Patent Application
20220290352
The subject matter of the present disclosure relates generally to a washer appliance having an improved article movement mechanism including an impeller and agitator post.
Washing appliances (also referred to as “washing machines”) typically include a drum or basket for receipt of articles to be washed. Top-load or vertical axis washing machines rotate the drum about the vertical axis at various points during the cleaning cycle. Various components provide for adding fluid into the drum and for imparting motion to the fluid and articles being washed in order to clean the articles.
Conventionally, the washing appliance may include a knob or other switch by which the user selects the level of fluid in the vertical axis washing machine based on e.g., the load size of articles being washed. The user visually determines the desired fluid level based on the anticipated load size. Many washing appliance users are also accustomed to seeing a conventional agitator extending up from the bottom of the wash basket for purposes of imparting motion to the fluid and articles during the cleaning cycles. Users may associate factors such as fluid level and movement of the agitator as directly related to the effective cleaning of the articles and may believe that increased fluids levels and agitator action are advantageous.
Improvements in technology and increasing water conservation requirements have resulted in washing appliances that use less water during the cleaning cycle. For example, as a matter of convenience and to reduce the use of an unnecessary level of fluid, the appliance may have features that automatically select fluid level based on load size detection. User reliance on such features can help circumvent unnecessary water consumption that occurs when users select higher fluid levels than needed. Additionally, higher fluid levels can also result in an undesirable lower of detergent concentration. The appliance may have features that improve the agitation of articles during the cleaning cycle. Such can also be useful in reducing water consumption if the improvements in agitation allow for using less water and while also maintaining higher detergent concentrations.
However, user perception of washing machine features that provide for the best cleaning experience may contradict the actual impact of such features. As previously mentioned, consumers familiar with a conventional agitator extending vertically from the bottom of the wash drum may be reluctant to purchase or use a vertical-axis washing appliance lacking such feature. Yet, depending on the particular design employed, an impeller located at the bottom of the wash drum may have more impact in creating the desired agitation and cleaning of articles than the conventional agitator—including under conditions of less water usage.
Accordingly, a vertical axis washing appliance that can provide improved cleaning would be beneficial. More particularly, a vertical axis washing machine that utilizes an impeller to impart the desired motion to articles being washed and that can clean effectively while consuming less water would be particularly beneficial. Such a washing appliance that also includes an agitator in support of such cleaning operations as may be preferred by certain users would also be beneficial.
Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a washing appliance having a cabinet and a wash tub positioned in the cabinet and defining a wash chamber. A wash drum is rotatably mounted within the wash chamber and is configured for receiving articles for washing. An impeller is positioned in the wash drum, the impeller being rotational about a vertical axis and configured for imparting motion to the articles during washing. An agitator post is positioned adjacent to the impeller, the agitator post being rotational about the vertical axis. The agitator post includes a plurality of vane sets spaced apart along the vertical axis with each vane set including at least one helical vane.
In another exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a washing appliance that includes a cabinet and a wash tub positioned in the cabinet and defining a wash chamber. A wash drum is rotatably mounted within the wash chamber and is configured for receiving articles for washing. An impeller is positioned in the wash drum, the impeller being rotational about a vertical axis and configured for imparting motion to the articles during washing. An agitator post is removably positioned adjacent to the impeller with the agitator post being rotational about the vertical axis. The agitator post includes a plurality of vane sets spaced apart along the vertical axis with each vane set including at least one helical vane. Each helical vane has a vane height and a vane length, wherein the vane height varies along the vane length.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
The use of the same or similar reference numbers in the figures denotes same or similar features unless the context indicates otherwise.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As best shown in
Wash drum 122 and cabinet 104 generally define an opening 126 (accessible through door 103) for receipt of articles for washing. Wash drum 122 rotates about a vertical axis of rotation VA (
As illustrated, cabinet 104 of washing machine appliance 100 has a top panel 130. Top panel 130 defines an opening (
As best shown in
An exemplary article movement mechanism 200, including impeller 204 (
As stated, washing machine appliance 100 includes a motor assembly 128 in mechanical communication with wash drum 122 to selectively rotate wash drum 122 (e.g., during a wash cycle or a rinse cycle of washing machine appliance 100). In addition, motor assembly 128 may also be in mechanical communication with impeller 204 and agitator post 202. In this manner, motor assembly 128 may be configured for selectively and independently rotating or oscillating wash drum 122, impeller 204, and/or agitator post 202 during various operating cycles of washing machine appliance 100.
Referring still to
Operation of washing machine appliance 100 is controlled by at least one controller or processing device 146 that is operatively coupled to control panel 138 for user manipulation to select washing machine cycles and features. In response to user manipulation of control panel 138, controller 146 operates the various components of washing machine appliance 100 to execute selected machine cycles and features. According to an exemplary embodiment, controller 146 may include a memory and microprocessor, such as a general or special purpose microprocessor operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with methods described herein. Alternatively, controller 146 may be constructed without using a microprocessor, e.g., using a combination of discrete analog and/or digital logic circuitry (such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software. Control panel 138 and other components of washing machine appliance 100 may be in communication with controller 146 via one or more signal lines or shared communication busses.
