US 6,968,632 B2 · Laundry appliance

Abstract

A drum hatch engaging mechanism is for inclusion in a laundry appliance having a cabinet and a drum rotatable within the cabinet. The mechanism includes a drum hatch engaging member connected with the cabinet with the connection providing for movement of the member between non-engagement and engagement positions. An actuator is provided to selectively move the drum hatch engaging member between the positions. A catch member is connected with a sliding hatch of the drum. The connection between the catch member and the sliding hatch provides for movement of the catch member between a position adjacent the skin of the drum and an outwardly displaced position. The drum hatch engaging member includes a ramped abutment to engage and lift the catch member to the outer position through movement of the catch member toward the abutment during an opening rotation of the drum. The hatch engaging member includes a closing abutment facing the ramped abutment. The closing abutment butts against the catch member during a closing rotation of the drum. There is a catch member support surface on the drum which tracks the circumference of the drum skin at a level to cooperate with the drum hatch engaging member. The support surface and the drum hatch engaging member cooperate to entrap the catch member in the outward position during opening and closing rotations of the drum. With a single actuator the mechanism can reliably open and close the drum without stopping the drum to engage and/or disengage from the drum hatch.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A drum hatch engaging mechanism for a laundry appliance including a cabinet and a drum rotatable in said cabinet, said mechanism comprising:

a drum hatch engaging member,
a connection between said drum hatch engaging member and said cabinet, said connection providing for movement of said drum hatch engaging member from a first (non engagement) position to a second (engagement) position,
an actuator to move said drum hatch engaging member between said first position and said second position,
a catch member,
a connection between said catch member and a sliding hatch of said drum, said connection providing for movement of said catch member between a first position adjacent the skin of said drum to a second position further displaced from the rotation axis of said drum than said first position,
a ramped abutment on said drum hatch engaging member adapted to engage and lift said catch member from said first position to said second position by movement of said catch member toward said abutment in an opening rotation of said drum,
a closing abutment on said drum hatch engaging member, circumferentially facing said ramped abutment, to butt against said catch member in a closing rotation of said drum,
a catch member support surface on said drum, said support surface tracking the circumference of said drum skin at a level to cooperate with said drum hatch engaging member (in its second position) to entrap said catch member in its second position, from a point immediately after first engagement of said ramped abutment through the remainder of an opening rotation of said drum.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Laundry appliance

Life of this patent

Laundry appliance

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20