IP Library Granted Patent US 10,907,292
Granted Patent B2
US 10,907,292 · App. 16/871,204 · Granted Feb 2, 2021

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
D06F37/28D06F34/28D06F39/008D06F39/04D06F39/085D06F39/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,907,292
App. No.
16/871,204
Granted
Feb 2, 2021
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 (32)

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

a peripheral wall defining an annulus with a central axis; and

an inner wall located within the peripheral wall to close the annulus, and defining a surface that intersects with the peripheral wall to form a first radius of curvature, with the surface having a vertical portion transitioning to an angled portion, within the transition forming a second radius of curvature;

wherein the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature are less than 200 mm.

2. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the vertical portion or the angled portion is planar.

3. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the peripheral wall has a dual-wall structure comprising first and second walls.

4. The fishbowl of claim 3 wherein the first and second walls form a V-shape cross section.

5. The fishbowl of claim 3 wherein the first and second walls intersect to define a junction forming an apex of the peripheral wall.

6. The fishbowl of claim 1 wherein the fishbowl is plastic.

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

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

a frame defining an opening;

a window closing the opening; and

a plastic fishbowl adjacent the window and comprising:

a peripheral wall defining an annulus with a central axis; and

an inner wall located within the peripheral wall to close the annulus, and defining a surface that intersects with the peripheral wall to form a first radius of curvature, with the surface having a vertical portion transitioning to an angled portion, within the transition forming a second radius of curvature;

wherein the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature are less than 200 mm.

9. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein the at least one of the vertical portion or the angled portion is planar.

10. The door assembly of claim 9 wherein the angled portion of the inner wall defines an included angle relative to the central axis that is greater than 30 degrees.

11. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein the peripheral wall has a dual-wall structure comprising first and second walls.

12. The door assembly of claim 11 wherein the first and second walls form a V-shape cross section.

13. The door assembly of claim 11 wherein the first and second walls intersect to define a junction forming an apex of the peripheral wall.

14. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein the entire plastic fishbowl is at least one of transparent or translucent.

15. 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; 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 to form a first radius of curvature, with the surface having a vertical portion transitioning into an angled portion, with the transition forming a second radius of curvature, and the angled portion forming an included angle with the central axis that is less than 40 degrees;

wherein the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature are less than 200 mm.

16. The fishbowl of claim 15 wherein the at least one of the vertical portion or the angled portion is planar.

17. The fishbowl of claim 15 wherein the peripheral wall has a dual-wall structure comprising first and second walls.

18. The fishbowl of claim 17 wherein the first and second walls intersect to define a junction forming an apex of the peripheral wall.

19. The fishbowl of claim 15 wherein the fishbowl is plastic.

20. The fishbowl of claim 15 wherein the entire plastic fishbowl is at least one of transparent or translucent.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2020
From: HARBRECHT, ETHAN; MIKKELSEN, DOUGLAS; MILLER, CHRISTOPH; SELLS, JOEL; THIRUKONDA, PRASATH M.
To: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052622/0228 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16583395 · Sep 26, 2019
Continuation 16391647 · Apr 23, 2019
Continuation 16161813 · Oct 16, 2018
Continuation 15255213 · Sep 2, 2016
Related Publication 20200270801A1 · Aug 27, 2020
Cited By (3)
US 12,331,451 US 12,410,550 US 12,595,612