Patent Application
20220175214
The present disclosure relates generally to dishwasher appliances, and more particularly to improved, low-cost, third rack assemblies for 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. Multiple spray assemblies can be positioned within the wash chamber for applying or directing wash fluid towards articles disposed within the rack assemblies in order to clean such articles. Dishwasher appliances are also typically equipped with at least one pump for circulating fluid through the multiple spray assemblies. In addition, devices referred to as diverters may be used to control the flow of fluid received from the pump.
In addition to conventional lower and middle rack assemblies, certain dishwasher appliances include a “third rack” or “upper rack” positioned above the lower and middle rack assemblies, e.g., for receiving flatware, cutlery, or other cooking utensils. Notably, these third racks are typically formed from thick plastic material, which is costly and inhibits the drying performance as the plastic may act to insulate the flatware. Certain conventional dishwasher appliances include dedicated vents for improving airflow to the third rack, but such features add to the overall cost and complexity of the dishwasher appliance. In addition, certain conventional dishwasher appliances use wire racks, but the diameter of such wires are often very thick, e.g., greater than 0.15 inches. Moreover, such racks often include complex shapes and support structures defined in the rack floors which further increases costs.
Accordingly, a dishwasher appliance that utilizes an improved third rack construction would be useful. More specifically, a third rack assembly that facilitates improved drying performance while reducing costs would be particularly beneficial.
Aspects and 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, a lateral, and a transverse direction is provided. The dishwasher appliance includes a tub defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing, the tub defining a tub width measured along the lateral direction. A third rack assembly is slidably positioned within the wash chamber and configured for movement along the transverse direction. The third rack assembly includes a perimeter support wire and a flat floor suspended from the perimeter support wire, the flat floor being formed from interwoven floor wire and defining a floor width that is greater than 65% of the tub width of the wash tub.
In another exemplary embodiment, a third rack assembly slidably mounted within a wash chamber of a dishwasher appliance is provided. The third rack assembly defines a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction. The third rack assembly includes a perimeter support wire defining a support width measured along the lateral direction a flat floor suspended from the perimeter support wire, the flat floor being formed from interwoven floor wire and defining a floor width that is greater than 70% of the support width of the perimeter support wire.
According to still another exemplary embodiment, a dishwasher appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction is provided. The dishwasher appliance includes a tub defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing and a third rack assembly slidably positioned within the wash chamber and configured for movement along the transverse direction. The third rack assembly includes a perimeter support wire and a flat floor suspended from the perimeter support wire, the flat floor being formed from interwoven floor wire having a floor wire diameter of between about 0.04 and 0.09 inches.
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 “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”). Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, is 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 “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. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a 10 percent margin.
As used herein, the term “article” may refer to, but need not be limited to dishes, pots, pans, silverware, and other cooking utensils and items that can be cleaned in a dishwashing appliance. The term “wash cycle” is intended to refer to one or more periods of time during which a dishwashing appliance operates while containing the articles to be washed and uses a detergent and water, preferably with agitation, to e.g., remove soil particles including food and other undesirable elements from the articles. The term “rinse cycle” is intended to refer to one or more periods of time during which the dishwashing appliance operates to remove residual soil, detergents, and other undesirable elements that were retained by the articles after completion of the wash cycle. The term “drain cycle” is intended to refer to one or more periods of time during which the dishwashing appliance operates to discharge soiled water from the dishwashing appliance. The term “wash fluid” refers to a liquid used for washing and/or rinsing the articles and is typically made up of water that may include other additives such as detergent or other treatments.
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 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
As best illustrated in
As illustrated, rack mounting assembly 200 generally includes a mounting body 210 that is positioned inside wash chamber 106. In general, mounting body 210 may be any suitable structure positioned within wash chamber 106 and mounted in any suitable manner for supporting third rack assembly 126. For example, according to the illustrated embodiment, mounting body 210 defines one or more mounting bosses that are positioned through apertures (not shown) defined in tub 104. One or more mechanical fasteners may be received within the mounting bosses to secure mounting body 210 firmly against tub 104. It should be appreciated that according to other embodiments, mounting body 210 may be secured to tub 104 in any other suitable manner while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter.
In general, mounting body 210 is configured for supporting third rack assembly 126. In this regard, referring generally to
Referring now specifically to
In this manner, perimeter support wire 220 may generally define a rack footprint that extends from a front side 222 of perimeter support wire to a rear side 224 of perimeter support wire 220 along the transverse direction T. In addition, the rack footprint may extend from a left side 226 of perimeter support wire 220 to a right side 228 of perimeter support wire 220 along the lateral direction L. Notably, the rack footprint may be the largest dimension of perimeter support wire 220 and third rack assembly 126 measured within a horizontal plane (e.g., defined by the lateral direction L and the transverse direction T).
