Moveable Dishwasher Nozzle for Corner Cleaning Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwashers often struggle to effectively clean dishes in hard-to-reach areas, such as the corners of racks, due to limited spray directionality and coverage, leading to incomplete washing cycles.
Innovation Solution
A dishwasher with a rotatable spraying system featuring moveable nozzles and a drive mechanism that allows emissions from the nozzles to be directed in multiple directions, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the treating chamber, including corners, without the need for excessive water usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a conventional fixed sprayer is used, then the device complexity is low, but the cleaning coverage is insufficient especially in hard-to-reach areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the nozzle moveable relative to the sprayer body through a drive mechanism. The nozzle can rotate and change its emission direction dynamically to cover different areas including hard-to-reach corners, thereby increasing cleaning coverage without requiring multiple fixed sprayers throughout the chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The sprayer system is segmented into a stationary body and a moveable nozzle component. This segmentation allows the nozzle to be independently controlled to change spray directions while the body remains fixed, enabling comprehensive coverage with a single sprayer unit rather than requiring multiple fixed units.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple fixed sprayers are installed to cover all areas, then the cleaning coverage improves, but the device complexity and water usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
By making the nozzle moveable, a single sprayer can dynamically redirect its spray to cover multiple areas sequentially, eliminating the need for multiple fixed sprayers operating simultaneously. This reduces water usage while maintaining comprehensive cleaning coverage through time-based spatial distribution of the spray.
Solution Approach 2:
The single sprayer with a moveable nozzle performs the function of multiple fixed sprayers by rotating and directing emissions to different areas. This multi-functional capability allows one device to replace several devices, reducing both the quantity of water needed and the overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If a rotatable sprayer with moveable nozzles is used, then the cleaning effectiveness in hard-to-reach areas improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sprayer is divided into a stationary body housing and a moveable nozzle assembly with its own drive mechanism. This segmentation isolates the complexity to only the necessary components (nozzle and its actuator) while keeping the main body simple and easy to install, thereby improving cleaning effectiveness without excessively increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive mechanism is operably carried by the body itself, meaning the sprayer system is self-contained and does not require external actuators or complex external control systems. The nozzle rotates and positions itself automatically through the integrated drive mechanism, reducing the need for additional external components and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher for washing dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, includes a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes for cleaning and a spraying system supplying liquid to the treating chamber and having at least one sprayer having a body mounted within the tub for rotation about a rotational axis and defining an interior, a liquid passage provided in the interior, and at least one moveable nozzle carried by the body and having at least one outlet in fluid communication with the liquid passage and a drive mechanism therefor.