Patent Publication Number: US-9833120-B2

Title: Heating air for drying dishes in a dishwasher using an in-line wash liquid heater

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/855,748, filed Apr. 3, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,451,862 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Contemporary automatic dishwashers for use in a typical household include a tub for receiving soiled dishes to be cleaned. A spray system and a recirculation system may be provided for re-circulating liquid throughout the tub to remove soils from the dishes. The dishwasher may have a controller that implements a number of pre-programmed cycles of operation to wash dishes contained in the tub. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A dishwasher has a liquid supply system with a first conduit portion through which the liquid passes, and an air supply system with a second conduit portion through which the air passes. The first conduit portion at least partially forms the second conduit portion to define a thermal transfer interface. A heating system includes a heating element provided on the thermal transfer interface. Activation of the heating element provides heat to both the liquid supply system and the air supply system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dishwasher in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the dishwasher shown in  FIG. 1  and illustrating a recirculation system and air supply system. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a control system of the dishwasher of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a remote sump and filter unit and its couplings to the recirculation system and air supply system illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the remote sump and filter unit of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a diverter of the remote sump and filter unit of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a portion of the remote sump and filter unit of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a dishwasher in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the blower, housing, and heater generally as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , showing a shroud in phantom, airflow around the heater within the shroud, and liquid flow through the housing. 
         FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of a unitary air/liquid delivery module including a drying air and wash liquid heater assembly in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a bottom perspective view of the unitary air/liquid delivery module illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded view of the unitary air/liquid delivery module illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 13  is an exploded view of a heater assembly comprising part of the unitary air/liquid delivery module illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded view of a sump turbine disc assembly comprising part of the unitary air/liquid delivery module illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 15  is a top perspective view of a sump comprising part of the unitary air/liquid delivery module illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 16  is a bottom perspective view of the sump illustrated in  FIG. 15 . 
         FIG. 17  is a top perspective view of a lower sump housing comprising part of the unitary air/liquid delivery module illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 18  is a bottom perspective view of the lower sump housing illustrated in  FIG. 17 . 
         FIG. 19  is a vertical sectional view taken along view line  19 - 19  illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the invention is illustrated as a dishwasher  10  having a cabinet  12  defining an interior. Depending on whether the dishwasher  10  is a stand-alone or built-in, the cabinet  12  may be a chassis/frame with or without panels attached, respectively. The dishwasher  10  shares many features of a conventional automatic dishwasher, which will not be described in detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the invention. 
     The cabinet  12  encloses a tub  14  at least partially defining a treating chamber  16  for holding dishes for washing according to a cycle of operation and defining an access opening  17 . The tub  14  has spaced top and bottom walls  18  and  20 , spaced sidewalls  22 , a front wall  24 , and a rear wall  26 . In this configuration, the walls  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  collectively define the treating chamber  16  for treating or washing dishes. The bottom wall  20  may have a front lip  28  ( FIG. 2 ) with an upper portion  30  that may define a portion of the access opening  17 . The front wall  24  may be at least partially defined by a door  32  of the dishwasher  10 , which may be pivotally attached to the dishwasher  10  for providing accessibility to the treating chamber  16  through the access opening  17  for loading and unloading dishes or other washable items. More specifically, the door  32  may be configured to selectively open and close the access opening  17 . 
     Dish holders in the form of upper and lower dish racks  34 ,  36  are located within the treating chamber  16  and receive dishes for washing. The upper and lower racks  34 ,  36  may be mounted for slidable movement in and out of the treating chamber  16  for ease of loading and unloading. As used in this description, the term “dish(es)” is intended to be generic to any item, single or plural, that may be treated in the dishwasher  10 , including, without limitation; utensils, plates, pots, bowls, pans, glassware, and silverware. While the present invention is described in terms of a conventional dishwashing unit as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , it could also be implemented in other types of dishwashing units such as in-sink dishwashers or drawer dishwashers including drawer dishwashers having multiple compartments. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the major systems of the dishwasher  10  and their interrelationship may be seen. For example, a liquid recirculation system  38  is provided for spraying liquid within the treating chamber  16  to treat any dishes located therein and an air supply system  40  is provided for supplying air to the treating chamber  16  for aiding in the drying of the dishes. The recirculation system may include a remote sump and filter unit  42  that is operably coupled to the liquid recirculation system  38  and the air supply system  40 . Among other things, the remote sump and filter unit  42  may provide pumping and filtering for the liquid recirculation system  38 , a heating function for the both the liquid recirculation system  38  and the air supply system  40 , and a draining function. 
     The liquid recirculation system  38  may include one or more sprayers for spraying liquid within the treating chamber  16  and defines a recirculation flow path for recirculating the sprayed liquid from the treating chamber  16  to the one or more sprayers. As illustrated, there are four sprayers: a first lower spray assembly  44 , a second lower spray assembly  46 , a mid-level spray assembly  48 , and an upper spray assembly  50 , which may be supplied liquid from a supply tube  52 . The first lower spray assembly  44  is positioned above the bottom wall  20  and beneath the lower dish rack  36 . The first lower spray assembly  44  is an arm configured to rotate in the wash tub  14  and spray a flow of liquid from a plurality of spray nozzles or outlets, in a primarily upward direction, over a portion of the interior of the wash tub  14 . A first wash zone may be defined by the spray field emitted by the first lower spray assembly  44  into the treating chamber  16 . The spray from the first lower spray assembly  44  is sprayed into the wash tub  14  in typically upward fashion to wash dishes located in the lower dish rack  36 . The first lower spray assembly  44  may optionally also provide a liquid spray downwardly onto a lower portion of the treating chamber  16 , but for purposes of simplification, this will not be illustrated or described herein. 
