CN114990859A - Bidirectional recirculation filtering and removable filtering device for laundry treatment appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A bi-directional recirculation filter system for a laundry treatment appliance and a removable filter device for the laundry treatment appliance are provided.

Description

Bidirectional recirculation filtering and removable filtering device for laundry treatment appliance

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a bi-directional recirculation filter system for a laundry treatment appliance, and variations of a removable filter device for a laundry treatment appliance.

Background

Lint filters are used in washing machines to capture lint from a load of clothes after a wash cycle. The trapped lint remains within the filter, allowing the consumer to clean the filter after the wash cycle is complete. The trapping of lint during the wash cycle is particularly important to consumers who do not use a clothes drying appliance.

Disclosure of Invention

In one or more illustrative examples, a bi-directional recirculation filter system for a laundry treatment appliance is provided. The system includes a bi-directional pump configured to provide a flow of water in a first recirculation direction or in a second drainage direction; an internal filter; and a processing chamber. In the first recirculation direction, the water flow is pumped into the internal filter at an inlet, flows through a filter medium to capture pet hair on an inlet side of the filter medium, and flows out of an outlet to continue back into the treatment chamber along a recirculation path, and in the second drainage direction, the water flow is pumped from the outlet into the internal filter in an opposite direction, passes through the filter medium in the opposite direction to release the pet hair captured by the filter medium, and flows out of the inlet to continue out of a drain along a drain path.

In one or more illustrative examples, a laundry treatment appliance having a gimbal filter system is provided. The system comprises: a processing chamber; a balance ring disposed at a top of the process chamber, the balance ring defining an annular region that rotates with the process chamber; a liquid supply and recirculation system configured to inject a flow of water into the open top of the processing chamber; and a pet hair screen selectively attachable to a circumference of the balancing ring, wherein when attached, the pet hair screen defines a surface extending within an area bounded by the balancing ring such that pet hair or lint included within the water flow is captured by the pet hair screen.

In one or more illustrative examples, a laundry treatment appliance having a removably attached filter system is provided. The system comprises: a processing chamber; an attachment filter comprising a filter body configured to hold a filter screen suspended above the treatment chamber and defining a filter attachment that fits into a locator of the laundry treatment appliance; and a liquid supply and recirculation system configured to inject a water stream into the open top of the processing chamber; wherein pet hair and other particles included in the water stream, when attached, are trapped in the filter screen during a wash cycle.

In one or more illustrative examples, a laundry treatment appliance having a removable filter cartridge system is provided. The system includes a recirculating filtration system configured to pump wash water through a removable cartridge; and a filter receptacle configured to receive the removable filter cartridge.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, a flexible filtration membrane for capturing pet hair is provided, the membrane being formed as a thin dome-shaped flexible structure defining radial slits extending inwardly from a dome rim toward a crown of the membrane such that during a wash cycle water flows into the dome and out of the slits, deposits the pet hair and other particles within the membrane, and after the wash cycle, the membrane can be snapped into facing opposition to release the pet hair and other particles from the membrane.

In one or more illustrative examples, a recirculation filter system of a laundry treatment appliance is provided. The system includes a filter box having a media chamber configured to receive a filter media for filtering pet hair and other particulates out of wash water in a treatment chamber of the appliance, the filter box including a filter inlet, a filter chamber, and a filter outlet, wherein during a wash cycle, water flow from a pump of a liquid supply and recirculation system enters the filter inlet of the filter box, enters the filter chamber and passes through the filter media, and exits the media chamber via the filter outlet.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a simplified view of a laundry treatment appliance having a unidirectional liquid supply and recirculation system;

FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance having a bi-directional recirculation filter system;

FIG. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance having an agitator-based removable filter design;

FIG. 4 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a combined laundry treatment appliance with a filter design;

FIG. 5A is a simplified cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance having a gimbal filter system;

FIG. 5B is a simplified top view of a gimbal filter system of a laundry treatment appliance;

FIG. 6A is a simplified cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance having a removable recirculation filter;

fig. 6B is a simplified top view of the laundry treatment appliance of fig. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a simplified top view of a laundry treatment appliance with a removably attached filter;

FIG. 7B is a simplified perspective view of the laundry treatment appliance of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8 is a simplified perspective view of a laundry treatment appliance having a removable filter cartridge;

FIG. 9 is a simplified perspective view of a detail of the filter cartridge;

FIG. 10 is a simplified perspective view of a laundry treatment appliance having a removable filter cartridge in an inserted state;

FIG. 11 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a removable filter cartridge inserted into a filter container;

fig. 12 is a simplified view of an exemplary flexible filter membrane for capturing pet hair.

