DOOR BOWL FOR A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE DOOR

• US 20110023561A1
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Murrell, Jonathan, Schöne, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/212
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/14 Doors or covers; Securing means therefor

Abstract

A glass bowl for a door assembly of a washer including a housing, a tub inside the housing, the tub having a rotating drum, the door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub, the see-through portion including the glass bowl, the door assembly pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open and closed position. The glass bowl includes a base portion for securing the glass bowl to the door assembly, and a bowl portion configured to extend into the interior of the housing, wherein the bowl portion includes a sidewall extending from the base portion toward the interior of the housing, a first bowl face that faces toward the interior of the housing and an indentation formed in an upper surface of the sidewall that guides at least a portion of water or washing fluid flowing downward onto the glass bowl toward the rotating drum.

Claims

1. A glass bowl for a door assembly of a washer, wherein the washer includes a housing having an opening for accessing an interior of the housing, a tub disposed inside the housing, the tub having a rotating drum therein for receiving laundry through the opening, the door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub, the see-through portion including the glass bowl, the door assembly being pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open position for accessing the opening of the housing and a closed position for closing the opening of the housing,

the glass bowl comprising:

a base portion for securing the glass bowl to the door assembly; and

a bowl portion configured to extend into the interior of the housing,

wherein the bowl portion includes;

a sidewall extending from the base portion toward the interior of the housing;

a first bowl face that faces toward the interior of the housing; and

an indentation formed in an upper surface of the sidewall that guides at least a portion of water or washing fluid flowing downward onto the glass bowl toward the rotating drum.

2. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein the indentation guides at least a substantial portion of the water or washing fluid flowing downward onto the glass bowl toward the interior of the housing and into the rotating drum.

3. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein the indentation extends around a portion of the upper surface of the sidewall.

4. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein the indentation includes a guide that guides the water or washing fluid along the indentation.

5. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein the indentation includes a pair of guides that guide the water or washing fluid along the indentation.

6. The glass bowl of claim 5, wherein the guides are formed at each side of the indentation and at an intersection between the indentation and an adjacent surface of the sidewall.

7. The glass bowl of claim 5, wherein each of the guides includes one of a channel, a trough, a curved surface, a lip, and a V-shaped groove.

8. The glass bowl of claim 5, wherein each of the guides includes a first end located nearer the base portion and a second end located nearer the first bowl face.

9. The glass bowl of claim 5, wherein each of the guides extend from the base portion toward the first bowl face.

10. The glass bowl of claim 5, wherein a width of each of the guides is substantially uniform along a length of the guide.

11. The glass bowl of claim 8, wherein a width of each of the guides at the first end is less than a width of each of the guides at the second end.

12. The glass bowl of claim 5, wherein each of the guides has a partial diffuser shape extending from the base portion toward the first bowl face.

13. The glass bowl of claim 5, wherein each of the guides extend along a substantially straight line extending from the base portion toward the first bowl face.

14. The glass bowl of claim 5, wherein each of the guides extend along a curved line extending from the base portion toward the first bowl face.

15. The glass bowl of claim 1, further comprising:

an inclined second face that is inclined with respect to a plane of the base portion.

16. The glass bowl of claim 15, wherein the inclined second face is inclined with respect to a plane of the first bowl face.

17. The glass bowl of claim 15, wherein a surface of the indentation merges with the inclined second face.

18. The glass bowl of claim 15, wherein an intersection between the indentation and the inclined second face has one of a tapered surface and a curved surface.

19. The glass bowl of claim 15, wherein the indentation includes a pair of guides that guide the water or washing fluid along the indentation, and

wherein each of the pair of guides extends an entire distance from the base portion to the inclined second face.

20. The glass bowl of claim 15, wherein the indentation includes a pair of guides that guide the water or washing fluid along the indentation, and

wherein each of the guides extends a portion of a distance from the base portion to the inclined second face.

21. The glass bowl of claim 15, wherein the indentation includes a pair of guides that guide the water or washing fluid along the indentation, and

wherein each of the guides starts from a point between the base portion and the inclined second face and extends to the inclined second face.

22. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein the first bowl face includes a concave surface that guides the water or washing fluid toward the rotating drum.

23. The glass bowl of claim 15, wherein the inclined second face includes a concave surface that guides the water or washing fluid toward the rotating drum.

24. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein an intersection between the first bowl face and the sidewall is one of tapered and curved.

25. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein a plane of the bowl face is parallel to a plane of the base portion.

26. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein a plane of the bowl face intersects a plane of the base portion at an angle.

27. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein the sidewall is formed at an angle with respect to a plane of the opening of the housing.

28. The glass bowl of claim 1, wherein the base portion includes a flange that extends radially from the bowl portion in a plane that corresponds to a plane of the door assembly.

29. The glass bowl of claim 28, wherein the flange is configured to be press-fit between an inner ring and a door frame of the door assembly.

30. The glass bowl of claim 28, wherein the flange includes one or more positioning notches for positioning the glass bowl in a correct assembled position for the door assembly.

31. The glass bowl of claim 28, wherein the flange includes a pair of positioning notches that correspond to one of locating and clearance features of an inner ring of the door assembly.

32. A washer comprising:

a housing having an opening for accessing an interior of the housing;

a tub disposed inside the housing, the tub having a rotating drum therein for receiving laundry through the opening; and

a door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub, the door assembly being pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open position for accessing the opening of the housing and a closed position for closing the opening of the housing,

wherein the door assembly includes a glass bowl comprising;

a base portion for securing the glass bowl to the door assembly; and

a bowl portion configured to extend into the interior of the housing,

wherein the bowl portion includes;

a sidewall extending from the base portion toward the interior of the housing;

a first bowl face that faces toward the interior of the housing; and

an indentation formed in an upper surface of the sidewall that guides at least a portion of water or washing fluid flowing downward onto the glass bowl toward the rotating drum.

33. The washer of claim 32, wherein the indentation includes a guide that guides the water or washing fluid along the indentation.

34. The washer of claim 32, wherein the indentation includes a pair of guides that guide the water or washing fluid along the indentation.

35. The washer of claim 34, wherein the guides are formed at each side of the indentation and at an intersection between the indentation and an adjacent surface of the sidewall.

36. The washer of claim 32, wherein the door assembly further includes:

an inner ring; and

a door frame secured to the inner ring,

wherein base portion of the glass bowl is secured between the inner ring and the door frame.

37. The washer of claim 36, wherein the base portion includes a flange that extends radially from the bowl portion in a plane that corresponds to a plane of the door assembly.

38. The washer of claim 37, wherein the flange is press-fit between a surface of the inner ring and a surface of the door frame.

39. The washer of claim 38, wherein the flange includes one or more positioning notches for positioning the glass bowl in a correct assembled position for the door assembly.

40. The washer of claim 38, wherein the inner ring includes one of locating and clearance features, and

wherein the flange includes a pair of positioning notches that correspond to the one of locating and clearance features of the inner ring.