US3398756A - Dishwasher having improved vent means - Google Patents

Description

Aug- 27, 1968 M. R. KAUFFMAN 3,398,756

DISHWASHER HAVING IMPROVED VENT MEANS Filed Oct. l5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F\ G INVENTOR.

MELV\N R.. KAUF'F'MAN BYWW PHS ATTORNEY Aug 27, 1968 M. R. KAUFFMAN 3,398,756

DISHWASHER HAVING IMPROVED VENT MEANS Filed Oct. 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 El] \S 38 ,fl 1 as4o 36 43 SZ. '1- ll So O g f Q 3A- c- A 'z 36 25 3a 35Q 44?. "42- J SO 4S F i3 INVENTOR. 45 Msn/m RKAUFFMAN was ATTQRNEY United States Patent O 3,398,756 DISHWASHER HAVING IMPRGVED VENT MEANS Melvin R. Kauffman, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 586,544 S Claims. (Cl. 134-58) This invention relates generally to automatic dishwashers of the type used in the home and, more specifically, to an improved vent means to vent the dishwasher wash chamber during drying of the articles contained therein.

Domestic dishwashers have been provided with vent means prior to the present invention. For example, U.S. Patent No. 3,092,122, issued to L. W. Guth on June 4, 1963, and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention, discloses a vent means of the general character described herein. However, the vent means disclosed by Guth involves direct mechanical connection between a vent closure member and a sequence control means for the dishwasher. The sequence control means is normally driven by a synchronous electric motor which, although providing sufiicient power to drive the required switch operating cams within the control means, may become overloaded when required to mechanically actuate an external element such as the vent closure means. This overloading can result in jamming of the entire sequence control means thus frustrating operation of the dishwasher.

It would be possible to provide separate electrical means to operate the vent closure member such as, for example, a separate solenoid or bimetal element; however, these means are expensive to provide. It would also be possible to provide a manually operable vent closure member but this would require the presence of the housewife to manually operate the closure member at the -appropriate time thus compromising the automatic aspects of the dishwasher.

One other alternative is to provide a vent means without a closure member, i.e., a continuously open vent means. Such arrangement, however, may result in leakage of uid from the wash chamber durin-g wash and rinse operations due to the vigorous spray action generated therein. Also, the wash and rinse uid is quite hot, preferably 140 to 180 F., which would create a continuous ow of moisture laden air from the wash chamber during wash and rinse operations. i

Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved vent means for an automatic dishwasher which retains the -automatic aspect and other benefits of the type of vent ymeans disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,092,122 while at the same time avoiding overloading of the sequence control means and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved vent means for an automatic dishwasher.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vent means for an automatic dishwasher which operates automatically at the desired time during the dishwasher cycle of operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vent means for an automatic dishwasher which does not increase the mechanical load imposed upon the sequence control means drive motor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a vent means for an automatic dishwasher which is simple to operate and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an automatic dishwasher is provided and comprises a wash chamber adapted to receive and contain articles to be washed and dried therein. Means are provided to wash and rinse articles within the wash chamber and heat drying means are provided to dry, by evaporation, articles within the wash chamber. Treating agent dispensing means are provided to dispense a treating agent into the wash chamber and include a movable member Iwhich moves as the dispensing means dispenses thetreating agent. Vent means are provided and include a relatively small opening to vent the wash chamber to the atmosphere and a closure member is provided for the opening. Means interconnect the closure member and the movable member to open the closure member as the dispensing means dispenses the treating agent.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is an elevational view, partially cut away and partially in section to show details, of an automatic dishwasher employing the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary View taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the vent -means in a different condition of operation.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIG- URE l thereof, there is illustrated anautomatic dishwasher 10 having an outer cabinet 11 defining therein awash chamber 12. Cabinet 11 has a large access opening in one wall thereof and is provided with a closure member ordoor 13 to seal the access opening during operation of the dishwasher.Door 13 is pivotal about a hinge means 14 adjacent the bottom of the door. A door latch is provided to latch thedoor 13 in the closed position, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and includes alatch operating handle 15 which projects beyond the outer wall 16 ofdoor 13 for convenient manual manipulation by the operator of the dishwasher IDisposed withinwash chamber 12 are a pair ofdishsupporting racks 17 and 18 each of which is adapted to receive and support articles to be Washed, rinsed and dried withinwash chamber 12. Althoughracks 17 and 18 do not form an important part of the present invention, and therefore will not be discussed in detail, it is to be understood thatracks 17 and 18 are suitably supported withinlWash chamber 12 so that they may be at least partially withdrawn through the access opening whendoor 13 is in its open position. This withdrawal facilitates loading and unloading of the racks.

