Detergent drawer assembly for a washing machine appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480246-B2
Application number	US-202418584430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2024
Priority date	Feb 22, 2024
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A washing machine appliance includes a cabinet comprising a front panel defining a chamber opening and a top panel, a wash tub positioned within the cabinet and defining a wash chamber, a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub for receiving a load of clothes, and a detergent drawer assembly slidably mounted within the cabinet for receiving a wash additive and directing the wash additive to the wash chamber during operation of the washing machine appliance. The detergent drawer assembly includes a detergent drawer slidably mounted to the cabinet and defining a cartridge chamber, a hinged plate mounted to the detergent drawer and being rotatable between an open position and a closed position, and a cartridge defining a chamber. The cartridge is slidably mounted to the hinged plate when the hinged plate is in the open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A washing machine appliance comprising:
a cabinet comprising a front panel defining a chamber opening, the cabinet further comprising a top panel; a wash tub positioned within the cabinet and defining a wash chamber; a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub for receiving a load of clothes; and a detergent drawer assembly slidably mounted within the cabinet for receiving a wash additive and directing the wash additive to the wash chamber during operation of the washing machine appliance, the detergent drawer assembly comprising:
a detergent drawer slidably mounted to the cabinet and defining a cartridge chamber;
a hinged plate mounted to the detergent drawer and being rotatable between an open position and a closed position; and
a cartridge defining a chamber, the cartridge being slidably mounted to the hinged plate when the hinged plate is in the open position.

2 . The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is positioned within the cartridge chamber when the hinged plate is in the closed position.

3 . The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein, when the hinged plate is in the open position, the cartridge is slidable between an extended position for providing access to the chamber, and a retracted position in which the cartridge is received within the cartridge chamber.

4 . The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the detergent drawer is slidable between a retracted position and an extended position in which a portion of the cartridge chamber is covered by the top panel of the cabinet.

5 . The washing machine appliance of claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the cartridge is received within the portion of the cartridge chamber covered by the top panel of the cabinet when the cartridge is in the retracted position.

6 . The washing machine appliance of claim 4 , further comprising:
a recirculation nozzle directed into the cartridge when the detergent drawer is in the retracted position.

7 . The washing machine appliance of claim 6 , wherein the cartridge defines an opening for receiving the recirculation nozzle when the detergent drawer is in the retracted position.

8 . The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is a filter cartridge and the chamber defined by the cartridge is a filter chamber for receiving a filter for filtering particles from recirculated water.

9 . The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the detergent drawer defines a drawer chute for directing filtered water from the chamber to the wash chamber.

10 . The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge rotates with the hinged plate.

11 . The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the hinged plate of the detergent drawer assembly comprises:
a pin defining a pivot axis about which the hinged plate is rotatable, the pin being received in a pair of bosses defined on the detergent drawer.

12 . The washing machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge of the detergent drawer assembly comprises:
at least one wall formed with a mesh filter.

13 . A detergent drawer assembly for a washing machine appliance, the washing machine appliance comprising a cabinet comprising a top panel and a front panel defining a chamber opening, the washing machine appliance also comprising a wash tub positioned within the cabinet and defining a wash chamber, the detergent drawer assembly slidably mounted within the cabinet for receiving a wash additive and directing the wash additive to the wash chamber during operation of the washing machine appliance, the detergent drawer assembly comprising:
a detergent drawer slidably mounted to the cabinet and defining a cartridge chamber; a hinged plate mounted to the detergent drawer and being rotatable between an open position and a closed position; and a cartridge defining a chamber, the cartridge being slidably mounted to the hinged plate when the hinged plate is in the open position.

14 . The detergent drawer assembly of claim 13 , wherein the cartridge is positioned within the cartridge chamber when the hinged plate is in the closed position.

15 . The detergent drawer assembly of claim 13 , wherein, when the hinged plate is in the open position, the cartridge is slidable between an extended position for providing access to the chamber, and a retracted position in which the cartridge is received within the cartridge chamber.

16 . The detergent drawer assembly of claim 13 , wherein the detergent drawer is slidable between a retracted position and an extended position in which a portion of the cartridge chamber is covered by the top panel of the cabinet.

17 . The detergent drawer assembly of claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the cartridge is received within the portion of the cartridge chamber covered by the top panel of the cabinet when the cartridge is in the retracted position.

18 . The detergent drawer assembly of claim 16 , wherein a recirculation nozzle of the washing machine appliance is directed into the cartridge when the detergent drawer is in the retracted position.

19 . The detergent drawer assembly of claim 18 , wherein the cartridge defines an opening for receiving the recirculation nozzle of the washing machine appliance when the detergent drawer is in the retracted position.

20 . The detergent drawer assembly of claim 13 , wherein the hinged plate comprises:
a pin defining a pivot axis about which the hinged plate is rotatable, the pin being received in a pair of bosses defined on the detergent drawer.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Roetker John Joseph
• Madeti Pavan Kumar

Classifications

• D06F39/10

  Filtering arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/086

  Arrangements for avoiding detergent wastage in the discharge conduit · CPC title

• D06F23/02

  and rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/022 Primary

  in a liquid state (D06F39/024 takes precedence) · CPC title