Abstract: A laundry appliance includes a cabinet or surround structure. A pair of front feet are respectively provided at either front corner thereof. A front unit includes a front face, a pair of side face portions extending rearwardly therefrom to abut the side walls of the cabinet, and a pair of spaced apart front feet portions which are adjacent front feet of the cabinet. A top deck, held down by a securement, includes a flange surrounding or substantially surrounding an upper edge of the front panel and the side and rear walls of the cabinet. A connection, which is releasable by vertical relative movement of the front panel, is provided between each front foot portion of the front panel and a front foot of the cabinet.

Abstract: A laundry appliance includes a cabinet or surround structure with an attachment for a removable front panel and a removable front panel for attachment to the cabinet. The appliance is a drum and a drum support structure supporting the drum for rotation. There is a movement interface between the drum support structure and the cabinet or surround structure, allowing the drum support structure to move between an operating condition within the cabinet and a maintenance condition wherein the drum and drum support structure are at least substantially disposed outside the envelope defined by the cabinet. In the operating condition the drum and support structure are hidden behind the removable front panel. They may be moved out to the maintenance condition after removal of the front panel. The appliance may be a clothes drying appliance with an outlet duct supported on the drum support structure and an exhaust duct connected with the base structure of the cabinet.

Abstract: A laundry machine includes a cabinet and a laundry holding drum rotatably supported therewithin. The drum includes a wall and a drum hatch comprising a section of the wall. A motor is connected to rotate the drum. A controller is configured to operate the motor to drive the drum through a closing operation. The closing operation includes rotating the drum in a direction to bring the drum opening toward the drum hatch to re-close the opening with the drum hatch and to detect stopping of the drum rotation. The controller may provide user feedback that a closure disruption has occurred. The drum hatch is configured to close circumferentially, with a leading edge of the drum hatch approaching a leading edge of the remaining wall. The leading edges are shaped such that interposition of fabric between the leading edges during closure stops the drum hatch reaching a fully closed position.

Abstract: A drum hatch engaging mechanism is for inclusion in a laundry appliance having a cabinet and a drum rotatable within the cabinet. The mechanism includes a drum hatch engaging member connected with the cabinet with the connection providing for movement of the member between non-engagement and engagement positions. An actuator is provided to selectively move the drum hatch engaging member between the positions. A catch member is connected with a sliding hatch of the drum. The connection between the catch member and the sliding hatch provides for movement of the catch member between a position adjacent the skin of the drum and an outwardly displaced position. The drum hatch engaging member includes a ramped abutment to engage and lift the catch member to the outer position through movement of the catch member toward the abutment during an opening rotation of the drum. The hatch engaging member includes a closing abutment facing the ramped abutment.

Abstract: A laundry drying machine includes a cabinet and a laundry holding drum rotatably supported within said cabinet for rotation about a horizontal axis. The drum includes a cylindrical wall and a pair of ends. A drum hatch comprises a section of the cylindrical wall. A motor is connected to drive rotation of the drum via a drive belt. A hatch engaging member is actuable to grasp and hold the drum hatch relative to the cabinet. A controller operatively connected with the motor, is configured to operate the machine through each of: a) an opening operation in which the drum hatch is grabbed by the hatch engaging member and the drum is rotated to expose an opening, b) a closing operation, which follows a drum opening operation and in which the drum is rotated to re-close a the opening with the drum hatch, and c) a drying operation.

Abstract: A clothes drying appliance includes a cabinet and a drum inside the cabinet supported on a drum support structure. A belt passes around the drive pulley of a drive motor and around the drum for driving rotation of the drum in either direction. A belt tensioning device includes a pair of spaced apart tensioning pulleys each having an axis of rotation substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the drive pulley. An imaginary line between the centres of the tensioning pulleys separates the drive pulley from the drum. The pulleys are supported on a yoke and the yoke passes around the drive pulley, with the tensioning pulleys spaced sufficiently close to impinge upon the path of the belt passing around the pulley and drum. A biasing agent such as a spring presses the pulleys toward the drum by urging the yoke toward the pulley.

Abstract: A laundry machine includes a cabinet and a laundry holding drum rotatably supported within the cabinet. The drum includes a wall and a drum hatch comprising a section of the wall. A motor is connected to drive rotation of the drum. A controller is operatively connected with the motor. The controller is configured to operate the motor to drive the drum through a closing operation. The closing operation includes rotating the drum in a direction to bring the drum opening toward the drum hatch to re-close the opening with the drum hatch and to detect stopping of the drum rotation. The controller may provide user feedback that a closure disruption has occurred. The drum hatch is configured to close circumferentially, with a leading edge of the drum hatch approaching a leading edge of the remaining wall. The leading edges are shaped such that interposition of fabric between the leading edges during closure stops the drum hatch reaching a fully closed position.