IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,371,180
Granted Patent B2
US 11,371,180 · App. 16/694,101 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Laundry treating appliance having a spray arm assembly

Inventors: Scott E. Carpenter (Wanatah, IN); Paul M. Dunn (Paw Paw, MI); Marcus R. Fischer (Stevensville, MI); Gregory R. Fulmer (St. Joseph, MI); Joel M. Sells (Watervliet, MI); Thomas D. Spicer (St. Joseph, MI)
Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
D06F39/088D06F29/00D06F39/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,371,180
App. No.
16/694,101
Granted
Jun 28, 2022
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (23)

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 is coupled to the cover such that when the cover is moved between the opened/closed positions, the spray arm assembly is moved through a range of motion between raised/lowered positions, the spray arm assembly having a spray head and a faucet, with the spray head overlying the access opening when the spray arm assembly is in the lowered position to spray liquid into the treating chamber, and the faucet operable to emit liquid into the treating chamber when the spray arm assembly is in the raised position.

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 raised/lowered position of the spray arm assembly.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the valve supplies liquid to the faucet when the spray arm assembly is raised and to the spray head when the spray arm assembly is lowered.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the valve only supplies liquid to the faucet when the spray arm assembly is raised and only supplies liquid to the spray head when the spray arm assembly is lowered.

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. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein when the cover is in the opened position, the spray arm assembly is in the raised position.

19. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 , wherein when the cover is in the closed position, the spray arm assembly is in the lowered position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 25, 2019
From: CARPENTER, SCOTT E.; DUNN, PAUL M.; FISCHER, MARCUS R.; FULMER, GREGORY R.; SELLS, JOEL M.; SPICER, THOMAS D.
To: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051105/0271 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62776245 · Dec 6, 2018
Related Publication 20200181828A1 · Jun 11, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,285,140