WASH AND RINSE ARM SYSTEM FOR DISH WASHER

Abstract

A dish washer assembly with wash and rinse arms in a configuration that rotate using a hub assembly. A dish washer for washing dishes, including a single wash and rinse arm assembly comprising a first set of nozzles configured for washing the dishes with wash water and a second set of nozzles configured for rinsing the dishes with rinse water; and a hub comprising a first channel to provide wash water to the first set of nozzles of the arm assembly and a second channel to provide rinse water to the second set of nozzles of the arm assembly, wherein the arm assembly rotates on the hub to spray wash and rinse water on the dishes in the machine.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to apparatus and methods for dish washing machines and in particular to apparatus and methods for dish washing machines having an integrated rinse and wash arm assembly.

BACKGROUND

Some conventional dish washers have separate wash and rinse arms in multiple assemblies stacked on top of each other. Such designs employ separate mechanical assemblies for wash and rinse functions, which requires room for each assembly in the dish washing machine. What is needed in the art is a system that allows for more compact dishwashing assemblies and dish washers, ease of manufacture and assembly, and reduced cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter addresses the foregoing needs in the art and others and provides method and apparatus for dish washers configured to rinse and wash using a single arm assembly and distinct wash and rinse water pathways in a compact design. This unique combination arm and supporting hardware eliminates obstruction of the wash or rinse arm in a conventional two arm design, increases the clearance inside the machine without increasing the footprint and reduces the number of parts used to manufacture the design. Among other things, these improvements allow the machine to be designed as a recirculating, fresh water fill style dish washer machine instead of a dump and fill style machine without changing the hood. In various embodiments, a stationary hub receives input from two separate liquid sources (for example, wash and rinse water) and directs the flow to an attached wash/rinse arm. The two liquid sources remain separated in the arm and are delivered through nozzles into the wash chamber, and the resulting flow also propels the rotation of the arms in the assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a dishwashing apparatus that may employ the wash and rinse assemblies of various embodiments of the present subject matter.

FIG. 2 illustrates one example of an interior of the dish washer according to various embodiments of the present subject matter.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of an example of the sump and a pump system of one example of a dish washer.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the sump of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates another perspective view of an example of the dish washer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example of the dish washer of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIG. 7. illustrates a block diagram of an example machine upon which any one or more of the techniques discussed herein may perform, according to various embodiments of the present subject matter.

FIGS. 8A-8C show different views of a dual hub wash and rinse system for washing and rinsing dishes in a dish washer according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIG. 9A shows a perspective drawing of the lower wash and rinse arm assembly and lower hub according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIG. 9B shows an exploded view of the lower hub according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIG. 9C shows one example of wash and rinses arms connected to arm hub according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIGS. 10A-10D show one example of a shaft arm according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIGS. 11A-11F show one example of an arm hub according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIGS. 12A-12D show one example of a lower hub according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIGS. 13A-13D show one example of an upper hub according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a dishwashing apparatus that may employ the wash and rinse assemblies of various embodiments of the present subject matter. In various examples, the dish washer 100 is sized and shaped for installation underneath a countertop. In various examples, the dish washer 100 is sized and shaped for countertop use. The present subject matter may be employed in residential and commercial dish washers, and therefore, the examples provided herein are not intended to be exclusive or limiting.

Dish Washer Components

The dish washer 100 typically includes a wash chamber 110 (e.g., a tub, chamber, vessel, or the like), a wash arm 120 (or multiple wash arms which may be positioned in different locations of the machine), a door 140 and a body 130 which provides a watertight wash chamber 110. Items located in the wash chamber 110 may be cleaned (e.g., washed, scrubbed, sanitized, disinfected, or the like) during operation of the dish washer 100. For instance, dishes (e.g., glasses, cups, silverware, plates, or the like), medical instruments, or the like may be cleaned by the dish washer 100. The wash arms 120 located in the wash chamber 110 are configured to rotate as they spray a liquid (e.g., water, a solution of water and soap, a solution of water and a cleanser, or the like).

FIG. 2 illustrates one example of an interior of the dish washer 100 according to various embodiments of the present subject matter. The dish washer 100 may include a sump 200 that receives liquid from the wash chamber 110 during operation of the dish washer 100. For example, the sump 200 may be coupled to the body 130 of the dish washer 100. The sump 200 may define a bottom of the wash chamber 110, and liquid within the wash chamber 110 may drain into the sump 200.

