Washer Installation

Abstract

In the installation of a dishwasher, an installation module is first secured to the kitchen floor. Suitable plumbing and electrical connections are made to the module. A dishwasher is then moved to its alloted space and supported directly on the floor independent of the service module. Flexible electrical and plumbing connections are then made to the installation module.

Description

In the conventional manner of installing dishwashers in kitchens which have just been built, a laborer/installer moves the dishwasher into its alloted space, usually under a counter. With the dishwasher in place, a plumber makes the required connections between a water line exposed toward the back of the alloted space and makes the necessary drain connections, usually through an adjacent sink or disposer. With the dishwasher in place, an electrician makes the necessary electrical connections from wiring present toward the rear of the alloted space. The time required to make the necessary plumbing and electrical connections is unduly long in an under-the-counter installation, primarily because of cramped working space. This problem has been recognized in the prior art and a solution proposed therefor, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,709. In this prior art device, a large base is bolted to the floor and carries a water fill valve, a water drain connection and an electrical receptacle. The base is sufficiently large to receive runners of the dishwasher frame. Cooperation between the dishwasher runners and the base prevents spreading of the dishwasher legs and also allows locking of the dishwasher to the base.

In the conventional technique for installing dishwashers, all of the installation steps are carried out as quickly as possible following the preceding step. In accordance with the practice of this invention, the installation module is installed and hooked up. The dishwasher may be immediately placed in its alloted space and connected to the module or there may be a substantial waiting period before placement of the dishwasher. This flexibility provides a substantial advantage, particularly in equipping kitchens of newly constructed apartments and the like. Dishwashers have been stolen from newly constructed apartments prior to showing or renting the apartments. By utilizing the principles of this invention, the dishwasher need not be installed until the apartment is to be shown or after it is rented.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved method and apparatus for installing dishwashers.

In summary, the device of this invention comprises a washer installation including an installation module comprising a frame secured to the floor, a fill valve having a water inlet and a water outlet, and an electrical distributing arrangement having an electrical input and an electrical output receptacle; and an electrically powered washer comprising a frame, means supporting the frame directly on the floor independent of the module, a fill hose connected to the module outlet and an electrical coupling connected to the electrical output receptacle.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a dishwasher installation incorporating the principles of this invention, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the dishwasher of FIG. 1, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the installation of this invention immediately prior to placement of the dishwasher; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the installation module of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a washer installation 10 comprising a dishwasher 12 and a service or installation module 14. The dishwasher 12 is illustrated as located in a space 16 bounded by a countertop 18, a kitchen floor 20, and a pair of cabinets 22, 24, one of which is desirably a sink.

The dishwasher 12 may be of any suitable type and typically comprises a frame 26 supporting a tub 28 which cooperates with a door 30 to provide a wash chamber 32. The frame 26 is supported directly on the floor 20 by a plurality of screw adjustable feet 34. In the wash chamber 32 are one or more article receiving racks 36 and means 38 for spraying washing liquid toward the racks 36. The spray means 38 includes a pump 40 driven by an electrically powered motor 42 and having an outlet for discharging pressurized water into the spray means 38. The wash chamber 32 may incorporate a sump 44 for loading the inlet of the pump 40. Positioned on the side of the tub 28 adjacent an opening 46 therethrough is a fill fitting 48 which carries a fill hose 50. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper end of the fill hose 50 is spaced between the side of the tub 28 and the adjacent cabinet 22 while the lower end thereof passes through an opening 52 beneath the bottom of the tub 28.

The dishwasher 12 is desirably of the automatic type and includes a timer 54 having a dial 56 for controlling operation of the various components of the dishwasher 12. An electrical control conduit 58 leads from the timer 54 through the door 30 to a location beneath the tub bottom and terminates in a multiprong plug 60 as will be more fully apparent hereinafter.

