Fluid delivery system for a front-load washing appliance for delivering fluid to lifters of the drum
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsMarco Angelini, Matteo Carnevale, Massimiliano Daniele, Deepak Gupta, Mauro Mancini, Vaclav Petracek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A front-load laundry appliance includes a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub about a generally horizontal rotational axis. A plurality of lifters are coupled to an interior surface of the drum. A fluid delivery path is at least partially defined within the drum and the plurality of lifters. A fluid delivery system delivers fluid into the fluid delivery path in a direction parallel to the generally horizontal rotational axis.
Claims20
A front-load laundry appliance comprising:
- a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub about a generally horizontal rotational axis;
- a plurality of lifters coupled to an interior surface of the drum;
- a fluid delivery path at least partially defined within the drum and the plurality of lifters;
- a fluid delivery system that delivers fluid into the fluid delivery path in a direction parallel to the generally horizontal rotational axis, wherein at least a portion of the fluid is delivered through the plurality of lifters and into the drum;
- a fluid delivery ring that is defined by the tub and the drum, the fluid delivery ring being concentric to a drive shaft of the drum;
- and
- an interior gasket operably positioned with the fluid delivery ring, wherein the interior gasket selectively operates to define a fluid channel that extends continuously within the fluid delivery ring.
A front-load laundry appliance comprising:
- a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub;
- and
- lifters that are disposed on an interior surface of the drum, wherein fluid is delivered to the drum via the lifters that are attached to a wall of the drum, wherein fluid is delivered to the lifters through a fluid inlet that extends through the tub and in an axial direction parallel with a drive shaft and a rotational axis of the drum, wherein the fluid inlet is positioned near an outer circumference of the tub and extends to a perimeter fluid channel of the drum, and wherein the lifters extend from the perimeter fluid channel to define an interior space through which the fluid is moved to the lifters, where fluid is delivered to the perimeter fluid channel as the drum is rotated.
A front-load laundry appliance comprising:
- a drum that is rotationally operable within a tub;
- lifters that are disposed on an interior surface of the drum, wherein fluid is delivered into the drum via the lifters;
- a fluid inlet that extends through the tub, wherein fluid is delivered to the lifters through a fluid inlet and in an axial direction parallel with a drive shaft;
- a cross piece coupled with a back wall of the drum and that defines a concentric fluid space, wherein the fluid inlet extends through the tub and directs the fluid to the concentric fluid space, and wherein the concentric fluid space apportions the fluid among the lifters of the drum;
- a bearing seal that extends between the drum and the tub, wherein the bearing seal at least partially encloses the concentric fluid space;
- and
- lifter ducts that extend from the concentric fluid space to the lifters, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.