The dish washer 100 may include a base 210 and a service compartment 220. The service compartment 220 may house one or more components of the dish washer 100. The sump 200 may be located between the wash chamber 110 and the service compartment 220. For instance, the sump 200 may separate the service compartment from the wash chamber 110.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of an example of the sump 200 and a pump system 300 of one example of a dish washer 100. The sump 200 may extend at least partially into the service compartment 220. The pump system 300 may include a pump 310, and the pump 310 may recirculate liquid within the dish washer 100. For example, one or more hoses 320 may interconnect the sump 200 with the pump system 300, and the sump 200 may provide liquid to the pump 310. The pump system 300 may help facilitate draining liquid from the dish washer 100. The pump system 300 may help facilitate recirculation of liquid within the dish washer 100. In an example, the pump system 300 may supply liquid to the wash arms 120, for instance to facilitate spraying the liquid with the wash arms 120.

The sump 200 may include a sump pan 330, and the sump pan 330 may include a pan inlet 340. The pan inlet 340 may receive liquid from the wash chamber 110. For example, liquid may be sprayed by the wash arm 120 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1) and the liquid may flow within the wash chamber 110 to the pan inlet 340 and the liquid may be received by (e.g., drain into, drip into, flow into, or the like) the sump pan 330.

The sump 200 may include a sump well 350. The sump well 350 may be coupled to the sump pan 330, and the sump well 350 may receive liquid from the sump pan 330. In an example, the sump well 350 may collect liquid from the sump pan 330 (and the wash chamber 11). For instance, the liquid received by the sump pan 330 may flow into the sump well 350, and the sump well 350 may collect the liquid.

As described herein, the sump 200 may provide liquid to the pump 310. For instance, a recirculation flange 360 may be coupled to the sump 200, for instance the flange 360 may be coupled to the sump well 350. In an example, the flange 360 may be coupled to the sump well 350 at an angle (e.g., with respect to a wall of the sump well 350.

The recirculation flange 360 may facilitate coupling the sump 200 with the hoses 320. The liquid collected by the sump well 350 may flow from the sump well 350, flow through the recirculation flange 360 and the hoses 320, and may flow into pump 310. The sump 200 may help reduce the occurrence of cavitation within the pump 310. For instance, the sump pan 330 and the sump well 250 may cooperate to reduce the occurrence of cavitation within the pump 310, for example by providing a consistent flow of liquid to the pump 310.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the sump 200 of FIG. 3. The sump 200 may include a well inlet 400. The well inlet 400 may be in communication with the sump pan 330, and the sump pan 330 may convey liquid to the well inlet 400 across the well inlet 400. For example, the sump pan 330 may include an inclined wall 410, and the inclined wall 410 may facilitate drainage of liquid into the sump well 350 (e.g., across the well inlet 400). The inclined wall 410 may facilitate collection of liquid in the sump pan 330 and into the sump well 350.

The sump 200 may include a lip 420, and the lip 420 may facilitate coupling the sump 200 with other components of the dish washer 100, for example the sump 200 may be coupled to the body 130 or the wash chamber 110 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1). The sump 200 may be coupled to the body 130 (or the wash chamber 110) with a welding operation, with fasteners, or the like.

FIG. 5 illustrates another perspective view of an example of the dish washer 100 of FIG. 1. The body 130 is coupled to the base 210, which defines a service compartment 220, and the wash chamber 110 is defined by the body 130. The service compartment 220 may house one or more components 700 of the dish washer 100, for example the pump system 300 (such as the one shown in FIG. 3). The components 700 may include a pump, a reservoir 705 (e.g., cleaning product reservoir), hoses, heaters, transformers, or the like. The components 700 may be moveably coupled to the dish washer 100, for instance to the base 210. A hinge 710 may facilitate movement of the components 700 and increase access to other components 700 within the service compartment 220, thereby simplifying service of the dish washer 100 (e.g., repairs by a technician, or the like). The dish washer 100 may include one or more rails 715 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5), and the components 700 may slide on the rails to move the components, for instance to move the components to provide access to the pump system 300 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 3).

