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US 2009/0260403 A1Published application
Modular Laundry System with Work Surface Having a Functional Insert
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsJames William Kendall, Lorraine J. Achterberg, Ameresh Babu Viswanathan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modular laundry system comprises at least one laundry appliance with a closed top and a worksurface that extends over the closed top of the at least one laundry appliance and comprises a functional insert provided on the worksurface. The modular laundry system can further comprise a second laundry appliance with a closed top, and the work surface can extend over both laundry appliances.
Claims58
A modular laundry system comprising:
- at least one laundry appliance having a housing with a closed top;
- a worksurface that extends over the closed top and having a planar upper surface and a recess formed in the planar upper surface;
- and
- a functional insert comprising a planar body removably received within the recess, and having a first surface for performing a first function and a second surface opposite the first surface and for performing a second function, with the first and second functions being selected from a group consisting of scrubbing, handwashing, ironing, and cutting fabric for sewing patterns;
- wherein the functional insert is removeably received in the recess in one of a first configuration, in which the first surface abuts the upper surface, and a second configuration, in which the second surface abuts the upper surface, thereby providing for selecting the one of the first and second functions by flipping the functional insert between the first and second configurations.
2 more elements
A modular laundry system comprising:
- at least one laundry appliance having a housing with a closed top;
- a worksurface abutting the closed top and having a planar upper surface and movement preventers depending from the worksurface and defining a space therebetween;
- and
- a functional insert having a first surface performing a first function and a second surface opposite the first surface and performing a second function;
- wherein the functional insert is moveably mounted to the upper surface in one of a first configuration, in which the first surface abuts the upper surface, and a second configuration, in which the second surface abuts the upper surface, thereby providing for selecting the one of the first and second functions by flipping the functional insert between the first and second configurations;
- and
- wherein the worksurface is mountable to the at least one laundry appliance with the movement preventers abutting the housing and the closed top received within the space such that the worksurface rests on the closed top.
4 more elements
A modular laundry system comprising:
- a first laundry appliance having a housing with a closed top;
- a second laundry appliance having a housing with a closed top, and horizontally arranged in an adjacent relationship with the first laundry appliance to form a gap between the closed tops such that the closed tops collectively define a discontinuous upper surface;
- and
- a single-piece worksurface mountable to the first and second laundry appliances to rest on the closed tops and span the gap to form a continuous surface above the discontinuous upper surface and comprising:
- a planar surface defining a perimeter having a front, a back, and opposite sides;
- a backsplash located at the back of the perimeter;
- at least one of a storage area and a staging area provided in one of the planar surface and the backsplash;
- and
- an insert provided on the planar surface.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.