The lower extremity ofwash chamber 12 is defined by abottom wall 19 having a centrally depressed portion forming therein asump 20. Disposed withinsump 20, and supported bybottom wall 19, is a motor-pump assembly 21 comprising anelectric drive motor 22, adrain pump 23 and a -wash pump 24.Motor 22 is of the electrically reversible type and, in one direction of rotation ofmotor 22,pump 24 draws liquid through aninlet 25 and propels it upwardly into a reactiontype spray arm 26.Spray arm 26 is provided with a plurality of orifices which direct a spray upwardly withinwash chamber 12 to impinge upon articles supported by ra-cks 17 and 18. Certain of these orifices are directed such that the reaction force of the liquid issuing therefrom causesspray arm 26 to rotate. In the `opposite direction of rotation ofmotor 22,drain pump 23 draws liquid throughinlet 25 and propels it outwardly through aneffluent discharge 27 which is connected to the normal household sewer system (not shown).

A normal complete operational cycle fordishwasher 10 may include an initial admission of water toWash chamber 12 by means of a water inlet valve (not shown) followed by the energization ofmotor 22 in the direction whereinpump 24 propels the water up throughspray arm 26. This operation would comprise a prerinse and may last for two or three minutes. At this point,motor 22 would be de-energized and then re-energized in the opposite direction of rotation so thatdrain pump 23 would drain the liquid fromsump 20 and pump it into the household sewer system. Following this, another charge of water would be admitted towash chamber 12 and a detergent dispenser (not shown) would be energized to dispense a predetermined amount -of detergent into the water andmotor 22 would be energized in the direction to effectuate a wash action upon the articles withinwash chamber 12. This operation, of course, would be the wash operation and may last -for several minutes. Once again,motor 22 would be reversed to drainwash chamber 12. Following this, there would be at least one, and perhaps two, post-rinses identical to the aforedescribed pre-rinse. After termination of the last postrinse, an electricalresistance heating element 28 would be energized to facilitate drying of articles supported byracks 17 and .18 by evaporation of the liquid remaining thereon. The foregoing series of operations is conventional in all respects and, as is well known in the dishwasher art, a sequence control means 29 is provided to energize and de-energize the appropriate electrical elements of dishwasher in a predetermined sequence. Control means 29 may include a synchronous electrical timer motor (not specifically shown) and a series of cam operated switches (not specifically shown). Such arrangement is well known in the dishwasher art and because of this, these elements are not described in detail herein. As is also conventional, a manually-operable knob '30 projects beyond outer wall r16 ofdoor 13 so that control means 29 may be manually adjusted or started.

A treating agent dispensing means in the form of arinse aid injector 31, best seen in FIGURE 2, is disposed Within achamber 32 defined by outer wall 16 and inner wall 33 ofdoor 13. Rinseaid injector 31 includes areservoir portion 34 capable of containing a supply of rinse aid suicient to serve for several cycles of operation ofdishwasher 10. A dispensing mechanism (not shown) is disposed withinreservoir portion 34 and is adapted to pump or dispense a predetermined quantity of rinse aid intowash chamber 12 upon release of atrip mechanism 35.Trip mechanism 35 is biased toward the dispensing position by aspring 36. Rinseaid injector 31 dispenses a predetermined quantity of rinse aid to washchamber 12 astrip mechanism 35 moves from the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3, it being understood that additional mechanism within reservoir portion 34 (not shown) is mechanically linked tomechanism 35 to carry out the dispensing function as movement takes place. Acap 37 is disposed beyond wall 33 to cover an inlet through which rinse aid is admitted to replenish the rinse aid contained withinreservoir portion 34. Except for thetrip mechanism 35, which is to be discussed in greater detail hereinafter, rinseaid injector 31 may be substantially as described and claimed in 'U.S. Patent No. 3,198,387, issued to Norman L. Kendt and John A. Dicken, Jr., on Aug. 3, 1965, and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.

