US3031564A - Dishwashing machine - Google Patents

Description

April 1962 E. c. LEVlT 3,031,564

' DISHWASHING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1272 -527 Tar [fit/419.9 6. [mar Z @mzys.

E. C. LEVlT DISHWASHING MACHINE April 24, 1962 Original Filed Sept. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United rates Patent O 3,031,564 DESHWASHING MACHINE Edward C. Len't, St. Joseph, Mich, assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 454,941, Sept. 9, 1954. This application May 31, E56, Ser. No. 588,566 1 Claim. (Cl. 219-39) This application constitutes a continuation of copending application, Serial No. 454,941, filed September 9, 1954, now abandoned.

An object of my invention is to provide a dishwashing unit in which water and air are circulated through the dishes by an impeller in the bottom of the tub, and in which the efiiciency of air circulation through the dishes for drying is increased by providing an air circulating vane within the hollow interior of the impeller.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved form of dishwashing machine having an air and water circulating impeller in the bottom of the tub for the dishwashing machine, enclosed by a screen forming a shroud for the impeller, in which the impeller circulates air and water through the dishes when rotating in one direction and backwashes the screen when rotating in a reverse direction.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved form of dishwashing machine in which an air and Water circulating impeller enclosed by a screen is provided in the bottom of a tub and in which a reversible motor is provided to drive the impeller to elfect the circulation of air and water through the dishes when driven in one direction, and in which the motor when rotating in a reverse direction drives a pump to drain water from the tub and drives the impeller in a direction to backwash the screen and clean articles of food therefrom.

FIGURE 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a dishwasher embodying my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing additional structural details of my invention,

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown generally a combined dishwashing machine and waste disposal unit comprising a cabinet having a front opening door 11 for the dish Washing unit, a top 12', shown as being made of wood to provide a work surface, but which may be made of steel coated with enamel or porcelain or any other desired material.

A sink 15 for a disposal unit is recessed beneath the top 12 and has an upwardly opening cover substantially flush with the top 12, and closing the sink when not in use.

The top of the cabinet 10 is also shown as having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined panel 22 extending upwardly therefrom along the back thereof and forming a mounting for controls 23, controlling operation of the dishwashing machine and disposal unit. The controls 23 may be cyclically operated controls for operating the disp'osal unit and dishwashing machine in a predetermined 3,631,564 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 cycle and are not herein shown or described, since they form no part of my present invention.

Within the cabinet 10 is a tub 24 for a dishwashing machine. The tub 24 is shown as having a rear wall 26 formed by the rear wall of the cabinet 19, a top wall 27, side walls 28, 28 spaced inwardly of the outer side walls of the cabinet, and a bottom 29 sloping downwardly to a drain opening 30 at one side of the center of the tub. The bottom 29 is also shown as having a standpipe or sleeve 31 extending upwardly therefrom in the center thereof and forming a conduit for drawing air into the tub 24 from beneath the bottom of the cabinet, by the operation of an impeller 33, for drying the dishes.

The impeller 33 is shown as being encircled or enclosed by a generally cylindrical screen 34 of a corrugated form in cross section and shown as having a generally fiat top 65. The screen .34 and its top 35 form, in effect, a

for drying, and also to keep the water up to temperature during washing and rinsing, and is no part of my present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

The dish racks 37 and =38 are shown as being in the formof wire baskets for containing the dishes and glasses during washing and are of a well known form, so need not herein be described in detail. v

The dish rack 37 is provided with spaced rollers 40, 40 adjacent the bottom thereof which are. adaptedto ride along'a track 41, extending inwardly from side walls- 28, 28 of the dishwashing tub 24.

