Patent Application
20240122438
The present disclosure relates generally to dishwasher appliances, and more particularly to hydraulic systems within dishwasher appliances.
Dishwasher appliances generally include a tub that defines a wash chamber. Rack assemblies can be mounted within the wash chamber of the tub for receipt of articles for washing. Wash fluid (e.g., various combinations of water and detergent along with optional additives) may be introduced into the tub where it collects in a sump space at the bottom of the wash chamber. During wash and rinse cycles, a pump may be used to circulate wash fluid to spray assemblies within the wash chamber that can apply or direct wash fluid towards articles disposed within the rack assemblies in order to clean such articles. During a drain cycle, a pump may periodically discharge soiled wash fluid that collects in the sump space and the process may be repeated.
Conventional dishwasher appliances include a single pump assembly that supplies wash fluid to various spraying subsystems. For example, the pump assembly often draws in and pressurizes wash fluid from the sump and delivers the pressurized fluid to a diverter assembly. This diverter assembly commonly includes a plurality of outlet ports for fluidly coupling the various subsystems. For example, each spray arm may be fluidly coupled to a dedicated conduit that is routed to the corresponding outlet port on the diverter. However, each conduit that must be coupled to the diverter assembly requires additional components, complicates assembly, adds costs, and introduces additional leak points to the hydraulic system.
Accordingly, a dishwasher appliance that includes a simplified and effective hydraulic system would be useful. More specifically, a hydraulic spray system for a dishwasher that is easy to install, reliable, and cost-effective would be particularly beneficial.
Advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In one exemplary embodiment, a dishwasher appliance defining a vertical direction is provided, including a wash tub that defines a wash chamber, a sump for collecting wash fluid, a wash pump assembly in fluid communication with the sump for circulating the wash fluid, a diverter assembly fluidly coupled to the wash pump assembly for selectively directing the wash fluid, and a hydraulic manifold assembly fluidly coupled to the diverter assembly. The hydraulic manifold assembly includes a lower portion positioned over a diverter housing of the diverter assembly to at least partially define a diverter chamber of the diverter assembly and an upper portion joined to the lower portion to define a filter cleaning manifold and one or more spray arm channels.
In another exemplary embodiment, a hydraulic manifold assembly for a dishwasher appliance is provided. The dishwasher appliance includes a wash pump assembly for circulating wash fluid and a diverter assembly fluidly coupled to the wash pump assembly for selectively directing the wash fluid. The hydraulic manifold assembly includes a lower portion positioned over a diverter housing of the diverter assembly to at least partially define a diverter chamber of the diverter assembly and an upper portion joined to the lower portion to define a filter cleaning manifold and one or more spray arm channels.
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.
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.
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 or spirit 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 terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “includes” and “including” are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Similarly, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”). In addition, here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged. Such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “generally,” “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or machines for constructing or manufacturing the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a 10 percent margin, i.e., including values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value. In this regard, for example, when used in the context of an angle or direction, such terms include within ten degrees greater or less than the stated angle or direction, e.g., “generally vertical” includes forming an angle of up to ten degrees in any direction, e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise, with the vertical direction V.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” In addition, references to “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “an embodiment” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Moreover, 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.
The tub 104 includes a front opening 114 and a door 116 hinged at its bottom for movement between a normally closed vertical position (shown in
As best illustrated in
Some or all of the rack assemblies 122, 124, 126 are 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 and wash fluid (e.g., detergent, water, and/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 and/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 is positioned within sump 138 of dishwasher appliance. 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 and/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 one embodiment, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. 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 and/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
It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular style, model, or configuration of dishwasher 100. The exemplary embodiment depicted in
Referring now generally to
According to an example embodiment, drive motor 170 may be a variable speed motor. In this regard, drive motor 170 may be operated at various speeds depending on the current operating cycle of the dishwasher. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, drive motor 170 may be configured to operate at any speed between a minimum speed, e.g., 1500 revolutions per minute (RPM), to a maximum rated speed, e.g., 4500 RPM. In this manner, use of a variable speed drive motor 170 enables efficient operation of dishwasher 100 in any operating mode. Thus, for example, the drain cycle may require a lower rotational speed than a wash cycle and/or rinse cycle. A variable speed drive motor 170 allows impeller rotation at the desired speeds while minimizing energy usage and unnecessary noise when drive motor 170 does not need to operate at full speed.