As best shown in
According to exemplary embodiments, third rack assembly 126 may further include a flat floor (e.g., identified generally by reference numeral 240) that is suspended from perimeter support wire 220. In this regard, flat floor 240 is the surface of the third rack assembly 126 that is designed for receiving utensils, flatware, or other items for cleaning. According to exemplary embodiments, flat floor 240 is generally formed from a plurality of floor wires 242 that are interwoven or joined to define a substantially flat platform for receiving flatware or other items for cleaning. As shown in
Notably, in order to minimize the material used while providing ample storage for items such as flatware, the dimensions of flat floor 240 may cover a large portion of the rack footprint. For example, according to the illustrated embodiment, floor width 244 may be greater than about 60%, greater than about 70%, greater than about 80%, greater than about 85%, or greater than about 90% of support width 230 of perimeter support wire 220. Similarly, according to the illustrated embodiment, floor depth 246 may be greater than about 60%, greater than about 70%, greater than about 80%, greater than about 85%, or greater than about 90% of support depth 232 of perimeter support wire 220. As such, the total footprint of flat floor 240 may be greater than 60%, greater than 70%, greater than 80%, or greater than 90% of the rack footprint defined by perimeter support wire 220.
Similarly, it may be desirable to maximize the size of flat floor 240 relative to tub 104, e.g., to maximize cleaning capacity of third rack assembly 126. Thus, the dimensions of flat floor 240 may cover a large portion of tub 104 within a horizontal plane (e.g., defined by the lateral direction L and the transverse direction T). For example, according to the illustrated embodiment, floor width 244 may be greater than about 55%, greater than about 65%, greater than about 75%, greater than about 85%, or greater than about 95% of tub width 234 of tub 104.
As illustrated, flat floor 240 may be joined to perimeter support wire 220 by angled portions 248 which may be extensions of floor wire 242 that are angled upward toward perimeter support wire 220. Although angled portions 248 are illustrated as being able to about 45° relative to a horizontal plane, it should be appreciated that the angle of angled portions 248 may vary while remaining within scope the present subject matter. For example, angled portions may be substantially vertical extensions of floor wire 242.
Notably, the dimensions of perimeter support wire 220 and floor wire 242 may be selected to ensure a sufficiently rigid and durable third rack assembly 126 for supporting the weight of third rack assembly 126 and utensils positioned thereon while minimizing costs. Thus, according to exemplary embodiments, perimeter support wire 220 may define a support wire diameter 250 and floor wire 242 may define a floor wire diameter 252. According to exemplary embodiments, support wire diameter 250 is larger than floor wire diameter 252, e.g., as it is supporting substantially all of the load from third rack assembly 126. Specifically, according to exemplary embodiments, support wire diameter 250 may be between about 0.05 inches in 0.3 inches, between about 0.1 inches and 0.2 inches, or about 0.17 inches. In addition, according to exemplary embodiments, floor wire diameter 252 may be between about 0.02 inches and 0.15 inches, between about 0.04 inches and 0.09 inches, or about 0.06 inches. Notably, these dimensions are substantially smaller than conventional rack assembly constructions, resulting in significant cost savings.
As best shown in
Notably, according to exemplary embodiments, third rack assembly 126 may further include one or more central support wires 260 that extend from one side of perimeter support wire 220 to another side of perimeter support wire 220, e.g., to provide extra structural support to floor wire 242. Thus, according to the illustrated embodiment, third rack assembly 126 includes a central support wire 260 that extends from front side 222 of perimeter support wire 220 underneath flat floor 240 to rear side 224 of perimeter support wire 220. In addition, this central support wire 260 is positioned at approximately the midpoint along floor width 244. Although a single central support wire 260 is illustrated, it should be appreciated that any suitable number and configuration of central support wires 260 may be used according to alternative embodiments. According to exemplary embodiments, central support wires they have a central wire diameter 262 substantially equivalent to support wire diameter 250. In this regard, for example, central wire diameter 262 may be between about 0.05 and 0.3 inches, between about 0.1 and 0.2 inches, or about 0.17 inches.
Notably, perimeter support wire 220, floor wire 242, and central support wire 260 may be formed from any suitable material or materials that may result in a suitably rigid third rack assembly 126 while minimizing costs and weight. Thus, according to exemplary embodiments, these wires may be formed from a suitably rigid metal material and may be coated in nylon. According still other embodiments, these wires may be formed from stainless steel (e.g., which may require no coating at all). Notably, conventional third rack assemblies 126 are formed from plastic and thus insulate utensils placed thereon, resulting in slower drying times. However, forming these support wires from metal as described herein may improve the drying performance of dishwasher 100.
Referring still to
It should be appreciated that third rack assembly 126 is described herein only for the purpose of explaining aspects of the present subject matter. Modifications and variations may be made to third rack assembly 126 while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, the size, configuration, position, and coatings applied to perimeter support wires 220, central support wires 260, floor wires 242, etc. may vary or be adjusted while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, this rack construction may be adjusted to ensure a sufficiently rigid rack that facilitates improved drying while reducing costs. In addition, it should be appreciated that third rack assembly 126 may be slidably mounted within tub 104 using any other suitable rack mounting features. Other configurations and benefits will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
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.
