following 770, the heating element may be again deactivated, as would be understood (e.g., at the completion of a dry cycle).
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
