U.S. patent application number 14/038683 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-26 for laundry treating appliance with integrated dynamic balancer.
This patent application is currently assigned to Whirlpool Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is Whirlpool Corporation. Invention is credited to CLIFTON G. GREEN, GEORGE W. MALHEIROS, SCOTT T. THALLS.
Application Number | 20150082837 14/038683 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52689747 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150082837 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MALHEIROS; GEORGE W. ; et
al. |
March 26, 2015 |
LAUNDRY TREATING APPLIANCE WITH INTEGRATED DYNAMIC BALANCER
Abstract
A laundry treating appliance includes a rotatable drum for
receiving a laundry load. The rotatable drum includes a cylindrical
body with an cylindrical wall, and a cover at one or both ends. The
cover has an annular groove formed by a first, second, and third
walls. A fourth wall extends from the second wall. A first land is
secured to the third wall and a second land is secured to the
fourth wall. An adjoining piece has an adjoining wall that is
attached to and extends between the first and second lands. A
hollow space is bounded by the adjoining wall and the second and
third walls. A movable mass is disposed in the space.
Inventors: |
MALHEIROS; GEORGE W.; (SAINT
JOSEPH, MI) ; THALLS; SCOTT T.; (STEVENSVILLE,
MI) ; GREEN; CLIFTON G.; (STEVENSVILLE, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Whirlpool Corporation |
Benton Harbor |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Whirlpool Corporation
Benton Harbor
MI
|
Family ID: |
52689747 |
Appl. No.: |
14/038683 |
Filed: |
September 26, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/131 ; 29/469;
68/139 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 39/02 20130101;
D06F 37/263 20130101; D06F 33/00 20130101; Y10T 29/49904 20150115;
D06F 39/008 20130101; D06F 37/245 20130101; D06F 37/262 20130101;
D06F 37/225 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
68/131 ; 68/139;
29/469 |
International
Class: |
D06F 37/22 20060101
D06F037/22; D06F 37/26 20060101 D06F037/26; D06F 37/24 20060101
D06F037/24 |
Claims
1. A laundry treating appliance with an integrated dynamic balancer
comprising: a rotatable drum for receiving a laundry load wherein
the rotatable drum includes a cylindrical body with a cylindrical
wall about a longitudinal axis, and a cover at one end thereof, the
cover having an annular groove formed by a first wall adjacent to
the cylindrical wall, a second wall spaced from the first wall, a
third wall extending between the first and second walls, and a
fourth wall having at least a portion thereof extending from the
second wall generally normal to the longitudinal axis, a first land
secured to the third wall, and a second land secured to the fourth
wall, a adjoining piece having at least one adjoining wall attached
to and extending between the first and second lands wherein a
hollow space is bounded by the at least one adjoining wall and the
second and third walls, and a mass disposed in the hollow space and
movable therein.
2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the rotatable
drum is rotatable relative to a vertical axis.
3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the rotatable
drum is rotatable relative to a non-vertical axis.
4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the adjoining
piece has a first adjoining wall and a second adjoining wall
arranged in an L-shaped cross section.
5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the first
adjoining wall has a support flange extending to the first
wall.
6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the second
adjoining wall includes an extending flange that attaches to the
second land.
7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 6 comprising a chamfer
at the extending flange that abuts the second wall.
8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 6 wherein the second
land has a ridge and the extending flange has a groove configured
to accept the ridge of the second land.
9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the first land
has a chamfer that abuts the third wall.
10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the cover is
formed of metal.
11. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the first
land has one of a ridge and a groove and the first adjoining wall
has the other of a ridge and a groove configured to accept the one
of the ridge and the groove of the first land.
12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 4 wherein the second
land has a ridge and the second adjoining wall has a groove
configured to accept the ridge of the second land.
13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the cover is
a front cover having an opening through which the laundry load can
be received.
14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the cover is
a rear cover.
15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the mass
includes at least one of balls, viscous fluid, or water.
16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the third
wall and the fourth wall each have a rank of discontinuities and at
least one rank of discontinuities comprises a fastener at each
discontinuity to which one of the first and second lands is
secured.
17. The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein each
fastener is a boss.
