U.S. patent application number 12/959687 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-07 for dishwasher with single pump and filter unit for multiple compartments.
This patent application is currently assigned to WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION. Invention is credited to JORDAN R. FOUNTAIN, BARRY E. TULLER, RODNEY M. WELCH.
Application Number | 20120138107 12/959687 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46082927 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120138107 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FOUNTAIN; JORDAN R. ; et
al. |
June 7, 2012 |
DISHWASHER WITH SINGLE PUMP AND FILTER UNIT FOR MULTIPLE
COMPARTMENTS
Abstract
A dishwasher with multiple, physically separate treating
chambers includes a pump and filter unit and a system for coupling
the separate treating chambers to the pump and filter unit.
Inventors: |
FOUNTAIN; JORDAN R.; (ST.
JOSEPH, MI) ; TULLER; BARRY E.; (STEVENSVILLE,
MI) ; WELCH; RODNEY M.; (EAU CLAIRE, MI) |
Assignee: |
WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
BENTON HARBOR
MI
|
Family ID: |
46082927 |
Appl. No.: |
12/959687 |
Filed: |
December 3, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
134/111 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 15/4206 20130101;
A47L 15/4225 20130101; A47L 15/0084 20130101; A47L 15/4221
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
134/111 |
International
Class: |
A47L 15/42 20060101
A47L015/42 |
Claims
1. A dishwasher system comprising: a first tub at least partially
defining a first treating chamber with a first liquid inlet and a
first liquid outlet; a second tub at least partially defining a
second treating chamber, which is physically separate from the
first treating chamber, and having a second liquid inlet and a
second liquid outlet; a pump and filter unit comprising: a housing
defining an interior and having an inlet; a wash pump having an
inlet fluidly coupled to the housing and an outlet; a filter
located within the housing and fluidly separating the housing inlet
from the wash pump inlet; and a liquid diverter system selectively
coupling the first and second tub liquid outlets to the housing
inlet and the first and second tub liquid inlets to the wash pump
outlet to selectively control liquid movement within and between
the first and second treating chambers.
2. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a chassis defining
an interior, with both the first and second tubs being located
within the interior.
3. The dishwasher of claim 2, further comprising a first drawer
defining the first tub and a second drawer defining the second tub,
with both the first and second drawers slidably mounted to the
chassis.
4. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the housing is physically
separate from the first and second tubs.
5. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein the housing defines a remote
sump for both the first and second tubs.
6. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the wash pump further
comprises an impeller rotatably mounted within the wash pump and
expelling liquid from the housing interior through the wash pump
outlet.
7. The dishwasher of claim 6 wherein the filter is rotatably
mounted in the housing and driven by the impeller.
8. The dishwasher of claim 7 wherein the filter is mounted to the
impeller.
9. The dishwasher of claim 7, further comprising a motor operably
coupled with the impeller to rotate the impeller and wherein the
rotation of the impeller by the motor also rotates the filter.
10. The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a drain pump
having an inlet fluidly coupled to the housing to draw liquid from
the housing interior for draining.
11. The dishwasher of claim 10 wherein the filter does not fluidly
separate the housing from the drain pump inlet.
12. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the diverter system comprises
a first diverter selectively fluidly coupling the first and second
outlets to the housing inlet and a second diverter selectively
fluidly coupling the first and second inlets to the wash pump
outlet.
13. The dishwasher of claim 12 wherein at least one of the first
and second diverters comprises a valve.
14. The dishwasher of claim 13 wherein the valve is a flapper
valve.
15. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the liquid diverter system
selectively establishes a recirculation path between the wash pump
and each of the first and second treating chambers.
16. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the liquid diverter system
fluidly couples one of the first and second inlets to one of the
second and first liquid outlets, respectively, to establish a fluid
path between the first and second treating chambers.
17. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the liquid diverter system
fluidly couples both the first and second liquid inlets to the pump
outlet simultaneously.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Dishwashers may include multiple compartments in the form of
multiple drawers or pull-out compartments slidably mounted in a
chassis. Each compartment may include a tub at least partially
defining a treating chamber. Typically, a utensil rack and liquid
sprayers are provided in each treating chamber to support and apply
liquid to the utensils, respectively, during a treating cycle of
operation. A liquid system for supplying liquid to the sprayers is
provided within the chassis and coupled to the sprayers. In most
multi-compartment dishwashers, a cycle of operation may be
performed in one or both of the treating chambers to wash utensils
contained therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a dishwasher having multiple
physically separate treating chambers, a common pump and filter
unit, and a liquid diverter system for selectively fluidly coupling
the separate treating chambers to the pump and filter unit to
selectively control liquid movement within and between the separate
treating chambers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] In the drawings:
[0004] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-compartment
dishwasher in accordance with the present invention having an upper
compartment in a closed position and a lower compartment in an open
position.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through line 2-2 of FIG. 1,
with the upper and lower compartments both shown in the closed
position.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the dishwasher of FIG. 1 with the
rear wall removed.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through line 4-4 of FIG.
3.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a controller of the dishwasher
of FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a diverter
for use in the dishwasher of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-compartment
dishwasher 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. Although
the actual dishwasher 10 into which the embodiments of the
invention may be incorporated may vary, the invention is shown in
the environment of the dishwasher 10 depicted as a
multi-compartment drawer-type dishwasher. The dishwasher 10
includes a chassis 12, which defines an interior. The chassis 12
may be a cabinet or a frame, with or without exterior panels.
Built-in dishwashers typically have only a frame without panels,
whereas stand alone dishwashers have a frame with decorative panels
covering the frame. The dishwasher 10 is illustrated as including a
lower compartment 14 and an upper compartment 16 arranged below a
kitchen countertop 18 between cabinetry 20, which may include one
or more drawers or cabinet doors (not shown), although it is within
the scope of the invention for the dishwasher 10 to be used in any
setting in which it is desired to treat one or more utensils.
[0011] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the lower and upper compartments
14, 16 may take the form of slide-out drawers, each having a handle
22, 24, respectively, for facilitating movement of the drawer units
between an open and closed position. However, one compartment 14,
16 may have a small or medium capacity so as to be used for washing
smaller or more delicate utensils, such as glassware and the like,
while the other compartment 14, 16 may be a larger capacity drawer
for washing larger or more robust utensils, such as dinnerware,
cookware and other large sized objects. Also, the dishwasher 10
could include a combination single pull-out drawer unit and a
conventional dishwashing unit, with a hinged door. As used in this
description, the term "utensil(s)" 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.
[0012] Lower compartment 14 is shown in the open position in FIG.
1, and includes a front wall 26, a rear wall 28, a bottom wall 30
and opposing side walls 32 that collectively form a lower tub 34
that at least partially defines a first or lower treating chamber
36. A utensil rack 38 for supporting various objects, such as
utensils and the like, to be exposed to a treating operation is
provided in the tub 34. Lower compartment 14 may be slidably
mounted to the chassis 12 through a pair of extendible support
guides, one of which is indicated at 40. In this manner, the lower
compartment 14 may carry the tub 34 between the open and closed
positions.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through line 2-2 of FIG. 1,
with both the lower and upper compartments 14, 16 shown in the
closed position. Each of the lower and upper compartments 14, 16
have separate liquid inlets and separate liquid outlets. As
illustrated in FIG. 2, the bottom wall 30 of the lower tub 34 may
be sloped to define a lower tub region or lower sump 42, which
provides a first liquid outlet for the lower treating chamber 36.
The lower sump 42 manages a flow of liquid leaving the lower
compartment 14.
[0014] Similar to the lower compartment 14, although not shown, the
upper compartment 16 similarly includes front, rear, bottom and
opposing side walls that collectively form an upper tub 44, which
at least partially defines a second or upper treating chamber 46
having an upper sump 48, which provides a second liquid outlet for
the upper treating chamber 46. The upper treating chamber 46 is
physically separate from the lower treating chamber 36. The upper
tub 44 may also be provided with a utensil rack 50 for supporting
various utensils and the like. Like the lower compartment 14, upper
compartment 16 is slidably mounted to the chassis 12 through a pair
of extendible support guides (not shown). In this manner, the upper
compartment 16 carries the tub 44 between an open and closed
position.
