# US 2021/0275957 A1 · Water spray feature of an appliance for separating particulate material from a filter member > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0275957 A1 - Document ID: US20210275957A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/808,788 - Filed: 2020-03-04 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: Roy E. Masters; Arun Rajendran - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210275957A1 ## CPC - B01D 46/79: by liquid process - D06F 58/22: Lint collecting arrangements - B01D 2279/55: for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners - D06F 25/00: Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) - D06F 58/02: having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES ## Abstract A laundry appliance includes a tub having a rear wall. A drum is rotationally operable within the tub. An air flow path extends through an air flow port defined within the rear wall. A lint filter is positioned within the air flow port. A fluid spray system extends through the rear wall and directs a flow of fluid over the air flow port and the lint filter in a direction generally parallel with an inside surface of the rear wall. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A laundry appliance comprising: a tub having a rear wall; a drum that is rotationally operable within the tub; an air flow path that extends through an air flow port defined within the rear wall, wherein a lint filter is positioned within the air flow port; and a fluid spray system that extends through the rear wall and directs a flow of fluid over the air flow port and the lint filter in a direction generally parallel with an inside surface of the rear wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The laundry appliance of claim 1, wherein the fluid spray system includes a directing nozzle that directs the flow of fluid in a fan-shaped configuration over the air flow port. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The laundry appliance of claim 2, wherein the directing nozzle is attached through the rear wall and is positioned adjacent to the air flow port. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The laundry appliance of claim 2, further comprising: a reinforcing panel attached to a back surface of the rear wall, wherein the air flow path and the fluid spray system extend through the rear wall and the reinforcing panel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The laundry appliance of claim 4, wherein the air flow port and the directing nozzle extend through the rear wall and the reinforcing panel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The laundry appliance of claim 2, wherein the directing nozzle includes a spray aperture that directs the fluid along the inside surface of the rear wall and toward an outer edge of the rear wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The laundry appliance of claim 2, wherein the directing nozzle is positioned a first radial distance from a rotational axis of the drum and the air flow port is positioned a second radial distance from the rotational axis, wherein the first radial distance is less than the second radial distance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The laundry appliance of claim 7, wherein the directing nozzle directs the flow of fluid generally away from the rotational axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The laundry appliance of claim 2, wherein the directing nozzle couples with a fluid conduit that extends from a fluid pump. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The laundry appliance of claim 9, wherein the fluid pump is a recirculation pump that directs fluid from the tub and to the directing nozzle to define the flow of the fluid into the tub. ### Claim 11 A laundry appliance comprising: a tub that defines a laundry treatment space and includes a rear wall; an air flow path that extends from the tub and through an air flow port defined within the rear wall of the tub; a lint filter disposed within the air flow path that entraps particles of lint; and a fluid spray system that extends through the rear wall and directs a flow of fluid along an inside surface of the rear wall and across a surface of the lint filter to separate particles of lint from the lint filter and dispose the particles of lint within the laundry treatment space. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The laundry appliance of claim 11, wherein the fluid spray system includes a directing nozzle that directs a fan-shaped spray of the fluid within the treatment space and across the surface of the lint filter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The laundry appliance of claim 12, wherein a reinforcing panel is attached to a back surface of the rear wall, and wherein the air flow port and the directing nozzle extend through each of the reinforcing panel and the rear wall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The laundry appliance of claim 12, wherein the directing nozzle and the air flow port extend through respective apertures that are each defined through the rear wall. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The laundry appliance of claim 12, wherein the directing nozzle directs the flow of the fluid in a direction that is generally away from a central axis extending through the treatment space. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The laundry appliance of claim 12, wherein the fluid is recirculated from the tub, through a fluid pump, wherein the fluid pump recirculates at least a portion of the fluid to the directing nozzle. ### Claim 17 An air flow system for an appliance, the air flow system comprising: a blower that directs process air through an air flow path; a tub that defines a laundry treatment space, wherein the air flow path extends through the laundry treatment space and through a rear wall of the tub at an air flow port; a lint filter positioned within the air flow port, wherein the lint filter captures lint particles on a filter surface that partially defines the laundry treatment space; and a fluid spray system that extends through the rear wall and directs a flow of fluid along an inside surface of the rear wall and across the filter surface, wherein the fluid spray system directs the flow of fluid generally away from a central axis of the tub and toward an outer edge of the rear wall. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The air flow system of claim 17, wherein a reinforcing panel is attached to a back surface of the rear wall, and wherein the air flow port and the fluid spray system extend through each of the reinforcing panel and the rear wall. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The air flow system of claim 18, wherein the fluid spray system includes a directing nozzle that is coupled with the rear wall and extends through each of the rear wall and the reinforcing panel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The air flow system of claim 19, wherein the air flow port and the directing nozzle are positioned within respective apertures that are defined through each of the rear wall and the reinforcing panel.