Washing machine, components thereof and methods of cleaning

A continuous motion style washing machine comprising:

• a wash tank for selectively holding a volume of washing fluid;
• a pump having an inlet and an outlet, said pump being in fluid communication with the volume of washing fluid;
• a discharge manifold coupled to said wash tank and said outlet of said pump such that washing fluid flowing from said outlet of said pump flows into an interior area of said discharge manifold prior to flowing into said wash tank;
• and
• a jet channel selectively positioned relative to said discharge manifold,
• wherein said jet channel is movable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration,
• wherein said jet channel conceals at least a portion of said interior area of said discharge manifold when said jet channel is in the locked configuration,
• wherein said jet channel is selectively removable from the washing machine when said jet channel is in the unlocked configuration,
• wherein removing said jet channel from the washing machine exposes at least a portion of said interior area of said discharge manifold so as to allow a user to visually inspect and/or clean said portion of said interior area of said discharge manifold, wherein moving said jet channel from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration is accomplished by sliding said distal end of said jet channel laterally away from said distal end of said discharge manifold, and
• wherein removing said jet channel from the washing machine is accomplished by rotating a distal end of said jet channel away from a distal end of said discharge manifold so as to move said jet channel into a rotated configuration and then sliding a proximal end of said jet channel laterally away from a proximal end of said discharge manifold until said jet channel is removed from the washing machine.

A continuous motion style washing machine comprising:

• a wash tank for selectively holding a volume of washing fluid;
• a pump having an inlet and an outlet, said pump being in fluid communication with the volume of washing fluid;
• a discharge manifold coupled to said wash tank and said outlet of said pump such that washing fluid flowing from said outlet of said pump flows into an interior area of said discharge manifold prior to flowing into said wash tank;
• and
• a jet channel selectively positioned relative to said discharge manifold,
• wherein said jet channel is movable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration,
• wherein said jet channel conceals at least a portion of said interior area of said discharge manifold when said jet channel is in the locked configuration,
• wherein said jet channel is selectively removable from the washing machine when said jet channel is in the unlocked configuration,
• wherein removing said jet channel from the washing machine exposes at least a portion of said interior area of said discharge manifold so as to allow a user to visually inspect and/or clean said portion of said interior area of said discharge manifold,
• wherein said discharge manifold comprises:
• a vertical back wall having opposed top and bottom edges;
• and
• top and bottom walls extending forward from respective top and bottom edges of said vertical back wall,
• wherein said back, top, and bottom walls of said discharge manifold, together, define at least part of said interior area of said discharge manifold;
• wherein said jet channel comprises:
• a vertical front panel having opposed top and bottom edges;
• and
• top and bottom flanges extending aft from respective top and bottom edges of said vertical front panel;
• wherein at least a portion of said jet channel is configured to be received by at least a portion of said discharge manifold when said jet channel is in the locked configuration,
• wherein said discharge manifold further comprises proximal and distal front walls positioned adjacent to respective proximal and distal ends of said discharge manifold, said front walls being displaced from said back wall and extending between said top and bottom walls, thereby defining an opening in said discharge manifold,
• wherein said jet channel further comprises proximal and distal recessed panels positioned adjacent to respective proximal and distal ends of said jet channel, said recessed panels extending between said top and bottom flanges and being parallel with, recessed from, said front panel, and
• wherein said recessed panels of said jet channel are configured to engage with respective front walls of said discharge manifold when said jet channel is in the locked configuration so as to create a seal between a front surface of said recessed panels and an aft surface of respective front walls of said discharge manifold.

A removable jet channel for a pressurized discharge manifold, the jet channel including:

• a front panel;
• opposed top and bottom flanges extending relatively perpendicularly from opposed top and bottom edges of said front panel;
• and
• opposed proximal and distal recessed panels positioned at respective proximal and distal ends of said jet channel, said recessed panels extending between said top and A bottom flanges and being relatively parallel with, but recessed from, said front panel,
• wherein said jet channel is configured to be received by an opening of the pressurized discharge manifold;
• wherein the jet channel is movable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration while being received by the opening of the pressurized discharge manifold,
• wherein said jet channel is selectively removable from the pressurized discharge manifold when said jet channel is in the unlocked configuration,
• wherein removing said jet channel from the pressurized discharge manifold exposes at least a portion of an interior area of the pressurized discharge manifold so as to allow a user to visually inspect and/or clean the portion of the interior area of the pressurized discharge manifold,
• wherein said jet channel is configured to create a pressure seal, thereby sealing the opening of the pressurized discharge manifold, when said jet channel is in the locked configuration, the pressure seal being accomplished with:
• said top and bottom flanges of said jet channel extending at least partially into said pressurized discharge manifold such that one or more feature of the pressurized discharge manifold biases said flanges inward towards each other, and
• said proximal and distal recessed panels engaging a wall of the pressurized discharge manifold such that pressure in the pressurized discharge manifold biases said surfaces of said recessed panels towards the wall of the pressurized discharge manifold, and
• wherein moving the jet channel from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration is accomplished by sliding the jet channel until said distal recessed panel becomes disengaged from the wall of the pressurized discharge manifold, thereby enabling a user to rotate the jet channel relative to said proximal end of said jet channel so as to enable removal of said jet channel from the pressurized discharge manifold.