Thread Number: 75479  /  Tag: Modern Dryers
lg dryer drum design lawsuit
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Post# 993147   5/5/2018 at 08:45 (2,175 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        

Hello everybody. I've noticed that the lg and whirlpool dryers' drums look identical. Do you think lg should face a lawsuit? I do. You'd think that lg would created their own design. What are your thoughts?




Post# 993150 , Reply# 1   5/5/2018 at 09:39 (2,175 days old) by nmassman44 (Brooksville Florida)        

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What?! Not even close. Post a few pics to back your claim....

Post# 993154 , Reply# 2   5/5/2018 at 10:02 (2,175 days old) by Pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)        

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gelaundry4ever, whirlpool and lg are 2 different brands see the pics I am posting from google and you will see that lg and whirlpool are 2 different brands. Not every brands of washer dryer are the same unless the company subcontract another company to build there washer dryer line like for exemple sears Kenmore who has ask whirlpool to build there washer dryer lines for year before redesigning there line of washer dryer like in the case of Kenmore washer dryer some of there front line models might be made by lg but they put there brand name on the washer dryer a few years back as an exemple had a Kenmore elite dishwasher before going with a now own ge dishwasher the Kenmore elite I had was made by kitchenaid for sears as an exemple so when going shoping if you pass by the appliance department open up an lg dryer and a whirlpool dryer and look closely at the inside of the dryer drum.

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Post# 993187 , Reply# 3   5/5/2018 at 15:51 (2,175 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
dryer drums

I've noticed that the whirlpool duet and the lg tromm front load dryers, for example have drums that look the same. It seems they use the same roller setup too. They may look different from the outside, but the insides where you put the clothes look like carbon copies I.E. the heat grill in the back of the drum.

Post# 993218 , Reply# 4   5/5/2018 at 19:41 (2,174 days old) by Lorainfurniture (Cleveland )        
Gelaundry is right.

If you compare the 27” dott dryer to the LG, they are shockingly similar. However, Every part is slightly different, and no parts are interchangeable. I imagine this is to skirt trademarks

Post# 993236 , Reply# 5   5/5/2018 at 22:12 (2,174 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
Hey Eugene...

I wonder what sets the 27 inch whirlpool dryer apart from the lg other than the exterior design. What is the cfm rate of the two? How are the parts different?

Post# 993343 , Reply# 6   5/6/2018 at 23:44 (2,173 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
dryer drums

Trust me, they look exactly the same if you compare the whirlpool duet dryer drum to the lg. I guarantee you.

Post# 993344 , Reply# 7   5/6/2018 at 23:47 (2,173 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
GE copied...

GE copied the same design too back in 2012 on their higher models too.

Post# 993373 , Reply# 8   5/7/2018 at 06:57 (2,173 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        

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You Really can't patent the basic design of most things, so in reality anyone can copy most aspects of most appliances.

 

John L.


Post# 993379 , Reply# 9   5/7/2018 at 08:23 (2,173 days old) by man114 (Buffalo)        

It’s not even that dissimilar from my Frigidaire Gallery dryer.

Now if they went back to a big galvanized drum with tons of air holes like my dad’s old Hamilton then we might have something to talk about if people started copying it.


Post# 993386 , Reply# 10   5/7/2018 at 09:39 (2,173 days old) by whitetub (Montreal, Canada)        

If you look at this Whirlpool interior, it is similar, but still different.

It's like saying a dishwasher brand copied another brand, because it has two racks, and a wash arm under each rack...


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Post# 993392 , Reply# 11   5/7/2018 at 10:13 (2,173 days old) by johnb300m (Chicago)        

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At this time, there is far too much "prior art" to patent the simple look of a dryer interior.
What IS patent-able, if there's no prior art, or the features are not too generic, are functional improvements.
Such as, WP has been adding 4 fins instead of 3 to many of their dryers.
I haven't done any searches, but if WP can make a credible claim that 4 baffles has a specific unique improvement to dryer performance, THAT can be patented.
Preventing other makes from using 4 baffles for the next 20 years.
Everyone's got steam now, so that's not really patent-able.
But if there's a unique, improved "steam system" that can be patent-able. And someone copies it for infringement, then yeah, a lawsuit could ensue.
OR....a lot of times, companies (like my own) will settle out of court and allow certain "Design Swapping" to skirt lawsuits.
Basically, "you steal this pile of my stuff, so I can steal that pile of yours."

