Appliance lift system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12264430-B2
Application number	US-202318115209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2023
Priority date	Feb 25, 2020
Publication date	Apr 1, 2025
Grant date	Apr 1, 2025

Abstract

A laundry appliance system includes a cabinet operable between a lowered position and a plurality of raised positions. A first lift assembly is coupled to a first side of the cabinet. A second lift assembly is coupled to a second side of the cabinet. The first and second lift assemblies operate concurrently to adjust the cabinet between the lowered position and the plurality of raised positions. A user-interface assembly is operably coupled to the cabinet. The user-interface assembly is configured to receive a user input corresponding with a selected raised position of the plurality of raised positions. A controller is configured to operate the first and second lift assemblies to the selected raised position in response to the user input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry appliance system, comprising:
a laundry appliance including:
a cabinet operable between a lowered position and a plurality of raised positions;
a drum disposed within the cabinet for receiving items for a laundry cycle; and
a door operably coupled with the cabinet, wherein the door is operable between an opened position and a closed position;

a first lift assembly coupled to a first side of the cabinet;
a second lift assembly coupled to a second side of the cabinet, wherein the first and second lift assemblies operate concurrently to adjust the cabinet between the lowered position and the plurality of raised positions;
a user-interface assembly operably coupled to the cabinet, wherein the user-interface assembly is configured to receive a user input corresponding with a selected raised position of the plurality of raised positions; and
a controller configured to:
operate the first and second lift assemblies to the selected raised position in response to the user input;
move the laundry appliance between the lowered position and at least one of the plurality of raised positions when the door is in the closed position; and
lock the laundry appliance in a current position when the door is in the opened position.

2. The laundry appliance system of claim 1 , wherein the user-interface assembly includes a microphone, and wherein the user input is a voice command received by the microphone.

3. The laundry appliance system of claim 1 , wherein the user-interface assembly includes a remote device in communication with the controller, and wherein the user input is received by the remote device and communicated to the controller.

4. The laundry appliance system of claim 1 , wherein the user-interface assembly includes a sensor, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a height-related characteristic of a user based on sensed information received from the sensor and automatically adjusts the first and second lift assemblies.

5. The laundry appliance system of claim 4 , wherein the selected raised position matches a location of a feature of the laundry appliance with the height-related characteristic of the user, the feature including at least one of an upper dispensing drawer and a lower bulk dispensing drawer.

6. The laundry appliance system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the first and second lift assemblies in response to at least one of a laundry cycle start, a laundry cycle end, and a laundry chemistry addition.

7. The laundry appliance system of claim 1 , wherein the controller stores a profile of a user, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the selected raised position of the cabinet in response to a selection of the profile.

8. The laundry appliance system of claim 7 , wherein the selected raised position is a predefined height based on a user height-related characteristic stored in the profile.

9. The laundry appliance system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a memory storing a profile database of respective profiles for one or more users.

10. A laundry appliance system, comprising:
a storage unit defining an interior;
a laundry appliance disposed at least partially within the interior of the storage unit, wherein the laundry appliance includes a cabinet and a drum disposed within the cabinet and configured to receive items for a laundry cycle;
a lift assembly disposed within the interior of the storage unit and operably coupled to a bottom of the cabinet, wherein the lift assembly is configured to vertically move the laundry appliance between a docked position and a raised position; and
a controller configured to operate the lift assembly to adjust the lift assembly to the raised position based on a height-related characteristic of a user and a height-related characteristic of at least one selected physical feature of the laundry appliance to be accessed to match a location of the at least one selected physical feature with the height-related characteristic of the user, wherein physical features of the laundry appliance to be accessed include a detergent dispenser, the drum, and a door.

11. The laundry appliance system of claim 10 , wherein the detergent dispenser is a dispensing drawer, and wherein the at least one selected physical feature of the laundry appliance is at least one of the dispensing drawer and the door.

12. The laundry appliance system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller; and
a microphone communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the sensor is configured to determine the height-related characteristic of the user in response to information from at least one of the sensor and the microphone.

13. The laundry appliance system of claim 12 , wherein the height-related characteristic of the user is at least one of a location of a voice command, a location of eyes of the user, and a location of shoulders of the user.

14. The laundry appliance system of claim 10 , wherein the raised position for each physical feature is based on the height-related characteristic of the user.

15. The laundry appliance system of claim 10 , wherein the storage unit defines sidewalls and a front wall having a height less than a height of the sidewalls, and wherein the laundry appliance remains between the sidewalls when in the docked position and the raised position, and further wherein a bottom of the laundry appliance is disposed adjacent to a top of the front wall when in the docked position to provide access to a front of the laundry appliance and enclose the lift assembly in the interior.

16. A laundry appliance system, comprising:
a storage unit defining an interior, wherein the storage unit includes sidewalls and a front wall, and wherein the front wall has a height less than a height of the sidewalls to define a front opening;
a laundry appliance disposed at least partially within an interior of the storage unit, wherein the laundry appliance includes a cabinet and a drum disposed within the cabinet, the drum configured to receive items for a laundry cycle;
a lift assembly disposed within the interior of the storage unit and operably coupled to the cabinet, wherein the lift assembly is configured to vertically move the laundry appliance to raised positions to match locations of physical features on the laundry appliance with height-related characteristics of a user, the physical features including the drum, a single-use detergent dispenser, and a bulk detergent dispenser, and wherein a bottom of the laundry appliance is disposed adjacent to a top of the front wall when in a lowered docked position; and
a controller configured to operate the lift assembly to position the laundry appliance relative to the storage unit and to match a height-related characteristic of at least one of the physical features selected to be accessed by the user with at least one of the height-related characteristics of the user.

17. The laundry appliance system of claim 16 , wherein the lift assembly is configured to vertically move the laundry appliance between the lowered docked position and a raised position, and wherein at least one of the physical features of the laundry appliance is accessible via the front opening when the laundry appliance is in the lowered docked position.

18. The laundry appliance system of claim 16 , wherein the lift assembly is configured to tilt the laundry appliance.

19. The laundry appliance system of claim 18 , wherein a rear portion of the lift assembly is configu

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Burgess Brent M
• Carpenter Scott E

Classifications

• B66F11/00

  Lifting devices specially adapted for particular uses not otherwise provided for (ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle B60S9/00) · CPC title

• D06F2101/00

  User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers · CPC title

• D06F34/14

  Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters · CPC title

• D06F2105/00

  Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers · CPC title

• A47B51/00

  Cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down {(for cabinets with parts rotating about a horizontal axis A47B46/005; for show or display A47F3/06)} · CPC title