Vertical axis washer standalone filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11598043-B2
Application number	US-202117179095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2021
Priority date	Feb 18, 2021
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A standalone drum-mounted lint filter for a washing machine is provided. The filter includes a filter housing including a plurality of inner walls dividing the filter housing into a plurality of filter chambers, each filter chamber defining at least one inlet configured to allow wash water to flow into the respective chamber. The filter further includes at least one retainer barrel arranged within each filter chamber and configured to retain lint during operation of the washing machine. The filter also includes a porous removable filter cover defining front-facing outlets open to the drum, allowing for exit of the wash water back into the wash.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A standalone drum-mounted lint filter for a washing machine, comprising:
a filter housing including a plurality of inner walls dividing the filter housing into a plurality of filter chambers, each filter chamber defining at least one inlet configured to allow wash water to flow into the respective chamber;
at least one retainer barrel arranged within each filter chamber and configured to retain lint during operation of the washing machine;
a porous removable filter cover defining front-facing outlets open to a washing drum, allowing for exit of the wash water back into the wash; and
a plurality of ribs arranged in the plurality of filter chambers along the water flow direction to direct the water flow across the at least one retainer barrel and out the filter cover.

2. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein each retainer barrel includes a cylindrical array of pins configured to trap lint.

3. The lint filter of claim 2 , wherein the cylindrical array of pins includes a plurality of radial groupings of pins.

4. The lint filter of claim 2 , wherein the retainer barrels are attached to the removable cover to rotate freely.

5. The lint filter of claim 2 , wherein the retainer barrels are attached to the removable cover to be stationary with respect to the removable cover.

6. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein each retainer barrel includes bristles configured to trap lint.

7. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein each retainer barrel is arranged normal to the water flow received by the inlet of the respective chamber within the filter housing.

8. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein the filter housing includes one or more connectors to mount the filter housing onto an inner surface of the drum.

9. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein the filter housing includes an inner lip configured to receive a perimeter of the removable cover in an attached position.

10. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein the ribs are angled upward along the water flow direction to counteract the effect of gravity on the water flow.

11. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein the ribs are angled one or more of downward or horizontally along the water flow direction.

12. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein the ribs include notches to provide spacing for rotation of the retainer barrels within the chambers.

13. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filter chambers includes first and second chambers arranged adjacent to one another.

14. The lint filter of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of filter chambers further includes a third chamber which extends the collective width of the first and second chambers.

15. The lint filter of claim 14 , wherein the first and second chambers are configured to collectively hold approximately the same volume of water as the third chamber.

16. The lint filter of claim 14 , wherein the third chamber is located above the first and second chambers.

17. The lint filter of claim 14 , wherein the third chamber is located below the first and second chambers.

18. The lint filter of claim 14 , wherein the barrels arranged in the first and second chambers are arranged in a direction opposite to those of the barrels arranged in the third chamber.

19. The lint filter of claim 14 , wherein the at least one inlet includes:
a first side inlet open to the first chamber in a circumferential direction of the washing drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the first chamber;
a second side inlet, opposite the first side inlet, and open to the second chamber in an opposite circumferential direction of the washing drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the second chamber; and
a third inlet opened in an axial direction of the drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the third chamber.

20. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein the filter housing includes a solid back face to prevent water from entering or leaving the filter at the back of the filter housing.

21. The lint filter of claim 1 , wherein the filter housing is configured to snap into a corresponding connector on the interior of the drum.

22. A laundry appliance comprising:
a drum, and
a standalone lint filter mounted to an internal side wall of the drum, the lint filter including
a plurality of chambers, each chamber having a lateral inlet and an outlet open towards the interior of the drum,
a removable porous cover to which a plurality of retainer barrels are mounted, such that when the cover is attached to the lint filter the retainer barrels fit into the plurality of chambers to trap lint, and when the cover is detached from the lint filter the retainer barrels allow for cleaning, and
a plurality of ribs arranged in the chambers along the water flow direction to direct the water flow across the retainer barrels and out the cover.

23. The laundry appliance of claim 22 , wherein the retainer barrels each include bristles or pins to trap the lint.

24. The laundry appliance of claim 23 , wherein the ribs include notches to provide spacing for rotation of the retainer barrels within the chambers.

25. The laundry appliance of claim 22 , wherein the retainer barrels are arranged normal to the water flow within the lint filter.

26. The laundry appliance of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of chambers includes first and second chambers arranged adjacent to one another and above a third chamber which extends the collective width of the first and second chambers, and the inlets include:
a first side inlet open to the first chamber in a circumferential direction of the drum, allowing wash water to flow into the first chamber;
a second side inlet, opposite the first side inlet, and open to the second chamber in an opposite circumferential direction of the drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the second chamber; and
a third inlet opened in an axial direction of the drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the third chamber.

27. A standalone drum-mounted lint filter for a washing machine, comprising:
a filter housing including a plurality of inner walls dividing the filter housing into a plurality of filter chambers, each filter chamber defining at least one inlet configured to allow wash water to flow into the respective chamber, wherein the plurality of filter chambers further includes first and second chambers arranged adjacent to one another and a third chamber which extends the collective width of the first and second chambers;
at least one retainer barrel arranged within each filter chamber and configured to retain lint during operation of the washing machine;
a porous removable filter cover defining front-facing outlets open to a washing drum of the washing machine, allowing for exit of the wash water back into the wash, wherein the at least one inlet includes
a first side inlet open to the first chamber in a circumferential direction of the washing drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the first chamber;
a second side inlet, opposite the first side inlet, and open to the second chamber in an opposite circumferential direction of the washing drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the second chamber; and
a third inlet opened in an axial direction of the drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the third chamber.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Cangiano Ricardo S
• Kumar Sagar
• Narayanan Sadasivam
• Da Silva Aliander Filgueiras

Classifications

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F39/10 Primary

  Filtering arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title