US20230404361A1

US20230404361A1 - Dishwasher with a rotating rack and two separated washing chamber and rinse chamber operating at same time

Info

Publication number: US20230404361A1
Application number: US18/241,536
Authority: US
Inventors: Thanh Binh PHAM
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-11-10
Filing date: 2023-09-01
Publication date: 2023-12-21
Also published as: US20230142502A1

Abstract

A dishwasher (100) for washing dirty articles comprising: a rotating rack (1) configured to rotate counter-clockwise at a user-defined speed of 1 round per minute or ½ round per minute; a spray system (104) configured to dispense a jet stream of high speed water using a plurality of nozzles (106 a-106 n) from the bottom as well as top of the dirty articles placed on the rotating rack (1); a washing chamber (1 b) that may be designed to enable washing of the dirty articles placed upon the rotating rack (1) using the spray system (104), wherein the washing chamber (1 b) uses recirculating water; and a rinsing chamber (1 c) that may be designed to rinse the washed articles with clean water supplied directly from a house water source; wherein a partition wall (29) between the washing chamber (1 b) and the rinsing chamber (1 c) prevents splash of water used in the respective chamber.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/522,957 filed on Nov. 10, 2021.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the art of dishwashers and particularly to dishwashers that include rotating spray arms system to wash articles in a family or restaurants or conveyor dishwasher in restaurants.

Description of Related Art

A dishwasher is a machine that is used to clean dishware, cutlery, cookware, etc. automatically. Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies heavily on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water, typically between 45 and 75° C. (110 and 170° F.), at the dishes, cutlery, utensils, etc.
A mix of water and dishwasher detergent is pumped to one or more rotating sprayers, cleaning the dishes with the cleaning mixture. The mixture is recirculated to save water and energy. Often there is a pre-rinse, which may or may not include detergent, and the water is then drained. This is followed by the main wash with fresh water and detergent. Once the wash is finished, the water is drained, more hot water enters the tub employing an electro-mechanical solenoid valve, and the rinse cycle begins. After the rinse process finishes the water is drained again, the dishes are dried using one of several drying methods.
The conventional dishwasher uses the above described process for cleaning the dirty cookware, utensils, dinnerware, etc. but, the conventional dishwasher has certain drawbacks. To name a few, the duration of washing is too long sometimes extending to 2 to 3 hours. Also, the dishwasher needs the dirty cookware to be arranged in a fixed orientation and configuration which gets very complicated/laborious for the user to arrange the cookware in the required configuration inside the dishwasher. Not only the task is laborious but also the user has to pre-wash the cookware by hand and remove the residue food before placing them into the dishwasher. Moreover, the speed of dishwashing is also an issue in majorly every dishwasher available in the market.
There is thus a need for a dishwasher that not only reduces the dishwashing time but also smartly manage the washing methodology and prevents the involvement of user to pre-wash the cookware or place it in a certain configuration.