The dish rack 38 is shown in FIGURE 1 as having a. rail 47 depending therefrom and extending along each.

side thereof. Each rail 47 is shown as having a rear support portion 49, for a roller 51, extending a slight distance upwardly from the upper margin thereof and inclined inwardly and forming a mounting for a pin 50 having the roller 51 mounted thereon. The pin 50 may be riveted to the projecting end portion 49 and may have a head at its outer end to retain the roller 51 thereto. A spacing collar 53 is shown as spacing the roller outwardly from the support portion 49. The roller 51 is shown in FIGURE 2 as riding within a channel like track 54. The tracks 54, 54 are mounted on and extend inturned flange 61 extending around the periphery there-.

of and fitting over a corresponding flange 63 of an inner panel 64. The inner panel 64 is shown as having a recess 65 formed therein and conforming generally to the form of the lower dish rack 37 to accommodate the rack to extend within the door panel, when the door is closed.

Counter balancing springs 79, 79 are provided to bias the door in a closed position and to hold the door open when off-center with respect to the hinge pins 73, 73. As herein shown, each spring 79 is connected at its lower end to an ear 80 extending inwardly from a side wall of the cabinet. The opposite end of the spring 79 is connected to a depending arm 81 of a crank 83. The crank 83 extends outwardly from the depending arm 81 toward the'hinge pin 73 and thence extends upwardly within the channel 77 and is secured thereto as by nuts and bolts 84, 8d. The springs 79, 79 thus bias the door to a closed position, and when the door is fully open are positioned off-center with respect to the hinge pins 73, 73 by the arms 81, 81 to hold the door open for loading the dish racks with dishes to be washed.

The door 11 is latched closed by suitable latching bars guided between the panels 60 and 64 and operated by a door handle 86 on the outer end of a shaft 87 journaled in the space between the panels 60 and 64.

The dishwashing impeller 33 is shown in FIGURE 1 as being coaxial with a shaft 93 of a motor 95 and as being driven therefrom through a coupling sleeve 96 which also for-ms a support for said impeller. The motor 95 may be a well known form of electric motor and is shown'as being'mounted on a base plate 97 on spacer sleeves 99, through which extend bolts 108, 100 which may may be threaded within the motor casing. The base '97 is supported in vertically spaced relation with. respect to a bottom 181 of the cabinet on pedestals 183, 103. The pedestals 103, 183 may have resilient bases indicated'generally by, reference character 104 and made from 'rubber, an elastomer or the like, to damp vibration of the motor 95.

The opposite end of the motor shaft 93 from the impeller 33 projects downwardly beneath the base 97 and has 'an overrunning clutch 165 thereon. The, overrunning'clutch 105 is of a well known form, to drive the casing when the motor is rotating in one direction, and to free the casing when the motor is rotating in an opposite direction. The overrunning clutch 135 is grooved at its periphery to form a pulley189 having a belt 110 trained thereabout. The belt 110 has driving connection with a. pulley 111 on the lower end of a shaft of the disposal unit.

'The impeller 33 is shown in FIGURE 1 as having a hollow hub 115 of a dome-like form, mounted on the coupling 96 forming an upward continuation of the motor shaft 93. The impeller 33 is secured to the motor shaft as by a through bolt 116 extending through the top o f'tlhe dome of the hub through the coupling sleeve 96 and threaded'within the end of the motor shaft 93.

Within the hollow interior of the hub 115 at the discharge end of the standpipe 31 is an air. impelling vane or blade means 117. The air impelling vane or blade means 117 thus serves to draw air up through the standpipe 31 and discharge'it through the bottom of. the impeller during the drying operation. During the washing operation the level of the water in the tub 24 is above the level of the bottom of the impeller 115 andthus seals the impeller and prevents the drawing of air onto the dishesduring washing.

' The impeller 33 isshown as having a plurality of liquid circulating blades 120 spaced around the hub 115. The blades 120 are shown in FIGURE 1 as being inclined upwardly from said hub and as extending downwardly along said hub from the top of the dome thereof to the bottom thereof in a spiral path in the direction of rotation of said hub, to draw water upwardly through the shroud and screen 34 and 35 onto the dishes in the dish racks 37 and 38 during washing and to force air drawn upwardly through the shroud by the impelling vane 117 upwardly over the dishes during drying.

