# US 10,499,786 B1 · Household appliance including a mountable wireless communication module

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- Number: US 10,499,786 B1
- Document ID: US10499786B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/016,743
- Filed: 2018-06-25
- Published: 2019-12-26
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-25
- Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation
- Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation
- Inventors: Wyndham F. Gary, Jr.; Jonathan D. Gephart; John Howard Lanham
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10499786B1

## CPC

- A47L 15/4251: {Details of the casing (insulation arrangements A47L15/4209; collecting leaked water in the casing for preventing water damage A47L15/4212)}
- A47L 15/006: {using wireless communication between internal components of the machine}
- A47L 15/0063: {using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems}
- A47L 15/4295: {Arrangements for detecting or measuring the condition of the crockery or tableware, e.g. nature or quantity}
- A47L 15/4297: {Arrangements for detecting or measuring the condition of the washing water, e.g. turbidity}
- A47L 2401/10: Water cloudiness or dirtiness, e.g. turbidity, foaming or level of bacteria
- A47L 2401/12: Water temperature
- A47L 2401/19: Air humidity
- D06F 25/00: 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 and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00)
- D06F 34/05: for wireless communication between components, e.g. for remote monitoring or control
- D06F 2101/00: User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES

## Abstract

A household appliance that includes a selectively mountable wireless communication module. The selectively mountable wireless communication module can be selectively mounted in a toe kick area of the household appliance. The household appliance can be, but is not limited to, a dishwasher, an oven, a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave, a washing machine, a dryer, or a combo washer-dryer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one automatic cycle of operation, the dishwasher comprising:
a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber with an access opening;
a door assembly movable between opened/closed positions to selectively open/close the access opening of the tub;
a toe kick area along a bottom-front of the dishwasher wherein at least a portion of the door assembly overhangs the toe kick area;
a first wireless communication mount located at a left side of the toe kick area;
a second wireless communication mount located at a right side of the toe kick area;
a single wireless communication module comprising a single antenna, the single wireless communication module selectively mountable to either one of the first wireless communication mount or the second wireless communication mount, wherein the selective mounting of the single wireless communication module to either the first wireless communication mount or the second wireless communication mount is selected based on which of the first wireless communication mount or the second wireless communication mount provides a stronger wireless communication signal for the single wireless communication module; and
a controller configured to communicate with the single wireless communication module.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher of claim 1 comprising a toe kick plate located in the toe kick area.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein the first and second wireless communication mounts are located behind the toe kick plate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher of claim 1 further comprising left and right legs at the bottom-front of the dishwasher.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein the first and second wireless communication mounts are adjacent a corresponding one of the left and right legs.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The dishwasher of claim 5 further comprising a left and right foot extending from the left and right legs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The dishwasher of claim 6 wherein at least one of the legs and feet are radio wave transmissive.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The dishwasher of claim 4 further comprising a base frame with a pair of side walls connected by cross bars, with the side walls having the first and second wireless communication mounts.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the single wireless communication module further comprises a transmitter and receiver.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The dishwasher of claim 1 further comprising a wired connector electrically connecting the single antenna directly to the controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The dishwasher of claim 10 wherein the controller is located centrally between left and right sides of the dishwasher.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein the door assembly defines a portion of a front of the dishwasher and the controller is located within the door assembly.

### Claim 13

A household appliance comprising:
a housing defining an interior and having a toe kick area along a bottom-front of the housing and a front overhanging the toe kick area;
a controller located within the interior;
a first wireless communication mount located at a left side of the toe kick area;
a second wireless communication mount located at a right side of the toe kick area; and
a single wireless communication module comprising a single antenna, the single wireless communication module selectively mountable to either one of the first wireless communication mount or the second wireless communication mount, wherein the selective mounting of the single wireless communication module to either the first wireless communication mount or the second wireless communication mount is selected based on which of the first wireless communication mount or the second wireless communication mount provides a stronger wireless communication signal for the single wireless communication module; and
wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the single wireless communication module.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The household appliance of claim 13 comprising a toe kick plate located in the toe kick area.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The household appliance of claim 14 wherein the first and second wireless communication mounts are located behind the toe kick plate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The household appliance of claim 13 further comprising left and right legs at the bottom-front of the housing wherein the first and second wireless communication mounts are adjacent a corresponding one of the left and right legs.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The household appliance of claim 16 further comprising feet extending from the left and right legs—wherein at least one of the legs and the feet are radio wave transmissive.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The household appliance of claim 16 further comprising a base frame with a pair of side walls connected by cross bars, with the side walls having the first and second wireless communication mounts.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The household appliance of claim 13 wherein the single wireless communication module further comprises a transmitter and receiver.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The household appliance of claim 13 further comprising a wired connector electrically connecting the single antenna directly to the controller.