Wash and Rinse System

FIGS. 8A-8C show different views of a dual hub wash and rinse system 1000 for washing and rinsing dishes in a dish washer, such as dish washer 100, according to one embodiment of the present subject matter. FIG. 8A shows a wash water inlet 1010 which receives pressurized wash water from a pump of the washing machine. Wash water flows through lower hub 1003 to lower wash arms 1005 and to the upper hub 1002 via wash tube 1008 where it is sprayed by upper wash arms 1005. FIG. 8A also shows a rinse water inlet 1012 which receives pressurized rinse water from a pump of the washing machine (or from some other pressurized rinse water source). Rinse water flows through upper hub 1002 to upper rinse arms 1006 and to lower hub 1003 via rinse tube 1007 where it is sprayed by lower rinse arms 1006. System 1000 therefore provides two separate fluid channels, one for wash water and one for rinse water.

Wash arms 1005 and rinse arms 1006 are fitted with nozzles or other openings to facilitate wash and rinse. In various embodiments, the wash arms have nozzles or openings which are larger than the nozzles or openings of the rinse arms to provide more volumetric flow of wash solution and allow any detergent in that solution to clean dirty dishes or other ware in the dish washer. Various embodiments may use different numbers of nozzles or openings, including, but not limited to, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 nozzles and/or openings may be employed; however, it is understood that the number of nozzles and/or openings may vary without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. The number of rinse nozzles and/or openings may be the same or different than the number of wash nozzles and/or openings. While the embodiments herein show assemblies having two wash arms and two rinse arms, it is understood that the number of arms may vary without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. In various embodiments the number of wash arms will be different than the number of rinse arms. In various embodiments, different wash and rinse arm assemblies can be employed, including, but not limited to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 wash and rinse arm assemblies.

In various embodiments, wash and rinse arm assemblies will rotate when pressurized to spread the spray of wash and rinse water over the dishes or other ware in the washer. The direction of rotation may be determined by angles and/or positioning of the nozzles on a washer arm to create a rotational force on the wash and rinse arm assembly. The upper and lower hubs in various embodiments are designed to allow rotation of the arm assemblies while delivering the wash or rinse water. In various embodiments the wash and rinse arm assemblies are designed to turn in opposite directions while pressurized. In various embodiments the wash and rinse arm assemblies are designed to turn in the same directions while pressurized. In various embodiments the relative rates of rotation are different to randomize the application of wash and rinse water. In various embodiments the relative rates of rotation are similar. Other variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter.

FIGS. 8B and 8C show side views of the wash and rinse system 1000 of FIG. 8A.

Various mounts and brackets may be employed to position the wash and rinsing assembly and its components to the dish washer or other device using the system.

FIG. 9A shows a perspective drawing of the lower wash and rinse arm assembly and lower hub 1003 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter. FIG. 9B shows an exploded view of the lower hub 1003 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter. Shaft arm 1020 is pressed through plastic or Teflon bearings 1022 connecting arm hub 1030 to lower hub 1040 via threads on the bottom of shaft arm 1020. Plastic or Teflon bearing 1024 is pressed onto arm hub 1030. Plastic or Teflon bearings 1022 and plastic or Teflon bearing 1024 allow the arm hub 1030 and its connected wash arms 1005 and rinse arms 1006 to spin when water pressure is applied. In various embodiments, the spray arms 1005 and 1006 include end caps 1014 that may be removed for cleaning or other service. FIG. 9C shows one example of wash and rinses arms connected to arm hub 1030 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter.

Arm hub 1030 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 11A-11F. Arm hub 1030 has rinse arm holes 1035 that connect to rinse arms 1006. Rinse water from rinse opening 1034 is fed to these rinse arm holes 1035. Arm hub 1030 also has a plurality of wash openings 1032 that receive pressured wash water and distribute it to wash arm holes 1033 which connect to wash arms 1005. This construction allows for separate wash and rinse water channels in arm hub 1030.

One example of shaft arm 1020 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 10A-10D. In this embodiment, shaft arm 1020 has a central opening 1023 and a plurality of output holes 1021 that allow pressurized rinse water entering central opening 1023 to be dispersed to the various rinse arms 1006 via rinse opening 1034 and rinse arm holes 1035 of arm hub 1030 as shown in FIGS. 11A-11F.

Pressurized wash water enters wash openings 1032 and exits wash arm holes 1033 of arm hub 1030 to be sprayed by wash arms 1005.

