Laundry treating appliance having a condenser assembly

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation includes a cabinet defining an interior, a treating chamber located within the interior, and a condenser assembly. The condenser assembly includes a condenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber to receive moisture-laden air from the treating chamber and condense it into a liquid condensate. A condensate container has an inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser to receive the condensate. A housing removably holds the condensate container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation, the laundry treating appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining an interior;   a treating chamber located within the interior; and   a condenser assembly comprising:
 a condenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber to receive moisture-laden air from the treating chamber and condense it into a liquid condensate; 
 a condensate container having an inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser to receive the condensate; and 
 a housing, removably holding the condensate container with a condensate overflow path to direct condensate overflowing from the inlet, and having spacers on one side of the housing to form a gap between at least a portion of the housing and the condensate container; 
 wherein at least one of the spacers and at least a portion of the gap define a portion of the overflow path. 
   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the at least one of the spacers is adjacent the position of the inlet when the condensate container is fully inserted within the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the inlet is provided within an upper surface of the condensate container. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the housing comprises a pair of opposing side walls, with the at least one of the spacers provided on one of the side walls. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 4  wherein the at least one of the spacers comprises a pair of spacers extending along at least a portion of the height of the one of the side walls. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 5  wherein the pair of spacers are spaced apart from one another such that the position of the inlet is between the pair of spacers. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 6  wherein the pair of spacers taper toward one another from an upper portion of the one of the side walls to a lower portion of the one of the side walls and are configured to direct water overflowing from the inlet toward a lower portion of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 7  wherein the housing at least partially defines at least one overflow channel formed at the lower portion of the housing, the at least one overflow channel defining at least a portion of the overflow path. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 8  wherein the at least one overflow channel is downwardly sloped to direct the overflow path toward an overflow outlet in the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 7  further comprising a baffle provided within the inlet to guide condensed liquid into the condensate container. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 10  wherein the tapering of the spacers toward one another is complementary in shape with the baffle. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 6  wherein the housing further comprises an additional spacer extending along at least a portion of the height of the same one of the side walls, the additional spacer laterally spaced from the pair of spacers and the inlet along the side wall. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 12  wherein the additional spacer is provided at a front portion of the side wall. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the condenser assembly further comprises a handle coupled to the condensate container. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 14  wherein the condensate container is slidably withdrawable from the housing by the handle. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the laundry treating appliance is a condensing laundry appliance. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 16  wherein the condensate container stores the condensate that is condensed from the treating chamber during the cycle of operation. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 16  wherein the laundry treating appliance is a condensing laundry dryer. 
     
     
         19 . A condenser assembly for use within a condensing laundry treating appliance and fluidly coupled with a treating chamber of the condensing laundry treating appliance, the condenser assembly comprising:
 a condenser fluidly coupled to the treating chamber to receive moisture-laden air from the treating chamber and condense it into a liquid condensate;   a condensate container having an inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser to receive the condensate; and   a housing, removably holding the condensate container, with a condensate overflow path to direct condensate overflowing from the inlet, and having spacers on one side of the housing to form a gap between at least a portion of the housing and the condensate container, wherein at least one of the spacers and at least a portion of the gap define a portion of the overflow path.   
     
     
         20 . The condenser assembly of  claim 19  wherein the condensing laundry treating appliance is a condensing laundry dryer.