FIG. 13 is an alternative design of a removable filter cartridge;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of yet another design of a removable filter media for a recirculation filter system of a laundry treatment appliance;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view of the recirculation filter system of FIG. 14; and is

Fig. 16 is a top view of the recirculation filter system of fig. 14.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and that other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combination of features shown provides a representative embodiment of a typical application. However, various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be desired for particular applications or implementations.

Fig. 1 is a simplified view of a laundry treatment appliance 100 having a unidirectional liquid supply and recirculation system 42. The laundry treatment appliance 100 may be any machine that treats items such as laundry or fabric. Examples of the laundry treatment appliance 100 may include, but are not limited to, a vertical axis washing machine, a vertical axis dryer (e.g., tumble dryer or stationary dryer), a tumble or stationary freshening/activating machine (refreshing machine), a dehydrator, a non-water washing apparatus, and an activator. As used herein, the term "vertical axis" washing machine refers to a washing machine having a rotatable drum that rotates about a generally vertical axis relative to a surface supporting the washing machine. However, the axis of rotation need not be completely perpendicular to the surface. For example, the drum may rotate about an axis that is tilted with respect to a vertical axis (e.g., a fifteen degree tilt is one example of a tilt).

As shown in fig. 1, the laundry treatment appliance 100 includes a cabinet 14 defined by a front wall 16, a rear wall 18, a pair of side walls (not shown), and supporting a top wall 22. The user interface 24 on the cabinet 14 may have a plurality of controls 26 that may be used to select an operating cycle. A chassis (not shown) may be provided with the walls mounted to the chassis.

The top wall 22 may have an openable lid or door 28 and may be selectively moved between an open position and a closed position to close the opening in the top wall 22. In the open position, the door 28 provides access to the interior of the cabinet 14. A rotatable drum 30 is disposed within the interior of the cabinet 14 and defines a treatment chamber 32 for treating laundry. The drum 30 may be positioned within an imperforate tub 34. The drum 30 itself may include a plurality of perforations (not shown) such that liquid may flow between the tub 34 and the drum 30 through the perforations. A laundry mover 38 may be located in the drum 30 to impart mechanical agitation to a load of laundry placed in the drum 30.

The drum 30 and/or the laundry mover 38 may be driven by an electric motor 40 operatively connected to the drum 30 and/or the laundry mover 38 by a drive shaft 41. The laundry mover 38 may oscillate or rotate about its axis of rotation during the operational cycle to generate high water turbulence that effectively washes the load contained within the treatment chamber 32. The motor 40 can rotate the drum 30 at various speeds in either rotational direction.

The liquid supply and recirculation system 42 may be arranged to spray a treatment liquid, such as water or a combination of water and one or more washing aids, such as detergent, into the open top of the drum 30 and onto the top of a load of laundry placed within the treatment chamber 32. The liquid supply and recirculation system 42 may be configured to supply and spray treatment liquid directly from the domestic water supply 44 and/or from the tub 34 onto the fabric load. The liquid supply and recirculation system 42 may also be configured to recirculate treatment liquid from the vat 34, including the sump 46, and spray it onto the top of the load. The pump 48 may be housed below the tub 34. The pump 48 may have an inlet fluidly coupled to the sump 46 and an outlet configured to fluidly couple to either or both of a household drain 50 or a recirculation conduit 52. In this configuration, the pump 48 may be used to drain or recirculate the wash water in the sump 46, which is initially sprayed into the drum 30, flows through the drum 30, and then enters the sump 46.

The laundry treatment appliance 100 may also include a controller 54 coupled to various operational components of the laundry treatment appliance 100, such as the motor 40 and the pump 48, to control operation of the operational components. The user interface 24 may be coupled to the controller 54 and may provide input/output to/from the controller 54. In other words, the user interface 24 may allow the user to input inputs related to the operation of the laundry treatment appliance 100, such as selection and/or modification of an operation cycle of the laundry treatment appliance 100, and receive outputs related to the operation of the laundry treatment appliance 100. Examples of operating cycles include, but are not limited to: washing, heavy duty washing, fine washing, quick washing, refreshing, rinsing only, and timed washing. Any suitable controller 54 may be used. The particular type of controller is not relevant to the present invention. It is contemplated that controller 54 may be a microprocessor-based controller that implements control software and sends and receives one or more electrical signals to and from each of the various components to implement the control software. For example, the respective components may be controlled using proportional control (P), proportional integral control (PI), and proportional derivative control (PD), or a combination thereof, Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control.

