Patent Publication Number: US-10314460-B2

Title: Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/818,667, filed Aug. 5, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,010,234, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Contemporary automatic dishwashers for use in a typical household include a tub and at least one rack or basket for supporting soiled dishes within the tub. A spraying system can be provided for recirculating liquid throughout the tub to remove soils from the dishes. The spraying system can include various sprayers including a rotatable sprayer. A diverter valve in the form of a rotary disk is used to selectively supply liquid from a recirculation pump to the various sprayers. 
     SUMMARY 
     An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a diverter valve including a housing defining a plenum with a plenum inlet, at least one plenum outlet and a membrane strip located within the plenum and having at least one control opening, the membrane strip moveable within the plenum along a path overlying the at least one plenum outlet such that the membrane strip can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the at least one control opening with the at least one plenum outlet to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum inlet through the at least one plenum outlet to control a flow of liquid through the housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dishwasher with a diverter valve according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the dishwasher shown in  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a control system of the dishwasher of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an exemplary diverter valve that can be utilized in the dishwasher of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an alternative perspective view of the exemplary diverter valve of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of the exemplary diverter valve of  FIG. 4  with a portion of the housing removed for clarity. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary diverter valve with the valve body moved to fluidly couple an alternative plenum outlet. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a plenum outlet that can be utilized in the exemplary diverter valve of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an automatic dishwasher  10  having a cabinet  12  defining an interior is illustrated. Depending on whether the dishwasher  10  is a stand-alone or built-in, the cabinet  12  can 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. While the present invention is described in terms of a conventional dishwashing unit, it could also be implemented in other types of dishwashing units, such as in-sink dishwashers, multi-tub dishwashers, or drawer-type dishwashers. 
     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 not shown, additional utensil holders, such as a silverware basket on the interior of the door  32  or on a sidewall  22 , can also be provided. 
     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. The liquid recirculation system  38  may include one or more sprayers configured to emit a corresponding spray of liquid into the treating chamber  16 . In the exemplary illustration, there are six sprayers: a first lower spray assembly  40 , a second lower spray assembly  42 , a third lower spray assembly  44 , a first mid-level spray assembly  46 , a second mid-level spray assembly  48 , and an upper spray assembly  50 . While six sprayers have been illustrated it will be understood that any number of sprayers can be included in the dishwasher. 
     The first lower spray assembly  40  is positioned above the bottom wall  20  and beneath the lower dish rack  36 . The first lower spray assembly  40  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  40  into the treating chamber  16 . The spray from the first lower spray assembly  40  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  40  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  42  is illustrated as being located adjacent the lower rack  36  toward the rear of the treating chamber  16 . The second lower spray assembly  42  is illustrated as including a horizontally oriented distribution header or spray manifold having a plurality of nozzles. The second lower spray assembly  42  may not be limited to this position; rather, the second lower spray assembly  42  could be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber  16 . Alternatively, the second lower spray assembly  42  could be positioned underneath the lower rack  36 , adjacent or beneath the first lower spray assembly  40 . 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  42  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  42  into the treating chamber  16 . When both the first lower spray assembly  40  and the second lower spray assembly  42  emit spray fields the first and second zones may intersect. 
     The third lower spray assembly  44  can be similar to the second lower spray assembly  42  and has been illustrated as being located on a sidewall  22 . The third lower spray assembly can be configured to spray a flow of treating liquid in an angled direction, over a portion of the interior of the treating chamber  16  including a portion of the lower rack  36 . Again, the third lower spray assembly can be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber, can be shaped in any suitable manner, and its spray may be directed in any suitable direction. 
     The first mid-level spray assembly  46  has been illustrated similarly to the third lower spray assembly  44 ; however, it has been illustrated as being higher on the sidewall  22  such that it can emit a spray of liquid onto the upper dish rack  34 . The first mid-level spray assembly  46  can be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber, can be shaped in any suitable manner, and its spray may be directed in any suitable direction. 
     The second 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  40 , 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 second 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 . 