18. The laundry treating appliance of claim 17 wherein each boss is
stamped into the cover.
19. The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein each
discontinuity is a perforation in the cover.
20. A method of manufacturing, comprising: molding a first plastic
pieces onto a cover of a washing machine basket having an annular
groove, with the first plastic piece being at least partially in
the annular groove; molding a second plastic piece onto the cover
of the washing machine basket having an annular groove, with the
second plastic piece being one of at least partially in the annular
groove or adjacent to the annular groove; inserting a third plastic
piece such that the third plastic piece makes contact with the
first and second plastic pieces to substantially enclose at least a
portion of the annular groove; and joining the third plastic piece
with the first and second plastic pieces to create a substantially
fluid tight chamber enclosed by the cover of the washing machine,
the first plastic piece, the second plastic piece, and the third
plastic piece.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Laundry treating appliances, such as a washing machine, may
implement cycles of operation in which a drum defining a treating
chamber for receiving a laundry load is rotated at high speeds,
such as a spin or water extraction phase. For example, to extract
the water from the laundry load, the drum is typically spun at high
speeds. If a sufficiently large enough load imbalance is present,
the laundry treating appliance may experience undesirable
vibrations and movements when the drum is rotated at high speeds
during the spin phase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In one aspect, the invention relates to a laundry treating
appliance that includes a rotatable drum for receiving a laundry
load. The rotatable drum includes a cylindrical body with a
cylindrical wall about a longitudinal axis, and a cover at one end
thereof. The cover has an annular groove formed by a first wall
adjacent to the cylindrical wall, a second wall spaced from the
first wall, and a third wall extending between the first and second
walls. A fourth wall extends from the second wall, generally normal
to the longitudinal axis. A first land is secured to the third
wall, and a second land is secured to the fourth wall. An adjoining
piece has one or more adjoining walls. The adjoining wall is
attached to and extends between the first and second land such that
a hollow space is bounded by the adjoining wall and the second and
third walls. A movable mass is disposed in the space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS IN THE DRAWINGS
[0003] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a laundry treating appliance
in the form of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0004] FIG. 2 is a schematic of a control system of the laundry
treating appliance of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0005] FIG. 3 is an isometric view, partly in cross section, of an
integrated dynamic balancer in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
[0006] FIG. 4 is the cross section of the integrated dynamic
balancer of FIG. 3.
[0007] FIG. 5 is a cross section of the integrated dynamic balancer
of FIG. 3 taken along lines V-V.
[0008] FIG. 6 is a cross section of an integrated dynamic balancer
in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 7 is a cross section of an integrated dynamic balancer
in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 8 a schematic view of a laundry treating appliance in
the form of a washing machine according to another embodiment of
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a laundry treating appliance
according to a first embodiment of the invention. The laundry
treating appliance may be any appliance which performs a cycle of
operation to clean or otherwise treat items placed therein,
non-limiting examples of which include a horizontal or vertical
axis clothes washer; a combination washing machine and dryer; a
tumbling or stationary refreshing/revitalizing machine; an
extractor; a non-aqueous washing apparatus; and a revitalizing
machine.
[0012] The laundry treating appliance of FIG. 1 is illustrated as a
washing machine 10, which may include a structural support system
comprising a cabinet 12 which defines a housing within which a
laundry holding system resides. The cabinet 12 may be a housing
having a chassis and/or a frame, defining an interior that encloses
components typically found in a conventional washing machine, such
as motors, pumps, fluid lines, controls, sensors, transducers, and
the like. Such components will not be described further herein
except as necessary for a complete understanding of the
invention.
[0013] The laundry holding system comprises a tub 14 supported
within the cabinet 12 by a suitable suspension system and a
rotatable drum 16 provided within the tub 14, the rotatable drum 16
defining at least a portion of a laundry treating chamber 18 having
a longitudinal axis 21. The longitudinal axis 21 of the rotatable
drum 16 is preferably coincident with a horizontal or non-vertical
axis, though it is within the scope of the invention to accommodate
a rotatable drum on a vertical axis of rotation. See, for example,
an embodiment of a vertical axis washing machine according to the
invention in FIG. 8. The rotatable drum 16 may include a plurality
of perforations 20 such that liquid may flow between the tub 14 and
the rotatable drum 16 through the perforations 20. A plurality of
baffles 22 may be disposed on an inner surface of the rotatable
drum 16 to lift the laundry load received in the treating chamber
18 while the rotatable drum 16 rotates. It is also within the scope
of the invention for the laundry holding system to comprise only a
tub with the tub defining the laundry treating chamber.
