Dishwashing appliance with shrouded filtration assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11805960-B2
Application number	US-202117210104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2021
Priority date	Mar 23, 2021
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A dishwashing appliance with a shrouded filtration assembly for removing dishwashing sediment from recirculated dishwashing fluid is provided. The dishwashing appliance may include a tub, a spray system, a recirculation pump, a drainage pump, and a shrouded filtration assembly in fluid communication with the spray system, the recirculation pump, and the drainage pump. The shrouded filtration assembly may include a lid, a filter frame, and a sump housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dishwashing appliance comprising:
a tub defining a dishwashing chamber having a tub floor therein;
a spray system having one or more distribution devices within said dishwashing chamber;
a recirculation pump operable to flow dishwashing fluid to said spray system;
a drainage pump operable to flow dishwashing fluid mixed with food debris during dishwashing operation to a drainage pipe; and
a filtration assembly in fluid communication with said spray system, said recirculation pump, and said drainage pump for filtration of said dishwashing fluid that has circulated through said dishwashing chamber, said filtration assembly positioned at bottom of said dishwashing chamber through a recess formed by said tub floor thereof, said filtration assembly further comprising:
a lid having a first side and a second side, positioned at top of said filtration assembly and above said recess of said tub floor to form a gap therebetween around a periphery of said lid to allow said dishwashing fluid to flow into said filtration assembly;
a filter frame coupled to said second side of said lid defining a filtration chamber, said filter frame configured for attaching one or more filter screens thereon through which said dishwashing fluid flows into said filtration chamber for filtration; and
a sump housing having an open top portion through which said filter frame is disposed, and a base portion having a recirculation intake port in fluid communication with said recirculation pump via a recirculation pump inlet port and a recirculation pump outlet port, and a debris collection chamber in fluid communication with said drainage pump and said drainage pipe via a drainage pump port and a drainage pipe port, wherein
when said dishwashing fluid is extracted by said recirculation pump from said filtration assembly by filtering through said filtration chamber to said recirculation pump via said recirculation intake port and said recirculation pump inlet port, and into said spray system via said recirculation pump outlet port therefrom, said dishwashing fluid circulates through said dishwashing chamber and flows back into said filtration assembly via said gap around said periphery of said lid, with said food debris proceeding into said debris collection chamber.

2. The dishwashing appliance of claim 1 , wherein said filter frame further comprises an approximate cone-shaped frame structure around a vertical axis.

3. The dishwashing appliance of claim 2 , wherein said filter frame integrally includes a plurality of distinct openings at different levels of said filter frame.

4. The dishwashing appliance of claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of distinct openings of said filter frame is integrally coupled with a filter screen having a certain filtering permeability.

5. The dishwashing appliance of claim 3 , wherein said plurality of distinct openings of said filter frame integrally include an upper portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion, wherein said upper portion includes a substantially flat periphery flange plane, said middle portion includes a first truncated-cone shaped frame having a first cone height, and said bottom portion includes a second truncated-cone shaped frame having a second cone height.

6. The dishwashing appliance of claim 5 , wherein said first cone height is smaller than said second cone height.

7. The dishwashing appliance of claim 6 , wherein each of said upper portion, said middle portion, and said bottom portion of said filter frame respectively receives a first filter screen with a first filtering permeability, a second filter screen with a second filtering permeability, and a third filter screen with a third filtering permeability.

8. The dishwashing appliance of claim 7 , wherein said first filtering permeability is greater than said second filtering permeability, and said second filtering permeability is greater than said third filtering permeability.

9. The dishwashing appliance of claim 1 , wherein said filter frame integrally includes a plurality of layers of filter screens overlapping each other thereon.

10. The dishwashing appliance of claim 9 , wherein said plurality of layers of filter screens are integrally coupled to said filter frame in a manner that an outermost layer has a greater filtering permeability than that of an innermost layer.

11. The dishwashing appliance of claim 1 , wherein said debris collection chamber is a trough extending around an outer perimeter of said recirculation intake port.

12. The dishwashing appliance of claim 11 , wherein said sump housing includes a check valve positioned on said outer perimeter of said recirculation intake port forming said debris collection chamber to allow said dishwashing fluid and said food debris accumulated in said recirculation intake port to flow to said drainage pipe port when said drainage pump is running.

13. The dishwashing appliance of claim 1 , wherein said filter frame includes one or more flow paths in fluid communication with said spray system and said recirculation pump.

14. The dishwashing appliance of claim 13 , wherein said lid includes an opening for at least a portion of said one or more flow paths within said filter frame in fluid communication with said spray system.

15. The dishwashing appliance of claim 1 , wherein said lid includes one or more flow paths in fluid communication with said spray system and said recirculation pump.

16. The dishwashing appliance of claim 1 , wherein said lid includes one or more air vents for venting of said filtration chamber during dishwashing operation.

17. The dishwashing appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable self-cleaning device positioned within said filtration chamber of said filter frame.

18. The dishwashing appliance of claim 17 , wherein said rotatable self-cleaning device includes a mechanical scraper that physically contacts at least a portion of said one or more filter screens attached on said filter frame to remove said food debris thereon into said debris collection chamber.

19. The dishwashing appliance of claim 18 , wherein said mechanical scraper includes at least one of a single blade, multiple blades, and a brush.

20. The dishwashing appliance of claim 17 , wherein said rotatable self-cleaning device includes an interior flow path in fluid communication with a washing fluid inlet and a plurality of nozzles to spray washing fluid supplied from said washing fluid inlet across said one or more filter screens attached on said filter frame to remove said food debris thereon into said debris collection chamber.

21. The dishwashing appliance of claim 20 , wherein said rotatable self-cleaning device is rotated by a rotational force by virtue of said washing fluid flowing through said plurality of nozzles.

22. The dishwashing appliance of claim 17 , wherein said rotatable self-cleaning device includes an impeller positioned at an end of said rotatable self-cleaning device closer to said recirculation intake port, wherein said rotatable self-cleaning device is rotated by said dishwashing fluid moving said impeller when said recirculation pump is running.

23. The dishwashing appliance of claim 17 , wherein said rotatable self-cleaning device is rotated by a motor.

24. The dishwashing appliance of claim 1 , wherein said lid is solid and impermeable.

25. A dishwashing appliance comprising:
a tub defining a dishwashing chamber having a tub floor therein;

Assignees

• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Boyer Joel
• Digman Robert M

Classifications

• A47L15/4206 Primary

  Tubular filters · CPC title

• A47L15/4208

  Arrangements to prevent clogging of the filters, e.g. self-cleaning · CPC title

• A47L15/4219

  Water recirculation (A47L15/0078 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47L15/4225

  Arrangements or adaption of recirculation or discharge pumps · CPC title

• B01D29/03

  self-supporting · CPC title