Laundry treating appliance with laundry deflector

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Solution Overview

Problem

Laundry treating appliances face issues with laundry falling out of the drum during rotation, leading to frictional erosion of the bellows and potential clogging, which existing designs fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

A deflector is mounted to the tub, extending towards the door and overlapping the bellows, abutting the door or window to prevent laundry from falling into the bellows and maintain its position, thus preventing gaps and reducing frictional wear.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a protruding window is used to block laundry from falling into the bellows, then the bellows are protected from frictional erosion, but the washing machine's capacity and visibility are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebellows protectionVSAvoidwashing machine capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

A deflector is introduced as an intermediary component between the drum and the bellows. The deflector intercepts laundry items that would otherwise fall into the bellows, redirecting them back into the drum. This mediator approach protects the bellows from frictional erosion and clogging without requiring a protruding window that would reduce capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protruding window is extracted/removed from the door assembly. Instead of having the door window protrude into the treating chamber to block laundry, the blocking function is transferred to the deflector mounted on the drum periphery, allowing the door window to remain flush and preserve maximum washing machine capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If a protruding window is used to block laundry from falling into the bellows, then the bellows are protected from frictional erosion, but the visibility through the door is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebellows protectionVSAvoiddoor visibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The deflector serves as an intermediary that performs the laundry-blocking function without interfering with the door window's optical properties. By mounting the deflector on the drum rather than protruding the window, full visibility through the door window is maintained while still protecting the bellows

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If laundry is allowed to fall into the bellows, then the washing machine structure is simplified, but the bellows suffer from frictional erosion and clogging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidbellows durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The deflector is a relatively simple component that can be mounted on the drum periphery without significantly complicating the overall structure. It effectively intercepts laundry before it reaches the bellows, protecting them from frictional erosion and clogging while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The deflector performs preliminary action by intercepting and redirecting laundry items before they can fall into the bellows. This preliminary interception prevents the harmful contact between laundry and bellows, avoiding frictional erosion and clogging issues

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11401646B2Laundry treating appliance with laundry deflector

Publication Date: 2022.08.02 WHIRLPOOL CORP

AI summary

A laundry treating appliance may include a front panel with an opening, a door selectively opening and closing the front panel opening, a tub with an opening at least partially aligned with the front panel opening, and a bellows extending between the front panel and the tub at their respective openings. A deflector mounted to the tub extends towards the door and overlies at least a portion of the bellows.