[0015] The dishwasher 10 also includes a recirculation system 52,
which includes a remote pump and filter unit 72 for selectively
supplying, recirculating and draining liquid from the lower and
upper treating chambers 36, 46. The recirculation system 52
includes a lower spray arm assembly 56, which provides a first
liquid inlet to the lower treating chamber 36. The lower spray arm
assembly 56 is illustrated as being positioned in the lower tub 34
beneath the utensil rack 38. The recirculation system 52 also
includes an upper spray arm assembly 58, which provides a second
liquid inlet to the upper treating chamber 46. The upper spray arm
assembly 58 is illustrated as being positioned in the upper tub 44
beneath the utensil rack 50.
[0016] Each lower and upper spray arm assembly 56, 58 is configured
to rotate in their respective lower and upper treating chamber 36,
46 and generate a spray of liquid in a generally upward direction,
over at least a portion of an interior of their respective treating
chamber 36, 46, typically directed to treat utensils located in the
utensil racks 38, 50. While the spray arm assemblies 56, 58 are
illustrated as rotating spray arms, the spray arm assemblies may be
of any structure and configuration, such as fixed spray heads, for
example. Additional spray arms or nozzles may also be provided. It
is also within the scope of the invention for the spray arm
assemblies to be provided at different locations within the
treating chambers 36, 46, such as above the utensil racks 38, 50 or
on the rear walls of the lower and upper compartments 14, 16. It is
also within the scope of the invention for a combination of spray
arm assemblies and/or nozzles to be provided at a multiple
locations within the treating chambers 36, 46.
[0017] The recirculation system 52 also includes a first spray arm
conduit 60 provided in the lower tub 34 and is coupled at a first
end to the lower spray arm assembly 56. The first spray arm conduit
60 extends along the bottom wall 30 of the lower tub 34 from the
lower spray arm assembly 56 and upwardly along the rear wall 28 of
the lower compartment 14. A first supply conduit 62 is fluidly
coupled to the first spray arm conduit 60 at a second end for
supplying liquid to the spray arm assembly 56 via the first spray
arm conduit 60. In a similar manner, liquid is supplied to the
second spray arm assembly 58 in the upper tub 44 through a second
spray arm conduit 64, which is fluidly coupled with a second supply
conduit 66.
[0018] Because the lower and upper spray arm assemblies 56, 58 are
positioned within the lower and upper tubs 34, 44, the lower and
upper spray arm assemblies 56, 58 and the first and second spray
arm conduits 60, 64 must be able to move with the lower and upper
compartments 14, 16 as they move between the open and closed
positions. As such, a flexible manifold tube 68, 70 may be fluidly
coupled between each of the lower and upper spray arm conduits 60,
64 and their associated lower and upper supply conduits 62, 66 to
allow for such movement. Alternatively, it has been contemplated
that a docking type connection may be used instead of the flexible
manifold tubes.
[0019] The recirculation system 52 may also include a liquid
diverter system 132 to selectively control the liquid movement
within and between the lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46.
The liquid diverter system 132 may include a tub inlet diverter 136
that selectively fluidly couples the remote pump and filter unit 72
to the first and second inlets or spray arm assemblies 56, 58
through the first and second supply conduits 62, 66.
[0020] The liquid diverter system 132 may also include a tub outlet
diverter 144, which may selectively fluidly couple the first and
second tub outlets or lower and upper sumps 42, 48, respectively,
to the remote pump and filter unit 72. More specifically, the lower
sump 42 is fluidly coupled with a first sump conduit 140, which is
arranged within the dishwasher 10 below the lower tub 34. As
illustrated, the first sump conduit 140 extends along the underside
of the lower tub 34 from the lower sump 42 to a rear wall 28 of the
lower compartment 14. A first outlet conduit 146 is fluidly coupled
to the first sump conduit 140 for supplying liquid from the lower
sump 42 to the remote pump and filter unit 72. In a similar manner,
the upper tub 44 is provided with a second sump conduit 138 that is
fluidly coupled with the upper sump 48 and a second outlet conduit
148 that is fluidly coupled with the second pump conduit 138 at a
first end and the remote pump and filter unit 72 at a second end.
