Whirlpool Corporation

Christoph J Miller

Douglas Lynn Mikkelsen

Joel Matthew Sells

Ethan Harbrecht

Eric J Walsh

Prasath M Thirukonda

Donald E Erickson

George W Malheiros

James B Hull

Steven Fricke

Peter Wagoner

Tarun Sai Yadav Godha

John L Patera

Jon D Strait

Hirak Chanda

James Andrew Oskins

Michael L Jackemeyer

Robert A Scheitlin

Matthew S Wasson

Paul F Spindler

Andre Petronilho

A laundry appliance includes a tub having a rear wall that includes a plurality of structural ribs. A drive hub has a bearing housing insert injection molded into the rear wall. A stator is attached to the drive hub at stator fastening portions exposed through the rear wall of the tub. A reinforcing cap is fixed to the structural ribs of the rear wall of the tub. The bearing housing of the drive hub extends rearwards through a portion of the reinforcing cap. The stator fastening portions are exposed through the reinforcing cap.

Reinforcing cap for a tub rear wall of an appliance

A laundry treating appliance door assembly comprises a plastic fishbowl. Typically, laundry treating appliances, such as dryers, have door assemblies comprising glass fishbowls. Utilizing plastic enables a fishbowl to have a sharper radius of curvature than that of a glass fishbowl due to manufacturing constraints of glass. A shaper radius of curvature allows for greater capacity in the treating chamber in a laundry treating appliance.

Laundry treating appliance door assembly comprising a plastic fishbowl

A fabric treating appliance for treating an article according to a cycle of operation includes a chassis defining an interior with a tub provided within the interior, the tub at least partially defining a liquid chamber. A drum is provided within the liquid chamber to at least partially define a treating chamber. The drum has a peripheral wall terminating in a front edge and a rear edge, with the front edge defining a front opening. An exoskeleton is provided within the liquid chamber coupling the drum to the chassis.

Laundry treating appliance

A laundry treating appliance is configured to treat laundry according to a cycle of operation. The laundry treating appliance comprises a chassis that defines an interior and has a front and rear with an access opening located in the front. A tub statically mounted to the chassis and defines a liquid chamber located within the interior and has at least one suspension opening. An exoskeleton is located within the liquid chamber and has a front support, a rear support, and stringers extending longitudinally to form a skeletal frame defining a frame interior. A rotatable drum is located within the frame interior. A suspension system is located within the interior and has at least one suspension component extending into the liquid chamber through the suspension opening and is operably coupled to the exoskeleton. A liquid dam retards liquid flow from the liquid chamber to the interior through the suspension opening.

Laundry treating appliance with liquid dam

A fabric treating appliance for treating an article according to a cycle of operation includes a chassis defining an interior with a tub disposed in the interior, the tub defining a liquid chamber. A drum is provided within the liquid chamber to define a treating chamber. An exoskeleton is disposed within the liquid chamber and houses the drum. A front frame mounts to the drum and forms at least a portion of the exoskeleton.

A method of dosing detergent into a cleaning chamber of a washing machine using gravity. The method comprises providing an amount of detergent to be used in a washing machine, providing a detergent storage tank, providing a diverter valve comprising a detergent inlet, a detergent outlet, and an air vent, presenting a user interface at a location accessible to a user for a user to input load characteristics, relaying information via electrical signals from the user interface to a controller in electrical communication with the user interface, determining a dosage requirement and dispensing a fluid into the cleaning chamber.

Method and apparatus for using gravity to precisely dose detergent in a washing machine

A fabric treating appliance includes a chassis defining an interior. A tub is provided in the interior defining a liquid chamber. An exoskeleton is disposed within the liquid chamber and houses a drum defining a treating chamber for treating an article of laundry. A rear drive plate is provided at one end of the drum and at least partially defines the exoskeleton. One or more braces can couple to the rear drive plate to improve structural integrity of the exoskeleton housing the drum.

A laundry treating appliance comprising a chassis defining an interior with at fixed tub disposed in the interior, the tub defining a liquid chamber. An exoskeleton is disposed within the liquid chamber and houses a drum defining a treating chamber for treating laundry. A suspension comprising one or more suspension component mounts the exoskeleton to that chassis through an opening in the tub. The interior is sealed from the liquid chamber by a plurality of seals at the openings and suspension components extending through the openings, preventing liquid from spilling into the interior from the liquid chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Joseph, MI, United States of America

Christoph J Miller