Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and apparatuses for providing dedicated spray coverage for silverware and dishware positioned within a silverware basket. In an example embodiment, the dishwasher includes a tub configured to receive dishware and a circulation system configured to circulate fluid within the tub. The dishwasher further includes a silverware basket disposed within the tub and comprising a handle portion and a basket portion. The basket portion is configured to receive dishware therein. The handle portion defines at least one spray jet opening that is configured to be in fluid communication with the circulation system and configured to direct fluid toward the basket portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for detecting and removing a clogging condition of a filter in a dishwasher. According to one embodiment, the method includes determining a normal water level or a normal rate of water level change for a wash cycle of the dishwasher and monitoring a water level or a rate of water level change during execution of the wash cycle. The method further includes detecting the clogging condition of the filter by detecting a deviation thereof. A current position of the wash cycle being executed may then be determined. The method further includes executing a remedial operation to facilitate removal of the clogging condition and determining if the clogging condition has been removed. Finally, the method includes resuming operation of the dishwasher at a wash cycle position based on the current position if the clogging condition has been removed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and apparatuses for providing dedicated spray coverage for silverware and dishware positioned within a silverware basket. In an example embodiment, the dishwasher includes a tub configured to receive dishware and a circulation system configured to circulate fluid within the tub. The dishwasher further includes a silverware basket disposed within the tub and comprising a handle portion and a basket portion. The basket portion is configured to receive dishware therein. The handle portion defines at least one spray jet opening that is configured to be in fluid communication with the circulation system and configured to direct fluid toward the basket portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for detecting and removing a clogging condition of a filter in a dishwasher. According to one embodiment, the method includes determining a normal water level or a normal rate of water level change for a wash cycle of the dishwasher and monitoring a water level or a rate of water level change during execution of the wash cycle. The method further includes detecting the clogging condition of the filter by detecting a deviation thereof. A current position of the wash cycle being executed may then be determined. The method further includes executing a remedial operation to facilitate removal of the clogging condition and determining if the clogging condition has been removed. Finally, the method includes resuming operation of the dishwasher at a wash cycle position based on the current position if the clogging condition has been removed.

Abstract: According to exemplary embodiments, a dishwasher or other washing appliance includes a siphon break apparatus configured to substantially prevent a siphon effect in a fluid conduit configured to drain fluid from the dishwasher or other washing appliance. The siphon break apparatus may include a body portion that may be divided by a filter into a filter chamber and a flow chamber. The filter chamber may extend perpendicularly from the flow chamber. An aperture may be defined in the filter chamber and sealed shut by a domed closure of a normally-closed umbrella valve. The domed closure may unseal from the aperture and thereby allow air to enter the filter chamber, travel through the filter and into the flow chamber so as to relieve a low pressure region and substantially prevent a siphon effect in the fluid conduit. A related method is also provided.

Abstract: A spray arm feed tube assembly for a dishwasher is provided, comprising an elongate tubular member adapted to extend from a sump of the dishwasher, through an interface, and along a tub wall of a tub portion disposed outwardly of the sump. A banding member is operably engaged with the tubular member about the interface, wherein the banding member is adapted to cooperate with the tub portion and at least one separator member, about the interface, to prevent particulate matter from passing into the sump from the tub portion about the tubular member. An associated apparatus and method are also provided.

Abstract: A screening arrangement for screening washing fluid in a dishwashing appliance is provided. Such a screening arrangement comprises intersecting wall members forming a latticework structure, defining opposing inlet and outlet planes, for receiving the washing fluid therethrough. The wall members have inlet and outlet ends disposed toward the respective inlet and outlet planes. The wall member inlet ends, in cross section, have a non-planar apex portion tapering toward the outlet plane. A circumferential member extends about a periphery of the latticework structure, and at least a portion of the circumferential member is sloped toward the latticework structure so as to direct washing fluid received thereby toward the latticework structure. An associated apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A spray arm for a dishwasher is provided, comprising a first portion having a first engaging surface extending about an outer surface periphery thereof, and a second portion having a second engaging surface extending about the outer surface thereof and complementarily configured with respect to the first engaging surface. The engaging surfaces form a laterally-extending, non-linear interface upon engagement such that the first and second portion outer surfaces are directed away from each other. The second portion also includes a flange extending about the outer surface, and disposed laterally outward of and spaced apart from the second engaging surface, to define a channel having a depth extending across the interface. A securing material is introduced into and substantially fills the channel, and extends across the interface and about the first portion outer surface periphery, to secure the first and second portions together. An associated method is also provided.

