Microparticle filtration detection for a laundry appliance
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsRiccardo Catanzani, Giacomo Marvardi, Omar Rachid Murad, Guglielmo Roelfsema
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laundry appliance includes a filter that accumulates microparticles in a fluid path, a pressure sensor having a membrane that moves from an initial position toward a saturated position in response to the accumulation of the microparticles, an arm operably coupled with the pressure sensor, and a retention feature interposing the arm and the filter to operably couple the pressure sensor with the filter, wherein the retention feature maintains the membrane in the saturated position in response a threshold saturation of the filter with the microparticles.
Claims20
A laundry appliance, comprising:
- a filter that accumulates microparticles in a fluid path;
- a pressure sensor having a membrane that moves from an initial position toward a saturated fluid impeding position in response to the accumulation of the microparticles;
- an engaging arm operably coupled with the pressure sensor;
- and
- a retention feature that includes the engaging arm, the engaging arm selectively engaging a portion of the filter in the saturated fluid impeding position, the retention feature interposing the engaging arm and the filter to operably couple the pressure sensor with the filter, wherein the engaging arm of the retention feature maintains the membrane in the saturated fluid impeding position in response to a threshold saturation of the filter with the microparticles.
A laundry appliance, comprising:
- a tub positioned within an outer cabinet;
- a drum that is rotationally operable within the tub;
- a fluid pump that directs a process fluid through a fluid path that includes the tub;
- and
- a filter that accumulates microparticles in the fluid path;
- a pressure sensor having a membrane that moves from an initial position in response to the accumulation of the microparticles;
- an engaging arm operably coupled with the pressure sensor;
- and
- a retention feature that includes the engaging arm, the engaging arm selectively engaging a portion of the filter in the saturated fluid impeding position, the retention feature interposing the arm and the filter to operably couple the pressure sensor with the filter, wherein the engaging arm of the retention feature maintains the membrane away from the initial position in response to the accumulation of the microparticles within the filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.