Appliance lid having a viewing window partially encapsulated between one or more clamshells

Abstract

An appliance lid for an appliance is disclosed. The appliance lid includes a viewing window; and at least one clamshell providing partial encapsulation of the viewing window using at least two parts surrounding the viewing window. The viewing window allows operation of the appliance to be observed. In one embodiment, the clamshell includes a top piece and a bottom piece encapsulating the viewing window. The appliance may be, for example, a top loading washing machine. The top and bottom pieces can be fastened to one another, for example, using an adhesive or one or more mechanical fasteners. One or more gaskets can optionally be provided along at least one edge of the viewing window. A magnet can optionally be embedded in the clamshell to provide a safety lock for the appliance.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.