     The second lower spray assembly  46  is illustrated as being located adjacent the lower rack  36  toward the rear of the treating chamber  16 . The second lower spray assembly  46  is illustrated as including a horizontally oriented distribution header or spray manifold having a plurality of nozzles. The second lower spray assembly  46  may not be limited to this position; rather, the second lower spray assembly  46  could be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber  16 . Alternatively, the second lower spray assembly  46  could be positioned underneath the lower rack  36 , adjacent or beneath the first lower spray assembly  44 . Such a spray manifold is set forth in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,513, issued Sep. 29, 2009, and titled “Multiple Wash Zone Dishwasher,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The second lower spray assembly  46  may be configured to spray a flow of treating liquid in a generally lateral direction, over a portion of the interior of the treating chamber  16 . The spray may be typically directed to treat dishes located in the lower rack  36 . A second wash zone may be defined by the spray field emitted by the second lower spray assembly  46  into the treating chamber  16 . When both the first lower spray assembly  44  and the second lower spray assembly  46  emit spray fields the first and second zones may intersect. 
     The mid-level spray arm assembly  48  is positioned between the upper dish rack  34  and the lower dish rack  36 . Like the first lower spray assembly  44 , the mid-level spray assembly  48  may also be configured to rotate in the dishwasher  10  and spray a flow of liquid in a generally upward direction, over a portion of the interior of the wash tub  14 . In this case, the spray from the mid-level spray arm assembly  48  is directed to dishes in the upper dish rack  34  to define a third spray zone. In contrast, the upper spray arm assembly  50  is positioned above the upper dish rack  34  and generally directs a spray of liquid in a generally downward direction to define a fourth spray zone that helps wash dishes on both upper and lower dish racks  34 ,  36 . 
     The remote sump and filter unit  42  may include a wash or recirculation pump  54  and a drain pump  56 , which are fluidly coupled to a housing  57  defining a sump  58 , where liquid sprayed into the wash tub  14  will collect due to gravity. As illustrated, the housing  57  is physically separate from the wash tub  14  and provides a mounting structure for the recirculation pump  54  and drain pump  56 . An inlet conduit  60  fluidly couples the wash tub  14  to the housing  57  and provides a path for the liquid in the treating chamber  16  to travel to the sump  58 . As illustrated, the recirculation pump  54  fluidly couples the sump  58  to the supply tube  52  to effect a supplying of the liquid from the sump  58  to the sprayers. As illustrated, the drain pump  56  fluidly couples to a drain pump outlet  62  to effect a supplying of liquid from the sump to a household drain  64 . 
     It is contemplated that multiple supply tubes  52  may be included within the dishwasher  10  and that one or more valves may be provided with the recirculation flow path to control the flow of liquid within the dishwasher  10 . Liquid may be selectively supplied to a subset of all of the sprayers and/or simultaneously to all of the sprayers. The inlet conduit  60 , sump  58 , recirculation pump  54 , spray assemblies  44 - 50 , and supply tube(s)  52  collectively form a recirculation flow path in the liquid recirculation system  38 . It will be understood that the recirculation flow path includes multiple recirculation circuits, with one of the circuits coupled to at least one of the sprayers forming the spray assemblies  44 - 50 . One or more valves or diverters, shown schematically as liquid diverter  70 , may be included in the dishwasher  10  to control the flow of liquid to the spray assemblies  44 - 50  from the recirculation pump  54 . The liquid diverter  70  is provided within the recirculation flow path and is operable to select between at least two of the multiple circuits for inclusion in the recirculation flow path. In this manner, the liquid diverter  70  may direct liquid from the recirculation pump  54  to include in the recirculation flow path at least one of the multiple sprayers forming the spray assemblies  44 - 50 . 
     A filter may be located somewhere within the liquid flow path such that soil and foreign objects may be filtered from the liquid. As an example, a filter  66  has been illustrated as being located inside the inlet conduit  60  such that soil and debris may be filtered from the liquid as it travels from an opening in the bottom wall  20  to the sump  58 . The filter  66  may be a strainer, which may be employed to retain larger soil particles but allows smaller particles to pass through. An optional filter element  68  has been illustrated in  FIG. 2  as being located within the housing  57  between the inlet conduit  60  and the recirculation pump  54 . 
     The recirculation pump  54  may be fluidly coupled to the recirculation path such that it draws liquid in through the inlet conduit  60  and sump  58  and delivers it to one or more of the spray assemblies  44 - 50  through the supply tube(s)  52  depending on the operation of the liquid diverter  70 . The liquid is sprayed back into the treating chamber  16  through the spray assemblies  44 - 50  and drains back to the sump  58  where the process may be repeated. 
     The drain pump  56  may also be fluidly coupled to the housing  57 . The drain pump  56  may be adapted to draw liquid from the housing  57  and to pump the liquid through a drain pump outlet  62  to a household drain  64 . As illustrated, the dishwasher  10  includes a recirculation pump  54  and a drain pump  56 . Alternatively, it is possible for the two pumps to be replaced by a single pump, which may be operated to supply to either the household drain or to the recirculation system. 
     The air supply system  40  may include a fan or blower  80 , an air supply conduit  82  having an outlet  84  and an air return conduit  86  having an inlet  88 . The blower  80  may be fluidly coupled with the air supply conduit  82  to supply air to the treating chamber  16  from the blower  80  as well as being fluidly coupled to the air return conduit  86  to draw air from the treating chamber  16 . Thus, the air supply conduit  82  may be configured to provide air to the treating chamber  16  while the air return conduit  86  may be configured to remove air from the treating chamber  16 . 
     The air supply conduit  82  and the air return conduit  86  are illustrated as being included in a standpipe  95  that extends through the bottom wall  20  of the tub into the treating chamber. A cover  96  or other means may be used to inhibit the entrance of sprayed liquid into the air supply conduit  82  and the air return conduit  86  by shielding the air supply conduit outlet  84  and the air return conduit inlet  88 . While the air supply conduit  82  and the air return conduit  86  are illustrated as being located in the center of the bottom wall  20  and extending into the treating chamber  16  it is contemplated that they may be suitably located anywhere in the tub  14 . 
     The air supply system may also include an inlet located below the bottom wall  20  such that air exterior to the tub  14 , i.e., “ambient air”, may be provided to the treating chamber  16 . In this manner the blower  80  includes a first inlet open to air in the dishwasher  10 , which is the air return conduit inlet  88  and a second inlet open to ambient air, which is the inlet. 