     A sump  52  and pump assembly  53  can be included in the liquid recirculation system  38 . The sump  52  collects the liquid sprayed in the treating chamber  16  and can be formed by a sloped or recessed portion of a bottom wall  20  of the tub  14 . The pump assembly  53  can include both a wash or recirculation pump  54  and a drain pump  56 . The drain pump  56  can draw liquid from the sump  52  through a drain inlet  55  and pump the liquid out of the dishwasher  10  to a household drain line  57 . The recirculation pump  54  can draw liquid from the sump  52  and pump the liquid to the one or more of the spray assemblies  40 - 50  to supply liquid into the treating chamber  16 . While the pump assembly  53  is illustrated as having separate drain and recirculation pumps  54  and  56  in an alternative embodiment, the pump assembly  53  can include a single pump configured to selectively supply wash liquid to either the spray assemblies  40 - 50  or the drain line  57 , such as by configuring the pump to rotate in opposite directions, or by providing a suitable valve system. While not shown, a liquid supply system can include a water supply conduit coupled with a household water supply for supplying water to the sump  52 . 
     As shown herein, the recirculation pump  54  has a pump inlet  58  fluidly coupled to the treating chamber  16  via the sump  52  and a pump outlet  60  in fluid communication with a diverter valve  62 . A number of liquid conduits  64 ,  66 ,  68 ,  70 ,  72 , and  74  in turn fluidly couple the diverter valve  62  to the spray assemblies  40 - 50 , respectively. In this manner, the pump outlet  60  is fluidly coupled to the spray assemblies  40 - 50  for discharging wash liquid from the recirculation pump  54  to the spray assemblies  40 - 50 . As illustrated, liquid can be supplied to the spray assemblies  42 - 50  through liquid conduits  66 ,  68 ,  70 ,  72 , and  74  that extend generally rearward from the recirculation pump  54  and upwardly along a rear wall of the tub  14 . Liquid can be supplied to the spray assembly  40  through the liquid conduit  64 . 
     The diverter valve  62  can control the flow of liquid within the dishwasher  10 . While the diverter valve  62  has been illustrated as being located in the middle of the tub  14  it will be understood that the diverter valve  62  can be located in any suitable location. By way of further non-limiting example, the diverter valve  62  as described herein has a low profile, which allows for it to be located at the rear of the tub  14 . 
     Liquid may be selectively supplied to a subset of all of the sprayers, including to only a singer sprayer, and/or simultaneously to all of the sprayers. The sump  52 , recirculation pump  54 , spray assemblies  40 - 50 , and liquid conduits  64 - 74  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 each circuit coupled to at least one of the sprayers forming the spray assemblies  40 - 50 . The recirculation pump  54  may be fluidly coupled to one or more of the circuits such that it draws liquid in through the pump inlet  58  and sump  52  and delivers it to one or more of the spray assemblies  40 - 50  through the liquid conduits  64 - 74  depending on the operation of the diverter valve  62 . The liquid is sprayed back into the treating chamber  16  through the spray assemblies  40 - 50  and drains back to the sump  52  where the process may be repeated. 
     A heating system having a heater  78  can be located within or near the sump  52  for heating liquid contained in the sump  52 . A filtering system (not shown) can be fluidly coupled with the recirculation flow path for filtering the recirculated liquid. 