According to an exemplary embodiment, drive motor 170 and all its components may be potted. In this manner, drive motor 170 may be shock-resistant, submersible, and generally more reliable. Notably, because drive motor 170 is mounted inside wash chamber 106 and is completely submersible, no seals are required and the likelihood of leaks is reduced. In addition, because drive motor 170 is mounted in the normally unused space between lower spray arm assembly 134 and a bottom wall of sump 138, instead of beneath the sump 138, this design is inherently more compact than conventional designs.
According to an exemplary embodiment, fluid circulation assembly 150 may be vertically mounted within sump 138 of wash chamber 106. More particularly, drive motor 170 of fluid circulation assembly 150 may be mounted such that drive shaft 176 is oriented along vertical direction V of dishwasher 100. More particularly, drive shaft 176 may define an axial direction A, a radial direction R, and a circumferential direction C (
Referring now to
As shown in
As shown in
As illustrated in
As illustrated, filter 196 is a cylindrical and conical fine mesh filter constructed from a perforated stainless steel plate. Filter 196 may include a plurality of perforated holes, e.g., approximately 15/1000 of an inch in diameter, such that wash fluid may pass through filter 196, but food particles entrained in the wash fluid do not pass through filter 196. However, according to alternative embodiments, filter 196 may be any structure suitable for filtering food particles from wash fluid passing through filter 196. For example, filter 196 may be constructed from any suitably rigid material, may be formed into any suitable shape, and may include apertures of any suitable size for capturing particulates.
According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, filter 196 defines an aperture through which drive shaft 176 extends. Wash pump impeller 182 is coupled to drive shaft 176 above filter 196 and a drain pump assembly (e.g., as described below) is coupled to drive shaft 176 below filter 196 along the vertical direction V. Fluid circulation assembly 150 may further include an inlet guide assembly 199 which is configured for accurately locating and securing filter 196 while allowing drive shaft 176 to pass through aperture and minimizing leaks between the filtered and unfiltered regions 197, 198 of sump 138. More specifically, as best illustrated in
Referring still to
Drain pump assembly 200 may include a drain pump impeller 202 coupled to a bottom portion of drive shaft 176 and positioned within a drain volute 204 below filter 196. More specifically, drain volute 204 is defined by a drain basin 206 of sump 144 and a drain cover 208 that is positioned over drain basin 206 and forms a fluid tight seal with drain basin 206, e.g., by using an O-ring or any other suitable sealing mechanism. According to the illustrated embodiment, the bottom of sump 138 and drain cover 208 define a seamless transition and are cone-shaped to help funnel food particles toward drain volute 202. For example, as illustrated, sump 138 and drain cover 208 define a frustum of a cone above drain basin 206.
As illustrated, drain pump assembly 200 further includes a discharge conduit 216 (
Notably, drain pump impeller 202 is coupled to the bottom portion of drive shaft 176 using a one-way clutch 226. In this regard, during a wash/rinse cycle, drive motor 170 rotates in one direction, pumping filtered wash fluid using wash pump impeller 182. However, one-way clutch 226 is disengaged, so drain pump impeller 202 does not rotate at the same speed. Instead, drain pump impeller 202 may rotate at a decreased speed, e.g., due to some friction between one-way clutch 226 and drive shaft 176. According to alternative embodiments, drain pump impeller 202 may remain stationary during the wash cycle or may rotate at the same speed as wash pump impeller 182. In both cases, soil and food particles will have a tendency to collect within drain volute 204, as described herein. By contrast, during a drain cycle, drive motor 170 rotates in the opposite direction, thereby engaging one-way clutch 226 and causing drain pump impeller 202 to rotate and discharge wash fluid.
As illustrated, drain inlet 220 is positioned at a center of drain cover 208 and is sized such that wash fluid and large food particles may pass into drain volute 204. However, drain cover 208 also acts as a barrier to prevent soil that collects around a perimeter of drain volute 204 from escaping drain volute 204, e.g., along the vertical direction V. In this manner, as drain pump impeller 202 rotates, soil and food particles are urged radially outward within drain basin 206 where they are trapped and collect until a drain cycle is initiated. When drive shaft 176 is rotated in the drain direction, wash fluid and soils collected in drain volute 204 are quickly and efficiently expelled through discharge conduit 216.
