Drying appliance having an accessory port for providing external airflow for powered accessories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767633-B2
Application number	US-202016877522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2020
Priority date	Jul 1, 2019
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a processing chamber positioned within a cabinet. A blower delivers process air through an airflow path and through the processing chamber. An accessory port is positioned on an exterior surface of the cabinet and coupled with the airflow path. The accessory port selectively redirects the process air through an accessory airflow path to define accessory process air. An accessory tool that selectively engages the accessory port to define the accessory airflow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry appliance comprising:
a processing chamber positioned within a cabinet;
a blower that delivers process air through an airflow path and through the processing chamber;
an accessory port positioned on an exterior surface of the cabinet and coupled with the airflow path, wherein the accessory port selectively redirects the process air through an accessory airflow path to define accessory process air; and
an accessory tool having an interface at one end that selectively engages the accessory port to define the accessory airflow path that is in communication with the airflow path, and wherein the interface further includes an air inlet port and an air outlet port, the air inlet port drawing external air into the air flow path, the air outlet port directing the accessory process air from the airflow path, through the accessory airflow path, and to a function site disposed at an opposing end of the accessory tool.

2. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the accessory port includes an internal baffle that is operable between a standard state that directs the process air to the processing chamber and an accessory state that redirects the process air to the accessory airflow path to define the accessory process air.

3. The laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein the internal baffle is operable using the interface of the accessory tool.

4. The laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein installation of the interface of the accessory tool into the accessory port biases the internal baffle from the standard state to the accessory state, and wherein the internal baffle includes a baffle biasing mechanism that biases the internal baffle toward the standard state.

5. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the function site of the accessory tool includes an external fabric-drying structure that is in communication with the air outlet port.

6. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the blower and the airflow path define the process air as a recirculating flow of air through the processing chamber.

7. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the accessory port includes a dedicated lint filter.

8. A laundry appliance comprising:
a processing chamber positioned within a cabinet;
a blower that delivers process air through a recirculating airflow path that includes the processing chamber;
an accessory port positioned on an exterior surface of the cabinet and coupled with the recirculating airflow path, wherein the accessory port selectively redirects the process air through an accessory airflow path to define accessory process air; and
an accessory tool includes an interface end that selectively engages the accessory port to define the accessory airflow path, the accessory tool including an opposing end having a function site, wherein the interface end of the accessory tool includes an air inlet port and an air outlet port, wherein the air inlet port directs external air into the recirculating airflow path, and wherein the air outlet port directs accessory process air from the recirculating airflow path and to the accessory airflow path, wherein one of the air inlet port and the air outlet port are in communication with the function site via the accessory airflow path.

9. The laundry appliance of claim 8 , wherein the air inlet port draws external air into the recirculating airflow path for delivery to the accessory airflow path, and wherein the air outlet port is configured to deliver the accessory process air to an external environment.

10. The laundry appliance of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the air inlet port and the air outlet port are configured to perform an air-related function, via the function site, at a position external to the cabinet.

11. The laundry appliance of claim 8 , wherein the accessory tool includes at least one sensor that is in selective communication with at least the accessory airflow path, and wherein the at least one sensor monitors a drying condition of at least the accessory process air within the accessory tool.

12. The laundry appliance of claim 11 , wherein the at least one sensor is in selective communication with an electrical and data interface of the accessory port when the accessory tool is in an accessory state, and wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a conductivity sensor and a humidity sensor.

13. The laundry appliance of claim 8 , wherein the accessory port includes an internal baffle that is operable between a standard state that directs the process air to the processing chamber and an accessory state that redirects the process air to the accessory airflow path to define the accessory process air.

14. A laundry appliance comprising:
a processing chamber positioned within a cabinet;
a blower that delivers process air through a recirculating airflow path that includes the processing chamber;
an accessory port positioned on an exterior surface of the cabinet and coupled with the recirculating airflow path, wherein the accessory port selectively redirects the process air through an accessory airflow path to define accessory process air; and
an accessory tool that includes an interface end that selectively engages the accessory port and an opposing end that includes a function site, the interface end of the accessory tool further including an air inlet port and an air outlet port, wherein engagement of the interface end with the accessory port selectively places the air inlet port and the air outlet port in communication with the blower for drawing suction air through the air inlet port and into the recirculating airflow path, and directing the accessory process air from the recirculating airflow path and through the air outlet port, one of the air inlet port and the air outlet port being in communication with the function site via the accessory airflow path.

15. The laundry appliance of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the air inlet port and the air outlet port are configured to perform an air-related function, via the function site, at a position external to the cabinet.

16. The laundry appliance of claim 15 , wherein the air-related function of the function site and the air inlet port is a suction-related tool.

17. The laundry appliance of claim 15 , wherein the air-related function of the function site and the air outlet port is a blowing-related tool.

18. The laundry appliance of claim 14 , wherein the accessory tool includes at least one sensor that is in selective communication with at least the accessory airflow path, and wherein the at least one sensor monitors a drying condition of at least the accessory process air within the accessory tool.

19. The laundry appliance of claim 18 , wherein the at least one sensor is in selective communication with an electrical and data interface of the accessory port when the accessory tool is in an accessory state, and wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a conductivity sensor and a humidity sensor.

20. The laundry appliance of claim 14 , wherein the accessory port includes an internal baffle that is operable between a standard state that directs the process air to the processing chamber and an accessory state that redirects the process air to the accessory airflow path to define the accessory process air.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Bellinger Ryan R
• Bixby Seth E
• Heater Timothy E
• Ickes Jacob C
• Murphy Sayer J
• Netti Giuseppe
• Roche Michael T

Classifications

• D06F58/206 Primary

  Heat pump arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/203

  Laundry conditioning arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/22

  Lint collecting arrangements · CPC title

• D06F2103/08

  Humidity · CPC title

• D06F2103/12

  Temperature · CPC title