Removable agitator with fabric softener dispenser
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsAnup Sudhir Bhavsar, Eric W. Merrow, Benjamin D. Lowell, Bradley D. Morrow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An agitator is configured to be removably mounted to an impeller mount as a clothes mover. The agitator includes a post having a first end and an opposing second end. A connector is disposed at the first end of the post, the connector being configured to removably attach to a corresponding connector of the impeller mount. A dispenser cap assembly is configured to hold a dispenser cup and to control a lock from the second end of the post. The lock is configured to be adjusted between a locked position in which the agitator is secured to the impeller mount and an unlocked position allowing movement of the agitator with respect to the impeller mount.
Claims20
An agitator configured to be removably mounted to an impeller mount as a clothes mover, the agitator comprising:
- an agitator barrel defining a longitudinal axis between a top end and an opposing bottom end of the agitator barrel;
- a locking post disposed within the agitator barrel, the locking post having a top end and an opposing bottom end, wherein the locking post is slidable between a lower, locked position securing the agitator barrel to the impeller mount and a raised, unlocked position allowing movement of the agitator barrel with respect to the impeller mount;
- a connector disposed at the bottom end of the locking post, the connector being configured to removably attach to a corresponding connector of the impeller mount;
- a biasing element configured to bias the locking post into the lower, locked position;
- and
- a dispenser cap assembly mounted to the top end of the agitator barrel, the dispenser cap assembly configured to hold a dispenser cup and to control a lock from the top end of the post, the top end of the locking post being assembled to the bottom of the dispenser cap assembly, the dispenser cap assembly facilitating pulling of the locking post upwards against the biasing element to slide the locking post from the lower, locked position into the raised, unlocked position,
- wherein the lock is configured to be adjusted between the lower, locked position in which the agitator is secured to the impeller mount and the raised, unlocked position allowing movement of the agitator with respect to the impeller mount.
An agitator configured to be removably mounted to an impeller mount as a clothes mover, the agitator comprising:
- an agitator barrel defining a longitudinal axis between a top end and an opposing bottom end of the agitator barrel;
- a locking post disposed within the agitator barrel, the locking post having a top end and an opposing bottom end;
- a connector disposed at the bottom end of the locking post, the connector being configured to removably attach to a corresponding connector of the impeller mount;
- and
- a dispenser cap assembly mounted to the top end of the agitator barrel, the dispenser cap assembly configured to hold a dispenser cup and to control a lock from the top end of the post,
- wherein the lock is configured to be adjusted between a lower, locked position in which the agitator is secured to the impeller mount and a raised, unlocked position allowing movement of the agitator with respect to the impeller mount, and
- wherein the locking post defines one or more radial pins extending radially outward from the top end of the locking post, and the dispenser cap assembly defines pin tracks defining a locked end and continuing to an angled portion extending upwards along an interior peripheral wall of the dispenser cap assembly, the pin tracks configured to guide vertical movement of the lock between the locked position and the unlocked position due to rotation of the dispenser cap assembly about the longitudinal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.