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US 7,887,643 B2Granted
Dishwasher with counter-convection air flow
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsWalter G. Stelzer, Mark E. Brewer, Kenyon A. Hapke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dishwasher provides forced air flow in a counter-convectional direction so as to exhaust air out of a bottom portion of the washing volume in contrast to normal convective air flow.
Claims12
A dishwasher comprising:
- a housing providing a washing volume for receiving dishes, the housing including nozzles for spraying wash water within the washing volume, and including a door openable for access to the washing volume and closable for containing wash water within the housing during washing;
- one or more racks contained within the washing volume of the housing;
- at least a first and second opening in the housing communicating between an outside and inside of the washing volume wherein the second opening communicates with the washing volume at an area proximate a bottom of the washing volume and the first opening communicates with the washing volume at an area proximate to the top of the washing volume above all racks, whereby air flowing from the first opening to the second opening may pass downward across the racks without substantial upward travel throughout an entire flowing pass from the first opening to the second opening
- a muffin style propeller fan positioned at the first opening and operating during a dish drying cycle to move air into the washing volume through the first opening and to exhaust air out of the washing volume through the second opening wherein the fan is configured to provide a flow rate of less than ten cubic feet per minute through the first and second openings, and
- a vent door closable over one of the first and second openings in response to an electrical signal applied to a vent door actuator communicating with the vent door to move it between an open and closed position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.