FIGS. 12A-12D show one example of a lower hub 1040 which receives rinse water in rinse input 1032 and exits rinse output 1042 to the central opening 1023 of shaft arm 1020. Lower hub 1040 also receives pressurized wash water in wash input 1044 (see FIGS. 12C), which is distributed to wash output 1043 and to wash tube outlet 1028. Wash water from wash output 1043 is distributed to wash arm holes 1033 and wash arms 1005 of the lower hub assembly. Wash water from wash tube outlet 1028 is sent to the upper hub assembly 1002 via wash tube 1008, so that the upper wash arms 1005 can spray wash water onto dishes and other ware in the washer. FIG. 12C shows an inner conduit between rinse input 1032 and rinse output 1042. Other connections are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter.

FIGS. 13A-13D show one example of an upper hub 1050 which receives wash fluid from wash tube 1008 in wash input 1058 and which sends wash water to wash arms 1005 via a second arm hub 1030 having wash output holes 1033. Upper hub 1050 also receives rinse water at rinse input 1052 from rinse inlet 1012, such as shown in FIG. 8A. The rinse water entering rinse input 1052 exits the upper rinse arms 1006 via rinse output 1062 to the central opening 1023 of shaft arm 1020 of the upper hub assembly. In various embodiments, the same or substantially the same shaft arm and arm hub can be used in the upper and lower hub assemblies. Other designs may be employed without departing from the scope of the present subject matter.

Electrical And Control Systems

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example of the dish washer 100 of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter. The dish washer 100 may include a controller 800, and the controller 800 may include processing circuitry, for instance a processor. The controller 800 may control one or more functions of the dish washer 100. For example, the controller 800 may be in communication with a pump 810, for instance a diaphragm pump. The pump 810 may supply a cleaning product (e.g., detergent, solvent, bleach, soap, or the like) to the wash chamber 110 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1) when the pump 810 is operated. For instance, the pump 810 may draw a cleaning product from a reservoir 820 (e.g., a container, jug, chamber, vessel, or the like). The pump 810 may supply the cleaning product, for instance at a discharge port 815. The cleaning product may include a liquid, a gas, or a combination thereof.

One or more electrical properties may vary in correspondence to whether the pump 810 is pumping a fluid (or the fluid being pumped). For example, the electrical current drawn by the pump 810 may increase when the pump 810 is pumping a liquid. The electrical current drawn by the pump 810 may decrease when the pump 810 is not pumping a liquid. For example, the current drawn by the pump 810 may decrease when the pump 810 is pumping a gas (in comparison to the current drawn by the pump 810 when the pump 810 is pumping a liquid). The current drawn by the pump 810 may increase when the pump 810 is not pumping a fluid (e.g., a fluid path between the reservoir 820 and the pump 810 is occluded). Accordingly, the controller 800 may monitor electrical characteristics of the pump 810, for instance to determine whether the pump 810 is pumping a fluid (or the fluid being pumped).

The controller 800 may monitor the one or more electrical properties of the pump 810. For instance, the controller 800 may be in communication with an electrical characteristic sensor 830, and the electrical characteristic sensor facilitates monitoring of one or more electrical characteristics of the pump 810. In an example, a power supply 840 provided power to the pump 810. The sensor 830 may measure one or more of current drawn by the pump 810 or voltage supplied to the pump 810. The controller 800 may be in communication with the sensor 830, and the controller 800 may monitor (e.g., record, analyze, interpret, or the like) the measurements provided by the sensor 830.

In an example, the electrical characteristic sensor 830 includes a resistor (e.g., a shunt resistor, or the like). The resistor 800 may be located in electrical communication with the pump (e.g., located in line with the power supply 840). The controller 800 may monitor a voltage potential across the resistor. The controller 800 may determine voltage draw by the pump 810, for example based on the monitored voltage potential across the resistor. The controller 800 (or the sensor 830) may include an amplifier, signal processing circuitry, or the like to facilitate monitoring of the electrical characteristics of the pump 810 with the controller 800.