Drain pump volute 202 and discharge conduit 216 are both positioned at the very bottom of sump 138, at the lowest portion of fluid circulation assembly 150, providing several operational advantages. Specifically, heavier soil tends to fall toward drain volute 204 where wash fluid and food particles are collected. During a drain cycle, drain pump impeller 202 is rotated and soiled wash fluid is discharged from dishwasher 100 through a discharge conduit 216 such that complete draining of soiled wash fluid may be achieved. After some or all of the soiled wash fluid is discharged, fresh water and/or wash additives may be added and the wash or rinse cycle may be repeated.
It should be appreciated that drain pump assembly 200 is used only for the purpose of explaining aspects of the present subject matter. Modifications and variations may be made to drain pump assembly 200 while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, the number, size, spacing, and configuration of vanes of drain pump impeller 202 may be adjusted while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter.
Drain pump assembly 200 as described above enables both wash pump impeller 182 and drain pump impeller 202 of fluid circulation system 150 to be placed on a single drive shaft 176. In this manner, a single, reversible drive motor 170 can rotate drive shaft 176 in a first direction for wash/rinse cycles and in the opposite direction for drain cycles. More specifically, according to the illustrated embodiment, drive motor 170 and wash pump assembly 180 are positioned within filtered region 198, while drain pump assembly 200 is positioned within unfiltered region 197. Furthermore, because drain pump impeller 202 rotates relatively slowly during the wash cycle, drain pump impeller 202 draws food particles and soil into drain volute 204 and urges them radially outward to trap them in drain volute 204. In this manner, wash fluid circulated within wash chamber 106 has a lower soil content and can facilitate more effective cleaning of articles placing in the dishwashing racks. In addition, the soil is trapped or contained proximate discharge conduit 216 for effective discharge when drain pump impeller 202 is rotated in the drain direction.
Referring to
In addition, according to example embodiments, sump 138 may be defined at least in part by a cylindrical sump wall 236 that extends from a bottom of wash tub 104 downward along the vertical direction V toward drain basin 206. As shown, cylindrical filter screen 230 may be concentric with cylindrical sump wall 236 and may define an annular plenum 238 therebetween. In general, this annular plenum 238 may correspond with unfiltered region 197 of sump 138, while the interior of cylindrical filter screen 230 may correspond to filtered region 198.
In addition, sump 138 may be defined at least in part by a conical sump wall 240 that extends from cylindrical sump wall 236 inward along the radial direction toward drain volute 204. In order to prevent debris and soil from unfiltered region 197 from passing into filtered region 198 from within this lower portion of sump 138, filter screen 196 may further include a conical filter screen 242 positioned at bottom end 234 of the cylindrical filter screen 230. In general, conical filter screen 242 may form a continuous filter (e.g., filter screen 196) extending from cylindrical filter screen 230 and may be substantially parallel to conical sump wall 240. In this regard, annular plenum 238 may extend from wash tub 104 all the way into drain basin 206 and drain volute 204, while maintaining a substantial debris shield between unfiltered region 197 and filtered region 198.
Referring now generally to
According to the illustrated embodiment, filter cleaning assembly 250 includes a filter cleaning manifold 252 that is positioned proximate filter screen 196, e.g., on top of cylindrical filter screen 230 along the vertical direction V. Filter cleaning manifold 252 defines a wash fluid plenum 254 that is in fluid communication with supply conduit 188 through diverter chamber 192. In addition, filter cleaning assembly 250 includes a plurality of cleaning ports (described below) that are in fluid communication with wash fluid plenum 254. In this manner, filter cleaning manifold 252 is generally configured for receiving a flow of wash fluid (identified herein generally by reference numeral 256) when diverter disk 194 is positioned such that wash fluid plenum 254 is in fluid communication with diverter chamber 192.
