Granted Patent B2

US 12,329,341 · App. 18/215,545 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Inventors: Joel Boyer (Louisville, KY); Robert M. Digman (Goshen, KY)

Assignee: Midea Group Co., Ltd.

A47L15/22A47L15/4246A47L15/4282A47L15/50A47L15/508

Abstract

Claims (31)

1. A dishwasher, comprising:

a wash tub;

a rack supported in the wash tub and movable between loading and washing positions;

a first tubular spray element supported at a first position on the rack and being rotatable about a first longitudinal axis, the first tubular spray element including a first plurality of apertures extending through a first exterior surface of the first tubular spray element and in fluid communication with a first fluid inlet;

a second tubular spray element supported at a second position on the rack and being rotatable about a second longitudinal axis, the second tubular spray element including a second plurality of apertures extending through a second exterior surface of the second tubular spray element and in fluid communication with a second fluid inlet;

a rotatable drive member supported on a wall of the wash tub;

an electric motor supported on the wall of the wash tub and configured to rotate the rotatable drive member;

a fluid port supported on the wall of the wash tub and physically separated from the rotatable drive member, the fluid port in fluid communication with a fluid supply; and

a rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly supported by the rack, the rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly comprising:

a fluid manifold including a manifold fluid inlet in fluid communication with first and second manifold fluid outlets, the manifold fluid inlet positioned to receive fluid from the fluid port when the rack is disposed in the washing position, and the first and second manifold fluid outlets respectively in fluid communication with the first and second fluid inlets of the first and second tubular spray elements;

first and second gears respectively coupled to the first and second tubular spray elements to rotate the first and second spray elements about the respective first and second longitudinal axes; and

a third gear operably coupled to the first and second gears and configured to be rotated by the rotatable drive member when the rack is disposed in the washing position to thereby rotate the first and second gears.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third gears each include teeth, wherein the teeth of the third gear engage the teeth of the first gear and the teeth of the second gear.

3. The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein the first and second gears respectively rotate about first and second axes of rotation that are substantially coaxial with the respective first and second longitudinal axes of the first and second tubular spray elements.

4. The dishwasher of claim 3 , wherein the third gear is rotatable about a third axis of rotation that is parallel to each of the first and second axes of rotation.

5. The dishwasher of claim 4 , wherein the third gear is interposed between the first and second gears and the first, second and third gears rotate in a common plane such that rotation of the third gear in a first direction about the third axis of rotation causes rotation of each of the first and second gears about the respective first and second axes of rotation in a second direction that is opposite that of the first direction.

6. The dishwasher of claim 3 , wherein the first fluid inlet of the first tubular spray element, the first manifold fluid outlet, and the first axis of rotation are substantially coaxial with one another and the second fluid inlet of the second tubular spray element, the second manifold fluid outlet, and the second axis of rotation are substantially coaxial with one another.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein the rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly further includes a mounting bracket that supports the rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly on the rack, the mounting bracket including first, second and third sleeves respectively configured to rotatably support the first, second and third gears.

8. The dishwasher of claim 7 , wherein the first and second gears respectively include first and second axles projecting respectively through the first and second sleeves of the mounting bracket and first and second retaining clips respectively secured to the first and second axles to secure the first and second gears to the mounting bracket, wherein the first and second axles respectively include first and second channels to convey wash fluid from the first and second manifold fluid outlets to the first and second fluid inlets of the first and second tubular spray elements.

9. The dishwasher of claim 8 , wherein the rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly further includes first and second caps, the first cap configured to secure the first manifold fluid outlet to the first sleeve of the mounting bracket and the second cap configured to secure the second manifold fluid outlet to the second sleeve of the mounting bracket.

10. The dishwasher of claim 8 , wherein the first and second tubular spray elements are respectively secured to the first and second axles of the first and second gears.

11. The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable drive member includes a keyed shaft and the third gear includes a keyed slot that mates with the keyed shaft of the rotatable drive member when the rack is in the washing position.

12. The dishwasher of claim 11 , wherein the keyed slot is cylindrical and includes mating member that extends inwardly from an inner wall of the keyed slot along a radial direction that engages with the keyed shaft when the rotatable drive member is rotated about a rotational axis thereof.

13. The dishwasher of claim 1 , further comprising a motor housing supported on the wall of the wash tub and housing the electric motor.

14. The dishwasher of claim 13 , wherein the rotatable drive member projects through the motor housing and is sealed by a shaft seal.

15. The dishwasher of claim 13 , further comprising a position sensor disposed in the motor housing and configured to detect at least one rotational position of the rotatable drive member.

16. The dishwasher of claim 15 , wherein the position sensor comprises a microswitch, and the dishwasher further comprises a cam coupled to the rotatable drive member and configured to selectively engage the microswitch at the at least one rotational position of the rotatable drive member.

17. The dishwasher of claim 13 , further comprising a fluid supply conduit extending along the wall of the wash tub, wherein the fluid port is disposed on the fluid supply conduit opposite the manifold fluid inlet when the rack is in the washing position.

18. The dishwasher of claim 17 , wherein the rack-mounted tubular spray element further includes a bellows circumscribing the manifold fluid inlet and configured to circumscribe the fluid port when the rack is in the washing position.

19. The dishwasher of claim 17 , wherein the fluid supply conduit is disposed on an inner surface of the wall of the wash tub and extends along a substantially vertical axis, and wherein the fluid port is physically separated from the rotatable drive member along the substantially vertical axis.

20. The dishwasher of claim 19 , wherein the manifold fluid inlet and the first and second manifold fluid outlets are arranged in a substantially U-shaped arrangement within a plane substantially parallel to the wall of the wash tub.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (286)