US 12,448,717 B2
Laundry appliance with a deflector
Darryl C. Bodine, St. Joseph, MI (US); Donald E. Erickson, Stevensville, MI (US); Gregg P. Fitzgerald, Eau Claire, MI (US); Stephen D. Ostdiek, St. Joseph, MI (US); Marcel Schmidt, Poprad (SK); and Todd J. Tunzi, St. Joseph, MI (US)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 18, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/608,152.
Application 18/608,152 is a continuation of application No. 17/526,148, filed on Nov. 15, 2021, granted, now 11,946,186.
Application 17/526,148 is a continuation of application No. 16/668,579, filed on Oct. 30, 2019, granted, now 11,208,750, issued on Dec. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/786,366, filed on Dec. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0218583 A1, Jul. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. D06F 37/26 (2006.01); D06F 39/08 (2006.01); D06F 39/14 (2006.01)
CPC D06F 37/266 (2013.01) [D06F 37/267 (2013.01); D06F 39/088 (2013.01); D06F 39/14 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laundry appliance, comprising:
a cabinet having a front panel defining a front aperture;
a tub disposed within the cabinet, wherein an apex of a tub opening of the tub is vertically lower than an apex of the front aperture of the front panel, and wherein a bottommost portion of the tub opening is vertically lower than a bottommost portion of the front aperture of the front panel;
a drum defining an access opening, wherein the access opening of the drum is vertically offset from the front aperture of the front panel;
a bellows coupled to and extending between the cabinet and the tub, wherein the bellows is obliquely-oriented to define a downward slope between the front aperture and the tub; and
a deflector extending over the bellows.