[0014] The rotatable drum 16 has a front side 17 and a rear side
19. The front side 17 includes a front cover 30 with an opening 32
therein to accommodate receiving laundry. The rear side 19 also has
a rear cover 34. The covers 30, 34 thus form part of the drum
16.
[0015] The laundry holding system may further include a door 24
which may be movably mounted to the cabinet 12 to selectively close
both the tub 14 and the drum 16. A bellows 26 may couple an open
face of the tub 14 with the cabinet 12, with the door 24 sealing
against the bellows 26 when the door 24 closes the tub 14.
[0016] The washing machine 10 may further include a suspension
system 28 for dynamically suspending the laundry holding system
within the structural support system.
[0017] The washing machine 10 may further include a liquid supply
system for supplying water to the washing machine 10 for use in
treating laundry during a cycle of operation. The liquid supply
system may include a source of water, such as a household water
supply 40, which may include separate valves 42 and 44 for
controlling the flow of hot and cold water, respectively. Water may
be supplied through an inlet conduit 46 directly to the tub 14 by
controlling first and second diverter mechanisms 48 and 50,
respectively. The diverter mechanisms 48, 50 may be a diverter
valve having two outlets such that the diverter mechanisms 48, 50
may selectively direct a flow of liquid to one or both of two flow
paths. Water from the household water supply 40 may flow through
the inlet conduit 46 to the first diverter mechanism 48 which may
direct the flow of liquid to a supply conduit 52. The second
diverter mechanism 50 on the supply conduit 52 may direct the flow
of liquid to a tub outlet conduit 54 which may be provided with a
spray nozzle 56 configured to spray the flow of liquid into the tub
14. In this manner, water from the household water supply 40 may be
supplied directly to the tub 14.
[0018] The washing machine 10 may also be provided with a
dispensing system for dispensing treating chemistry to the treating
chamber 18 for use in treating the laundry according to a cycle of
operation. The dispensing system may include a dispenser 62 which
may be a single use dispenser, a bulk dispenser or a combination of
a single use and a bulk dispenser. Non-limiting examples of
suitable dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000022 to
Hendrickson et al., filed Jul. 1, 2008, entitled "Household
Cleaning Appliance with a Dispensing System Operable Between a
Single Use Dispensing System and a Bulk Dispensing System," U.S.
Pub. No. 2010/0000024 to Hendrickson et al., filed Jul. 1, 2008,
entitled "Apparatus and Method for Controlling Laundering Cycle by
Sensing Wash Aid Concentration," U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000573 to
Hendrickson et al., filed Jul. 1, 2008, entitled "Apparatus and
Method for Controlling Concentration of Wash Aid in Wash Liquid,"
U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000581 to Doyle et al., filed Jul. 1, 2008,
entitled "Water Flow Paths in a Household Cleaning Appliance with
Single Use and Bulk Dispensing," U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000264 to
Luckman et al., filed Jul. 1, 2008, entitled "Method for Converting
a Household Cleaning Appliance with a Non-Bulk Dispensing System to
a Household Cleaning Appliance with a Bulk Dispensing System," U.S.
Pub. No. 2010/0000586 to Hendrickson, filed Jun. 23, 2009, entitled
"Household Cleaning Appliance with a Single Water Flow Path for
Both Non-Bulk and Bulk Dispensing," and application Ser. No.
13/093,132, filed Apr. 25, 2011, entitled "Method and Apparatus for
Dispensing Treating Chemistry in a Laundry Treating Appliance,"
which are herein incorporated by reference in full.
