US3178117A - Dishwashing oscillating spray tube - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1965 w. A. HANIFAN DISHWASHING OSCILLATING SPRAY TUBE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 17, 1963 INVENTOR M7254 4 )zzmi/Zw y. C gvam HIS ATTORNEY April 13, 1965 w. A. HANIFAN 3,173,117

DISHWASHING QSCILLATING SPRAY TUBE Filed May 17, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR M'Hiam Q fr'amfiw BY (EM United States Patent 3,178,117 DISHWASHENG QCHJLATENG SPRAY TUBE William A. Hanifan, Southgate, Mich, assignor to Genoral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Delaware Filed May 17, 1963, Ser. No. 281,135 l. (31mm. (Cl. 239-242) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to an improved oscillating spray tube arrangement for a dishwasher or the like.

The use of oscillating spray tubes in dishwashers is often desired in order to secure as complete a spray coverage as is possible of dishware supported in cleaning relationship therewith. Mechanical drive arrangements used to drive such oscillating spray tubes require a machinery compartment having a substantial volume and therefore create a space problem where the dishwasher is to be placed in compact arrangements, for example, Where the dishwasher is intended for use as a countertop appliance.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved oscillating spray tube arrangement for producing a complete spray coverage of a dishwashing chamber without requiring a large machinery compartment in association therewith.

A further object of the present invention is to provide improved means for oscillating a spray tube by means of the water passing therethrough.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dishwashing appliance with a spray tube driven in an oscillating manner by means of a periodically changeable fluid reaction arrangement supported wholly with the dishwashing chamber; and to provide such a fluid reaction arrangement including a pair of opposed reaction jet openings, valve means and improved valve actuator means adapted to selectively move said valve means to cover one of the openings and uncover the other of the openings in response to the oscillations of said spray tube.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings where in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view in vertical section of a dishwater arrangement including the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a View in horizontal section taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in top elevation with portions thereof being sectioned of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view in vertical section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the invention in a first operative position;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the invention in a second operative position;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the invention in a third operative position; and

FIGURE 8 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings, a dishwasher it is representatively illustrated as comprising side walls 12, 14, a rear wall 16, a top wall 18 and an imperforate bottom bulkhead 19 forming a generally rectangular dishwashing chamber Ztl. The front of the dishwashing chamber 29 is closed by a pivoted door 22 that opens to provide access into the chamber 20 for positioning conventional dish raclcs therein on suitable rack support means (not shown). The imperforate bottom bulkhead 19 separates the washing chamber 26 from a machinery compartment 24 formed in part by an off-set portion 25 of the rear wall 16. The bottom bulkhead 19 also has a sump 26 centrally located therein connected by means of a conduit 23 to the inlet of a pump 36 having the outlet thereof connected by means of a conduit 32 to an inlet header 34 for supplying washing fluid to spray tubes 36, 38 representatively illustrated as being located in spaced parallelism and di rected longitudinally of the washing chamber 26 adjacent the bottom bulkhead 19. Each of the spray tubes 36, 38 has a plurality of outlet ports 4t) therein for directing fluid therefrom against articles supported Within chamber 20. Each tube 36, 38 also is rotatably supported at one end thereof on the water inlet header 34 by a fluid sealing collar assembly 41 and at the opposite end thereof on a frame 42 adjacent the side wall 12 by means of a tube oscillating mechanism 44 embodying certain features of the present invention.

In operation suitable dish racks are loaded and placed on suitable dish rack carrying frame members within the dishwashing chamber 2G and the door 22 is closed. A conventional timer control 46 may be set for a. given washing cycle at which point water will be introduced through an inlet line 48 to the sump 26 under the con trol of a supply valve 50. The water introduced to sump 26 is heated by a heater unit 52 supported in the sump 26 and a motor 54 for driving the pump 30 is energized to cause water to be circulated from the sump 26 through the inlet conduit 28, the pump 39, the conduit 32 and the header 34 into the spray tubes 36, 38 from whence it is sprayed through ports 40 against articles to be cleaned. Following a predetermined Washing cycle a two-Way valve 56 is energized to divert the fluid circulated by pump 39 through a line 58 to a suitable drain. The abovedescribed dishwasher and cycle of operation is more detailedly set forth in the patent to Albresch et al., 2,808,- 063 issued October 1, 1957 and represents an illustrative example of a typical dishwasher that is suited for use with the present invention.

The improved tube oscillating mechanism 42 of the present invention is located wholly within the dishwashing chamber 20 to thereby eliminate machinery compartment space previously devoted to mechanical linkage arrangements for producing an oscillating drive of a spray tube. The oscillating mechanism 44- will be described with reference to spray tube 36, it being understood that an identical mechanism drives tubes '38.. Accordingly, as shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 8, the oscillating mechanism 44 includes a cap element 6t} secured on the end of the spray tube 36 forming a reaction chamber 61 in communication with the interior of the tube 36 with the cap being rotatably secured to the frame member 42 by means of a pin 62 having one end thereof journalled in the member 42 and the opposite end thereof being journalled in an inwardly directed hub portion 63 formed in the end wall of the cap member 60. The cap element has a pair of openings 64, 65 located on either side of the outer periphery thereof for directing fluid jets from the reaction chamber 61 in opposite directions therefrom. The oscillating mechanism 44 further includes a valve plate 66 rotatably supported by the pin 62 in juxtaposition with the end Wall of the cap at Spaced tab portions 68, 7t) on the valve plate 66 are directed across the outer periphery of the cap fill for selectively opening and closing the water jet openings 64, 65. A toggle spring 72 has one end thereof connected to a fixed pin 74 on the frame 42 and the opposite end thereof secured to a fixed pin 76 on the rotatable valve plate 66 for causing rotation thereof relative to the cap 66 between fixed points thereon defined by a pair of spaced valve plate positioning pins '73, 80 secured on the end Wall of 3 r the cap 60 and being directed outwardly thereof toward the frame 42. A second pair of spaced pins 82, 84 are secured to the inside surface of the support 42 for engag ement with fiat surfaces 86, 83, respectively, on the outer periphery of the cap element 60 for limiting rota: tionof the spray tube 36.

