Foreign particulate collector for a laundry appliance

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet that has a user interface. A drum is disposed within the cabinet and includes baffles. A blower directs process air through an airflow path that includes the drum. A lint filter is disposed within the airflow path and between the drum and the blower. A foreign particulate collector is disposed within the drum and is configured to collect foreign particulates within the drum. A controller is operably coupled to a motor for rotating the drum and the blower. The user interface and the controller cooperate to operate the drum and the blower for capturing foreign particulates at least within the foreign particulate collector.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet having a user interface;   a drum disposed within the cabinet and including baffles;   a blower that directs process air through an airflow path that includes the drum;   a lint filter disposed within the airflow path and between the drum and the blower;   a foreign particulate collector disposed within the drum and configured to collect foreign particulates within the drum; and   a controller operably coupled to a motor for rotating the drum and the blower, wherein the user interface and the controller cooperate to operate the drum and the blower for capturing foreign particulates at least within the foreign particulate collector.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the foreign particulate collector includes coupling features that attach the foreign particulate collector to the baffles, and wherein the baffles include grooves that slidably receive the coupling features of the foreign particulate collector. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the foreign particulate collector includes a tacky outer surface and projections extending outwardly from the tacky outer surface. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the grooves of the baffles each include a respective latching hole, and wherein the coupling features of the foreign particulate collector defines a locked position through a latching engagement with the respective latching hole. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller, the blower and the motor cooperate to perform an algorithm that is configured to variably alter a speed of the motor and the drum. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the foreign particulate collector is snap engaged with at least one of the baffles, and wherein the foreign particulate collector includes a plurality of bristles. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the foreign particulate collector includes a roller having a collector rotational axis that is eccentric to a rotational axis of the drum, and wherein the roller includes a tacky outer surface. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the foreign particulate collector is incorporated within at least one of the baffles having a perforated baffle wall, wherein the baffle wall includes apertures and a foreign particulate filter that separate foreign particulates from the process air within the drum. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the drum includes a receptacle that receives the baffle wall that defines the foreign particulate collector, and wherein a suction device is in communication with an interior of the baffle wall via the receptacle to define an at least partial vacuum within the foreign particulate collector. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the foreign particulate collector is a negatively charged member selectively disposed within the drum, and wherein the negatively charged member is configured to attract oppositely-charged foreign particulates present within the drum. 
     
     
         11 . A laundry appliance, comprising:
 a blower that directs process air through an airflow path;   a drum disposed within a cabinet, wherein the airflow path includes the drum;   a lint filter disposed within the airflow path and positioned between the drum and the blower; and   a foreign particulate collector attached to the drum via a baffle, wherein the baffle and the foreign particulate collector rotate with the drum to collect foreign particulates present within the drum.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the foreign particulate collector is slidably attached to a baffle wall of the baffle. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the baffle includes a perforated baffle wall that defines an interior having a foreign particulate filter, and wherein the foreign particulate collector includes a suction device that draws process air from the drum and through the perforated baffle wall and the foreign particulate filter. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the foreign particulate collector is snap engaged with the baffle. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the foreign particulate collector includes a plurality of bristles. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the foreign particulate collector includes a roller having a collector rotational axis that is eccentric to a rotational axis of the drum, and wherein the roller includes a tacky outer surface. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the blower defines the suction device. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the foreign particulate collector is a negatively charged member selectively disposed within the drum, and wherein the negatively charged member is configured to attract oppositely-charged foreign particulates present within the drum. 
     
     
         19 . A laundry appliance, comprising:
 a blower that directs process air through an airflow path;   a drum disposed within a cabinet, wherein the airflow path includes the drum;   a lint filter disposed within the airflow path and positioned between the drum and the blower;   a foreign particulate collector attached to the drum via a baffle, wherein the baffle and the foreign particulate collector rotate with the drum to collect foreign particulates present within the drum; and   an electrostatically charged member that is disposed within the foreign particulate collector, wherein the electrostatically charged member is a negatively charged member selectively disposed within the baffle, and wherein the negatively charged member is configured to attract oppositely-charged foreign particulates present within the drum.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry appliance of  claim 19 , wherein the electrostatically charged member is negatively charged by an electrical current that is delivered to the foreign particulate collector.