Maytag Corporation

Other

Whirlpool Corporation

John Henry Miilu

Barry E Tuller

Thomas M Johnson

Christopher Wayne Vaughn

Karl R C Wendt

Anthony Lewis Durfee

Chad M Thomas

Ginger L Allen

Kory A Gunnerson

Heather M Hagans

Christopher Lynn Flowers

John Trevor Morrison

Karl R Wendt

A dishwasher, including a tub provided with a front lip, has a front door provided with alignment structure on an inner bottom portion which is designed to abut and deflect the front lip, when the front lip is bowed or otherwise deformed, to control the relative positioning between the door and the frontal lip in order to prevent the development of a leakage gap or undesirable engagement between the door and lip. The alignment feature preferably includes at least one cam rib located on the lower underside of the door, as well as adjacent abutment rib(s) adapted to extend toward the front lip of the tub when the door is opened. The cam rib functions to guide the lip along a smooth surface when the tub is bowed or otherwise significantly shifted from a design position to assure quiet shifting of the door, while the abutment rib functions to prevent the development of a potential leakage gap between the front lip and the door.

Tub lip alignment system for a dishwasher

An improved turbidity sensor is provided with a pair of spaced apart arms respectively housing a light transmitter and a light receiver, with the receiver adapted to sense the light from the transmitter and generate a corresponding output signal. The opposing surfaces of the arms adjacent the transmitter and receiver are flame treated for approximately one second each so as to raise the surface energy such that bubble-induced noise is reduced or eliminated for a more accurate output signal.

Flame treated turbidity sensor

A clip is provided for mounting in a dishwasher rack to hold objects to be washed. The clip includes a base having opposite ends with an opening adjacent each end so that the clip can be mounted on at least a pair of rack tines. At least one resilient tab extends upwardly from the base and is adapted to retain a cup or other object in the rack. Mounting the clip on at least a pair of tines provides strength and stability for the clip.

Dishwasher rack clip

Dishwasher rack clip design

Dishwasher utility basket

A membrane switch incorporated in a control panel of a domestic washing appliance is vented through a labyrinth venting arrangement composed of a long, small diameter, twisting passage, including concentric arcuate sections and an intermediate portion. The venting arrangement establishes an effective barrier to fluids and other moisture, while accommodating the free passage of gases. In the most preferred form, the labyrinth venting arrangement is formed by cutting a channel into a supporting plastic assembly and then adhesive bonding a control plate incorporating the membrane switch over the labyrinth feature to complete the passage. One end of the passage is open to atmosphere by way of a slot in the supporting plastic assembly, while the other end joins the venting path with the membrane switch.

Membrane switch venting arrangement for washing appliance

Growing community of inventors

Jackson, TN, United States of America

John Henry Miilu