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US 8,024,947 B2Granted
Front-loading washing machine having liquid distributing paddles
AssigneeBSH Home Appliances Corporation
InventorsJaime Andia Laborda, Jonathan Murrell, Terry Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A washing machine paddle includes a plurality of intake openings for collecting liquid at the bottom and rear of a drum of a front loading washing machine. Discharge openings are located on the paddle toward the front of the drum for discharging liquid therethrough. A baffle arrangement in the paddle directs the liquid collected from the intake openings to the discharge openings upon rotation of the drum to place the paddle into a top location. A drum arrangement and washing machine includes at least one such paddle mounted thereon.
Claims39
A paddle for a washing machine drum, comprising:
- a hollow body open in a direction of an inner surface of a washing machine drum when mounted on the washing machine drum;
- a first plurality of openings on the hollow body at a position adjacent the rear of the laundry drum when mounted on the laundry drum for gathering liquid collected at the rear and bottom of the washing machine drum;
- at least one baffle positioned within the hollow body and defining a channel within the hollow body for directing liquid gathered within the hollow body toward a position adjacent the front of the washing machine drum as the hollow body is moved toward the top of the washing machine drum as a result of rotation thereof;
- and
- a second plurality of openings on the hollow body and located toward the front of the washing machine drum when mounted on the washing machine drum, said second plurality of openings being positioned at a location for having liquid gathered by the hollow body directed toward the second plurality of openings when the drum is rotated to locate the hollow body at or near the top of the drum, for having the liquid discharged through the second plurality of openings toward the front of the washing machine drum.
2 more elements
A laundry drum for a drum type washing machine, the laundry drum comprising:
- an outer surface and an inner surface;
- at least one paddle fastened on the inner surface of the drum, the paddle comprising:
- a hollow body open in a direction of the drum inner surface;
- a first plurality of openings on the hollow body at a position to be located adjacent a lower rear region of the drum for gathering liquid collected at the lower rear region of the drum;
- at least one baffle positioned within the hollow body and defining a channel within the hollow body for directing liquid gathered within the hollow body toward the front of the drum through the hollow body as the hollow body is moved toward the top of the drum as a result of rotation thereof;
- and
- a second plurality of openings on the hollow body located toward the front region of the drum for having liquid gathered by the hollow body discharged therethrough when the hollow body is moved by the drum into a top position.
4 more elements
A paddle for a rotatable drum, comprising:
- a body element mountable in a rotatable drum that rotates in a rotation direction about a drum axis, the body element having an interior and having an axial extent bi-sected by a mid-axial line and formed by a distal portion extending from the mid-axial line to a distal axial end and a proximal portion extending from the mid-axial line to a proximal axial end, and the body element being mountable on an inner surface of a rotatable drum with the distal axial end thereof oriented toward one axial end of the rotatable drum and the proximal axial end thereof oriented toward an opposite axial end of the rotatable drum;
- a distal opening in the distal portion of the body element, the distal opening being operable to receive liquid therethrough for entry of liquid into the interior of the body element;
- and
- a proximal opening in the proximal portion of the body element, the proximal opening being operable for the passage of liquid therethrough such that liquid can exit the interior of the body element, the proximal opening and the distal opening being in communication with one another such that, as the rotatable drum rotates about the drum axis, liquid enters the interior of the body element via the distal opening, flows along a baffle within the interior of the body element to a water holding section that is positioned laterally adjacent to the proximal opening, the water holding section being located along an interior surface and upstream of the proximal opening relative to the rotation direction, whereupon the liquid subsequently moves from the holding section to the proximal opening to exit the body element via the proximal opening.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.