Removable Granule Basket Valve for Dishwasher Granule Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art granule collectors in dishwashers are inefficient in both adding and removing granules due to their shape and position, leading to granules often remaining in the tank or falling into conduits during collection.
Innovation Solution
A granule valve arrangement featuring a removable granule basket with a valve system that can switch between closed and open positions, allowing for efficient addition and collection of granules, including a cylindrical design with specific perforations and connections to prevent granule passage during liquid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate granule collector is used to collect granules during separation cycle, then granule collection is achieved, but granules remain in the tank and may fall into conduits when the collector is removed
Solution Approach 1:
The granule collector is designed with a movable bottom closure that can dynamically open and close. During the separation cycle, the closure remains closed to collect granules efficiently. When collection is complete, the closure opens to allow remaining granules to discharge completely into the tank, preventing granule loss when the collector is removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary granule collection with the closure closed, then automatically opens the closure to complete the discharge process before the collector is removed from the tank. This preliminary discharge action ensures no granules are left behind that could fall into conduits during removal.
2Ease of operation
If the granule collector is positioned in the tank, then granule collection is possible, but the shape and position prevent efficient addition and collection of granules
Solution Approach 1:
The granule collector is segmented into an upper granule storage chamber and a lower discharge section with a movable bottom closure. This segmentation allows granules to be efficiently added to the upper chamber while the lower section with the movable closure enables rapid collection and complete discharge, resolving the contradiction between ease of addition and collection speed.
3Reliability
If circulation of total tank volume is used for granule collection, then most granules can be collected, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The movable bottom closure extracts the discharge function from the main collector body. This allows granules to be quickly discharged directly into the tank without requiring complete circulation of the tank volume, achieving both collection completeness and time efficiency by eliminating the need for prolonged circulation cycles.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
1. A granule valve arrangement for a granule dishwashing apparatus, comprising a removable granule basket (117;117a) removably arranged on a granule valve (118;118a), said granule valve (118;118a) is arranged to be altered between a closed position, wherein a valve head (136;136a) covers an aperture (138;138) in the bottom (139;139a) of the granule basket (117;117a) for collecting granules in the granule basket (117;117a), and an open position, wherein the valve head (136;136a) is moved upwards so that granules can pass from the granule basket through the aperture in the bottom (139;139a) of the granule basket into the granule valve (118;118a).