     The blower  80  includes a selectively positionable blower shutter  92 , which may control a ratio of air from the air return conduit inlet  88  and the inlet to the treating chamber  16 . The blower shutter  92  may be controlled such that the ratio of air from the inlet and air from the air return conduit  86  may be controlled. In this manner, the blower  80  may be fluidly coupled to the inlet, as well as the air supply conduit  82  and the air return conduit  86  and the blower shutter  92  may control the ratio of the recirculated air and the ambient air provided to the treating chamber through the air supply conduit  82 . 
     Further, the air supply system  40  may include an outlet fluidly open to ambient air. An example of such an outlet has been illustrated as a vent  94 , which may exhaust the supplied air from the treating chamber  16 . The vent  94  may be fluidly coupled to an outlet duct (not shown), which vents into the interior of the door  32 , allowing air to escape through the various openings in the door  32 . 
     A drive system  100  having a single motor  102  has also been illustrated and may be operably coupled to the liquid diverter  70  and the blower shutter  92  to control the position of the liquid diverter  70  and the position of the blower shutter  92 . The drive system  100  may independently control the position of the liquid diverter  70  and the position of the blower shutter  92 . Alternatively, the control of the position of the liquid diverter  70  and the position of the blower shutter  92  by the drive system  100  may be linked or related in some manner. 
     A heater  98  may be located in the treating chamber  16  near the bottom wall  20  to heat liquid in the treating chamber  16 . Alternatively, or in addition to the heater  98 , a heater  140  ( FIG. 5 ) may be located on the housing  57  and the heater  140  may be configured to heat air in the air supply system  40  and the liquid in the liquid recirculation system  38 , as hereinafter described. 
     A control panel or user interface  110  provided on the dishwasher  10  and coupled to a controller  112  may be used to select a cycle of operation. The user interface  110  may be provided on the cabinet  12  or on the outer panel of the door  32  and can include operational controls such as dials, lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands to the controller  112  and receive information about the selected cycle of operation. The dishwasher  10  may further include other conventional components such as additional valves, a dispensing system for dispensing treating chemistries or rinse aids, spray arms or nozzles, etc.; however, these components are not germane to the present invention and will not be described further herein. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the controller  112  may be provided with a memory  114  and a central processing unit (CPU)  116 . The memory  114  may be used for storing control software that may be executed by the CPU  116  in completing a cycle of operation using the dishwasher  10  and any additional software. For example, the memory  114  may store one or more pre-programmed cycles of operation that may be selected by a user and completed by the dishwasher  10 . A cycle of operation for the dishwasher  10  may include one or more of the following steps: a wash step, a rinse step, and a drying step. The wash step may further include a pre-wash step and a main wash step. The rinse step may also include multiple steps such as one or more additional rinsing steps performed in addition to a first rinsing. The amounts of water and/or rinse aid used during each of the multiple rinse steps may be varied. The drying step may have a non-heated drying step (so called “air only”), a heated drying step or a combination thereof. These multiple steps may also be performed by the dishwasher  10  in any desired combination. 
     The controller  112  may be operably coupled with one or more components of the dishwasher  10  for communicating with and controlling the operation of the components to complete a cycle of operation. For example, the controller  112  may be coupled with the recirculation pump  54  for circulation of liquid in the wash tub  14  and the drain pump  56  for drainage of liquid in the wash tub  14 . The controller  112  may also be operably coupled with the blower  80  and the blower shutter  92  to provide air into the wash tub  14 . 
     Further, the controller  112  may also be coupled with one or more temperature sensors  118 , which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity, such that the controller  112  may control the duration of the steps of the cycle of operation based upon the temperature detected. The controller  112  may also receive inputs from one or more other optional sensors  120 , which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity. Non-limiting examples of optional sensors  120  that may be communicably coupled with the controller  112  include a moisture sensor, a door sensor, a detergent and rinse aid presence/type sensor(s), and a portion sensor. The controller  112  may also be coupled to a dispenser  122 , which may dispense a detergent during the wash step of the cycle of operation or a rinse aid during the rinse step of the cycle of operation. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of the remote sump and filter unit  42 . A cover  124  of the remote sump and filter unit  42  has been exploded from the remainder of the remote sump and filter unit  42  for clarity. The cover  124  may be mounted to a bottom  126  containing the remote sump and filter unit  42  in any suitable manner. The bottom  126  may include louvers or openings  101  to allow ambient air into the container formed by the bottom  126  and the cover  124 . 
     The remote sump and filter unit  42  has a drain pump  56  and recirculation pump  54  mounted to the housing  57 . Portions of the air supply system  40  wrap around the housing  57 . It will be understood that only a portion of both the air supply conduit  82  and the air return conduit  86  are illustrated and that the remainder of the standpipe  95  has not been illustrated. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a filter element  68  may be located in the housing  57  and fluidly disposed between the housing inlet  128  and housing outlet  130  to filter liquid passing through the sump  58 . Because the housing  57  is located within the cabinet  12  but physically remote from the wash tub  14 , the filter element  68  is not directly exposed to the wash tub  14 . In this manner, the housing  57  and filter element  68  may be thought of as defining a filter unit, which is separate and remote from the wash tub  14 . The filter element  68  may be a fine filter, which may be utilized to remove smaller particles from the liquid. The filter element  68  may be a rotating filter utilizing a shroud  132  and a first diverter  134  to aid in keeping the filter element  68  clean, such a rotating filter element  68  and additional elements such as the shroud  132  and diverter  134  are set forth in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/483,254, filed May 30, 2012, and titled “Rotating Filter for a Dishwasher,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The rotating filter according to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/483,254 may be operably coupled to an impeller  136  of the recirculation pump  54  such that when the impeller  136  rotates the filter element  68  is also rotated. 
     The drain pump  56  may also be fluidly coupled to the housing  57 . The drain pump  56  includes an impeller  138  which may draw liquid from the housing  57  and pump it through a drain pump outlet  62  to a household drain  64  ( FIG. 2 ). The filter element  68  is not fluidly disposed between the housing inlet  128  and the drain pump outlet  62  such that unfiltered liquid may be removed from the sump  58 . 