     A control panel or user interface  80  provided on the dishwasher  10  and coupled to a controller  82  may be used to select a cycle of operation. The user interface  80  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  82  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  82  may be provided with a memory  84  and a central processing unit (CPU)  86 . The memory  84  may be used for storing control software that may be executed by the CPU  86  in completing a cycle of operation using the dishwasher  10  and any additional software. For example, the memory  84  may store one or more pre-programmed cycles of operation that may be selected by a user and completed by the dishwasher  10 . The controller  82  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  82  may be coupled with the recirculation pump  54  and the diverter valve  62  for circulation of liquid in the wash tub  14  and the drain pump  56  for drainage of liquid in the wash tub  14 . Further, the controller  82  may also be coupled with one or more temperature sensors  88 , which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity, such that the controller  82  may control the duration of the steps of the cycle of operation based upon the temperature detected. The controller  82  may also receive inputs from one or more other optional sensor, which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity. The controller  82  may also be coupled to a dispenser  90 , 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 an example of a diverter valve  62  having a housing  100  defining a plenum  101  and having a plenum inlet  102  and a plurality of plenum outputs  104 . The plenum inlet  102  can be fluidly coupled to the pump outlet  60  of the recirculation pump  54 , which has been schematically illustrated as an arrow  60 . Each of the plenum outlets  104  fluidly couples to the liquid conduits  64 ,  66 ,  68 ,  70 ,  72 , and  74 , which have been schematically illustrated as arrows. While the liquid conduit  64  has been illustrated on one side of the housing  100  and the other liquid conduits  66 - 74  have been illustrated on another side as better illustrated in  FIG. 5 , it will be understood that the housing  100 , plenum inlet  102 , and plenum outlets  104  can be arranged in any suitable manner. It is contemplated that the number of plenum outlets  104  can correspond to the number of spray assemblies  40 - 50 . Alternatively, the plenum outlet(s)  104  can be fluidly coupled to a liquid circuit that can lead to more than one spray assembly and has additional conduits and valving to control the flow thereto. 
     A valve body in the form of a membrane strip  110  can be located within the plenum  101  and have at least one control opening  112 . The membrane strip  110  can abut portions of the housing  100  to form a liquid seal between the plenum outlets  104  and the remainder of the plenum  101 . More specifically, the membrane strip  110  can abut an interior surface  114  ( FIG. 7 ) of the housing  100 . The membrane strip  110  is movable in the plenum  101  for movement along a path overlying the plurality of plenum outlets  104  such that the membrane strip  110  can be operable to selectively fluidly couple one of the plurality of plenum outlets  104  to a remainder of the plenum  101  and liquid therein. Movement of the membrane strip  110  can align the control opening  112  with one of the plenum outlets  104  while blocking at least another of the plenum outlets  104 . The membrane strip  110  can be moveable to any number of positions such that different plenum outlets  104  can be fluidly coupled to the plenum  101 . In this way, the different spray assemblies  40 - 50  may be selected to be fluidly coupled to the recirculation pump  54  with the movement of the membrane strip  110 . 
     A spool  120  is illustrated in  FIG. 6  and can be configured to hold the membrane strip  110  in place and aid in driving the membrane strip  110 . While not illustrated, the membrane strip  110  can be a segment that is wound or unwound about the spool  120  during movement of the membrane strip  110 . The segment of the membrane strip  110  can be wound or unwound as needed such that movement of the membrane strip  110  aligns one or more control openings  112  with select plenum outlets  104   
     It is contemplated that any number of spools can be included within the diverter valve  62  to hold the membrane strip  110  in place and aid in driving the membrane strip  110 . In the illustrated example, the membrane strip  110  includes a looped membrane strip formed from a continuous band. The membrane strip  110  runs along the plenum outlets  104  and is held in place by a set of spools  120 ,  140 . The spools  120 ,  140  are spaced apart from each other and the plenum outlets  104  lie between the two spools  120 ,  140 . The continuous membrane strip  110  can have opposing ends  136 ,  138  with each end  136 ,  138  supported about a corresponding spool  120 ,  140 , respectively. 
     The membrane strip  110  can be moveable utilizing any suitable driver or actuator. For example, one of the two spools  120 ,  140  can be driven externally to provide the rotation of the membrane strip  110 . A drive including, but not limited to, a drive motor  130  can be operably coupled to the membrane strip  110  to move the membrane strip  110  within the plenum  101 . By way of non-limiting example, the drive motor  130  has been illustrated as including an output shaft  132  that is operably coupled to the spool  120  to provide a driving force that turns the membrane strip  110 . It is contemplated that the drive motor  130  can be a reversible drive motor and can be operably coupled to the controller  82  or another suitable controller. The controller  82  can control the operation of the drive motor  130  such that the membrane strip  110  can be driven in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. In this manner the motor  130  can move the membrane strip  110  between any number of positions to fluidly couple any of the plenum outlets  104 . A sensor (not shown) can be included in the dishwasher  10  including, but not limited to, that the sensor can be coupled with the diverter valve  62  to determine what plenum outlet  104  is fluidly coupled to the recirculation pump  54 . Thus, if the position of the control opening  112  is somehow lost by the controller  82 , the controller  82  can utilize the output from the sensor to determine the position of the control opening  112  and can control the movement of the membrane strip  110  based thereon. 
