Fabric treating appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10280544-B2
Application number	US-201514803424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 20, 2015
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A fabric treating appliance includes a rotatable basket defining a treating chamber for receiving a load of laundry items for treatment. The basket comprises a dual wall, having an inner wall and an outer wall, defining a space therebetween. Liquid within the treating chamber can flow through a plurality of liquid extraction perforations and into the space between the walls, where the liquid can drain downwardly out through an opening in the outer wall and into a tub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric treating appliance for treating laundry according to a cycle of operation, comprising:
a tub having a tub end and a tub peripheral wall extending from the tub end, with the tub end and the tub peripheral wall defining a tub interior, and the tub peripheral wall terminating at a tub terminal edge to define a tub access opening providing access to the tub interior;
a basket having a basket end and a basket peripheral wall extending from the basket end, with the basket end and the basket peripheral wall defining a basket interior forming at least part of a laundry treating chamber, the basket peripheral wall defining a basket access opening providing access to the basket interior, and at least a portion of the basket extends into the tub interior;
the basket end being provided with a plurality of drain holes in fluid communication with at least one drain passage in fluid communication with a basket valve configured to selectively drain liquid into the tub;
a balance ring positioned above the basket; and
a motor operably coupled to the basket and rotating the basket relative to the tub about a basket axis of rotation;
wherein the basket peripheral wall comprises an inner wall and an outer wall defining a space there between, wherein the inner and outer wall are parallel across a length of the laundry treating chamber and wherein both the inner and outer wall mount to and terminate at the balance ring, the inner wall comprising a plurality of liquid extraction perforations, with at least some of the liquid extraction perforations located exterior of the tub interior, the outer wall being imperforate opposite the exterior liquid extraction perforations, and the outer wall having a drain channel in fluid communication with the basket valve such that liquid can only be expelled from the basket through the basket valve;
whereby liquid can be extracted from laundry within the basket interior by one of rotating the basket to an extraction speed where the liquid passes through the liquid extraction perforations, contacts the outer wall, and flows through the drain channel to the basket valve and by passing liquid through the drain holes in the basket end through the at least one drain passage and to the basket valve.

2. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the space between the inner wall and the outer wall is in fluid communication with the drain channel.

3. The fabric treating appliance of claim 2 wherein the drain channel is located within the tub interior.

4. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the outer wall is rigid.

5. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the outer wall is non-rigid.

6. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the valve comprises a centrifugally-actuated valve.

7. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a liquid supply providing liquid to the basket interior.

8. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the basket axis of rotation is vertical.

9. A fabric treating appliance for treating laundry according to a cycle of operation, comprising:
a vertically-oriented tub defining a tub interior and terminating in a tub terminal edge to define a tub access opening providing access to the tub interior; and
a vertically-oriented basket having an end with a plurality of drain holes in fluid communication with at least one drain passage in fluid communication with a basket valve configured to selectively drain liquid into the tub; the basket further having a peripheral wall comprising an inner wall and an outer wall defining a space there between wherein the inner and outer wall are parallel across a length of the laundry treating chamber and wherein both the inner wall and the outer wall mount to and terminate at a balance ring, the inner wall comprising a plurality of liquid extraction perforations, with at least some of the liquid extraction perforations located exterior of the tub interior, the outer wall being imperforate opposite the exterior liquid extraction perforations, and the outer wall having a drain channel in fluid communication with the basket valve such that liquid can only be expelled from the basket through the basket valve;
whereby liquid can be extracted from laundry within the basket interior by one of rotating the basket about a vertical axis to an extraction speed where the liquid radially passes through the liquid extraction perforations, contacts the outer wall, and flows through the drain channel and basket valve and by passing liquid through the drain holes in the basket end through the at least one drain passage and to the basket valve.

10. The fabric treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the space between the inner wall and the outer wall is in fluid communication with the drain channel.

11. The fabric treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the outer wall is rigid.

12. The fabric treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the outer wall is non-rigid.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Alexander Benjamin E
• Burgess Brent M
• Cluskey Michael K
• Jones Christopher A
• Mueller Dale E

Classifications

• D06F23/04 Primary

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F21/08

  within an enclosing receptacle · CPC title

• D06F37/26

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• D06F35/007

  for spin-drying only · CPC title