Again, because the lower sump 42 and upper sump 48 must be able to
move with the lower and upper compartments 14, 16 as they move
between the open and closed positions, flexible manifold tubes (not
shown) may be fluidly coupled between each of the first and second
outlet conduits 146, 148 and the first and second sump conduits
140, 138, respectively, to allow for such movement. The first and
second outlet conduits 146, 148 are both in fluid communication
with the tub outlet diverter 144 which in turn is fluidly coupled
with the remote pump and filter unit 72 to collect liquid supplied
to both the lower and upper tubs 34, 44.
[0021] Referring now to FIG. 3, the remote pump and filter unit 72
is illustrated as including a pump assembly 74 that may be fluidly
coupled to the recirculation system 52 to aid in the supply,
recirculation and draining of liquid to the lower and upper
compartments 14, 16. The remote pump and filter unit 72 may include
a housing 80, which is physically separate from the lower and upper
tubs 34, 44 and the lower and upper compartments 14, 16. The
housing 80 may have an interior, defining a remote sump 82. The
housing 80 may also include a housing inlet 84 fluidly coupled to
both the lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46 to receive liquid
from the lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46 such that the
housing 80 defines a remote sump 82, separate from the lower and
upper sumps 42, 48, for the lower and upper treating chambers 36,
46.
[0022] The pump assembly 74 may include a wash or recirculation
pump 76 having a pump outlet conduit 86 that is fluidly coupled
with the lower and upper supply conduits 62, 66 through the tub
inlet diverter 136 for selectively supplying and/or recirculating
liquid to and between the lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46.
The pump assembly 74 may also include a drain pump 78 having a
drain outlet 88 that is fluidly coupled with the first and second
outlet conduits 146, 148 through the tub outlet diverter 144 for
selectively draining liquid from the lower and upper treating
chambers 36, 46. The tub inlet diverter 136 and tub outlet diverter
144 may be valve type diverters or other diverter assemblies with
one inlet and two outlets capable of diverting all or some of the
liquid therein.
[0023] The remote pump and filter unit 72 may also include an air
supply system 54, which is illustrated as including a fan or blower
92 having a blower inlet conduit 94 in fluid communication with the
air external to the remote pump and filter unit 72 to intake air
from the exterior of the dishwasher 10 and a blower outlet conduit
96 for providing air to the lower and upper treating chambers 36,
46. The air supply system 54 includes a first air conduit 98
fluidly coupled between the blower outlet conduit 96 and the lower
tub 34 for supplying air to the lower treating chamber 36 and a
second air conduit 100 fluidly coupled between the blower outlet
conduit 96 and the upper tub 44 for supplying air to the upper
treating chamber 46. An air diverter 116 may be provided for
selectively directing air from the blower outlet conduit 96 to one
of the first and second air conduits 98, 100.
[0024] A portion of the blower outlet conduit 96 may wrap around
the housing 80, such that the housing 80 defines an inner wall of
the blower outlet conduit 96. In this manner, the housing 80 is a
shared wall of the recirculation system 52 and the air supply
system 54, which places the recirculation system 52 and the air
supply system 54 in conductive contact. One or more flaps or other
closing means (not shown) may be used to close off the fluid
connection between the blower outlet conduit 96 and the lower and
upper tubs 34, 44 during certain portions of a cycle of operation
so that liquid does not enter the blower outlet conduit 96. Inlet
vents 102, 104 may be provided in each of the lower and upper
compartments 14, 16, and may be in fluid communication with air
conduits 98, 100 for passing air into the lower and upper treating
chambers 36, 46. Additional outlet vents (not shown) may be
provided in each of the lower and upper compartments 14, 16 and may
be in fluid communication with the surrounding air, either internal
or external to allow air in the lower and upper treating chambers
36, 46 to be discharged exteriorly of the tubs 34, 44. In some
configurations, one or more additional blowers (not shown) may be
provided to force air out through the outlet vents to increase the
drying speed.
