Dishwashing machine with automatic indicating signals

Claim 2

In a dishwashing machine including a tank defining a cleansing chamber having an opening, a closure for said opening movable between open and closed positions, latch means for said closure and being movable between locked and released positions, means for supporting soiled articles in said chamber, means for supplying water into said chamber, means for recirculating the water to effect a spray of water onto the articles, means for draining the water from said chamber, timer means automatically controlling said water supplying means, said recirculating means and said draining means according to a plurality of different program cycles including at least a first wash cycle wherein a plurality of successive charges of water are supplied to and drained from said chamber and a second rinse cycle wherein at least one charge of water is supplied to and drained from said chamber, and means for selecting each said cycle; the improvement comprising electrically actuated means for indicating when said second cycle has been selected, means for energizing said indicating means in response to said latch means being moved to its said released position after said second cycle is initiated, and means for deenergizing said indicating means when another cycle is subsequently selected.

Claim 3

A dishwashing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said first cycle comprises a series of successive periods including a detergent wash period, a fresh water rinse period and a drying period, and said second cycle comprises only a fresh water rinse period.

Claim 4

A dishwashing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicating means is a light source visible adjacent said cycle selecting means.

Claim 5

A dishwashing machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said energizing means include a switch cooperating with said timer means to control said light source, and means actuating said switch in response to movement of said latch means to its released position.

Claim 6

In an automatic dishwashing machine including a tank defining a cleansing chamber having an opening, a closure for said opening and being movable between open and closed positions, a rack within said chamber for supporting articles having food soil thereon, means for supplying water into said chamber, means for recirculating water in said chamber and spraying the water onto the articles, means for draining the water from said chamber, timer means for automatically controlling said water supplying means, said recirculating means and said draining means according to a plurality of different program cycles including at least one complete wash-rinse-dry cycle and another cycle which provides only an incomplete cleansing operation, and means fOr selecting each said cycle; the improvement comprising electrically actuated means for indicating when said other cycle is selected, means for energizing said indicating means when said other cycle is selected and then interrupted and for continuing said energizing after said other cycle is completed and said closure is moved to its open position, and means for deenergizing said indicating means when a complete cycle is selected.

Claim 7

In an automatic dishwashing machine including a tank defining a cleansing chamber having an opening, a closure for said opening and being movable between open and closed positions, a rack within said chamber for supporting articles having food soil thereon, means for supplying water into said chamber, means for recirculating water in said chamber and spraying the water onto the articles, means for draining the water from said chamber, timer means for automatically controlling said water supplying means, said recirculating means and said draining means according to a plurality of different program cycles including at least one complete wash-rinse-dry cycle and another cycle which provides only an incomplete cleansing operation, and means fOr selecting each said cycle; the improvement comprising electrically actuated means for indicating when said other cycle is selected, means for energizing said indicating means when said other cycle is selected and then interrupted and for continuing said energizing after said other cycle is completed and said closure is moved to its open position, and means for deenergizing said indicating means when a complete cycle is selected.

Claim 8

In an automatic dishwashing machine including a tank defining a cleansing chamber having an opening, a closure for said opening movable between open and closed positions, a latch for said closure movable between locked and released positions, rack means within said chamber for supporting articles having food soil thereon, means for supplying water into said chamber, means for recirculating water in said chamber and spraying the water onto the articles, means for draining the water from said chamber, and timer means for automatically controlling said water supplying means, said recirculating means and said draining means according to at least one program cycle including at least a detergent wash period followed by a fresh water rinse period; the improvement comprising electrically actuated indicating lamps showing the progress of said cycle in operation, means for energizing said indicating lamps in sequence and for continuing said energizing when said latch means is moved to said released position before said cycle is completed, and means for deenergizing all of said indicating lamps when said cycle is completed.

Claim 9

In an automatic dishwashing machine including a tank defining a cleansing chamber having an opening, a closure for said opening movable between open and closed positions, a latch for said closure movable between locked and released positions, rack means within said chamber for supporting articles having food soil thereon, means for supplying water into said chamber, means for recirculating water in said chamber and spraying the water onto the articles, means for draining the water from said chamber, and timer means for automatically controlling said water supplying means, said recirculating means and said draining means according to at least one program cycle including at least a detergent wash period followed by a fresh water rinse period; the improvement comprising electrically actuated indicating lamps showing the progress of said cycle in operation, means for energizing said indicating lamps in sequence and for continuing said energizing when said latch means is moved to said released position before said cycle is completed, and means for deenergizing all of said indicating lamps when said cycle is completed.

Claim 10

In an automatic dishwashing machine including a tank defining a cleansing chamber having an opening, a door movable between open and closed positions with respect to said opening, rack means within said chamber for supporting articles having food soil thereon, means for supplying charges of water into said chamber, means for adding a cleansing agent to selected water charges, means for recirculating the water and spraying the water onto the articles, means for draining the water from said chamber, and timer means automatically controlling said water supplying means, said recirculating means and said draining means according to at least two cycles, one a complete wash-rinse-dry cycle including at least a detergent wash period followed by a fresh water rinse period and then a drying period, and the other an incomplete rinse cleansing sequence for rinsing articles to be held in the chamber and later fully cleansed; the improvement comprising sequentially actuated indicating lamps for showing the progress of the complete cycle in operation, means connected to said timer for energizing said indicating lamps and for continuing their current state of energization when said closure is moved to its open position before the complete cycle is finished, and means for deenergizing all said indicating lamps when said complete cycle is terminated, a separate indicating lamp associated with said incomplete cycle, means connected to said timer for energizing said separate lamp whenever said rinse cycle has been started and interrupted and whenever a rinse cycle is terminated, and means for extinguishing said separate lamp when another cycle is selected after completion of a rinse cycle.

Claim 11

In an automatic dishwashing machine including a tank defining a cleansing chamber having an opening, a door movable between open and closed positions with respect to said opening, rack means within said chamber for supporting articles having food soil thereon, means for supplying charges of water into said chamber, means for adding a cleansing agent to selected water charges, means for recirculating the water and spraying the water onto the articles, means for draining the water from said chamber, and timer means automatically controlling said water supplying means, said recirculating means and said draining means according to at least two cycles, one a complete wash-rinse-dry cycle including at least a detergent wash period followed by a fresh water rinse period and then a drying period, and the other an incomplete rinse cleansing sequence for rinsing articles to be held in the chamber and later fully cleansed; the improvement comprising sequentially actuated indicating lamps for showing the progress of the complete cycle in operation, means connected to said timer for energizing said indicating lamps and for continuing their current state of energization when said closure is moved to its open position before the complete cycle is finished, and means for deenergizing all said indicating lamps when said complete cycle is terminated, a separate indicating lamp associated with said incomplete cycle, means connected to said timer for energizing said separate lamp whenever said rinse cycle has been started and interrupted and whenever a rinse cycle is terminated, and means for extinguishing said separate lamp when another cycle is selected after completion of a rinse cycle.