[0019] Regardless of the type of dispenser used, the dispenser 62
may be configured to dispense a treating chemistry directly to the
tub 14 or mixed with water from the liquid supply system through a
dispensing outlet conduit 64. The dispensing outlet conduit 64 may
include a dispensing nozzle 66 configured to dispense the treating
chemistry into the tub 14 in a desired pattern and under a desired
amount of pressure. For example, the dispensing nozzle 66 may be
configured to dispense a flow or stream of treating chemistry into
the tub 14 by gravity, i.e. a non-pressurized stream. Water may be
supplied to the dispenser 62 from the supply conduit 52 by
directing the diverter mechanism 50 to direct the flow of water to
a dispensing supply conduit 68.
[0020] Non-limiting examples of treating chemistries that may be
dispensed by the dispensing system during a cycle of operation
include one or more of the following: water, enzymes, fragrances,
stiffness/sizing agents, wrinkle releasers/reducers, softeners,
antistatic or electrostatic agents, stain repellants, water
repellants, energy reduction/extraction aids, antibacterial agents,
medicinal agents, vitamins, moisturizers, shrinkage inhibitors, and
color fidelity agents, and combinations thereof.
[0021] The washing machine 10 may also include a recirculation and
drain system for recirculating liquid within the laundry holding
system and draining liquid from the washing machine 10. Liquid
supplied to the tub 14 through tub outlet conduit 54 and/or the
dispensing supply conduit 68 typically enters a space between the
tub 14 and the drum 16 and may flow by gravity to a sump 70 formed
in part by a lower portion of the tub 14. The sump 70 may also be
formed by a sump conduit 72 that may fluidly couple the lower
portion of the tub 14 to a pump 74. The pump 74 may direct liquid
to a drain conduit 76, which may drain the liquid from the washing
machine 10, or to a recirculation conduit 78, which may terminate
at a recirculation inlet 80. The recirculation inlet 80 may direct
the liquid from the recirculation conduit 78 into the drum 16. The
recirculation inlet 80 may introduce the liquid into the drum 16 in
any suitable manner, such as by spraying, dripping, or providing a
steady flow of liquid. In this manner, liquid provided to the tub
14, with or without treating chemistry may be recirculated into the
treating chamber 18 for treating the laundry within.
[0022] The liquid supply and/or recirculation and drain system may
be provided with a heating system which may include one or more
devices for heating laundry and/or liquid supplied to the tub 14,
such as a steam generator 82 and/or a sump heater 84. Liquid from
the household water supply 40 may be provided to the steam
generator 82 through the inlet conduit 46 by controlling the first
diverter mechanism 48 to direct the flow of liquid to a steam
supply conduit 86. Steam generated by the steam generator 82 may be
supplied to the tub 14 through a steam outlet conduit 87. The steam
generator 82 may be any suitable type of steam generator such as a
flow through steam generator or a tank-type steam generator.
Alternatively, the sump heater 84 may be used to generate steam in
place of or in addition to the steam generator 82. In addition or
alternatively to generating steam, the steam generator 82 and/or
sump heater 84 may be used to heat the laundry and/or liquid within
the tub 14 as part of a cycle of operation.
[0023] Additionally, the liquid supply and recirculation and drain
system may differ from the configuration shown in FIG. 1, such as
by inclusion of other valves, conduits, treating chemistry
dispensers, sensors, such as water level sensors and temperature
sensors, and the like, to control the flow of liquid through the
washing machine 10 and for the introduction of more than one type
of treating chemistry.
[0024] The washing machine 10 also includes a drive system for
rotating the drum 16 within the tub 14. The drive system may
include a motor 88, which may be directly coupled with the
rotatable drum 16 through a drive shaft 90 at or about the rear
cover 34 to rotate the drum 16 about a rotational axis during a
cycle of operation. The motor 88 may be a brushless permanent
magnet (BPM) motor having a stator 92 and a rotor 94. Alternately,
the motor 88 may be coupled to the drum 16 through a belt and a
drive shaft to rotate the rotatable drum 16, as is known in the
art. Other motors, such as an induction motor or a permanent split
capacitor (PSC) motor, may also be used. The motor 88 may rotate
the drum 16 at various speeds in either rotational direction.
[0025] The washing machine 10 also includes a control system for
controlling the operation of the washing machine 10 to implement
one or more cycles of operation. The control system may include a
controller 96 located within the cabinet 12 and a user interface 98
that is operably coupled with the controller 96. The user interface
98 may include one or more knobs, dials, switches, displays, touch
screens and the like for communicating with the user, such as to
receive input and provide output. The user may enter different
types of information including, without limitation, cycle selection
and cycle parameters, such as cycle options.
