U.S. patent number 3,863,467 [Application Number 05/366,501] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-04 for automatic washing machine and overflow tub ring therefor.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Whirlpool Corporation. Invention is credited to John W. Pielemeier, Robert M. Weir.
United States Patent |
3,863,467 |
Pielemeier , et al. |
February 4, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE AND OVERFLOW TUB RING THEREFOR
Abstract
A compact automatic washer having a tub ring in the form of an
excursion limiting channel having diametrically opposed protrusions
projecting therefrom for engaging the inside of the cabinet during
excess gyratory movement of the tub and thereby protecting the
timer and other control parts within the cabinet. The excursion
limiting channel is in the form of an upwardly opening U-shaped
channel having a downwardly opening channel extending about the tub
and having a series of openings along the base of the channel in
registry with the tub to allow any water splashing into the channel
to flow back into the tub and to accommodate overflow of wash water
to rise up into the channel and flow out through one of the
excursion limiting protrusions to the base of the washing
machine.
Inventors: |
Pielemeier; John W. (Saint
Joseph, MI), Weir; Robert M. (Saint Joseph, MI) |
Assignee: |
Whirlpool Corporation (Benton
Harbor, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
23443285 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/366,501 |
Filed: |
June 4, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/18F; 68/208;
68/23.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F
37/24 (20130101); D06F 37/42 (20130101); D06F
39/083 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
D06F
39/08 (20060101); D06F 37/24 (20060101); D06F
37/20 (20060101); D06f 023/04 (); D06f
037/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;68/18F,23,23.2,23.3,23.5,184,196,208,23.4 ;210/144,363,364 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hornsby; Harvey C.
Assistant Examiner: Coe; Philip R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hill, Gross, Simpson, Van Santen,
Steadman, Chiara & Simpson
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. In an automatic washer having a cabinet,
a tub in said cabinet,
a clothes containing basket within said tub,
said tub having means defining a top opening and being movably
suspended within said cabinet for receiving washing liquid,
a tub ring mounted on said tub and defining the opening
thereinto,
said tub ring comprising an annular excursion limiting channel
member extending around said top opening of said tub,
at least two opposed outwardly projecting excursion limiters
extending from said channel member for limiting gyratory movement
of said tub within said cabinet, and
wall means defining a drain opening through one of said excursion
limiters.
2. In an automatic washer in accordance with claim 1, further
including
a timer within said cabinet adjacent the upper end portion thereof,
and
wherein the outwardly projecting excursion limiters are so arranged
relative to said timer as to prevent said tub from damaging said
timer upon excess gyratory motion of said tub caused by extreme
unbalanced loads.
3. In an automatic washer in accordance with claim 2, wherein the
outwardly projecting excursion limiters are diametrically opposed
and open at their tops.
4. In an automatic washer in accordance with claim 3, including an
annular cover for said excursion limiting channel member, and means
detachably securing said cover to said excursion limiting channel
member.
5. In an automatic washer in accordance with claim 4,
wherein the means detachably securing the cover to said excursion
limiting channel member comprise
upwardly projecting hook-like lugs projecting upwardly of said
excursion limiting channel member, and
hasp-like members extending radially of said cover for receiving
said upwardly projecting hook-like lugs.
6. In an automatic washer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
tub ring includes water inlet means for the injection of washing
liquid into said tub.
7. In an automatic washer in accordance with claim 1, wherein pump
means are provided for pumping washing liquid from said tub through
a fluid circuit back to said tub, and filter means are provided in
said circuit extending through said channel member for filtering
particles from washing liquid pumped through said circuit.
8. In an automatic washing machine, a cabinet, a tub mounted within
said cabinet and having an annular top opening, a clothes container
mounted within said tub, means rotatably driving said clothes
container to extract water from the clothes therein, an agitator
within said clothes container oscillatably driven to effect a
washing operation, means supporting said tub within said cabinet to
accommodate excursion of said tub during an extracting operation
upon offbalance of the load in said clothes container, the
improvement comprising,
a tub ring in the form of an annular overflow excursion limiting
channel member supported on the annular top of said tub and
extending radially inwardly therefrom to a position adjacent said
clothes container,
said channel member having a bottom wall and annular side walls
projecting from opposite sides of said bottom wall and having
passageways leading through said bottom wall to drain water
splashing into said channel back to said tub and to accommodate
excess water in said tub to flow into said channel, at least one
excursion limiting means projecting from said channel, and
a drain passageway leading from said channel through said one of
said excursion limiting means and having communication with said
cabinet to drain overfill water to the bottom of said cabinet.
