Dishwasher pump having soil collection system

Abstract

A pump system for a dishwasher including a pump housing defining a pump chamber having an inverted frustroconical shape including an upwardly angled annular outer wall. An impeller is disposed within the pump chamber. An annular soil collection chamber is disposed partially above the pump chamber such that the bottom wall of the soil collection chamber forms the top wall of the pump chamber. Wash liquid is supplied into the soil collection chamber from the pump chamber through an opening provided in the bottom wall of the soil collection chamber located at the upper, peripheral portion of the pump chamber. The upwardly angled annular wall of the pump chamber promotes soil movement into the soil collection chamber by directing soils toward the upper portion of the pump chamber. The soil collection chamber is formed by an annular soil collector housing and a cover. The cover includes a plurality of filter screen panels such that wash liquid supplied into the soil collection chamber is filtered and soils are collected. By locating the collection chamber above the pump chamber, the inner diameter of the soil collection chamber may be formed smaller than the outer diameter of the pump chamber such that the outer diameter of the soil collection chamber may be minimized.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.