     The housing  57  has been illustrated as being located inside a portion of the air supply system  40 . The heater  140  may be operably coupled to the controller  112  and may be positioned such that it is mounted to the housing  57  and shared by the liquid recirculation system  38  and the remote sump and filter unit  42 . More specifically, it has been illustrated that the heater  140  is mounted to an exterior of the housing  57  where the air supply system  40  wraps around the housing  57 . In this location, the heater  140  may provide heated air and heated liquid into the wash tub  14  at the same time or may provide heated air and heated liquid into the wash tub  14  separately. Alternatively, it has been contemplated that the heater  140  may be mounted to an interior of the housing  57  or that portions of the heater  140  could be mounted on both the interior and the exterior of the housing  57 . Any suitable heater may be used for the heater  140  including a coiled heater, multiple ring heater, or a film heater mounted on the housing  57 , which has been illustrated by way of example. 
     The liquid diverter  70  has been better illustrated in  FIG. 6  and, as illustrated, includes a hemispherical seal  150  having a single opening  152  to control the flow of liquid from the recirculation pump  54  to at least one of the multiple circuits in the recirculation flow path. It will be understood that any suitable liquid diverter  70  may be used including a diverter valve; such a diverter valve may have any number of outlets to diverter liquid to at least one of the multiple circuits in the recirculation flow path. Yet another example, of a suitable liquid diverter  70  may include a rotatable diverter disk such as set forth in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/908,915, filed Oct. 21, 2010, and titled “Dishwasher with Controlled Rotation of Lower Spray Arm,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     In the illustrated embodiment and by way of example only, the multiple circuits are at least partially defined by a recirculation manifold  154  having multiple outlets  156 . Each of the multiple outlets  156  may be operably coupled to, for example, each of the spray assemblies  44 - 50 , respectively such that each of the multiple outlets  156  may direct liquid from the recirculation pump  54  to one of the multiple sprayers. The single opening  152  of the hemispherical seal  150  is dimensioned such that it may align with one of the multiple outlets  156  to selectively control a flow of liquid to one of the multiple outlets  156  for its inclusion in the recirculation flow path. It has been contemplated that the hemispherical seal  150  may be more than one opening and that the recirculation manifold  154  may have any number of outlets  156 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the drive system  100  having a single motor  102  is operably coupled to the liquid hemispherical seal  150  and the blower shutter  92  to control the position of both the single opening  152  of the hemispherical seal  150  and the position of the blower shutter  92 . While the drive system  100  may include any suitable couplings to the liquid diverter  70  and the blower shutter  92  an exemplary coupling will be described. 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the drive system  100  includes a drive shaft  170  coupled between the motor  102  and the hemispherical seal  150  and which uses the power from the motor  102  to drive the rotation of the hemispherical seal  150 . More specifically, the drive shaft  170  is operably coupled to the hemispherical seal  150  and an output of a gear train  172 , which couples to an output of the motor  102 . The motor  102  may thus cause the gear train  172  to rotate which in turn causes the drive shaft  170  and the hemispherical seal  150  to rotate. The hemispherical seal  150  may be rotated by the drive system  100  between multiple positions to selectively divert liquid flowing from the recirculation pump  54  between the spray assemblies  44 - 50 . 
     The drive system  100  also includes a cam mechanism  176  coupled between the motor  102  and the blower shutter  92  and which uses the power from the motor  102  to change the position of the blower shutter  92 . More specifically, a first end  178  of the cam mechanism  176  is operably coupled to the blower shutter  92  and a second end  180  of the cam mechanism  176  couples to an output of the motor  102 . The motor  102  may thus cause the movement of the cam mechanism  176  which in turn causes the position of the blower shutter  92  to change. 
     The motor  102  may be bi-directional and the gear train  172  and cam mechanism  176  may be operably coupled to the output of the motor  102  such that they may be moved when the motor  102  is operated in either direction. The drive system  100  may include a suitable sensor for determining the location of the gear train  172 , the drive shaft  170 , the hemispherical seal  150 , and/or the cam mechanism  176 . For example, it is contemplated that a position sensor may provide feedback regarding the position of the opening  152 . The controller  112  may control the location of the opening  152  based on the signal from the position sensor to direct the liquid to the desired one or more spray assemblies  44 - 50 . Further, a position sensor may be provided to sense the position of the cam mechanism  176  and the controller  112  may control the operation of the drive system  100  based on the output from the position sensor to move the cam mechanism  176  and obtain the desired ratio of ambient air from the inlet and recirculated air from the air return conduit  86 . Any suitable position sensor, including an optical sensor and a hall-effect sensor, may be used. 
     During operation of the dishwasher  10 , the liquid recirculation system  38  may be employed to provide liquid to one or more of the spray assemblies  44 - 50 . Liquid in the wash tub  14  passes into the housing  57  where it may collect in the sump  58 . At an appropriate time during the cycle of operation to spray liquid into the treating chamber  16 , the controller  112  signals the recirculation pump  54  to supply liquid to one or more of the spray assemblies  44 - 50 . The recirculation pump  54  draws liquid from the sump  58  through the filter element  68  and the recirculation pump  54  where it may then be delivered to one or more of the spray assemblies  44 - 50  through the liquid diverter  70 , the supply tube(s)  52 , and any other associated valving or diverters. 
     The movement of the opening  152  relative to the multiple outlets  156  selectively fluidly connects the housing outlet  130  to one or more of the spray assemblies  44 - 50 , which is accomplished by aligning or partially aligning one or more of the opening  152  with one or more of the multiple outlets  156 . Activation of the motor  102  of the drive system  100  by the controller  112  turns the gear train  172 , which in turn rotates the drive shaft  170  and causes the rotatable hemispherical seal  150  to turn. In this manner, the output from the single motor  102  effects rotation of the hemispherical seal  150 . The amount of time that the opening  152  is fluidly connected with each of the multiple outlets  156  controls the duration of time that each of the various spray assemblies  44 - 50  spray liquid. 
