EP1952748B1

EP1952748B1 - Dishwasher with a sliding door

Info

Publication number: EP1952748B1
Application number: EP07101721A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tomasz Janisiow; Michele Lasaponara
Original assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Current assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Priority date: 2007-02-05
Filing date: 2007-02-05
Publication date: 2010-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 2027-02-05
Also published as: ATE489885T1; DE602007010896D1; ES2353553T3; EP1952748A1; PL1952748T3

Abstract

A dishwasher (10) comprises a washing vessel (14), a sliding door (16) extractable from a retracted position in which the door closes the washing vessel frontally to a pulled out open position, a rack (20) for washload and a rotating spray arm (24) below such rack. The dishwasher further comprises a flexible and/or deformable tray element (30) capable of assuming an idle configuration, when the door is closed, in which at least a portion thereof (30b) is substantially vertical and an active configuration, when the door is open, in which the tray element (30) is substantially horizontal so as to collect water dripping from the rack (20).

Description

The present invention relates to a dishwashing machine comprising a washing vessel, a sliding door extractable from a retracted position in which the door closes the washing vessel frontally to a pulled out open position, a rack for washload and a rotating spray arm below such rack.
This kind of dishwashing machines, in which the opening of the washing vessel is carried out as a drawer of a furniture, presents the problem of the water dripping from the rack when the door is in its open position. Known solutions, as for example described in WO-A-2004/058039 , have solved this problem by using a dripping tray under the rack which is pulled out together with the rack and the door. This solution has the drawbacks of requiring a spray arm that is supported by the rear wall of the washing vessel or that is supported by the rack and is movable therewith, together with the door, since the spray arm has to be positioned above the dripping tray. This solution is therefore not only more complex than a solution in which the spray arm is supported centrally by a connecting hose (as for the lower spray arm of traditional dishwashers), but also it has an higher water pressure drop which leads to lower washing performances.
On the market there are also dishwashers having a drawer integrated with whole motor compartment. These dishwashers are more complex and expensive if compared to the type of dishwasher specified at the beginning of the description.
An object of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher which does not have the above drawbacks and according to which, when the door is opened, there is protection under rack to not allow water fall down on the floor. According to the present invention, this aim is reached in a dishwashing machine having the features listed in the appended claims.
According to the invention, the dripping tray protection is located inside the tub of the dishwasher on a level below spray arm. In order to maintain optimal hydraulic performance (low pressure drop), the spray arm is connected to a central hose placed on the tub bottom.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of a dishwasher according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cross-sectioned dishwasher of figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view similar to figure 2 but showing the dishwasher in an open configuration;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sliding door of figures 1 and 2 in which the tray element is shown in the configuration that corresponds to the closed door; and
Figure 5 is a perspective view similar to figure 4 in which the tray element is shown in the configuration that corresponds to the door open.

