# US 2023/0272575 A1 · Laundry treating appliance with foreign object barrier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0272575 A1 - Document ID: US20230272575A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/682,686 - Filed: 2022-02-28 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-28 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: CLOVIS DOUGLAS MINCHOLA DE ASSIS; THIAGO FRANCISCO BUZZO; LEONARDO SOUZA CAMPOS; LUIZ ALBERTO GIRALDI; ARTHUR V. TOSINI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230272575A1 ## CPC - D06F 37/267: {Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups (D06F37/206 takes precedence)} - D06F 39/085: {Arrangements or adaptations of pumps} - D06F 39/10: Filtering arrangements - D06F 39/12: Casings; Tubs - 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: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES ## Abstract A laundry treating appliance includes a tub having a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the wall at least partially defines a liquid chamber. An outlet is formed in the wall. The laundry treating appliance further includes a foreign object barrier at least partially extending through the outlet and into the liquid chamber. A pump case fluidly couples to the outlet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A laundry treating appliance comprising: a tub having a wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, with the inner surface at least partially defining a liquid chamber; an outlet formed in the wall; a foreign object barrier having a filter portion at least partially extending through the outlet and into the liquid chamber; and a pump case fluidly coupled to the outlet and having at least one catch configured to couple with at least a portion of the foreign object barrier such that the foreign object barrier forms a snap fit attachment with the pump case. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the liquid chamber includes a sump and the outlet is in the sump. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The laundry treating appliance of claim 2, wherein the sump is at least partially defined by the wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the wall is a bottom wall of the tub. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The laundry treating appliance of claim 4, wherein the outlet is positioned at a lowermost portion of the bottom wall. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the filter portion comprises multiple circumferentially spaced ribs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The laundry treating appliance of claim 6, wherein the spacing of the multiple circumferentially spaced ribs defines multiple channels for liquid to pass through. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the foreign object barrier comprises at least one finger extending into the pump case to couple with the at least one catch. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The laundry treating appliance of claim 8, wherein the at least one finger is deflectable. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The laundry treating appliance of claim 9, wherein the at least one finger comprises a pair of opposing fingers and the at least one catch comprises a pair of opposing catches. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the pump case defines an inlet fluidly coupled with the outlet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The laundry treating appliance of claim 11, wherein the foreign object barrier at least partially extends through the inlet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The laundry treating appliance of claim 12, wherein the inlet is at least partially covered by the foreign object barrier such that at least a portion of the foreign object barrier serves as a cap for the inlet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the foreign object barrier is less than the diameter of the outlet. ### Claim 15 A method of assembling a pump case to a tub in a laundry treating appliance, the method comprising: positioning a foreign object barrier within an inlet defined within the pump case such that the foreign object barrier at least partially extends through the inlet; attaching the foreign object barrier to the inlet of the pump case by a snap fit attachment such that the foreign object barrier is carried by the pump case; inserting the inlet into an outlet formed in a wall of the tub until the foreign object barrier at least partially extends through the outlet; and fastening the pump case to the tub using mechanical fasteners provided adjacent the outlet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the wall of the tub has an outer surface and an inner surface, with the inner surface at least partially defining a liquid chamber. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the foreign object barrier at least partially extending through the outlet comprises the foreign object barrier at least partially extending into the liquid chamber. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the attaching the foreign object barrier to the inlet of the pump case by the snap fit attachment comprises at least a portion of the foreign object barrier coupling with at least one catch defined by the pump case. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the inserting the inlet into the outlet formed in the wall of the tub until the foreign object barrier at least partially extends through the outlet fluidly couples the pump case with the outlet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the foreign object barrier at least partially extending through the outlet comprises a filter portion of the foreign object barrier at least partially extending through the outlet.