Laundry appliance spill drain

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet defining a chamber opening and including a panel and a basket rotatably mounted within the cabinet and defining a chamber. The appliance also includes a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chamber. The appliance also includes a bracket including a main bracket body and a spill drain integrally formed with the main bracket body and positioned to capture and direct fluid. Furthermore, the bracket is mounted to the panel of the cabinet.

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 defining a chamber opening, the cabinet including a panel;   a basket rotatably mounted within the cabinet and defining a chamber for receiving of a load of clothes;    a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chamber; and   a bracket including:    a main bracket body; and   a spill drain integrally formed with the main bracket body and positioned to capture and direct fluid,   wherein: 
 the bracket is mounted to the panel of the cabinet.  
   
     
     
         2 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the laundry appliance includes a door lock positioned within the cabinet for selectively locking the door in the closed position; and   the spill drain is positioned relative to the door lock for capturing and directing the fluid away from the door lock.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a controller for controlling the operation of the laundry appliance,   wherein, the spill drain is positioned below the controller to capture and direct the fluid away from the controller.   
     
     
         4 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the spill drain defines an edge upon which the fluid exits the spill drain.   
     
     
         5 . The laundry appliance of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 the laundry appliance includes a door lock positioned within the cabinet for selectively locking the door in the closed position; and   the edge is positioned past the door lock in the lateral direction so that the fluid is directed away from the door lock after exiting the spill drain.   
     
     
         6 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a dispenser drawer slidably mounted within the cabinet,   wherein, the main bracket body of the bracket defines a dispenser drawer opening through which a portion of the dispenser drawer extends.   
     
     
         7 . The laundry appliance of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the spill drain is positioned below the dispenser drawer opening to capture and direct fluid spilling from the portion of the dispenser drawer extending through the dispenser drawer opening.   
     
     
         8 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the laundry appliance includes a door lock positioned within the cabinet for selectively locking the door in the closed position;    the spill drain is positioned above the door lock and defines a drain path along which the fluid is directed; and   the drain path extends past the door lock in the lateral direction to direct the fluid away from the door lock.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry appliance of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the spill drain includes a flange protruding from and integrally formed with the main bracket body; and   the flange defines an embossed portion therein corresponding to the drain path.   
     
     
         10 . The laundry appliance of  claim 8 , wherein:  
       the spill drain includes a flange protruding from and integrally formed with the main bracket body and a pair of walls spaced apart from each other and extending along the flange in the lateral direction; and 
       the drain path is defined along the flange between the pair of walls. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry appliance of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the spill drain includes a flange protruding from and integrally formed with the main bracket body; and   the drain path extends along an acute angle defined between the flange and the main bracket body.   
     
     
         12 . A laundry appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the laundry appliance comprising: 
 a cabinet defining a chamber opening;   a basket rotatably mounted within the cabinet and defining a chamber for receiving of a load of clothes;    a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chamber;    a dispenser drawer slidably mounted within the cabinet; and   a bracket positioned within the cabinet, the bracket including:    a main bracket body; and    a spill drain integrally formed with the main bracket body, the spill drain positioned below the dispenser drawer to capture and direct fluid spilling from the dispenser drawer.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the cabinet includes a top panel and a front panel; and    the bracket includes one or more mounting features for mounting at least one of the front panel or the top panel thereto.   
     
     
         14 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a controller for controlling an operation of the laundry appliance,    wherein, the spill drain is positioned below the controller to capture and direct the fluid away from the controller.   
     
     
         15 . The laundry appliance of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the spill drain is positioned relative to at least one component of the laundry appliance to capture and direct the fluid away from the at least one component,   wherein, the at least one component includes a door lock positioned within the cabinet for selectively locking the door in the closed position.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry appliance of  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the spill drain defines an edge upon which the fluid exits the spill drain.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry appliance of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the edge is positioned past the at door lock in the lateral direction so that the fluid is directed away from the door lock after exiting the spill drain.   
     
     
         18 . The laundry appliance of  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the spill drain is positioned above the door lock and defines a drain path along which the fluid is directed; and   the drain path extends past the door lock in the lateral direction to direct the fluid away from the door lock.   
     
     
         19 . The laundry appliance of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the spill drain includes a flange protruding from and integrally formed with the main bracket body; and   the flange defines an embossed portion therein corresponding to the drain path.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry appliance of  claim 18 , wherein:  
       the spill drain includes a flange protruding from and integrally formed with the main bracket body and a pair of walls spaced apart from each other and extending along the flange in the lateral direction; and 
       the drain path is defined along the flange between the pair of walls.