Patent Application
20090205378
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to washing appliances and, more particularly, to a dishwasher and a method associated therewith.
2. Description of Related Art
Washing appliances, such as dishwashers, may include a wash tub for containing dishware or other items to be washed. However, the tub must also include surrounding structure and components to form an overall appliance assembly. Components of the appliance, such as the various controls, valves, and pumps, for example, are mounted outside the tub, but within the overall structure of the appliance. Accordingly, in some washing appliances, the tub is may be supported within the appliance assembly by a frame or other support structure, wherein the frame must be fastened or otherwise secured to the tub in order to maintain the appliance assembly. Many of the various operative components of the appliance may thus be mounted to the frame, under the tub, or in any suitable location. As such, the typical washing appliance may not facilitate ease of assembly of the appliance.
Some conventional washing appliances may include a front-opening door, hinged at the lower end thereof, for providing access to the interior of the tub. Such a hinged door may make it difficult to structure a frame or other support assembly for effectively enclosing the appliance, while also allowing for the pivoting configuration of the door. In such instances, a less-than-complete enclosure of the appliance, resulting open space under the door, or between the lower end of the door and the frame, may allow sound/noise generated by the operative components to “escape” from the appliance and undesirably emit noise into the environment.
Thus, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for a washing appliance for reducing the overall noise associated with the washing appliance.
The above and other needs are met by the present invention which, according to one aspect, provides a washing appliance, comprising a tub having a bottom wall member and defining a forward access opening, wherein the bottom wall member has a forward edge and a rearward edge. A door member has a lower edge pivotably engaged with the forward edge of the bottom wall member, and is configured to cooperate with the tub to cover the forward access opening. A base member is configured to support the tub and extends from about the rearward edge of the bottom wall member toward the forward edge thereof. The base member has a forward end disposed opposite the forward edge of the bottom wall member from the lower edge of the door member, so as to form a toe kick recess between the lower edge and the forward end. A cover member is configured to operably engage the forward end of the base member, and has a flange portion extending therefrom to the forward edge of the bottom wall member. The cover member is configured to cooperate with the base member and the bottom wall member so as to cover the forward end of the base member and the bottom wall member about the toe kick recess while allowing the door member to pivot to an open position so as to provide access to the tub through the forward access opening.
Another aspect provides a method of forming a washing appliance, wherein such a washing appliance includes a tub having a bottom wall member and defining a forward access opening, with the bottom wall member having a forward edge and a rearward edge; a door member having a lower edge pivotably engaged with the forward edge of the bottom wall member, and being configured to cooperate with the tub to cover the forward access opening; and a base member configured to support the tub and extending from about the rearward edge of the bottom wall member toward the forward edge thereof, with the base member having a forward end disposed opposite the forward edge of the bottom wall member from the lower edge of the door member, so as to form a toe kick recess between the lower edge and the forward end. Accordingly, such a method comprises engaging a cover member with the forward end of the base member such that a flange portion of the cover member extends therefrom to the forward edge of the bottom wall member, wherein the cover member is configured to cooperate with the base member and the bottom wall member so as to cover the forward end of the base member and the bottom wall member about the toe kick recess while allowing the door member to pivot to an open position so as to provide access to the tub through the forward access opening.
Thus, the various aspects of the present invention provide advantages, as otherwise detailed herein, that may include, but are not limited to: providing a washing appliance assembly including a base member and tub that are engaged with one another such that noise emissions from operative components disposed within the base member are reduced (i.e., provide a quieter appliance).
Having thus described various embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
Various embodiments of present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Although the various embodiments of the invention described herein are directed to a washing appliance and method, such as involving a dishwasher, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited. For example, aspects of the washing appliance and method of the present invention can also be incorporated into other washing appliances (such as laundry washing machines, for example). In one example, the apparatus embodiments of the present invention may comprise a “front load” laundry washing machine having a tub operably engaged with an integrally-molded base member for optimizing the space occupied by various operative components disposed therein, such that the capacity of the tub could possibly be increased. Further, such an assembly may provide “enclosure” aspects that contain the sound/noise emitted from the operative components so as to reduce the overall noise emitted from the washing appliance during operation.
