Fluid delivery system for a front-load washing appliance for delivering fluid to lifters of the drum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535969-B2
Application number	US-202016868451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2020
Priority date	May 29, 2019
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A front-load laundry appliance includes a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub about a generally horizontal rotational axis. A plurality of lifters are coupled to an interior surface of the drum. A fluid delivery path is at least partially defined within the drum and the plurality of lifters. A fluid delivery system delivers fluid into the fluid delivery path in a direction parallel to the generally horizontal rotational axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front-load laundry appliance comprising:
a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub about a generally horizontal rotational axis;
a plurality of lifters coupled to an interior surface of the drum;
a fluid delivery path at least partially defined within the drum and the plurality of lifters;
a fluid delivery system that delivers fluid into the fluid delivery path in a direction parallel to the generally horizontal rotational axis, wherein at least a portion of the fluid is delivered through the plurality of lifters and into the drum;
a fluid delivery ring that is defined by the tub and the drum, the fluid delivery ring being concentric to a drive shaft of the drum; and
an interior gasket operably positioned with the fluid delivery ring, wherein the interior gasket selectively operates to define a fluid channel that extends continuously within the fluid delivery ring.

2. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the interior gasket is minimally engaged with the drum when no fluid is delivered to the plurality of lifters, wherein when the fluid is delivered through the fluid delivery ring, back pressure of the fluid biases the interior gasket against the drum to define the fluid channel within the fluid delivery ring, and wherein the fluid is delivered through the fluid channel and to the plurality of lifters.

3. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein fluid is selectively delivered to the plurality of lifters at least when the drum is rotationally stationary relative to the tub.

4. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the interior gasket includes concentric lips that define the fluid channel when the fluid biases the interior gasket against the drum, and where the concentric lips are minimally engaged with the drum in an absence of the fluid.

5. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 4 , wherein the interior gasket is fixed to a metallic hub of the tub, and wherein the interior gasket slidably engages the drum.

6. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein the interior gasket includes a gasket membrane that includes gasket apertures, wherein the back pressure of the fluid biases the gasket membrane toward the drum to define the fluid channel and contemporaneously directs the fluid through the gasket apertures and into the fluid channel.

7. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a structural hub of the tub, wherein an outer portion of a hub includes a fluid inlet that extends to the fluid delivery ring concentrically defined between the tub and the drum; and
a concentric flange of the drum, wherein a fluid space is near the drive shaft and is defined by the concentric flange that seals an outer portion of the fluid delivery ring.

8. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 7 , wherein the concentric flange engages the hub at a concentric channel, where the concentric channel and the concentric flange define a labyrinth seal around an outer perimeter of the fluid space.

9. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of lifters each include a lifter duct that extends from the fluid space and to each lifter, respectively.

10. A front-load laundry appliance comprising:
a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub; and
lifters that are disposed on an interior surface of the drum, wherein fluid is delivered to the drum via the lifters that are attached to a wall of the drum, wherein fluid is delivered to the lifters through a fluid inlet that extends through the tub and in an axial direction parallel with a drive shaft and a rotational axis of the drum, wherein the fluid inlet is positioned near an outer circumference of the tub and extends to a perimeter fluid channel of the drum, and wherein the lifters extend from the perimeter fluid channel to define an interior space through which the fluid is moved to the lifters, where fluid is delivered to the perimeter fluid channel as the drum is rotated.

11. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 10 , wherein the perimeter fluid channel and the lifters are divided into three separate interior spaces, where each interior space extends from the perimeter fluid channel and to a respective lifter.

12. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 11 , wherein rotation of the drum sequentially places each of the separate interior spaces are in alignment with the fluid inlet to apportion the fluid among the three separate interior spaces.

13. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 11 , wherein each separate interior space is further divided into opposing sections, the opposing sections being divided at the respective lifter.

14. A front-load laundry appliance comprising:
a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub;
lifters that are disposed on an interior surface of the drum, wherein fluid is delivered into the drum via the lifters;
a fluid inlet that extends through the tub, wherein fluid is delivered to the lifters through a fluid inlet and in an axial direction parallel with a drive shaft;
a cross piece coupled with a back wall of the drum and that defines a concentric fluid space, wherein the fluid inlet extends through the tub and directs the fluid to the concentric fluid space, and wherein the concentric fluid space apportions the fluid among the lifters of the drum;
a bearing seal that extends between the drum and the tub, wherein the bearing seal at least partially encloses the concentric fluid space; and
lifter ducts that extend from the concentric fluid space to the lifters, respectively.

15. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 14 , wherein the cross piece includes a concentric flange that defines an outer boundary of the concentric fluid space, wherein the concentric flange of the cross piece cooperates with a concentric channel of the tub to define a labyrinth seal of the concentric fluid space.

16. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 15 , wherein the labyrinth seal is a pressure regulator of the concentric fluid space, wherein a portion of the fluid within the concentric fluid space selectively escapes the labyrinth seal to maintain a predetermined fluid pressure within the concentric fluid space.

17. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 15 , wherein the concentric fluid space includes enlarged reservoirs that are positioned at the lifter ducts.

18. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 15 , wherein the concentric fluid space includes connecting channels that extend between adjacent reservoirs of the enlarged reservoirs to define the concentric fluid space as a continuous channel that extends around the drive shaft.

19. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 15 , wherein the cross piece is integrally formed within the back wall of the drum, and wherein the concentric fluid space is defined by each of the drum and the tub.

20. The front-load laundry appliance of claim 15 , wherein the fluid inlet extends through a structural hub that is disposed within the tub.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Angelini Marco
• Carnevale Matteo
• Daniele Massimiliano
• Gupta Deepak
• Mancini Mauro
• Petracek Vaclav

Classifications

• D06F37/065 Primary

  ribs or lifters having means for circulating the washing liquid · CPC title

• D06F37/30

  Driving arrangements  (control circuits or arrangements D06F34/08) · CPC title

• D06F37/06

  Ribs, lifters, or rubbing means forming part of the receptacle · CPC title

• D06F39/088

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F21/02 Primary

  about a horizontal axis · CPC title