Agitator assembly with scrub brush for a fabric treating appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151058-B2
Application number	US-201715687843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A fabric treating appliance having an agitator assembly comprising a base including at least one vane, and a tower extending upwardly from the base and terminating in an upper end having a recess. The agitator includes a cap having a top and a bottom that is removably mounted to the tower. A scrub brush is carried by the cap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agitator assembly for a fabric treating appliance comprising:
a base;
a tower extending upwardly from the base and terminating in an upper end having a recess;
at least one vane located on the base;
a cap having a top and a bottom; and
a scrub brush having bristles extending outwardly from the bottom of the cap;
wherein the cap is removably mounted to the tower and when the cap is mounted to the tower, the cap confronts the upper end of the tower and at least a portion of the bristles extend downward and are received in the recess in the upper end of the tower.

2. The agitator assembly of claim 1 wherein the bristles are provided only on the bottom of the cap.

3. The agitator assembly of claim 1 wherein the cap is threadably mounted to the upper end.

4. The agitator assembly of claim 1 wherein the cap defines a treating chemistry reservoir.

5. The agitator assembly of claim 4 wherein the cap has at least one dispensing opening fluidly coupling the treating chemistry reservoir to the scrub brush.

6. The agitator assembly of claim 5 wherein the cap further comprises a valve selectively opening/closing the dispensing opening.

7. The agitator assembly of claim 6 wherein the cap further comprises a valve actuator selectively actuating the valve.

8. The agitator assembly of claim 7 wherein the valve actuator comprises a button accessible from the exterior of the cap.

9. The agitator assembly of claim 1 further comprising a scrubbing surface located on the upper end.

10. The agitator assembly of claim 9 wherein the scrubbing surface is perforated.

11. The agitator assembly of claim 10 wherein the scrubbing surface comprises a mesh.

12. The agitator assembly of claim 11 further comprising a frame supporting the mesh is in a spaced relationship to the upper end.

13. The agitator assembly of claim 9 wherein the upper end comprises a liquid passage located beneath the upper end.

14. The agitator assembly of claim 9 wherein the scrubbing brush confronts the scrubbing surface when the cap is mounted to the upper end.

15. The agitator assembly of claim 1 wherein the cap comprises a pass through opening fluidly coupled to a dispensing cup.

16. An agitator assembly for a fabric treating appliance comprising:
a base;
a tower extending upwardly from the base and terminating in an upper end having a recess;
at least one vane located on the base;
a cap having a top and a bottom, the cap being removably mounted to the tower; and
a scrub brush having bristles extending from only the bottom of the cap;
wherein when the cap is mounted to the tower, the bottom of the cap confronts the upper end of the tower and the scrub brush is located between the upper end and the bottom wherein at least a portion of the bristles extend downward and are received in the recess in the upper end of the tower.

17. The agitator assembly of claim 16 wherein the cap defines a treating chemistry reservoir.

18. The agitator assembly of claim 17 wherein the cap has at least one dispensing opening fluidly coupling the treating chemistry reservoir to the scrub brush.

19. The agitator assembly of claim 16 further comprising a scrubbing surface located on the upper end.

20. The agitator assembly of claim 16 wherein further comprising a dispensing cup in the upper end and the cap comprises a pass through opening fluidly coupled to the dispensing cup.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Carpenter Scott E
• Lorenz Orrin P
• Luckman Joel A

Classifications

• D06F39/024 Primary

  mounted on the agitator or the rotating drum; Free body dispensers · CPC title

• A46B2200/3053

  Clothes brush, i.e. brushes specifically designed for cleaning clothes · CPC title

• A46B11/0062

  Brushes where the reservoir is specifically intended for being refilled when empty · CPC title

• A46B9/005

  where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper · CPC title

• D06F13/00

  Washing machines having receptacles, stationary for washing purposes, with agitators therein contacting the articles being washed  (plungers or the like adapted for removable mounting on receptacles D06F5/04) · CPC title