Referring to
According to various washing appliance 1 embodiments, the tub 10 may be comprised of a variety of different metals, metallic alloys, polymers, and/or composite materials. For example, the tub 10 may be formed as a single integral workpiece such as, for example, a stamped metal (stainless steel, for example) tub or a molded polymer tub. Furthermore, the base member 20 may, in some washing appliance 1 embodiments, be formed as a single piece and/or integral structure (i.e., integrally-molded using materials that may include, but are not limited to: polymers and composite materials). For example, the base member 20 may be molded or otherwise constructed from a polymeric material, such as talc-filled polypropylene. In such instances, the polymeric material comprising the base member 20 may be, for example, selected to absorb or otherwise reduce the transmission of sound/noise generated by the operative components of the washing appliance 1 housed within or otherwise attached to the base member 20. As shown generally in
In some embodiments, the base member 20 may define an open central portion, generally designated 40, configured to, for example, receive and support the tub 10 and/or various operative components of the washing appliance 1 such as various controls, valves and/or pumps. Thus, the molded structure of the base member 20 may not only support the tub 10, but may also provide recesses, mounting structures/surfaces, and/or mounting points for operably engaging and securing various operative components of the washing appliance 1 outside the tub 10, but within the overall structure of the washing appliance 1 (see
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
In further embodiments, a catch pan member 50 may be configured to operably engage and cover the open portion of the base member 20 from about the bottom side thereof. That is, the catch pan member 50 may be disposed in opposing relationship to the bottom wall member 15 of tub 10 about the opening defined by the base member 20. In such instances, the tub 10 and/or hydraulic (water-carrying) operative components of the washing appliance 1 may be configured to engage the base member 20 such that any potential leakage point are disposed above or are otherwise configured to drain into the catch pan member 50. In this configuration, leak detection provisions may be centralized or otherwise localized to the catch pan member 50 (i.e., any leakage will be evident in the catch pan member 50), thereby facilitating a simpler and/or more reliable leak detection scheme. In other instances, the catch pan member 50 and the bottom wall member 15 may further cooperate to substantially enclose the operative component(s) disposed within the base member 20 to contain noise generated by the various operative components and reduce noise emissions from the washing appliance 1. In some embodiments, the catch pan member 50 may be removably attached to the base member 20 such that, in instances requiring service of the washing appliance 1, the catch pan member 50 may be removed to allow or otherwise facilitate access to the various operative components in the base member 20. The catch pan member 50 may be comprised of metals, metallic alloys, polymers, and/or composite materials, and, in some instances, may comprise a material capable of absorbing and/or blocking sound generated by the operative components of the washing appliance 1.
As shown in
As such, aspects of the present invention may further include a cover member 60 operably engaged with the forward end 22 of the base member 20, and having a flange portion 68 extending therefrom to the forward edge of the bottom wall member 15. In some instances, the cover member 68 is configured to cooperate with the base member 20 and the bottom wall member 15 so as to cover the forward end 22 of the base member 20, and the bottom wall member 15 about the toe kick recess, while extending across the forward edge of the bottom wall member 15 and allowing the door member to pivot to an open position so as to provide access to the tub 10 through the forward access opening 17. While the cover member 60 is disclosed herein as being a separate component from the base member 20, one skilled in the art will appreciate that, in some instances, the cover member 60 may be integrally formed with the base member 20.
In some instances, the cover member 60 may include tab portions 62 on opposing ends thereof for engaging complementary attachment mechanism structures associated with the base member 20. For example, tab portions 62 may include hook-shaped elements 64 (
Furthermore, as shown in
By enclosing the toe kick recess area, noise emission pathways from the appliance (of noise generated by the operative components) may be blocked, sealed, or otherwise impeded, so as to contain the noise within the appliance and provide, for example, the perception of a “quiet” or “quieter” appliance. In some instances, the flange portion 68 may be configured to cooperate with the lower end of the door member so as to not interfere with the lower end of the door member when the door member is pivoted to an open position (i.e., the door is not covering the forward access opening 17). In some embodiments, the cover member 60 may further include a sealing member (not shown) engaged with the flange portion 68 and extending therefrom to form a sealing engagement with the forward edge of the bottom wall member 15 and/or with the lower end of the door member, for example, when the door member is in a closed position (i.e., covering the forward access opening 17 into the tub 10). The sealing member may comprise, for example, a polymeric material, such as rubber, or any other material suitable for providing the sealing engagement.
In some embodiments, as shown in
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