     After achieving the desired fluid coupling of one or more spray assemblies  44 - 50  with the recirculation pump  54 , the motor  102  may be deactivated so that fluid coupling may be maintained, or may be continued to rotate the drive shaft  170  such that each of the spray assemblies  44 - 50  is sequentially coupled with the housing outlet  130 . During operation, positive pressure of the liquid flowing through the recirculation flow path may press the hemispherical seal  150  against the recirculation manifold  154  such that liquid only flows through the opening  152 . 
     Regardless of whether the air is heated or not, the blower  80  may force air into the wash tub  14 . The air travels upward within the treating chamber  16  and exits the treating chamber  16  through the vent  94  or is removed from the treating chamber  16  via air return conduit  86 . The blower  80  may draw in air from the air return conduit  86  and/or the inlet depending upon the position of the blower shutter  92 . More specifically, the position of the blower shutter  92  controls the ratio of ambient air from the inlet and recirculated air from the air return conduit  86 . The blower shutter  92  may be positionable to entirely close off the inlets such that no ambient air is allowed to enter the treating chamber  16 . 
     More specifically openings of the blower shutter may be aligned or partially aligned with openings of the inlet to allow ambient air to be provided to the treating chamber  16 . Activation of the motor  102  of the drive system  100  by the controller  112  moves the cam mechanism  176 , which in turn causes movement of the blower shutter  92 . In this manner, the output from the single motor  102  effects movement of the blower shutter  92 . After achieving the desired ratio of ambient to recirculated air, the motor  102  may be deactivated so that ratio may be maintained. 
     It has been contemplated that the air supply system  40  may be operated while the liquid recirculation system  38  is also being operated. It has also been contemplated that the air supply system  40  may be operated separately to form a drying portion of the operational cycle. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein a remote sump and filter unit  242  is illustrated as being located in a multi-compartment dishwasher  200  having a first compartment or tub  281  and a second compartment or tub  282 . In this embodiment, the tubs  281 ,  282  each partially define a treating chamber  284 ,  286 , respectively. The first and second tubs  281 ,  282  are moveable elements and take the form of slide-out drawer units of similar size, each having a handle for facilitating movement of the first and second tubs  281 ,  282  between an open and closed position. The tubs  281 ,  282  are slidably mounted to a chassis  212  through a pair of extendible support guides (not shown). The upper compartment  282  is illustrated in the closed position and the lower compartment  281  is illustrated in a partially open position. Notably, the remote sump and filter unit  242  is not carried by either drawer and is illustrated as being positioned in the lower-rear portion of the chassis  212 . 
     As with the previously described embodiments, the dishwasher  200  includes a liquid recirculation system  238  selectively fluidly coupled to first treating chamber  284  and the second treating chamber  286  to selectively supply liquid thereto and form a recirculation flow path. A liquid diverter  270  is provided within the recirculation flow path for selectively directing liquid to at least one of the first treating chamber  284  and the second treating chamber  286 . The liquid diverter  270  may be any suitable liquid diverter including a hemispherical seal having a single opening as previously described with respect to the second embodiment above. The liquid diverter is configured to include in the recirculation flow path at least one of the tubs. It is also contemplated that either or both of the first and second tubs may include multiple sprayers (not shown) and that the liquid diverter may be configured to include in the recirculation flow path at least one of the multiple sprayers. 
     It should be noted that each of the first and second tubs  281 ,  282  have separate liquid inlets  312  and  314 , in the form of sprayers, and separate liquid outlets  316  and  318 . The liquid inlets  312  and  314  and outlets  316  and  318  are fluidly coupled to the remote sump and filter unit  242  through the recirculation system  238 . The remote sump and filter unit  242  includes a housing  257  defining a sump  258  that is physically separate from both of the first and second tubs  281 ,  282 . The sump  258  may receive liquid sprayed into the first treating chamber  284  and the second treating chamber  286 . The housing  257  has an inlet  306  fluidly connected to the liquid outlets  316  and  318  when the first and second tubs  281 ,  282  are in the closed position and an outlet  304 , selectively fluidly coupled to the sprayers or liquid inlets  312  and  314  through the liquid diverter  270  when the first and second tubs  281 ,  282  are in the closed position to define a recirculation path for the sprayed liquid. The remote sump and filter unit  242  may include a drain pump (not shown) and controller  310 , as well as a filter unit (not shown) located within the sump  258  and remote from the first and second tubs  281 ,  282 , and other components like the embodiments disclosed above. 
     An air supply system  240  may selectively fluidly couple to at least one of the first treating chamber  284  and the second treating chamber  286  to selectively supply air thereto. A second diverter  290  for selectively directing air to at least one of the first treating chamber  284  and the second treating chamber  286  may also be included in the dishwasher  200 . An air return system  295  has also been illustrated and may include one of more diverters, schematically illustrated as  297 . As with the earlier embodiments the air supply system  240  may include a blower  280  having a selectively positionable blower shutter  292  for controlling a ratio of air from the air return system  295  and an inlet open to ambient air. 
     A drive system  300  having a single motor  302  may be operably coupled to the first diverter  270  and the second diverter  290  to control the positions of the first and second diverters  270  and  290 . The blower shutter  292  may also be operably coupled to the drive system  300  to selectively control the position of the blower shutter  292 . It is contemplated that the drive system  300  may independently control the position of the first diverter  270 , second diverter  290 , and the position of the blower shutter  292 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary portion of the liquid recirculation system  38  and air supply system  40  generally discussed previously herein with respect to  FIGS. 4 and 5  consisting of an air/liquid heater assembly  308 . The assembly  308  includes the blower  80 , the housing  57  serving as a thermal transfer interface, the heater  140 , the outlet  84 , and a shroud  309 . Air (represented by airflow vector A) can be drawn by operation of the blower  80  into the center of a rotating turbine  80 A which can expel the air radially outwardly (airflow vector B). The air can then enter a conduit portion between the housing  57  and the shroud  309  to flow around the housing  57  (airflow vector C). 
