Laundry treating appliance having a rotatable blade for liquid extraction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9945061-B2
Application number	US-201514885211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 16, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, comprising a basket defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry to be washed. The basket has multiple perforations through which liquid may pass. A blade can be rotated about the exterior of the basket creating a suction force acting on the perforations to draw liquid from the treating chamber through the perforations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, comprising:
a basket defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry to be washed and having an inner wall and an outer wall, at least one of the inner and outer walls having perforations, and the inner and outer walls being movable relative to each other between first and second positions to selectively open and close at least some of the perforations; and
at least one blade immediately adjacent an exterior of the outer wall and rotatable about and independently with respect to the exterior of the outer wall to generate a suction force on the exterior of the outer wall which acts on the perforations to draw liquid from the treating chamber through the perforations.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a drivetrain operably coupled to the at least one blade to rotate the at least one blade in a first direction.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 2 wherein the drivetrain is operably coupled to the basket and rotates the basket in a second direction, opposite the first direction.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the drivetrain is operably coupled to the basket to move the inner and outer walls into the first position in response to rotation in the second direction.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the drivetrain is operably coupled to the basket to move the inner and outer walls into the second position in response to rotation in the first direction.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 further comprising a clothes mover located within the treating chamber.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 6 wherein the drivetrain is operably coupled to the clothes mover to reciprocally rotate the clothes mover between the first and second directions.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a clothes mover located within the treating chamber.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein a drivetrain is operably coupled to the clothes mover to reciprocally rotate the clothes mover.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one blade comprises multiple blades.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one blade is spaced from the outer wall.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one blade rotates at a speed, when the inner and outer walls are in the first position, to create the suction force.

13. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, comprising:
a basket defining a treating chamber for receiving laundry to be washed and having a wall with a plurality of perforations and defining an exterior; and
at least one blade immediately adjacent the exterior and rotatable about and independently with respect to the exterior of the wall to generate a suction force on the exterior which acts on the perforations to draw liquid from the treating chamber through the perforations.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 further comprising a tub defining an interior and at least one of the basket and blade are located within the interior.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 further comprising a drivetrain operably coupling at least one of:
a) the at least one blade to rotate the at least one blade in a first direction;
b) the basket and rotates the basket in a second direction, opposite the first direction;
c) the basket to an inner and an outer wall to move the inner and outer walls into a first position in response to rotation in the second direction; and
d) the basket to inner and outer walls to move the inner and outer walls into a second position in response to rotation in the first direction.

16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 further comprising a clothes mover located within the treating chamber.

17. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 wherein the at least one blade comprises multiple blades.

18. The laundry treating appliance of claim 17 wherein the at least one blade is spaced from the exterior of the wall.

19. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 wherein rotation of the at least one blade about the exterior of the wall creates the suction force.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Vaive Nicholas

Classifications

• D06F37/40

  for driving the receptacle and an agitator or impeller, e.g. alternatively {(D06F37/304, D06F37/308 take precedence)} · CPC title

• D06F23/04 Primary

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/02

  Rotary receptacles, e.g. drums · CPC title

• D06F27/00

  Washing machines with receptacles moving bodily, e.g. reciprocating, swinging · CPC title

• D06F37/304

  Arrangements or adaptations of electric motors · CPC title