Dishwashing appliance having an air-drying dehumidification assembly

Abstract

A dishwashing appliance may include a cabinet, a tub, a pump, a spray assembly, a fluid recirculation duct, a cold water line, and a fan or a variable-flow restrictor. The tub may define a wash chamber. The pump may be configured to deliver a wash fluid to the wash chamber. The fluid recirculation duct may extend from a path inlet to a path outlet to recirculate air within the wash chamber. The path inlet may be defined in fluid communication between the wash chamber and the path outlet. The path outlet may be defined in fluid communication between the path inlet and the wash chamber downstream from the path inlet. The cold water line may define a cold water nozzle disposed within the fluid recirculation duct to provide a condensing, coldwater flow into the fluid recirculation duct between the path inlet and the path outlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
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         15 . A dishwashing appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub housed within the cabinet and defining a wash chamber;   a pump configured to deliver a wash fluid to the wash chamber;   a spray assembly housed within the wash chamber of the tub in fluid communication with the pump to receive wash fluid therefrom;   a fluid recirculation duct extending from a path inlet to a path outlet to recirculate air within the wash chamber, the path inlet defined in fluid communication between the wash chamber and the path outlet, and the path outlet defined in fluid communication between the path inlet and the wash chamber downstream from the path inlet;   a cold water line defining a cold water nozzle disposed within the fluid recirculation duct to provide a condensing, cold-water flow into the fluid recirculation duct between the path inlet and the path outlet; and   a fan configured to selectively motivate an airflow from the path inlet to the path outlet, the fan being mounted downstream from the path inlet in upstream fluid communication with the wash chamber.   
     
     
         16 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 15 , further comprising an air sensor mounted within the wash chamber to detect an air condition therein,
 wherein the fan is a variable-speed fan is configured to vary airspeed of the airflow to provide a variable airflow based on the detected air condition.   
     
     
         17 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the air sensor comprises a temperature sensor, and wherein the detected air condition is a detected air temperature value within the wash chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the air sensor comprises a humidity sensor, and wherein the detected air condition is a detected air humidity value within the wash chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the air sensor comprises a temperature sensor, and wherein the detected air condition is a detected air temperature value within the wash chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the air sensor comprises a humidity sensor, and wherein the detected air condition is a detected air humidity value within the wash chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 16 , further comprising a variable-flow restrictor mounted to the cold water line, the variable-flow restrictor being configured to selectively vary the condensing, cold-water flow to the fluid recirculation duct. 
     
     
         22 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 21 , wherein the variable-flow restrictor is configured to vary volumetric flowrate of the condensing, cold-water flow based on the detected air condition. 
     
     
         23 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 16 , further comprising a drain line extending from a bottom end of the fluid recirculation duct to direct a collected volume of water from the fluid recirculation duct. 
     
     
         24 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 15 , further comprising a variable-flow restrictor mounted to the cold water line, the variable-flow restrictor being configured to selectively vary the condensing, cold-water flow to the fluid recirculation duct. 
     
     
         25 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 24 , further comprising an air sensor mounted within the wash chamber to detect an air condition therein,
 wherein the variable-flow restrictor is configured to vary volumetric flowrate of the condensing, cold-water flow based on the detected air condition.   
     
     
         26 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 25 , wherein the air sensor comprises a temperature sensor, and wherein the detected air condition is a detected air temperature value within the wash chamber. 
     
     
         27 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 25 , wherein the air sensor comprises a humidity sensor, and wherein the detected air condition is a detected air humidity value within the wash chamber. 
     
     
         28 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 24 , further comprising a drain line extending from a bottom end of the fluid recirculation duct to direct a collected volume of water from the fluid recirculation duct. 
     
     
         29 . The dishwashing appliance of  claim 15 , further comprising a drain line extending from a bottom end of the fluid recirculation duct to direct a collected volume of water from the fluid recirculation duct.