Fig. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance 200 having a bi-directional recirculation filter system. The laundry treatment appliance 200 may be used with an internal filter 202 to collect pet hair and then treat the hair via the drain 50 at the end of the cycle. This may avoid the need for the consumer to physically interact with the captured pet hair.

The bi-directional pump 48 may be used to pump water through the internal plumbing of the laundry treatment appliance 200 in two opposite flow directions. In particular, the pump 48 may provide flow in a first recirculation direction or in a second drainage direction. In the first recirculation direction, water enters the inner filter 202 at the inlet, flows through the filter media to capture pet hair on the inlet side of the filter media, and flows out of the outlet to continue along the recirculation path back into the treatment chamber 32. In the second drainage direction, water enters the inner filter 202 from the outlet in the opposite direction, passes through the filter media in the opposite direction to release pet hair captured by the filter media, and flows out of the inlet to continue along the drainage path out of the drain tube 50. It should be noted that in some examples, the bi-directional pump 48 may also be implemented as two pumps 48 arranged in opposite directions.

A series of check valves 204, 206, 208 may be used to facilitate flow in a selected direction (i.e., to prevent backflow). These check valves 204, 206, 208 may be implemented as various types of valves, such as flapper valves, globe valves, and the like. A recirculation inlet check valve 204 may be placed between the bottom of the barrel 34 and the junction between the inlet of the internal pet hair filter 202 and the drain tube 50. A drain outlet check valve 204 may be placed along the drain pipe 50 line. A drain inlet check valve 206 may be placed between the bottom of the barrel 34 and the junction between the outlet of the strainer 202 and the recirculation line 42.

In the first recirculation direction, the recirculation inlet check valve 204 may open to allow flow from the bowl 34 into the inlet of the filter 202. The drain outlet check valve 206 may close to prevent water flow out of the drain pipe 50. The drain inlet check valve 208 may also close to allow filtered water to flow out of the recirculation 42 outlet and prevent backflow through the filter 202. Thus, when the pump 48 is activated in a first direction, as the hair lifts off the fabric 210 during the wash and spin cycle, the hair is transported by the free water through the basket wrapper and into the filter 202. There may also be a large amount of hair transport between the garment mover 38 and a static bumper attached to the basket package.

In the second drain direction, recirculation check valve 204 is closed, but drain inlet check valve 206 and drain outlet check valve 208 are open. This allows the water path to enter the outlet of the filter 202, pass through the filter 202 in the opposite direction, and exit the drain 50. Thus, when the pump 48 is activated in the second direction, hair collected in the filter 202 is rinsed out of the filter 202 medium. This therefore allows the laundry treatment appliance 100 to remove hair from laundry without the consumer interacting with pet hair.

In some examples, the bi-directional recirculation filtration system may be paired with a visible feature on the basket wrapper. For example, the internal filter 202 system may be combined with different basket hole patterns and/or different basket wall bumpers (e.g., having similar aesthetics as a lifter) to provide visually verifiable differences for the laundry treatment appliance 200 including the bi-directional recirculation filtration system. This may allow a customer to be aware that the laundry treatment appliance 200 implements the bi-directional recirculation filter system 102 even though the system 102 may be hidden within the interior of the laundry treatment appliance 200.

In some examples, the bi-directional recirculation filtration system 102 may be implemented in conjunction with additional pet hair filtration. For example, the laundry treatment appliance 200 may also include a pumping tower mechanism to generate a flow of water through the lint filter. In this design, a duct connects an inlet at the bottom of the washing machine to an outlet at the side of the drum facing the laundry. The filter mechanism fits into the outlet. As the drum rotates, fluid enters the pumping tower inlet and exits the outlet into the filter due to the rotational force applied by the laundry mover 38. When the wash cycle is complete, the filter may be removed from the outlet and cleaned or replaced. Such filters and/or other consumer accessible filters may be combined with a bi-directional recirculation filtration system to further reduce deposition of pet hair on laundry items.