SUMMARY

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a dishwasher for washing dirty articles. The dishwasher includes a rotating rack configured to rotate counter-clockwise at a user-defined speed that may be selected from, but not limited to, 1 round per minute, ½ round per minute, or a combination thereof. The dishwasher further includes a spray system configured to dispense a jet stream of high speed water using a plurality of nozzles from the bottom as well as top of the dirty articles placed on the rotating rack. The dishwasher further includes a washing chamber that may be designed to enable washing of the dirty articles placed upon the rotating rack using the spray system, wherein the washing chamber uses recirculating water. The dishwasher further includes a rinsing chamber that may be designed to rinse the washed articles with water, wherein the water user herein is clean water supplied directly from a house water source. The dishwasher further includes a partition wall that is designed between the washing chamber and the rinsing chamber to prevent the splash of different types of water used in the respective chambers.
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention further provide a dishwasher for washing dirty articles. The dishwasher includes an outer body configured to house the components of the dishwasher, wherein the outer body is made up of a material selected from, metal, a hardened plastic, an iron, an aluminum, a chromed steel, a stainless steel, or a combination thereof. The dishwasher further includes a set of upper doors designed within the outer body to enable the user to access the rotating rack and the residue tray, wherein the user may open the upper doors to place the dirty articles upon the rotating rack and close the upper doors to initialize the dishwashing process. The dishwasher further includes an under door designed below the upper doors within the outer body to enable the user to access the electronic components of the dishwasher. The dishwasher in a restaurant, can wash 600 dishes/hour by only one person operating with its tiny dimensional size of 60×60×70 cm.
Embodiments of the present invention may provide a number of advantages depending on its particular configuration. First, embodiments of the present application provide a dishwasher. Next, embodiments of the present application provide a dishwasher that takes only 2 minutes to wash all cookware and dinnerware of a family's meal.
Next, embodiments of the present application may provide a dishwasher in which the user does have not to arrange the cookware in order.
Next, embodiments of the present application may provide a dishwasher that gives the user the freedom to insert dirty cookware randomly.
Next, embodiments of the present application may provide a dishwasher that does not require the user to pre-wash the dirty cookware before placing them in the dishwasher.
Next, embodiments of the present application may provide a dishwasher that has a safety net to hold all the residue food from the cookware.
Next, embodiments of the present application may provide a dishwasher that can easily accommodate the large size of pan, pot, dishes.
These and other advantages will be apparent from the present application of the embodiments described herein.
The preceding is a simplified summary to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present invention. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the present invention and its various embodiments. The summary presents selected concepts of the embodiments of the present invention in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the present invention are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and still further features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded front view of a dishwasher, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded right side view of the dishwasher, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates another exploded view of the top of the dishwasher, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 depicts the residue plate, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including but not limited to. To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures. Optional portions of the figures may be illustrated using dashed or dotted lines, unless the context of usage indicates otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description includes the preferred best mode of one embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear from this description of the invention that the invention is not limited to these illustrated embodiments but that the invention also includes a variety of modifications and embodiments thereto. Therefore, the present description should be seen as illustrative and not limiting. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, it should be understood, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
In any embodiment described herein, the open-ended terms “comprising,” “comprises,” and the like (which are synonymous with “including,” “having” and “characterized by”) may be replaced by the respective partially closed phrases “consisting essentially of,” consists essentially of,” and the like or the respective closed phrases “consisting of,” “consists of, the like.
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” designate both the singular and the plural, unless expressly stated to designate the singular only.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded front view of a dishwasher 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The dishwasher 100 may be designed to wash dirty articles, according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to embodiments of the present invention, the dirty articles may be, but not limited to, dishes, bowls, pans, pots, tableware, spoons, crockery, glasses, cutlery, cooking utensils, baking utensils, serving trays, and so forth. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the dishwasher 100 may be designed to wash fruits, vegetables, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of articles that is dirty.
