Patent ID: 7841104

Claim:
A washer for washing articles, said washer comprised of: a housing defining a chamber, said housing having side walls and a top wall; a partition disposed in an upper portion of said chamber for dividing said chamber into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said lower compartment dimensioned to receive articles to be washed, said partition having an outer peripheral edge that generally conforms to said side walls of said housing, said partition dimensioned such that an annular gap is formed about said outer peripheral edge of said partition, said annular gap being disposed between said upper compartment and said lower compartment; a spray arm disposed in said lower compartment, said spray arm for spraying a fluid into said lower compartment; an external air inlet line fluidly communicating with said upper compartment; a blower assembly disposed in said upper compartment, said blower assembly comprised of: a housing having a first air inlet, a second air inlet and an air outlet, said first air inlet fluidly communicating with said lower compartment, said second air inlet fluidly communicating with said external air inlet line and said outlet fluidly communicating with said upper compartment; and an impeller disposed in said housing, said impeller operable to circulate air from said lower compartment and said external air inlet line through said air outlet into said upper compartment; and heating means disposed in said upper compartment above said partition, said heating means for heating air in said upper compartment, wherein air flowing from said upper compartment, through said annular gap, forms streams of high velocity air along each of said side walls of said lower compartment.