Fig. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance 300 having an agitator-based removable filter design. In this example, agitator 302 defines an interior configured to receive filter 304 and function as a filter, such as for pet hair and/or lint. Although lint filter 304 is shown herein as being disposed inside agitator 302, it should be understood that filter 304 may be located in other locations and still be associated with agitator 302, examples of which include at a top cover of agitator 302, or on an outer surface of agitator 302.

As shown, a flow of water 306 via pump 48 may exit liquid supply and recirculation system 42 and enter the filter 304 portion of agitator 302. The water flow 306 may deposit any contained pet hair into the filter 304 and continue back into the barrel 34 as a water flow 308. In another example, the laundry treatment appliance 300 may include a pumping tower mechanism 310 to generate a water stream 312, as described above. The mechanism may additionally or alternatively provide a flow of water 312 into the filter 304 to capture pet hair, allowing clean water to flow back into the tub 34 as the flow of water 308. After the wash cycle is complete, the filter 304 may be removed and cleaned of any pet hair or lint that may have deposited therein.

Fig. 4 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a combined laundry treatment appliance 400 with a filter design. As shown, laundry treatment appliance 400 includes filter 402A, filter 402B, and filter 402C. The filter 402A may be an agitator-based removable filter design, such as discussed above with respect to fig. 3. The filter 402B may be a pumped tower design, such as discussed above with respect to fig. 2 and 3.

The filter 402C may be an in-line filter similar to the internal pet hair filter 202 discussed with respect to fig. 2, but without bi-directional flow capability. Instead, a filter 402C may be included in the water flow path of the liquid supply and recirculation system 42 between the pump 48 and the recirculation outlet back into the tub 34. In this way, the filter 402C may be removed from time to allow the filter 402C to clean up collected pet hair and lint.

Fig. 5A is a simplified cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance 500 having a balanced ring filter system. Fig. 5B is a simplified top view of a gimbal filter system of the laundry treatment appliance 500. It is observed that the laundry treatment appliance 500 sometimes experiences vibration during operation of the laundry treatment appliance 500, particularly during a spin cycle. This may be due, for example, to irregularities in the placement of the fabric or other article being laundered. After the wash cycle and the draining of the treatment chamber 32, these items can stick together and cause differences in the center of mass within the treatment chamber 32. To prevent this imbalance, the laundry treatment appliance 500 may be equipped with a balancing ring 502 at the top of the treatment chamber 32. The balancing ring 502 may define an annular region that rotates with the process chamber 32. The weight of such liquid or solid balls may be included in this region so that during operation, the weight will move to a position within the loop that counteracts the centrifugal force generated by the goods fabric in the wash. Thus, the weight of the balance ring 502 moves to balance the rotation of the process chamber 32, thereby reducing or eliminating vibration.

The balancing ring 502 may also serve as a base for a removable filter. The pet hair screen 504 may be formed of mesh or other porous material and may be attached to the circumference of the gimbal 502. When attached, the pet hair filter 504 may define a surface that extends within the area bounded by the gimbal 502. The pet hair screen 504 may cover all or at least a portion of the opening of the treatment chamber 32.

As the liquid supply and recirculation system 42 sprays a stream of water 506 into the open top of the treatment chamber 32 and onto the top of a load of clothing placed within the treatment chamber 32, pet hair or lint contained within the stream of water 506 may be captured by the pet hair screen 504. Once the wash cycle is complete, the pet hair filter screen 504 may be removed for cleaning.

Fig. 6A is a simplified cross-sectional view of a laundry treatment appliance 600 having a removable recirculation filter 602. Fig. 6B is a simplified top view of the laundry treatment appliance 600. Referring collectively to fig. 6A and 6B, removable recirculation filter 602 may include various filter media, such as a mesh, sponge, fingers, or other structure configured to capture pet hair, lint, or other particles while allowing water stream 604 to advance with minimal or at least acceptable back pressure. A removable recirculation filter 602 may be selectively attached to the outlet of the liquid supply and recirculation system 42. This may allow the removable recirculation filter 602 to capture pet hair as the pump 48 recirculates water and be removed from the laundry treatment appliance 600 for cleaning.

Fig. 7A is a simplified top view of a laundry treatment appliance 700 with a removably attached filter. Fig. 7B is a simplified perspective view of the laundry treatment appliance 700. Referring collectively to fig. 7A and 7B, the attachment filter 702 includes a filter body 704. The filter body 704 may be constructed of plastic or, in some cases, may be overmolded onto a plastic or metal substrate to increase rigidity.