With reference to the drawings, a built-in dishwasher 10 comprises an outer casing 12, a washing vessel or tub 14 and a door 16 adapted to slide horizontally with the aid of runners 18 between two positions, i.e. a retracted (closed) position (shown in figures 1, 2 and 4), in which the door frontally closes the tub 14, and an extracted or pulled-out (closed) position (shown in figures 3 and 5). In the tub 14 a rack 20 is placed, which is linked on its front face to the door 16 and which is supported, on its rear portion and by means of wheels 20a, on rails 21 provided on the bottom portion of the lateral sides of the tub 14. This latter presents a bottom part 14a having centrally a hose 22 acting as a hub for supporting a rotating spray arm 24. The hose 22 is hydraulically connected to a circulation pump P. The bottom part 14a of the tub 14 is provided with a filter F which has an hydraulic connection to the circulation pump P and to a discharge pump D.
With reference to figure 3, the door 16 presents a vertical portion 16a having an upper edge in which an user interface U is placed, and a flange F adapted to cooperate with gaskets (not shown) for assuring water tightness when the door is closed. The door 16 presents two parallel L-shaped profiles 26, each having a vertical portion 26a fixed to the door and an horizontal portion 26b protruding towards the tub 14, in a cantilevered way, and parallel to the respective runner 18. The profiles 26 present also grooves 28 facing each other and adapted to support and to cooperate, as it will be clear from the rest of the description, with a deformable tray element 30. Each groove presents an horizontal portion and vertical portion which are radiused by a curve intermediate portion.
This tray element is mainly made of a horizontal rigid flat portion 30a and of a deformable portion 30b that, in the shown embodiment, is made of a plurality of sections or lamellas 32 linked together as in a rolling shutter. Lamellas 32 and connectors between lamellas can be advantageously made by means of co-injection or co-extrusion technology. In this way the connections or hinges between lamellas 32 are integral with lamellas. According to other embodiments, there can be separate gasket between lamellas or the whole tray element may be made of a single flexible piece of polymeric material.
When the door 16 is closed, a free edge 34 of the flat portion 30a of the tray element 30 abuts the central hose 22 of the spray arm 24 which creates a reaction force and lamellas 32 start to slide through grooves 28 of the L-shaped profiles 26. Elastic connectors between lamellas allow to change direction of sliding and on a final position when door is closed (figures 1, 2, and 4) horizontal portion 30a remains horizontal and deformable portion 30b of drip tray element 30 (lamellas 32 with connectors) is in vertical position close to door as shown in figure 3.
When door 16 is opened, for a first length of movement (indicated in figure 3 with reference L) the tray element 30 moves along with the door without any relative movement between such element and the grooves 28. After this initial movement, during which the drops of water are collected by the portion 30a and conveyed to the bottom part 14a of the tub 14, two stops 36 provided near the free edge 34 of the tray element, on the lower surface of the flat portion 30a, abut a lower contour 38 of the frontal aperture of the tub 14 (through which the rack 20 moves), causing a relative sliding movement between the tray element 30 and the profiles 26. In this way the lamellas 32 are pulled towards and horizontal configuration (figures 3 and 5), in which the entire tray element 30 is flat and placed under the rack 20. In this way the drops of water are collected by both portions 30a and 30b of the tray element 30 and conveyed towards the bottom part 14a of the tub 14.
In order to allow an easy coupling of the rack 20 and of the door 16, each L-shaped profile (26) present a plurality of integral fastener 40 (figure 3) for snap engaging corresponding portions of the rack 20.

Claims

Dishwashing machine (10) comprising a washing vessel (14), a sliding door (16) extractable from a retracted position in which the door closes the washing vessel frontally to a pulled out open position, a rack (20) for washload firmly joined to the sliding door (16), a rotating spray arm (24) below such rack (20), and a tray element (30) for collecting water dripping from the rack (20), characterised in that the tray element (30) is a deformable tray element (30) capable of assuming a first configuration, when the door is closed, in which at least a portion thereof (30b) is substantially vertical and a second configuration, when the door is open, in which the tray element (30) is substantially horizontal so as to collect water dripping from the rack (20).
Dishwashing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the sliding door (16) comprises guiding means (26, 26a, 26b, 28) for allowing the sliding of the deformable tray element (30) when the door is moved.
Dishwashing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the deformable tray element (30) comprises a rigid flat portion (30a) connected to a deformable portion (30b) having a plurality of sectors (32) interconnected with each other.
Dishwashing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the deformable tray element (30) is made of a foil of flexible material.
Dishwasher according to any of the preceding claims, in which the spray arm (24) is supported by a central connecting hose (22), characterised in that a free edge (34) of the tray element (30) is adapted to abuts the central connecting hose (22) when the door (16) is moved towards its closed position.
Dishwashing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tray element (30) comprises at least a stop (36) for keeping an edge (34) of the tray element (30) in a predetermined fixed position during the opening of the door (16).
Dishwashing machine according to claim 2, characterised in that the guiding means comprises a couple of L-shaped profiles (26) each having a vertical portion (26a) fixed to the door (16) and an horizontal portion (26b) protruding from the door, in each of such L-shaped profile (26) being provided a groove (28) for slidingly supporting the tray element (30).
Dishwashing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the deformable tray element (30) presents at least a portion (30b) obtained through extrusion of a polymeric material.
Dishwashing machine according to any of claims 1-7, characterised in that at least a portion (30b) of the deformable tray element (30) presents a plurality of sectors obtained by injection moulding of a polymeric material.