Dishwasher spray assembly with intermittently operating nozzles

Claim 2

A dishwashing machine having a washing chamber, at least one rack for supporting dishes within said chamber and apparatus for distributing wash liquid onto dishes within said rack, said apparatus comprising: a pump means having an outlet positioned below said rack for supplying wash liquid under prssure within said chamber; at least one hollow spray device rotatably mounted within said chamber in operative relation with said rack and in fluid communication with said outlet of the pump means; means for continuously rotating said spray device in a unidirectional manner; a plurality of nozzles carried by said spray device for providing fluid communication between said spray device and said washing chamber; and means for fluid-isolating at least one of said nozzles from the remainder of said plurality of nozzles and providing fluid communication between the isolated nozzle and the outlet of said pump means only during a select portion of each unidirectional revolution of said spray device as said spray device rotates about said outlet so that wash liquid is intermittently supplied to said one nozzle and continuously supplied to the remainder of said plurality of nozzles.

Claim 3

A dishwashing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for fluid-isolating at least one of said nozzles from the remainder of said plurality of nozzles and providing fluid communication between said one of the nozzles and the outlet of the pump means includes a tube-like member having one end thereof connected to said one of the plurality of nozzles and another end thereof in operative relation with said outlet of the pump means so as to fluid-isolate said one nozzle from the remaining plurality of nozzles whereby wash liquid is intermittently supplied to said one nozzle and continuously supplied to the remainder of said plurality of nozzles.

Claim 4

A dishwashing machine having a washing chamber, a rack for supporting dishes within said chamber and apparatus for spraying wash liquid onto dishes within said rack, said apparatus comprising: a conduit within said washing chamber positioned below said rack and having a plurality of apertures along a peripheral side wall of said conduit, at least one of said plurality of apertures being axially spaced from the remaining plurality of apertures; a pump means associated with said conduit for supplying washing liquid under pressure through said conduit; a hollow spray device rotatably mounted on said conduit adjacent said plurality of apertures so as to provide fluid communication between said conduit and said hollow spray device; a plurality of nozzles carried by said spray device for providing fluid communication between said spray device and said washing chamber; means for continuously rotating said spray device unidirectionally; and means for fluid-isolating at least one of said nozzles from the remaining plurality of nozzles and providing fluid communication between said fluid-isolated nozzles and said one axially spaced aperture of the conduit so as to provide select fluid communication between said one nozzle and said conduit as said spray device unidirectionally rotates about said conduit so that wash liquid is intermittently supplied to said fluid-isolated nozzles and continuously supplied to the remainder of said plurality of nozzles.

Claim 5

A dishwashing machine having a washing chamber, a rack for supporting dishes within said chamber and apparatus for spraying wash liquid onto dishes within said rack, said apparatus comprising: a conduit within said washing chamber positioned below said rack and having a plurality of apertures along a peripheral side wall of said conduit, at least one of said plurality of apertures being axially spaced from the remaining plurality of apertures; a pump means associated with said conduit for supplying washing liquid under pressure through said conduit; a hollow spray device rotatably mounted on said conduit adjacent said plurality of apertures so as to provide fluid communication between said conduit and said hollow spray device; a plurality of nozzles carried by said spray device for providing fluid communication between said spray device and said washing chamber; means for continuously rotating said spray device unidirectionally; and means for fluid-isolating at least one of said nozzles from the remaining plurality of nozzles and providing fluid communication between said fluid-isolated nozzles and said one axially spaced aperture of the conduit so as to provide select fluid communication between said one nozzle and said conduit as said spray device unidirectionally rotates about said conduit so that wash liquid is intermittently supplied to said fluid-isolated nozzles and continuously supplied to the remainder of said plurality of nozzles.

Claim 6

A dishwashing machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for fluid-isolating at least one of said nozzles from the remaining plurality of nozzles includes a tube-like member carried by said spray device; said tube-like member having one end in fluid communication with said one fluid-isolated nozzle and another end thereof adjacent and openly facing said one axially spaced aperture of the conduit; said other end of the tube-like member being exposed to said one axially spaced aperture of the conduit during only a portion of the tube-like member path of travel as said spray device unidirectionally rotates, whereby said tube-like member is in fluid communication with said conduit only when said other end of the tube-like member passes before said one axially spaced aperture of the conduit.

Claim 7

A dishwashing machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said conduit includes at least two separate apertures in a side wall of said conduit, said apertures being axially spaced from each other so that one of said apertures is in fluid communication with said one nozzle and the other of said apertures is in fluid communication with said remaining plurality of nozzles.

