The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 17, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 02, 1996
Prabhat Kumar Tekriwal, Schenectady, NY (US);
Andrew Joseph Spanyer, Louisville, KY (US);
Joseph Duane Tobbe, Taylorsville, KY (US);
Dennis Lee Heinz, Floyd Knobs, IN (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A spray-arm assembly comprises a convergent base section having a bell mouth, a throat section, and a cylindrical housing that extends axially along the periphery of the throat section, a lower cylindrical conduit section and an upper cylindrical conduit section, and a divergent diffuser section having an entry area and an exit area. In one embodiment of the instant invention, a drainage groove is disposed within the diffuser section in order to facilitate the drainage of excess water from the spray-arm assembly once a washing or rinsing phase of operation is completed. In another embodiment of the instant invention, at least one drainage notch is formed at the mouth of the divergent diffuser section in order to create a drainage passage between the divergent section and the convergent base section. In another embodiment of the instant invention, a plurality of ribs are disposed on an inner bottom surface of the convergent base section so as to provide a temporary collection location for food particles that flow to this location during drainage. Food particles disposed in these ribs can be readily purged from the area during a flush-out mode of operation.