The filter body 704 may be configured to hold a filter screen 705 suspended above the process chamber 32. The filter screen 705 has a substantially flat surface formed as a mesh or other porous material through which water may pass but pet hair or other particles may be retained. For example, the filter body 704 may define a perimeter within which the filter screen 705 is retained.

The filter body 704 may also define a handle 706 to facilitate user manipulation of the filter. The handle 706 may be a relatively thick region of the filter body 704, which allows a consumer to hold onto the rigid filter body 704 rather than touching the filter screen 705.

The filter body 704 may also define a filter attachment 708 for selective attachment to a corresponding locator 710 of the tub 34. For example, filter attachment 708 may include a peg that fits into a corresponding aperture of locator 710, such that filter 702 may be attached to bucket 34 when filter attachment 708 is inserted down into locator 710. Similarly, when the filter attachment 708 is removed upward from the locator 710, the filter 702 may be removed from the bucket 34.

Liquid supply and recirculation system 42 may provide a flow of water 712 onto filter screen 705, thereby allowing pet hair and other particles to become trapped in filter screen 705 during the wash cycle and further allowing the clean water to continue down into treatment chamber 32. When the wash cycle is complete, the filter attachment 708 may be removed from the retainer 710 and the filter screen 705 may be cleaned. To perform the next wash cycle, the filter attachment 708 may be reattached to the positioner 710.

Fig. 8 is a simplified perspective view of a laundry treatment appliance 800 with a removable filter cartridge 802. As shown in fig. 8, removable filter cartridge 802 is in a detached state. The removable filter cartridge 802 may be inserted into a corresponding filter receptacle 804 of the laundry treatment appliance 800. The filter container 804 may be placed in a user accessible location, such as on the top wall 22 of the laundry treatment appliance 800. In some cases, the user accessible location may be underneath an openable lid or door 28 (not shown in fig. 8) and may be covered when the door is in a closed position and uncovered when the door is in an open position. In some examples, the top wall 22 of the laundry treatment appliance 800 may also include a detergent-additive opening 806 for adding detergent additives (such as detergent and/or bleach). It should be noted that the location of the filter receptacle 804 and the wash aid opening 806 may vary. For example, the positions of filter receptacle 804 and wash aid opening 806 as shown may be reversed.

Fig. 9 shows a simplified perspective view of a detail of the filter cartridge 802. As shown, the filter cartridge 802 generally includes a handle portion 902 and a filter media portion 904. Handle portion 902 may include a gripping portion to facilitate manipulation of filter cartridge 802 for insertion into and removal from filter receptacle 804. The filter media portion 904 may include a variety of reusable and non-reusable filter media, such as sponge, charcoal, mesh, and perforated sheet.

Fig. 10 is a simplified perspective view of a laundry treatment appliance 800 with a removable filter cartridge 802 in an inserted state. In one example, filter cartridge 802 and filter vessel 804 may be threaded such that filter cartridge 802 may be inserted in place by twisting filter cartridge 802 (e.g., clockwise) into filter vessel 804. Similarly, filter cartridge 802 may be removed from filter vessel 804 by twisting filter cartridge 802 in the opposite direction (e.g., counterclockwise).

Fig. 11 is a simplified cross-sectional view of removable filter cartridge 802 inserted into filter receptacle 804. The removable filter cartridge 802 has a barrel 1102 defining a cartridge inlet 1104, an interior chamber 1106, and a plurality of outlets 1108. The barrel 1102 may be generally cylindrical, with the handle 902 forming the top of the interior chamber 1106. A plurality of outlets 1108 may be located around the cylindrical surface of the barrel 1102 and may be sized to allow water to flow freely, but may also capture pet hair or other particles in the water. The cartridge inlet 1104 may be located on a bottom surface of the barrel 1102 opposite the handle 902 and may extend upward into the interior chamber 1106. Although the interior chamber 1106 is shown as being empty, it should be noted that in some examples, the interior chamber 1106 can include additional filter media.

