Laundry appliance and ventilation assembly for the same

Abstract

An impeller may be in mechanical communication with a motor to motivate rotation of the impeller about an axial direction. The impeller may be rotatable along a rotational direction about the axial direction to urge a flow of air from the chamber of the laundry basket. The impeller may include a baseplate and a plurality of radially accurate vanes supported on the baseplate. The plurality of radially arcuate vanes may each extend rearward relative to the rotational direction from an inner end proximal to the axial direction to an outer end distal to the axial direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub positioned within the cabinet, the tub defining a tub outlet and a tub inlet;   a laundry basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the laundry basket defining a chamber for receipt of articles for washing or drying;   a motor mounted within the cabinet; and   an impeller in mechanical communication with the motor to motivate rotation of the impeller about an axial direction, the impeller being rotatable along a rotational direction about the axial direction to urge a flow of air from the chamber of the laundry basket, the impeller comprising
 a baseplate, and 
 a plurality of radially accurate vanes supported on the baseplate, the plurality of radially arcuate vanes each extending rearward relative to the rotational direction from an inner end proximal to the axial direction to an outer end distal to the axial direction. 
   
     
     
         2 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing positioned within the cabinet, the housing defining
 a housing cavity within which the impeller is positioned,   an entrance upstream from the impeller to permit air thereto,   a cutoff disposed above the impeller, and   a transition duct extending between the cutoff and an exhaust exit of the housing.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the impeller defines an outer impeller diameter, and
 wherein a minimum radial gap is defined between an outer impeller perimeter and the cutoff, the minimum radial gap being greater than 0 and less than 10% of the outer impeller diameter.   
     
     
         4 . The laundry appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the impeller defines an outer impeller radius extending from the axial direction, and
 wherein the cutoff defines a radial distance to the axial direction, the radial distance being less than 15% of the outer impeller radius.   
     
     
         5 . The laundry appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the impeller defines an impeller outlet and an impeller width along the axial direction at the impeller outlet, wherein the housing further comprises an impeller guide extending about the impeller within the housing cavity and radially inward from the cutoff, the impeller guide defining a guide outlet radially aligned with the impeller outlet, the guide outlet having a GO width less than the impeller width. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the impeller defines an impeller inlet extending concentrically with the entrance along the axial direction, and wherein the housing further comprises an interior lip extending axially along the entrance into the impeller inlet. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the impeller further comprises a faceplate supported on the plurality of radially arcuate vanes opposite of the baseplate, the faceplate extending radially from an inner edge proximal to the axial direction to an outer edge distal to the axial direction. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the impeller defines a maximum impeller width along the axial direction at the inner edge and a minimum impeller width along the axial direction at the outer edge. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the faceplate defines a curved outer surface, wherein the housing further comprises a front panel defining an inner panel surface directed toward the impeller, and wherein the inner panel surface is complementary to the curved outer surface. 
     
     
         10 . A ventilation assembly for a laundry appliance, the ventilation assembly comprising:
 a motor; and   an impeller in mechanical communication with the motor to motivate rotation of the impeller about an axial direction, the impeller being rotatable along a rotational direction about the axial direction to urge a flow of air, the impeller comprising
 a baseplate, and 
 a plurality of radially accurate vanes supported on the baseplate, the plurality of radially arcuate vanes each extending rearward relative to the rotational direction from an inner end proximal to the axial direction to an outer end distal to the axial direction. 
   
     
     
         11 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a housing defining
 a housing cavity within which the impeller is positioned,   an entrance upstream from the impeller to permit air thereto,   a cutoff disposed above the impeller, and   a transition duct extending between the cutoff and an exhaust exit of the housing.   
     
     
         12 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the impeller defines an outer impeller diameter, and
 wherein a minimum radial gap is defined between an outer impeller perimeter and the cutoff, the minimum radial gap being greater than 0 and less than 10% of the outer impeller diameter.   
     
     
         13 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the impeller defines an outer impeller radius extending from the axial direction, and
 wherein the cutoff defines a radial distance to the axial direction, the radial distance being less than 15% of the outer impeller radius.   
     
     
         14 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the impeller defines an impeller outlet and an impeller width along the axial direction at the impeller outlet, wherein the housing further comprises an impeller guide extending about the impeller within the housing cavity and radially inward from the cutoff, the impeller guide defining a guide outlet radially aligned with the impeller outlet, the guide outlet having a GO width less than the impeller width. 
     
     
         15 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the impeller defines an impeller inlet extending concentrically with the entrance along the axial direction, and wherein the housing further comprises an interior lip extending axially along the entrance into the impeller inlet. 
     
     
         16 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the impeller further comprises a faceplate supported on the plurality of radially arcuate vanes opposite of the baseplate, the faceplate extending radially from an inner edge proximal to the axial direction to an outer edge distal to the axial direction. 
     
     
         17 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the impeller defines a maximum impeller width along the axial direction at the inner edge and a minimum impeller width along the axial direction at the outer edge. 
     
     
         18 . The ventilation assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the faceplate defines a curved outer surface, wherein the housing further comprises a front panel defining an inner panel surface directed toward the impeller, and wherein the inner panel surface is complementary to the curved outer surface.