# US 10,309,051 B2 · Closure panel and laundry treating appliance with same

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- Number: US 10,309,051 B2
- Document ID: US10309051B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/948,850
- Filed: 2015-11-23
- Published: 2017-05-25
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-23
- Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation
- Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation
- Inventors: Steven Lentz; Robert Unglenieks
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309051B2

## CPC

- D06F 39/12: Casings; Tubs
- D06F 39/001: {Arrangements for transporting, moving, or setting washing machines; Protective arrangements for use during transport (transport in general B65)}
- D06F 58/20: General details of domestic laundry dryers (D06F59/00 takes precedence)
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES

## Abstract

A closure panel and a laundry treating appliance including a cabinet defining an interior and having a bottom opening, a treating chamber located within the interior for receiving an article to be treated and a closure panel mounted within the interior and having a set of flaps configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom opening.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A laundry treating appliance configured to treat laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, comprising:
a cabinet defining an interior and having a bottom opening;
a treating chamber located within the interior for receiving an article to be treated; and
a closure panel mounted to a lower portion of the cabinet within the interior of the cabinet, the closure panel comprising a set of moveable flaps adapted to selectively move between a shipping position where at least one of the set of moveable flaps is oriented to accommodate packaging material and an installed position where the set of moveable flaps is configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom opening during the automatic cycle of operation;
wherein the set of moveable flaps are configured to fall from the shipping position to the installed position when not held open by the packaging material while being mounted to the lower portion of the cabinet and within the interior of the cabinet.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the cabinet includes a chassis and the closure panel is sized to rest on top of a lower portion of the chassis and be mounted to the chassis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the set of moveable flaps comprises multiple substantially triangular flaps.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the set of moveable flaps comprise multiple flaps and at least a portion of the multiple flaps overlap in the installed position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 4, further comprising a sound proofing segment operably coupled to one of the multiple flaps.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 5 wherein the set of moveable flaps in the shipping position are configured to be held open by packaging materials.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the set of moveable flaps is formed from molded foam.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the set of moveable flaps is formed from fiber material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a frame to which the set of moveable flaps are operably coupled.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the set of moveable flaps in the installed position are configured to cover an entirety of the bottom opening.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the set of moveable flaps in the installed position are configured to contact a surface on which the cabinet is supported.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the treating chamber is disposed on one of a horizontal axis or a vertical axis.