[0026] The controller 96 may include the machine controller and any
additional controllers provided for controlling any of the
components of the washing machine 10. For example, the controller
96 may include the machine controller and a motor controller. Many
known types of controllers may be used for the controller 96. The
specific type of controller is not germane to the invention. It is
contemplated that the controller is a microprocessor-based
controller that implements control software and sends/receives one
or more electrical signals to/from each of the various working
components to effect the control software. As an example,
proportional control (P), proportional integral control (PI), and
proportional derivative control (PD), or a combination thereof, a
proportional integral derivative control (PID control), may be used
to control the various components.
[0027] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the controller 96 may be provided
with a memory 106 and a central processing unit (CPU) 102. The
memory 106 may be used for storing the control software that is
executed by the CPU 102 in completing a cycle of operation using
the washing machine 10 and any additional software. Examples,
without limitation, of cycles of operation include: wash, heavy
duty wash, delicate wash, quick wash, pre-wash, refresh, rinse
only, and timed wash. The memory 106 may also be used to store
information, such as a database or table, and to store data
received from one or more components of the washing machine 10 that
may be communicably coupled with the controller 96. The database or
table may be used to store the various operating parameters for the
one or more cycles of operation, including factory default values
for the operating parameters and any adjustments to them by the
control system or by user input.
[0028] The controller 96 may be operably coupled with one or more
components of the washing machine 10 for communicating with and
controlling the operation of the component to complete a cycle of
operation. For example, the controller 96 may be operably coupled
with the motor 88, the pump 74, the dispenser 62, the steam
generator 82 and the sump heater 84 to control the operation of
these and other components to implement one or more of the cycles
of operation.
[0029] The controller 96 may also be coupled with one or more
sensors 104 provided in one or more of the systems of the washing
machine 10 to receive input from the sensors, which are known in
the art and not shown for simplicity. Non-limiting examples of
sensors 104 that may be communicably coupled with the controller 96
include: a treating chamber temperature sensor, a moisture sensor,
a weight sensor, a chemical sensor, a position sensor and a motor
torque sensor, which may be used to determine a variety of system
and laundry characteristics, such as laundry load inertia or
mass.
[0030] The laundry treating appliance 10 may also include an
integrated dynamic balancer 100 at the front 17 and/or rear 19 side
of the rotatable drum 16 to offset an imbalance that may occur in
the treating chamber 18 during rotation of the rotatable drum 16
during a cycle of operation. The term "integrated" is used to
describe that the balancer 100 is integrated with the rotatable
drum 16, and in the illustrated embodiments, by way of the covers
30, 34. FIGS. 3-5 illustrate views of an embodiment of the
integrated dynamic balancer 100 in the context of a front cover 30
and its opening 32. Looking again also at FIG. 1, the integrated
dynamic balancer 100 is disposed coaxially with the longitudinal
axis 21 of the treating chamber 18. The rotatable drum 16 encloses
the treating chamber 18 in a cylindrical body 112 defined in part
by a cylindrical wall 114 and the front cover 30. The front cover
30 is coupled to the cylindrical wall 114 at a suitable junction
116, which may include any of or any combination of crimping,
welding, riveting, fastening, screwing, or the like. The front
cover 30 of the drum 16 has an annular groove 118 defined by a
first wall 120, a second wall 122 spaced from the first wall and
generally parallel thereto, and a third wall 124 extending between
the first and second walls. A fourth wall 126 extends from the
second wall 122 to an edge 128 that defines the opening 32. At
least a portion of the fourth wall extends generally normal to the
longitudinal axis. In other words, it will be understood that the
fourth wall need not be planar and portions thereof may vary in
orientation relative to the longitudinal axis. The front cover 30
is preferably made of metal, such as stainless steel, as is
preferably the cylindrical wall 114.