Means are provided to automatically cock or energize rinseaid injector 31. The means include alink 38 which is secured at one end to latch operating handle so that as handle 1'5 is moved between the latched position of FIGURE 2 and an unlatched position, whereinhandle 15 is moved far to the left as viewed in FIGURE 2, link 38 moves therewith. The other end of link 3S is provided with anelongated slot 39 which receives apin 40.Pin 40 is rigidly secured totrip mechanism 35 and loosely tits withinslot 39 so that it is free to move, relative to link 38, an extent equal to the length ofelongated slot 39.

Trip mechanism 35 is pivotal about apin 41 carried by the body of rinseaid injector 31. A small projection 4 42 is adapted to engage astop 43 whereby movement oftrip mechanism 35, in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3, is limited by engagement betweenprojection 42 and stop 43. Thedistal end oftrip mechanism 35 includes acatch 44 which engages a U-shaped current-responsivebi-metal element 45 whentrip mechanism 35 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction.Catch 44 has abeveled surface 46 whichcams element 45 out of the way so thatcatch 44 may pass down into theelement 45 and be retained in the position shown in FIGURE 2 by the bifurcation of thebimetal element 45.

With the foregoing arrangement, each lime handle 15 is moved from the latched position to the unlatched position, which must occur eachtime door 13 is opened, link 38 is moved from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to a position whereinpin 40 rests at the other extreme ofslot 39. Iftrip mechanism 35 has been released, or tripped, prior to the movement ofhandle 15, link 38 will engagepin 40 and rotatetrip mechanism 35 to the cocked position of FIGURE 2 ashandle 15 is moved to the unlached position. During subsequent movements ofhandle 15 between the latched and the unlatched positions,trip mechanism 35 will remain cocked due to engagement betweenelement 45 and catch 44, and link 38 will simply move relative to pin 40 due to the elongation ofslot 39. When handle 15 is in the latched position of FIGURE 2,trip mechanism 35 is free to move from the cocked position to the uncocked position of FIGURE 3 sincepin 40 is free to slide the length ofelongated slot 39.

As described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 3,198,387, and as is otherwise well known in the dishwasher art, sequence control means 29 is programmed to cause rinseaid injector 31 to dispense the predetermined amount of rinse aid intowash chamber 12 during the last post-rinse. This is accomplished in the structure illustrated in the drawings by causing current to How throughelement 45 which causes exing ofelement 45 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3. As the bifurcation ofelement 45 passes beyond the end ofcatch 44,spring 37 movestrip mechanism 35 to the position of FIGURE 3 thus eliectuating dispensing of the rinse aid intoWash chamber 12.

In accordance with the .present invention, means are provided to automatically ventwash chamber 12 during the drying portion of the operational cycle ofdishwasher 10. It is to be understood that the drying operation immediately .follows the final post-rinse. The vent means of the present invention includes anopening 47 in wall 33 having abaffle 48 disposed thereover but spaced therefrom to minimize escape of wash uid fromwash chamber 12 throughopening 47. Disposed withinchamber 32, opposite opening 47, is ahousing 49 which has an open top provided with aclosure member 50.Closure member 50 is pivoted to one edge ofhousing 49 by ahinge 51. Alink 52interconnects closure member 50 andtrip mechanism 35 such that whentrip mechanism 35 is in the cocked position illustrated in FIGURE 2,closure member 50 is closed and, when trip 'mechanism 35 is in the tripped position of FIGURE 3,closure member 50 is opened.

At the bottom of wall 33, avent plate 53 is secured thereto and delines a passageway y54 leading fromchamber 32 intowash chamber 12. The purpose ofvent plate 53 is to prevent escape of tiuid fromwash chamber 12 intochamber 32.Passageway 54 allows air to enter from the atmosphere in the manner illustrated by the arrows in FIGURE l. Whenclosure member 50` is opened, air leaves washchamber 12 throughopening 47 andhousing 49 to enterchamber 32 at the. upper portion thereof. From the upper portion ofchamber 32, the moisture laden air can escape through the openings provided forhandle 15 andknob 30. Additionally, if desired, other openings may be provided. As mentioned earlier, during the drying portion of the operational cycle,heating element 28 is energized thus heating the air in the lower portion ofwash chamber 12. As this air is heated, it rises and flows over the articles contained inracks 17 and 18, picking up moisture as it does so, and then egresses throughopening 47. The air withinwash chamber 12 is replenished by relatively dry air entering through passageway S4.

