# US 9,750,392 B2 · Dishwasher appliance and vent for same

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,750,392 B2
- Document ID: US9750392B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/192,910
- Filed: 2014-02-28
- Published: 2015-09-03
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-02-28
- Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Wilbur Carl Bewley, Jr.; Paul Edward Newsom, II; Aaron Daniel Mink
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750392B2

## CPC

- A47L 15/488: {Connections of the tub with the ambient air, e.g. air intake or venting arrangements}
- A47L 15/4257: {Details of the loading door}
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)

## Abstract

Dishwasher appliances and vents for dishwasher appliances are provided. The dishwasher appliance includes a chamber for the receipt of articles for cleaning, and a door for selectively opening and closing the dishwasher appliance, the door having an interior wall and a bottom. The dishwasher appliance further includes a conduit disposed within the door. The dishwasher appliance further includes a vent for controlling the egress of fluid from the chamber through the first end, the vent received into the door. The vent includes a generally planer body, and a plurality of aperture assemblies defined in the body. Each of the plurality of aperture assemblies extends generally radially within the plane. The vent further includes a plurality of ribs extending from the body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dishwasher appliance, comprising:
a chamber for the receipt of articles for cleaning;
a door for selectively opening and closing the dishwasher appliance, the door having an interior wall and a bottom;
a conduit disposed within the door, the conduit defining a passage extending between a first end and a second end, the first end defined in the interior wall for the egress of fluid from the chamber, the second end defined in the door for the egress of fluid from the conduit; and
a passive vent for controlling the egress of fluid from the chamber through the first end, the vent received into the door, the vent comprising:
a planar body defining a plane;
a plurality of aperture assemblies defined in the body, each aperture assembly of the plurality of aperture assemblies oriented to diverse from a centerpoint of the body and comprising a plurality of apertures extending radially within the plane, each of the apertures opening into the planar body in a first direction through the planar body; and
a plurality of ribs extending away from the body out of the plane in a second direction, the second direction opposing the first direction, wherein each rib of the plurality of ribs comprises a rib body extending from the planar body and a plurality of protrusions, each of the plurality of protrusions extending from the rib body into a respective one of the plurality of aperture assemblies and at least partially forming a sidewall of the respective one of the plurality of aperture assemblies.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the rib body of each of the plurality of ribs is linear.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the rib body of each of the plurality of ribs is curvilinear.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein the protrusion of each of the plurality of ribs is integral with the rib body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein each aperture of the plurality of aperture assemblies comprises a slot.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The dishwasher appliance of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of slots has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher appliance of claim 1, wherein each aperture of the plurality of aperture assemblies comprises a bore hole, the bore holes of each aperture assembly aligned in a linear array.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The dishwasher appliance of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of bore holes has a circular cross-sectional shape.