Patent Abstract:
A door for a horizontal axis laundry appliance that includes an inner panel that closes the appliance and an outer panel spaced from the inner panel. The inner and outer panels are connected adjacent their upper edges by an upper panel. The inner panel includes a first window in the form of a wide-angle lens. The upper panel includes a second window. Light-transmissive devices including a negative mirror are disposed between the inner and outer panels so as to direct light received through the lens upwardly and outwardly through the second window. The interior of the appliance is illuminated by low-voltage halogen lights mounted on the inner panel.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The invention generally relates to horizontal axis washers and dryers, particularly to washers and dryers for washing and drying clothes and, more particularly, to sealed and insulated washer and dryer doors having the capability to view the interior of the washer or dryer without opening the door. 
     (2) Description of the Related Art 
     When the door of a horizontal axis washer or clothes dryer is closed, it is desirable to be able to observe the interior of the appliance without opening the appliance&#39;s door so as to prevent the loss of accumulated water or heat from the dryer. The typical horizontal axis laundry appliance is comprised of a drum that rotates about a horizontal axis. The only technique normally used in the prior art is for observing the interior of the appliance without opening the appliance&#39;s door is utilize an observation window provided in the door. Examples of this former approach are legion, and include U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,559 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,169. 
     A problem with washer or dryer doors having transparent windows is that it is necessary to bend over in order to be able to observe the interior of the appliance. Also, there are various difficulties associated with sealing and insulating the door adequately and keeping the window clean on its interior surface. 
     A problem associated with clothes washers and dryers having windowed walls is that such viewing systems can be quite expensive and can require extensive structural modifications of the appliance. Further, such devices are believed to provide less than desirable observation of the interior of the appliance. In part, the difficulty associated with viewing the interior of the appliance, whether with a windowed door or a windowed wall, is that the interior light that illuminates the appliance usually is underpowered and poorly placed. 
     Desirably, a horizontal axis washer or dryer door would provide a highly effective technique for viewing the interior of the appliance. Any such door preferably would be sealed and well insulated, and it would include a lighting system that would effectively illuminate the interior of the appliance. 
     In the description and claims that follow, reference will be made to various components of the invention and their orientation through the use of such words as “upper,” “horizontally,” “vertically” and so forth. The use of such words is in conjunction with a door-closed position as will occur during normal use of the invention. It is to be understood is that the use of such terms of orientation is solely for purposes of convenience. The various components of the invention can be disposed in different orientations and can be described by different words of orientation without departing from the teachings of the present invention. 
     Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the aforementioned needs, the invention contemplates a highly effective technique for viewing the interior of a horizontal axis washer or dryer while the appliance is operating, without the need to either bend over and look in the side or open the appliance&#39;s door. 
     The horizontal axis washer or dryer has a cavity within which clothes may be washed or dried and a marginal edge defining the boundary of the cavity. The door includes an inner panel that in use closes and seals the appliance&#39;s cavity and an outer panel spaced from the inner panel. An upper panel connects the inner and outer panels adjacent their upper edges. 
     An opening is formed in the inner panel and a first window, preferably in the form of a wide-angle lens, is mounted in the opening in the inner panel. A first light transmissive device is disposed between the inner and outer panels. The first light transmissive device directs light received through the first window toward the upper panel. 
     An opening is formed in the upper panel within which a second window is mounted. Accordingly, light can pass through the first window, through the first light transmissive device, between the inner and outer panels, and outwardly through the second window. Because the second window is adjacent the upper edges of the inner and outer panels, the user can conveniently view the interior of the appliance with minimal bending. In the preferred embodiment, the first light transmissive device is a negative mirror disposed adjacent the first window. 
     The invention includes alternative embodiments. A second light transmissive device may be disposed between the inner and outer panels adjacent the second window. In one alternate embodiment, the second light transmissive device comprises a mirror surface coating on the surface of a viewing tube which extends from the first window to the second window. In another alternative embodiment, the first light transmissive device is a concave lens and the second light transmissive device is a light pipe that receives light from the concave lens and directs it through a wide angle lens onto an enlarged second window. 
     In order to adequately illuminate the interior of the appliance, a light is secured to the inner panel and is positioned so as to illuminate the interior of the appliance when the door is closed. In an alternative embodiment, two such lights are provided, one on either side of the first window. Desirably, the lights are low-voltage halogen lights to which electrical current is supplied by contacts carried by the inner panel and the marginal edge of the appliance. The contacts engage each other when the door is closed, and are disengaged from each other when the door is opened. 
