Laundry treating appliance laundry mover with liquid diverter

• US 9,777,418 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Carr, David W., Mueller, Dale E., Zeitler, Mary E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cormier, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/958,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20150033803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 68134, 68133, 68 53, 68 18 FA, 68131, 68132, 68 237, 68 236, 68 54, 68148, 8137, 8159, 8158, 366278, 366317, 3661652, 366243, 366265, 3663291
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 13/00 Washing machines having receptacles, stationary for washing purposes, with agitators therein contacting the articles being washed plungers or the like adapted for removable mounting on receptacles D06F5/04
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 17/10 Impellers

Abstract

A laundry mover for a laundry treating appliance may include a protrusion located on an upper side of the laundry mover and forming an open-bottom cavity. The protrusion may have at least one opening fluidly communicating the cavity with a portion of the treating chamber above the protrusion. A diverter may be located on a lower side of the laundry mover such that rotation of the laundry mover brings the diverter into contact with liquid in a portion of the treating chamber underneath the laundry mover, and the diverter directs the liquid through the cavity to expel the liquid through the at least one opening.

Claims

1. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, the laundry treating appliance comprising:

a treating chamber receiving laundry for treatment; and

a laundry mover located in the treating chamber and rotatable about a rotational axis, the laundry mover comprising;

a protrusion located on an upper side of the laundry mover and forming an open cavity on a lower side of the laundry mover, the protrusion further having at least one opening fluidly communicating the cavity with a portion of the treating chamber above the protrusion; and

a diverter located on a lower side of the laundry mover and depending from an upper wall of the protrusion within the open cavity;

wherein the rotation of the laundry mover brings the diverter into contact with liquid in a portion of the treating chamber underneath the laundry mover, the diverter directing the liquid through the cavity to expel the liquid through the at least one opening.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the diverter is in the form of a fin positioned at least partially within the cavity.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 2 wherein the fin extends radially along at least a portion of the cavity.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the fin comprises at least one baffle facing the at least one opening directing the liquid toward the at least one opening.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the at least one opening further comprises a first opening and a second opening, and the at least one baffle further comprises at least two baffles facing opposite directions with a first baffle facing the first opening and where the first baffle directs the liquid toward the first opening during rotation of the laundry mover in a first direction, and with a second baffle facing the second opening and where the second baffle directs the liquid toward the second opening during rotation of the laundry mover in a second direction opposite the first direction.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the at least one baffle is formed by angled walls in a zig-zag configuration.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the protrusion further comprises opposing sidewalls joined at one end by an outer wall, and an inner support wall spans the cavity between the sidewalls, wherein the fin extends from the outer wall to the inner support wall.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 7 wherein the protrusion further comprises an additional wall located radially inward from the inner support wall forming an air dome beneath a portion of the laundry mover.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 3 wherein the protrusion further comprises opposing sidewalls that converge at a vertex at one end and are joined by an outer wall at another end, wherein the fin extends from the outer wall to the vertex.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the laundry mover further comprises a skirt from which the protrusions extend upwardly, and the diverter projects downward below the skirt.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the diverter is in the form of a baffle extending radially along at least a portion of the protrusion.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the laundry mover further comprises a skirt, and the protrusion extends upwardly from the skirt, wherein the baffle is formed by an angled wall facing the at least one opening with an acute angle between the angled wall and the skirt.

13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 wherein the baffle is formed in an insert mounted within the cavity of the protrusion.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 13 wherein the insert is mounted within the cavity by at least one of adhesive, heat staking, or mechanical fasteners.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the laundry mover comprises multiple protrusions, each having a baffle, and at least a first baffle for a first protrusion faces a first direction, and at least a second baffle for a second protrusion faces a second direction opposite the first direction.

16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the protrusion further comprises a through channel extending through the cavity and fluidly connecting the baffle with the at least one opening.

17. The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein the baffle and the through channel are formed in an insert mounted within the cavity of the protrusion.

18. The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the at least one opening further comprises a first opening and a second opening, and the diverter further comprises at least two baffles facing opposite directions with a first baffle facing the first opening and where the first baffle directs the liquid toward the first opening during rotation of the laundry mover in a first direction, and with a second baffle facing the second opening and where the second baffle directs the liquid toward the second opening during rotation of the laundry mover in a second direction opposite the first direction.

19. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the laundry mover is an impeller comprising an outer skirt that transitions to a raised center, and the protrusion is radially oriented with the at least one opening located on a portion of the protrusion extending upwardly from the outer skirt.

20. The laundry treating appliance of claim 19 wherein the outer skirt has a plurality of apertures fluidly communicating portions of the treating chamber above and below the outer skirt.