Further, the dishwasher 100 comprises an outer body 102 that may be designed to protect and hold the components of the dishwasher 100 therewithin. Furthermore, the outer body 102 of the dishwasher 100 may be made up of a material, such as, but not limited to, an iron, an aluminum, a hardened plastic, a chromed steel, a stainless steel, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the outer body 102 of the dishwasher 100 including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. According to embodiments of the present invention the dishwasher 100 may be of different shapes and sizes, such as, but not limited to, a cuboid, a cube, a square, a rectangular, and so forth. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dishwasher 100 may be of dimensions 60 cm×60 cm×70 cm. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any of the shape and the size for dishwasher 100 including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
Further, a rotating tray 1 may be designed to receive the dirty articles, according to embodiments of the present invention. The rotating tray 1 may be made up of a material, such as, but not limited to, an iron, an aluminum, a hardened plastic, a chromed steel, a stainless steel, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the rotating tray 1. The rotating tray 1 may be connected to an electric motor 2, according to embodiments of the present invention. The electric motor 2 may be configured to rotate the rotating tray 1 in a counter-clockwise direction (direction indicated by 1 a in FIG. 1 ) at a user defined speed. In embodiments of the present invention, the rotational speed may be controlled by the user using a control panel 14. The user may select the rotational speed from, 1 round per minute to ½ rounds per minute, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any rotational speed.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the dishwasher 100 comprises a pump 3 connected to a tank 4. The pump 3 may be configured to pump water stored within the tank 4 to the spray system 104. According to embodiments of the present invention, the pump 3 may be, but not limited to, a rotary lobe pump, a progressive cavity pump, a rotary gear pump, a piston pump, a diaphragm pump, a screw pump, a gear pump, a hydraulic pump, a rotary vane pump, a peristaltic pump, a rope pump, a flexible impeller pump, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the pump 3 including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the tank 4 may be configured to hold water mixed with a detergent. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detergent may be a non-bubble detergent. According to embodiments of the present invention, the tank 4 may further comprise heating devices 4 b-4 c. The heating devices 4 b-4 c may be configured to heat the water stored in the tank 4. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heating devices 4 b-4 c may be configured to heat the water to a temperature of 70° Celsius.
The water stored in the tank 4 may be pumped to the spray system 104 through a main water pipe 5. The water pumped through the main water pipe 5 may be dispensed through a jet stream of high speed water using a plurality of nozzles 106 a-106 n. The plurality of nozzles 106 a-106 n (hereinafter referred to as nozzles 106) may be located below and above the rotating rack 1. Further, the nozzles 106 may be designed in such a manner that they dispense a jet stream of high pressure water over the articles placed in the rotating rack 1. The nozzles 106 may be designed in such a manner that the residue food on the articles is easily removed, thus eliminating the step of pre-washing from the dishwashing process. The user need not have to remove the residue food manually from the article rather the food is removed automatically using the jet stream of high speed water dispensed from the top and bottom on the articles.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the branch of pipes 6 may be designed to dispense recirculating water in the washing chamber 1 b (shown in FIG. 3 ). The branch of pipes 6 may be situated on top of the rotating rack 1 as well as on the bottom of the rotating rack 1. According to embodiments of the present invention, the branch of pipes 6 may dispense recirculating water stream 9 as shown in FIG. 1 from the top as well as from the bottom of the rotating rack 1 in the washing chamber 1 b. Similarly, the branch of pipes 8 may be designed to dispense fresh water over the articles in the rinsing chamber 1 c (shown in FIG. 3 ). The branch of pipes 8 may be situated on top of the rotating rack 1 as well as on the bottom of the rotating rack 1. According to embodiments of the present invention, the branch of pipes 8 may dispense recirculating water stream 10 as shown in FIG. 1 from the top as well as from the bottom of the rotating rack 1 in the washing chamber 1 b.
Further, the dishwasher 100 comprise a drain pipe 11 that may be designed to drain the water left after the dishwashing process. The drain pipe 11 may be designed to connect with the drainpipe of a house through a plurality of threads disposed at the connecting point 19 (shown in FIG. 2 ) of the drain pipe 11. In another embodiment of the present invention, a solenoid valve 13 may be disposed between the pipe connecting the tank 4 and the drain pipe 11. The solenoid valve 13 may remain closed normally, but in the case of cleaning the tank 4 an activation signal may be generated from the control panel 14 that will open the solenoid valve 13 and flush out all the water stored in the tank 4 through the drain pipe 11. Furthermore, a flood control pipe 12 may be connected to the tank 4 through an outpoint 18 (shown in FIG. 2 ) to prevent the dishwasher 100 from the flood of the water tank 4. Furthermore, a pipe 15 of supply water for the pump of wash chamber 1 b may be connected to the pump 3.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded right side view of the dishwasher 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The right view of the dishwasher 100 depicts an outpoint 16 of drain water and an outpoint 17 of supply water for pump 3. The outpoint 16 of drain water may be connected to one end of the tank 4 and the outpoint 17 may be connected to the pump 3 using a pipe 24. The pipe 24 may be configured to carry supply water for the pump 3.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a floor 22 may be designed above the pump 3. The floor 22 may prevent the pump 3 from water splashes during the dishwashing process. In another embodiment of the present invention, the tank 4 may have a floor 23. The floor 23 of the tank 4 may be designed with an inclination. The inclined floor 23 may prevent the residue food from entering into the pump in case they enter the water tank 4.
The dishwasher 100 further comprises a connecting point 20 that may be configured to connect the house water supply to the nozzles 106 of the rinsing chamber 1 c. A second solenoid valve 21 may be connected to the main pipe 5 that may carry water to the nozzles 106 of the washing chamber 1 b. In an embodiment of the present invention, a main water pipe from the pump is connected to the main pipe 5.