[0025] FIG. 3 also illustrates that a single controller 120 may be
provided for both the lower and upper compartments 14, 16, and may
be operably coupled to various components of the dishwasher 10 to
implement a treating cycle of operation in one or both of the lower
and upper compartments 14, 16.
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view
through line 4-4 of FIG. 3, it may be seen that the recirculation
pump 76 may have an inlet 76A fluidly coupled to the housing 80 and
an outlet 86. The recirculation pump 76 includes an impeller 76B
rotatably mounted within the recirculation pump 76 and expelling
liquid from the remote sump 82 through the outlet conduit 86 of the
recirculation pump 76. A motor 77 may be operably coupled to the
impeller 76B to rotate the impeller 76B.
[0027] A filter 90 is illustrated as being located within the
housing 80 and fluidly separates the housing inlet 84 from the
recirculation pump inlet 76A such that soil and foreign objects may
be filtered from the liquid. The filter 90 may be a fine filter,
which may be utilized to remove smaller particles from the liquid.
The filter 90 may be a rotating filter as is set forth in detail in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/643,394, filed Dec. 21, 2009,
and titled "Rotating Drum Filter for a Dishwashing Machine," which
is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The rotating
filter according to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/643,394 may
be rotatably mounted in the housing 80 and driven by the impeller
76B of the recirculation pump 76. The filter 90 may be directly
mounted to the impeller 76B. When the impeller 76B is rotated by
the motor 77 the filter 90 is also rotated.
[0028] In addition to the filter 90, it is also within the scope of
the invention for the dishwasher 10 to include one or more
additional filters or coarse strainers. For example, at least one
additional filter may be located between the lower and upper tub
sumps 42, 48 and the remote sump 82 to filter larger soils and
debris but allow smaller particles to pass through. An additional
filter may also be provided for each lower and upper compartment
14, 16, such as a strainer which is provided at each of the lower
and upper tub sumps 42, 48.
[0029] The drain pump 78 may also be fluidly coupled to the housing
80. The drain pump 78 may have an inlet 78A fluidly coupled to the
housing 80 to draw liquid from the housing 80 and to pump the
liquid through a drain pump outlet 88 to a household drain conduit
88A (FIG. 2) for draining. It should be noted that the filter 90
does not fluidly separate the remote sump 82 formed by the housing
80 from the drain pump inlet 78A such that the liquid being drained
is not filtered. Although separate recirculation and drain pumps
have been illustrated, it is possible for the two pumps to be
replaced by a single pump, which may be operated to supply liquid
to either the household drain 88A or to the recirculation system
52.
[0030] The remote pump and filter unit 72 may further include a
heating element 106 common to both the recirculation system 52 and
the air supply system 54 for heating the liquid and air supplied to
the lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46. As illustrated, the
heating element 106 is mounted to an exterior of the housing 80.
More specifically, the heating element 106 is illustrated as
mounted to an exterior of the housing 80 where the blower outlet
conduit 96 wraps around the housing 80. In this location, the
heating element 106 may heat air and liquid at the same time.
[0031] The heating element 106 may be a resistive heating element
that is activated by a suitable electrical supply, such as a
standard house line voltage to the heating element 106. A standard
house line voltage may be between about 110 and 120 volts in the
United States, however, it is also within the scope of the
invention for the house line voltage to vary, depending on the
installation location of the dishwasher 10 and the house line
voltage standard for that area. The heating element 106 may also be
a variable thermal energy heater, which may be accomplished by
altering the duty cycle (ratio of on/off states per unit time) of a
fixed wattage heater, a variable wattage heater, or a combination
of both. The heating element 106 may have a power rating of less
than about 1800 watts. In general, the heating system may supply
electricity at 15 amps with a voltage in the range of about 110 to
120 volts to the heating element.
