Water distribution control system for dishwashers with stacked baskets

摘要

The dishwasher with several baskets, usually two, has spray arms associated with each basket and ducts to feed water from the circulation pump to each arm. When the dishwasher is lightly loaded only one spray arm may be utilised and the water flow to the other is restricted by means of a selectable ball valve operation driven by the water flow. Water is fed to a spray arm through an inlet tube (23), through a strainer (25,26) to the outlet (30) through a hole (34). When a restriction of the flow is required a piston and shaft assembly (46) is lowered by means of the momentary energising of a solenoid (43) exposing an aperture below a wall (24) and a ball (35). The water then flows through the aperture, lifting the ball, to block the outlet (34).