[0031] The front cover 30 may have two ranks of discontinuities,
one rank of discontinuities 130 on the fourth wall 126, and a
second rank of discontinuities 132 on the third wall 124. Each rank
of discontinuities is annular in that it is radially spaced from
the longitudinal axis 21. Each rank is preferably offset from the
other in that the discontinuities of each rank do not lie on the
same radius from the longitudinal axis 21. The discontinuities may
be apertures or perforations in the third and fourth walls 124, 126
as shown FIGS. 3-5.
[0032] A first land 136 extends annularly on an outer side of the
third wall 124 within the annular groove 118. It is secured to the
third wall 124, preferably, but not necessarily, at the rank of
discontinuities therein. The first land 136 may be secured to the
third wall 124 by adhesion, mechanical attachment, welding or
molding or any combination thereof. A second land 138 extends
annularly on an outer side of the fourth wall 126 between the
second wall 122 and the edge 128. It is secured to the fourth wall
126, preferably, but not necessarily at the rank of discontinuities
therein. The second land 138 may be secured to the fourth wall 126
by adhesion, mechanical attachment, welding or molding or any
combination thereof. Preferably, the first and second lands 136,
138 will be formed of a thermoplastic material in which case
securement by adhesion would require an adhesive that bonds the
plastic lands 136, 138 to the metal cover 30. Alternatively, the
lands 136, 138 may be formed of the same material as the cover 30
(plastic or metal), in which case they may be secured to the cover
by welding.
[0033] FIG. 6 illustrates a mechanical securement where bosses 190
in the cover 30 form the ranks of discontinuities and the lands
136, 138 are secured to the bosses, such as by snap fit. FIG. 7
illustrates another securement where apertures or perforations in
the cover 30 form the ranks of discontinuities and fasteners extend
through the apertures. Fasteners may include fasteners 192 in the
form of posts or bosses to which the lands 136, 138 may be secured
by mechanical attachment or by adhesion or by welding. Fasteners
192 may also include screws, bolts, rivets and the like. It will be
understood that the lands 136, 138 may be molded to the cover 30 at
the discontinuities such as by placing the cover in a mold, and
injection molding the lands to and through apertures or
perforations, resulting one or more support pieces 134 on an inner
side of the cover 30, e.g. a support piece for each land.
[0034] Returning to FIGS. 3-5, a single support piece 134 may be
secured to the front cover 30 of the drum 16 by injection molding.
The support piece 134 may comprise a moldable material such as a
thermoplastic, such that in the molding process, material flows
through the ranks of discontinuities 130, 132, which in this case
would be apertures or perforations. The molding process produces,
integrally, the first land 136 extending annularly on an outer side
of the third wall 124 within the annular groove 118, and the second
land 138 extending annularly on an outer side of the fourth wall
126 between the second wall 122 and the edge 128. Between the first
and second lands 136, 138 on an inner side of the front cover 30
extends an insulating layer 140. Note that the "inner side" and
"outer side" are relative to the interior and exterior,
respectively, of the treating chamber 18, and do not necessarily
reflect the actual positioning of the integrated dynamic balancer
100 or a washing machine in which it may be installed during
use.
[0035] An adjoining piece 142 is preferably formed of a material
similar to the material of the first and second lands 136, 138, and
has at least one adjoining wall 143 of the balancer 100 that is
attached to and extends between the first and second lands 136,
138. The adjoining wall 143 of the balancer 100 and the second and
third walls 122, 124 of the drum 16 thus bound a hollow space 148.
A movable mass 150 may be disposed in the space 148. The adjoining
piece 142 may be L-shaped in cross section, defined by a first
adjoining wall 144 and a second adjoining wall 146. The first
adjoining wall 144 may be attached to the first land 136 and the
second adjoining wall 146 may be attached to the second land 138 to
define the hollow space 148 bounded by the first and second
adjoining walls 144, 146, and the second and third walls 122, 124
of the drum 16. Preferably the hollow space is fluid-tight to
enable it to contain a fluid without leaking. To this end, seals
may be provided to render the space fluid-tight. Exemplary seals
may include O-rings, gaskets, or the like.
[0036] A first chamfer 152 may be disposed on the first land 136
between the adjoining wall 143 of the balancer 100 or the first
adjoining wall 144 and the third wall 124 of the balancer 100 to
provide a surface therebetween against which the mass 150 may move.