The service or installation module 14 includes a frame 62 having a generally flat base 64 secured to the floor 20 by suitable fasteners such as screws 66. Frame 62 is sized to cover a minor portion of the floor space beneath the dishwasher. The frame 62 also comprises a vertical sidewall 68 and a vertical rear wall 70. Secured to one or more ears 72, 74 projecting from the base 64 and the sidewall 68 are a pair of bracket members 76, 78 on which is mounted a fill valve 80 of any suitable type such as is commercially available from Eaton Controls Division under the tradename Dole, Model BK-25840-1. The fill valve 80 includes a water inlet 82, a solenoid operator 84 and a rigid water outlet 86. As a matter of convenience, a piece of flexible tubing 88 is secured to the rigid outlet 86 by a suitable clamp 90. A rigid elbow 92 is provided on the opposite end of the flexible hose 88 for connection to the fill hose 50 aas will be more fully apparent hereinafter. There is provided a valve cover 94 secured to either the frame 62 or the valve 80 to at least partially enclose and protect the valve 80 and particularly the operator 84. The valve cover 94 is conveniently a generally L-shaped structure cooperating with the sidewall 68 and the bracket 76 to enclose substantially the entire valve 80. The free end of the flexible hose 88 may be secured to the valve cover 94 in a suitable fashion, as by the provision of a clamp 96.

As shown best in FIG. 4, the internal wiring in the module 14 comprises a pair of input wires 98, 100 leading through a pair of openings 102, 104 to an electrical output receptacle 106 exposed through the front of the valve cover 94. Also connected to the receptacle 106 are a pair of control wires 108, 110 leading to the terminals 112, 114 of the solenoid operator 84 and a wire 116 grounded to the module frame 62 as by a ground screw (not shown) and threaded opening 118. It will accordingly be seen that connection of the control conduit plug 60 to the receptacle 106 provides for selective operation of the fill valve 80 and completes a power circuit to operate the pump motor 42 and other typical electrically energized devices in the dishwasher 12 in response to settings on the timer 54 in a conventional manner.

The module 14 also includes a second ground screw 120 for connection to the building ground circuit. A cover 122 is preferably provided for enclosing and protecting electrical connections made at the site. The valve cover 94 and the cover 122 accordingly provide substantial protection against inadvertent contact with the electrical components of the module 14 prior to placement of the dishwasher 12.

The washer installation 10 is particularly designed for incorporation in a building, such as an apartment, under construction. After the kitchen is partially completed, the module 14 is secured to the floor 20 by either an installer or preferably a plumber. Since the plumbing connections between the module 14 and a source of hot water are rigid, the plumber may find it convenient to make the plumbing connections first and then secure the module 14 to the floor 20. Since the dishwasher 12 is supported from the floor 20 independently of the module 14, exact placement of the module 14 is not required. In the case of an apartment complex, one of the modules 14 may be placed in the kitchen of each of the apartments. A plumber proceeds through the complex attaching a hot water line 9 to the water inlet 82 of each of the modules 14. An electrician proceeds through the complex attaching a power conduit 126 to the input wires 98, 100 and ground connection 120. It will be apparent that the necessary external plumbing and electrical connections can be made quite readily since the dishwasher 12 is not in the space 16.

A practical advantage of this invention is that the dishwasher 12 need not be placed in its alloted space 16 until the building is ready for occupancy. This is particularly true in apartment complexes where theft losses, between the completion of construction and occupancy, can be substantial. In this situation, it is highly desirable to store the dishwashers 12 until a particular apartment has been rented. After the apartment is rented, the dishwasher 12 may be moved to the apartment, uncrated and slid horizontally into the space 16 astride the module 14. The facer 8 is removed from beneath the door 30 (FIG. 1) so that the control conduit 58 may be plugged into the receptacle 104 and the fill hose 50 slipped over the end of the elbow 92.