Thus, it can be seen that the present invention provides an improved vent means for an automatic dishwasher which retains the automatic aspects and other benefits of the type of vent means disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,092,122 while at the same time avoiding overloading of the sequence control means and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Overloading of the sequence control means is avoided since sprin-g 36 provides the force to openclosure member 50 and the energy stored byspring 36 is transferred thereto by manual manipulation ofhandle 15. The relatively inexpensive aspects of the present invention are obvious from the fact that only link 52 is required to realize the benets of the present invention inasmuch astrip mechanism 35 and the other elements associated therewith are required in order to carry out the rinse aid injection operation.

As will be evident .from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the example illustrated, and it is contemplated that various other modifications or applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An automatic dishwasher comprising:

(a) a wash chamber adapted to receive and contain articles to be washed and dried therein,

(b) means to wash and rinse articles Within said wash chamber,

(c) heat drying means to dry by evaporation articles within said wash chamber,

(d) treating agent dispensing means to dispense a treating agent into said Wash chamber,

(e) said treating agent dispensing means including a movable member which moves as said dispensing means dispenses said treating agent,

(f) vent means including a relatively small opening to vent said wash chamber to the atmosphere,

(g) a closure member for said opening, and

(h) means interconnecting said closure member and said movable member to open said closure member as said dispensing means dispenses said treating agent.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said treating agent dispensing means further includes an energy storing device and said movable member is moved by said energy storing device.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said treating agent dispensing means comprises a rinse aid injector controlled to dispense rinse aid during the step of operation of the dishwasher immediately preceding operation of said heat drying means.

4. An automatic dishwasher comprising:

(a) a wash chamber adapted to receive and contain articles to be washed and dried therein,

(b) means to wash and rinse articles within said wash chamber,

(c) heat drying means to dry by evaporation articles within said wash chamber,

(d) treating agent dispensing means to dispense a treating agent into said wash chamber,

(e) said treating agent dispensing means including a trip mechanism having a tripped position and a cocked position,

(f) vent means including a relatively small opening to vent said wash chamber to the atmosphere,

(g) a closure member member for said opening, and

(h) means interconnecting said closure member and said trip mechanism to open said closure member as said mechanism moves from said cocked position to said tripped position.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said trip mechanism includes a pivotal member spring-biased toward said tripped position and a bimetal element to maintain said pivotal member in said cocked position and to release said pivotal member when electrical current passes through said bimetal element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,092,122 6/ 1963 Guth 134-58 3,198,387 `8/1965 Kendt et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,277,163 10/ 1961 France. 1,210,150 2/ 1966 Germany.

962,940 7/ 1964 Great Britain.

ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER COMPRISING: (A) A WASH CHAMBERR ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND CONTAIN ARTICLES TO BE WASHED AND DRIED THEREIN, (B) MEANS TO WASH AND RINSE ARTICLES WITHIN SAID WASH CHAMBER, (C) HEAT DRYING MEANS TO DRY BY EVAPORATION ARTICLES WITHIN SAID WASH CHAMBER, (D) TREATING AGENT DISPENSING MEANS TO DISPENSE A TREATING AGENT INTO SAID WASH CHAMBER, (E) SAID TREATING AGENT DISPENSING MEANS INCLUDING A MOVABLE MEMBER WHICH MOVES AS SAID DISPENSING MEANS DISPENSES SAID TREATING AGENT, (F) VENT MEANS, INCLUDING A RELATIVELY SMALL OPENING TO VENT SAID WASH CHAMBER TO THE ATMOSPHERE, (G) A CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAID OPENING, AND (H) MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AND SAID MOVABLE MEMBER TO OPEN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AS SAID DISPENSING MEANS DISPENSES SAID TREATING AGENT.

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