Dishwasher Siphon Break Valve With Filtered Air Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dishwashers often experience a siphon effect during the drain cycle, where water is either pulled out of the washing chamber prematurely or back into it due to pressure imbalances in the drain hose, leading to inefficient washing and potential contamination, despite existing solutions like vent hoses and check valves which may not function properly.
Innovation Solution
A siphon break apparatus comprising a body portion with an internal cavity, a filter chamber, and an umbrella valve that selectively allows air to enter to relieve pressure imbalances, preventing the siphon effect by maintaining a seal or allowing fluid communication between the internal cavity and the external environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vent hose and check valve are employed to prevent the siphon effect, then the siphon effect may be relieved, but the solutions may not function properly due to improper installation or check valve leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the check valve function from a separate component and integrates it into the siphon break apparatus itself. The umbrella valve is built into the housing with the filter chamber, eliminating the need for a separate check valve component while maintaining reliable siphon prevention functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple functions into a single integrated apparatus: the siphon break function, the filter function, and the check valve function are all combined in one unit. The housing contains both the filter chamber and the umbrella valve mechanism, creating a unified component that addresses multiple drain system issues simultaneously.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the drain hose is configured to travel upwardly and then downwardly to resist backflow, then backflow resistance is improved, but a siphon effect occurs that pulls water out of the washing chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The siphon break apparatus acts as an intermediary device installed in the drain hose. It introduces a controlled air entry point through the umbrella valve mechanism that mediates the pressure differential causing the siphon effect, allowing air to enter and break the siphon while maintaining the upward-then-downward hose configuration for backflow resistance.
3Reliability
If an umbrella valve is used to seal the aperture, then pressure equalization is achieved, but the apparatus requires a complex internal cavity and filter chamber structure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a nested structure where the filter chamber is contained within the housing, and the umbrella valve is integrated into the filter chamber assembly. The stem of the umbrella valve extends through the housing wall, creating a compact nested arrangement that achieves pressure equalization functionality without requiring a overly complex external structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively prevents the siphon effect by equalizing pressure and reducing the risk of water backflow or premature drainage, ensuring proper fluid management within the dishwasher.
Implementation Method 1
a siphon effect may occur. The siphon effect may act by way of atmospheric pressure pushing water up the drain hose into a reduced pressure region at the top of the drain hose
Implementation Method 2
The siphon effect may thus cause the undesirable result that water is pulled from the washing cavity through the drain pump and out the drain hose after the drain pump has stopped operating
Data Source
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AI summary
According to exemplary embodiments, a dishwasher (10) or other washing appliance includes a siphon break apparatus (100) config- ured to substantially prevent a siphon effect in a fluid conduit config- ured to drain fluid from the dishwasher or other washing appliance. The siphon break apparatus (100) may include a body portion (102) that may be divided by a filter (118) into a filter chamber (120) and a flow chamber (122). The filter chamber (120) may extend perpen- dicularly from the flow chamber (122). An aperture (114) is defined in the filter chamber (120) and sealed shut by a domed closure (134) of a normally-closed umbrella valve (132). The domed closure (134) may unseal from the aperture (114) and thereby allow air to enter the filter chamber (120), travel through the filter (118) and into the flow cham- ber (122) so as to relieve a low pressure region and substantially pre- vent a siphon effect in the fluid conduit. A related method is also pro- vided.