Similarly, a second chamfer 154 may be provided between the
adjoining wall 143 of the balancer 100 or the second adjoining wall
146 and the second wall 122 to provide a surface therebetween
against which the mass 150 may move. The adjoining wall 143 or the
second adjoining wall 146 may have an extending flange 156 that
attaches to the second land 138 and the second chamfer 154 may abut
the adjoining wall 143 or the second wall 122 at the extending
flange 156.
[0037] The first adjoining wall 144 may include a support flange
158 extending to the first wall 120 to resist deformation of the
adjoining wall 144 that might otherwise occur due to centrifugal
forces acting upon the first adjoining wall 144 by the movable mass
150 when the rotatable drum 16 rotates at high speed. The first
adjoining wall 144 may also include a foot 160 for attaching to the
first land 136. The foot 160 may have a groove 162 and the first
land 136 may have a ridge 164 dimensioned to be received in the
groove 162 for a snap fit engagement. Similarly, the second
adjoining wall 146 or the extending flange 156 may have a foot 166
for attaching to the second land 138. The foot 166 may have a
groove 168 and the second land 138 may have a ridge 170 dimensioned
to be received in the groove 162 for a snap fit engagement.
Alternatively, or in addition to, the described connection, welding
processes and/or adhesives may be used to reinforce the connections
between the adjoining piece 142 and the first and second lands 136,
138. For best results, the connections should be adhered to form a
fluid tight seal when the mass 150 disposed in the space 148
includes a liquid.
[0038] The mass 150 movable along the space may include a fluid,
such as water, salt water, oil or other viscous fluid, for example,
and optionally one or more moveable weights, such as spherical
balls. The mass 150 may partially fill the chamber and may
distribute or collect unevenly to offset an unbalanced condition in
the rotatable drum 16.
[0039] The adjoining piece 142 and the lands 136, 138 are
preferably made from an injection molded plastic material, but
could be made from steel or aluminum. Other suitable materials for
forming the adjoining piece 142 and the lands 136, 138 and/or the
support piece 134 are contemplated and may include plastics,
metals, alloys etc. The front cover 30, including the annular
groove 118 is preferably made from metal such as steel or
aluminum.
[0040] It will be understood that more than one integrated dynamic
balancer 100 may be disposed in a laundry treating device. For
example, in a horizontal axis washing machine, there may be a
dynamic balancer device 100 at both the front and rear sides 17, 19
of the rotatable drum 16. It will be further understood that the
integration of the balancer 100 with the drum 16 may include
placing the lands 136, 138 anywhere on the covers 30, 34 or on the
cylindrical wall 114. As well, the covers 30, 34 may or may not
have an annular groove 118. Moreover, the adjoining wall 144 may be
attached directly to the drum 16 by way of the cylindrical wall 114
and/or the covers 30, 34 with or without the ranks of
discontinuities or the lands.
[0041] The scope of this disclosure is intended to include any of
the following features and in any or all combinations or
permutations thereof.
[0042] 1. A laundry treating appliance with an integrated dynamic
balancer comprising:
[0043] a rotatable drum for receiving a laundry load wherein the
rotatable drum includes a cylindrical body with a cylindrical wall
about a longitudinal axis, and a cover at one end thereof, the
cover having an annular groove formed by a first wall adjacent to
the cylindrical wall, a second wall spaced from the first wall, a
third wall extending between the first and second walls, and a
fourth wall having at least a portion thereof extending from the
second wall generally normal to the longitudinal axis,
[0044] a first land secured to the third wall, and a second land
secured to the fourth wall,
[0045] an adjoining piece having at least one adjoining wall
attached to and extending between the first and second lands
wherein a space is bounded by the at least one adjoining wall and
the second and third walls, and
[0046] a mass disposed in the space and movable therein.
[0047] 2. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein the rotatable
drum is rotatable relative to a vertical axis.
[0048] 3. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein the rotatable
drum is rotatable relative to a non-vertical axis.
[0049] 4. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein the adjoining
piece has a first adjoining wall and a second adjoining wall
arranged in an L-shaped cross section.
[0050] 5. The laundry treating appliance of 4 wherein the first
adjoining wall has a support flange extending to the first
wall.