During operation of washing machine appliance 100, laundry items are loaded into wash drum 122 through opening 126, and washing operation is initiated through operator manipulation of input selector 140. Water, detergent and/or other fluid additives can be added to wash tub 118 and wash drum 122 through dispenser 124 and/or other dispensers as well. Controller 146 can operate one or more valves of washing appliance 100 to provide for filling wash tub 118 and wash drum 122 to the appropriate level for the amount of articles being washed and/or rinsed. By way of example for a wash mode, once wash drum 122 is properly filled with fluid, the contents of wash drum 122 can be agitated (e.g., with agitator 136 as discussed previously) for washing of laundry items in wash drum 122. The specific operation of wash appliance 100 by controller 146 will depend on various inputs including the cycle and other settings that may be selected by the user, the amount of article placed in wash chamber 120, and other variables as will be understood by one of skill in the art using the teachings disclosed herein.
By way of continuing example, after wash tub 118 is filled and the agitation phase of the wash cycle is completed, wash tub 118 and drum 122 can be drained, e.g., by drain pump assembly 148. Laundry articles can then be rinsed by again adding fluid to wash drum 122 and wash tub 118 again depending on the specifics of the cleaning cycle selected by a user. The impeller 204 and/or agitator post 202 may also provide agitation within wash drum 122. One or more spin cycles may also be used as part of the cleaning process. In particular, a spin cycle may be applied after the wash cycle and/or after the rinse cycle in order to wring wash fluid from the articles being washed. During a spin cycle, wash drum 122 is rotated at relatively high speeds to help wring fluid from the laundry articles through perforations 132. After articles disposed in wash drum 122 are cleaned and/or washed, the user can remove the articles from wash drum 122, e.g., by reaching into wash drum 122 through opening 126.
As will now be further described, the exemplary article movement mechanism 200 allows desired movements to be imparted to articles in wash drum 122 during a cleaning cycle. These movements, which can include combinations of movement along vertical direction V and radial direction R, assist in cleaning articles while in the wash fluid. For example, after articles to be cleaned and fluid are loaded into cylindrical wash drum 122, rotations of impeller 204 may impart an inverse toroidal motion to articles in wash drum 122 during a cleaning cycle. The general path of this overall inverse toroidal movement is depicted by arrows I in
The articles then move vertically downward towards impeller 204 and radially inward along the bottom of an article load towards agitator post 202 where the cycle repeats under the influence of components such as impeller 204. Accordingly, during a cleaning cycle, this inverse toroidal motion can result generally in a turnover of articles in wash drum 122. As used herein, “inverse toroidal motion” or “inverse toroidal movement” does not refer to the specific movement necessarily of any individual article but to the overall movement of articles in wash drum 122 instead. A variety of factors create the inverse toroidal motion the occurs in wash drum 122 including, for example, the relative amounts of fluid and articles present in drum 122, the shape of wash drum 122, the configuration and movements of impeller 204 and other factors as well.
With reference to
As noted, the configuration of impeller 204 assists in creating the desired inverse toroidal motion depicted by arrows I in
Referring to
As best shown in
With reference now to
Each helical vane creates a helix around vertical axis VA of agitator post 202. As shown in
Each helical vane has a radially-outer edge and extends along a vane length VL. For example, as shown in
Each helical vane has a vane thickness VT (
Each helical vane in vane sets 300, 400 and 500 has a vane height VH as measured along radial direction R, which is a direction orthogonal to vertical axis VA. More particularly, as used herein, vane height VH is measured from the outer surface 214 of agitator post 202 to the radially-outer edge of a helical vane. For example, as shown in
As shown in
For example, in the embodiment shown in the figures, vane sets 300, 400, and 400 are vertically distinguishable as such do not overlap along vertical axis VA—i.e. none of the individual helical vanes extend or continue between any of the vane sets along vertical direction V. The vane height VH of each helical vane in vanes sets 300, 400, and 500 rises to a maximum value within its respective vane set and diminishes to a zero value between vane sets so that no overlap between vane sets along vertical direction V occurs. This creates zones (Z1 and Z2) between vane sets where no helical vane is present.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, helical vanes may extend between vane sets 300, 400, and 500. However, for such an embodiment, the vane sets are still vertically distinguishable from each other because the vane heights would rise to a maximum value within the vane sets and diminish to a minimum (but non-zero) value between vane sets. Zones Z1 and Z2 would still exist but with a helical vanes having minimum values for vane height VH.
Referring again to
As previously described, article movement mechanism 200 with agitator post 202 provides for inverse toroidal movement of articles in wash tub 118. Agitator post 202 supports such movement. For example, the helical vanes of agitator post 202 can impart radial and axial motion to articles during a cleaning cycle to assist in the cleaning process and do so without causing significant interference in the inverse toroidal motion of the articles that is created by a variety of factors as previously described. At the same time, agitator post 202 may be appealing to certain users who conventionally associate having a vertical agitator post with the cleaning ability of a washing appliance.
The effectiveness of article movement mechanism 200 desirably can allow for the use of smaller amounts of water, higher detergent concentrations, or both, during cleaning cycles. For example, for clothes or other textile garments, a load ratio in the range of 0.9 to 1.5 gallons of water per pound of garments may be used.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
