Laundry appliance guide feature

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet including a first panel and a second panel movable between a detached position and an attached position relative to the first panel. Additionally, the appliance includes a basket rotatably mounted within the cabinet. Furthermore, the appliance includes a guide feature protruding from the first panel for guiding the second panel to the attached position. The guide feature includes a main body. Additionally, the guide feature includes a retaining clip mounted to and integrally formed with the main body and cantilevered along the main body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the laundry appliance comprising:
 a cabinet comprising:
 a first panel; and 
 a second panel moveable between a detached position and an attached position relative to the first panel; 
   a basket rotatably mounted within the cabinet for receiving a load of clothes; and   a guide feature protruding from the first panel for guiding the second panel to the attached position relative to the first panel, the guide feature comprising:
 a main body; and 
 a retaining clip mounted to and integrally formed with the main body, the retaining clip cantilevered along the main body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the retaining clip is comprised of a flexible plastic material.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a panel positioning bracket protruding toward the second panel and positioned above the guide feature,   wherein, the second panel hangs from and is pivotable about the panel positioning bracket toward the guide feature for moving the second panel toward and away from the attached position.   
     
     
         4 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , the retaining clip comprising:
 a mounted portion that is mounted to and integrally formed with the main body; and   a free portion integrally formed with and protruding from the mounted portion and cantilevered along the main body of the guide feature,   wherein, the free portion is flexibly moveable between a resting position and a compressed position.   
     
     
         5 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the main body of the guide feature comprises a base portion; and   the retaining clip is cantilevered along the base portion of the main body.   
     
     
         6 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the main body of the guide feature comprises a base portion; and   the retaining clip comprises:
 a mounted portion that is mounted to and integrally formed with the main body; and 
 a free portion integrally formed with and protruding from the mounted portion, the free portion cantilevered along the base portion of the main body. 
   
     
     
         7 . The laundry appliance of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the base portion of the main body defines an outer perimeter that is substantially circular.   
     
     
         8 . The laundry appliance of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the retaining clip extends obliquely relative to the base portion of the main body of the guide feature such that an acute angle is defined between the retaining clip and the base portion.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry appliance of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the free portion of the retaining clip is flexibly moveable between a resting position and a compressed position; and   the free portion of the retaining clip is movable to the resting position when the second panel is in the attached position relative to the first panel.   
     
     
         10 . The laundry appliance of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the free portion of the retaining clip is flexibly moveable between a resting position and a compressed position;   the second panel defines a guide feature opening therethrough surrounded by a guide feature opening wall; and   the guide feature opening wall slides along the retaining clip and moves the free portion of the retaining clip toward the compressed position while the second panel is moved toward the attached position relative to the first panel.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry appliance of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the guide feature opening is defined through a flange of the second panel; and   when the free portion of the retaining clip is in the resting position and the second panel is in the attached position, the flange of the second panel is positioned between the retaining clip and the first panel to prevent movement of the second panel relative to the first panel.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry appliance of  claim 6 , the main body of the guide feature further comprising:
 a mounting bracket,   wherein, the base portion of the main body extends approximately normal to and is integrally formed with the mounting bracket.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the mounting bracket includes at least one positioning feature protruding therefrom for positioning the guide feature on the first panel.   
     
     
         14 . The laundry appliance of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the at least one positioning feature is received through and is bounded by a positioning feature hole defined through the first panel for inhibiting rotational motion of the guide feature relative to the first panel.   
     
     
         15 . The laundry appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the main body of the guide feature defines:
 a fastener drive opening; and   an interior portion extending within the main body from the fastener drive opening,   wherein, a fastener is received through the fastener drive opening and within the interior portion for mounting the guide feature to the first panel.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry appliance of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the at least one positioning feature of the mounting bracket includes a first positioning feature and a second positioning feature spaced apart from each other; and   the fastener is positioned between and aligned with the first positioning feature and the second positioning feature.   
     
     
         17 . A method of mounting a panel of a laundry appliance, the laundry appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the method comprising:
 mounting a portion of a second panel on a panel positioning bracket protruding from a first panel of a cabinet of the laundry appliance;   pivoting the second panel about the panel positioning bracket toward a guide feature protruding from the first panel and positioned below the panel positioning bracket;   receiving the guide feature through a guide feature opening defined through the second panel while pivoting the second panel; and   moving a guide feature opening wall that surrounds the guide feature opening along a retaining clip of the guide feature while pivoting the second panel until the retaining clip exits the guide feature opening to retain the second panel.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 driving a fastener through the second panel and the first panel of the laundry appliance to secure the second panel to the laundry appliance.