Patent Publication Number: US-2007102029-A1

Title: Acoustic seal for use in kitchen appliance

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates generally to kitchen appliance technology and, more particularly, to an acoustic blanket and related method for insulating an under-counter kitchen appliance.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Automatic dishwashers have long been known as a particularly convenient and efficient way to clean dishes following their use. Such dishwashers generally include a washing chamber for holding the dishes and one or more streams of pressurized fluid for washing food and drink residue from the dishes. Unfortunately, the washing process generates considerable noise, which can be quite annoying to the user. In an effort to reduce this noise it has long been known to provide dishwashers with acoustical insulation.  
      Conventional acoustical insulation systems for dishwashers generally comprise sound transmission barriers and sound absorption layers. Typically, acoustical insulation involves enclosing the noise source in an insulation structure. A typical form of acoustical insulation is a layer of mineral fiber insulation, such as fiberglass insulation, wrapped around or positioned around the source of the unwanted noise. For example, a fiberglass blanket is usually wrapped around the sides, top and rear while separate fiberglass absorbers are usually incorporated into the front door and side panels of an under the counter dishwasher. Together the blanket and absorbers function to reduce the transmission of unwanted sound from the source of the sound in the dishwasher to the kitchen environment.  
      More recently, manufacturers have begun installing rubber or foam seals around the front edges of under the counter dishwashers to further reduce the sound level produced by such appliances. While effective, such an approach increases the number of parts currently used to block sound transmission and increases the labor required to install these parts. As a consequence, such an approach adds significantly to the cost of manufacturing the appliance.  
      The present invention relates to a new approach which eliminates the need for a separate rubber or foam seal and reduces the labor necessary to provide insulation to the front edge of an under the counter dishwasher while advantageously reducing sound transmission.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, an improved acoustic blanket is provided for an appliance. The acoustic blanket comprises a main body, a margin and a fold line connecting the main body to the margin. The main body may be T-shaped. In one possible embodiment the margin has a width of between about 5 and 7 cm and more typically a width of about 6.3 cm. The acoustic blanket may be constructed from a number of materials including, for example, thermoplastic material. In one possible embodiment of the invention the main body and the margin are integrally formed from a material selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyolefin, polyethylene, rayon, nylon, acrylic, hemp, kenaf, cotton, fiberglass and combinations thereof. Further the fold line may be scored or perforated.  
      In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention a dishwasher is provided. The dishwasher comprises a housing including a washing chamber and a door for gaining access to the washing chamber as well as a washing nozzle in the washing chamber for directing a fluid stream against dishes held in the washing chamber. The dishwasher further includes a circulation pump for circulating fluid under pressure through the washing nozzle. Still further the dishwasher includes an acoustical insulation blanket extending around the washing chamber. The acoustical insulation blanket includes a main body, a margin and a fold line connecting the main body to the margin. The margin is folded relative to the main body about the fold line to form an edge seal around an edge of the housing. In one possible embodiment the margin has a width of between about 5 and about 7 cm and more typically a width of about 6.3 cm.  
      The acoustic insulation blanket may be constructed from thermoplastic material. In one possible embodiment the main body and margin are integrally formed from a material selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyolefin, polyethylene, rayon, nylon, acrylic, hemp, kenaf, cotton, fiberglass and combinations thereof. The fold line may be scored or perforated.  
      In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention a method is provided of forming an edge seal around an edge of an appliance housing with an acoustical blanket. The method comprises the steps of providing an acoustic blanket with a main body and a margin connected together by a fold line and folding the acoustic blanket about the fold line so as to extend the acoustic blanket around the edge of the housing and form an integral edge seal. The method further includes the step of securing the margin around the edge. This may be done by a procedure selected from a group consisting of impulse heat sealing, sonic welding, mechanical fastening and combinations thereof.  
      Still other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described several embodiments of this invention simply by way of illustration of some of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain certain principles of the invention. In the drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of an acoustical blanket constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic view and partially cutaway perspective of a dishwasher incorporating an acoustic blanket forming a front edge seal; and  
       FIG. 3  is a schematical view illustrating how the margin of the acoustic blanket is folded about the fold line in order to provide an edge seal over the front edge of an appliance housing. 
    
    
      Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
      Reference is now made to  FIG. 1  showing the acoustic blanket  10  of the present invention. As illustrated the acoustic blanket  10  includes a main body  12 , a margin  14  and a fold line  16  connecting the main body to the margin.  
      In the illustrated embodiment, the main body  12  is substantially T-shaped. As a consequence, the main body  12  includes a first section  18 , a second section  20 , a third section  22  and a fourth section  24 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , when the acoustic blanket  10  is installed on a dishwasher  30 , the first section  18  covers the right side of the dishwasher while the second, third and fourth sections  20 ,  22 ,  24  cover, respectively, the top, rear and left side of the dishwasher. The margin  14  is provided along the first, second and fourth sections  18 ,  20 ,  24  so that it may be folded along the fold line in a manner described in greater detail below to provide a seal for the front edge of the dishwasher  30 .  
      The acoustic blanket  10  may be constructed from a thermoplastic material. In one possible embodiment both the main body  12  and margin  14  are integrally formed from a material selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyolefin, polyethylene, rayon, nylon, acrylic, hemp, kenaf, cotton, fiberglass and combinations thereof. Further the fold line  16  may be scored or perforated as desired. Typically the fold line  16  is positioned so as to provide a margin  14  having a width of between about 5 and about 7 cm and more typically a width of about 6.3 cm.  
      Reference is now made to  FIG. 2  illustrating how the acoustic blanket  10  is utilized to insulate a kitchen appliance such as a dishwasher  30  adapted for mounting in a space S under a counter C. As illustrated the dishwasher  30  includes a housing  32  including both a washing chamber  34  and a door  36  for gaining access to the washing chamber. A washing nozzle  38  in the washing chamber  34  directs a fluid stream against dishes held in the washing chamber. A circulation pump  40  circulates that fluid under pressure through the washing nozzle  38 .  
      As previously noted, the acoustical insulation blanket  10  extends around the washing chamber  24 . As best illustrated in detail in  FIG. 3 , the margin  14  of the acoustical blanket  10  is folded about the fold line  16  relative to the main body  12  so as to form an edge seal around an edge  42  of the housing  32 . The margin  14  is secured around the edge  42  by any appropriate means known in the art including, for example, impulse heat sealing, sonic welding, mechanical fastening and combinations thereof. The margin  14  may be slit and/or cut at the corners of the dishwasher  30  in order to allow the margin to be folded flat against the edge at those points.  
      The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, while the illustrated embodiment includes a fold line  16  and margin  14  on the first, second and fourth sections  18 ,  20  and  24  of the main body  14 , it should be appreciated that such a fold line and margin could simply be provided on only one, any two, any three or all four of the sections  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 .  
      The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled. The drawings and preferred embodiment do not and are not intended to limit the ordinary meaning of the claims and their fair and broad interpretation in any way.