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US 9,307,885 B2Granted
Rotating filter assembly for a dishwasher
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorRodney M. Welch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dishwasher with a tub at least partially defining a washing chamber, a liquid spraying system supplying a spray of liquid to the washing chamber, a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path, and a liquid filtering system. The liquid filtering system includes a rotating filter disposed in the recirculation flow path to filter the liquid.
Claims17
A dishwasher comprising:
- a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber;
- a liquid spraying system supplying a spray of liquid to the treating chamber;
- a recirculation pump and filter assembly having a recirculation pump comprising an impeller and a filter housing having an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub and an outlet fluidly coupled to the liquid spraying system via the impeller of the recirculation pump to recirculate liquid from the tub to the treating chamber;
- a planar disc-shaped filter mounted to the impeller for co-rotation with the impeller and located within the filter housing between the inlet and the outlet and completely fluidly separating the inlet from the outlet such that liquid flowing from the inlet to the outlet must pass through the rotating planar disc-shaped filter from an upstream surface to a downstream surface such that fluid on an upstream side of the planar disc-shaped filter defines a first part that contains filtered soil particles and a downstream side of the planar disc-shaped filter defines a second part that excludes filtered soil particles;
- and
- a first flow diverter spaced from the upstream surface to induce soil outward away from a center of the planar disc-shaped filter and towards a periphery of the planar disc-shaped filter, the first flow diverter having a scooped portion facing the upstream surface and the scooped portion lifts soil particles larger than the space between the upstream surface and the first flow diverter away from the upstream surface to effect a cleaning of the upstream surface;
- wherein liquid passing between the first flow diverter and the upstream surface applies a greater shear force on the upstream surface than liquid in an absence of the first flow diverter.
4 more elements
A dishwasher comprising:
- a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber;
- a liquid spraying system supplying a spray of liquid to the treating chamber;
- a recirculation pump and filter assembly having a recirculation pump comprising an impeller and a filter housing having an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub and an outlet fluidly coupled to the liquid spraying system via the impeller of the recirculation pump to recirculate liquid from the tub to the treating chamber;
- a planar disc-shaped filter mounted to the impeller for co-rotation with the impeller and located within the filter housing between the inlet and the outlet and completely fluidly separating the inlet from the outlet such that liquid flowing from the inlet to the outlet must pass through the rotating planar disc-shaped filter from an upstream surface to a downstream surface such that fluid on an upstream side of the planar disc-shaped filter defines a first part that contains filtered soil particles and a downstream side of the planar disc-shaped filter defines a second part that excludes filtered soil particles;
- a first flow diverter spaced from the upstream surface to induce soil outward away from a center of the planar disc-shaped filter and towards a periphery of the planar disc-shaped filter wherein liquid passing between the first flow diverter and the upstream surface applies a greater shear force on the upstream surface than liquid in an absence of the first flow diverter;
- and
- a second flow diverter overlying a portion of the downstream surface to form a pressurized zone there between and wherein liquid will backwash from the downstream surface to the upstream surface in response to the pressurized zone to form a backwash flow.
4 more elements
A dishwasher comprising:
- a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber;
- a liquid spraying system supplying a spray of liquid to the treating chamber;
- and
- a recirculation pump and filter assembly having a recirculation pump comprising an impeller, which has a front end defining an inlet opening, and a filter housing having an inlet fluidly coupled to the tub and an outlet fluidly coupled to the liquid spraying system via the impeller of the recirculation pump to recirculate liquid from the tub to the treating chamber;
- a planar disc-shaped filter mounted along a periphery of the planar disc-shaped filter to the front end of the impeller for co-rotation with the impeller about an axis of rotation and located within the filter housing between the inlet and the outlet and completely fluidly separating the inlet from the outlet such that liquid flowing from the inlet to the outlet must pass through the rotating planar disc-shaped filter from an upstream surface to a downstream surface such that fluid on an upstream side of the planar disc-shaped filter defines a first part that contains filtered soil particles and a downstream side of the planar disc-shaped filter defines a second part that excludes filtered soil particles;
- a stationary shaft located along the axis of rotation of the planar disc-shaped filter;
- and
- a first flow diverter mounted to the stationary shaft and spaced from the upstream surface of the planar disc-shaped filter and where the first flow diverter is configured to induce soil outward away from a center of the planar disc-shaped filter and towards the periphery of the planar disc-shaped filter;
- wherein liquid passing between the first flow diverter and the upstream surface applies a greater shear force on the upstream surface than liquid in an absence of the first flow diverter.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.