Patent ID: 6189551
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: A47L,D06F,H02H,Y10S

Abstract:
A washing appliance comprising:(a) a cabinet,(b) a wash system slidably mounted within said cabinet in such a manner that it may be withdrawn horizontally out of said cabinet for access thereto, said wash system including:(i) an open top wash chamber adapted to accommodate items to be washed and within which wash liquid is circulated, said wash chamber having a top peripheral rim,(ii) means for introducing and circulating wash liquid within said chamber,(iii) means for evacuating wash liquid from said chamber,(c) a substantially rigid lid mounted in the top of said cabinet, which lid covers the open top of said wash chamber on retraction of the wash chamber into said cabinet,(d) said lid being retained in a substantially fixed vertical position in the top of said cabinet, and said lid having an elastic inflatable gasket disposed about the periphery of the under side of said lid which is inflated to inter-engage with the rim of said chamber when said wash chamber is retracted into said cabinet to provide a seal between said lid and said chamber rim to prevent egress of wash liquid from the wash chamber, and(e) said inflatable gasket being formed from a length of gasket material disposed about the periphery of the underside of said lid such that the two ends of the gasket overlap, an air hose is connected to one end and the other end is sealed closed, drainage means are provided in that portion of the rim of the wash chamber which is located immediately under the gasket overlap, said drainage means discharging into said wash chamber, such that any wash liquid leaking between the overlapping ends of the gasket is collected by said drainage means and returned to the wash chamber.