[0051] 6. The laundry treating appliance of 4 wherein the second
adjoining wall includes an extending flange that attaches to the
second land.
[0052] 7. The laundry treating appliance of 6 comprising a chamfer
at the extending flange that abuts the second wall.
[0053] 8. The laundry treating appliance of 6 wherein the second
land has a ridge and the extending flange has a groove configured
to accept the ridge of the second land.
[0054] 9. The laundry treating appliance of 4 wherein the first
land has a chamfer that abuts the third wall.
[0055] 10. The laundry treating appliance of 4 wherein the cover is
formed of metal.
[0056] 11. The laundry treating appliance of 4 wherein the first
land has a ridge or a groove and the first adjoining wall has a
ridge or a groove configured to accept the complementary ridge or
groove of the first land.
[0057] 12. The laundry treating appliance of 4 wherein the second
land has a ridge and the second adjoining wall has a groove
configured to accept the ridge of the second land.
[0058] 13. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein the cover
comprises a front cover having an opening through which the laundry
load can be received.
[0059] 14. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein the cover
comprises a rear cover.
[0060] 15. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein the mass
includes at least one of balls, viscous fluid, or water.
[0061] 16. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein the third
wall and/or the fourth wall have a rank of discontinuities and at
least one rank of discontinuities comprises a fastener at each
discontinuity to which one of the first and second lands is
secured.
[0062] 17. The laundry treating appliance of 16 wherein each
fastener comprises a boss.
[0063] 18. The laundry treating appliance of 17 wherein each boss
is stamped into the cover.
[0064] 19. The laundry treating appliance of 16 wherein each
discontinuity comprises a perforation in the cover.
[0065] 20. The laundry treating appliance of 16 wherein a fastener
is secured in each perforation.
[0066] 21. The laundry treating appliance of 20 wherein a support
piece is secured to one side of the cover and has portions that
extend through each perforation to the other side of the cover, and
to which one of the first and second lands is secured.
[0067] 22. The laundry treating appliance of 21 wherein the support
piece extends over part of the one side of the cover.
[0068] 23. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein both ranks
of discontinuities comprise a fastener at each discontinuity to
which one of the first and second lands is secured.
[0069] 24. The laundry treating appliance of 23 wherein each
discontinuity is a perforation in the cover.
[0070] 25. The laundry treating appliance of 24 wherein a support
piece is secured to one side of the cover and has portions that
extend through each perforation at each rank to the other side of
the cover, and to which one of the first and second lands is
secured.
[0071] 26. The laundry treating appliance of 25 wherein the support
piece has portions that extend through each perforation at both
ranks and has an insulating layer that extends over the cover
between the ranks.
[0072] 27. The laundry treating appliance of 1 wherein the first
and second lands are secured to the cover by at least one of
adhesion, mechanical attachment, welding, or molding.
[0073] 28. A method of manufacturing, comprising:
[0074] molding a first plastic pieces onto a cover of a washing
machine basket having an annular groove, with the first plastic
piece being at least partially in the annular groove;
[0075] molding a second plastic piece onto the cover of the washing
machine basket having an annular groove, with the second plastic
piece being one of at least partially in the annular groove or
adjacent to the annular groove;
[0076] inserting a third plastic piece such that the third plastic
piece makes contact with the first and second plastic pieces to
substantially enclose at least a portion of the annular groove;
and
[0077] joining the third plastic piece with the first and second
plastic pieces to create a substantially fluid tight chamber
enclosed by the cover of the washing machine, the first plastic
piece, the second plastic piece, and the third plastic piece.
[0078] 29. A method of making an integrated dynamic balancer
comprising:
[0079] attaching first and second annular lands to a cover having
at least one wall, wherein the annular lands are spaced from each
other;
[0080] attaching an annular adjoining piece having a adjoining wall
wherein the adjoining wall has an annular foot at each end thereof;
and
[0081] joining one of the annular feet to the first land and the
other of the annular feet to the second land to create a
substantially fluid tight space bounded at least in part by the at
least one wall and the adjoining wall.
[0082] While the invention has been specifically described in
connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be
understood that this is by way of illustration and not of
limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible
within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without
departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the
appended claims.
* * * * *