Dynamic laundry deflector for a household appliance

Abstract

A washer including a housing, a washing tub in the housing, a drum rotatably mounted in the washing tub for receiving laundry to be washed, the drum having an axis of rotation and an opening for inserting the laundry into an interior of the drum, and a dynamic deflector coupled to the washing tub, the dynamic deflector being one of translatable in one or more axes and rotatable about one or more of the axes, the dynamic deflector deflecting the laundry that contacts the dynamic deflector toward the interior of the drum.

1 . A washer comprising:
 a housing;   a washing tub in the housing;   a drum rotatably mounted in the washing tub for receiving laundry to be washed, the drum having an axis of rotation and an opening for inserting the laundry into an interior of the drum; and   a dynamic deflector coupled to the washing tub, the dynamic deflector deflecting the laundry that contacts the dynamic deflector toward the interior of the drum.   
     
     
         2 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic deflector includes a rotatable portion. 
     
     
         3 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic deflector includes a translatable portion. 
     
     
         4 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic deflector includes a pivotable portion. 
     
     
         5 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the dynamic deflector includes:
 a spindle having a fixed end coupled to the washing tub and a free end extending radially into a region of the opening of the drum, the rotatable portion being rotatably coupled to the spindle.   
     
     
         6 . The washer of  claim 3 , wherein the dynamic deflector includes:
 a spindle having a first fixed end coupled to the washing tub and a second free end extending radially into a region of the opening of the drum, the translatable portion being coupled to the spindle.   
     
     
         7 . The washer of  claim 4 , wherein the dynamic deflector includes:
 a spindle having a first fixed end coupled to the washing tub and a second free end extending radially into a region of the opening of the drum, the pivotable portion being coupled to the spindle at a location adjacent to the second free end of the spindle.   
     
     
         8 . The washer of  claim 5 , wherein the rotatable portion is rotatable about an axis of the spindle. 
     
     
         9 . The washer of  claim 6 , wherein the translatable portion is moveable along a longitudinal axis of the spindle. 
     
     
         10 . The washer of  claim 8 , wherein the axis of the spindle extends radially toward a center of the opening of the drum. 
     
     
         11 . The washer of  claim 8 , wherein the axis of the spindle is at an angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the drum. 
     
     
         12 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic deflector extends radially into a region of the opening of the drum. 
     
     
         13 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic deflector extends radially into an upper region of the opening of the drum. 
     
     
         14 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic deflector extends radially into a region of a twelve o'clock position of the opening of the drum. 
     
     
         15 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion includes one of a ball-shaped portion, a cylindrical-shaped portion, and a conical-shaped portion. 
     
     
         16 . The washer of  claim 5 , wherein the rotatable portion includes:
 a first end portion adjacent to the fixed end of the spindle and having a first diameter; and   a second end portion adjacent to the free end of the spindle and having a second diameter,   the first diameter of the first end portion being greater than the second diameter of the second end portion.   
     
     
         17 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion comprises a wheel. 
     
     
         18 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion includes an outer surface having a substantially smooth surface. 
     
     
         19 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion includes an outer surface having a plurality of bristles extending radially from the outer surface. 
     
     
         20 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion includes an outer surface having a textured surface. 
     
     
         21 . The washer of  claim 20 , wherein the textured surface comprises a surface feature including one of a dimple, a divot, an indentation, a rib, a protrusion, and a groove. 
     
     
         22 . The washer of  claim 20 , wherein the textured surface comprises a plurality of surface features. 
     
     
         23 . The washer of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of surface features are distributed uniformly over the textured surface. 
     
     
         24 . The washer of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of surface features are distributed randomly over the textured surface. 
     
     
         25 . The washer of  claim 22 , wherein a type of the plurality of surface features are homogeneous over the textured surface. 
     
     
         26 . The washer of  claim 22 , wherein a type of the plurality of surface features are inhomogeneous over the textured surface. 
     
     
         27 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion includes an outer surface having one of:
 a plurality of resilient fingers extending radially from the outer surface; and   a plurality of rigid fingers extending radially from the outer surface.   
     
     
         28 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion includes a rigid outer surface. 
     
     
         29 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion includes a resilient outer surface. 
     
     
         30 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion comprises:
 a rigid interior part; and   a resilient outer part surrounding a portion of the rigid interior part.   
     
     
         31 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion includes radiused edges. 
     
     
         32 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic deflector comprises a portion that is rotatable and one of translatable and pivotable. 
     
     
         33 . A washer comprising:
 a housing;   a washing tub in the housing;   a drum rotatably mounted in the washing tub for receiving laundry to be washed, the drum having an axis of rotation and an opening at a front portion of the drum for inserting the laundry into an interior of the drum;   a stationary rubber gasket surrounding the opening and coupling the housing to the washing tub; and   a dynamic deflector coupled to the washing tub at a location adjacent to the stationary rubber gasket, a portion of the dynamic deflector being moveable and extending into a region of the opening of the drum, the dynamic deflector deflecting laundry that contacts the portion of the dynamic deflector away from the opening of the drum and the stationary rubber gasket, and toward a rear portion of the drum.   
     
     
         34 . A washer comprising:
 a housing;   a washing tub in the housing;   a drum rotatably mounted in the washing tub for receiving laundry to be washed, the drum having an axis of rotation and an opening at a front portion of the drum for inserting the laundry into an interior of the drum;   a stationary rubber gasket surrounding the opening and coupling the housing to the washing tub; and   dynamic deflector means for deflecting laundry away from the opening of the drum and the stationary rubber gasket, and toward a rear portion of the drum, the dynamic deflector means being coupled to the washing tub.