     As will be apparent, the invention provides an effective, relatively inexpensive technique for viewing the interior of the washer or dryer without opening the door. Among is those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a horizontal axis laundry appliance according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a horizontal axis laundry appliance with the door open according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a horizontal axis laundry appliance according to the invention, showing a viewing system whereby a user can view the interior of the appliance without opening the appliance door; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the door FIG. 1 taken along a plane through the center of the viewing system; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 showing another type of viewing system included as part of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 showing yet another type of viewing system included as part of the invention; 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic, cross-sectional views of electrical contacts that are used to supply current to lights included as part of the viewing system according to the invention, the contacts in FIG. 7A being closed and the contacts in FIG. 7B being open 
     FIG. 8 is a view of the clothes appliance door showing the viewing system with an embodiment that uses two lights. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, horizontal axis laundry appliance according to the invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral  10 . As best shown in FIG. 2, the appliance  10  has a cavity  17  which includes a marginal edge  11  that defines the external boundary of the appliance  10 . The appliance  10  includes a door  12  that closes and provides access thereto when needed. The typical horizontal axis laundry appliance has a drum assembly  16  which rotates during normal operation in order to agitate the items being either washed or dried. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the door  12  includes an inner panel  13  and an outer panel  14  of low carbon steel. . The panels  13 ,  14  are parallel to each other but are spaced apart so as to form a chamber  15 , as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4, the horizontal axis laundry appliance  10  includes a viewing system that is incorporated into the door  12 . Referring to FIGS. 2 and 8, an opening  31  is formed in the inner panel  13 . A window  32  is disposed in the opening  31 . The plate  33  includes a beveled portion  34  that defines a portion of the opening  31 . The beveled portion  34  holds the lens  32  in place. 
     FIG. 3 shows the portion of the viewing system that the user looks into in order to view the contents of the horizontal axis laundry appliance  10 . An opening  35  is formed on the outer panel  14  of the door  12 . A window  36  is disposed in the opening  35 . The plate  37  holds the lense  36  into place. A light switch  39  is mounted on the plate  37  allowing lights inside the appliance er to be turned on and off from the panel. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, the preferred embodiment, a viewing tube  41  extends from the window  32  to the viewing window  36 . Mounted on the tube behind the window  32  is a negative mirror  43 . The path of light through the viewing system is indicated by the reference numeral  45 . Light enters the viewing tube  41  via the window  32 . The negative mirror  43  causes the light to be reflected upwards towards the viewing window  36 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment, a viewing tube  41  extends from the window  32  to the viewing window  36 . In this embodiment, the tube itself is coated with a mirror surface  42 . Mounted on the tube behind the window  32  is a negative mirror  43 . The path of light through the viewing system is indicated by the reference numeral  45 . Light enters the viewing tube  41  via the window  32 . The negative mirror  43  causes the light to be reflected upwards towards the mirrored surface  42 . The light is then reflected to the mirrored surface  42  on the opposite side of the viewing tube  41  where the light is then reflected upwards towards the viewing window  36 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2,  4  and  5 , a light  40  is mounted on inner panel  13  of the door  12  in order to illuminate the interior of the appliance . The light includes an opening  46  that is formed on the door&#39;s  12  inner panel  13  located underneath the window  32 . A low voltage halogen lamp  46  is disposed in the opening. Electrical leads  47  supply current to the lamp  46 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a pair of electrical contact  52  are carried by the inner panel  13  and the marginal boundary  11 . Upon opening or closing the door  12  by means of a hinge  53 , the contacts  52  either will be closed (FIG. 7A) or opened (FIG.  7 B). A push button, and preferably, a touch icon capacitance switch (FIG. 1) is included as part of the top plate  37 . Upon touching the button  39 , the lamp  47  can be activated whenever desired. However, whenever the door  12  is opened as shown in FIG. 7B, the contacts  52  will be disengaged so as to interrupt current to the lamp  47  regardless of the position of the button  39 . The use of make-and-break contacts is preferable to hard wiring which can fail prematurely. Preferably, lamps  47  comprise 12 volt, 20 amp halogen bulbs. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, another alternative embodiment of the invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral  60 . In this embodiment of the invention, a concave lens  62  is disposed adjacent the lens  32 . The lens  62  is held in place by a lens holder/spacer  64 . In the embodiment  60 , a second light transmissive device includes a light pipe  66 . The light pipe  66  has a first end  68  disposed adjacent the concave lens  62  and a second end  70  that is remote from the lens  62 . A wide-angle lens  72  is disposed adjacent the second end  70 . A pair of brackets  74 ,  76  hold the lens  72  and the second end  70  close to each other. As will be apparent from an examination of FIG. 6, light passing through the lens  72  and the lens  62  will be transmitted by the light pipe  66 . Upon passing through the lens  72 , the light will be projected onto the window  36 . The window  36  is inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the horizontal. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, yet another embodiment of this invention, the dryer door  12  includes a pair of lights  40  that are included as part of the door  12 . The lights  40  include an opening  46  that is formed in the inner panel  13  on either side of the lens  32  at approximately the same vertical elevation as the lens  32 . The openings  46  are formed in a manner similar to the opening  31 . A low voltage halogen lamp  47  is disposed in each opening  46 . Electrical leads  48  supply current to the lamps  47 . 
     It will be appreciated that although in the attached drawings the viewing systems appear fairly large (wide), in reality such systems will be considerably thinner, such systems being enlarged in order to facilitate a clear illustration of the viewing system and related parts. 
     It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the invention provides a highly effective technique for viewing the interior of a horizontal axis laundry appliance . The viewing system enables the user to view the interior of the appliance without bending over or opening the door. The viewing system can be implemented easily without requiring any modification of existing horizontal axis laundry appliances except to add suitable electrical contacts for the electric lights carried by the door. The door is well insulated in an inexpensive, effective manner. The viewing system is more energy efficient than conventional door-mounted windows. Moreover, the door-carried lighting system illuminates the interior of the appliance better than conventional lighting techniques, in part because glare is reduced and illumination is more even. 
     Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification. The present invention includes all such equivalent alterations and modifications and is limited only by the scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3