Whirlpool Corporation

Steelcase Inc.

Bissell Inc.

Daniel A Schurr

Michael Jon Vriezema

Justin Nguyen

Antonio Mazzarella

Pedro A Rouin

Nolan R Maryanski

John Richard Hamilton

Andrew James Brouwers

Todd Vantongeren

Kevin B Miller

Liisa Fink Carlson

Adriano Tebaldi

An autonomous floor cleaning system includes an autonomous floor cleaner with a docking station. The docking station is configured to performing maintenance for the autonomous floor cleaner, such as refilling the autonomous floor cleaner, emptying the autonomous floor cleaner, washing mopping pads, and/or recharging the autonomous floor cleaner. The docking system can supply heated cleaning fluid to the autonomous floor cleaner. Methods for servicing or performing maintenance on an autonomous floor cleaner by a docking station are disclosed.

Docking station for an autonomous floor cleaner

A drain system for a laundry appliance is provided. The laundry appliance may be configured as a clothes dryer having a heat exchanger to cool and condense moisture-laden air received from the laundry drum. The drain system utilizes a drain structure to catch condensate from the heat exchanger and evacuate the condensate to a sump area. A blower and blower channel moves the dry air from the heat exchanger back to the drum. To prevent negative pressure in the blower channel from moving the condensate to the sump area, an air channel between the blower channel and sump area provides air flow communication.

Drain system for a laundry appliance

A laundry appliance includes a blower for delivering process air through an airflow path that includes a rotating drum. A condensation system has a heat exchanger that dehumidifies process air within a condensing portion of the airflow path to produce a condensate. A residual condensing area of the airflow path is positioned upstream of the heat exchanger. The residual condensing area produces secondary condensate. A primary flow path delivers the condensate from the condensing portion to a sump. A secondary flow path delivers the secondary condensate from the residual condensing area to the sump.

Supplemental condensate delivery system having a snap-in drain member

A laundry appliance includes a basement housing comprising a capacitor receiver. A capacitor is disposed within the capacitor receiver to define a secured position. The capacitor receiver includes at least one retaining flange that is coupled to the basement housing via a living hinge. At least one retaining flange is outwardly biased away from a body of the capacitor when the capacitor is placed in an inserted position. At least one retaining flange includes a thread-engaging surface that operates to the secured position upon rotation of the capacitor in the inserted position.

Integrally formed thread lock retention feature

A laundry appliance includes an outer cabinet having opposing sidewalls that extend between a front panel and a rear panel. A blower is positioned within the outer cabinet and delivers process air through an airflow path. A rotating drum receives articles to be processed. The airflow path includes the rotating drum. A lint filter is selectively operable to a filtering position within a filter receptacle of the airflow path. The filtering position places a filter media of the lint filter within the airflow path. An access door is operable to a closed position within a door receptacle defined within a side panel of the opposing sidewalls. The door receptacle is aligned with the filter receptacle and the access door conceals the filter receptacle in the filtering position.

Side access panel for lint filter of laundry appliance

A drying appliance includes a cabinet. A drum processes articles of laundry. The drum is positioned for rotational operation within the cabinet. A blower directs process air through a recirculating airflow path that includes the drum. The drum and the blower are activated in an operating state and deactivated in an idle state. A first operable vent is positioned proximate a front of the cabinet. A second operable vent is positioned proximate a rear of the cabinet. The first and second operable vents define an open position after the drum and the blower define the idle state. The first and second operable vents define a closed position after the drum and the blower define the operating state.

Ventilation solution for closed-loop dryer systems

A dryer is provided herein and includes a cabinet and a dryer drum disposed in a cavity of the cabinet. A base assembly of the dryer includes a top piece and a bottom piece. The top piece has a plurality of debosses formed therefrom and each deboss has an end portion. The bottom piece is coupled to the top piece to define a cavity and has embosses formed therefrom. Each emboss is vertically aligned with a corresponding deboss and each emboss has an end portion in abutting contact with the end portion of the corresponding deboss. A plurality of mechanical fasteners are configured to engage the end portions of the embosses to the end portions of the debosses.

Growing community of inventors

Wyoming, MI, United States of America

Daniel A Schurr