US 12,215,451 B2
Laundry appliance
Darryl C. Bodine, St. Joseph, MI (US); Donald Erickson, Stevensville, MI (US); Gregg P. Fitzgerald, Eau Claire, MI (US); Eric A. Hill, Chicago, IL (US); Patrick A. McCormick, Clarendon Hills, IL (US); Stephen D. Ostdiek, St. Joseph, MI (US); Anna C. Schelling, Stevensville, MI (US); Robert J. Schneider, Fennville, MI (US); Mohaideen Abdul Khadaar Sikkandar Batcha, Tamil Nadu (IN); Todd J. Tunzi, St. Joseph, MI (US); and Andrew C. Kubasiak, St. Joseph, MI (US)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Jul. 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/359,175.
Application 18/359,175 is a division of application No. 17/878,130, filed on Aug. 1, 2022, granted, now 11,761,134.
Application 17/878,130 is a division of application No. 15/931,003, filed on May 13, 2020, granted, now 11,434,594, issued on Sep. 6, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/851,938, filed on May 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0374717 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. D06F 34/28 (2020.01); D06F 34/24 (2020.01); D06F 34/26 (2020.01); D06F 37/04 (2006.01); D06F 37/26 (2006.01); D06F 39/06 (2006.01); D06F 39/08 (2006.01); D06F 39/14 (2006.01); G10L 15/22 (2006.01); D06F 33/00 (2020.01); D06F 103/66 (2020.01)
CPC D06F 34/28 (2020.02) [D06F 34/24 (2020.02); D06F 34/26 (2020.02); D06F 37/04 (2013.01); D06F 37/266 (2013.01); D06F 39/06 (2013.01); D06F 39/083 (2013.01); D06F 39/14 (2013.01); G10L 15/22 (2013.01); D06F 33/00 (2013.01); D06F 2103/66 (2020.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laundry appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining a front opening in a front panel thereof;
a door coupled to the front panel and operable between an opened position and a closed position;
a deflector having a rim coupled to the cabinet and extending along the front opening, wherein the deflector has a chute extending from a lower portion of the rim, away from the front panel, and into an interior of said laundry appliance;
a motor assembly operably coupled to the door and configured to move the door between the opened and closed positions;
a sound sensor operably coupled to the cabinet and configured to receive a voice command; and
a controller in communication with the sound sensor and the motor assembly, wherein the controller is configured to activate the motor assembly in response to the voice command received by the sound sensor to move the door to a selected position.