Patent Publication Number: US-10309051-B2

Title: Closure panel and laundry treating appliance with same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Contemporary laundry treating appliances, such as clothes washers, may be a common convenience in many homes. In the case of a clothes washer, a user simply loads the cleaning appliance with laundry to be treated into a treating chamber, along with an optional supply of a treating chemistry, such as detergents, bleach, enzymes, and anti-spotting agents, and selects and initiates a cleaning cycle that may be subsequently automatically carried out by the cleaning appliance. 
     In order to adequately ship a completed clothes washer, support of the wash unit is often required from underneath the unit using packaging materials. This requires a hole in the cabinet that will allow sound to escape during the cleaning cycle, creating customer annoyance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, an illustrative embodiment relates to a closure panel for a laundry treating appliance having a cabinet with a bottom opening comprising a frame configured to be received within the cabinet and a set of flaps operably coupled to the frame and moveable between a shipping position where the set of flaps is configured to accommodate packaging materials and an installed position where the set of flaps is configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom opening of the laundry treating appliance. 
     In another aspect, an illustrative embodiment relates to a closure panel for installation in a laundry treating appliance having a cabinet with a bottom opening, comprising a frame configured to be received within the cabinet and factory-installed, a set of flaps mounted to the frame and configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom opening of the laundry treating appliance. 
     In yet another aspect, an illustrative embodiment relates to a laundry treating appliance, comprising a cabinet defining an interior and having a bottom opening, a treating chamber located within the interior for receiving an article to be treated, and a closure panel mounted within the interior, including a frame and a set of flaps operably coupled to the frame and moveable between a shipping position and an installed position where the set of flaps is configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a laundry treating appliance in the form of a horizontal axis washer having a closure panel according to an illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure, which is illustrated in a shipping position. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the laundry treating appliance of  FIG. 1  with the closure in an installed position. 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the closure panel illustrated in  FIG. 1  in the shipping position. 
         FIG. 3B  is a side view of the closure panel illustrated in  FIG. 1  in the shipping position. 
         FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the closure panel illustrated in  FIG. 1  in the installed position. 
         FIG. 4B  is a side view of a portion of the closure panel illustrated in  FIG. 1  in the installed position. 
         FIG. 5A  is a schematic view of another embodiment of a laundry treating appliance in the form of a vertical axis washer having a closure panel according to an illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure, and which is illustrated in a shipping position. 
         FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the closure panel illustrated in  FIG. 5A  in a partially installed position. 
         FIG. 6A  is a schematic view of another embodiment of a closure panel in the laundry treating appliance of  FIG. 5A . 
         FIG. 6B  is a perspective view of the closure panel illustrated in  FIG. 6A  in the installed position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure may be illustrated as a laundry treating appliance in the environment of a horizontal axis automatic clothes washing machine  10 . Although much of the remainder of this application will focus on the embodiment of an automatic clothes washing machine, the illustrative embodiments may have utility in other environments, including other laundry treating appliances. The automatic clothes washing machine  10  shares many features of a conventional automated clothes washer, which will not be described in detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the illustrative embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure. The embodiment of the present disclosure may also be utilized in other fabric treatment appliances such as a dryer, such as a tumble dryer or a stationary dryer, or a combination washing machine and dryer. 
     Further, washing machines are typically categorized as either a vertical axis washing machine or a horizontal axis washing machine. As used herein, the “vertical axis” washing machine refers to a washing machine having a rotatable drum that rotates about a generally vertical axis relative to a surface that supports the washing machine. However, the rotational axis need not be vertical. The drum can rotate about an axis inclined relative to the vertical axis. As used herein, the “horizontal axis” washing machine refers to a washing machine having a rotatable drum that rotates about a generally horizontal axis relative to a surface that supports the washing machine. In some horizontal axis washing machines, the drum rotates about a horizontal axis generally parallel to a surface that supports the washing machine. However, the rotational axis need not be horizontal. The drum can rotate about an axis inclined relative to the horizontal axis, with fifteen degrees of inclination being one example of inclination. 
     Vertical axis and horizontal axis machines are best differentiated by the manner in which they impart mechanical energy to the fabric articles. In vertical axis machines, the fabric moving element moves within a drum to impart mechanical energy directly to the clothes or indirectly through wash liquid in the drum. In horizontal axis machines mechanical energy is typically imparted to the clothes by the tumbling action formed by the repeated lifting and dropping of the clothes, which is typically implemented by the rotating drum. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be suitable for use in both horizontal axis and vertical axis automatic clothes washing machines. 
     A structural support system including a cabinet  12  can define 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  14  and having a bottom opening  16 . The cabinet  12  can house 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 illustrative embodiments. 
