Abstract: A soil sensing system is provided for a dishwasher having an interior wash chamber receiving soiled dishes wherein during a wash cycle wash liquid is sprayed throughout the wash chamber through an upper wash arm and a lower wash arm and soils are collected in a soil collector. The soil collector includes a filter screen which is backwashed by the wash arm. A pressure sensor measures the pressure within the soil collector to provide an input which corresponds to the presence of soils. In order to improve the sensitivity of the pressure based soil sensing, the lower wash arm is deactivated. Deactivating the lower wash arm ceases the backflushing of the collection chamber's filter screen and allows pressure to build within the soil collector in the presence of only light or oily soils. A response is activated if the actual pressure within the collection chamber is greater than a predetermined limit pressure.

Abstract: A wash basket alignment system for an automatic washing machine having a wash basket with a drive block partially inserted through a central aperture in the bottom wall of the wash plate. A spin drive tube extends longitudinally through the central aperture in the drive block and through the wash plate bottom wall. A hold down nut is threadingly engaged to the drive block from the inside chamber of the wash basket to position the wash basket within the wash tub. Concentric alignment of the wash basket along a central longitudinal axis decreases basket runout. Therefore, the drive block has a spherical outside surface where it abuts the conical shaped outer surface of the wash basket. The radius of the spherical outside surface intersects the central axis at a point. This configuration facilitates the sliding or moving of this juncture from a first position out of concentricity to a second position that is concentric about the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An agitator for a clothes washer having radially extending vanes and a slide member between the vanes. Vanes extend from the barrel portion of the agitator toward the outer perimeter of the skirt. The vanes have a base toward the barrel and a tip toward the outer perimeter of the skirt. The vanes have a right and a left side with each side having multiple planar faces for maximizing tip deflection. The pivot point, or connection point, of the base to the agitator has been lowered by connecting it to the center ring area of the skirt. Thus, vane breakage is reduced without decreasing washability. Slide members having a downward slope extend from the agitator barrel to the skirt at a slope less steep than the center ring area, but more steep than the slope of the skirt. These members move clothes from the barrel outward toward the perimeter of the skirt.

Abstract: A venturi tube mounting system having a removable support which supports a venturi tube from a cooktop, prior to assembling of the cooktop, without the need for a burner box and support brackets. The mounting system includes a support device with a first portion engageable to a part of the gas stove cooktop and a second portion engageable to the venturi tube. The support device may have a C-shaped extension at one end for engaging the cooktop and a support element at a second end for supporting the venturi tube. The support can be provided in various forms including a wire-form structure, a clip-type structure, a stamp-formed structure, or similar structures.

Abstract: An automatic dishwasher comprising a metal wash tub mounted to a structural frame. The metal tub comprises multiple sides, which are welded together to form a weldment. The structural frame comprises a rear leg that is positioned beneath the bottom wall of the metal tub adjacent the weldment formed by the sidewall and the bottom wall. A retainer is mounted to the face of the leg and abuts the sidewall to mount the rear of the metal tub to the structural frame. The retainer conforms to the shape of the leg, weldment, and the sidewall to apply a clamping pressure thereto to clamp the weldment and the corner of the metal tub formed by the junction of the sidewall and the bottom wall between the retainer and the leg. The retainer and the leg have positioning means and alignment means to position and align the retainer relative to the leg for quick and easy assembly.

Abstract: A hinge assembly for an oven or range that allows a door to be attached to the cooking chamber, locked in place and removed as desired. The hinge assembly includes a hanger mounted to the door and a locking arm mounted to the hanger. The oven or range chamber has at least one pin for receiving a channel on the hanger. When the locking arm is pivoted to an unlocked position with the hanger channel open, the hanger can receive or disengage the pin. When the locking arm is pivoted to an unlocked position with the hanger channel closed, the pin is trapped and the door is secured to the cooking chamber.

Abstract: An oven having a tray forming a heating element enclosure beneath an oven liner. The heating element compartment has a rear access opening. A heating element is removably supported by the tray beneath a bottom wall of the oven liner. An access panel is provided for closing the rear access opening of the heating element enclosure. The access panel is secured to the oven liner and the rear edge of the tray is fastened to the access panel. An inner chassis is disposed about the oven liner. The inner chassis includes a rear chassis panel and a chassis bottom panel having a rear edge removably attached to the rear chassis panel. A cabinet enclosure surrounds the inner chassis and includes a removable back wall. Access to the access panel is accomplished by removing the back wall and disconnecting the chassis bottom panel from the rear chassis panel such that the chassis bottom panel may be flexed to expose the access panel.

Abstract: A modular lighting assembly is provided for a refrigerator which has a molded base plate carrying a light bulb, a light switch and electrical connectors between the light switch and light bulb. The light switch may be either a plunger type switch or other types of switch such as a magnetic switch. The light is positioned adjacent to the switch so as to avoid the necessity of having a wire harness extend within the refrigerator cabinet between those two components.

Abstract: The invention is a cooktop having a heating element that is locked in place and held in place by a biasing force to eliminate the rattle of the heating element during normal use and the dislodgement of the heating element during shipping. The heating element comprises a heating coil which is supported on a spider having multiple legs. The heating coils has two terminals which are connected to a receptacle block in the cooktop. The spider has a nose formed on the end of the legs. A biasing device is positioned between the cooktop and the heating coil, preferably a spring mounted to the electrical terminals and abutting the cooktop. The biasing device biases the nose of the spider into a keyway formed in the cooktop to wedge the nose into a locking position relative to the cooktop.

Abstract: A dishwasher having a fluid recirculation system which operates in a wash mode for spraying liquid onto objects supported on dishwasher upper and lower racks. The dishwasher includes a pump having a pump impeller disposed within a pump chamber for supplying wash liquid to first and second spray devices, associated with the lower rack and upper racks, respectively. The pump impeller draws wash liquid into the pump chamber and imparts a rotary motion to the wash liquid disposed in the pump chamber. A rotatable diffuser or flow director having a plurality of vanes extending into the pump chamber selectively directs the rotating wash liquid toward the spray devices and thereby controls wash liquid recirculation within the dishwasher responsive to the rotational motion of the wash liquid in the pump chamber.