Water centered cone upper spray arm for dishwashers
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorGeoffrey L. Dingler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-aligning water jet receiver for a rotary spray arm rotatable about an axis of rotation on a dishwasher dish rack in which the rotatable spray arm is mounted on the dish rack and is rotated by the reaction force of water exiting through spray nozzles in the spray arm. An upwardly projected water jet supplies the water to the hollow spray arm. In this invention the liquid jet is received in a jet receiver that is mounted on the spray arm along the axis of rotation and is shiftable laterally by the force of the jet on the receiver to align the receiver coaxially with the jet.
Claims13
An article washing apparatus comprising:
- (a) a cabinet;
- (b) an open article holder in said cabinet;
- (c) a rotary spray arm mounted on said open article holder and rotatable about an axis of rotation;
- (d) means for projecting a liquid jet generally coaxial with said axis of rotation of said spray arm;
- (e) a jet receiver on said spray arm, said receiver having a central axis generally coinciding with said axis of rotation for receiving the projected liquid jet;
- (f) means for mounting said receiver on said spray arm for lateral shifting of the receiver relative to the axis of rotation of the spray arm, said receiver laterally movable by a force exerted on said receiver by said jet for self-alignment of the receiver coaxially with said jet;
- and
- (g) cooperating liquid flow means on said receiver and said spray arm for directing liquid from said receiver over articles held in said article holder.
An article washing apparatus comprising:
- (a) a cabinet;
- (b) an open article holder in said cabinet;
- (c) a rotary spray arm mounted on said open article holder and rotatable about an axis of rotation;
- (d) means for projecting a liquid jet generally coaxial with said axis of rotation of said spray arm;
- (e) a jet receiver on said spray arm, said receiver having a central axis generally coinciding with said axis of rotation for receiving the projected liquid jet, said receiver comprising a downwardly and outwardly flaring, jet receiving, surface forming an open portion;
- (f) means for mounting said receiver on said spray arm for lateral shifting of the receiver relative to the axis of rotation of the said spray arm, said receiver laterally movable by a force exerted on said receiver by said jet for self-alignment of the receiver coaxially with said jet, said mounting means comprising a retainer attached to said receiver and a hollow mounting member having a mounting member plate enclosing said retainer for relative movement between the retainer and the mounting member;
- and
- (g) cooperating liquid flow means on said receiver and said spray arm for directing liquid from said retainer over articles held in said article holder by way of said spray arm, said retainer and mounting member plate having slidably engaged surface portions extending laterally of said axis of rotation, said mounting member plate comprising a wall having an opening through which a mounting portion of said receiver extends, said opening having a lateral extent greater than said mounting portion.
In an article washing apparatus having a cabinet, an open article holder in said cabinet, a rotary spray arm mounted on said open article holder and rotatable about an axis of rotation, and pump, means for projecting a liquid generally coaxial with said axis of rotation of said spray arm, a self-aligning water jet receiver means for said spray arm comprising:
- (a) a jet receiver on said spray arm, said receiver having a central axis generally coinciding with said axis of rotation for receiving the projected liquid jet;
- (b) means for mounting said receiver on said spray arm for lateral shifting of the receiver relative to the axis of rotation of the spray arm, said receiver laterally movable by a force exerted on said receiver by said jet for self-alignment of the receiver coaxially with said jet;
- (c) cooperating liquid flow means on said receiver and said spray arm for directing liquid from said receiver over articles held in said article holder by way of said spray arm;
- and
- (d) at least one nozzle means on said receiver mounting means for allowing soil particles to escape from said mounting means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.