Laundry treating appliance and dispenser

• US 10,221,515 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ayers, Kevin, Bixby, Seth, Murphy, Sayer J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L.
• Application Number:
  US15/263,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20180073184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/026 the powder or tablets being added directly, e.g. without the need of a flushing liquid
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/14 Doors or covers; Securing means therefor

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a washing machine including a cabinet defining a housing with internal components of a conventional automated clothes washer, a door mounted to the cabinet to selectively open/close the opening to the cabinet, and a dispenser in the form of a drawer having at least one cup in which doses of treating chemistry can be received. The dispenser includes a door pivotally mounted to the housing for pivoting movement between closed and opened positions. The dispenser drawer is pivotally mounted to the dispenser door and slidably mounted to the housing such that pivotal movement of the dispenser door between the closed and opened position effects a corresponding sliding movement of the at least one dispenser cup between the extended and retracted position.

Claims

1. A laundry treating appliance comprising:

a housing defining an interior and having an upper surface and a console having an access opening;

a treating chamber located within the interior and mounted to the housing;

at least one dispenser container fluidly coupled to the treating chamber and mounted to the housing for movement relative to the access opening between extended and retracted positions, with the at least one dispenser container being accessible through the access opening in the extended position; and

a dispenser door mounted to the housing for movement between closed and opened positions, with the dispenser door closing the access opening in the closed position, and the dispenser door opening the access opening in the opened position;

wherein the at least one dispenser container is operably coupled to the dispenser door such that pivotal movement of the dispenser door between the closed and opened positions effects a sliding movement of the at least one dispenser container between the retracted and extended positions, the pivotal and sliding movements configured to maintain the dispenser container at an upright position throughout the opening and closing motion.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one dispenser container has an upper edge that is flush with an upper edge of the access opening when the at least one dispenser container is in the extended position.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one dispenser container has a peripheral edge, the access opening has a peripheral edge, and the peripheral edges are flush when the at least one dispenser container is in the extended position.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one dispenser container comprises a drawer having multiple cups.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the drawer is slidably mounted to the housing.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the drawer is pivotally mounted to the dispenser door.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the dispenser door in the opened position partially retracts below the at least one dispenser container in the extended position.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a biasing device that biases the dispenser door from the closed to the opened position.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a push-to-open latch securing the dispenser door in the closed position.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 further comprising a damper mounted to the dispenser door and dampening the movement of the dispenser door between the opened and closed positions.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 10 wherein one of the at least one dispenser container and housing has a slot and the other of the at least one dispenser container and housing has a pin extending in the slot, with the pin being slidable within the slot to slidably mount the at least one dispenser container to the housing.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the slot is curvilinear and the at least one dispenser container raises/lowers as the at least one dispenser container extends/retracts, respectively.

13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein one of the at least one dispenser container and housing has a slot and the other of the at least one dispenser container and housing has a pin extending in the slot, with the pin being slidable within the slot to slidably mount the at least one dispenser container to the housing.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 wherein the slot is curvilinear and the at least one dispenser container raises/lowers as the at least one dispenser container extends/retracts, respectively.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the dispenser door is pivotally mounted to the housing for pivotal movement between closed and opened positions.

16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the dispenser door is at least partially received in the access opening when the dispenser door is in the opened position.