As described above, filter cartridge 802 may be inserted by twisting filter cartridge 802 into filter vessel 804. To receive filter cartridge 802, a lower portion of the outer surface of barrel 1102 may form a cartridge thread 1110 that may be screwed into a corresponding container thread 1112 of filter container 804. A lower portion of the outer surface may be circumferentially narrower than an upper portion of the bowl 1102 to allow the removable filter cartridge 802 to be tightened down against a first seal 1114 (such as an O-ring) to form a water-tight fit between the filter cartridge 802 and the interior chamber 1115 of the filter container 804. This ensures that water flows into cartridge inlet 1104, through interior chamber 1106, and out of plurality of outlets 1108, without bypassing cartridge 802.

The underside of handle 902 may include a handle lip 1116 extending radially outward from the top of barrel 1102. The lower surface of the handle lip 1116 may be secured down over a seal 1118 (such as an O-ring) supported by a flange 1120 that extends radially inward from the filter container 804 into the container chamber 1115.

Thus, when installed, water from pump 48 may flow into container inlet 1122, upward into interior chamber 1106 of removable cartridge 802 via cartridge inlet 1104, radially outward through cartridge outlet 1108 into container chamber 1115, and finally out container outlet 1124.

Fig. 12 is an exemplary flexible filter membrane 1200 for capturing pet hair. The diaphragm 1200 may be a thin dome-shaped structure made of a flexible material such as rubber or plastic. The septum 1200 may define a radial slit 1202 along the body of the septum 1200 that extends inward from the domed edge toward the crown. The dome may be mounted in the filter facing outward in the convex direction (as shown in state a) so that during a wash cycle, water flows into the dome and out of the slits 1202, thereby depositing pet hair and other particles within the membrane 1200. Once the wash is complete, the membrane 1200 can be removed from the filter and cleaned. Due to the flexible nature of the membrane 1200, the membrane 1200 may snap to face in the opposite direction (as shown in state B), thereby releasing accumulated pet hair and other particles from the filter. The filter can then be reused for further washing cycles.

Fig. 13 is an alternative design of a removable filter cartridge 1302. As shown in fig. 13, the removable filter cartridge 1302 is in a disconnected state. The removable filter cartridge 1302 may be inserted into a corresponding filter receptacle 1304 of a laundry treatment appliance (not shown). The filter container 1304 may be placed in a location accessible to a user, such as on a top wall of a laundry treatment appliance. In some cases, the user accessible location may be underneath an openable lid or door and may be covered when the door is in a closed position and uncovered when the door is in an open position.

The filter receptacle 1304 may have a chamber 1306 with an open face, and the filter cartridge 1302 may have a generally flat structure that may be pressed down into the filter receptacle 1304 to cover the open face of the chamber 1306 to provide an air-tight seal for the open face of the chamber 1306.

The filter cartridge 1302 may also include a filter screen 1308 that extends downwardly into the chamber 1306. The filter screen 1308 may be formed of a mesh or other porous material through which water may flow but where pet hair and other particulates may settle. The filter screen 1308 may be sized to cover the cross-sectional area of the chamber 1306 in the direction of flow from the container inlet 1310 to the container inlet 1312.

Thus, when installed, water from the pump 48 may flow into the container inlet 1310, into the chamber 1306 of the filter container 1304, through the filter screen 1308, and out through the container outlet 1314 during a wash cycle. Once the wash is complete, the filter cartridge 1302 may be removed from the filter receptacle 1304 and the filter screen 1308 may be cleaned.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of yet another design of a removable filter media for a recirculation filter system of a laundry treatment appliance 1400. FIG. 15 is a side sectional view of a recirculation filter system. Fig. 16 is a top view of a recirculation filter system. Referring collectively to fig. 14, 15, and 16, the recirculating filter system may include a filter box 1402 having a media chamber 1408 configured to receive a filter media 1404 for filtering pet hair and other particles from wash water. The filter media 1404 may include a mesh, sponge, fingers, or other structure configured to capture pet hair, lint, or other particles while allowing the flow of water to proceed with minimal or at least acceptable back pressure.

Filter tank 1402 may include a filter inlet 1406, a filter chamber 1106, and a filter outlet 1410. During a wash cycle, water flow from pump 48 (not shown) of liquid supply and recirculation system 42 enters filter inlet 1406 of filter box 1402, enters filter chamber 1408 and passes through filter media 1404, and then exits media chamber 1408 via filter outlet 1410. The internal dimensions of filter media 1404 may be made as flush as possible with the internal dimensions of filter outlet 1410 and filter inlet 1406 to reduce the likelihood of standing water remaining in media chamber 1408 after use.

