Laundry treating appliance with foreign object barrier

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance includes a tub having a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the wall at least partially defines a liquid chamber. An outlet is formed in the wall. The laundry treating appliance further includes a foreign object barrier at least partially extending through the outlet and into the liquid chamber. A pump case fluidly couples to the outlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating appliance comprising:
 a tub having a wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, with the inner surface at least partially defining a liquid chamber;   an outlet formed in the wall;   a foreign object barrier having a filter portion at least partially extending through the outlet and into the liquid chamber; and   a pump case fluidly coupled to the outlet and having at least one catch configured to couple with at least a portion of the foreign object barrier such that the foreign object barrier forms a snap fit attachment with the pump case.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid chamber includes a sump and the outlet is in the sump. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the sump is at least partially defined by the wall. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the wall is a bottom wall of the tub. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the outlet is positioned at a lowermost portion of the bottom wall. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the filter portion comprises multiple circumferentially spaced ribs. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the spacing of the multiple circumferentially spaced ribs defines multiple channels for liquid to pass through. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the foreign object barrier comprises at least one finger extending into the pump case to couple with the at least one catch. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one finger is deflectable. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one finger comprises a pair of opposing fingers and the at least one catch comprises a pair of opposing catches. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the pump case defines an inlet fluidly coupled with the outlet. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the foreign object barrier at least partially extends through the inlet. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the inlet is at least partially covered by the foreign object barrier such that at least a portion of the foreign object barrier serves as a cap for the inlet. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the foreign object barrier is less than the diameter of the outlet. 
     
     
         15 . A method of assembling a pump case to a tub in a laundry treating appliance, the method comprising:
 positioning a foreign object barrier within an inlet defined within the pump case such that the foreign object barrier at least partially extends through the inlet;   attaching the foreign object barrier to the inlet of the pump case by a snap fit attachment such that the foreign object barrier is carried by the pump case;   inserting the inlet into an outlet formed in a wall of the tub until the foreign object barrier at least partially extends through the outlet; and   fastening the pump case to the tub using mechanical fasteners provided adjacent the outlet.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wall of the tub has an outer surface and an inner surface, with the inner surface at least partially defining a liquid chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the foreign object barrier at least partially extending through the outlet comprises the foreign object barrier at least partially extending into the liquid chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the attaching the foreign object barrier to the inlet of the pump case by the snap fit attachment comprises at least a portion of the foreign object barrier coupling with at least one catch defined by the pump case. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the inserting the inlet into the outlet formed in the wall of the tub until the foreign object barrier at least partially extends through the outlet fluidly couples the pump case with the outlet. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the foreign object barrier at least partially extending through the outlet comprises a filter portion of the foreign object barrier at least partially extending through the outlet.