9. In an automatic washing machine in accordance with claim 8,
wherein the excursion limiting channel member has a downwardly
opening channel extending thereabout fitting along the annular top
of said tub and positioning the bottom wall of said channel to
extend over said tub.
10. In an automatic washing machine in accordance with claim 9,
wherein two excursion limiting means are provided comprising
opposed excursion limiting protrusions limiting gyratory movement
of said tub upon an offbalance of the load in said clothes
container.
11. In an automatic washing machine in accordance with claim 10,
wherein said excursion limiting channel member and excursion
limiting protrusions are in one piece, made from a plastic
material, with the excursion limiting protrusions diametrically
opposed with respect to each other.
12. In an automatic washing machine in accordance with claim 11,
wherein an opening is provided in the base of said channel in
alignment with the one excursion limiting protrusion having the
drain passageway leading therethrough.
13. In an automatic washing machine in accordance with claim 11,
including
a timer within said cabinet adjacent the upper end thereof, and
wherein the other excursion limiting protrusion projects from said
channel member in such a position relative to said timer to limit
excursion of said tub and protect said timer from damage caused to
gyratory motion of said tub.
14. In an automatic washing machine in accordance with claim
12,
wherein an annular cover is provided for said channel, and
wherein both excursion limiting protrusions open to the top thereof
along the outside of said cover.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Compact portable automatic washer having protection means,
protecting the electrical parts of the machine from water and from
damage caused by gyratory motion of the tub.
BACKGROUND, SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, automatic washing machines have had annular covers
extending about or recessed within the top of the tub for the
washing machine and extending over the clothes container to contain
water splashed by the agitator to the tub. Such top covers have
also had openings therein accommodating the drainage of water from
the cover to a sump at the bottom of the cabinet for the washing
machine upon overfill conditions in the tub, which may be caused,
for example, by sticking of the fill valve for the tub, or a
defective water level switch, or timer. Such covers are shown in a
U.S. Pat No. to Morgan No. 3,390,554 and a U.S. Pat. to Douglas No.
3,604,225.
While such covers have been effective to contain splashing water to
the clothes container during a washing operation and also to take
care of limited overfill conditions, these covers are not effective
to limit excursion of the tub caused by an unbalanced load and
offer little, if any, real protection to the timer or other control
elements of the machine during extreme gyratory motion of the tub
caused by unbalanced loads.
The present invention improves upon the tub covers of the
aforementioned patents in that the cover is arranged in the form of
an upwardly opening channel having a series of holes leading
through the base of the channel to accommodate water which may be
splashed into the channel to flow back into the tub and also to
accommodate the rising level of water in the tub, caused by failure
of the solenoid controlled water valve to shut off, or by failure
of the pressure switch to operate properly, to pass into the
channel and flow outwardly through an excursion limiting protrusion
to the base of the cabinet. The channel has a diametrically opposed
protrusion similar to the drain protrusion which cooperates with
the drain protrusion to limit gyratory motion of the tub and
prevent damage to the timer contained within the cabinet by the
gyratory motion of the tub upon extreme unbalanced conditions of
the load in the clothes container. The excursion limiting ring may
advantageously be a one-piece molded part having provisions for
filtering recirculated wash water and supplying water to the tub.
Further openings may be provided through the channel adjacent the
overfill excursion limiting protrusion having sufficient capacity
to assure the flow of water out through the overfill protrusion and
avoid the overflow of the channel.
The advantages of the invention, therefore, are that the U-shaped
annular channel in addition to limiting tub excursion, contains the
filtering water inlet and forms a flow control for overfill water
and is of such a shape and construction that it may readily be
molded as a one-piece molded part.
A further advantage of the invention is that the tub excursion
limiters, aside from providing a means for protecting the timer
during extreme gyratory motion of the tub, provide a convenient and
adequate path for the flow of overflow water from the tub.
