Laundry treating appliance with a static tub

• US 9,828,714 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Erickson, Donald E., Hunnell, John M., Lalonde, Lauren M., McConnell, Kenneth L., Morrow, Bradley D., Scharich, III, David, Sharp, Brenner M., Strain, Christine L., Tietz, Dean L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graf, Irina
• Application Number:
  US13/970,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 23/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry with further drying means D06F25/00; programme control aspects D06F33/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/12 adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/20 Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/083 Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance having a cabinet, a static wash tub fixed in position relative to the cabinet, a wash basket mounted within the wash tub for rotation about a vertical axis and having at least one drain hole, a drive motor within the cabinet for rotating the wash basket, a catch basin fixed to the wash tub and spaced from the drive motor, a recirculation pump, and a closure between the drive motor and the catch basin.

Claims

1. A laundry treating appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior;

a wash tub located within the interior and statically mounted to the cabinet, the wash tub having an open bottom;

a wash basket located within the wash tub and having a drain hole overlying the open bottom of the wash tub;

a clothes mover located within the wash basket and rotatable relative to the wash basket;

a motor located below the wash basket and having an output shaft coupled to the clothes mover to effect rotation of the clothes mover;

a catch basin located below the wash basket and coupled to the wash tub to partially close the open bottom;

a closure carrying the motor and having a drain port, and the closure is located between the wash basket and the motor such that the closure underlies the drain hole and the drain port overlies the catch basin; and

a suspension located at least partially within the wash tub and connecting the closure to the cabinet;

wherein liquid exiting the drain hole of the wash basket is deflected by the closure to the drain port of the closure, where the liquid exits the drain port and flows into the catch basin.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a boot between a seal above the motor and the wash tub.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a boot between a seal below the motor and the wash tub.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a boot between upper and lower seals and the wash tub.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the closure includes a flange extending into the catch basin.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 5, wherein the flange is fluidly coupled to the interior of the catch basin during a wash phase to form a trap seal, and the flange is configured to move upwardly from the interior of the catch basin to a predetermined height during a spin extraction phase.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the drain hole is in the bottom of the wash basket.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the catch basin is within the wash tub.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a detergent dispenser within the wash tub.

10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 9, wherein the detergent dispenser is disposed vertically above the catch basin.

11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the wash basket is supported by a pedestal base.

12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the closure includes a labyrinth seal.

13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the closure drain port is at a periphery of the closure.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein an end portion of the closure is coupled to the suspension.