Dishwasher for washing dishes by rotating a dish washing basket and dish washing basket therefor

A dishwasher comprising:

• a cabinet having an opening on a front surface;
• a door attached to said cabinet to open/close at said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing chamber member provided in said cabinet and forming a washing chamber facing said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing nozzle provided facing a certain direction of said washing chamber;
• a circulation pump coupled to said washing nozzle, a bottom portion of said washing chamber and an external drain outlet;
• a driving source provided outside said washing chamber;
• a power transmission mechanism provided at a corner in said cabinet on one side of said cabinet, outside said washing chamber, and coupled to said driving source;
• and
• a control circuit for controlling said circulation pump and said driving source;
• wherein
• a dish washing basket placed on said washing chamber is rotated by said power transmission mechanism,
• wherein said washing chamber member has an opening at a corner where said power transmission mechanism is arranged, through which a portion of said power transmission mechanism faces said washing chamber,
• wherein said driving source includes a driving motor having a rotary axis;
• said power transmission mechanism includes;
• a driving gear attached to said rotary axis of said driving motor,
• a swing lever attached on said rotary axis of said driving motor swingable about said rotary axis,
• a spring provided at a position urging said swing lever to said driving gear,
• a group of transmission gears provided on said swing lever for transmitting rotation of said driving gear, and
• a rotary gear rotatably attached to said washing chamber member such that a portion thereof is exposed in said washing chamber through said opening of said washing chamber member;
• and
• said group of transmission gears is engageable/disengageable with said rotary gear in accordance with the swing of said swing lever.

A dishwasher comprising:

• a cabinet having an opening on a front surface;
• a door attached to said cabinet to open/close at said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing chamber member provided in said cabinet and forming a washing chamber facing said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing nozzle provided facing a certain direction of said washing chamber;
• a circulation pump coupled to said washing nozzle, a bottom portion of said washing chamber and an external drain outlet;
• a driving source provided outside said washing chamber;
• a power transmission mechanism provided at a corner in said cabinet on one side of said cabinet, outside said washing chamber, and coupled to said driving source;
• and
• a control circuit for controlling said circulation pump and said driving source;
• wherein
• a dish washing basket placed on said washing chamber is rotated by said power transmission mechanism, further comprising:
• an air blower controlled by said control circuit;
• wherein
• said washing chamber member forms a water tank at a bottom portion of said washing chamber;
• said water tank including;
• a bottom surface, and
• a sidewall having an air inlet which communicates and is coupled with said air blower and a water absorbing inlet which communicates and is coupled with said circulation pump;
• said dishwasher further comprising:
• a heater controlled by said control circuit arranged opposing to said air inlet in said water tank.

A dishwasher comprising:

• a cabinet having an opening on a front surface;
• a door attached to said cabinet to open/close at said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing chamber member provided in said cabinet and forming a washing chamber facing said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing nozzle provided facing a certain direction of said washing chamber;
• a circulation pump coupled to said washing nozzle, a bottom portion of said washing chamber and an external drain outlet;
• a driving source provided outside said washing chamber;
• a power transmission mechanism provided at a corner in said cabinet on one side of said cabinet, outside said washing chamber, and coupled to said driving source;
• and
• a control circuit for controlling said circulation pump and said driving source;
• wherein
• a dish washing basket placed on said washing chamber is rotated by said power transmission mechanism, wherein
• said washing chamber member forms a water tank at a bottom portion of said washing chamber,
• said dishwasher further comprising:
• a filter member placed on said water tank of said washing chamber and forming a bottom surface of said washing chamber,
• said filter member having a support portion provided at a prescribed position on its upper surface for supporting a rotary axis of said dish washing basket, wherein
• a bottom surface of said washing chamber has a first portion on which said filter member is placed and a remaining second portion, and
• said filter member and said washing chamber member are formed such that said upper surface of said filter member is flush with an upper surface of said second portion of said washing chamber.

A dishwasher comprising:

• a cabinet having an opening on a front surface;
• a door attached to said cabinet to open/close at said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing chamber member provided in said cabinet and forming a washing chamber facing said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing nozzle provided facing a certain direction of said washing chamber;
• a circulation pump coupled to said washing nozzle, a bottom portion of said washing chamber and an external drain outlet;
• a driving source provided outside said washing chamber;
• a power transmission mechanism provided at a corner in said cabinet on one side of said cabinet, outside said washing chamber, and coupled to said driving source;
• and
• a control circuit for controlling said circulation pump and said driving source;
• wherein
• a dish washing basket placed on said washing chamber is rotated by said power transmission mechanism, wherein
• a water absorbing inlet is formed on a side surface of said water tank;
• said circulation pump has a first surface having a washing outlet which communicates with said water absorbing inlet and communicates with said washing pipe, and a second surface having a drain outlet which communicates with a prescribed water outlet, said first and second surfaces intersecting at a certain angle .theta.;
• said dishwasher further comprising:
• an approximately V-shaped switching valve provided rotatable about the intersection of said first and second surfaces as a fulcrum in said circulation pump, and rotated selectively and watertightly closing said washing outlet or said drain outlet in accordance with water flow generated by said circulation pump.

A dishwasher comprising:

• a cabinet having an opening on a front surface;
• a door attached to said cabinet to open/close at said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing chamber member provided in said cabinet and forming a washing chamber facing said opening of said cabinet;
• a washing nozzle provided facing a certain direction of said washing chamber;
• a circulation pump coupled to said washing nozzle, a bottom portion of said washing chamber and an external drain outlet;
• a driving source provided outside said washing chamber;
• a power transmission mechanism provided at a corner in said cabinet on one side of said cabinet, outside said washing chamber, and coupled to said driving source;
• and
• a control circuit for controlling said circulation pump and said driving source;
• wherein
• a dish washing basket placed on said washing chamber is rotated by said power transmission mechanism, and said dishwasher further comprising:
• an operation panel and a buzzer connected to said control circuit, wherein
• said control circuit performs a demonstration operation of said dishwasher in response to a prescribed operation on said operation panel, rings said buzzer in response to an operation of a power key on said operation panel at the time of the demonstration operation of said dishwasher, and operates said dishwasher in a shorter operation cycle than a normal operation cycle in said demonstration of said dishwasher.

A dishwasher basket used with a dishwasher including a cabinet having an opening on a front surface, a door attached to be opened/closed at said opening of said cabinet, a washing chamber member provided in said cabinet and forming a washing chamber facing said opening of said cabinet, a washing nozzle provided facing a certain direction of said washing chamber, a circulation pump coupled to said washing nozzle, a bottom portion of said washing chamber and to an external drain outlet, a driving source provided outside said washing chamber, a power transmitting mechanism coupled to said driving source, and a control circuit controlling said circulation pump and said driving source, placed in said washing chamber and rotated by said power transmitting mechanism, said basket comprising:

• a disk shaped bottom portion;
• and
• a columnar pole formed approximately vertical with respect to an upper surface of said bottom portion from the center of said bottom portion;
• wherein
• said bottom portion includes a plurality of radial ribs for supporting a plurality of dishes, said plurality of radial ribs each being formed from a lower outer periphery of said pole to an outer periphery of said bottom portion, so that when said dishwasher basket is rotated by the power transmitting mechanism, water from the washing nozzle contacts the plurality of plates supported by said plurality of radial ribs from the outer periphery of the dish toward the center surface of the dish.