General Electric Company

General Electric Corporation Gmbh

Donald S Cushing

Thomas E Jenkins

Thomas E Nelson

Harold B Harms

Thomas M Hahn

Robert R Sisler

Lauren W Guth

Samuel J Woolley

Keith W Gerdes

Richard F Broo

William M Hood

Tsung K Chang

John P Barrett

Richard A Morgan

Gene D Lester

An apparatus for pumping fluid such as an integral pump/motor is provided. A housing having an inlet and an outlet has a rotatable assembly including an impeller located within and adapted to rotate within the housing to move fluid through the housing from the inlet to the outlet. Secured to the exterior of the housing is a stationary assembly for applying an electromagnetic field through the housing to and around the impeller to rotate the impeller and thereby to cause it to move fluid through the housing. The apparatus is for use in a cooling system, such as a cooling system of an automobile engine, to pump fluid through the cooling system. A temperature sensor is provided for sensing the temperature of the fluid within the cooling system. An electronic control, responsive to the temperature sensor, supplies electrical power to stationary assembly. Also, a method of circulating fluid within a system, such as a cooling system of an automobile engine, is disclosed. An electromagnetic field is applied through a housing to and around a rotatable assembly including an impeller located in the housing thereby to axially rotate the impeller and cause it to move fluid through the housing.

Electronically commutated motor driven apparatus including an impeller

A cabinet assembly for a refrigerator having a freezer compartment on top, a fresh food compartment on the bottom and a hot liquid anti-sweat loop. The cabinet assembly outer sheet metal shell has a top panel, side panels and a front face with the front face formed to provide a first U-shaped portion which includes a first outer wall perpendicular to the side panel to form a corner and a second inner wall spaced from the first outer wall and both walls being connected by a first reverse bend portion. The second inner wall being reversely bent to form a third wall and provide a second U-shaped portion formed between the second inner wall and the third wall. The first, second and third walls being in spaced parallel planes and the third wall being bent at a right angle to form a flange having a free edge. Braces are located at both of the top front corners of the cabinet and these braces have two formed sections at right angles to each other and each section is formed as an inwardly open U-shaped channel having a base, a first leg and a second leg spaced apart and integrally joined to the base. The base is adjacent the rear surface of the third wall of the front face with the first leg parallel to and abutting the side panel of the cabinet and the second leg parallel to and abutting the flange of the front face. The second leg of the corner brace is fastened to the flange of the third wall of the front face and the hot liquid anti-sweat loop is secured to the braces.

Refrigerator with anti-sweat hot liquid loop

A refrigerator cabinet having an outer metal case including side walls and a top wall, a plastic inner liner and a partition separating a freezer and fresh food compartments and separate front door openings. A front face is formed along the front edge of the side walls and top wall defining the door openings. The front face along each side wall is provided with a first pair of vertically spaced openings arranged in the area adjacent the partition and a lower pair of vertically spaced openings arranged in the lower end of the front face. A support frame system is provided including vertically extending side support bars, each having pairs of vertically spaced upper and lower openings dimensioned to align with the upper and lower openings in the front face. An upper cross member extending between the side walls is positioned adjacent the front portion of the partition and a lower cross member extending between the lower edge portion of the side walls. The upper and lower cross members include a pair of vertically spaced openings adjacent each end thereof which are cooperatively arranged relative to the upper and lower pair of vertically spaced openings in the front face and support bar. Securing means cooperating with the aligned upper and lower pairs of vertically spaced openings in the front face, support bar and their respective cross members for securely holding the cross members substantially perpendicular relative to the cabinet side walls to thereby insure that the front door openings are maintained in a substantially square relationship.

Refrigerator cabinet and method of assembly

A timer comprising a driven control cam having a first and second cam track. First and second resilient arms carry opposing contacts and the second arm has a lateral projection in the direction of the second cam track. A cam following member extending between the second arm and first cam track is biased into cam-following engagement with the first cam track by the second arm. A spring biased pivotal rocker arm having at one end a cam follower portion and at the other end a lifter portion. During rotation of the control cam, the cam following member and first cam track are operative to prevent closing the contacts. The cam following member and firt cam track further being operative to release the cam following member from the first cam track and close the contact. The rocker arm and second cam track being operative to pivot the rocker arm so the lifter portion engages the lateral projection of the second arm and opens the contacts. In addition, there is a mechanism to reset the time for subsequent cycling as mentioned above.