     The heater  140  can include an array of spaced fins  140 A encircling the housing  57 . Air from the blower  80  can flow along, i.e. parallel to, the fins  140 A to be heated by the heater  140 . The air can then exit the heater  140  through the outlet  84  (airflow vector D) to continue through the air supply system  40  into the treating chamber  16 . While the exit  84  is shown on the rear side of the heater  140 , opposite the exit from the blower  80 , the exit  84  may be located anywhere, including at the top of the heater  140 . 
     Wash liquid flowing through the liquid recirculation system  38  can flow (flow vector W) through a conduit portion, e.g. through the housing  57 , in a direction transverse to the general direction of airflow around the housing  57 . The heater  140  can heat the wash liquid as it passes through the housing  57 . The heater  140  can be selectively controlled by the controller  112  to only heat air, only heat wash liquid, or heat air and wash liquid concurrently. A filter element  68  such as the previously-described exemplary rotating filter can be integrated into the housing  57  so that wash liquid can be filtered as it passes through the housing  57 . 
       FIGS. 10-19  illustrate a portion of the liquid recirculation system  38  and air supply system  40  in the form of a unitary air/liquid delivery module  320  comprising an exemplary third embodiment of the invention. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described herein may share similar elements, features, and functions. Therefore, like elements and features may be identified with like reference characters unless otherwise noted. It should also be understood that like elements and features can perform their associated functions in a like manner unless otherwise noted. Finally, the unitary air/liquid delivery module  320  is described hereinafter for use in a single treating chamber dishwasher. However, it can be utilized in a dishwasher having more than a single treating chamber, with suitable modifications to the unitary air/liquid delivery module  320  to adapt the module  320  to more than a single treating chamber. 
     Referring specifically to  FIG. 10 , the exemplary unitary air/liquid delivery module  320  can comprise a drying air assembly  322  and a liquid circulation assembly  324 . The liquid circulation assembly  324  can include a sump assembly  326 , a heater assembly  328 , a pump assembly  330 , a motor assembly  332 , and a sump wash liquid feed tube  336  fluidly coupled with the sump assembly  326  for delivering wash liquid to a treating chamber (not shown). The drying air assembly  322  can include the heater assembly  328  and a blower assembly  334 . 
     Referring also to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the pump assembly  330  can include a somewhat cylindrical hollow pump housing  466  adapted for liquid-tight coupling with the motor assembly  332 . The pump assembly  330  can include an inflow port  372  for receiving wash liquid from the sump assembly  326 , an outflow port  374  for coupling with the lower sump housing  346 , and a drain port  376  fluidly coupled with a drainage pump housing  378  for drainage of wash liquid from the sump assembly  326  through the pump assembly  330  to a drain or other receptacle. The outflow port  374  can be fluidly coupled with a 90° pump elbow  360 . The motor assembly  332  can be operatively coupled with the pump assembly  330 . The motor assembly  332  can include a rotating shaft (not shown) supporting a pump impeller assembly  362 . When the motor assembly  332  can be coupled with the pump assembly  330 , the pump impeller assembly  362  can be received within the pump housing  466 . 
       FIG. 13  illustrates the heater assembly  328  including a thick-film heating element  364  integrally attached to an outer surface of a heater sleeve  370  serving as a thermal transfer interface. The heater sleeve  370  can be a tubular body  384  which can be fluidly coupled into the liquid circulation assembly  324 . The thick-film heating element  364  can be electrically coupled with a heater power coupler  368  which can, in turn, be electrically coupled with the controller  112  for controlling the operation and performance of the thick-film heating element  364 . An axial fin array  366  can be a cylindrical structure for wrapping around the heater sleeve  370  and thick-film heating element  364 . The axial fin array  366  can be a regularly-spaced plurality of longitudinally-disposed rectangular thin plates  380 , each adjacent pair of plates  380  defining an airflow channel  382  therebetween. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the sump assembly  326  can include a sump  338 , a sump hood  340 , a check valve  342 , a liquid chamber cap  343 , a sump screen  344 , a lower sump housing  346 , and a sump turbine disc assembly  352 . Referring also to  FIGS. 14 and 19 , the check valve  342  can have a flat annular body having an inner cylindrical edge  339  and an outer flange edge  341 . The liquid chamber cap  343  can have a flat, circular plate-like body having a circumferential cap edge  345 . 
     The sump turbine disc assembly  352  can include a sump diverter disc  354 , a sump turbine  356 , and a sump indexer disc  358 . The sump diverter disc  354  can be a thin circular plate-like body with a diverter obverse surface  392  and an opposed diverter reverse surface  410 . A diverter stub axle  396  can extend coaxially away from and orthogonal to the diverter obverse surface  392 . A circular diverter opening  390  can penetrate the diverter disc  354 , for example, adjacent the disc circumference. 
     The sump turbine  356  can be a thin circular plate-like body with a turbine obverse surface  412  and an opposed turbine reverse surface  414 . The turbine obverse surface  412  can transition orthogonally toward the reverse surface  414  into a circumferential wall  518  supporting a plurality of radially-disposed impeller vanes  394  regularly spaced along the circumferential wall  518 . A cylindrical sleeve-like turbine collar  398  can extend coaxially away from and orthogonal to the obverse surface  412  for engagement with a stub axle (concealed) extending coaxially away from and orthogonal to the diverter reverse surface  410 . A turbine aperture  400  can extend coaxially through the turbine collar  398 . 
     The sump indexer disc  358  can be a thin circular plate-like body having an indexer obverse surface  416  and an opposed indexer reverse surface  418 . The obverse surface  416  can transition orthogonally toward the reverse surface  418  into a circumferential wall  520 . A cylindrical spacer  404  can extend coaxially away from the obverse surface  416 , transitioning coaxially into a cylindrical stub axle  402 . The diameter of the spacer  404  can be greater than the diameter of the stub axle  402 . The transition of the spacer  404  to the stub axle  402  can define a circular shoulder. The stub axle  402  can be received in the turbine aperture  400 , with the reverse surface  414  in slidable contact with the circular shoulder to space the sump turbine  356  away from the indexer disc  358  by the spacer  404 . 
