Dishwasher with sprayer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9655496-B2
Application number	US-201213705200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2012
Priority date	Sep 13, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one automatic cycle of operation and including a tub having a bottom wall for at least partially defining a treating chamber in which dishes may be received for treatment, at least one sprayer provided on the bottom wall, and having at least one opening through which liquid is emitted into the treating chamber, and a recirculation circuit fluidly coupling the treating chamber to the at least one sprayer such that liquid emitted into the treating chamber may be directed back to the sprayer for recirculation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one automatic cycle of operation, comprising:
a tub comprising a lowermost bottom wall for at least partially defining a treating chamber in which dishes may be received for treatment;
at least one sprayer having a body with at least a portion of the body directly provided on the lowermost bottom wall and where the body includes multiple openings on an upper surface of the body through which liquid is emitted into the treating chamber;
a recirculation circuit, with a recirculation inlet located in the lowermost bottom wall, fluidly coupling the treating chamber to the at least one sprayer, such that liquid emitted into the treating chamber from the at least one sprayer may be returned to the recirculation circuit through the recirculation inlet and directed back to the sprayer for recirculation;
a sump located exteriorly of the treating chamber and having a housing that is fluidly coupled to the recirculation circuit and separated from the treating chamber by a conduit such that it cannot be accessed by the treating chamber;
a heater located exteriorly of the sump and thermally coupled to the sump;
an air supply system conduit thermally coupled to the heater and configured to provide air to the treating chamber; and
a filter located within the housing of the sump to filter liquid passing through the sump; and
wherein a placement of the heater, the filter, and the sump exteriorly of the treating chamber is configured to free the lowermost bottom wall of the tub for placement of the body of the at least one sprayer on the lowermost bottom wall; and wherein the heater is configured to heat at least one of liquid passing through the recirculation circuit or air provided to the treating chamber.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one sprayer is integrally formed in the lowermost bottom wall.

3. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one sprayer defines a low profile.

4. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one sprayer has a substantially planar upper surface, with at least one opening located in the upper surface.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one sprayer has a peripheral wall and the upper surface, with at least one opening located in the upper surface.

6. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one sprayer has a circular planform.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one sprayer is not a disk.

8. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one sprayer comprises a rotatable sprayer that is rotatable relative to the lowermost bottom wall.

9. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the at least one sprayer comprises a fixed sprayer that is fixed relative to the lowermost bottom wall.

10. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein the fixed sprayer is integrally formed with the lowermost bottom wall.

11. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the body comprises at least one through passage that passes through the body and allows liquid to enter the recirculation inlet.

12. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the body is centered relative to the lowermost bottom wall.

13. The dishwasher of claim 1 , further comprising a valve body located within the body and configured to selectively fluidly couple at least some of the multiple openings to the recirculation circuit.

14. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the filter is a rotating filter.

15. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the heater is thermally coupled with at least two faces of the sump housing.

16. The dishwasher of claim 15 wherein the air supply system conduit encloses at least a portion of the heater.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Baldwin Mark W
• Hemry Mike S
• Tuller Barry E
• Viswanathan Ameresh B

Classifications

• A47L15/4219

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

• A47L15/4204

  Flat filters · CPC title

• A47L15/16 Primary

  with rigidly-mounted spraying devices · CPC title

• A47L15/4285

  Water-heater arrangements (steam generating arrangements A47L15/4234) · CPC title

• A47L15/4246 Primary

  Details of the tub (A47L15/4272 takes precedence; insulation arrangements A47L15/4209) · CPC title