     The laundry holding system includes a tub  18  supported within the cabinet  12  by a suitable suspension system (not shown) and a rotatable laundry-container in the form of a drum  20  provided within the tub  18 . The drum  20  defines at least a portion of a laundry treating chamber  22  for receiving a laundry load for treatment. In the horizontal axis automatic clothes washing machine  10 , the laundry treating chamber  22  is disposed on a horizontal axis. It is within the scope of the present disclosure for the laundry holding system to include only a tub with the tub defining the laundry treating chamber. Regardless the treating chamber is located within the interior  14  defined by the cabinet  12  and may receive an article to be treated. A door  24  (shown in phantom) may be mounted to the cabinet  12  to selectively close an access opening to the interior of the drum  20  and/or tub  18 . 
     In order to adequately ship the washing machine  10 , support of the tub  18  is often required from underneath the washing machine using packaging materials. Exemplary packing materials are illustrated in phantom at  30 . The bottom opening  16  allows for the packing materials  30  to be removed after shipping. During operation of the appliance, the bottom opening  16  allows sound to escape, which creates customer annoyance. While foam strips can be added to the underside of the cabinet  12  to contact the floor during machine installation, these strips may be damaged during packaging, shipping, or installation. Alternately, a customer-installed panel or customer-installed foam strips are available, but these add-on components may be improperly installed or forgotten. To alleviate the sound escaping from the bottom opening, the washing machine  10  is illustrated as including a factory-installed closure panel  40 . 
     The closure panel  40  can be mounted within the interior  14  and installed at the bottom of the cabinet  12  at the factory. A frame  42  can be included as a portion of the closure panel  40  and the frame  42  can be shaped in any suitable manner including that it can be configured to fit on top of a lower portion of a chassis of the cabinet  12  or can be mounted to the chassis or cabinet  12  in any suitable manner. It is contemplated that the frame  42  can be formed from any suitable material including, but not limited to, that it can include a stamped metal piece. It is alternatively possible for the frame to be a portion of the cabinet or other portion of the clothes washing machine  10 . 
     A set of flaps  44  is illustrated as being included in the closure panel  40 . The set of flaps  44  can be operably coupled to the frame  42  or the set of flaps  44  can be coupled to a portion of the clothes washing machine  10  including, but not limited to, the cabinet  12 . It will be understood that the closure panel  40  may not include the separate frame portion or that the frame can be integral with the set of flaps. Regardless, the set of flaps  44  can be operably coupled to a bottom portion of the cabinet  12  at the factory. It will be understood that “a set” can include any number of flaps  44 , including only one flap  44 . In the illustrated example, the set of flaps  44  has been illustrated as including multiple flaps  44 . 
     Because the closure panel  40  is factory installed it must be able to accommodate the packing materials  30 . In this manner, the set of flaps  44  are moveable between a shipping position ( FIG. 1 ) where the set of flaps  44  is held open by the packaging material  30  and an installed position ( FIG. 2 ) where the set of flaps  44  is configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom opening  16 . More specifically, when the packaging material  30  is removed, the set of flaps  44  can fall into place in a substantially flat orientation to seal at least portions of the bottom opening  16 . Such a closure panel  40  is less likely to be damaged during installation than existing solutions. 
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the closure panel  40  removed from the automatic clothes washing machine  10 . The closure panel  40  is illustrated in the shipping position; however, the packaging material  30  is not shown for the sake of clarity. Also illustrated is an optional sound absorbing pad or sound proofing segment  50 . It is contemplated that one or more sound proofing segments  50  can be operably coupled to the set of flaps  44 . In the illustrated example, a sound proofing segment  50  has been illustrated as being mounted to one of the multiple flaps  44 . It will be understood that any number of sound proofing segment(s)  50  can be utilized including, but not limited to, that a sound proofing segment  50  can be included on each of the multiple flaps  44 , some of the multiple flaps  44 , or none of the set of flaps  44 . Further, multiple sound proofing segments  50  can be utilized on a single flap  44 . Such sound proofing segments  50  can be shaped in any suitable manner including, but not limited to, that the sound proofing segments  50  can be of any suitable shape, size, and thickness including that the sound proofing segment  50  can be formed from multiple layers. Further, the sound proofing segments  50  can be formed from any suitable material including foam, fiber materials, etc. Further, the sound proofing segment(s) can be operably coupled or otherwise mounted to the set of flaps  44  in any suitable manner including via adhesive or other fasteners. In this manner, it will be understood that the closure panel  40  allows for the addition of sound proofing materials if more is desired. 
       FIG. 3B  also shows the set of flaps  44  in a shipping position, where they are held open during transport by the packaging materials (not shown). Such flaps  44  can be formed in any suitable manner including that the set of flaps  44  can include flaps that are configured to fall into a substantially flat position (as illustrated by arrows  52 ) when not held open by the packaging material. 
     The set of flaps  44  can be formed from any suitable material including but not limited to, foam, fiber materials including natural and man-made fibers or a combination thereof. By way of further example, cotton, polyester, polypropylene, jute, kenaf, etc. can be utilized to form a fiber panel. Further still a blend of materials including foam and fiber materials can be utilized. 
