Seal ring noise reduction for appliance pump

Abstract

An appliance pump is provided having a seal ring that can reduce or eliminate noise that can occur when e.g., the pump experiences air or an under-primed condition. The seal ring uses one or biasing members to urge the seal ring into a position to prevent rattling or other vibrations that cause such noise. The present invention also includes seal ring having such construction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump for use in an appliance, the pump comprising:
 a pump housing defining a fluid outlet;   a plate attached to the pump housing, the plate and the pump housing defining a chamber, the plate defining a fluid inlet;   an impeller received into the pump housing and configured to rotate about an axial direction to cause fluid to move between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the impeller defining an annular lip extending along the axial direction;   a seal ring defining an annular recess into which the annular lip of the impeller is received; and   a plurality of biasing members extending along the axial direction from said seal ring and configured to urge said seal ring along the axial direction and away from said pump housing.   
     
     
         2 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 1 , further comprising an annular ledge extending around the fluid inlet, wherein said biasing members extend into contact with said annular ledge. 
     
     
         3 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 2 , further comprising a base ring positioned in the fluid inlet of the plate so that the seal ring is positioned between the impeller and the base ring along the axial direction, the base ring having a sealing surface for contact with the seal ring. 
     
     
         4 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 3 , wherein the sealing surface of the base ring defines an annular groove for contact with the seal ring. 
     
     
         5 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 4 , wherein the impeller defines a radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and wherein the annular groove has a diameter larger than the seal ring such that the seal ring is movable along the radial direction. 
     
     
         6 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 3 , further comprising a strainer removably fixed into the fluid inlet of the pump so that the base ring is positioned between the strainer and the seal ring along the axial direction. 
     
     
         7 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 3 , wherein the seal ring defines a circumferential direction, and further comprising:
 a plurality of notches defined by the seal ring and spaced apart along the circumferential direction; and   a plurality of tabs extending along the axial direction from the base ring towards the pump housing, the tabs positioned in the notches defined by the seal ring.   
     
     
         8 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 1 , wherein the seal ring and biasing members are integrally formed. 
     
     
         9 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 1 , wherein the seal ring and biasing members are integrally formed from a stainless steel. 
     
     
         10 . A pump for use in an appliance as in  claim 1 , wherein the biasing members are configured to resiliently compress and extend along the axial direction relative to the seal ring. 
     
     
         11 . A dishwasher appliance, comprising
 a wash chamber having a sump portion;   a spray arm assembly for delivering fluid into the wash chamber;   a pump having a fluid inlet configured to receive fluid from the sump portion of the wash chamber and to cause fluid to be delivered to the spray arm assembly, the pump comprising:
 a pump housing having a fluid outlet; 
 a chamber cover attached to the pump housing, the chamber cover and the pump housing defining a chamber therebetween, the chamber cover defining a fluid inlet; 
 an impeller positioned in the chamber of the pump housing, the impeller rotating about an axial direction, the impeller defining a radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction, the impeller comprising an annular lip; 
 a base ring removably positioned at the fluid inlet; 
 a seal ring positioned between the base ring and the impeller, the seal ring configured to contact the impeller; and 
 a plurality of biasing members extending from the seal ring and configured to urge the seal ring along the axial direction against the base ring. 
   
     
     
         12 . A dishwasher appliance as in  claim 11 , further comprising an annular ledge extending around the fluid inlet, wherein said biasing members extend into contact with said annular ledge. 
     
     
         13 . A dishwasher appliance as in  claim 11 , further comprising a sealing surface define by the base ring, the sealing surface defining an annular groove into which the seal ring is removably received. 
     
     
         14 . A dishwasher appliance as in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an annular lip defined by the impeller; and   an annular recess defined by the seal ring, wherein the annular lip of the impeller received into the annular recess of the seal ring.   
     
     
         15 . A dishwasher appliance as in  claim 11 , further comprising a strainer removably fixed into the fluid inlet of the pump so that the base ring is positioned between the strainer and the seal ring along the axial direction. 
     
     
         16 . A dishwasher appliance as in  claim 11 , wherein the seal ring defines a circumferential direction, and further comprising:
 a plurality of notches defined by the seal ring and spaced apart along the circumferential direction; and   a plurality of tabs extending along the axial direction from the base ring towards the pump housing, the tabs positioned in the notches defined by the seal ring.   
     
     
         17 . A dishwasher appliance as in  claim 11 , wherein the seal ring and biasing members are integrally formed. 
     
     
         18 . A dishwasher appliance as in  claim 11 , wherein the seal ring and biasing members are integrally formed from a stainless steel. 
     
     
         19 . A dishwasher appliance as in  claim 11 , wherein the biasing members are configured to resiliently compress and extend along the axial direction relative to the seal ring.