[0032] As illustrated, the heating element 106 may be a
flow-through heater incorporated with the recirculation pump 76 and
having three rings 108 encircling the housing 80. The three rings
108 may be an integral unit or may function independently of each
other. As an integral unit, the rings 108 may be part of a heating
coil that uses a variable duty cycle to vary the thermal energy
output by the heating element 106. As independent rings 108, a
desired number of rings 108 may be selectively actuated to obtain
the desired thermal energy output. For example, if the heating
element 106 is to run at 1/3 thermal energy output, then only one
of the three rings 108 may be continuously actuated. A combination
of both approaches may be used as well, such as continuously
running a subset of all of the rings 108, while operating another
one or more of the rings 108 according to a duty cycle.
[0033] In addition to a coiled heater or multiple-ring heater,
other heating element configurations may be used. For example, it
has been contemplated that the heating element 106 may be a
thin-film heater mounted on the housing 80. The thin-film heater
may comprise one film or multiple films in much the same manner
that the rings 108 may be a coil or individual elements.
[0034] It has also been contemplated that the heating element 106
may be mounted to the housing 80 and positioned such that it abuts
a portion of the blower outlet conduit 96. In this manner, the
blower outlet conduit 96 need not wrap fully around the housing 80.
Instead the blower outlet conduit 96 may abut or partially envelope
the housing 80. In such an instance, the heating element 106 may be
mounted to the housing 80 where the blower outlet conduit 96 abuts
or partially envelops the housing 80 such that the heating element
106 may heat the liquid in the housing 80 and the air in the blower
outlet conduit 96. It should be noted that while the blower 92 has
been illustrated as being fluidly coupled with the blower outlet
conduit 96 upstream from the heating element 106 such that heated
air does not pass through the blower 92, the blower 92 may also be
located downstream from the heating element 106 such that heated
air is passed through the blower 92.
[0035] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the controller 120 may be coupled
with the recirculation pump 76, tub inlet diverter 136, and tub
outlet diverter 144 for circulation of liquid in the lower and
upper treating chambers 36, 46 and the drain pump 78 for drainage
of liquid from the dishwasher 10. The controller 120 may also be
operably coupled with the blower 92 to provide air into the lower
and upper treating chambers 36, 46. The controller 120 may also be
coupled with the heating element 106 to heat the liquid and/or air
depending on the step being performed in the cycle of operation. If
the heating element 106 is capable of supplying different wattages,
then the controller 120 may also control that aspect of the heating
element 106. The controller 120 may also be coupled with one or
more temperature sensors 122, which are known in the art, such that
the controller 120 may control the duration of the steps of the
cycle of operation based upon the temperature detected in the lower
and upper treating chambers 36, 46 or in one of various conduits of
the dishwasher 10. The controller 120 may also receive inputs from
one or more other additional sensors 124, examples of which are
known in the art. Non-limiting examples of additional sensors 124
that may be communicably coupled with the controller include a
moisture sensor, a door sensor, a detergent and rinse aid
presence/type sensor(s). The controller 120 may also be coupled to
dispensers 125 provided in each of the lower and upper compartments
14, 16, which may dispense a detergent during a wash step of a
cycle of operation or a rinse aid during a rinse step of a cycle of
operation, for example. Alternatively, a single dispenser may be
shared by both compartments 14, 16.
[0036] The dishwasher 10 may be preprogrammed with a number of
different treating cycles from which a user may select one treating
cycle to treat a load of utensils. Examples of treating cycles
include normal, light/china, heavy/pots and pans, and rinse only. A
control panel or user interface 126 for use in selecting a treating
cycle may be provided on the dishwasher 10 and coupled to the
controller 120. The user interface 126 may be provided above the
upper compartment 16 and may include operational controls such as
dials, lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input
commands to the controller 120 and receive information about the
selected treating cycle. Alternately, the treating cycle may be
automatically selected by the controller 120 based on soil levels
sensed by the dishwasher 10 to optimize the performance of the
dishwasher 10 for a particular load of utensils.
