Floating ventilation interface for suds

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance including a cabinet, a tub, a drum, a suds tube, and a suds vent. The tub is disposed in the cabinet and configured to receive water and detergent. The drum is disposed in the tub and configured to receive the water and the detergent from the tub. The suds tube is fluidly coupled to the tub and configured to receive suds generated by the water and detergent. The suds vent includes a proximal portion disposed between the cabinet and the tub. The suds vent is configured to receive the suds from the suds tube and the suds vent is spaced apart from the suds tube to form a gap between the suds tube and the suds vent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating appliance comprising:
 a cabinet forming a receptacle;   a tub disposed in the receptacle and configured to receive water and detergent;   a drum disposed within the tub configured to receive the water and the detergent from the tub;   a suds tube fluidly coupled to the tub and configured to receive suds generated by the water and detergent; and   a suds vent including a proximal portion disposed between the cabinet and the tub and configured to receive the suds from the suds tube, wherein the suds vent is spaced apart from the suds tube to form a gap between the suds tube and the suds vent.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the suds vent includes a distal portion extending from the proximal portion and external to the cabinet, the distal portion includes a canopy configured to retain moisture of the suds flowing through the suds vent. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the cabinet includes a wall forming an aperture configured to receive a medial portion of the suds vent disposed between the proximal portion and the distal portion. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the canopy extends in a direction oblique to a wall of the cabinet. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the suds vent forms an opening configured to receive and vent the suds, and the suds vent includes a number of baffles disposed in the opening. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the suds vent includes a number of rails extending between the number of baffles. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion of the suds vent includes a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion has a width that is greater than the top portion. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the bottom portion includes a lip extending towards the drum and is configured to catch the suds. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the lip is disposed within the gap. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the gap has a length that is at least 15 mm. 
     
     
         11 . A suds expulsion assembly for use in a laundry treating appliance provided with a cabinet and a tub disposed therein, the suds expulsion assembly comprising:
 a suds expulsion member configured to be disposed between the tub and the cabinet and including a suds inlet and a suds outlet, wherein the suds inlet is configured to receive suds from the tub and the suds outlet is configured to expel a substantially continuous stream of suds from the suds tube; and   a suds vent configured to be fixed to the cabinet so that the suds vent is spaced apart from the suds outlet to form a gap, wherein the suds vent forms an aperture configured to receive the continuous stream of suds from the suds expulsion member and vent the continuous stream of suds away from an inner surface of the cabinet.   
     
     
         12 . The suds expulsion assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the suds expulsion member is formed by a tube provided with a first portion and a second portion, arranged substantially orthogonal to the first portion, wherein the second portion forms the suds outlet and is configured to face towards the suds vent. 
     
     
         13 . The suds expulsion assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second portion includes bellows configured to axially deform in response to a force applied to the second portion of the tube. 
     
     
         14 . The suds expulsion assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the tube includes a third portion arranged substantially orthogonally to the first portion, wherein the third portion is configured to face away from the suds vent, and the third portion forms the suds inlet. 
     
     
         15 . The suds expulsion assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the first portion of the suds tube has a first length, the second portion of the suds tube has a second length, wherein the second length is less than the first length. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the suds outlet defines a first inner diameter aperture of the suds vent defines a second inner diameter, wherein the second inner diameter is greater than the first inner diameter. 
     
     
         17 . A laundry treating appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub disposed in the cabinet and configured to receive water and detergent;   a drum disposed within the tub configured to receive the water and the detergent from the tub;   a suds tube fluidly coupled to the tub and configured to receive suds generated by the water and detergent; and   a suds vent disposed within an opening defined by the cabinet and spaced apart from the suds tube to form a gap, wherein the suds vent forms an aperture configured to receive the suds from the suds tube and vent the suds to an area external to the cabinet.   
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the suds tube includes a proximal end, fixed to the tub, and a distal end facing the suds vent, wherein the gap is formed between the distal end of the suds tube and at least a portion of the suds vent. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a heat exchanger configured to deliver dry heated air to the drum to dry laundry disposed therein, wherein the suds tube includes a proximal end, fixed to the heat exchanger, and a distal end facing the suds vent, wherein the gap is formed between the distal end of the suds tube and at least a portion of the suds vent.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 19 , wherein the suds vent includes a canopy extending from the distal end in a direction oblique to the cabinet, wherein the canopy is configured to retain moisture of the suds and an end of the canopy is U-shaped.