Pump plate for conditioning fluid flow in a dishwasher

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10321797-B2
Application number	US-201314909680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2013
Priority date	Aug 2, 2013
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

The present invention provides a pump plate ( 60 ) for conditioning the flow of a fluid before the fluid enters an inlet ( 51 ) of a circulation pump ( 50 ) of a dishwasher. The pump plate ( 60 ) may have a plate portion with a number of holes ( 62 ) dispersed across its surface such that fluid may flow through the holes ( 62 ). The pump plate ( 60 ) may also include one or more upper guide vanes ( 63 ) extending outwardly from the plate portion and configured to reduce the turbulence in the fluid flow. A dishwasher ( 10 ) including a pump plate ( 60 ) and a method for manufacturing such a dishwasher are also provided. A dishwasher ( 10 ) that includes a pump plate ( 60 ) to condition the fluid flow within the dishwasher may be configured to function efficiently while requiring less water to complete a rinse or wash cycle than a dishwasher that does not include a pump plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pump plate for conditioning fluid flow preceding an inlet of a circulation pump of a dishwasher, the pump plate comprising:
a plate portion defining a first surface and a second surface;
a plurality of holes defined in the plate portion and extending between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the plurality of holes are dispersed across the plate portion and configured to allow fluid to pass through the plate portion;
a plurality of first upper guide vanes extending outwardly from the first surface, each of the plurality of first upper guide vanes (a) extending along a portion of the first surface of the plate portion and (b) being parallel to another of the plurality of first upper guide vanes; and
at least one second upper guide vane extending outwardly from the first surface, wherein the at least one second upper guide vane intersects with at least one first upper guide vane of the plurality of first upper guide vanes.

2. The pump plate of claim 1 further comprising:
a first lower guide vane extending outwardly from the second surface, wherein the first lower guide vane defines a first side and a second side; and
a second lower guide vane extending outwardly from the first side and the second side of the first lower guide vane, wherein the second lower guide vane extends in a plane that is transverse to the first lower guide vane.

3. The pump plate of claim 2 , wherein the first lower guide vane and the second lower guide vane form one of an x shape, a lowercase t shape, or an uppercase T shape.

4. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first upper guide vane is perpendicular to the at least one second upper guide vane.

5. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of first upper guide vanes extend outwardly from the plate portion at different heights.

6. The pump plate of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first upper guide vanes defines a height taller than the remaining of the plurality of first upper guide vanes and is located on the plate portion between at least two other of the plurality of first upper guide vanes.

7. The pump plate of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of first upper guide vanes each define heights and are positioned on the plate portion so as to define a symmetrical configuration.

8. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of first upper guide vanes extend along the plate portion to define different lengths.

9. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first upper guide vane and the at least one second upper guide vane are perpendicular to the first surface.

10. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second upper guide vane comprises a plurality of second upper guide vanes.

11. The pump plate of claim 1 wherein two of the plurality of first upper guide vanes are spaced apart and each intersect with one of the second upper guide vanes to form a channel, wherein the channel is configured to align with at least one of the plurality of holes defined in the plate portion such that fluid is conditioned to flow through the channel and the at least one of the plurality of holes aligned with the channel.

12. The pump plate of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of first upper guide vanes and the plurality of second upper guide vanes intersect to form a plurality of channels, wherein each channel is configured to align with at least one of the plurality of holes defined in the plate portion such that fluid is conditioned to flow through the channel and the at least one of the plurality of holes aligned with the channel.

13. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of holes define different diameters.

14. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of holes defines a circular shape.

15. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of holes is positioned along an edge of the pump plate.

16. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of holes defines a sharp edge on the first surface of the plate portion.

17. The pump plate of claim 1 further comprising at least one attachment feature, wherein the at least one attachment feature is configured to attach to a portion of the dishwasher to secure the pump plate within the dishwasher to fluidly-enclose an area preceding the inlet of the circulation pump such that fluid within the dishwasher flows through the pump plate prior to entering the inlet of the circulation pump.

18. The pump plate of claim 17 , wherein the pump plate is configured such that a gap remains between the sump and an edge of the pump plate when the pump plate is secured within the dishwasher.

19. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein the pump plate is configured to reduce turbulence and/or break down vapor bubbles within the fluid flow of wash fluid preceding the inlet of the circulation pump.

20. The pump plate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first upper guide vane is configured to destroy and/or prevent formation of vortices within the fluid flow of wash fluid preceding the inlet of the circulation pump.

21. A pump plate for conditioning fluid flow preceding an inlet of a circulation pump of a dishwasher, the pump plate comprising:
a plate portion defining a first surface and a second surface;
a plurality of holes defined in the plate portion and extending between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the plurality of holes are dispersed across the plate portion and configured to allow fluid to pass through the plate portion;
a plurality of first upper guide vanes extending outwardly from the first surface, each of the plurality of first upper guide vanes (a) extending along a portion of the first surface of the plate portion and (b) being parallel to another of the plurality of first upper guide vanes; and
a plurality of second upper guide vanes extending outwardly from the first surface, each of the plurality of second upper guide vanes (a) extending along a portion of the first surface of the plate portion and (b) being parallel to another of the plurality of second upper guide vanes wherein at least two of the plurality of first upper guide vanes and the plurality of second upper guide vanes extend outwardly from the plate portion at different heights.

22. The pump plate of claim 21 further comprising:
a first lower guide vane extending outwardly from the second surface, wherein the first lower guide vane defines a first side and a second side; and
a second lower guide vane extending outwardly from the first side and the second side of the first lower guide vane, wherein the second lower guide vane extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the first lower guide vane and parallel to the plate portion.

23. The pump plate of claim 21 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first upper guide vanes defines a height taller than the remaining of the plurality of first upper guide vanes and is located on the plate portion between at least two other of the plurality of first upper guide vanes.

24. The pump plate of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of first upper guide vanes each define heights and are positioned on the plate portion so as to define a symmetrical configuration.

25. The pump plate of claim 21 , wherein at least two of the plurality of first upper guide vanes extend along the plate portion to define different lengths.

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Prod Inc

Inventors

• Montgomery Mark D
• Costa David
• Verma Ashish A
• Olesen Jerry L

Classifications

• F04D29/548

  Specially adapted for liquid pumps (F04D29/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D29/448

  bladed diffusers · CPC title

• A47L15/4225 Primary

  Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/18

  Rotors (specially for elastic fluids F04D29/26) · CPC title