Patent Application
20190032269
Generally, laundry treating appliances such as washing machines, have doors that rotate around a hinge to open and close the interior of the laundry treating appliance. A latch/lock mechanism can be provided to hold the door closed while in operation.
One exemplary embodiment of the description is a laundry treating appliance that has a cabinet defining an interior of the laundry treating appliance and a treating chamber located within the interior and having an access opening. The laundry treating appliance has a door movably mounted to the cabinet between an open position and a venting position. The door stop assembly has a door stop carried by the cabinet that is moveable between at least a venting position where the door is maintained ajar and a non-venting position where the door is in a closed position. The door stop assembly can engage the door in the venting position and move the door to the closed position in response to a user input.
Another exemplary embodiment of the description is a laundry treating appliance having a cabinet that defines an interior of the laundry treating appliance. The laundry treating appliance also has a treating chamber located within the interior and has an access opening. A door is movably mounted to the cabinet between at least venting and closed positions to selectively vent/close the access opening. A door stop assembly is carried by the cabinet and is operable between a venting position where the door is prevented from moving to the closed position and a non-venting position where the door is in the closed position. A latch is located on the door. The door stop assembly is operable to engage the latch on the door and move the door from the venting position to the closed position.
Another exemplary embodiment of the description is a method of preventing closing of an appliance door relative to a cabinet during non-operation of the appliance. The method comprises the step of automatically moving a door stop assembly from a non-venting position, where the door is closed, to a venting position, where the door is prevented from moving to the closed position upon the movement of the door from the closed position to the venting position.
Another exemplary embodiment of the description is a method of closing an appliance door relative to a cabinet during operation of the appliance. The method comprises the step of receiving a user input at a controller of the appliance and in response to the received user input by the controller, activating a door stop assembly to move a door stop from an extended position, where the door is prevented from moving to a closed position to a retracted position, where the door is closed. Activation of the door stop assembly causes the door stop to engage a latch on the door and causes the door to move to the closed position.
In the drawings:
While this description will reference many different features for a laundry treating appliance, one beneficial and advantageous feature is a door stop assembly that prevents the door of the laundry treating appliance from closing while the appliance is not operating. The door stop assembly allows the door of the appliance to be moved between open and venting positions while the appliance is not in use for loading or unloading laundry. Upon user activation, for example, by powering on the appliance, selecting a cycle, or selecting the start button, the door stop assembly is configured to engage the door when it is in the venting position and close the door so the laundry treating appliance can run the selected wash cycle. Upon completion of the wash cycle, the door stop assembly automatically opens the door to the venting position, and prevents the door from closing without user activation.
In more detail,
The laundry treating appliance 10 can include a structural support system comprising a cabinet 12 which defines a housing within which a laundry holding system resides. The cabinet 12 can be a housing having a chassis and/or a frame, defining an interior enclosing components typically found in a conventional washing machine, such as motors, pumps, fluid lines, controls, sensors, transducers, and the like. Such components will not be described further herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the invention.
The laundry treating appliance comprises a tub 14 supported within the cabinet 12 by a suitable suspension system and a drum 16 provided within the tub 14, the drum 16 defining at least a portion of a laundry treating chamber 18. The drum 16 can include a plurality of perforations 20 such that liquid can flow between the tub 14 and the drum 16 through the perforations 20. A plurality of baffles 22 can be disposed on an inner surface of the drum 16 to lift the laundry load received in the treating chamber 18 while the drum 16 rotates. It is also within the scope of the invention for the laundry holding system to comprise only a tub with the tub defining the laundry treating chamber.
The laundry treating appliance 10 also includes a control system for controlling the operation of the treating appliance 10 to implement one or more cycles of operation. The control system can include a controller 96 located within the cabinet 12 and a user interface 98 that is operably coupled with the controller 96. The user interface 98 can include one or more knobs, dials, switches, displays, touch screens and the like for communicating with the user, such as to receive input and provide output. The user can enter different types of information including, without limitation, cycle selection and cycle parameters, such as cycle options.