The controller 800 may determine whether a fluid is flowing through the pump 810 during operation of the pump 810. In an example, the controller 800 determines a fluid flow metric for the pump 810. The fluid flow metric may be indicative of fluid flow through the pump 810. The controller 800 may determine the fluid flow metric based on the monitored electrical characteristics of the pump 810. The controller 800 may update the fluid flow metric based on a comparison of the electrical characteristics of the pump 810 to a characteristic threshold. For instance, the fluid flow metric may have a first value when the pump 810 is pumping a gas. The fluid flow metric may have a second value when the pump 810 is pumping a liquid. The fluid flow metric may have a third value when the pump 810 is not pumping a fluid.

In an example, the controller 800 may compare the electrical characteristics of the pump 810 to a characteristic threshold (e.g., a maximum, minimum, limit, rate of change, or the like). Determining whether the pump 810 is pumping a fluid may facilitate determining whether the reservoir 820 is depleted (e.g., low, drained, empty, out, or the like). Determining whether the pump 810 is pumping a fluid may facilitate determining whether the pump 810 is occluded (or whether there is an occlusion in a fluid line for the pump 810).

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an example machine 900 upon which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies) discussed herein may perform, according to various embodiments of the present subject matter. The machine 900 may include the controller 800 (shown in FIG. 6). Examples, as described herein, may include, or may operate by, logic or a number of components, or mechanisms in the machine 900. Circuitry (e.g., processing circuitry), is a collection of circuits implemented in tangible entities of the machine 900 that include hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Circuitry membership may be flexible over time. Circuitries include members that may, alone or in combination, perform specified operations when operating. In an example, hardware of the circuitry may be immutably designed to carry out a specific operation (e.g., hardwired). In an example, the hardware of the circuitry may include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) including a machine readable medium physically modified (e.g., magnetically, electrically, moveable placement of invariant massed particles, etc.) to encode instructions of the specific operation. In connecting the physical components, the underlying electrical properties of a hardware constituent are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor or vice versa. The instructions enable embedded hardware (e.g., the execution units or a loading mechanism) to create members of the circuitry in hardware via the variable connections to carry out portions of the specific operation when in operation. Accordingly, in an example, the machine readable medium elements are part of the circuitry or are communicatively coupled to the other components of the circuitry when the device is operating. In an example, any of the physical components may be used in more than one member of more than one circuitry. For example, under operation, execution units may be used in a first circuit of a first circuitry at one point in time and reused by a second circuit in the first circuitry, or by a third circuit in a second circuitry at a different time. Additional examples of these components with respect to the machine 900 follow.

In alternative embodiments, the machine 900 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 900 may operate in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or both in server-client network environments. In an example, the machine 900 may act as a peer machine in peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The machine 900 may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations.

The machine (e.g., computer system) 900 may include a hardware processor 902 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 904, a static memory (e.g., memory or storage for firmware, microcode, a basic-input-output (BIOS), unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), etc.) 906, and mass storage 908 (e.g., hard drive, tape drive, flash storage, or other block devices) some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 930. The machine 900 may further include a display unit 910, an alphanumeric input device 912 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 914 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit 910, input device 912 and UI navigation device 914 may be a touch screen display. The machine 900 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., drive unit) 908, a signal generation device 918 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 920, and one or more sensors 916, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, compass, accelerometer, or other sensor. The machine 900 may include an output controller 928, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, card reader, etc.).

Registers of the processor 902, the main memory 904, the static memory 906, or the mass storage 908 may be, or include, a machine readable medium 922 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 924 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions 924 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within any of registers of the processor 902, the main memory 904, the static memory 906, or the mass storage 908 during execution thereof by the machine 900. In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 902, the main memory 904, the static memory 906, or the mass storage 908 may constitute the machine readable media 922. While the machine readable medium 922 is illustrated as a single medium, the term “machine readable medium” may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) configured to store the one or more instructions 924.

The term “machine readable medium” may include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 900 and that cause the machine 900 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting machine readable medium examples may include solid-state memories, optical media, magnetic media, and signals (e.g., radio frequency signals, other photon based signals, sound signals, etc.). In an example, a non-transitory machine readable medium comprises a machine readable medium with a plurality of particles having invariant (e.g., rest) mass, and thus are compositions of matter. Accordingly, non-transitory machine-readable media are machine readable media that do not include transitory propagating signals. Specific examples of non-transitory machine readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

The instructions 924 may be further transmitted or received over a communications network 926 using a transmission medium via the network interface device 920 utilizing any one of a number of transfer protocols (e.g., frame relay, internet protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellular networks), Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi®, IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax®), IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, among others. In an example, the network interface device 920 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or phone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communications network 926. In an example, the network interface device 920 may include a plurality of antennas to wirelessly communicate using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) techniques. The term “transmission medium” shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 900, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible medium to facilitate communication of such software. A transmission medium is a machine readable medium.