A nozzle 1412 may be attached to the filter outlet 1410 to direct the flow of water into the treatment chamber 32. In one example, nozzle 1412 may be formed of a flexible plastic or rubber that is attached to the exterior of filter outlet 1410 via a slip fit.

The media chamber 1408 of filter box 1402 may have an open top to provide access to the interior of the media chamber 1408. This may allow a consumer to inspect, remove, clean, and/or replace the filter media 1404 included in the media chamber 1408. In one example, the media chamber 1408 may include a series of slots into which the generally flat elements of the filter media 1404 may descend and be fixed across the flow direction of the water.

During the wash cycle, a lid 1414 may be attached to filter box 1402 to cover the open top. The cover 1414 may have a lower surface contoured to the shape of the upper surface of the open top such that a water-tight seal may be formed between the cover 1414 and the filter body 1402. One or more fasteners 1416 may be used to secure the cover 1414 to the filter body 1402. For example, a plurality of bolts may extend upwardly from filter box 1402, and cover 1414 may have corresponding openings to allow the cover to be aligned via the bolts for securing to filter body 1402. The cap 1414 may then be tightened down with a wing nut or another user-friendly fastener to form a water-tight connection with the media chamber 1408. A seal 1418 (e.g., an O-ring) may also be provided in the channel around the perimeter of the top opening to allow the cover 1414 to be secured down against the seal 1418 to form a water-tight fit between the cover 1414 and the media chamber 1408. When the wash cycle is complete, the cover 1414 may be removed from the filter box 1402, and the filter media 1404 may be removed, cleaned, or replaced.

Accordingly, disclosed herein is a filtration system for a laundry treatment appliance for collecting pet hair, lint, and other debris from water within the drum of the appliance.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously mentioned, features of the various embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments may be described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or over prior art embodiments with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes may include, but are not limited to, cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, and the like. Thus, to the extent that any embodiment is described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art embodiments with respect to one or more characteristics, such embodiments are not outside the scope of the present disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications.

Claims (27)

1. A bi-directional recirculation filter system for a laundry treatment appliance comprising:

a bi-directional pump configured to provide a flow of water in a first recirculation direction or in a second drainage direction;

an internal filter; and

a processing chamber, a processing chamber and a gas-liquid separator,

wherein in the first recirculation direction the water flow is pumped into the internal filter at an inlet, flows through a filter medium to capture pet hair on an inlet side of the filter medium, and flows out of an outlet to continue back into the treatment chamber along a recirculation path, and in the second drainage direction the water flow is pumped from the outlet into the internal filter in an opposite direction, passes through the filter medium in the opposite direction to release the pet hair captured by the filter medium, and flows out of the inlet to continue out of a drain along a drain path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional pump comprises a first pump arranged to provide the flow of water in the first recirculation direction and a second pump arranged to provide the flow of water in the second drainage direction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional pump is a single bi-directional pump.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a recirculation inlet check valve between a bottom of the processing chamber and a junction along a recirculation line between the inlet of the internal filter and a drain line;

a drain outlet check valve disposed along the drain line; and

a drain inlet check valve disposed between the bottom of the processing chamber and a junction between an outlet of the filter and the recirculation line.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein in the first recirculation direction:

the recirculation inlet check valve opens to allow flow from the processing chamber into the inlet of the filter;

the drain outlet check valve closes to prevent water flow out of the drain pipe; and

the drain inlet check valve is closed,

thereby allowing filtered water to flow out of the recirculation outlet and preventing backflow through the filter.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein in the second drainage direction:

the recirculation inlet check valve is closed;

the drain inlet check valve is open; and

the drain outlet check valve is opened and,

thereby allowing a water path to enter the outlet of the filter, pass through the filter in the opposite direction, and exit the drain.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing chamber comprises an indication of the presence of the bi-directional recirculation filtration system.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pumping tower mechanism to generate a flow of water through the lint filter, the tower mechanism comprising:

a conduit connecting an inlet at the bottom of the treatment chamber to an outlet on a side of the treatment chamber facing the laundry; and

a tower filter configured to fit into the outlet,

wherein as the drum in the treatment chamber rotates, fluid travels into the pumping tower inlet and out of the outlet into the tower filter due to the rotational force exerted by the drum.

