Fabric treating appliance comprising a scrubbing tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10233587-B2
Application number	US-201715602169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2017
Priority date	May 23, 2017
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A fabric treating appliance having a cabinet with an interior and having a top wall defining an access opening. A cover is provided that is movable relative to the cabinet between an open position and a closed position to selectively close the access opening. A shroud extends between the cabinet and the tub. A scrubbing tool seat is located in one of the top wall and the shroud and a scrubbing tool is removably disposed in a scrubbing tool seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric treating appliance comprising:
a cabinet defining an interior and having a top wall defining an access opening;
a cover movable relative to the cabinet between opened and closed positions to selectively close the access opening;
a tub located within the interior and having an open top aligned with the access opening;
a rotatable basket located within the tub and having a loading opening aligned with the open top and the access opening;
a top wall extending between at least one of the cabinet and the tub;
a scrubbing tool seat recessed in the top wall; and
a scrubbing tool comprising a gripper portion and a set of bristles mounted on the tool opposite the gripper portion removably disposed in the scrubbing tool seat and configured to be oriented in a bristles up or bristles down orientation within the seat such that when the scrubbing tool is disposed in the seat the height of the scrubbing tool is below the top wall.

2. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the scrubbing tool and the scrubbing tool seat are complementary in shape.

3. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the top wall comprises a shroud and the scrubbing tool seat is located in the shroud.

4. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the seat comprises an aperture fluidly coupled to the tub for allowing excess liquid from the scrubbing tool to be drained through the aperture and into the tub.

5. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the scrubbing tool comprises a cap portion removably coupled to a base portion, and a reservoir is at least partially located within the base portion.

6. The fabric treating appliance of claim 5 wherein the scrubbing tool comprises a compressible element.

7. The fabric treating appliance of claim 5 wherein the reservoir is configured to receive a removable chemistry pod.

8. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the scrubbing tool comprises a refillable liquid reservoir.

9. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the scrubbing tool comprises a gripper portion and a gap is maintained between the scrubbing tool seat and the gripper portion when the scrubbing tool is disposed in the scrubbing tool seat.

10. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the scrubbing tool seat is located beneath the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

11. The fabric treating appliance of claim 10 wherein the scrubbing tool seat is located along a front portion of the top wall.

12. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the top wall further comprises a scrubbing surface.

13. The fabric treating appliance of claim 12 , wherein the scrubbing surface is spaced adjacent from the scrubbing tool seat.

14. The fabric treating appliance of claim 12 , wherein the scrubbing surface is contiguous with at least a portion of an edge of the scrubbing tool seat.

15. A fabric treating appliance comprising:
a cabinet defining an interior and having a top wall defining an access opening;
a cover movable relative to the cabinet between opened and closed positions to selectively close the access opening;
a tub located within the interior and having an open top aligned with the access opening;
a rotatable basket located within the tub and having a loading opening aligned with the open top and the access opening;
a top wall extending between at least one of the cabinet and the tub;
a scrubbing tool seat recessed in the top wall and comprising an aperture in the seat fluidly connected to the tub to define a drain in fluid communication with the tub; and
a scrubbing tool removably disposed in the scrubbing tool seat, wherein excess liquid from the scrubbing tool can be drained through the aperture and into the tub.

16. The fabric treating appliance of claim 15 further comprising a second scrubbing tool seat.

17. The fabric treating appliance of claim 15 wherein the top wall comprises a shroud and the scrubbing tool seat is located in the shroud.

18. The fabric treating appliance of claim 15 wherein the scrubbing tool comprises a gripper portion and a gap is maintained between the scrubbing tool seat and the gripper portion when the scrubbing tool is disposed in the scrubbing tool seat.

19. The fabric treating appliance of claim 15 wherein the scrubbing tool seat is located beneath the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

20. The fabric treating appliance of claim 15 wherein the scrubbing tool seat is located along a front portion of the top wall.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Carpenter Scott E

Classifications

• D06F39/02

  Devices for adding soap or other washing agents · CPC title

• A46B11/002

  pressurised at moment of use manually or by powered means · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F3/04

  Hand rubbers, e.g. gloves with corrugated surfaces · CPC title

• D06F37/12

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis · CPC title