Another substantial advantage of this invention is that the frame 26 of the dishwasher 12 is supported directly on the floor 20. This provides several advantageous features as contrasted to the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,709. First, since the feet 34 can adjust or level the dishwasher 12 independently of the module 14, the dishwasher 12 can be readily leveled at any time after installation. It is a common occurrence that newly constructed buildings will settle. If a dishwasher is leveled immediately after construction, it may be canted slightly after the building has settled. Since the dishwasher 12 is independent of the module 14, the adjustable feet 34 can be readily adjusted without removal of the module 14 from the floor 20.

A second advantage relates to the required strength of the dishwasher frame and the time during which the maximum stresses are imposed thereon. It will be evident upon reflection that the greatest stresses imparted to the dishwasher frame are during handling, shipping and installation. Dishwashers are normally shipped on a wooden skid which is connected to the frame and which accordingly acts to reinforce the same. On installation, however, the wooden skid is removed preparatory to the dishwasher being slid into place. Since the module base of the prior art acts to reinforce the dishwasher frame when the dishwasher is in place, it will be seen that the dishwasher frame is relatively weaker during installation which is a time in which maximum strength is required. It accordingly appears that supporting the dishwasher frame on the module frame and reinforcing the same therewith adds strength to the dishwasher frame at a time when it is not required.

A third advantage of this invention relates to securement of the frame 26 to the underside of the countertop 18. Under-the-counter dishwashers are almost universally secured to the underside of the countertop to provide an anti-tip feature when the door is open and a load imposed thereon, e.g. a small child. As shown in FIG. 2, the dishwasher 12 is secured to the countertop 18 by one or more brackets 124 connected to the dishwasher frame 26 and extending over the door 30. Suitable fasteners, such as screws 7, attach the bracket 124 to the countertop 18. By opening the door 30, the bracket 124 is exposed providing access to place the screws 7. Since the dishwasher 12 is supported from the floor and vertically adjustable independent of the module 14, the bracket 124 may be secured to the countertop 18 without adjusting the position of the module 14.

Claims

I claim:

1. A dishwasher installation arrangement comprising

an installation module comprising: a frame secured to the floor beneath a built-in dishwasher and occupying a minor portion of the area thereunder; a fill valve having a water inlet and a water outlet mounted on said frame; and an electrical distributing arrangement also mounted on said frame having an input and an electrical output receptacle; and

an electrically powered washer comprising a frame, means supporting the frame on the floor independently of the module, a fill hose connected to the module outlet and an electrical coupling connected to the receptacle thereby providing for convenient installation of said built-in dishwasher subsequent to supplying utilities to said installation module and wherein exact placement of the installation module on the floor beneath the dishwasher before it is installed is obviated and whereby the dishwasher may be leveled subsequent to installation and secured to a countertop without further adjustment of the installation module.

2. The washer of claim 1 comprising a power cable leading from a source of household current and wherein the fill valve comprises an electrically energizable operator, the electrical distributing arrangement includes a control wire leading from the operator to the output receptacle and an electrical connection between the power cable and the receptacle, and the washer includes an electrically driven pump and a timer connected to the electrical coupling and to the electrically driven pump for selectively energizing the valve operator and the pump in response to timer operation.

3. The washer of claim 1 wherein the module frame includes a vertical side wall and a vertical rear wall and said module further includes a cover positioned to cooperate with said vertical side wall and vertical rear wall thereby at least partially enclosing and protecting the fill valve.

4. The washer of claim 2 wherein the electrical connection between the power cable and the receptacle includes a pair of wires connected to the receptacle and to the power cable, the module including a cover substantially enclosing the connection between the wire pair and the power cable and the fill valve operator.

5. The washer of claim 1 wherein the supporting means comprises means for vertically adjusting the washer relative to the floor independently of the module.

6. The washer of claim 5 further comprising a countertop spanning the dishwasher, means supporting the countertop from the floor independently of the washer and means securing the washer to the countertop; and wherein the washer comprises a tub and a door providing together a wash chamber and means mounting the door for front opening movement away from the countertop.