Drainage assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11749474-B2
Application number	US-202217676895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2022
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A user interface includes a front panel that has an exterior surface and an interior surface. A flange outwardly extends from the exterior surface and defines a notch. A receiving body extends from the interior surface of the front panel that is proximate the flange. A receiving body has an angled edge and defines a drainage channel that extends through a portion of the notch that is defined by the flange.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A locking assembly for an interface of an appliance comprising:
a knob including a stem defining a receiving cavity, wherein the knob includes a barrier that extends toward said interface;
an encoder;
a flange that extends from said interface and cooperates with the barrier to define a labyrinth configured to prevent ingress of fluid; and
a locking feature including:
a first rim spaced from a second rim;
a planar surface extending between the first rim and the second rim; and
an arcuate surface extending between the first rim and the second rim, wherein the arcuate surface is also bowed between the first rim and the second rim to define a hyperbolic paraboloid construction, wherein the stem of the knob receives the locking feature and the encoder extends into an opening defined by said interface, wherein the locking feature receives the encoder and the locking feature fixedly secures the knob to the encoder to maintain the labyrinth, and wherein the locking feature prevents separation of the knob from the encoder.

2. The locking assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbolic paraboloid construction is defined before the locking feature receives the encoder, and wherein the hyperbolic paraboloid construction defines at least one cavity within the arcuate surface.

3. The locking assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbolic paraboloid construction compresses toward a straightened shape when the locking feature receives the encoder.

4. The locking assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbolic paraboloid construction at least partially defines a friction fit with the encoder.

5. The locking assembly of claim 4 , wherein the hyperbolic paraboloid construction at least partially defines a friction fit with the stem of the knob.

6. The locking assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbolic paraboloid construction of the locking feature at least partially couples the encoder to the stem of the knob.

7. A locking assembly for an interface of an appliance comprising:
a knob having a stem that defines a receiving cavity wherein the knob includes a barrier that extends toward said interface and forms a labyrinth with a surface of said interface;
an encoder extending into an opening in an appliance interface;
a locking feature including:
a planar surface, wherein the planar surface defines at least one retention aperture, and wherein the planar surface defines an at least one locking projection that extends from the at least one retention aperture; and
an arcuate surface defined by a first rim and a second rim that opposes the first rim, wherein the stem of the knob receives the locking feature and the encoder extends into an opening defined by the appliance interface, wherein the locking feature receives the encoder and the locking feature fixedly secures the knob to the encoder to maintain the labyrinth, and wherein the locking feature prevents separation of the knob from the encoder.

8. The locking assembly of claim 7 , wherein the at least one locking projection extends outwardly from the planar surface.

9. The locking assembly of claim 7 , wherein the at least one locking projection is biased toward the at least one retention aperture after the receiving cavity of the knob receives the locking feature.

10. The locking assembly of claim 7 , wherein the at least one locking projection at least partially defines a friction fit with the stem of the knob.

11. The locking assembly of claim 7 , wherein the at least one locking projection of the locking feature at least partially couples the encoder to the receiving cavity of the knob.

12. A locking assembly for an interface of an appliance comprising:
a knob having a stem that defines a receiving cavity;
an encoder extending into an opening in said interface, wherein the knob includes a barrier that extends toward said interface and forms a labyrinth with a flange of said interface;
a locking feature configured to couple the receiving cavity of the knob to the encoder, wherein the locking feature includes:
a planar surface defined between a first rim and a second rim, wherein an adhesive is disposed on the planar surface; and
an arcuate surface defined between the first rim and the second rim, wherein the arcuate surface includes a plurality of resilient ribs that are bowed inwardly and toward the planar surface, wherein the stem of the knob receives the locking feature and the encoder extends into an opening defined by said interface, wherein the locking feature receives the encoder and the locking feature fixedly secures the knob to the encoder to maintain the labyrinth between the barrier and the flange, and wherein the locking feature prevents separation of the knob from the encoder.

13. The locking assembly of claim 12 , wherein the receiving cavity of the stem of the knob includes:
an internal planar surface that receives the planar surface of the locking feature; and
an internal arcuate surface that receives the arcuate surface of the locking feature.

14. The locking assembly of claim 12 , wherein the encoder includes:
an external planar surface; and
an external arcuate surface, wherein the external planar surface cooperates with the plurality of resilient ribs to cooperatively define a friction fit with the encoder and the stem of the knob.

15. The locking assembly of claim 14 , wherein the adhesive at least partially couples the external planar surface of the encoder to the planar surface of the locking feature.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Anderson Brianne Nicole
• Hariharan Homprakash
• Narayanan Sadasivam
• Ravi Ganesan

Classifications

• H01H19/06 Primary

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings · CPC title

• G05G1/10

  Details, e.g. of discs, knobs, wheels or handles {(G05G1/085 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G05G1/12 Primary

  Means for securing the members on rotatable spindles or the like · CPC title

• G05G25/00

  Other details or appurtenances of control mechanisms, e.g. supporting intermediate members elastically · CPC title

• H01H19/54

  the operating part having at least five or an unspecified number of operative positions · CPC title