Timer mechanism with improved interval accuracy

A dishwashing machine including upper and lower dish supporting racks and a liquid wash spray assembly having a rotating arm for spraying water upwardly on the lower dish load and an extendable top wash tube which sprays liquid at an intermediate level between the upper and lower dish supporting racks in the machine. A liquid diverting system provides means for automatically alternating the flow of water between the rotating spray arm and the extendable top spray tower. Water is directed continuously to a jet port on the spray arm which insures that the arm will continue to rotate independent of the liquid diverting system when the water is diverted to the top spray tower. The spray arm and tower each deliver effective water flow on an alternating basis while the overall flow rate and the total water consumption is reduced.

Multiple spray distribution system for a domestic dishwasher

An improved electromechanical timer for accurately controlling relatively short time intervals, such as fill time intervals for washing appliances. A cam-actuated switch includes a first cam-following member rigidly supported from a first contact arm and a second cam-following member movably, preferably pivotally, supported from the first cam-following member. The switch actuating control cam is of the circumferential edge track type rotatably driven by a timer motor. The first cam-following member is biased into cam-following engagement with the cam track by the resiliency of the contact arm. The second cam-following member extends between the cam track and a second contact arm and is biased into cam-following engagement with the track by the second contact arm. The cam track includes a plurality of arcuate segments of different fixed radii. The first and second contact arms are held out of electrical contact with each other by the cam-following members when the cam-following members concurrently engage segments of equal radii and are permitted to move into electrical contact with each other when the second cam-following member engages an arcuate segment of lesser radius than that concurrently engaged by the first cam-following member. The time period during which the cam-actuated switch remains closed is a function of the distance between trailing edges of the cam-following members.

Electromechanical timer with improved short interval accuracy

An electromechanical timer arrangement includes a rotatable cam having a cam surface for actuating an associated switch. An inhibit member is movable between an active position and an idle position. In its active position, the member engages the switch and prevents cam actuation of the switch. In its idle position, the member permits normal cam actuation of the switch. In controlling a dishwasher the active and idle positions are user-selected non-heated and heated drying cycles and the switch controls energization of the heater. The cam surface is contoured to close the switch for heated drying. Moving the member to its active position opens the switch, regardless of the cam position, for non-heated drying.

Switch inhibitor for timers

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, an electromechanical timer employs a manually operable actuator, a pawl and a control cam cooperatively arranged to provide a push to start capability. The control cam is carried on a shaft having a longitudinal bore formed therein. The actuator is slidably received in the bore for axial movement between a neutral position and an actuating position. One end of the actuator extends from the shaft for manual operation. The other end has an axial cam surface formed thereon. The pawl is mounted for pivotal movement between a rest position and a cocked position and spring biased to its rest position. A cam follower extends from the pawl into the path of the axial cam surface of the actuator for camming engagement between pawl and actuator. A ratchet tooth is formed on the control cam for engagement by the pawl. Manual movement of the actuator from its neutral position to its actuating position moves the pawl to its cocked position, thereby storing energy in the biasing spring. Movement of the actuator back to its neutral position releases the pawl. Energy stored in the spring is utilized to drive the pawl to its rest position. In moving from its cocked position to its rest position, the pawl drivingly engages the ratchet tooth formed on the control cam and moves the control cam from its idle position. In moving from its idle position the control cam closes a switch to initiate timer operation.

Manually actuated timer for appliances

In a washing appliance, such as a dishwasher, employing a high watt density heater for heating washing liquid in the wash chamber of the appliance, a control circuit which integrates a liquid level sensor employed for positive liquid fill control and heater protection with the sequence controller to prevent damage to the heater in the event of a malfunction of the liquid level sensor which causes the sensor to indicate a full liquid level regardless of the actual liquid level in the wash chamber. The level sensor includes a switch which assumes a reset position when the sensed liquid level is less than a full level and a full position when the sensed liquid level equals the full level. The switch is operative in its reset position to enable liquid fill and prevent heater energization and in its full position to terminate fill and enable heater energization. In a preferred form of the invention, first and second switches controlled by the sequence controller for actuation in a predetermined sequence at the end of the drain cycle are arranged in combination with the level sensor controlled switch. This switch arrangement is operative to prevent continued cyclic operation of the appliance by interrupting energization of the sequence controller timer motor in the event the level sensor controlled switch fails to assume its reset position at the end of the drain cycle.

