Vertical axis washer standalone filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12098494-B2
Application number	US-202318165869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2023
Priority date	Feb 18, 2021
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A standalone drum-mounted lint filter for a washing machine is provided. The filter includes a filter housing including a plurality of inner walls dividing the filter housing into a plurality of filter chambers, each filter chamber defining at least one inlet configured to allow wash water to flow into the respective chamber. The filter further includes at least one retainer barrel arranged within each filter chamber and configured to retain lint during operation of the washing machine. The filter also includes a porous removable filter cover defining front-facing outlets open to the drum, allowing for exit of the wash water back into the wash.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A standalone drum-mounted particulate filter for a washing machine, comprising:
a filter housing defining a plurality of inner walls dividing the filter housing into a plurality of filter chambers, the filter housing defining at least one inlet configured to allow wash water to flow into the plurality of filter chambers;
a porous removable filter cover defining front-facing outlets open to a washing drum, allowing for exit of the wash water; and
a plurality of ribs arranged in the plurality of filter chambers along a water flow direction to direct the water flow through each filter chamber and out the filter cover.

2. The particulate filter of claim 1 , further comprising at least one retainer barrel arranged within the filter chambers and configured to retain particulate during operation of the washing machine.

3. The particulate filter of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one retainer barrel defines pins or bristles configured to trap the particulate.

4. The particulate filter of claim 2 , wherein the at least one retainer barrel is attachable to the removable filter cover to rotate freely in the wash water, and the plurality of ribs define notches to provide spacing for rotation of the at least one retainer barrel within the plurality of filter chambers.

5. The particulate filter of claim 2 , wherein the at least one retainer barrel is attachable to the removable filter cover to be stationary with respect to the removable filter cover.

6. The particulate filter of claim 2 , wherein each retainer barrel is arranged normal to the water flow within the filter housing.

7. The particulate filter of claim 1 , wherein the ribs are angled upward along the water flow direction to counteract the effect of gravity on the water flow.

8. The particulate filter of claim 1 , wherein the ribs are angled one or more of downward or horizontally along the water flow direction.

9. The particulate filter of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of filter chambers includes first and second chambers arranged adjacent to one another.

10. The particulate filter of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of filter chambers further includes a third chamber which extends the collective width of the first and second chambers.

11. The particulate filter of claim 10 , wherein the at least one inlet includes:
a first side inlet open to the first chamber in a circumferential direction of the washing drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the first chamber;
a second side inlet, opposite the first side inlet, and open to the second chamber in an opposite circumferential direction of the washing drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the second chamber; and
a third inlet opened in an axial direction of the drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the third chamber.

12. The particulate filter of claim 1 , wherein the filter housing includes a solid back face to prevent the wash water from entering or leaving the filter at the back of the filter housing.

13. The particulate filter of claim 1 , wherein the filter housing defines one or more connectors to mount the filter housing onto an inner surface of the drum.

14. The particulate filter of claim 1 , wherein the filter housing is integral to the curved side wall of the drum.

15. A standalone drum-mounted particulate filter for a washing machine, comprising:
a filter housing disposed along an interior side wall of a drum of the washing machine, the filter housing defining a plurality of chambers, each chamber having a lateral inlet and an outlet open towards the interior of the drum;
a removable porous cover to which a plurality of retainer barrels are mountable, such that when the cover is attached to the particulate filter the retainer barrels fit into the plurality of chambers to trap particulate, and when the cover is detached from the particulate filter the retainer barrels allow for cleaning; and
a plurality of ribs arranged in the chambers along a water flow direction to direct water flow across the retainer barrels and out the cover.

16. The particulate filter of claim 15 , wherein the retainer barrels define bristles or pins to trap the particulate.

17. The particulate filter of claim 15 , wherein the ribs define notches to provide spacing for rotation of the retainer barrels within the chambers.

18. The particulate filter of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of chambers includes first and second chambers arranged adjacent to one another and above a third chamber which extends the collective width of the first and second chambers, and the inlets include:
a first side inlet open to the first chamber in a circumferential direction of the drum, allowing wash water to flow into the first chamber;
a second side inlet, opposite the first side inlet, and open to the second chamber in an opposite circumferential direction of the drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the second chamber; and
a third inlet opened in an axial direction of the drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the third chamber.

19. A standalone drum-mounted particulate filter for a washing machine, comprising:
a filter housing including a plurality of inner walls dividing the filter housing into a plurality of filter chambers, each filter chamber defining at least one inlet configured to allow wash water to flow into the respective filter chamber, wherein the plurality of filter chambers further includes first and second chambers arranged adjacent to one another and a third chamber which extends the collective width of the first and second chambers;
a porous removable filter cover defining front-facing outlets open to a washing drum of the washing machine, allowing for exit of the wash water back into the washing drum, wherein the at least one inlet includes
a first side inlet open to the first chamber in a circumferential direction of the washing drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the first chamber;
a second side inlet, opposite the first side inlet, and open to the second chamber in an opposite circumferential direction of the washing drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the second chamber; and
a third inlet opened in an axial direction of the drum, allowing the wash water to flow into the third chamber; and

a plurality of ribs arranged in the plurality of filter chambers along the water flow direction to direct the water flow across at least one removable retainer barrel and out the filter cover.

20. The particulate filter of claim 19 , further comprising the at least one removable retainer barrel arranged within each filter chamber and configured to retain particulate during operation of the washing machine.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Cangiano Ricardo S
• Kumar Sagar
• Narayanan Sadasivam
• Da Silva Aliander Filgueiras

Classifications

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/10 Primary

  Filtering arrangements · CPC title