Removable fluid pumping and filtration apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12043944-B2
Application number	US-202217682228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Mar 3, 2021
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A removable fluid pumping and filtration apparatus for a laundry treatment machine is provided. The apparatus includes a handle portion. A filter section is configured to selectively couple to an impeller of the laundry treatment machine, the filter section defining a hollow interior, a lower water opening to allow for the passage of water out of the interior space of the agitator, and an opening about the exterior circumference of the filter section into which a removable filter is selectively attachable. A handle pull locking post is provided within the hollow interior of the apparatus, including a handle pull portion at a top end for gripping against the handle portion and at least one pin at a bottom end configured to selectively lock the apparatus into the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A removable agitator for a laundry treatment machine, comprising:
a handle portion;
a filter section configured to selectively couple to a base of the laundry treatment machine, the filter section defining
a hollow interior,
a lower water opening to allow for passage of water out of the hollow interior, and
a side opening about an exterior circumference of the filter section into which a removable filter is selectively attached; and

a handle pull locking post provided within the hollow interior of the agitator, including a handle pull portion at a top end, positioned such that a user can grip the handle portion of the agitator and the handle pull portion of the handle pull locking post at the same time for gripping the handle pull portion against the handle portion, the handle pull locking post being vertically slidable within and relative to the agitator between a lower, locking position and a raised position.

2. The agitator of claim 1 , wherein the handle portion includes an area to grip onto and rotate the removable agitator.

3. The agitator of claim 1 , wherein a bottom of the handle portion attaches to a top of the filter section, and a bottom of the filter section may selectively couple to the base of the machine.

4. The agitator of claim 1 , wherein the filter section is of a generally frustoconical shape reducing in diameter from the handle portion to a bottom end of the filter section that is configured to selectively couple to the base.

5. The agitator of claim 1 , wherein the lower water opening is formed as an array of evenly spaced slots extending horizontally or longitudinally around at least a portion of the exterior of the filter section.

6. The agitator of claim 1 , wherein the filter section further includes a configuration of vanes about the exterior circumference for imparting mechanical energy to laundry items during a cycle of operation.

7. The agitator of claim 1 , wherein the removable filter is formed such that when the removable filter is fully inserted into the filter section, a cylindrical front face of the filter section is flush with an exterior of the removable filter to generally continue a cylindrical exterior around the filter section.

8. The agitator of claim 1 , wherein the removable filter comprises a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion having a curved front face, a bottom face, and parallel sides extending inward from inside of the front face to selectively enclose a space against a back face and top face of the rear portion.

9. The agitator of claim 8 , wherein the curved front face defines a plurality of water inlets about an exterior of the front portion.

10. The agitator of claim 8 , wherein the rear portion defines a plurality of rear water openings extending about the back face of the rear portion.

11. The agitator of claim 10 , wherein a filter material covers the rear water openings to aid in filtration of pet hair and particulate from wash water.

12. The agitator of claim 8 , wherein the front portion defines a tab at its lower end to fit into a recess of the filter section, and a top of the front portion defines a snap connector configured to hold the removable filter in place against an exterior face of the filter section.

13. The agitator of claim 1 , wherein the handle pull locking post defines an impeller formed at a lower section of the handle pull locking post to provide for internal pumping of wash water within the filter section.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Bhavsar Anup Sudhir
• Dawange Jalindar Suresh
• Fulmer Gregory R
• Jeffery James D
• Lowell Benjamin D
• Merrow Eric W
• Murphy Sayer J
• Schooley Nicholas C
• Spicer Thomas D
• Strait Jon D
• Vasko Eric J
• Hellmuth Heather A
• Ledford Michael A
• Vandervelde Meagan K

Classifications

• D06F39/088

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/085

  Arrangements or adaptations of pumps · CPC title

• D06F13/02

  wherein the agitator has an oscillatory rotary motion only · CPC title

• D06F17/10

  Impellers · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title