Patent Publication Number: US-9888829-B1

Title: Forced air drying dishwasher

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The need for air drying in a dishwasher has been established. Drying by an interior heat only is not effective and leaves any number of dishes wet if not puddled with water. There is often a need to empty the dishes on a lower shelf first to prevent spillage from an overlying rack. Unloading in a given order is seldom convenient for stowage of the dishes in a plurality of cabinets. Remaining water often spots the dishes and any flatware, also. Of the various dishwashers that are equipped with an air drying feature, several problems have not been successfully addressed. Some use a fresh air or a mix of the fresh air and an interiorly held air, even though mixing the interior air subjects the air drying to much greater humidity and therefore inferior air drying. Some dishwashers equipped with air drying not only fail to effectively cycle the air drying but also fail to evacuate saturated air from the dishwasher. Some dishwashers fail to fully expose all of the dishes within the dishwasher to sufficient air. Another flaw is that some dishwashers fail to provide adequate air flow. A plurality of features needs to be provided in order to effectively air dry the dishes within the dishwasher. Among those features is a generous fresh air intake that channels to a blower without being mixed with saturated air within the dishwasher. Also, the drying air needs to be heated in order to effectively absorb moisture and dry the dishes. Additionally, an effective exhaust must be provided for removal of the saturated air and therein enhance the air intake. The air must also be delivered substantially evenly to the dishes, with many interior outlets needed to accomplish this task, without unduly restrictive flow. The present forced air drying dishwasher meets the feature needs. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present forced air drying dishwasher relates to dishwashers and more especially to dishwashers that provide for air drying of dishes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the forced air drying dishwasher, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a forced air drying dishwasher that has many novel features that result in a forced air drying dishwasher which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
     To accomplish this, the forced air drying dishwasher has a substantially rectilinear case having a front side, a front top and a front bottom spaced apart from the front top. The dishwasher has a washing tub disposed within the case. The washing tub has a ceiling and a floor spaced apart from the ceiling. The washing tub has a back wall and a hinged door spaced apart from the back wall, a first side and a second side spaced apart from the first side. 
     An interior space is disposed within the case. The interior space surrounds the ceiling, the floor, the back wall, the first side, and the second side. A louvered intake is disposed within the front side adjacent the front bottom. The louvered intake has a width equal to a width between the first side and the second side. An air channel is disposed within the interior space below the floor. The air channel has a wide mouth tapered to a narrowed venturi area. The wide mouth is affixed adjacent the louvered intake. A blower is disposed within the interior space below the floor. The blower is in direct communication with the narrowed venturi area. A heating element is disposed within the interior space below the floor. The heating element is in operational communication with the blower. 
     A distribution manifold is disposed within the interior space. The distribution manifold has a plurality of laminar bends. A transfer tube is disposed from the heating element to below and proximal the back wall. A first riser is disposed vertically from the transfer tube to a position proximal the ceiling. The first riser is disposed proximal the back wall and the second side. The first riser is connected to the transfer tube via one laminar bend of the plurality of laminar bends. A second riser is disposed proximal the back wall and the first side. A transverse tube is disposed between the first riser and the second riser. The transverse tube is disposed proximal the back wall and the floor. Two laminar bends of the plurality of laminar bends connect the transverse tube from the first riser to the second riser. 
     A plurality of horizontally disposed, equally spaced apart nozzle manifolds is provided. The nozzle manifolds are equally distributed between proximal the ceiling to proximal the floor. Three nozzle manifolds of the plurality of nozzle manifolds are proximal the second side and extend from the first riser toward the hinged door. Three nozzle manifolds of the plurality of nozzle manifolds are proximal the first side and extend from the second riser to proximal the hinged door. The nozzle manifolds are connected to each of the first riser and the second riser via a portion of the laminar bends of the plurality of laminar bends. A plurality of mirror image equally spaced apart nozzles is disposed within the first side and the second side. Each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles opens within the washing tub. Three nozzles of the plurality of nozzles are connected to each nozzle manifold of the plurality of nozzle manifolds. The blower and heating element send hot air through the distribution manifold to be delivered through the plurality of nozzles to the interior space. 
     An exhaust is disposed within the interior space. The exhaust has a gradual bend disposed between the ceiling and the front top. An inlet grill is disposed between the exhaust and the ceiling. An outlet grill is disposed between the exhaust and the front top. The air channel&#39;s wide mouth and narrowed venturi area, the distribution manifold, the nozzle manifolds, and the exhaust all contribute to ensuring more than adequate and sufficient air flow to enable a superior comparative efficiency of the dishwasher with forced air drying. 
