Laundry treating appliance having a spray arm assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020181828-A1
Application number	US-201916694101-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Dec 6, 2018
Publication date	Jun 11, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance includes a chassis defining an interior. A rotatable treating chamber is located within the interior and has an access opening. A cover is movably mounted to the chassis for selective movement between opened and closed positions to open and close the access opening. The laundry treating appliance further comprises a spray arm assembly having a spray head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A laundry treating appliance comprising:
a chassis defining an interior; a rotatable treating chamber located within the interior and having an access opening; a cover movably mounted to the chassis for selective movement between opened/closed positions to open/close the access opening; and a spray arm assembly having a spray head and a faucet, with the spray head overlying the access opening when the cover is closed to spray liquid into the treating chamber, and the faucet operable to emit liquid into the treating chamber when the cover is opened.

2 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the spray arm assembly comprises a spray arm hinge and the faucet is integrated with the spray arm hinge.

3 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 2 wherein the cover comprises a lid and a lid hinge that hingedly mounts the lid to the chassis.

4 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the lid hinge and the spray arm hinge have coaxial axes of rotation.

5 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the spray arm hinge hingedly mounts the lid to the chassis.

6 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 wherein the spray arm hinge forms at least part of the lid hinge.

7 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the spray arm assembly further comprises a valve controlling liquid flow to the spray head and the faucet.

8 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 7 wherein the valve is actuated based on the opened/closed position of the cover.

9 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the valve supplies liquid to the faucet when the cover is opened and to the spray head when the cover is closed.

10 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the valve only supplies liquid to the faucet when the cover is opened and only supplies liquid to the spray head when the cover is closed.

11 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 7 further comprising a user-actuated control operably coupled to the valve to control the flow of liquid to the spray head or the faucet.

12 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the user-actuated control is located on the chassis.

13 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 wherein the chassis comprises a shroud at least partially encircling the access opening and the user-actuated control is located on the shroud.

14 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 wherein the cover overlies the user-actuated control when closed.

15 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the spray head includes a scrub surface.

16 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 15 wherein the spray head comprises liquid outlets in the scrub surface.

17 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 15 wherein the scrub surface confronts the access opening when the cover is closed.

18 . A laundry treating appliance comprising:
a chassis defining an interior; a rotatable treating chamber located within the interior and having an access opening; a spray arm assembly having a spray head including a scrub surface, the spray arm assembly movable through a range of motion between a first position and a second position; and a basin underlying the spray head throughout the range of motion and having a drain fluidly coupled with the treating chamber.

19 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the basin overlies the access opening.

20 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the first position is a lowered position and the second position is a raised position.

21 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 20 wherein the spray head confronts the basin when the spray arm assembly is in the lowered position.

22 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 21 wherein the spray head is spaced from the basin when the spray arm assembly is in the raised position.

23 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the spray head comprises liquid outlets in the scrub surface.

24 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein liquid is supplied to the spray head in both the first and second positions.

25 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the spray arm assembly comprises a hinge defining an axis of rotation about which the spray arm assembly is movable between the first and second positions.

26 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 25 wherein the basin is provided at a top wall of the chassis and the spray arm assembly is hingedly mounted relative to the top wall for movement between the first and second positions.

27 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the basin is provided at a top wall of the chassis.

28 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the rotatable treating chamber rotates about one of a vertical axis of rotation or a horizontal axis of rotation.

29 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the basin further defines a liquid inlet.

30 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the spray arm assembly further comprises a faucet and a valve controlling liquid flow to the spray head and the faucet.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Carpenter Scott E
• Dunn Paul M
• Fischer Marcus R
• Fulmer Gregory R
• Sells Joel M
• Spicer Thomas D

Classifications

• D06F39/14

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• D06F29/00

  Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus · CPC title

• D06F39/088 Primary

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F21/06

  about a vertical axis · CPC title