IP Library Granted Patent US 10,132,021
Granted Patent B2
US 10,132,021 · App. 15/255,213 · Granted Nov 20, 2018

Laundry treating appliance door assembly comprising a plastic fishbowl

Inventors: Ethan Harbrecht (Michigan City, IN); Douglas Mikkelsen (Saint Joseph, MI); Christoph Miller (Saint Joseph, MI); Joel Sells (Watervliet, MI); Prasath M. Thirukonda (St. Joseph, MI)
Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
D06F37/28D06F39/005D06F39/008D06F39/04D06F39/085D06F39/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,132,021
App. No.
15/255,213
Granted
Nov 20, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A laundry treating appliance door assembly comprises a plastic fishbowl. Typically, laundry treating appliances, such as dryers, have door assemblies comprising glass fishbowls. Utilizing plastic enables a fishbowl to have a sharper radius of curvature than that of a glass fishbowl due to manufacturing constraints of glass. A shaper radius of curvature allows for greater capacity in the treating chamber in a laundry treating appliance.

Claims (25)

1. A fishbowl for a door assembly of a laundry treating appliance, the fishbowl comprising:

a peripheral wall defining at least a partial annulus with a central axis, wherein the peripheral wall has a dual-wall structure comprising first and second walls, and the first and second walls intersect to define a junction forming an apex of the peripheral wall; and

an inner wall located within the peripheral wall to close the at least a partial annulus, and defining a surface that intersects with the peripheral wall;

wherein the peripheral wall and inner wall are made of transparent or translucent plastic.

2. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the intersection of the peripheral wall and the inner wall define a radius having a radius of curvature of less than 200 mm.

3. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the peripheral wall defines a complete annulus bounding an interior.

4. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the inner wall defines an included angle relative to the central axis that is greater than 30 degrees.

5. The fishbowl of claim 4 wherein the included angle is greater than 45 degrees.

6. The fishbowl of claim 5 wherein the included angle is greater than 55 degrees.

7. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the first and second walls form a V-shaped cross section.

8. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the inner wall is planar.

9. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the fishbowl is at least one of transparent or translucent.

10. A door assembly for a laundry treating appliance comprising:

a frame defining an opening;

a window closing the opening; and

a transparent or translucent plastic fishbowl adjacent the window and comprising:

a peripheral wall defining at least a partial annulus with a central axis, wherein the peripheral wall has a dual-wall structure comprising first and second walls, and the first and second walls intersect to define a junction forming an apex of the peripheral wall; and

an inner wall located within the peripheral wall to close the at least a partial annulus and defining a surface that intersects with the peripheral wall;

wherein the intersection of the peripheral wall and the inner wall define a radius having a radius of curvature of less than 200 mm.

11. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein the peripheral wall defines a complete annulus bounding an interior.

12. The door assembly of claim 11 wherein the inner wall defines an included angle relative to the central axis that is greater than 30 degrees.

13. The door assembly of claim 12 wherein the included angle is greater than 42 degrees.

14. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein the first and second walls form a V-shaped cross section.

15. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein the inner wall is planar.

16. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein the fishbowl is at least one of transparent or translucent.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 2, 2016
From: HARBRECHT, ETHAN; MIKKELSEN, DOUGLAS; MILLER, CHRISTOPH; SELLS, JOEL; THIRUKONDA, PRASATH M.
To: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039619/0968 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180066391A1 · Mar 8, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,448,717