[0037] The controller 120 may also be provided with a memory 128
and a central processing unit (CPU) 130. The memory 128 may be used
for storing control software that may be executed by the CPU 130 in
completing a cycle of operation using one or both lower and upper
compartments 14, 16 of the dishwasher 10 and any additional
software. For example, the memory 128 may store one or more
pre-programmed cycles of operation that may be selected by a user
and completed by one of the lower and upper compartments 14, 16. A
cycle of operation for the lower and upper compartments 14, 16 may
include one or more of the following steps: a wash step, a rinse
step, and a drying step. The wash step may further include a
pre-wash step and a main wash step. The rinse step may also include
multiple steps such as one or more additional rinsing steps
performed in addition to a first rinsing. The amounts of water
and/or rinse aid used during each of the multiple rinse steps may
be varied. The drying step may have a non-heated drying step (so
called "air only"), a heated drying step or a combination thereof.
These multiple steps may also be performed by the lower and upper
compartments 14, 16 in any desired combination.
[0038] As illustrated herein, the controller 120 may be part of the
remote pump and filter unit 72 to provide a compact and modular
assembly for installation within the dishwasher 10, which also
includes the pump assembly 74, filter 90, and heating element 106.
However, one or more components shown as integrated with each other
in the remote pump and filter unit 72 may also be provided
separately. For example, while the heating element 106 is shown as
integrated with other components in the remote pump and filter unit
72, each of the components may also be provided within its own
independent heating system.
[0039] Referring back to FIG. 2, the above-described dishwasher 10
may be used to implement a method for operating a dishwasher having
multiple, physically separate lower and upper treating chambers 36,
46. In operation, the dishwasher 10 may selectively supply liquid
through the tub inlet diverter 136 to only one of the lower and
upper compartments 14, 16 or to both of the lower and upper
compartments 14, 16 simultaneously.
[0040] For example, liquid may be supplied to one of the lower and
upper treating chambers 36, 46 by selectively diverting the liquid
supplied to the outlet conduit 86 using the tub inlet diverter 136.
In this manner, the liquid diverter system 132 may selectively
establish a recirculation path between the recirculation pump 76
and one of the lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46. In such an
instance, the tub inlet diverter 136 may selectively fluidly couple
the outlet conduit 86 of the recirculation pump 76 to one of the
first and second supply conduits 62 or 66. The controller 120 may
operate the inlet diverter 136 such that liquid may be selectively
circulated from the recirculation pump 76 through the tub inlet
diverter 136 to one of the first and second supply conduits 62, 66,
which supply liquid to one of the lower and upper spray arm
assemblies 56, 58, respectively. Liquid supplied to the one of the
lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46 may then exit through the
corresponding lower and upper sumps 42, 48 and travel through the
outlet diverter 144 back to the recirculation pump 76 where it may
be recirculated again.
[0041] The lower and upper tub sumps 42, 48, conduits 60-66, 138,
140, 146, 148, tub outlet diverter 144, sump inlet conduit 84,
remote sump 82, recirculation pump 76, spray arm assemblies 56, 58,
and tub inlet diverter 136, collectively form a liquid flow path of
the recirculation system 52. In this way, the pump assembly 74 may
draw liquid collecting in the remote sump 82 and distribute the
liquid through the tub inlet diverter 136, and conduits 60-66 to
the one or both of the lower and upper spray arm assemblies 56, 58
and into the lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46, where the
liquid flows back to the remote sump 82 via the lower and upper
sumps 42, 48, conduits 138, 140, 146, 148 and outlet diverter 144,
for recirculation or drainage, depending on the phase of the
treating cycle. When the cycle of operation is done using the
liquid, the drain pump 78 may be used to drain the liquid from the
remote sump 82, through the drain conduit 88, and out of the
dishwasher 10.
