Patent Application
20220364291
The present disclosure relates to a door assembly for an appliance such as a washer, washer/dryer combo and, more particularly, to a door assembly including an inner and outer door.
In existing washers and washer/dryer combo machines, there is a problem with accumulation of lint and detergent along the bellows seal. The bellows is a seal between the door and the movable tub and drum assembly. The bellows is subjected to lint and detergent and both accumulate on the bellows. Thus, the bellows has a tendency to wear out due to the accumulation. Also, in some type of commercial washers, the door is attached to tub. Thus, the door moves with the suspension of the tub and drum assembly. This is not ideal for customers since the door will be moving with the suspension; however, it does eliminate the need for a bellow.
Accordingly, it is an object of the disclosure to provide a door that eliminates the bellows seal between the door and the tub and drum assembly. The present disclosure provides a door assembly with an inner and outer door to enable elimination of the bellows seal. The door assembly may include a stationary or floating inner door meshing with a tub opening access configuration.
According to an object of the disclosure, a door assembly for an appliance, such as a washer, washer/dryer combination or the like comprises a door assembly for a housing unit. The door assembly closes off an opening into the housing unit that enables access to the drum and tub assembly. The door assembly includes an outer door and an inner door. The inner door seals the door assembly with the tub and drum assembly inside the housing unit. The inner door includes a mating contour associated with tub and drum assembly opening. The inner door may be stationarily positioned on the tub and drum assembly. Alternatively, the inner door may be floatably positioned with the outer door. A facia is coupled with the tub and drum assembly closing off the tub and providing an opening into the drum. The facia opening has a corresponding mating surface to mesh with the mating surface of the inner door. A flexible coupling secures the outer door with the inner door. The flexible coupling may be an elastomeric sleeve, a spring or a dash pot. An aesthetic membrane is positioned between the housing unit and the tub blocking access into a space between the housing unit and the tub.
According to an additional object of the disclosure, a washer appliance comprises a housing unit or cabinet with an opening enabling access to a drum and tub assembly inside of the housing unit. The door assembly closes off the opening into the housing unit that enables access to the drum and tub assembly. The door assembly includes an outer door and an inner door. The inner door seals the door assembly with the tub and drum assembly inside the housing unit. The inner door includes a mating contour associated with tub and drum assembly opening. The inner door may be stationarily positioned on the tub and drum assembly. Alternatively, the inner door may be floatably positioned with the outer door. A facia is coupled with the tub and drum assembly closing off the tub and providing an opening into the drum. The facia opening has a corresponding mating surface to mesh with the mating surface of the inner door. A flexible coupling secures the outer door with the inner door. The flexible coupling may be an elastomeric sleeve, a spring or a dash pot. An aesthetic membrane is positioned between the housing unit and the tub blocking access into a space between the housing unit and the tub.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Turning to the figures, a washing appliance, such as washing machine or a combo washer/dryer is illustrated and designated with the reference numeral 10. The machine includes a housing unit 12 that houses a drum and tub assembly 14. A door assembly 16 covers egress into the drum and tub assembly 14. The door assembly 16 includes an outer door 18 and an inner door 20. The outer door 18 secures to the housing unit 12, via a hinge. The outer door 18 includes a catch to enable locking of the outer door 18 with the housing unit 12 during operation. The inner door 20 is stationarily fixed to tub and assembly 14. The inner door 20 includes a seal 22 that provides a thermal seal with the drum and tub assembly 14. The inner door 20 has a stepped configuration 24 in cross-section that enables mating with the drum and tub assembly opening 26. Thus, the contour 24 interacts with the opening 26 to enable sealing of the inner door 20 in the opening 26 to eliminate the need for a bellows seal. The inner door 20 includes a hinge 30 that secures with the tub and drum assembly 14.
The tub and drum assembly 14 includes a ring assembly 40 that defines the opening 26. The ring assembly 40 includes a front ring 42 attached to the tub 44. The front ring 42 is secured, by clamping, welding or the like, to the tub 44. A seal 46 is positioned between the ring 42 and tub 44 to seal the ring 42 with the tub 44. The hinge 30 is secured onto the front ring 42.
The ring assembly 40 includes a facia member 48 that covers the front ring 42. The facia 48 and the front ring 42 define a cavity 54 between the two. The facia includes a contour 50 that defines the opening 26. The contour 50 is stepped to match the inner door contour. A seal 52 is positioned on the facia 48 to provide a watertight seal with the inner door 20. The seal 52 is contacted by one of the steps of the inner door 20 sealing the two to prohibit water from exiting the tub 44 during operation. A catch assembly 60 is also mounted on the front ring 42 to mate with a striker 62 or door hook on the inner door 20 to enable a self-locking of the inner door 20 with the tub and drum assembly. The tub and drum assembly 14 is mounted in the housing unit 12 by conventional elements such as springs, dash pots and the like.
Also, a recirculation inlet 68 passes through the cavity 54 between the facia 40 and the front ring 42. This enables water in the tub 44 to be recirculated during a washing cycle.
Turning to
The inner door 20 may include springs 80 and dash pots 82 securing the inner door with the outer door 18. Also, the inner door 20 includes a contour mating with the contour of the opening 26 of the drum and tub assembly 14. The floating inner door 20 with the springs 80 and dash pots 82 enable the inner door 20 to move with the drum and tub assembly 14 during the washing/drying operations. The inner door 20 is sealed with the drum and tub assembly 14 to prohibit water from exiting the drum and tub assembly. Thus, the spring and dash pots provide a suspension that enables the inner door 20 to bounce with the tub and drum assembly 14 during the washing and if present, drying, cycle while enabling the outside door 18 to remain stationarily positioned on the housing unit. This enables the inner door 20 to seal with the tub and drum assembly 14 during operation.
In an additional design as illustrated in
With the removal of the bellows seal, a gap 98 exists between the tub and the housing unit or cabinet that a consumer could reach into the cabinet 12. Thus, an aesthetic membrane 100 has been positioned between the housing unit 12 and the tub 44 to eliminate the gap. The membrane 100 could be of a rubber or silicone material or any other type to prevent ingress of objects between the housing and the tub. Additionally, the membrane 100 would not come in contact with water during the wash cycle. This is due to the fact that the inner door 20 would be in contact with the tub opening 26 and sealed with it. Accordingly, the aesthetic membrane closes the gap and does not provide for sealing as does the rubber bellows seal on current existing washers.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