     The stub axle (concealed) extending coaxially away from and orthogonal to the diverter reverse surface  410  can be configured to pass through the turbine aperture  400  for fixed coupling with the cylindrical stub axle  402 . Thus, rotation of the sump indexer disc  358  can be accompanied by synchronous rotation of the sump diverter disc  354 . The sump turbine  356  can rotate independently of the rotation of the sump indexer disc  358  and the sump diverter disc  354 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 15 and 16 , the sump  338  can be a generally circular irregularly-profiled body having a sump obverse side  420  and an opposed sump reverse side  422 . The center of the obverse side  420  can be occupied by an air/liquid channelway structure  432  extending orthogonally away from the sump obverse side  420 . A circumferential wall  426  can extend at least partly around the obverse side  420 . An inclined surface  424  can extend between the circumferential wall  426  and the air/liquid channelway structure  432 , and can transition to a truncated sector-shaped funnel  428 . The funnel  428  can slope to a circular flow port  430  for receiving wash liquid flowing from the sump  338 . The circular flow port  430  can open into a 90° elbow-shaped sump outflow conduit  468  extending away from the sump reverse side  422 . The sump outflow conduit  468  can have a sump outflow conduit port  470 . 
     The air/liquid channelway structure  432  can be a generally cylindrical structure concentrically extending orthogonally away from the sump obverse side  420 . The channelway structure  432  can have an outer annular wall  434  and an inner annular wall  436  defining an airflow annulus  462 . The check valve  342  and the inner cylindrical edge  339  can be configured so that the inner cylindrical edge  339  can slidably engage the outside surface of the inner annular wall  436 , and the outer flange edge  341  can be disposed concentrically with the outer annular wall  434 . The liquid chamber cap  343  can be configured with a diameter somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the inner annular wall  436  so that the cap edge  345  can sealingly engage the inside surface of the inner annular wall  436 . A first outflow conduit  454  and a second outflow conduit  456  can extend from the inner annular wall  436  to the outer annular wall  434  in diametric juxtaposition. 
     A somewhat V-shaped channel wall  438  can extend across an arc of the inner annular wall  436  to join one end of the arc at a first edge of the first outflow conduit  454 , and a second end of the arc at a first edge of the second outflow conduit  456 . A somewhat W-shaped channel wall  440  can extend from a second edge of the first outflow conduit  454  to a second edge of the second outflow conduit  456  to define with the V-shaped channel wall  438  a curved channelway  444  fluidly coupling the first outflow port  458  with the second outflow port  460 . The floor of the channelway  444  can be penetrated by a circular channelway inflow port  464 . The W-shaped channel wall  440  can transition at its midpoint to a partial collar  442 . The channelway inflow port  464  can be fluidly coupled with the first outflow port  458  and the second outflow port  460 . 
     A first outflow conduit  446  and a second outflow conduit  448  can extend from the W-shaped channel wall  440 , straddling the partial collar  442 , in parallel side-by-side registry. The outflow conduits  446 ,  448  can transition to a liquid feed tube collar  450  defining a liquid feed tube port  452 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 16 , the outflow conduits  446 ,  448  can terminate in a first outflow conduit inflow port  482  and a second outflow conduit inflow port  484 , respectively. An outer annular wall  472  coextensive with the outer annular wall  434  extending from the sump obverse side  420  can extend orthogonally away from the sump reverse side  422 . An inner annular wall  476  coextensive with the inner annular wall  436  extending from the sump obverse side  420  can extend orthogonally away from the sump reverse side  422 . The inner annular wall  476  can define and encircle a disc surface  474  in which the first outflow conduit inflow port  482  and second outflow conduit inflow port  484  can be located. A plain bearing  480  can be formed in the center of the disc surface  474 . A power coupler chamber  478  can extend radially away from the outer annular wall  472  to house the heater power coupler  368 . 
       FIGS. 17 and 18  illustrate the lower sump housing  346  which, in plan view, can be a generally circular body adapted for fluid coupling with the sump  338 . The lower sump housing  346  can include an outer annular wall  492  and an inner annular wall  494  in radially-spaced coaxial disposition. The annular walls  492 ,  494  can define an annular airflow chamber  496  therebetween. The inner annular wall  494  can encircle a cylindrical diverter column  498  in radially-spaced coaxial disposition to partially define an annular liquid flow chamber  508  therebetween having an annular surface  506 . 
     The annular airflow chamber  496  can be fluidly coupled with an air inflow conduit  490  having an air inflow conduit port  490 A. The fluid coupling of the annular airflow chamber  496  with the air inflow conduit  490  can define an air outflow port  516 . A liquid inflow conduit  486  can somewhat tangentially engage the lower sump housing  346 , and can define a liquid inflow conduit port  488 . The liquid inflow conduit  486  can transition into an annular channelway opening  510  and an inflow transition channel  512 , which can transition to an inflow transition floor  514 . 
     The cylindrical diverter column  498  can extend concentrically away from the annular surface  506  to define a cylindrical diverter column wall  504  and a diverter support surface  500 . A plain bearing  502  can be formed concentrically in the diverter support surface  500 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 19 , the assembly and operation of the unitary air/liquid delivery module  320  will be described. Starting at the bottom of the illustration and proceeding upward, the lower sump housing  346  can be coupled with the heater assembly  328 . Specifically, the lower rim of the heater sleeve  370  can be aligned for contact with the annular surface  506  and the inner wall  494 . A first O-ring  348  can encircle the heater sleeve  370  to elastically engage the annular surface  506  and inner wall  494 , thereby creating a liquid-tight joint. 
     The sump  338  can be coupled with the heater sleeve  370  in a similar manner. The upper rim of the heater sleeve  370  can be aligned for contact with the disc surface  474  and the inner annular wall  476 . A second O-ring  350  can encircle the heater sleeve  370  to elastically engage the disc surface  474  and inner annular wall  476 , creating a liquid-tight joint. The sump turbine disc assembly  352  can then be placed into the heater sleeve  370 , and rotationally coupled with the diverter axle bearing  502  and the center bearing  480 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 19 , the liquid chamber cap  343  can be sealed to the inner annular wall  436  through a suitable means, such as O-rings, adhesives, the use of plastic welding techniques, and the like, to fluidly isolate the cylindrical chamber within the inner annular wall  436  from the space outside the inner annular wall  436 . Alternative configurations can be utilized, such as the cap  343  extending over the upper edge of the wall  436  and sealed thereto. Alternatively, the cap  343  can be provided with a circumferential stepped flange so that the cap  343  can rest within the inner annular wall  436 , as illustrated in  FIG. 19 , but with the stepped flange extending from the top surface of the cap  343  and over the upper edge of the inner annular wall  436 . 
