IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,903,059
Granted Patent B2
US 9,903,059 · App. 15/295,464 · Granted Feb 27, 2018

Laundry treating appliance door with planar window element and baffle for controlling laundry movement

Inventors: Colin T. Anderson (Granger, IN); Michael K. Lindquist (Saint Joseph, MI); Shannon F. Pipik (Watervliet, MI)
Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
D06F37/10D06F37/06D06F37/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,903,059
App. No.
15/295,464
Granted
Feb 27, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A laundry treating appliance may include a tub and a rotatable drum defining a first access opening to the drum, a cabinet including a front wall having a second access opening aligned with the first access opening, a bellows extending between the front wall and the tub to form a fluid seal between the first and second access openings, and the bellows having a compliance portion to accommodate relative movement between the tub and the front wall, and a door movably mounted to the front wall having a planar window element and a baffle extending from the planar window element.

Claims (30)

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

a radial flange defining a rear face adapted to abut a vertically planar portion of the door assembly;

an outer surface coupled to the radial flange; and

an inner surface, opposing the outer surface, and spaced therefrom

where the inner surface includes a downwardly inclined section provided at a lower portion of the baffle and adapted to direct liquid and laundry items moving along the inner surface away from the rear face of the baffle.

2. The baffle of claim 1 wherein the outer surface forms a continuous surface.

3. The baffle of claim 2 wherein the inner surface forms a continuous surface that bounds an opening.

4. The baffle of claim 1 wherein the baffle has a dual-wall structure of inner and outer walls, with the inner wall defining the inner surface and the outer wall defining the outer surface.

5. The baffle of claim 4 wherein the inner and outer walls are coupled via an apex.

6. The baffle of claim 5 wherein the inner and outer walls and apex form a V-shaped cross section.

7. The baffle of claim 1 wherein the downwardly inclined section is generally planar along a slope formed by the downwardly inclined section.

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

a frame defining an opening;

a window closing the opening and having a planar rear surface; and

a baffle adjacent the planar rear surface of the window and comprising:

an outer surface; and

an inner surface, opposing the outer surface, and spaced therefrom, where the inner surface includes

a downwardly inclined section provided at a lower portion of the baffle and adapted to direct liquid and laundry items moving along the inner surface away from the window.

9. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein the outer surface forms a continuous surface.

10. The door assembly of claim 9 wherein the inner surface forms a continuous surface that bounds the opening.

11. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein the baffle has a dual-wall structure of inner and outer walls, with the inner wall defining the inner surface and the outer wall defining the outer surface.

12. The door assembly of claim 11 wherein the inner and outer walls are coupled at an apex.

13. The door assembly of claim 12 wherein the inner and outer walls form a V-shaped cross section.

14. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein the downwardly inclined section is generally planar along a slope formed by the downwardly inclined section.

15. A baffle for a door assembly of a laundry treating appliance, the baffle comprising:

a circular planar rear face adapted to abut a window;

an outer surface coupled with the planar rear face;

an inner surface, opposing the outer surface, and spaced therefrom and having a downwardly inclined section at a lower portion adapted to direct liquid and laundry items moving along the inner surface; and

a protrusion joining the outer surface and the spaced inner surface.

16. The baffle of claim 15 wherein the protrusion has a greater depth at a lowermost portion of the baffle.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 13549841 · Jul 16, 2012
Continuation In Part 13332754 · Dec 21, 2011
Related Publication 20170030001A1 · Feb 2, 2017