US 12,419,489 B2
Dishwasher
Hyung Man Park, Seoul (KR); Jeongkon Kim, Seoul (KR); Min Jae Jeong, Seoul (KR); and Jeong In Kim, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed on Dec. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/079,283.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0194348 (KR), filed on Dec. 31, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0210344 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47L 15/48 (2006.01); A47L 15/42 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 15/488 (2013.01) [A47L 15/4257 (2013.01); A47L 15/486 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dishwasher comprising:
a tub that defines a washing space configured to accommodate objects to be washed;
a door coupled to a front of the tub and configured to open and close the tub; and
a drying device disposed at the door and configured to dry an inside of the tub, the drying device being configured to guide (i) wet air discharged from the inside of the tub and (ii) ambient air introduced from an outside of the tub,
wherein the drying device comprises:
a bracket that defines a space configured to receive the wet air and the ambient air, the bracket defining a first inlet that is in fluid communication with the outside and configured to receive the ambient air from the outside,
an impeller coupled to the bracket and configured to cause the wet air and the ambient air to be mixed, the impeller being configured to generate a flow of the mixed air, and
a cover coupled to the bracket,
wherein the bracket further defines a second inlet spaced apart from the first inlet and configured to receive the wet air from the tub, the second inlet being in fluid communication with the tub, and
wherein the drying device further comprises a valve mechanism coupled to the bracket and disposed in a flow path of the wet air, the valve mechanism being configured to open and close the second inlet and comprising:
a valve portion configured to move toward and away from the second inlet, and
an opening/closing portion coupled to the valve portion and configured to open and close the second inlet based on operation of the valve portion.