     A washing mechanism is disposed within the case. The washing mechanism has a revolving washer disposed within the floor. A plurality of spray jets is disposed within the revolving washer. The washing mechanism includes a water connection and a power connection. The washing mechanism also has a drain connection. 
     A control panel is disposed within the front top. The control panel is in operational communication with the blower, the heating element, and the washing mechanism. 
     Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the present forced air drying dishwasher so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         FIG. 1  is a frontal perspective view. 
         FIG. 2  is a frontal perspective view, a hinged door open. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 2  taken along the line  3 - 3 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 3  taken along the line  4 - 4 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 4  taken along the line  5 - 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, an example of the forced air drying dishwasher employing the principles and concepts of the present forced air drying dishwasher and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the forced air drying dishwasher  10  has a substantially rectilinear case  20  having a front side  24 , a front top  26  and a front bottom  28  spaced apart from the front top  26 . The dishwasher  10  has a washing tub  30  disposed within the case  20 . The washing tub  3 —has a ceiling  32  and a floor  34  spaced apart from the ceiling  32 . The washing tub  30  has a back wall  36  and a hinged door  38  spaced apart from the back wall  36 , a first side  40  and a second side  42  spaced apart from the first side  40 . 
     An interior space  22  is disposed within the case  20 . The interior space  22  surrounds the ceiling  32 , the floor  34 , the back wall  36 , the first side  40 , and the second side  42 . A louvered intake  50  is disposed within the front side  24  adjacent the front bottom  28 . The louvered intake  50  has a width equal to a width between the first side  40  and the second side  42 . An air channel  52  is disposed within the interior space  22  below the floor  34 . The air channel  52  has a wide mouth  53  tapered to a narrowed venturi area  54 . The wide mouth  53  is affixed adjacent the louvered intake  50 . A blower  56  is disposed within the interior space  22  below the floor  34 . The blower  56  is in direct communication with the narrowed venturi area  54 . A heating element  58  is disposed within the interior space  22  below the floor  34 . The heating element  58  is in operational communication with the blower  56 . 
     A distribution manifold  60  is disposed within the interior space  22 . The distribution manifold  60  has a plurality of laminar bends  62 . A transfer tube  64  is disposed from the heating element  58  to below and proximal the back wall  36 . A first riser  63  is disposed vertically from the transfer tube  64  to a position proximal the ceiling  32 . The first riser  63  is disposed proximal the back wall  36  and the second side  42 . The first riser  63  is connected to the transfer tube  64  via one laminar bend  62  of the plurality of laminar bends  62 . A second riser  68  is disposed proximal the back wall  36  and the first side  40 . A transverse tube  66  is disposed between the first riser  63  and the second riser  68 . The transverse tube  66  is disposed proximal the back wall  36  and the floor  34 . Two laminar bends  62  of the plurality of laminar bends  62  connect the transverse tube  66  from the first riser  68  to the first riser  63 . 
     A plurality of horizontally disposed, equally spaced apart nozzle manifolds  72  is provided. The nozzle manifolds  72  are equally distributed between proximal the ceiling  32  to proximal the floor  34 . Three nozzle manifolds  72  of the plurality of nozzle manifolds  72  are proximal the second side  42  and extend from the first riser  63  toward the hinged door  38 . Three nozzle manifolds  72  of the plurality of nozzle manifolds  72  are proximal the first side  40  and extend from the second riser  68  to proximal the hinged door  38 . The nozzle manifolds  72  are connected to each of the first riser  63  and the second riser  68  via a portion of the laminar bends  62  of the plurality of laminar bends  62 . A plurality of mirror image equally spaced apart nozzles  74  is disposed within the first side  40  and the second side  42 . Each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles opens within the washing tub  30 . Three nozzles  74  of the plurality of nozzles  74  are connected to each nozzle manifold  72  of the plurality of nozzle manifolds  72 . 
     An exhaust  80  is disposed within the interior space  22 . The exhaust  80  has a gradual bend  86  disposed between the ceiling  32  and the front top  26 . An inlet grill  82  is disposed between the exhaust  80  and the ceiling  32 . An outlet grill  84  is disposed between the exhaust  80  and the front top  26 . 
     A washing mechanism  90  is disposed within the case  20 . The washing mechanism  90  has a revolving washer  92  disposed within the floor  34 . A plurality of spray jets  94  is disposed within the revolving washer  92 . The washing mechanism  90  includes a water connection  96  and a power connection  97 . The washing mechanism  90  also has a drain connection  99 . 
     A control panel  100  is disposed within the front top  26 . The control panel  100  is in operational communication with the blower  56 , the heating element  58 , and the washing mechanism  100 .