Furthermore, a set of upper doors 27 may be designed within the outer body 102, according to embodiments of the present invention. The upper doors 27 may be designed to enable the user to access the rotating rack 1 and a residue tray 30. According to embodiments of the present invention, the user may open the upper doors 27 to place the dirty articles upon the rotating rack 1. In another embodiment of the present invention, the user may close the upper doors 27 to initialize the dishwashing process. According to embodiments of the present invention, the upper doors 27 may be made up of a material selected from, but not limited to, metal, a hardened plastic, an iron, an aluminum, a chromed steel, a stainless steel, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material of the upper doors 27.
Furthermore, an under door 26 may be designed below the upper doors 27 within the outer body 102 to enable the user to access the electric motor 2, the pump 3, the first solenoid valve 13, and the second solenoid valve 21 of the dishwasher 100. According to embodiments of the present invention, the upper doors 27 may be made up of a material selected from, but not limited to, metal, a hardened plastic, an iron, an aluminum, a chromed steel, a stainless steel, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of material of the under doors 26.
FIG. 3 illustrates another exploded view of the top of the dishwasher 100, according to embodiments of the present invention. It is clearly visible from the FIG. 3 that the dishwasher 10 is having a partition in between the spray system 104. The partition may be made up of plastic material that may be designed to prevent the splash of water over the articles as the two chambers namely washing chamber 1 b and the rinsing chamber 1 c may be using two different forms of water. The washing chamber 1 b uses water mixed with detergent as explained in reference to FIG. 1 , whereas the rinsing chamber 1 c is using the freshwater directly coming from the water supply of the house through one of the many pipes. In an embodiment of the present invention, the dishwasher 100 may have two partition walls 28, 29. The partition wall 28 is designed in such a way that it prevents the user from getting wet by the splash of water from any of the two washing chamber 1 b and the rinsing chamber 1 c.
Furthermore, the partition walls are designed in a way that enables easy access of the user to the washing chamber 1 b and the rinsing chamber 1 c. The user may place the dirty articles inside the dishwasher 100 on the rotating tray 1 through the position 1 d depicted in the FIG. 3 . Similarly, the user may remove the washed articles easily after the dishwashing process is over through position le as depicted in FIG. 3 .
In an exemplary scenario, if the user opens the upper doors 27 then the partition wall 28 prevents the user from the splash of water thus allowing the user to add more dirty articles on the rotating rack 1 during the dishwashing process. In another exemplary scenario, the user can easily remove the washed articles from the rotating rack 1 while the dishwashing process is still in progress.
FIG. 4 depicts the residue plate 30, according to embodiments of the present invention. The residue plate 30 may be designed in a matrix shape having pores. The pores allow the water to pass through the residue net 30, thus holding back the residue food. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the residue tray 30 may be made in the shape of a net.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the residue tray 30 may be made up of a material, but not limited to, metal, a hardened plastic, an iron, an aluminum, a chromed steel, a stainless steel, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for residue tray 30. According to embodiments of the present invention, the residue tray 30 may be removable which means the user may remove the residue tray easily. IN an embodiment of the present invention, the outer body 102 may have slots designed within the body to accept the residue tray 30. The slots may be designed in such a manner that the residue tray 30 slides perfectly into the slots and perform the task it is designed for.
Embodiments of the invention are described above with reference to block diagrams and schematic illustrations of methods and systems according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the diagrams and combinations of blocks in the diagrams can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded onto one or more general purpose computers, special purpose computers, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce machines, such that the instructions which execute on the computers or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the block or blocks. Such computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the function specified in the block or blocks.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and various embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined in the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements within substantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A dishwasher for washing dirty articles, the dishwasher (100) comprising:

an outer body (102) configured to house the components of the dishwasher (100), wherein the outer body (102) is made up of a material selected from, metal, a hardened plastic, an iron, an aluminum, a chromed steel, a stainless steel, or a combination thereof.

a set of upper doors (27) designed within the outer body (102) to enable the user to access the rotating rack (1) and the residue tray (30), wherein the user may open the upper doors (27) to place the dirty articles upon the rotating rack (1) and close the upper doors (27) to initialize the dishwashing process; and

an under door (26) designed below the upper doors (27) within the outer body (102) to enable the user to access the electronic components of the dishwasher (100).

2. The dishwasher as claimed in claim 19, the dishwasher (100) further has an inclined floor (23) that is designed with the purpose of preventing residue food from entering into the pump (3).

3. The dishwasher as claimed in claim 19, the electric motor (2), the pump (3), the first solenoid valve (13), and the second solenoid valve (21) are easily accessed by the user through the under door (26).

4. The dishwasher as claimed in claim 19, the dishwasher is a small sized dishwasher (100) with dimensions of 60 cm×60 cm×70 cm.