     The liquid chamber cap  343  can be fixedly coupled with the underside of the sump hood  340  to secure the sump hood  340  to the air/liquid channelway structure  432 , or can be integrally formed with the sump hood  340  to define a single component. In either case, the sump hood  340  can be fixedly coupled with the air/liquid channelway structure  432 . 
     The check valve  342  can be slidably coupled with the inner annular wall  436  so that the circumferential inner cylindrical edge  339  can slidably engage the outside surface of the inner annular wall  436 . The check valve  342  can extend over the upper edge of the outer annular wall  434  to close the airflow annulus  462 . However, the check valve  342  is not sealed to the outer annular wall  434 . This can enable the check valve  342  to slidably move along the inner annular wall  436  alternately away from and toward the airflow annulus  462 . It should be evident that the liquid chamber cap  343  should not extend beyond the inner annular wall  436  to avoid any interference with the movement of the check valve  342 . 
     Similar to the liquid chamber cap  343 , the check valve  342  can alternatively be provided with a circumferential stepped flange so that the check valve  342  can rest within rather than over the outer annular wall  434 , but with the stepped flange extending from the top surface of the check valve  342  and over the upper edge of the outer annular wall  434 . 
     When the blower  334  is operating, the resultant air pressure in the airflow annulus  462  can move the check valve  342  away from the airflow annulus  462  to enable airflow into the interior of the sump hood  430 . Air can then exit from beneath the sump hood  430  along the circumference. When the blower  334  is not operating, the check valve  342  can sit upon the outer annular wall  434  so that little or no air can flow into or out of the airflow annulus  462 . The check valve  342  can be joined with the inner annular wall  436  to prevent air from escaping from the air/liquid delivery module  320  and, in turn, from the treating chamber  16 . 
     The sump outflow conduit port  470  can be fluidly coupled with the inflow port  372 . The liquid inflow conduit port  488  can be fluidly coupled with the pump elbow  360 , which can in turn be fluidly coupled with the outflow port  374 . The blower assembly  334  can be fluidly coupled with the air inflow conduit port  490 A. 
     Heating of air and wash liquid can be done utilizing the single heater assembly  328 , with the air and wash liquid flowing in parallel along the inner and outer surfaces of the heater sleeve  370 . During a cycle of operation requiring the circulation of wash liquid through the liquid circulation assembly  324 , wash liquid can circulate from the outflow port  374 , through the pump elbow  360 , and into the liquid inflow conduit port  488 . The wash liquid can continue through the inflow transition channel  512  into a first conduit portion, i.e. the annular liquid flow chamber  508 . The wash liquid can then flow upwardly around the diverter column  498  to engage the sump turbine disc assembly  352 . The flow of wash liquid into and through the liquid inflow conduit port  488 , the inflow transition channel  512 , and the annular liquid flow chamber  508  can introduce turbulence in the wash liquid. This turbulence can be mitigated by the controlled rotation of the sump turbine  356 . As the wash liquid flows through the annular liquid flow chamber  508 , the heater assembly  328  can be selectively actuated to heat the wash liquid. 
     Depending on the position of the sump diverter disc  354 , specifically the diverter opening  390 , wash liquid can flow through the channelway inflow port  464 , or alternatingly through both the first and second outflow conduit inflow ports  482 ,  484 . Alternatively, the diverter opening  390  can be positioned so that the channelway inflow port  464 , the first outflow conduit inflow port  482 , and the second outflow conduit inflow port  484  are blocked. 
     When the diverter opening  390  is aligned with the channelway inflow port  464 , wash liquid can flow through the curved channelway  444  to exit the first outflow port  458  and the second outflow port  460  onto the inclined surface  424 . When the diverter opening  390  is aligned with one of the outflow conduit inflow ports  482 ,  484 , wash liquid can flow into the corresponding one of the outflow conduits  446 ,  448  and through the corresponding one of the liquid pipes  386 ,  388  to the treating chamber  16  for treating dishes located therein. For example, a first liquid pipe  386  can be fluidly coupled with the mid-level spray assembly  48 , and a second liquid pipe  388  can be fluidly coupled with the upper spray assembly  50 . The sump indexer disc  358  can be oscillated at a preselected frequency to alternatingly align the diverter opening  390  with the outflow conduit inflow ports  482 ,  484  to deliver a constant flow of wash liquid through the liquid pipes  386 ,  388 . 
     During a drying cycle of operation, air can be delivered from the blower assembly  334  through the air inflow conduit  490  into a second conduit portion, i.e. the airflow annulus  462 . As the air flows upwardly, it can pass through the axial fin array  366 , parallel with the fins  380 . The airflow can be parallel with the general direction of the flow of liquid through the annular liquid flow chamber  508 . The air flowing through the airflow annulus  462  can be heated by selectively actuating the heater assembly  328 . The air can then exit circumferentially from under the sump hood  340  into the treating chamber  16  for drying dishes located therein. 
     To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments may be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature may not be illustrated in all of the embodiments is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different embodiments may be mixed and matched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described. 
     The embodiments of the invention described above allow for a variety of benefits including a simple construction, which requires fewer parts to manufacture the dishwasher. The embodiments of the invention described above allow for a single drive system to control a variety of components in the dishwasher, which reduces the cost associated with the manufacture of the dishwasher. 
     While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit. For example, it has been contemplated that the invention may differ from the configurations shown in  FIGS. 1-19 , such as by inclusion of other conduits, dish racks, valves, spray assemblies, seals, and the like, to control the flow of liquid and the supply of air.