[0042] Alternatively, the liquid diverter system 132 may fluidly
couple both the lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46 to the
recirculation pump 76 simultaneously. In such an instance, the tub
inlet diverter 136 and the outlet diverter 144 may be operated by
the controller 120 such that they may both fluidly couple the
recirculation pump 76 to both the lower and upper treating chambers
36, 46. The tub inlet diverter 136 would fluidly couple the outlet
conduit 86 of the recirculation pump 76 to both of the first and
second supply conduits 62 and 66 and liquid supplied to both of the
lower and upper treating chambers 36, 46 would then exit through
the lower and upper sumps 42, 48 and travel through the outlet
diverter 144 back to the recirculation pump 76 where it may be
recirculated again.
[0043] In another example, the liquid may be supplied to the lower
and upper treating chambers 36, 46 in a staggered fashion.
Depending on the cycle of operation being run in each of the lower
and upper compartments 14, 16 liquid, along with any wash aid
therein, may be transferred from one compartment to the other and
this may result in water, wash aid, and energy savings. For
example, liquid may first be recirculated between the upper
compartment 16 and pump assembly 74 for a period of time and then
the tub inlet diverter 136 and outlet diverter 144 may be operated
by the controller 120 such that the liquid is then only
recirculated between the lower compartment 14 and pump assembly 74
for a period of time.
[0044] FIG. 6 illustrates a non-limiting example of a valve 150,
which may be used as a tub inlet diverter 136 and/or a tub outlet
diverter 144. For ease of explanation, the valve 150 will be
explained with respect to the inlet diverter 136, although it will
be understood that the valve 150 may also be used as the tub outlet
diverter 144. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the valve 150 is of a
flapper-valve variety having a flap member 152 which may be set
against either of the first and second conduits 62, 66 to close
that respective conduit. More specifically, the flap member 152 is
secured to a housing 154 by a pin 156. The flap member 152 may be
operably coupled to an actuator 158 such that it may be moveable
between either of two closed positions to selectively close one of
the first and second conduits 62, 66, or an open position by the
actuator 158. The actuator 158 may be operably coupled to the
controller 120 (FIG. 5) such that the flap member 152 may be
pivoted about the pin 156 when the actuator 158 is operated by the
controller 120.
[0045] The flap member 152 may be pivoted to a position as
illustrated in phantom at 152a to close the first conduit 62 and a
position as illustrated in phantom at 152b to close the second
conduit 66. An open position, in which liquid may flow through both
of the first and second conduits 62, 66 has been indicated at 152c.
It has been contemplated that various actuators including a spring,
a lever, a pneumatic actuator, or an electric actuator may be
employed to effect movement of the flap member 152. It has also
been contemplated that the flap member 152 may be moved through a
variety of open positions such that the flow of liquid coming from
the outlet conduit 86 may be allocated to the first and second
conduits 62, 66 in any desired ratio.
[0046] The dishwasher described above having a single pump and
filtration system for a multi-compartment dishwasher offers many
benefits. For example, current multi-compartment dishwashers use
identical separate wash systems for each separate chamber. Such
separate wash systems require multiple pumps, motors, electrical
connections, etc., which increases the cost of producing such
machines. The dishwasher described above eliminates the need for
multiple wash systems and may thereby reduce the cost to produce
such a dishwasher.
[0047] Further, having a common wash and filter unit also increases
the space available within the chassis and this correlates to the
ability to install larger wash tubs in the chassis. Larger wash
tubs may result in a larger capacity for utensils, which allows for
more utensils to be treated at one time. This results in a saving
of both time and energy as the dishwasher needs to be run fewer
times to treat the same amount of utensils. Further, the
availability of more space allows a user to place larger utensils
into the wash compartments with more flexibility with respect to
loading patterns of the utensils.
[0048] Further, current multi-compartment dishwashers having
separate wash systems for each compartment also require a certain
minimum amount of liquid to be able to adequately operate the pump
and filtration system. The dishwasher described above has the
ability to use less water than similarly sized single and
multi-compartment machines, because liquid may be recirculated
through one or both compartments. The ability to have one pump and
filter unit and to selectively divert liquid between the treating
chambers provides a savings in water.
[0049] 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. For example, although the above description relates to
a multi-compartment dishwasher having two separate compartments it
has been contemplated that the invention may work with
multi-compartment dishwashers having three or more compartments.
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.
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