Button trap and sieve for a laundry appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11713534-B2
Application number	US-202217699277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a wash tub disposed within a cabinet. A rotating drum is disposed within the wash tub. A drain system directs a fluid from the wash tub to a fluid pump. A trap is disposed within a tub drain of the wash tub. The trap includes an elongated body having a plurality of fingers that extend across an aperture defined within the elongated body. The plurality of fingers are configured to permit passage of particulate material and prevent passage of foreign objects through the elongated body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drain system for an appliance, the drain system comprising:
a drain;
a fluid pump system, wherein the fluid pump system operates to direct fluid from the drain and to a flow outlet; and
a trap disposed within the drain, wherein the trap includes an elongated body having an upward convex shape and that surrounds an aperture defined within the elongated body, wherein the trap further includes a plurality of fingers that extend partially across the aperture, wherein the plurality of fingers diverge from the upward convex shape of the elongated body and slope in a generally downward direction and toward the flow outlet to permit passage of particulate material and prevent passage of foreign objects through the elongated body.

2. The drain system of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is defined within and is entirely surrounded by the elongated body, and wherein the plurality of fingers extends across a centerline of the aperture.

3. The drain system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fingers includes opposing sets of fingers that each extend across a centerline of the aperture.

4. The drain system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fingers extends into an area below the elongated body and in a direction along a flow of the fluid through the trap and toward the flow outlet and the fluid pump system.

5. The drain system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fingers defines a generally arcuate shape that prevents trapping of fine particulate material and simultaneously prevents passage of foreign objects that are within the drain.

6. The drain system of claim 1 , wherein the trap includes a body that is disposed within a trap receptacle of the drain, the body defining an inner wall from which the elongated body extends.

7. The drain system of claim 6 , wherein the inner wall includes a generally curved profile that directs air bubbles in a generally upward direction as the fluid moves in a generally downward direction through the aperture and the plurality of fingers.

8. The drain system of claim 7 , wherein a trap housing of the drain cooperates with outer edges of the elongated body to define a flow restriction space, wherein the flow restriction space restricts a downward flow of fluid around the elongated body and contemporaneously allows an upward flow of air around the elongated body up to an airspace positioned at the inner wall of the trap.

9. The drain system of claim 8 , wherein the trap housing includes a sediment zone that is below a water level within the trap housing.

10. The drain system of claim 9 , wherein the aperture of the elongated body is positioned above the sediment zone.

11. The drain system of claim 8 , wherein the flow outlet is positioned below the elongated body, wherein the flow outlet includes at least one outlet to the fluid pump system.

12. The drain system of claim 11 , wherein the flow outlet includes opposing flow outlets that lead to a recirculation pump and an outlet pump, respectively, of the fluid pump system.

13. A drain system for an appliance, the drain system comprising:
a drain having a trap housing;
a fluid pump system, wherein the fluid pump system operates to direct fluid from the drain and to a flow outlet; and
a foreign-object trap disposed within the trap housing, the foreign-object trap including an elongated body having an upward convex shape and a plurality of fingers that extend in a direction of a flow of fluid through the foreign-object trap that diverge from the upward convex shape and slope in a generally downward direction toward the flow outlet that leads to the fluid pump system to permit passage of particulate material toward the fluid pump system and prevent passage of foreign objects through the elongated body.

14. The drain system of claim 13 , wherein the elongated body includes at least one aperture, wherein the plurality of fingers extend at least partially across the at least one aperture.

15. The drain system of claim 13 , wherein the elongated body includes a plurality of apertures, and wherein each aperture of the plurality of apertures includes opposing sets of fingers.

16. The drain system of claim 15 , wherein the opposing sets of fingers extend across a centerline of the respective apertures of the plurality of apertures.

17. The drain system of claim 16 , wherein the opposing sets of fingers each extend across the centerline of the respective apertures.

18. A drain system for an appliance, the drain system comprising:
a drain having a trap housing;
a fluid pump system that directs fluid from the drain and to a flow outlet; and
a foreign-object trap disposed within the trap housing, the foreign-object trap including an elongated body having outer edges and a plurality of internal apertures that are surrounded by the elongated body and that permit passage of particulate material toward the fluid pump system and prevent passage of foreign objects through the elongated body, wherein
the elongated body includes an upwardly convex shape that slopes upward from the plurality of internal apertures to the outer edges of the elongated body; and
the outer edges of the elongated body define a flow restriction space that permits upward movement of air as the fluid moves through the plurality of internal apertures and toward the flow outlet.

19. The drain system of claim 18 , wherein the flow restriction space is defined between the outer edges of the elongated body and the trap housing.

20. The drain system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a plurality of fingers that extend across a centerline of each respective aperture of the plurality of internal apertures, and wherein each finger of the plurality of fingers defines a generally arcuate shape that slopes in a generally downward direction that prevents trapping of fine particulate material and simultaneously prevents passage of foreign objects that are within the drain.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Curiel Joao P
• Kehl Dennis

Classifications

• D06F39/10 Primary

  Filtering arrangements · CPC title

• D06F21/02

  about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F43/085

  Filtering arrangements; Filter cleaning; Filter-aid powder dispensers · CPC title

• D06F2103/42

  related to filters or pumps · CPC title