IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,346,039
Granted Patent B2
US 11,346,039 · App. 16/859,425 · Granted May 31, 2022

Door assembly for a laundry treating appliance

Inventors: Jun Young Park (Benton Harbor, MI); Seth E. Bixby (Stevensville, MI); Dario Grasselli (Travedona-Monate, IT); Andrew C. Kubasiak (Saint Joseph, MI); Giuseppe Netti (Osmate, IT); Anna C. Schelling (Stevensville, MI); Sayer J. Murphy (Saint Joseph, MI); Gregg P. Fitzgerald (Eau Claire, MI); Biagio Ludovico (Milan, IT)
Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
D06F39/088D06F29/00D06F37/04D06F39/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,346,039
App. No.
16/859,425
Granted
May 31, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A laundry treating appliance includes a chassis defining an interior and having a front panel defining a front panel opening. A rotatable treating chamber is located within the interior and accessible through the front panel opening. A door assembly is movably mounted to the chassis for movement between opened and closed positions to selectively open or close the front panel opening. A compartment is movably mounted to the door assembly for movement between opened and closed positions. A basin is carried by the compartment between an accessible position and a non-accessible position.

Claims (31)

1. A laundry treating appliance comprising:

a chassis defining an interior and having a front panel defining a front panel opening;

a rotatable treating chamber located within the interior and accessible through the front panel opening;

a door assembly movably mounted to the chassis for movement between opened and closed positions to selectively open or close the front panel opening;

a compartment movably mounted to the door assembly for movement between opened and closed positions; and

a basin carried by the compartment such that, when the compartment is in the opened position, the basin is in an accessible position, where the basin is open to an exterior of the door assembly and laundry items can be loaded into the basin, and at least a portion of the basin contacts at least a portion of the door assembly to discourage fluids or objects from entering or exiting the treating chamber, even during a cycle of operation, and when the compartment is in the closed position, the basin is in a non-accessible position, where the basin is open to the treating chamber.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the compartment is rotatably mounted to the door assembly for movement between the opened and closed positions.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising an actuator coupling the compartment to the door assembly to selectively actuate movement of the compartment between the closed and the opened positions.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a faucet that is oriented to emit liquid into the basin when the basin is in the accessible position.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 further comprising a faucet actuator operably coupled to the faucet for selective actuation of the faucet.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 wherein the faucet actuator is located on the door assembly, a cabinet, or a user interface such that it is physically accessible exteriorly of the laundry treating appliance when the basin is in the accessible position.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the basin has a front edge and a rear edge, the rear edge having a position that is lower than the front edge when the basin is in the accessible position.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the basin is an open bowl comprising an apex defining at least a portion of an access opening of the open bowl.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 8 wherein the apex includes a proximal end and a distal end, with the distal end nearest the treating chamber when the compartment is in the opened position.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the door assembly further comprises a discouraging assembly that discourages fluids or objects from entering or exiting the treating chamber when the compartment is in the opened position.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 10 wherein the discouraging assembly comprises a deflector body extending between the door assembly and the distal end of the apex of the basin when the compartment is in the opened position.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the deflector body contacts at least a portion of the apex of the basin to discourage the fluids or objects from entering or exiting the treating chamber even during the cycle of operation.

13. A laundry treating appliance comprising:

a chassis defining an interior and having a front panel defining a front panel opening;

a rotatable treating chamber located within the interior and accessible through the front panel opening; and

a door assembly movably mounted to the chassis for movement between opened and closed positions to selectively open or close the front panel opening, the door assembly comprising:

a compartment movably mounted to the door assembly for movement between opened and closed positions;

a basin carried by the compartment such that, when the compartment is in the opened position, the basin is in an accessible position where the basin is open to an exterior of the door assembly and laundry items can be loaded into the basin, and when the compartment is in the closed position, the basin is in a non-accessible position where the basin is open to the treating chamber; and

a deflector body extending between the door assembly and the basin such that at least a portion of the basin contacts at least a portion of the deflector body when the basin is in the accessible position to discourage fluids or objects from entering or exiting the treating chamber even during a cycle of operation.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 wherein the compartment is rotatably mounted to the door assembly for movement between the opened and closed positions.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 further comprising a faucet that is oriented to emit liquid into the basin when the basin is in the accessible position.

16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 wherein the basin is an open bowl comprising an apex defining at least a portion of an access opening of the open bowl.

17. The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein the apex includes a proximal end and a distal end, with the distal end nearest the treating chamber when the compartment is in the opened position.

18. The laundry treating appliance of claim 17 wherein the deflector body extends between the door assembly and the distal end of the apex of the basin when the compartment is in the opened position.

19. The laundry treating appliance of claim 18 wherein the deflector body contacts at least a portion of the apex of the basin to discourage the fluids or objects from entering or exiting the treating chamber even during the cycle of operation.

20. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 further comprising an actuator coupling the compartment to the door assembly to selectively actuate movement of the compartment between the closed and the opened positions.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2020
From: PARK, JUN YOUNG; BIXBY, SETH E.; GRASSELLI, DARIO; KUBASIAK, ANDREW C.; NETTI, GIUSEPPE; SCHELLING, ANNA C.; MURPHY, SAYER J.; FITZGERALD, GREGG P.; LUDOVICO, BIAGIO
To: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052508/0442 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62844913 · May 8, 2019
Related Publication 20200354878A1 · Nov 12, 2020