Venturi drying exhaust duct

Abstract

An exhaust duct includes a nozzle duct and a cone duct. The nozzle duct includes a first wall forming a first aperture and including a reducing section and an expanding section. The reducing section includes a first edge and a second edge. The expanding section is mounted to the reducing section and includes a third edge and a fourth edge. The reducing section has a circumference that decreases from the first edge to the second edge. The second edge is mounted to the third edge of the expanding section. The expanding section has a circumference that increases from the third edge to the fourth edge. The cone duct includes a second wall forming a second aperture. The nozzle duct is mounted within the second aperture. An air gap is provided between an interior of the second wall and an exterior of the nozzle duct.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exhaust duct comprising:
 a nozzle duct comprising a first wall that forms a first aperture, wherein the first wall includes
 a reducing section comprising a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge; and 
 an expanding section mounted to the reducing section, the expanding section comprising a third edge and a fourth edge opposite the third edge, wherein the reducing section has a circumference that decreases from the first edge to the second edge, wherein the second edge is mounted to the third edge of the expanding section, wherein the expanding section has a circumference that increases from the third edge to the fourth edge; and 
   a cone duct, the cone duct comprising a second wall that forms a second aperture, wherein the nozzle duct is mounted within at least a portion of the second aperture,   wherein an air gap is provided between at least a portion of an interior of the second wall and at least a portion of an exterior of the nozzle duct to allow air to enter the second aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The exhaust duct of  claim 1 , wherein the cone duct has a circumference that decreases from a fifth edge to a sixth edge that is opposite the fifth edge, wherein the nozzle duct is inserted within the fifth edge. 
     
     
         3 . The exhaust duct of  claim 1 , wherein the cone duct comprises a cone section with a circumference that decreases from a fifth edge to a sixth edge that is opposite the fifth edge, wherein the nozzle duct is inserted within the fifth edge. 
     
     
         4 . The exhaust duct of  claim 3 , wherein the cone duct further comprises a spout section comprising a bottom wall portion, a top wall portion, and sidewall portions mounted between the bottom wall portion and the top wall portion, wherein the spout section extends from the sixth edge of the cone section. 
     
     
         5 . The exhaust duct of  claim 4 , wherein the bottom wall portion extends further from the sixth edge than the top wall portion. 
     
     
         6 . The exhaust duct of  claim 3 , wherein the cone duct further comprises:
 a spout section comprising a bottom wall portion, a top wall portion, and sidewall portions, a seventh edge that comprises an edge of the bottom wall portion, the top wall portion, and the sidewall portions and an eighth edge opposite the seventh edge; and   a center section comprising a ninth edge and a tenth edge opposite the ninth edge, wherein the ninth edge of the center section is mounted to the sixth edge of the cone section and the tenth edge of the center section is mounted to the seventh edge of the spout section,   wherein the bottom wall portion of the spout section extends further from the tenth edge than the top wall portion.   
     
     
         7 . The exhaust duct of  claim 6 , wherein the center section has a funnel shape. 
     
     
         8 . The exhaust duct of  claim 7 , wherein the center section has a circumference that increases from the ninth edge to the tenth edge. 
     
     
         9 . The exhaust duct of  claim 8 , wherein the ninth edge of the center section has a circular shaped circumference, and the tenth edge of the center section has a polygonal shaped circumference. 
     
     
         10 . The exhaust duct of  claim 3 , wherein the cone section has a funnel shape. 
     
     
         11 . The exhaust duct of  claim 1 , wherein the expanding section has a funnel shape. 
     
     
         12 . The exhaust duct of  claim 11 , wherein the funnel has linearly sloped walls. 
     
     
         13 . The exhaust duct of  claim 11 , wherein the funnel has curved walls. 
     
     
         14 . The exhaust duct of  claim 1 , wherein the reducing section has a funnel shape. 
     
     
         15 . The exhaust duct of  claim 14 , wherein the funnel has linearly sloped walls. 
     
     
         16 . The exhaust duct of  claim 14 , wherein the funnel has curved walls. 
     
     
         17 . The exhaust duct of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle duct is configured to mount to an exhaust channel of an exhaust blower closer to the first edge of the reducing section than to the second edge of the reducing section. 
     
     
         18 . The exhaust duct of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle duct and the cone duct are individual ducts that are fastened to each other. 
     
     
         19 . An exhaust system comprising:
 an exhaust blower comprising
 an exhaust channel; and 
 an exhaust fan mounted within the exhaust channel to move received air into the exhaust channel when the exhaust fan is on; and 
   an exhaust duct comprising
 a nozzle duct comprising a first wall that forms a first aperture, wherein the first wall includes
 a reducing section comprising a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge; and 
 an expanding section mounted to the reducing section, the expanding section comprising a third edge and a fourth edge opposite the third edge, wherein the reducing section has a circumference that decreases from the first edge to the second edge, wherein the second edge is mounted to the third edge of the expanding section, wherein the expanding section has a circumference that increases from the third edge to the fourth edge, wherein the nozzle duct is mounted to the exhaust channel of the exhaust blower with the first edge of the reducing section closer to the exhaust channel than the second edge of the reducing section; and 
 
 a cone duct, the cone duct comprising a second wall that forms a second aperture, wherein the nozzle duct is mounted within at least a portion of the second aperture, wherein an air gap is provided between at least a portion of an interior of the second wall and at least a portion of an exterior of the nozzle duct to allow air to enter the second aperture. 
   
     
     
         20 . A dishwasher comprising:
 a body;   a conduit system configured to provide washing fluid to an interior of the body; and   an exhaust system mounted to the body, the exhaust system comprising
 an intake conduit connected to receive air from the interior of the body during a drying cycle of the dishwasher; 
 an exhaust blower, the exhaust blower comprising
 an exhaust channel; and 
 an exhaust fan mounted within the exhaust channel to receive the air received into the intake conduit and to move the received air into the exhaust channel when the exhaust fan is on; and 
 
 an exhaust duct comprising
 a nozzle duct comprising a first wall that forms a first aperture, wherein the first wall includes
 a reducing section comprising a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge; and 
 an expanding section mounted to the reducing section, the expanding section comprising a third edge and a fourth edge opposite the third edge, wherein the reducing section has a circumference that decreases from the first edge to the second edge, wherein the second edge is mounted to the third edge of the expanding section, wherein the expanding section has a circumference that increases from the third edge to the fourth edge, wherein the nozzle duct is mounted to the exhaust channel of the exhaust blower with the first edge of the reducing section closer to the exhaust channel than the second edge of the reducing section; and 
 
 a cone duct, the cone duct comprising a second wall that forms a second aperture, wherein the nozzle duct is mounted within at least a portion of the second aperture, wherein an air gap is provided between at least a portion of an interior of the second wall and at least a portion of an exterior of the nozzle duct to allow air to enter the second aperture.