ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 9 -- United States Patent no. 12,492,503, issued on Dec. 9, was assigned to Whirlpool Corp. (Benton Harbor, Mich.).
"Laundry appliance with anti-closure feature" was invented by Timothy Blatchley (Stevensville, Mich.), Nolan Maryanski (Stevensville, Mich.) and Bret J. Wamhoff (St. Joseph, Mich.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A laundry appliance includes a drum and a cabinet configured to support the drum for rotation therein. The cabinet has a front face defining an opening that provides access into the drum. A door is pivotally attached to the cabinet and is movable between a closed position and an open position. A latch assembly secures the door in the closed position....