     The friction between the spool  120  and the membrane strip  110  may not be substantial enough to ensure rotation of the membrane strip  110 . Thus, a sprocket  122  having teeth  124  can be included on the spool  120 . The membrane strip  110  includes holes  126  that mesh with the teeth  124  of the sprocket  122  and the contact between the teeth  124  and the holes  126  aids in driving the membrane strip  110 . 
     An optional gear train  134  has been illustrated as operably coupling the output shaft  132  to the spool  120  such that rotation of the output shaft  132  moves the gear train  134 , which in turn rotates the spool and moves the membrane strip  110  to any number of positions. The gear train  134  can be formed in any suitable manner including, but not limited to, that the gear train  134  can be a speed increasing gear train where the sprocket  122  is driven faster than the rotation of the shaft  132 . The gear ratios of the gear train  134  can be selected in any suitable manner to control the movement of the membrane strip  110  based on the rotation of the shaft  132 . 
     In the illustrated example, the membrane strip  110  has a control opening  112  in it that is aligned such that one of the bank of plenum outlets  104  is fluidly coupled at a time, such that liquid is provided to one of the spray assemblies  40 - 50  at a time. Illustrated in phantom are additional multiple control openings  112 . The use of additional multiple control openings  112 , including control openings  112  spaced closely together can allow multiple spray assemblies  40 - 50  to be fluidly coupled to the recirculation pump  54  simultaneously. Alternatively, the use of multiple control openings  112  can be utilized to vary the sequencing of the fluidly coupled spray assemblies  40 - 50  depending on the location of the control openings  112  and the plenum outlets  104  in the housing  100 . It is also contemplated that the membrane strip  110  can include various sets of control openings  112  and the various sets of control openings  112  can define different liquid diversion or spray configurations or can be utilized for the same diversion configurations but allow for them to cycle through the path more frequently. 
     In this manner it will be understood that the membrane strip  110  can have different sets of openings for different functionalities or different phases of the wash cycle. By way of non-limiting example, a different set of control openings  112  could be provided for each selectable wash cycle, phase, or option. For example, a set of control openings  112  that are only supplied to the upper rack sprayers can be included for when a user selects an option to only wash in the upper rack  34 . In this manner, a user can pick a zone or rack for washing and only those zones or rack would be sprayed. Alternatively, if a concentrated wash was selected, during one part of the cycle the second lower spray assembly  42  could be solely supplied to clean the dishes in the lower rack  36 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates that an optional sealing ring  150  can be provided along the interior surface  114  of the housing  100 , with the sealing ring  150  surrounding the plenum outlet  104 . A sealing ring  150  can be provided around each of the plenum outlets  104 . The sealing ring  150  can be a raised ring surrounding the plenum outlet  104  and can take any suitable form including that of an O-ring or other seal. Further, the sealing ring  150  can merely be a rib formed on an interior surface  114  of the housing  100 . In essence, the sealing ring  150  forms a peripheral ridge, which spaces the membrane strip  110  from a remainder of the interior surface  114  to reduce friction. The membrane strip  110  can be capable of sealing against the interior surface  114  of the housing  100  and/or the sealing ring(s)  150  to better seal the plenum outlets  104  against the unintended flow of liquid from the remainder of the plenum  101 . Thus, the plenum outlets  104  can be sealed such that liquid does not leak from the plenum  101  to the plenum outlets  104  that are not intentionally being fluidly coupled with the plenum  101 . Sealing challenges can occur for various reasons including because the surface forming the interior surface  114  of the housing  100  is too rough or uneven. The sealing ring(s)  150  provide a smaller sealing surface for the membrane strip  110  allowing a greater force to be applied to those points, which allows for a better seal. The membrane strip  110  can be formed from any suitable material including, but not limited to, a mylar membrane. It is contemplated that the membrane strip  110  can be flexible and such flex can allow the membrane strip  110  to form around the sealing ring  150  and provide a robust seal. 