Examples

Example 1 is a dish washer for washing dishes, including a single wash and rinse arm assembly comprising a first set of nozzles configured for washing the dishes with wash water and a second set of nozzles configured for rinsing the dishes with rinse water; and a hub comprising a first channel to provide wash water to the first set of nozzles of the arm assembly and a second channel to provide rinse water to the second set of nozzles of the arm assembly, wherein the arm assembly rotates on the hub to spray wash and rinse water on the dishes in the machine.

Example 2, is a dual hub wash and rinse assembly as set forth in Example 1.

In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more Examples thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments may be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.

Claims

1. A dish washing machine for washing dishes in the machine, comprising: a single wash and rinse arm assembly comprising a first set of nozzles configured for washing the dishes with wash water and a second set of nozzles configured for rinsing the dishes with rinse water; anda hub comprising a first channel to provide wash water to the first set of nozzles of the arm assembly and a second channel to provide rinse water to the second set of nozzles of the arm assembly,wherein the arm assembly rotates on the hub to spray wash and rinse water on the dishes in the machine.

2. The dish washing machine of claim 1, wherein the wash and rinse arm assembly is configured to rotate based on the propulsion of water through nozzles located on the wash and rinse arms.

3. The dish washing machine of claim 1, wherein the hub includes a stationary hub that receives input from two separate liquid sources and directs the flow to an attached wash/rinse arm.

4. The dish washing machine of claim 1, further comprising a sump and a pump system configured to recirculate liquid within the dish washer, and wherein the sump includes a sump pan and a sump well, the sump well configured to collect liquid from the sump pan.

5. The dish washing machine of claim 4, wherein the sump pan includes an inclined wall to facilitate drainage of liquid into the sump well.

6. The dish washing machine of claim 1, further comprising a service compartment housing components including at least a pump and a reservoir, and wherein the components within the service compartment are moveably coupled to facilitate access for service.

7. The dish washing machine of claim 1, wherein nozzles on the wash arms are larger than nozzles on the rinse arms to provide a greater volumetric flow of wash solution.

8. The dish washing machine of claim 1, wherein the wash and rinse arm assemblies are configured to rotate in opposite directions when pressurized.

9. The dish washing machine of claim 1, wherein the wash and rinse arm assemblies are configured to rotate at different relative rates to randomize the application of wash and rinse water.

10. The dish washing machine of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control operation of the dish washer, including timing and duration of wash and rinse cycles, wherein the controller is configured to monitor electrical characteristics of a pump to determine fluid flow characteristics.

11. The dish washing machine of claim 1, wherein the wash and rinse arm assembly includes a dual hub system with separate channels for wash and rinse water.

12. The dish washing machine of claim 11, wherein the dual hub system includes upper and lower hubs that distribute wash and rinse water to corresponding upper and lower wash and rinse arms.

13. The dish washing machine of claim 1, wherein the machine includes a plurality of sensors configured to optimize the washing and rinsing process based on load size and soil level.

14. A method of operating a dish washing machine, comprising: providing wash water to a first set of nozzles of a wash and rinse arm assembly; providing rinse water to a second set of nozzles of the wash and rinse arm assembly; and rotating the arm assembly on a hub to spray wash and rinse water on dishes in the machine.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving inputs from two separate liquid sources at a stationary hub and directing the flow to an attached wash/rinse arm.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein rotating the arm assembly is propelled by the flow of water through nozzles located on the wash and rinse arms.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising recirculating liquid within the dish washer using a sump and a pump system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein recirculating the liquid includes collecting the liquid in a sump well from a sump pan, the sump pan having an inclined wall to facilitate drainage.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein spraying wash and rinse water includes using nozzles on the wash arms that are larger than the nozzles on the rinse arms to provide a greater volumetric flow of wash solution.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling the rotation of the wash and rinse arm assemblies to rotate in opposite directions when pressurized.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising monitoring electrical characteristics of a pump to determine fluid flow characteristics using a controller.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising optimizing the washing and rinsing process based on load size and soil level using a plurality of sensors.