Claim 8

A dishwashing machine having a washing chamber, at least one rack for supporting dishes within said chamber and an apparatus for distributing wash liquid onto dishes within said rack, said apparatus comprising: a pump means having an outlet positioned below said rack for supporting wash liquid under pressure within said chamber; said outlet including a plurality of apertures along side walls thereof and at least two of said apertures being axially spaced from one another; at least one hollow spray device rotatably mounted within said chamber in operative relation with said rack and in fluid communication with said outlet; a plurality of nozzles carried by said spray device for providing fluid communication between said spray device and said washing chamber; and at least one tube-like member mounted within said spray device having an outer end thereof in fluid communication with a select one of said plurality of nozzles and having an inner end thereof adjacent and openly facing said outlet side walls along a portion thereof encompassing only one of the axially spaced apertures therein; whereby said tubular member is in fluid communication with said outlet only when said inner end of the tube-like member passes before the encompassed aperture as said spray device rotates about said outlet.

Claim 9

A dishwashing machine having a washing chamber, at least one rack for supporting dishes within said chamber and an apparatus for distributing wash liquid onto dishes within said rack, said apparatus comprising: a pump means having an outlet positioned below said rack for supporting wash liquid under pressure within said chamber; said outlet including a plurality of apertures along side walls thereof and at least two of said apertures being axially spaced from one another; at least one hollow spray device rotatably mounted within said chamber in operative relation with said rack and in fluid communication with said outlet; a plurality of nozzles carried by said spray device for providing fluid communication between said spray device and said washing chamber; and at least one tube-like member mounted within said spray device having an outer end thereof in fluid communication with a select one of said plurality of nozzles and having an inner end thereof adjacent and openly facing said outlet side walls along a portion thereof encompassing only one of the axially spaced apertures therein; whereby said tubular member is in fluid communication with said outlet only when said inner end of the tube-like member passes before the encompassed aperture as said spray device rotates about said outlet.

Claim 10

A dishwashing machine as defined in claim 6 which includes a silverware basket mounted on a closure member of said machine and the encompassed aperture has lateral peripheral boundaries which define with the axial center of said outlet an angle encompassing an area within said washing chamber corresponding to that occupied by said basket.

Claim 11

A dishwashing machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said encompassed aperture is aligned with said silverware basket so that the select one of said plurality of nozzles operates only when the select nozzle passes said silverware basket.

Claim 12

In a dishwashing appliance, means forming a treatment zone for receiving articles to be washed in separate areas within said zone; means including conduit means for pressurizing a supply of washing liquid and driving said supply of washing liquid in the form of a stream; a rotatable spray device having a plurality of passage means formed therein including at least one passage which has an opening inlet end at the radially innermost end thereof; hub means selectively interconnecting said spray device and said conduit means and having a first plurality of circumferentially spaced openings for intermittent registration with said open inlet end of the one passage within the spray device, whereby the pressurized stream intermittently directs a supply of washing liquid to a select one of said separate areas in said zone via said one passage within the spray device and continuously directs a supply of washing liquid to the remainder of said separate areas; and means for continuously rotating said spray device in one direction only during the operation of the dishwashing appliance.

Claim 13

In a dishwashing appliance, means forming a treatment zone for receiving articles to be washed in separate areas within said zone; means including conduit means for pressurizing a supply of washing liquid and driving said supply of washing liquid in the form of a stream; a rotatable spray device having a plurality of passage means formed therein including at least one passage which has an opening inlet end at the radially innermost end thereof; hub means selectively interconnecting said spray device and said conduit means and having a first plurality of circumferentially spaced openings for intermittent registration with said open inlet end of the one passage within the spray device, whereby the pressurized stream intermittently directs a supply of washing liquid to a select one of said separate areas in said zone via said one passage within the spray device and continuously directs a supply of washing liquid to the remainder of said separate areas; and means for continuously rotating said spray device in one direction only during the operation of the dishwashing appliance.

Claim 14

In a dishwashing appliance as defined in claim 9 wherein said plurality of passage means within the spray device includes other passages formed with open inlet ends at the radially innermost end thereof but spaced axially and separate from said open inlet end of the one passage within said spray device; and said hub means includes a second plurality of circumferentially spaced openings axially spaced from said first plurality of openings therein, said second plurality of circumferentially spaced openings being disposed in continuous register with said open inlet ends of said other passages.

Claim 15

In a dishwashing appliance as defined in claim 9 wherein said means for continuously rotating said spray device in one direction only comprises reaction spray nozzles fed by said passage means.