A further advantage of the invention is that the tub excursion
limiters on the tub ring are of sufficient size that the excursion
limiter forming the overflow opening has sufficient capacity to
assure that the water flowing through the opening flows out of the
channel, and thereby avoids overflowing the walls of the
channel.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be
readily apparent from the following description of a preferred
embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected
without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts
of the disclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a generally perspective view of an automatic washing
machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the
present invention with parts of the cabinet, tub and clothes
container broken away and shown in section.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1
with the cabinet shown in section and certain parts of the cover
for the channel broken away.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along
line III--III of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line IV--IV of
FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
In FIG. 1 of the drawings, an automatic washing machine of a
conventional household type is shown in which a tub 10 has a
clothes container or spin basket 11 contained therein, and an
agitator 12 is contained in the spin basket and mounted for
oscillatable movement with respect thereto and for spinning
movement with the basket upon the extraction of water from the
clothes in the basket. The tub 10, spin basket 11 and agitator 12
and the drive mechanism therefor an enclosed in a cabinet 13. The
cabinet 13 is shown as being generally rentangular in form having
side walls 14b and 14d, back wall 14c and front wall 14a which may
be detachably mounted on upright flanges 15 of a base 16 as by
screws 17. The screws 17 may be self tapping screws of a
conventional form and extend through the walls 14b, 14c and 14d and
flanges 15 to detachably secure the cabinet 13 to the base 16. The
cabinet 13 also includes a top 19 having a hinged lid 20 openable
to afford access to a clothes receiving opening 21 in a tub ring 22
extending about the tub and over a corresponding opening in the
spin basket 11. The cabinet 13 has a timer dial 23 connected to a
timer 25 and mounted on front wall 14a near the top of the cabinet
beneath the top 19. Suitable wiring 25a connects the timer 25 to
the motor 29 and other electrically operated devices of the
machine. A water level pressure switch 58 (FIG. 2) connected to
wiring 25a by connections (not shown) interacts with the timer 25
to control the water level in the tub 10.
Supported above the cabinet base 16 on vibration damping spring and
rod assemblies 26 is a base plate 27 forming a support for the tub
10, spin basket 11 and agitator 12 in a conventional manner. The
base plate 27 may be a cast aluminum base plate or may be made from
any other suitable material. The base plate 27 may be suitably
supported on any vibration damping spring assemblies which provide
support for the base plate 27 from the cabinet base 16 and which
absorb vibration during spinning movement of the spin basket 11.
The assemblies 26 form to part of the present invention and
therefore need not herein be shown or described further. The base
plate 27 also forms a support for a motor 29 and a drive control
mechanism or transmission generally indicated by reference numeral
30 which may also include a clutch and control mechanism, as well
as drive mechanism for oscillatably driving the agitator 12 or
spinning the spin basket 11 and releasing the agitator to freely
spin with the spin basket. A pump 31 for removing wash or rinse
water from the tub 10 at the termination of a washing or a rinsing
operation is also supported to depend from the base plate 27 and is
connected to a drain (not shown) through a drain conduit 33. It
should be understood that the motor 29, drive control mechanism 30,
and pump 31 can be mounted in any convenient manner between the
cabinet base 16 and the base plate 27 and need not necessarily
depend from the base plate 27 as shown. The cabinet 13 also forms a
mounting for a suitable inlet water valve 32 of a conventional
construction to supply the tube with washing liquid as shown in
FIG. 2. The inlet valve 32 is connected with a source of water (not
shown) through an inlet conduit 35. The valve 32 controls the
supply of water through a conduit 32a to an anti-siphoning device
34 and through conduit 34a to a water inlet 24 mounted on tub ring
22. The tub ring further houses a removable filter element 121
which receives wash water from the pump 31 in a conventional manner
through conduit 122 and delivers the water back into the basket
11.
Referring now in particular to the tub ring or excursion limiting
overflow channel member 22, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the tub
ring includes an upwardly opening channel 100 having a base 135
having inner and outer side walls 36 and 37 extending upwardly and
downwardly therefrom. The downwardly extending portion of the inner
side wall 36 extends downwardly of the base 135 within the top open
portion of the spin basket 11. The opposite or outer flange 37 also
extends upwardly and downwardly of the base 135 (see FIG. 3) and
the downwardly extending portion forms an outer wall of a
downwardly opening channel 39 fitting over the upper rim of the tub
10. Openings 40 are provided in the base 135 through which clips
(not shown) extend to secure the tub ring 22 to the top of the tub
10. The outer wall 37 of the channel 100 has a recessed portion 41
therein forming a mounting for the water inlet 24 on the outside of
the wall and extending inwardly therefrom and opening through the
base 135 of the channel to direct water into the tub 10 and spin
basket 11. A filter element housing 120 extends across the base 135
of the channel and houses the removable filter element 121, opening
along its bottom into the tub and spin basket 11. The removable
filter element operates on principles similar to the filter shown
and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,192 and is no part of the
present invention, so need not herein be shown or described
further. Wash water is recirculated from the bottom of the tub
through a conduit 122 to the filter element 121 by the pump 31.