As shown, filter cleaning manifold 252 is a circular manifold positioned all the way around the top of cylindrical filter screen 196. In this manner, wash fluid plenum 254 is generally an annular chamber that distributes the flow of wash fluid around an entire circumference of filter screen 196. More specifically, according to an exemplary embodiment, filter cleaning manifold 252 is positioned above the filter screen 196 along the vertical direction V. In addition, according to one embodiment, filter cleaning manifold 252 defines a circular filter receiving slot 258 having a diameter substantially equivalent to the diameter of filter screen 196. As shown, filter screen 196 is received within slot 258 to secure filter cleaning manifold 252 to filter screen 196.
According to the illustrated embodiment, filter screen 196 is received within slot 258 defined by filter cleaning manifold 252. Thus, filter screen 196 may generally be compression fit within slot 258. However, it should be appreciated that filter screen 196 may be mounted to the filter cleaning manifold 252 using one or more mechanical fasteners, such as screws, bolts, rivets, etc. Alternatively, glue, welding, snap-fit mechanisms, interference-fit mechanisms, or any suitable combination thereof may secure filter screen 196 to filter cleaning manifold 252.
Referring still to
As shown, vertical spray arms 260 may generally define a plurality of outer ports 262 in fluid communication with filter cleaning manifold 252 for discharging the flow of wash fluid 256. In this regard, outer ports 262 are positioned and oriented for directing the wash fluid 256 at least partially along the circumferential direction C about cylindrical filter screen 230. According to the illustrated embodiment, each vertical spray arm 260 includes four outer ports 262 spaced equidistantly along vertical spray arm 260 and being similarly sized and angled. However, it should be appreciated that the size, ejection angle, position, and orientation of outer ports 262 may vary while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter.
It should be appreciated that outer ports 262 may be positioned an orientation for generating any suitable fluid pattern of wash fluid 256. For example, outer ports 262 defined and oriented at an angle 264 (see, e.g.,
According to the illustrated embodiment, filter cleaning assembly 250 includes two vertical spray arms 260 that are spaced apart along the circumferential direction C within sump 138 (or within annular plenum 238). However, it should be appreciated that one or more than two vertical spray arms 260 may be used according to alternative embodiments. In addition, the size, spacing, and configuration of vertical spray arms 260, the number, position, and orientation of outer ports 262, and other features may vary while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter.
Referring again generally to
As shown in
During operation, when drive motor 170 is rotating in a wash direction, wash impeller 182 spins in a direction where it is designed to be most efficient in urging a flow of wash fluid through supply conduit 188. Notably, because drain pump impeller 202 is coupled to drive shaft 176 using a one-way clutch 226, drain pump assembly 200 pumps little or no wash fluid through discharge conduit 216 during the wash cycle.
It may be desirable to intermittently flush filter screen 196 during the wash cycle. To achieve such filter cleaning, controller 160 may be programmed to rotate diverter disk 194 to a filter cleaning position where an aperture defined in diverter disk 194 directs the flow of wash fluid from diverter chamber 192 into wash fluid plenum 254. The wash fluid is then distributed circumferentially throughout wash fluid plenum 254 and discharged out cleaning ports 262, 270, 272 along filter screen 196. This cleaning process may be repeated intermittently throughout a wash cycle, e.g., by alternating between providing wash fluid to the spray arm assemblies and the filter cleaning assembly 250. Alternatively, this cleaning process may be performed once at the end of a wash cycle, once at the beginning of a wash cycle, etc.
By contrast, when drive motor 170 reverses direction during a drain cycle, one-way clutch 226 engages driveshaft 176 such that drain pump impeller 202 begins discharging wash fluid through discharge conduit 216. Notably, during a drain cycle, wash pump impeller 182 also rotates with driveshaft 176 (e.g., because it is directly coupled to drive shaft 176). Because impellers have the tendency to pump fluid even when rotated in the reverse direction (albeit less efficiently), wash pump impeller 182 generates pressure within supply conduit 188 even during a drain cycle. To harness the pumping effect of the wash pump impeller 182 during a drain cycle, the diverter disk 194 may be rotated to provide fluid communication between diverter chamber 192 and wash fluid plenum 254 during a drain cycle. In this manner, as wash fluid is being discharged through discharge conduit 216 and level of wash fluid within sump 138 is dropping, filter cleaning assembly 250 flushes filter screen 196 with wash fluid until the wash fluid level drops below pump intake 186, at which time most or all food particles and soil have entered drain basin 206.