I can't fathom inlet/outlet location, screen visual design, lights, drum rib locations etc, being patent-able.


Post# 993395 , Reply# 12   5/7/2018 at 10:50 (2,173 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        

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You would never likely be able to patent the idea of using four baffles in a dryer drum because it has been done many times before, there have also been dryers that used 6.

Post# 993405 , Reply# 13   5/7/2018 at 11:34 (2,173 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
lg vs whirlpool duet

What makes whirlpool's duet dryer different from the lg other than the 4 baffle design?

Post# 993422 , Reply# 14   5/7/2018 at 14:45 (2,173 days old) by Pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)        
2005 whirlpool duet

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gelaundry4ever if you look closely my duet dryer is a 2005 model but its the 3 baffle model maybe the newer models are now 4 baffle but mine isa generation 1 modelas you will see in the screen shot

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Post# 993426 , Reply# 15   5/7/2018 at 15:55 (2,173 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

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GELaundry4ever:  What makes whirlpool's duet dryer different from the lg other than the 4 baffle design?"
Whirlpool's brand name and a product model number on it, aesthetic and layout differences of the control panel, cycle selections, moisture sensor algorithms, different door and cabinet shape, and other such details.


Post# 993452 , Reply# 16   5/7/2018 at 19:08 (2,172 days old) by Whitetub (Montreal, Canada)        

My Samsung dryer has a similar design.

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Post# 993471 , Reply# 17   5/7/2018 at 23:43 (2,172 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
motor design and drum roller system

What is the motor design of the two like? I've noticed that they both start up, you hear the drum rollers even out, starting with thumping.

Post# 995757 , Reply# 18   5/30/2018 at 22:01 (2,149 days old) by cornutt (Huntsville, AL USA)        

Whirlpool has been using that same basic design since the 1960s. Whatever patents covered it have almost certainly expired by now.

Post# 996952 , Reply# 19   6/12/2018 at 11:08 (2,137 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

Why is it that American dryers almost always have a fixed-back drum? European designs always have a rotating drum-back fixed to the sides...

Post# 997007 , Reply# 20   6/12/2018 at 19:55 (2,136 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
cfm

How many cfm's does the lg dryer blow air? How hot does the default normal cycle get?

Post# 997043 , Reply# 21   6/13/2018 at 06:48 (2,136 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)        
rft2800;

maybe it's because of the size of American dryers? Quite large. I think old Whirlpools did have a solid drum, and GE's.
When they began making them larger, it's simpler, and more easy to move air and heat through one large vent in the fixed back of the drum.
So they eliminated the center bearing, and set the drum on two rear roller support wheels, added a rear gasket, and two more at the front, and or, use teflon coated slider bearings on the front bulk head.


Post# 997082 , Reply# 22   6/13/2018 at 19:30 (2,135 days old) by nmassman44 (Brooksville Florida)        

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The LG dryer PULLS 215 cfm ...the Whirlpool dryer with 4 vanes pulls 235 cfm ....that can change with different Whirlpool dryer designs. If I remember right , the Whirlpool EquaFlow dryer...with the filter on top moves about 160 cfm....

Post# 997086 , Reply# 23   6/13/2018 at 21:18 (2,135 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
normal cycle temperature

What is the temperature of the normal cycle?

Post# 997088 , Reply# 24   6/13/2018 at 21:28 (2,135 days old) by nmassman44 (Brooksville Florida)        

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Warm enough to get the job done at Medium Temp. Here is a bit of advice...again...maybe contact LG and find out the info that you are asking for...we can't do everything for you, nor should we. Yes, I said it!


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