A series of openings 42 are spaced along the base 135 of the
channel 100 to allow water which is splashed into the channel to
flow back into the tub. Furthermore, during an overfill condition
of the tub caused by failure of the inlet fill valve 32 or water
level pressure switch 58, the openings 42 provide passageways
accommodating the water rising in the tub to pass into the channel
100 and flow outwardly of the channel through an excursion
preventing protrusion 43 protruding from the side wall 37 and
formed integrally therewith.
The excursion preventing protrusion 43 has a bottom wall 44 sloping
downwardly at a slight angle to a drain opening 45 which is
connected by a lower extension 43a of protrusion 43 to a flexible
sleeve 45a that extends downward and provides a passage from the
drain opening 45 to the base of the cabinet 13 to one side of the
tub 10. The drain opening 45 is shown as being elongated and of a
relatively large volumetric capacity to freely drain water from the
channel and prevent overflow of the water above the tops of the
walls 36 and 37.
Spaced inwardly of the excursion limiting protrusion 43 are
enlarged openings 46 in the base 135 of the channel in alignment
with the discharge opening 45. The openings 46 have ribs 47
extending thereacross to strengthen the portion of the channel in
the region of the openings 46 and to aid in directing the water to
flow outwardly to the opening 45. Thus, during an overfill
condition, most of the water will flow through the openings 46
between the ribs 47 and out through the discharge opening 45 while
additional water will flow up through the openings 42 and along
channel 100 to be discharged through the outlet opening 45. The
openings 46 and 42 together with the large volumetric capacity of
the discharge opening 45 thus assure a full discharge of overflow
water from the channel 100 and prevent the filling of the channel
and overflow over the tops of the walls 36 and 37 thereof.
Diametrically opposed to the excursion limiting protrusion 43 is an
excursion limiting protrusion 48 of a form similar to the
protrusion 43 and opening at its top. FIG. 2 shows in broken lines
the position the tub will assume during offbalance of the load
sufficient to produce large gyrations of the tub. During such
extreme gyrations, the protrusion 48 will engage the inside of wall
14d of the cabinet 13, while the tub ring side wall 37 may come
into engagement with the inside of front wall 14a of said cabinet.
This Figure clearly illustrates that during such gyratory motion of
the tub, the timer 25 is fully protected from the tub in its
extreme positions of gyration. It should be understood that
protrusion 43 operates in a similar manner against side wall 14b to
protect the pressure switch 58 and anti-siphoning device 34.
A cover 49 is provided for the tub ring 22 and channel 100 therein.
The cover 49 is partially shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and is of a
generally annular form having a plurality of hasp-like projections
50 extending laterally therefrom adapted to be engaged by the
outwardly extending hook ends of hook-like latch members 51
projecting upwardly of the outer side wall 37 of the tub ring
channel 100. The material from which the excursion limiting channel
member is constructed, which preferably is a plastic material, is
sufficiently resilient to allow the hook ends of the latches to
snap into engagement with the projections 50 as the ring is pressed
downwardly on the tub ring to cover the channel extending
thereabout. The cover 49 also has an inner shouldered portion 52
(FIG. 3) engaging the top portion of the inner wall 36 of the
channel and has an axially extending flange portion 53 extending
along the inner side of the inner wall 36 of the channel. A
plurality of lugs 54 project downwardly of the axial flange 53 into
the space between pairs of circumferentially spaced vertical ribs
55 (FIG. 3). The ribs 55 have upper recessed (not shown) forming
recesses to engage the axial flange 53 and aid in locating the
cover on the tub ring and in holding the cover in position on the
channel.
The top surface of the cover 49 slopes inwardly as indicated at
49a, FIG. 3, to drain water that may be splashed thereon into the
tub while the front and rear peripheral portions of the cover are
flattened. Only the front flattened portion is shown herein and is
indicated in FIG. 2 by reference numeral 57. These flattened
portions serve as visual aids in registering the cover when placing
it on the channel and also provide clearance between the cover 49
and a wiring harness (not shown) that is secured along the upper
portion of cabinet front wall 14a.
* * * * *