According to the illustrated embodiment, filter cleaning manifold 252 is positioned below the lower spray arm assembly 134 and at least partially within sump 138. Moreover, lower spray arm assembly 134 is connected to diverter assembly 200 using a different outlet defined on diverter chamber 192 than the outlet fluidly coupling diverter chamber 192 to wash fluid plenum 254. In this manner, lower spray arm assembly 134 and filter cleaning assembly 250 define two separate fluid circuits that may operate independently of each other. In this manner, when wash pump impeller 182 is pumping wash fluid, filter cleaning assembly 250 may utilize the full flow and pressure of wash fluid to clean filter screen 196. Thus, more effective cleaning may be achieved and a smaller drive motor 170 may be utilized than if wash pump impeller 182 were providing flow to both filter cleaning assembly 250 and lower spray arm assembly 134.
It should be appreciated that filter cleaning assembly 250 is described herein only for the purpose of explaining aspects of the present subject matter. Modifications and variations may be made to filter cleaning assembly 250 while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, the size, configuration, position, and orientation of cleaning ports 262, 270, 272 may vary. In addition, controller 160 may be programmed in any suitable manner for controlling drive motor 170 and diverter disk 194 to cleaning filter screen 196 at any suitable time and in any suitable manner. Thus, filter cleaning assembly 250 as described above provides a simple and effective means for cleaning filter screen 196 without requiring complicated plumbing systems or a larger drive motor or pump assembly. In addition, filter cleaning assembly 250 is generally more effective at cleaning filter screen 196 due to the proximity and angle of attack of cleaning ports 262, 270, 272. Moreover, energy usage may be reduced because a smaller drive motor 170 is needed and filter cleaning assembly 250 utilizes pumped wash fluid that would otherwise simply be recirculated in wash chamber to flush filter screen 196. Other configurations and benefits will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
Referring now generally to
As explained in more detail herein, hydraulic manifold assembly 300 may enable various features and functions of dishwasher 100 that would otherwise require a large number of complex and costly parts. In addition, such parts must be separately assembled and installed, resulting in long assembly times and an increased likelihood of installation error. The joining of such parts to form subsystems of fluid circulation assembly 150 also introduces numerous leak points which may result in poor performance, appliance failure, and/or increased service visits and maintenance costs.
According to the illustrated embodiment, hydraulic manifold assembly 300 may generally include an upper portion 302 and a lower portion 304 that are joined together to form various flow paths or chambers that facilitate operation of dishwasher 100. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, upper portion 302 and lower portion 304 are injection molded and friction welded to form hydraulic manifold assembly 300. In this regard, upper portion 302 and/or lower portion 304 may be injection molded using any suitably rigid material, e.g., using a suitable plastic material, such as injection molding grade Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT), Nylon 6, high impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or any other suitable blend of polymers. Alternatively, according to the exemplary embodiment, these components may be compression molded, e.g., using sheet molding compound (SMC) thermoset plastic or other thermoplastics. According to still other embodiments, portions of hydraulic manifold assembly 300 may be formed from any other suitable rigid material. According to still other embodiments, upper portion 302 and lower portion 304 of hydraulic manifold assembly 300 are formed as a single, integral piece, e.g., via injection molding, additive manufacturing, etc.
As shown for example in
According to the illustrated embodiment, the contact face of lower portion 304 that contacts diverter housing 191 may include a sealing element to prevent leakage from diverter chamber 192 and to dampen noise and vibrations. For example, according to the illustrated embodiment, hydraulic manifold assembly 300 may include a diverter gasket 310 that is attached to contact face of lower portion 304. More specifically, according to exemplary embodiments, diverter gasket 310 may be overmolded onto lower portion 304 of hydraulic manifold assembly 300 for sealing against diverter housing 191 and to define diverter chamber 192. For example, overmolding is a process by which a previously molded part proceeds through a second molding process to add an additional feature, material, or component. Overmolding may be used to bond diverter gasket 310 and lower portion 304 to form a single integral part. According to the exemplary embodiment, diverter gasket 310 is softer than lower portion 304, thus resulting in a single part having two portions with different hardnesses.
