Fluid delivery system for a front-load washing appliance for delivering fluid to lifters of the drum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12139837-B2
Application number	US-202318530635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2023
Priority date	May 29, 2019
Publication date	Nov 12, 2024
Grant date	Nov 12, 2024

Abstract

A front-load laundry appliance includes a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub about a generally horizontal rotational axis. A plurality of lifters are coupled to an interior surface of the drum. A fluid delivery path is at least partially defined within the drum and the plurality of lifters. A fluid delivery system delivers fluid into the fluid delivery path in a direction parallel to the generally horizontal rotational axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry appliance comprising:
a tub having a structural hub;
a drum that is rotationally operable within the tub;
a drive shaft attached to the drum and extending through the structural hub;
lifters that are disposed on an interior surface of the drum, wherein fluid is delivered to the drum via a fluid inlet that extends through the tub and in an axial direction parallel with the drive shaft and a rotational axis of the drum; and
a plurality of bearings that extend between the drive shaft and the structural hub; wherein
the plurality of bearings include corresponding seals that extend between the drive shaft and the structural hub;
the fluid inlet extends axially through the drive shaft to a manifold that apportions the fluid among the lifters of the drum; and
the fluid inlet is in communication with a fluid space defined between the drive shaft, the structural hub, and the corresponding seals of the plurality of bearings.

2. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding seals are attached to the structural hub and maintain a sliding engagement with an outer surface of the drive shaft to define the fluid space.

3. The laundry appliance of claim 2 , wherein the corresponding seals extend circumferentially about the drive shaft to define the fluid space as a circumferential fluid space that extend between the structural hub and the drive shaft.

4. The laundry appliance of claim 3 , wherein the drive shaft includes at least one transverse inlet that extends between the circumferential fluid space and the fluid inlet.

5. The laundry appliance of claim 3 , wherein an inlet conduit extends from a fluid source and through the structural hub of the tub and to the circumferential fluid space.

6. The laundry appliance of claim 2 , where the manifold is positioned at an end of the drive shaft and includes a multi-directional fitting that delivers the fluid to each of the lifters, respectively.

7. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein each lifter includes a structural portion that is attached to the drum and a fluid portion having a plurality of lifter apertures that direct the fluid into the drum.

8. The laundry appliance of claim 7 , wherein the fluid portion receives the fluid from the manifold via a corresponding fluid conduit.

9. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding seals include an outer seal that extends between the structural hub and a plastic portion of the tub.

10. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding seals include a structural interior that maintains a shape of each seal of the corresponding seals.

11. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein corresponding fluid conduits extend from the manifold to the lifters, respectively, and wherein the corresponding fluid conduits are disposed within a back wall of the drum.

12. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the lifters include fluid apertures having a tapered configuration, wherein the tapered configuration is configured to produce a radial spray.

13. The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the manifold includes a spray module that delivers a portion of the fluid directly into the drum via the manifold.

14. A tub for a laundry appliance, the tub comprising:
a structural hub;
a drive shaft that extends through the structural hub to a rotating drum;
a plurality of lifters disposed on an interior surface of the drum, wherein fluid is delivered to the drum via a fluid inlet that extends through the drive shaft in an axial direction parallel with a rotational axis of the drum; and
a plurality of bearings that extend between the drive shaft and the structural hub, wherein the plurality of bearings include corresponding forward and rearward seals that extend between the drive shaft and the structural hub to define a sealed fluid path that extends circumferentially between the drive shaft and the structural hub and is configured to deliver the fluid from a fluid source to the fluid inlet, and wherein the fluid inlet extends axially through the drive shaft to a manifold that apportions the fluid among the plurality of lifters.

15. The tub of claim 14 , wherein respective fluid conduits extend from the manifold to the plurality of lifters, and wherein the respective fluid conduits are at least partially disposed within a rear wall of the drum.

16. The tub of claim 14 , wherein each seal of the corresponding forward and rearward seals includes a structural interior that maintains a shape of each seal of the corresponding forward and rearward seals.

17. The tub of claim 14 , wherein the drive shaft includes at least one transverse inlet that extends between the sealed fluid path and the fluid inlet.

18. A fluid delivery path for a laundry appliance, the fluid delivery path comprising:
a structural hub attached to an outer tub;
a drive shaft rotationally attached to the structural hub and having a fluid inlet that extends axially therethrough;
a drum attached to the drive shaft and having a plurality of lifters;
a plurality of bearing seals that extend from an outer surface of the drive shaft to an inner surface of the structural hub to define a sealed fluid path that delivers fluid from a fluid source to the fluid inlet, wherein the fluid inlet is in communication with a fluid space defined between the drive shaft, the structural hub, and the plurality of bearing seals; and
a plurality of fluid conduits extend from the fluid inlet to the plurality of lifters, respectively.

19. The fluid delivery path of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of bearing seals includes a forward seal and a rearward seal that cooperate with the structural hub and the drive shaft to define the sealed fluid path.

20. The fluid delivery path of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of bearing seals are attached to the structural hub and maintain a sliding engagement with the outer surface of the drive shaft to define the fluid space, and wherein each seal of the plurality of bearing seals includes an interior structure that maintains a shape of the plurality of bearing seals.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Angelini Marco
• Carnevale Matteo
• Daniele Massimiliano
• Gupta Deepak
• Mancini Mauro
• Petracek Vaclav

Classifications

• D06F39/088

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F37/30

  Driving arrangements  (control circuits or arrangements D06F34/08) · CPC title

• D06F23/02

  and rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F37/04

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis · CPC title

• D06F25/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title