Remote sump with film heater and auto purge
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsEdward L. Thies, Matthew C. Parsons
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic washer comprises a remote sump fluidly connected to a drain pump and a recirculation pump, and a separator comprising an array of regularly-spaced fins oriented upstream of the recirculation pump for intercepting foreign objects in wash liquid. The remote sump also comprises a wash liquid heater. The separator is automatically purged when the drain pump is operated.
Claims25
An automatic clothes washer comprising:
- a wash tub for holding wash liquid;
- a wash basket located within the wash tub for holding items to be washed;
- a wash liquid dispenser for introducing wash liquid into at least one of the wash tub and wash basket;
- a sump located remotely of the wash tub and comprising a sump housing defining an elongated chamber having a central axis and a sump inlet located at one end fluidly connected to the wash tub such that wash liquid in the wash tub can flow through the inlet into the elongated chamber along a primary flow path and the central axis defines the primary flow path;
- a recirculation pump having an inlet located along a side of the sump housing fluidly coupled to the elongated chamber, and an outlet fluidly coupled to the wash liquid dispenser for fluidly coupling the sump and the wash liquid dispenser to effect the recirculation of the wash liquid through the wash tub;
- a drain pump having an inlet located along a side of the sump housing fluidly coupled to the elongated chamber, and an outlet fluidly coupled to a drain to effect the draining of water from the sump;
- and
- a separator located within the elongated chamber for removing objects entrained in the wash liquid, the separator having multiple through openings, with each of the through openings defining a through opening flow path, such that wash liquid flowing from the sump inlet to the recirculation pump inlet passes through at least one of the multiple through openings and the primary flow path defines an included angle of less than or equal to ninety degrees with at least one of the through opening flow paths.
A sump for an automatic clothes washer comprising a wash tub for holding wash liquid, a wash basket located within the wash tub for holding items to be washed, a recirculation pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the sump housing to effect the recirculation of the wash liquid through the wash tub, a drain pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the sump housing to effect the draining of water from the sump, the sump being located remotely from the wash tub and comprising:
- a sump housing defining a chamber having a longitudinal axis, the chamber having a first area orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and a second area orthogonal to the longitudinal axis greater than the first area, the sump housing having an inlet such that wash liquid can flow through the inlet into the chamber to define a primary flow path, the velocity of the flow of wash liquid through the second area being reduced from the velocity of the flow of wash liquid through the first area;
- a separator located within the chamber and fluidly coupled with the recirculation pump inlet for removing objects entrained in the wash liquid, the separator comprising at least two spaced fins defining at least one through opening and at least one through opening flow path, the at least one through opening being oriented relative to the primary flow path such that the angle between the primary flow path and the at least one through opening flow path is no greater than ninety degrees;
- wherein the second area is immediately adjacent the separator;
- and
- wherein the reduction in the velocity of the flow of wash liquid through the second area and the angle between the primary flow path and the at least one through opening flow path facilitate the deposition of particles suspended in the wash liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.