The impeller 33, except for the internal air circulating vane or blade means 117, is therefore of a conventional construction, and when a body of cleansing liquid is placed in the tub 2.9, the impeller blades 120 will engage and hurl this liquid upwardly through the screen 35 over the surfaces of the dishes, glasses, silverware and other utensils placed in the racks 37 and 38. This action continues as long as the impeller is operated and as long as the body of liquid is retained in. the tub.

In operation of the disposal unit, the cover 17 for the sink 15 may be opened to accommodate the scraping of garbage into the sink 15. Assuming that the controls 23 are in a disposal position, when the cover 17 for the sink is open, a spray of water will flow downwardly along the sinkthrough and along the duct 28 into the shredding chamber 145. During the period of dislodging food from the dishes, the shredding impeller is operated by the motor 95 to rotate in a clockwise direction and shred the food for discharge through the pumping chamher and discharge pipes 187 and 188. At the end of the disposal cycle the motor 95 will stop. At this time the dishes free from garbage may be placed in the racks 37 and 38, which may be moved into the sink along the tracks 41 and 54 when loaded. The door 11 may then be closed and the dishwashing operation may be initiated, the tub 24 being first partially filled with Water to a level above the bottom of the impeller 33 and the motor 95 then being started to rotate in a direction opposite to its direction or rotation when driving the shredding impeller. This will drive the dishwashing impeller 33 in a direction, which in FIGURE 1 is a counterclockwise direction, when looking downwardly onto said impeller to impel the hot water upwardly through the dishes in the racks 37 and '38. At the end of the dishwashing operation, the motor 95 stops. Its direction of rotation is then reversed, to drive the shredding impeller and effect pumping of the water drained from the tub 24 upwardly along the pipe 187 to drain. At the same time, the drain valve 124 is opened under control of the cyclic control means 23.

The dish water thus drains directly through the shredding chamber and pumping chamber 156. During the draining operation, the direction of rotation of the motor 95 being reversed to drain the spent dishwater from the pumping chamber 156 of the disposal 16, the dishwashing impeller 33 will reverse its direction of rotation and wash particles of food which may lodge on the screen 35, back from said screen to pass to drain through the disposal unit 16.

As the spent dishwater has been drained from the tub 24, a rinsing operation may then be effected, the drain valve 124 may again be closed and the tub 219; be partially filled with water, and the direction of the motor 95 be reversed to drive the dishwashing impeller 33 in a direction to spray clear hot water over the dishes in the racks 37 and 38. After this operation the drain valve 124 may again be opened and the direction of the motor 95 be reversed, to again efiect operation of the shredding impeller 113 to pump the spent rinsing water from the pumping chamber 156.

The valve 124 remaining open, the direction of the motor 95 may again be reversed to drive the impeller 33 in an impelling direction, for drying the dishes by air drawn up the standpipe 31 and circulated by the pumping vane or blade means 117 and circulating blades 128, it being understood that during the entire washing, rinsing and drying operation the immersion heater 39 is on both to maintain the dishwashing Water hot and to heat the air for drying the dishes.

It should here be noted that during the drying and draining operations when the drain valve 124 is open that the vapor or moisture entering the drain 38 and the shredding chamber 145 of the disposal unit will tend water to flow downwardly for discharge through the pumping chamber 156.

It will be understood that modifications and variations in the present invention may be eflected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

In a dishwasher, a vat having a sump, a vertical axis rotary impeller in said sump, said impeller being hollow and having a depending imperforate annular skirt, a drive shaft for said impeller projecting upwardly through the bottom of said sump, an air inlet conduit in the bottom of said sump extending upwardly within said hollow impeller, air circulating means including impeller blade means mounted internally upon said impeller skirt for drawing air upwardly through said conduit, and an annular electric heating unit positioned in said sump and into the vat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,637,376 Gibney Aug. 2, 1927 2,022,637 Huppmann Nov. 26, 1935 2,418,366 Powers Apr. 1, 1947 2,422,022 Koertge June 10, 1947 2,432,291 Dayton Dec. 9, 1947 2,514,528 Wahl July 11, 1950 2,634,739 Walker Apr. 4, 1953 2,675,459 Pace Apr. 13, 1954

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