US 12,000,074 B2
Laundry treating appliance with a panel
Kurt L. Masciovecchio, Saint Joseph, MI (US); Daniel Polonsky, Stevensville, MI (US); Mark Schulz, San Carlos, CA (US); and Anne Wessel, Saint Joseph, MI (US)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/556,263.
Prior Publication US 2023/0193546 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. D06F 34/34 (2020.01); D06F 39/12 (2006.01); D06F 101/00 (2020.01); D06F 105/58 (2020.01)
CPC D06F 34/34 (2020.02) [D06F 39/12 (2013.01); D06F 2101/00 (2020.02); D06F 2105/58 (2020.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laundry treating appliance, comprising:
a chassis defining an interior and having at least a front wall, with the front wall having a component access port providing access to an internal component of the laundry treating appliance;
a closure having a bottom edge and selectively movable relative to the chassis between an opened position and a closed position; and
a panel coupled to the front wall and having a top edge underlying and vertically spaced from the bottom edge of the closure to define a gap therebetween, with the panel movable between a first position providing access to the component access port and a second position covering the component access port;
wherein the panel comprises a blind pocket handle accessible through the gap when the closure is in the closed position, the blind pocket handle comprising:
a shelf wall forming a bottom surface of the blind pocket handle and located below the top edge of the blind pocket handle; and
a first sidewall intersecting the shelf wall and projecting upwardly to the top edge; and
a magnet coupled to the panel and configured to magnetically engage the front wall when the closure is in the second position.