The controller 96 can include the machine controller and any additional controllers provided for controlling any of the components of the treating appliance 10. For example, the controller 96 can include the machine controller and a motor controller. Many known types of controllers can be used for the controller 96. The specific type of controller is not germane to the invention. It is contemplated that the controller is a microprocessor-based controller that implements control software and sends/receives one or more electrical signals to/from each of the various working components to effect the control software. As an example, proportional control (P), proportional integral control (PI), and proportional derivative control (PD), or a combination thereof, a proportional integral derivative control (PID control), can be used to control the various components.
The laundry treating appliance 10 further includes a door 24 that can be movably mounted to the cabinet 12 between open, venting, and closed positions. In the open position, the door 24 can be opened far enough to allow a laundry to be loaded in drum. In the venting position, the door 24 can be slightly “ajar” to allow airflow into and out of the tub, and in the closed position the door seals against a bellows 26 to close the tub 14 and the drum 16.
The cabinet 12 can further comprise a door stop assembly 35 having venting and non-venting positions. In the venting position, the door stop assembly 35 prevents the door 24 from moving to the closed position. In this position, the door 24 can freely move between the open position, for allowing a user to load or unload laundry items, and the venting position, where the door will be maintained in a slightly opened or ajar position. In the non-venting position, the door is in the closed position.
In addition, the controller 96 can be operably coupled with one or more components of the treating appliance 10 for communicating with and controlling the operation of the component to complete a cycle of operation. For example, the controller 96 can be operably coupled with the motor 88, the pump 74, the dispenser 62, the sump heater 84, door stop assembly 35 and other components to control their operation and to implement one or more of the cycles of operation.
The door stop assembly 35 including the actuator 204 can be activated by the controller 96 through programmed instructions activated by user input, or by a separate user input on the user interface. For example, the door stop assembly may be activated by a user powering-on the appliance, choosing a wash cycle, or pressing the start button. In addition the door stop assembly 35 can be activated at the end of a wash cycle or at any point during a cycle. In this way, the controller 96 automatically or through user input, can operably control activation of the door stop assembly 35 between venting and non-venting positions.
As also shown in
Actuator 204 can be connected to door stop 206, and can be configured to move the door stop 206 between extended and retracted positions. Actuator 204 slidably or rotatably extends and retracts the door stop 206 between extended and retracted positions. The mechanical actuation of actuator 204 can be achieved by any number of mechanical actuators known in the art such as by wax motor, a mechanical cam and rotator, or any similar mechanism that can be deployed or retracted for purposes of opening or maintaining a door in an open position. In addition, it should also be noted that actuator 204 maybe a manual mechanical actuator. In other words, the door stop assembly 35 could also be manually activated by a user.
Alternatively, the actuator 204 can move or slidably retract the door stop 206 into its retracted position without engaging the door. In other words, the retracted position of the door stop 206 is such that it does not extend beyond the length of the catch 220 and allows catch 220 to engage with and catch the latch 212 if a user manually closes the door.
While exemplary embodiments
At the completion of a wash cycle, shown as step 130, the controller of the washing machine unlocks the door and causes the door stop to extend. During the extension process, the door stop pushes the door until it is open to the vent position, shown as step 132. Once the door is in the venting position, the user can open the door and unload laundry from the washing, shown as step 134. Finally once, the laundry is unloaded, the can move the door back to the venting position, shown as step 136. Once again, the user cannot fully close the door as the door stop prevents the door from closing to the non-venting position.
It should be recognized that the described door stop assembly can be applied to any number of appliances, including washer-dryer combos, horizontal and vertical axis washers, horizontal and vertical axis dryers, refrigerators and other appliances without limiting the scope of disclosure.
While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments can be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature cannot be illustrated in all of the embodiments is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different embodiments can be mixed and matched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described.