     Such a sealing ring  150  can also allow the control opening  112  to fluidly couple with the plenum outlet  104  so long as the control opening  112  is at least partially within the sealing ring  150 . In this manner, the sealing ring  150  creates a larger effective outlet and allows for a longer fluid communication between the plenum outlet  104  having the sealing ring  150  and the control opening  112  in the membrane strip  110 . Such sealing rings are set forth in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 9,492,055, and titled “Dishwasher with Spray System,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     The operation of the dishwasher  10  with the diverter valve  62  as illustrated will now be described. The user will initially select a cycle of operation via the user interface  80 , with the cycle of operation being implemented by the controller  82  controlling various components of the dishwasher  10  to implement the selected cycle of operation in the treating chamber  16 . Examples of cycles of operation include normal, light/china, heavy/pots and pans, and rinse only. The cycles of operation can include one or more of the following phases: a wash phase, a rinse phase, and a drying phase. The wash phase can further include a pre-wash phase and a main wash phase. The rinse phase can also include multiple phases such as one or more additional rinsing phases performed in addition to a first rinsing. During such cycles, wash fluid, such as water and/or treating chemistry (i.e., water and/or detergents, enzymes, surfactants, and other cleaning or conditioning chemistry) passes from the recirculation pump  54  into the liquid recirculation system  38  and then exits through the spray assemblies  40 - 50 . 
     During the cycle of operation the recirculation pump  54  can be operated to recirculate liquid to one or more of the spray assemblies  40 - 50 . To fluidly couple the one or more of the spray assemblies  40 - 50  with the output of the recirculation pump  54 , the membrane strip  110  can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening(s)  112  with one or more of plenum outlets  104  to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum  101  through the one or more plenum outlets  104  to control a flow of liquid from the recirculation pump  54  to the one of the spray assemblies  40 - 50 .  FIG. 6  illustrates the membrane strip  110  having the control opening  112  in a position where the recirculation pump  54  via the diverter valve  62  is fluidly coupled with a plenum outlet  104 , which leads to the liquid conduit  64 . A flow of fluid is schematically illustrated with arrows  142 . Fluid enters the plenum inlet  102  from the pump outlet  60  and flows into the plenum  101 . The fluid then flows through the control opening  112  and out the plenum outlet  104 . In this manner, the output from the recirculation pump  54  is fluidly coupled to the first lower spray assembly  40  via the diverter valve  62 . 
     The drive motor  130  can then be operated, including via the controller  82 , to provide a driving force that turns the sprocket  122  and causes movement of the membrane strip  110  and the control opening  112  to a different position so that a different spray assembly can be fluidly coupled with the recirculation pump  54 . By way of further non-limiting example,  FIG. 7  illustrates the control opening  112  moved to fluidly couple with an alternative plenum outlet  104 . More specifically, the control opening  112  is illustrated as fluidly coupling to the plenum outlet  104  that is fluidly coupled with the liquid conduit  66 . A flow of fluid is schematically illustrated with arrows  148 . Fluid enters the plenum inlet  102  from the pump outlet  60  and flows into the plenum  101 . The fluid then flows through the control opening  112  and out the plenum outlet  104 . In this manner, the output from the recirculation pump  54  is fluidly coupled to the second lower spray assembly  42  via the diverter valve  62 . 
     The above-described embodiments provide a variety of benefits including that a diverter valve can be utilized to fluidly couple a pump outlet to any number of spray assemblies while fluidly sealing off other spray assemblies. Unlike current diverter valves the above-described embodiments are easy to control, allow for a large number of fluidly couplings, properly seal off other outlets, and have less flow restrictions and bends. The above-described diverter valve embodiments also utilize space efficiently and are low profile and thus can be placed in various places including at the back of the tub, which can eliminate multiple elbows the fluid must pass through and significantly decreases head. 
     To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments can be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature cannot 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 can be mixed and matched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described. All combinations or permutations of features described herein are covered by this disclosure. Further, 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. 
     The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and can include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. It will be understood that any features of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.