As best shown in
Notably, according to the illustrated embodiment, the four outlet apertures 312 may facilitate four modes of operation when diverter disk 194 is rotated in 90 degree increments. One exemplary method and structure for achieving this rotation is described below. However, in interest of brevity, the exemplary method and structure are only described generally. For more detail, an exemplary method of rotating a valve of a hydraulically actuated diverter is described in U.S. application Ser. No. 14/854,292 to Hofmann et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In general, diverter disk 194 may be moveable along the axial direction A between a lowered position (see, e.g.,
Notably, conventional diverter assemblies may include a diverter pin that extends below the diverter disk. However, in order to avoid interference with pump assembly 180, diverter disk return pin 314 and diverter disk return spring 316 may pass through or be positioned within recesses defined in upper portion 302 and lower portion 304. In this regard, for example, upper portion 302 may define a sleeve 322 for receiving diverter disk return pin 314 and/or diverter disk return spring 316. In addition, lower portion 304 may define a through hole 324 through which these components may pass. Furthermore, diverter guide cams 320 may be defined by lower portion 304, extending down into diverter chamber 192 and being configured to rotate diverter disk 194 as it moves between a raised and lowered position. In this manner, a compact construction of wash pump assembly 180, diverter assembly 190, and hydraulic manifold assembly 300 may be achieved.
Hydraulic manifold assembly 300 may further facilitate filter screen mounting and cleaning, as described above. For example, lower portion 304 may define filter receiving slot 258 for receiving top end 232 of cylindrical filter screen 230. For example, filter receiving slot 258 may be defined to have an interference fit with cylindrical filter screen 230. In addition, the gap between lower portion 304 and cylindrical filter screen 230 may be reduced or eliminated altogether, such that the flow through that interface is less than the flow through the apertures and cylindrical filter screen 230. In addition, vertical spray arms 260 may be defined by and extend down from lower portion 304 for selectively cleaning cylindrical filter screen 230.
As explained above, upper portion 302 and lower portion 304 may be joined together to form hydraulic manifold assembly 300 with various cylindrical flow paths for providing wash fluid to separate subsystems of dishwasher 100. According to an exemplary embodiment, upper portion 302 and lower portion 304 are joined to form filter cleaning manifold 252. In addition, hydraulic manifold assembly 300 may define a plurality of spray arm channels (e.g., identified generally by reference numeral 330). In general, each spray arm channel 330 may be fluidly coupled to a dedicated outlet port 332 defined by upper portion 302. Outlet port 332 may include a connection interface 334 for quick and secure connection of spray arms or fluid conduits. For example, according to example embodiments, upper portion 302 may define an outlet port 332 for each of an upper spray arm assembly, a lower spray assembly, and a silverware basket blaster.
As illustrated, upper portion 302 is seated against wash tub 104 to define a plurality of foreign object filter apertures 340 spaced apart about circumferential direction C. in this regard, foreign object filter apertures 340 may be generally configured for screening out for filtering large objects from wash fluid before it is collected within sump 138. For example, if silverware or another small article falls from the rack, foreign object filter apertures 340 may allow wash fluid to drain into sump 138 while upper portion 302 prevents the silverware from falling into sump 138. Foreign object filter apertures 340 may similarly screen out items that are too big for discharging through drain pump assembly 200, such as meatballs or other large pieces of food.
As best shown in
As explained herein, aspects of the present subject matter are generally directed to a dishwasher hydraulic system that incorporates multiple functions and features into a low part count, easy to install, cost-effective, and efficient system. For examples, features enabled or formed by the hydraulic system include a foreign object filter, a diverter assembly (e.g., forming top of diverter housing), diverter disk cams, diverter spring/pin guide, multi-zone flow channels and connection interfaces, pump assembly support and seal, pump to sump support, filter assembly support and seal, pressure sensor jet for diverter position sensing (e.g., at bottom of vertical spray arms), filter cleaning jets, pass-through wire air trap, etc. For example, the upper portion of the manifold creates some of the external features of the wash system while the lower portion of the manifold creates some of the internal features.
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 language of the claims.
