Patent Application
20180035866
Contemporary automatic household dishwashers may have either a single compartment or multiple compartments for receiving soiled utensils to be treated. Typically, dishwashers with a single compartment have a single tub at least partially defining a treating chamber and a hinged door that provides access to the treating chamber. Multiple racks slidably mounted to the tub and movable relative to the treating chamber support the utensils. In multiple compartment dishwashers, the compartments are often in the form of multiple, separate drawers or pull-out compartments. Each compartment can include a slidable tub at least partially defining a treating chamber. One or more racks in the multiple compartment dishwashers may be disposed inside and moveable with its respective treating chamber to support the utensils in the treating chamber.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a rack assembly for an automatic dishwasher comprising opposing side portions, at least two axles extending outwardly from each of the opposing side portions, and a roller wheel mounted to each axle, wherein each roller wheel has ball bearings that enable at least a portion of the roller wheel to rotate about the axle.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a truck for a dishwasher rack comprising a plate adapted to be mounted to a dishwasher rack, at least two axles fixed to the plate and spaced from each other, a hub extending radially from each axle, with a first raceway on a perimeter of the hub, and a wheel having a central bore with a second raceway on a perimeter of the bore, mounted to each hub with the first raceway facing the second raceway and plurality of balls bearings disposed in the first and second raceways to enable the wheels to rotate about the hubs.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic dishwasher comprising a tub with an open front and a door selectively movable about a horizontal axis between a closed position blocking access to the tub through the open front and an open position enabling access to the tub through the open front, an upper dishwasher rack and a lower dishwasher rack, each of the upper and lower dishwasher racks having opposing side portions, rails mounted to an upper portion of the tub, at least two axles extending outwardly from each of the opposing side portions of the upper and lower dishwasher racks, and a roller wheel mounted to each axle, wherein each roller wheel has ball bearings that enable at least a portion of the roller wheel to rotate about the axle with the roller wheels of the upper dishwasher rack disposed to roll within the rails and the roller wheels of the lower dishwasher rack disposed to roll on the door.
In the drawings:
In
It should be appreciated that the door assembly 18 may be secured to the lower front edge of the chassis 12 or to the lower front edge of the tub 14 via a hinge assembly (not shown) configured to pivot the door assembly 18. When the door assembly 18 is closed, user access to the treating chamber 16 may be prevented, whereas user access to the treating chamber 16 may be permitted when the door assembly 18 is open.
Dish holders, illustrated in the form of upper and lower dish racks 26, 28, are located within the treating chamber 16 and receive dishes for washing. The upper and lower racks 26, 28 are typically mounted for slidable movement in and out of the treating chamber 16 for ease of loading and unloading. Other dish holders may be provided, such as a silverware basket. As used in this description, the term “dish(es)” is intended to be generic to any item, single or plural, that may be treated in the dishwasher 10, including, without limitation, dishes, plates, pots, bowls, pans, glassware, and silverware.
A spray system is provided for spraying liquid in the treating chamber 16 and is provided in the form of a first lower spray assembly 34, a second lower spray assembly 36, a rotating mid-level spray arm assembly 38, and/or an upper spray arm assembly 40. Upper sprayer 40, mid-level rotatable sprayer 38 and lower rotatable sprayer 34 are located, respectively, above the upper rack 26, beneath the upper rack 26, and beneath the lower rack 28 and are illustrated as rotating spray arms. The second lower spray assembly 36 is illustrated as being located adjacent the lower dish rack 28 toward the rear of the treating chamber 16. The second lower spray assembly 36 is illustrated as including a vertically oriented distribution header or spray manifold 44. Such a spray manifold is set forth in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,513, issued Sep. 29, 2009, and titled “Multiple Wash Zone Dishwasher,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A recirculation system is provided for recirculating liquid from the treating chamber 16 to the spray system. The recirculation system may include a sump 30 and a pump assembly 31. The sump 30 collects the liquid sprayed in the treating chamber 16 and may be formed by a sloped or recess portion of a bottom wall of the tub 14. The pump assembly 31 may include both a drain pump 32 and a recirculation pump 33. The drain pump 32 may draw liquid from the sump 30 and pump the liquid out of the dishwasher 10 to a household drain line (not shown). The recirculation pump 33 may draw liquid from the sump 30 and the liquid may be simultaneously or selectively pumped through a supply tube 42 to each of the assemblies 34, 36, 38, 40 for selective spraying. While not shown, a liquid supply system may include a water supply conduit coupled with a household water supply for supplying water to the treating chamber 16.
A heating system including a heater 46 may be located within the sump 30 for heating the liquid contained in the sump 30.
A controller 50 may also be included in the dishwasher 10, which may be operably coupled with various components of the dishwasher 10 to implement a cycle of operation. The controller 50 may be located within the door 18 as illustrated, or it may alternatively be located somewhere within the chassis 12. The controller 50 may also be operably coupled with a control panel or user interface 56 for receiving user-selected inputs and communicating information to the user. The user interface 56 may include operational controls such as dials, lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands, such as a cycle of operation, to the controller 50 and receive information.
As illustrated schematically in
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.
