# US 12,178,379 B2 · Dishwashing appliances and sensor assemblies for detecting a position of an appliance door > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,379 B2 - Document ID: US12178379B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/715,271 - Filed: 2022-04-07 - Published: 2023-10-12 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-04-07 - Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Ricardo Alberto Aguiar, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178379B2 ## CPC - A47L 15/4259: {Arrangements of locking or security/safety devices for doors, e.g. door latches, switch to stop operation when door is open} - A47L 15/4274: {Arrangement of electrical components, e.g. control units or cables (A47L15/4293 takes precedence)} - A47L 15/4293: {Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels} - A47L 15/46: Devices for the automatic control of the different phases of cleaning {; Controlling devices (A47L15/449 takes precedence)} - G01B 11/26: for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes - G01B 17/00: Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic vibrations - A47L 2401/26: Loading door status, e.g. door latch opened or closed state - A47L 2401/30: Variation of electrical, magnetical or optical quantities - A47L 2501/22: Loading doors, e.g. door latches, inflatable door seals - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS ## Abstract A dishwashing appliance may include a cabinet, a door, and a sensor assembly. The cabinet may extend along a lateral direction between a first side and a second side. The cabinet may define a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. The door may extend along a vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end. The door may be rotatably mounted to the cabinet to move along a rotation path between an opened position and a closed position. The sensor assembly may be attached to the cabinet to detect a positional angle of the door. The sensor assembly may include a wave emission sensor directed at the rotation path to project an emitted wave and a wave reception sensor spaced apart from the wave emission sensor to receive a reflection of the emitted wave. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dishwashing appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the dishwashing appliance comprising: a cabinet extending along the lateral direction between a first side and a second side, the cabinet defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing; a door extending along the vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end, the door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to move along a rotation path between an opened position and a closed position; and a sensor assembly attached to the cabinet to detect a positional angle of the door, the sensor assembly comprising a wave emission sensor directed at the rotation path to project an emitted wave, and a wave reception sensor spaced apart from the wave emission sensor to receive a reflection of the emitted wave. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dishwashing appliance of claim 1, wherein the wave emission sensor comprises an infrared (IR) emission sensor, and wherein the wave reception sensor comprises an IR reception sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dishwashing appliance of claim 1, wherein the wave emission sensor comprises an ultrasonic emission sensor, and wherein the wave reception sensor comprises an ultrasonic reception sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dishwashing appliance of claim 1, wherein the wave reception sensor is spaced apart from the wave emission sensor along the lateral direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The dishwashing appliance of claim 1, wherein the wave emission sensor is mounted to the door and directed downward in the closed position, and wherein the wave reception sensor is mounted to the door and directed downward in the closed position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dishwashing appliance of claim 1, wherein the wave emission sensor is mounted to the cabinet and directed forward toward the rotation path, and wherein the wave reception sensor is mounted to the cabinet and directed forward toward the rotation path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dishwashing appliance of claim 1, further comprising a controller attached to the cabinet, wherein the controller is configured to direct an appliance operation comprising; receiving a position signal corresponding to reception of the emitted wave, and determining the positional angle of the door based on the position signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The dishwashing appliance of claim 7, wherein the dishwashing appliance further comprises a control panel mounted to the door, and wherein the appliance operation further comprises limiting activation of the control panel based on the determined positional angle of the door. ### Claim 9 A dishwashing appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the dishwashing appliance comprising: a cabinet extending along the lateral direction between a first side and a second side, the cabinet defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing; a door extending along the vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end, the door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to move between an opened position and a closed position; and a sensor assembly attached to the cabinet to detect a rotational position of the door, the sensor assembly comprising a wave emission sensor mounted to the door at the bottom end to project an emitted wave therefrom, and a wave reception sensor mounted to the door at the bottom end to receive a reflection of the emitted wave. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The dishwashing appliance of claim 9, wherein the wave reception sensor is spaced apart from the wave emission sensor along the transverse direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The dishwashing appliance of claim 9, wherein the wave emission sensor comprises an infrared (IR) emission sensor, and wherein the wave reception sensor comprises an IR reception sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The dishwashing appliance of claim 9, wherein the wave emission sensor comprises an ultrasonic emission sensor, and wherein the wave reception sensor comprises an ultrasonic reception sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The dishwashing appliance of claim 9, further comprising a controller attached to the cabinet, wherein the controller is configured to direct an appliance operation comprising; receiving a position signal corresponding to reception of the emitted wave, and determining a positional angle of the door based on the position signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The dishwashing appliance of claim 13, wherein the dishwashing appliance further comprises a control panel mounted to the door, and wherein the appliance operation further comprises limiting activation of the control panel based on the determined positional angle of the door. ### Claim 15 A dishwashing appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the dishwashing appliance comprising: a cabinet extending along the lateral direction between a first side and a second side, the cabinet defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing; a door extending along the vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end, the door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to move between an opened position and a closed position; and a sensor assembly attached to the cabinet to detect a rotational position of the door, the sensor assembly comprising a wave emission sensor mounted to the cabinet below the washing chamber to project an emitted wave, and a wave reception sensor mounted to the cabinet below the washing chamber and spaced apart from the wave emission sensor to receive a reflection of the emitted wave. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The dishwashing appliance of claim 15, wherein the wave reception sensor is spaced apart from the wave emission sensor along the lateral direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The dishwashing appliance of claim 15, wherein the wave emission sensor comprises an infrared (IR) emission sensor, and wherein the wave reception sensor comprises an IR reception sensor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The dishwashing appliance of claim 15, wherein the wave emission sensor comprises an ultrasonic emission sensor, and wherein the wave reception sensor comprises an ultrasonic reception sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The dishwashing appliance of claim 15, further comprising a controller attached to the cabinet, wherein the controller is configured to direct an appliance operation comprising; receiving a position signal corresponding to reception of the emitted wave, and determining a positional angle of the door based on the position signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The dishwashing appliance of claim 19, wherein the dishwashing appliance further comprises a control panel mounted to the door, and wherein the appliance operation further comprises limiting activation of the control panel based on the determined positional angle of the door.