By virtue'of the above-described oscillating tube'mechanism 42, the washing fluid passed into the tubes 36, 38 issues as water jets-from the openings 64, 65 to produce a reaction on- .the cap 60 tothereby cause the tube connected thereto to oscillate and produce a relatively complete dishwashing spray pattern within the washing chamber 20. More particularly, at the start of a washing cycle one of the fiat faces 86, 88 on thecap 60 isheld against one of the abutment pins 82, 84 by the toggle spring 72 acting through'the valve plate 66and the valve plate positioning pins 78, St). For example, whenthe cap element 60 and valve plate 66 are positioned as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the toggle spring 72 is in a first overtog gle position to the left that holds the cap 60 against the abutment pin 84 and forces the valve plate 66 against the locating pin 7 S to position theinwardly directed tab portions68, 70 relative to the cap 60 so as to open the water jet openings 64 011 one side ,of the cap and close the water'jet openings 65 on the opposite sidethereof. The water jets passing through the openings 64 cause a reaction on the cap 60 that produces a clockwise torque thereon, as viewed in FIGURE 4, which rotates the tube 36' in a clockwise direction into the position illustrated in FIGURE Where the toggle spring 72 is still in an overtoggle position to the left. Further clockwise rotation of'the cap 66 moves'the spring 72 into an overtoggle position to the right as viewed in FIGURE 6' to thereby shift the valve plate 66 away from the valve plate positioning pin 78 and toward the valve platepositioning pin 85) to cause the valve plate tabs 6-8, 76 to move into positions Where the water jet openings 64 are closed and the water'jet openings 6-5'are opened as best illustrated in 7 FIGURE 7. The clockwise movement of the cap element 60 is limited by the abutment pin 82 and when the valve plate 66 is shiftedinto the position illustrated in FIGURE 7; and water jets passing through the openings 65 produce a reaction on'the cap element 60 causingv a counterclockwise rotation thereof to rotate the tube 36 in an opposite direction toward the abutment pin 84. During the counterclockwise rotation of the tube 36 and cap element 60, the toggle spring 72 will shift the valve plate 66-into the positionillustrated in FIGURE 4 to terminate the water jet flow through the openings 65 and to reopen theopenings 64 to again impose a clockwise torque on the cap 60. The selective opening and closing of the water jet openings 64, 65 .bythe tabs .68, 70 of the valve plate 66 under the selective control 'of the toggle spring 72 will produce a continuing oscillating movement of the spray tube 36; during the washing phase of the dishwashing cycle. Following the washing phase, the valve 56 is energized to cause the pump 30 to drain water from the sump 26 to a suitable drain and terminate the pressurization of the tubes 36, 38 and consequentlydeactivate the oscillating mechanisms 42,

It will be, appreciated that while the improved oscillating spray tube mechanism is particularly suited for use in a compact countertop dishwasher of the illustrated type, the concept of using such a water reaction. mechanism for oscillating spray tubes is equally well suited for dishwashers using oscillating spray tubes as a means for in disclosed constitutes apreferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

In a dishwasher the combination of, an enclosure forming a washing compartment, water supply means for directing Water'into said compartment, a spray tube communicating with said water supply means, means for rotatably supporting said spray tube in said compartment, a cap element secured on one end of said tube having a reaction chamber formed therein'communicating with the interior of said tube, means forming a plurality of opening in said cap element directing water jets from said reaction chamber on either side thereof for rotatably driving said spray tube, a valve plate, means for supporting said valve plate for rotation relative to said cap element, said valve plate having a pair of tab portions directed longitudinally of said spray tube, toggle means secured between said enclosure and said valve plate for selec tively moving said valve plate into'a first and a second overtoggle position, means for retaining said valve plate in said first and second overtoggle position, one of'said tab portions blocking'an openingon one side of said cap element when in the first overtoggle position for allowing a ,fiuid jet from an opening on the opposite side of said cap element to rotate said spray tube in a first direction, stop means limiting the rotation of said spraytube in said first direction, said'means for retaining said valve plate in said first overtoggle position moving said valve plate toward the second overtoggle position on rotation of said spray tube in said first direction with'said toggle means shifting said valve plate into its second overtoggle position where it is held by said retaining means, the other of said tab portions blocking the opening on the other side of said cap element when said valve plate is in its second overtoggle position with the opening on the one side of said cap element having a fluid jet directedtherefrom for causing rotation of] said spray tube in a second direction, said stop means limiting rotation of said spray tube in said second direction, said valve plate retaining means moving said valve plate in said second direction with said toggle means shifting said plate into its first overtoggle position on rotation of said spray tube in said second direction, said tab portions continuing to selectively block openings on opposite sides of said cap element for oscillating said spray tube between said first and second limiting meansh References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,408,077 2/22 Clinton 239 --255 2,022,396 11/35 Wiedenhold 239--98 2,238,044 4/ 41 Fullerton 239255 2,266,573 12/41 Stone 'I 239235 2,564,639 8/5 1 Cuppett et =al. 239-98 2,808,063 10/57 Albresch et al 134-57 2,975,791 3/61 Pansini 239--255 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. EVERETT w, KIRBY, Examiner.

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