Laundry appliance including induction ironing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11814780-B2
Application number	US-202117371193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 9, 2021
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet for receipt of clothes, and an integrated ironing assembly including an induction coil assembly positioned within the cabinet, such as below a top panel of the cabinet, and being selectively energized to generate a magnetic field for heating an ironing tool, such as a ferromagnetic ironing plate, when the ironing tool is positioned within the magnetic field generated by the induction coil assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet, the drum defining a chamber for receipt of clothes; and
an ironing assembly comprising:
an induction coil assembly positioned within the cabinet and being selectively energized to generate a magnetic field; and
an ironing tool that heats up when placed within the magnetic field generated by the induction coil assembly.

2. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet comprises a top panel, wherein the induction coil assembly is positioned within the cabinet below the top panel.

3. The laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein the induction coil assembly is mounted to a bottom side of the top panel.

4. The laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein the induction coil assembly defines an average diameter and the top panel defines a top panel width, wherein the average diameter is less than about 30 percent of the top panel width.

5. The laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein the induction coil assembly defines an average diameter and the top panel defines a top panel width, wherein the average diameter is greater than about 70 percent of the top panel width.

6. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the induction coil assembly is localized within a rear corner of a top panel.

7. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein a top panel is formed from a non-ferromagnetic plate.

8. The laundry appliance of claim 7 , wherein the top panel is formed from stainless steel.

9. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ironing tool is a ferromagnetic plate.

10. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ironing tool comprises an insulated handle.

11. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ironing tool comprises a water tank and spraying assembly.

12. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ironing assembly further comprises:
a coil housing spaced apart from a top panel to define an enclosure, the induction coil assembly and control electronics being positioned within the enclosure.

13. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ironing assembly further comprises:
a padded cover positioned on a top panel of the laundry appliance to define an ironing surface.

14. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the laundry appliance is a washing machine appliance.

15. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the laundry appliance is a dryer appliance.

16. An ironing assembly positioned below a top panel of a laundry appliance, wherein the top panel is formed from a non-ferromagnetic stainless steel plate, the ironing assembly comprising:
an induction coil assembly positioned below the top panel and being selectively energized to generate a magnetic field; and
an ironing tool that heats up when placed within the magnetic field generated by the induction coil assembly.

17. The ironing assembly of claim 16 , wherein the induction coil assembly defines an average diameter and the top panel defines a top panel width, wherein the average diameter is less than about 30 percent of the top panel width.

18. The ironing assembly of claim 16 , wherein the induction coil assembly defines an average diameter and the top panel defines a top panel width, wherein the average diameter is greater than about 70 percent of the top panel width.

19. The ironing assembly of claim 16 , wherein the ironing tool is a ferromagnetic plate and comprises an insulated handle on a top panel of the laundry appliance to define an ironing surface.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Rangu Venkata Chakradhar
• Patel Neki Jashwant
• Yadav Neelapala Gopinath

Classifications

• D06F58/203 Primary

  Laundry conditioning arrangements · CPC title

• D06F60/00

  Drying not provided for in groups D06F53/00 - D06F59/00 · CPC title

• D06F75/243

  using other than ohmic-resistance heating means, e.g. electrolytic or induction heating · CPC title

• D06F58/26 Primary

  Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment (D06F58/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F58/02

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title