Patent Application
20090320886
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to dishwashing appliances and, more particularly, to a protective arrangement for protecting a control device associated with a dishwashing appliance, and an apparatus and method associated therewith.
2. Description of Related Art
A washing appliance, such as a dishwasher, generally includes a tub portion having a forward-facing vertical opening, wherein a door is engaged with the tub portion so as to be pivotable about the lower end of the tub portion and to close the tub opening during the washing process. In this regard, conventional dishwashers may include a door having a separate polymeric “inner lining” component (i.e., the inward surface of the door facing the interior of the tub portion). However, in such instances, if the polymeric inner lining is to be used for any structural purpose in the dishwasher, the inner liner must be appropriately reinforced by another separate structure. For example, a door assembly may include a plastic door liner and a metal reinforcement panel which is staked to the plastic door liner. In such instances, the metal reinforcement panel provides additional stiffness, strength, and provisions to which to attach various mechanisms and components, such as counterbalance arms/hinges for providing the pivotable engagement with the tub portion.
Such a dishwasher door assembly may also include a control panel engaged therewith about the upper end of the door assembly, often in a dedicated recess configured to receive the control panel in a confined space, wherein the control panel directs the operation/actuation of various operational components of the dishwasher. Such a control panel may include, for example, a timer device for controlling certain aspects of the dishwasher. The control panel/timer device may be connected by an appropriate wiring harness run outside the metal reinforcement panel (i.e., the metal reinforcement panel separates the wires running to the control panel from the plastic or polymeric door liner) and routed over existing structures associated with the bottom of the door assembly, to the operative components of the dishwasher housed within a base component of the dishwasher under the tub portion.
Further, a dishwasher door configured in such a manner may use the metal reinforcement panel as a “flame barrier”. That is, the metal reinforcement panel may act as a barrier for flame advancement should the control panel/timer device catch on fire. However, the metal reinforcement panel may not necessarily be configured to prevent fluid leakage (i.e., from a detergent dispenser) from contacting the wiring harness, the control panel and/or the timer device. The dedicated space defined by the metal reinforcement panel for receiving the control panel/timer device may be particularly configured for this purpose. However, the metal reinforcement panel may not necessarily be configured to prevent fluid leakage from contacting the control panel/timer device, wherein, in such instances, the fluid leakage contacting the control panel/timer device may lead to the aforementioned fire hazard.
Alternatively, in some instances, a dishwasher may employ a door assembly formed without the separate metal reinforcement panel. For example, a molded structural inner door member may be implemented, wherein such an integrally molded and structurally reinforced inner door member eliminates the need for a separate metal reinforcing panel. However, in doing so, the “flame barrier” function of the metal reinforcement panel is eliminated, and the control panel/timer device may still be at risk of undesirable contact with leaking fluids such as, for example, from the detergent dispenser.
Thus, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for a dishwashing appliance for reducing potential hazards/risks associated with a control panel/timer device of a dishwasher.
The above and other needs are met by the present invention which, according to one aspect, provides a dishwashing appliance comprising a tub portion defining a forward access opening, and a door assembly configured to cooperate with the tub portion to cover the forward access opening. A detergent dispensing device is operably engaged with the door assembly so as to be capable of interacting with dishwashing fluid circulated within an interior of the tub portion. A control device is mounted to the door assembly and is adapted to selectively direct operation of at least one operational component of the dishwashing appliance. The dishwashing appliance further comprises a protective member configured to wrap about the control device so as to be at least partially disposed between the control device and door assembly. The protective member is further disposed between the detergent dispensing device and the control device to at least partially prevent contact between dishwashing fluid from the detergent dispensing device and the control device.
Another aspect provides a protective arrangement for a dishwashing appliance having a tub portion defining a forward access opening, wherein the dishwashing appliance further includes a door assembly being pivotably engaged with the tub portion and adapted to cooperate with the tub portion to cover the forward access opening. The dishwashing appliance further includes a control device mounted to the door assembly and adapted to selectively direct operation of at least one operational component of the dishwashing appliance. Such a protective arrangement comprises a substantially planar protective member comprised of a deformable material. The protective member has a leading end and a trailing end, and is adapted to be wrapped about a control device mounted to a door assembly of a dishwashing appliance such that the leading end at least partially overlaps the trailing end. The protective member is thereby at least partially disposed between the control device and the door assembly so as to at least one of protect and isolate the control device.
