Fabric treating appliance comprising a scrubbing tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11332876-B2
Application number	US-201916724213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2019
Priority date	May 23, 2017
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A fabric treating appliance includes a cabinet defining 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 tub is located within the interior and includes and open top aligned with the access opening. A rotatable basket is located within the tub and has a loading opening aligned with the open top and the access opening. A top wall extends between the cabinet and the tub.

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, with the scrubbing tool removably disposed in the scrubbing tool seat such that the gripper portion is oriented up and a height of the gripper portion is such that at least a portion of the gripper portion extends above the top wall.

2. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein when the cover is in the closed position, the cover overlies the gripper portion.

3. The fabric treating appliance of claim 2 wherein the cover does not contact the gripper portion in the closed position.

4. 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.

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

6. The fabric treating appliance of claim 5 wherein at least a portion of the gripper portion extends above the shroud.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. The fabric treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the scrubbing tool comprises a compressible element.

10. The fabric treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the reservoir is configured to receive a removable chemistry pod.

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

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

13. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the scrubbing tool seat is located along a front portion of the top wall.

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

15. The fabric treating appliance of claim 14 , wherein the scrubbing surface is spaced adjacent from the scrubbing tool seat.

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

17. The fabric treating appliance of claim 1 wherein all of the gripper portion lies above the top wall.

18. 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, and the scrubbing tool having a gripper portion oriented up relative to the seat and a height of the gripper portion is such that the at least a portion of the gripper portion extends above the top wall.

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

20. The fabric treating appliance of claim 19 wherein all of the gripper portion lies above the top wall.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Carpenter Scott E

Classifications

• D06F39/12 Primary

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• A46B2200/3053

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

• D06F3/04

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

• A46B11/002

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

• D06F37/12

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