9. A laundry treatment appliance having a gimbal filter system comprising:

a processing chamber;

a balance ring disposed at a top of the process chamber, the balance ring defining an annular region that rotates with the process chamber;

a liquid supply and recirculation system configured to inject a water stream into the open top of the processing chamber; and

a pet hair filter screen selectively attachable to a circumference of the balancing ring,

wherein when attached, the pet hair screen defines a surface extending within an area bounded by the balancing ring such that pet hair or lint included within the water stream is captured by the pet hair screen.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pet hair screen is formed of a mesh or other porous material.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the pet hair filter screen is configured to be removed for cleaning.

12. A laundry treatment appliance having a removably attached filter system, comprising:

a processing chamber;

an attachment filter comprising a filter body configured to hold a filter screen suspended above the treatment chamber and defining a filter attachment that fits into a locator of the laundry treatment appliance; and

a liquid supply and recirculation system configured to inject a water stream into the open top of the processing chamber;

wherein when attached, pet hair and other particulates included in the water stream are trapped in the filter screen during a wash cycle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter body is constructed of plastic.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter body is overmolded on a plastic or metal substrate.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter body defines a handle to facilitate manipulation of the filter by a user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter attachment comprises a peg that fits into a corresponding hole of the locator, such that when the filter attachment is inserted downwardly into the locator, the filter body is attachable to the laundry treatment appliance, and when the filter attachment is removed upwardly from the locator, the filter body is removable from the laundry treatment appliance.

17. A laundry treatment appliance having a removable filter cartridge system, comprising:

a recirculating filtration system configured to pump wash water through a removable cartridge; and

a filter receptacle configured to receive the removable filter cartridge.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the filter cartridge and the filter container are threaded such that the filter cartridge can be inserted in place by twisting the filter cartridge into the filter container in a first rotational direction and removed from the filter container by twisting the filter cartridge in an opposite rotational direction.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the removable filter cartridge comprises:

a barrel defining a barrel inlet,

an interior chamber for receiving a fluid to be treated,

a barrel inlet located on a bottom surface of the barrel extending upwardly into the interior chamber,

a handle located at a top of the interior chamber, an

A plurality of outlets located around the cylindrical surface of the bowl and sized to allow water to flow freely and to capture pet hair or other particles in the water.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a lower portion of an outer surface of the bowl forms a cartridge thread configured to be insertable into a corresponding vessel thread of the filter vessel, the lower portion of the outer surface being circumferentially narrower than an upper portion of the bowl to allow the removable cartridge to be tightened down against a seal to form a water-tight fit between the cartridge and the interior chamber of the filter vessel.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein an underside of the handle forms a handle lip extending radially outward from a top of the cartridge, a lower surface of the handle lip being securable downward on a seal supported by a flange extending radially inward from the filter container into the interior chamber.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the filter container comprises:

a chamber having an open face, wherein the chamber,

a generally planar structure that can be pressed down into the filter container to cover the open face of the chamber to provide an air-tight seal for the open face of the chamber, an

A filter screen extending downwardly into the chamber and sized to cover a cross-sectional area of the chamber in a flow direction from the container inlet to the plurality of outlets, the filter screen configured to capture pet hair and other particles.

23. A flexible filtration membrane for capturing pet hair, said membrane formed as a thin dome-shaped flexible structure defining radial slits extending inwardly from a dome rim toward a crown of said membrane, such that during a wash cycle water flows into said dome and out of said slits, depositing said pet hair and other particles within said membrane, and after said wash cycle said membrane can be snapped to face in an opposite direction to release said pet hair and other particles from said membrane.

24. A recirculation filter system for a laundry treatment appliance comprising:

a filter box having a media chamber configured to receive a filter media for filtering pet hair and other particles from wash water in a treatment chamber of the appliance, the filter box comprising a filter inlet, a filter chamber and a filter outlet,

wherein during a wash cycle, water flow from a pump of a liquid supply and recirculation system enters the filter inlet of the filter tank, enters the filter chamber and passes through the filter media, and exits the media chamber via the filter outlet.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a nozzle attached to the filter outlet to direct the water stream into the treatment chamber.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the media chamber comprises:

a series of slots in which generally planar elements of filter media can be placed and secured across the flow direction of the water;

a top configured to provide access to the filter media in the interior of the media chamber; and

a cover attachable to the filtration tank to cover and uncover the open top.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising one or more fasteners configured to secure the lid to the filtration tank.

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