Heater protection arrangement for a washing appliance

A switch and latch arrangement for use in a washing appliance of the type providing for user selection of one of two dry cycle options in which option selection is coupled to the door latch mechanism in such a manner that movement of the door latch means from a latched to an unlatched position assures that a predetermined one of said options is automatically selected, requiring manual override at that selection by the user after latching the door if the other option is desired. In an illustrative embodiment, the switch and latch arrangement is used in a dishwasher which provides for user selection of a non-heated dry option or a heated dry option. An option selection button, movable between a first portion for enabling the non-heated option and a second position for enabling the heated dry option is provided. The selection button is mechanically coupled to movement of the door latch handle in such a manner that in response to movement of the latch handle from its latched position to its unlatched position the selection button will always assume its first position.

Automatic resetting power saver switch for dishwasher

An arrangement for stabilizing the in and out movement of a dishwasher dishrack which produces a precise guidance of the rack during its movement, including a stabilizer axle mounted to the rack and extending normally to the direction of movement. Friction rollers are fixed at either end of the stabilizer axle, spring-biased into engagement with an interior surface of the dishwasher cabinet, the constrained simultaneous rotation of each wheel serving to precisely control the movement and attitude of the rack during in and out movement. The spring-bias also preloads the rack mounting components to provide a vertical stabilizing effect. The stabilizer axle is mounted to specially configured rear corner brackets, housing spring-biased plungers which rotatably mount the axle, while producing the upward biasing thereof.

Stabilizing arrangement for movably mounted drawer or rack

An arrangement for oscillating a rotating dishwasher spray arm about its longitudinal axis to direct the jet sprays at the dishware items at various differing angles including forward, reverse and vertical inclinations to increase coverage and to improve the jet spray washing action by reducing shadowing. The oscillation is produced by a drive gear and crank mechanism driven by a fixed reaction gear as the spray arm rotates. Jet reaction forces are utilized to rotate the spray arm and are related with respect to the axis of rotation of the spray arm so that the resultant torque causing rotation of the spray arm does not significantly vary as the spray arm is oscillated to insure the proper rotational speed of the spray arm. The frequency of oscillation relative to the frequency of rotation is selected to be such that a number of differing jet spray angles are produced for each rotational position of the spray arm in successive revolutions thereof to minimize shadowing effects. Particular mounting details for the spray arm accommodate the simultaneous rotation and oscillation and allow the supply of washing liquid via the mounting structure.

Dishwasher with oscillating rotary spray arm

An automatic dishwashing machine is provided with bypass soil-collecting and filter means disposed independent of the sump whereby food soil suspended in the recirculating washing liquid is filtered and collected in a receptacle during the washing/rinsing operation. It includes supplemental liquid collecting means disposed in a flow path separate and upstream of the soil-collecting means and operative to channel an additional quantity of recirculating washing liquid to the soil-collecting means. Drain means removes the washing liquid and the filtered food soil from the receptacle during the drain cycle.

Dishwasher with improved bypass filter arrangement

A dishwashing apparatus having two dispensers operable at preselected times in a dishwashing cycle for dispensing treating additives such as detergent and a rinse aid additive. The dispensers are arranged so that in response to a programmer-timer controlled cam an interlock device to which the detergent dispenser cover is mounted is released and the cover swings away from the dispenser container opening. The interlock includes a shaft integral with a handle used to close the dispenser cover, the other end of the shaft having a unitary detent member secured for rotation with said shaft, said detent including a plurality of latching extensions for operative engagment with the timer controlled cam. Mounted adjacent the detergent dispensing mechanism is the rinse aid dispenser which is also activated by the interlock device. One of the latching members holds the shaft from rotation until the detergent is required, and another of the latching members holds the shaft from rotation until the rinse aid is required. After a complete wash and rinse operation the rinse aid device is held in an inoperative position until the detergent cup cover is closed by the operator.

Dishwasher multiple additive dispensing apparatus

A dishwasher control circuit including a single-pole, double-throw door interlock switch and a water level sensing means, which sensing means includes a single-pole, double-throw switch. The sensing means switch connects the water inlet valve control solenoid and the drain valve control under normal operating conditions, and connects in series a direct power line and the pump motor and drain solenoid during flooding conditions. The control provides continuous protection against flooding in the dishwasher.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

Donald S Cushing