Yet another aspect provides a method of protecting a control device mounted to a door assembly of a dishwashing appliance, wherein the dishwashing appliance includes a tub portion defining a forward access opening. The door assembly is pivotably engaged with the tub portion and adapted to cooperate with the tub portion to cover the forward access opening. A detergent dispensing device is operably engaged with the door assembly so as to be capable of interacting with dishwashing fluid circulated within an interior of the tub portion. The control device is adapted to selectively direct operation of at least one operational component of the dishwashing appliance. Such a method comprises wrapping a protective member about a control device mounted to a door assembly of a dishwashing appliance such that the protective member is at least partially disposed between the control device and door assembly, and such that the protective member is further disposed between the detergent dispensing device and the control device to at least partially prevent contact between dishwashing fluid from the detergent dispensing device and the control device.
Thus, various aspects of the present invention provide advantages, as otherwise detailed herein, that may include, but are not limited to: providing protective measures for reducing hazards/risks associated with a control device of a dishwasher.
Having thus described various embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
Various embodiments of present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
A door assembly 100 may be pivotably engaged with the tub portion 12 about the lower end 18 thereof so as to selectively permit access to the interior of the tub portion 12. That is, a lower edge 24 of the door assembly 100 may be pivotably engaged (i.e., hinged) with the lower end 18 of the tub portion 12 such that the door assembly 100 is pivotable about the lower edge 26 thereof to provide access to the interior of the tub portion 12 through the forward access opening 16, and to cover and seal the forward access opening 16 when the dishwasher 10 is in operation. Examples of such door assemblies 100 are also illustrated in
As illustrated in
With continuing reference to
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With continuing reference to
In other instances, as shown in
Such an inner door panel 200 may be comprised of a variety of different polymers and/or composite materials. For example, the inner door panel 200 may be integrally formed as a single component or otherwise integral structure (i.e., integrally-molded using materials that may include, but are not limited to: polymers and composite materials, such as, for example, a molded polymer panel or a fiberglass panel). For example, the inner door panel 200 may be integrally-molded or otherwise integrally-formed from a polymeric material, such as talc-filled polypropylene. As shown generally in
In some embodiments, the inner door panel 200 may have a tub-facing liner surface 202 and a structural surface 204, wherein the liner surface 202 is positioned to be disposed toward the tub portion of the dishwashing appliance and the structural surface 204 generally opposes the liner surface 202 and faces outwardly therefrom. Thus, the structural surface 204 substantially opposes an interior surface 114 of the decorative panel 110 when coupled therewith to form the door assembly 100. The structural surface 204 may include one or more reinforcing members integrally-formed therewith for providing support and structure (i.e., reinforcement) to the inner door panel 200. The integrally-formed inner door panel 200 may thus stand on its own as a structural door assembly (thus, eliminating the need for the separate metal reinforcement member 104) capable of pivotably engaging the tub portion 12 of the dishwasher 10, wherein the decorative panel 110 is substantially non-structural and is provided essentially for appearance purposes. Accordingly, in some instances, the control device 50 may be at least partially disposed between the structural surface 204 and the interior surface 114 of the decorative door panel 110. However, in eliminating the metal reinforcement member 104 from the door assembly 100, the “flame barrier” function of the metal reinforcement member 104 is also substantially eliminated, and the control device 50 may still be at risk of undesirable contact with leaking fluids such as, for example, from the detergent dispenser 27 associated with the door assembly 100.
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, with reference to
In some instances, the protective-member 410 may be substantially planar and comprised of a deformable material such that the protective member 410 can at least partially extend about or otherwise surround, cover, and/or wrap about the control device 50 (which may include, for example, a control panel and/or timer device) to provide protection therefor. In such instances, the protective member 410 may include a first/leading end 412 and a second/trailing end 414, wherein the leading end 412 extends about the control device 50 such that the leading end 412 at least partially overlaps the trailing end 414. In other instances, the leading end 412 and the trailing end 414 may not overlap, but instead extend proximate to one another. As such, the protective member 410 may be at least partially disposed between the control device 50 mounted to the door assembly 100, as well as at least partially disposed between the control device 50 and the detergent dispensing device 27 (
In some instances, the protective member 410 may define at least one crease 416 or other substantially linear portion for facilitating deformation of the protective member 410 along a defined line, which therefore facilitates wrapping of the protective member 410 about the control device 50. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the leading end 412 may be coupled to the trailing end 414 by a coupling member(s) 418 or other appropriate fastener, which may include, for example, an adhesive tape, a screw, a rivet, or other suitable fastening member, for maintaining the protective member 410 in position about the control device 50. The protective member 410 may be sufficiently thin so as to not interfere with the fit of the control device 50 within the dedicated, defined space of the door assembly 100, but may also be sufficiently flexible and robust so as to maintain its shape, size, and arrangement with respect to the control device 50 during manufacture and assembly of the dishwasher 10. The protective member 410 may be provided as a single component formed, for example, by a stamping process or other streamlined process, such that ease of assembly of the protective member 410 about the control device 50 can be improved.