Abstract: A screening arrangement for screening washing fluid in a dishwashing appliance is provided. Such a screening arrangement comprises intersecting wall members forming a latticework structure, defining opposing inlet and outlet planes, for receiving the washing fluid therethrough. The wall members have inlet and outlet ends disposed toward the respective inlet and outlet planes. The wall member inlet ends, in cross section, have a non-planar apex portion tapering toward the outlet plane. A circumferential member extends about a periphery of the latticework structure, and at least a portion of the circumferential member is sloped toward the latticework structure so as to direct washing fluid received thereby toward the latticework structure. An associated apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A spray arm feed tube assembly for a dishwasher is provided, comprising an elongate tubular member adapted to extend from a sump of the dishwasher, through an interface, and along a tub wall of a tub portion disposed outwardly of the sump. A banding member is operably engaged with the tubular member about the interface, wherein the banding member is adapted to cooperate with the tub portion and at least one separator member, about the interface, to prevent particulate matter from passing into the sump from the tub portion about the tubular member. An associated apparatus and method are also provided.

Abstract: A spray arm for a dishwasher is provided, comprising a first portion having a first engaging surface extending about an outer surface periphery thereof, and a second portion having a second engaging surface extending about the outer surface thereof and complementarily configured with respect to the first engaging surface. The engaging surfaces form a laterally-extending, non-linear interface upon engagement such that the first and second portion outer surfaces are directed away from each other. The second portion also includes a flange extending about the outer surface, and disposed laterally outward of and spaced apart from the second engaging surface, to define a channel having a depth extending across the interface. A securing material is introduced into and substantially fills the channel, and extends across the interface and about the first portion outer surface periphery, to secure the first and second portions together. An associated method is also provided.

Abstract: A finite-state machine (30), which receives its input on INPUT lines (32) and generates its output on OUTPUT lines (34), is implemented with a content-addressable memory (46), whose output is the address of the location containing the data word presented to the content-addressable memory as its input. The content-addressable memory's input data word is the concatenation of the finite-state-machine input and the content-addressable-memory output, while the content-addressable-memory output is the output of the finite-state machine.

Abstract: A masked compare circuit for comparing a first N-bit dataword to a second N-bit dataword, the circuit including a decoder for receiving an M-bit mask code and generating an output signal identifying a bit position, K, derived from the M-bit mask code, M and K being positive integers; and a comparator module responsive to the decoder output signal for comparing the N-K+1 most significant bits of the first dataword to corresponding bits of the second dataword, the comparator module generating an output signal having a first value when all of the compared bits are the same and having a second value when any of the compared bits are different.

Abstract: A data processing system, for processing programs in the form of networks of connected processing elements each relating to an arithmetic or logical operation, includes a memory for storing code representations of the processing elements and process data, processing apparatus including address computation circuitry for generating addresses for the memory and arithmetic and logic circuitry for processing the process data. A finite state machine receives the code representations of the processing elements and generates control signals for controlling the address computation circuitry, arithmetic and logic circuitry and memory in response to the nature of the processing element.

Abstract: Each word location (18-0, 18-1, 18-255) in a content-addressable memory has a tally circuit (24-0, 24-1, 24-255) associated with it. A data word on data lines (12) is compared simultaneously with the words in all of the word locations, and the tally circuit associated with each location counts the number of matches between the key word in that location and the data word represented by the signals on the data line. The tally circuits apply tally signals representing the number of matching bits in their respective word locations to comparison circuits (28-1, 28-255), each of which compares the tally output from its associated tally circuit with the output from a previous comparison circuit and forwards the higher of the two to the next comparison circuit. Each comparison circuit also applies to a priority encoder (32) an output that indicates whether the associated tally circuit has generated a tally signal representing a tally greater than that from all previious locations.

Abstract: A comparison circuit which is both window addressable and content addressable, the circuit including comparison elements which include a pair of match transistors which isolate outputs indicating whether an input is not greater than stored data and whether an input is not less than stored data from an output indicating whether an input is equal to stored data.

Abstract: A simulator for simulating the response of a network of predefined processing elements to a set of input stimuli. The network processing elements are arrayed in a plurality of rows and columns and a representation of each element is stored in a storage location in a symbol memory, the storage locations of which have row and column addresses corresponding to the rows and columns in the network array. A control circuit iteratively receives representations from the symbol memory identifying a processing element at a location in the network and controls an arithmetic and logic unit to generate an output signal representative of the output of the corresponding processing element in response to input stimuli which are represented by data signals from a data memory and an intermediate storage register. The control circuit then controls the storage of the output signal from the arithmetic and logic unit in the data memory and the intermediate storage register.