     Depending on the material(s) used, it is contemplated that the set of flaps  44  can be molded. In particular, the edges of the multiple flaps  44  can be molded such that they fall into an overlapping flat position upon installation to seal or partially close the opening  16  at the bottom of the cabinet  12 . In this manner, when the set of flaps are in the installed position ( FIG. 4A ) at least a portion of the set of flaps  44  overlap to provide better sealing and sound proofing. Further, while, the set of flaps  44  is illustrated as covering only a portion of the bottom opening  16  of the cabinet  12  it will be understood that the set of flaps  44  in the installed position can be configured to cover an entirety of the bottom opening  16 . 
       FIG. 4B  illustrates more clearly that at least a portion of the multiple flaps  44  can overlap in the installed position. More specifically, the edges  54  are illustrated as overlapping. In this manner, the set of flaps  44  can overlap in a substantially flat position upon removal of the packaging materials to seal or partially close the opening  16  at the bottom of the cabinet  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5A , another embodiment includes a closure panel  140  in the environment of a laundry treating appliance in the form of a vertical axis automatic clothes washing machine  110 . The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment; therefore, like parts will be identified with like numerals increased by 100, with it being understood that the description of the like parts of the first embodiment applies to the second embodiment, unless otherwise noted. 
     The automatic clothes washing machine  110  has a treating chamber  122  disposed on a vertical axis. The automatic clothes washing machine  110  also includes a cabinet  112  enclosing components typically found in a conventional washing machine, such as motors, pumps, fluid lines, controls, sensors, transducers, and the like (not shown). The closure panel  140  may be configured differently, from the closure panel described above, to accommodate the location of such components. More specifically, a motor or pump (not shown) of the automatic clothes washing machine  110  may be located in a lower portion of the cabinet  112 . 
     As with the previously described closure panel, the closure panel  140  includes a set of flaps  144 , which are moveable between a shipping position ( FIG. 5A ) where the set of flaps  144  is configured to accommodate packaging materials  130  and an installed position where the set of flaps  144  is configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom opening  116  of the clothes washing machine  110 . 
     As better seen in the partially installed position of  FIG. 5B , the closure panel  140  includes two flaps  144  supported by a frame  142 , which can be installed in the cabinet  112 . It is contemplated that both flaps  144  may be moveable between the shipping and installed positions. Alternatively, if the packaging materials can be sufficiently accommodated, only one of the set of flaps  144  may be moveable and the other may remain in the flat position. As with the previously described embodiments the set of flaps  144  can alternatively be directly mounted to the cabinet  112  without the need for a frame  142 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6A , yet another exemplary illustration of a closure panel  240  is illustrated in the environment of the vertical axis automatic clothes washing machine  110 . The third embodiment of the closure panel  240  is similar to the second embodiment  140 ; therefore, like parts will be identified with like numerals increased by 100, with it being understood that the description of the like parts of the second embodiment applies to the third embodiment, unless otherwise noted. 
     One difference is that a frame is not included in the closure panel  240 . Instead, each flap  244  has been illustrated as including a first portion  270  that is mounted to the cabinet  112  and a second moveable portion  272  that can lower and rise to accommodate any suitable packaging materials. Such second moveable portions  272  can then fall or otherwise be located in the installed position (shown). While the closure panel  240  has been illustrated as being mounted to an interior surface of the cabinet  112 , it is also contemplated that the closure panel  240  can be mounted to an external surface of the cabinet  112 . 
     Another difference is that the set of flaps  244 , when in the installed position, can be configured to contact a surface or floor  260  on which the cabinet  112  is supported. In this manner, the set of flaps  244 , when they are in the installed position, are configured to cover at least a portion of the bottom opening  116  of the clothes washing machine  110  and are configured to touch the floor  260 . This can be particularly useful in vertical axis automatic clothes washing machine  110 , which can have a pump or motor located in a central lower portion of the cabinet  112 . As shown in  FIG. 6B , the multiple flaps forming the set of flaps  244  need not be the same shape or size. Although this need not be the case, in the illustrated example two short flaps and two long flaps are included. The set of flaps can still include multiple flaps that are molded such that the edges of the molded flaps fall into an overlapping manner. In the illustrated example, the edges of the second moveable portions  272  of the flaps  244  abut each other and sound is directed towards the floor  260  by the set of flaps  244 . 
     The various aspects described herein provide a variety of benefits including that sound from the appliance can be attenuated. Further, such closure panels are factory installed and less likely to be damaged during installation than existing solutions, which require a user to install them. Furthermore, additional sound proofing material can be included on the closure panel if more is desired. It will also be understood that for all of the embodiments previously described that only some of the illustrated set of flaps may be provided. For example, a rear most flap may not be provided to accommodate components such as recirculation conduits, pumps, motors, etc. In such instances the closure panel may not cover the entire bottom opening or may not include flaps extending from all sides of the frame. Regardless, the closure panel will still provide improved sound attenuation. 
     To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments may be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature may not be illustrated in all of the embodiments is not meant to be construed that it may not be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different embodiments may be mixed and matched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described. All combinations or permutations of features described herein are covered by this disclosure. 
     While illustrative embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may have been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.