Further, the protective member 410 may be suitably configured to receive therethrough projections or other structures projecting from the control device 50. For example, the protective member 410 may define one or more apertures, recesses, or cut-away portions such that the protective member 410 is capable of surrounding the control device 50 while suitably accommodating structural features of the control device 50. In some instances, for example, the protective member 410 may further define at least one aperture 420 for receiving a mounting device (not shown) therethrough for mounting the protective member 410 to the door assembly 100 or to receive a wiring arrangement 300 or other connector portions extending through the protective member 410 for connecting to (electrically or otherwise) or otherwise operably engaging the control device 50.
As mentioned previously, the protective member 410 may be comprised of a deformable material such that the protective member 410 may be appropriately deformed to be wrapped about the control device 50. Accordingly, the protective member 410 may be comprised of a durable, but appropriately flexible and/or durable material so as to permit at least partial wrapping of the protective member 410 about the control device 50. In some instances, the protective member 410 may be comprised of a composite film, such as, for example, a Mylar®/aluminum composite film that is, for example, deformable, durable, flexible, water-resistant, and/or flame-resistant. Such a composite film may be further configured to wrap or otherwise extend about the control device 50 so as to at least partially protect the control device 50 from contact with leaking fluid from the dishwasher 10 (i.e., from the detergent dispensing device 27), wherein the composite film may also be at least partially disposed between the control device 50 and the inner door member 150 or 200 so as to provide a “flame barrier” therebetween.
According to some embodiments, the protective member 410 may be comprised of a flame-resistant material, a chemical-resistant material, and/or a chafe-resistant material. As such, the protective member 410 may isolate the control device 50 from surrounding components/portions associated with the dishwasher 10 so as to reduce risk of damage/injury from fire, chemical, and chafing sources. Particularly, in instances where the door assembly 100 implements an integrally formed inner door panel 200, the protective member 410 may reduce/prevent fire, chemical and/or chafing damage to the control device 50, as well as restrict fires originating at the control device 50 from advancement to the inner door panel 200. That is, because the door assembly 100 having the integrally formed inner door panel 200 does not include the metal reinforcement member 104 (
Further, the protective member 410 may be configured to be water resistant and/or chemical resistant so as to be capable of reducing exposure of the casing, housing or other surrounding portion of the control device 50 to water and/or chemical exposure (i.e., due to rinse aid/dishwashing detergent/dishwashing fluid leaking from a detergent dispensing device 27 (
The term “flame-resistant” material as used herein is defined as a material capable of substantially withstanding elevated temperatures, such as those associated with fire, such that the material maintains its structural integrity for containing a fire, preventing or otherwise limiting the advancement thereof, and/or preventing the fire from damaging structures surrounded by the material. For example, the protective member 410 may be constructed of a material having a UL94-HBF flammability rating. In some instances, the protective member 410 may be constructed of a suitable composite material such as, for example, a Mylar®/aluminum composite film or any other suitable material.
The term “chemical-resistant” material as used herein is defined as a material capable of substantially withstanding degradation, disintegration and/or destruction when exposed to chemicals that may be associated with a dishwashing appliance. For example, the protective member 410 may be constructed of a material resistant to the deteriorating effects of rinse aid agents. For example, the protective member 410 may be constructed of a suitable composite material such as, for example, a Mylar®/aluminum composite film or any other suitable material.
The term “chafe-resistant” material as used herein is defined as a material capable of substantially withstanding destruction and/or degradation caused by frictional forces from a structure/feature rubbing, chaffing, contacting or otherwise acting thereon. For example, the protective member 410 may be constructed of a chafe-resistant and durable composite material such as a Mylar®/aluminum composite film or any other suitable material.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
