Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02513229 2005-07-25
TITLE: FLEXIBLE MOUNTING ASSEMBLY FOR A LAUNDRY APPLIANCE
AND METHOD OF USE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Laundry appliances have been developed that support an internal laundry
assembly
with a hanging suspension system or a hung strut assembly. Previously, these
systems have
been designed using a rigid part to rotate relative to a rigid support member.
Commonly,
this design has taken a rigid ball and socket configuration which requires
relative sliding
between the ball and socket components to permit the hung suspension rod to
pivot.
The prior art encounters a number of disadvantages including wear at the
interface
between the two rigid components that may effect performance and may create
additional
vibration transferred to the frame in the laundry assembly. In addition, this
prior art often
does not have an interface between the two rigid components that prevents the
separation
of the ball component from the socket component especially during large
displacement
situations. Additionally, the prior art devices often include temporary
solutions including
grease between the interface of the two rigid components, the application of
Teflon ,
additional plastic parts, or some other combination thereof. Still other
solutions require
multi-piece rigid members.
The prior art recognized the use of flexible components to dampen vibrations
resulting from the hung suspension rod laundry assembly configuration. These
utilize
multiple rubber members clamped together to form a flexible joint. This
solution lacks the
simplicity of a single part mounting element with integral attachment features
to secure the
part to the frame of the washer.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is to overcome the
problem
of the prior art.
A further objective of the present invention is a flexible mounting assembly
for use
with a laundry appliance which is economical to manufacture, durable, and
effective in use.
These and other objectives become apparent from the following description of
the
invention and claims.
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CA 02513229 2005-07-25
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing problems of the prior art may be solved by a mounting element
designed for use in a laundry appliance having a laundry assembly hung by a
suspension
rod to an upper frame that is a single resilient component that provides
dampening and/or
restoring force. The mounting element has a body having a passageway that
accepts a
suspension rod, a seating surface adapted for mating with a socket on a frame
of the
laundry appliance, and an attachment integrally formed with the body to secure
the body to
the upper frame.
According to another feature of the present invention the attachment may be a
snap-
fit connection, a twist-lock connection, a helix connection, adhesive, and/or
over-molding
the mounting element into the frame. By using a single resilient component
there is a cost
reduction compared to the rigid sliding interface of the prior art.
Additionally, the foregoing problems of the prior art may be overcome
utilizing a
flexible mounting assembly that includes a socket on the frame of a laundry
assembly with
an opening to receive the suspension rod and a flexible mounting element, the
flexible
mounting element having a body with a passageway therethrough so that the
suspension
rod can extend through the body and a seating surface for mating with the
socket. The
flexible mounting element allows the suspension rod to pivot to provide
dampening and/or
restoring force to the laundry assembly.
According to another feature of the present invention, the flexible mounting
element is made of an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material grips the
socket and
prevents separation of the mounting element from the socket.
According to another feature of the present invention, the flexible mounting
element provides a dampening force as a response to the pivoting of the
suspension rod.
According to another feature of the present invention, the flexible mounting
element provides a non-linear restoring force during large displacement
situations of the
laundry assembly in response to the pivoting of the suspension rod.
The foregoing problems of the prior art may also be solved by a method of
using a
flexible mounting assembly with a laundry assembly, utilizing a suspension
rod, including
the step dampening vibration from the laundry assembly by resisting pivoting
of the
suspension rod engaging the flexible mounting element.
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According to another feature of the present invention, the method includes the
step
retrofitting a laundry assembly utilizing a rigid mounting assembly with a
flexible
mounting assembly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a top loading, vertical axis washing
machine.
Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrating
the
positioning of the flexible mounting element.
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the flexible mounting element in
position over a support brace.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the flexible mounting element in a support
brace
assembly.
Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the flexible
mounting
element.
Figure 7 is a sectional view of the flexible mounting element in a low
displacement
situation.
Figure 8 is a sectional view of the flexible mounting element in high
displacement
situations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to Figure 1, a top loading, vertical axis washing machine 10
includes a cabinet 12 having a control panel 14 and a door 16 movable between
an open
and closed position.
As illustrated in Figure 2, the washing machine 10 has a laundry assembly 18
supported by front suspension rod 20 and rear suspension rod 22. The
suspension rods 20,
22 cooperate to brace the laundry assembly 18 against forces during all
portions of the
laundry cycles.
The front rod 20 has a bottom end 24 that is moveably connected within a front
shock 26 that is attached to base 28. The front rod has a top end 30 removably
attached to
a front arm 32 of the laundry assembly. The rear rod 22 is moveably connected
at a bottom
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CA 02513229 2005-07-25
end 34 to a rear shock 36. The rear shock 36 is removably attached to a rear
arm 37 of the
laundry assembly 18. The front and rear shocks 26, 36 provide a dampening
force to the
laundry assembly 18 during large displacements.
The rear rod 22 has a top end 38 attached to an upper frame 40 of the washing
machine 10 by a support brace 42. A mounting element 44 is provided between
the rod 22
and the support brace 42 to provide dampening. The mounting element 44 also
applies a
restoring force which centers the laundry assembly 18 in the washing machine
10. The
flexible mounting element 44, in combination with the support brace 42 is
generally
referred to as a flexible mounting assembly 45. In an alternate embodiment
(not shown),
the flexible mounting element 44 may be attached directly to the upper frame
40.
The mounting element 44 is flexible and may be made of a elastomeric material
such as ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber (EPDM), styrene-butadiene
rubber
(SBR), thermoplastic elastomer/rubber (TPE/TPR), or other flexible material.
As shown in Figure 3, the flexible mounting element 44 is placed upon strut
rod 22.
The flexible mounting element 44 is obstructed from movement upward beyond the
top
end 38 of the rod 22 by a washer 46 abutting crimps 48. The washer 46 is
designed to fit
adjacent an upper horizontal surface 50 of the flexible mounting element 44.
The
horizontal surface 50 may be upon a conical platform 52. Alternatively, as
seen in Figure
6, the horizontal surface 50 may have alternative locations including the
bottom surface of
a recess 53 upon the top end of the flexible mounting element 44.
The flexible mounting element 44 has a seating surface 54 as best seen in
Figures 5-
8 that is substantially spherical shaped and convex. This seating surface 54
may take
various other shapes and configurations but is particularly useful in this
shape and form
when used as a retrofit replacement for rigid ball mounting elements.
As shown in Figure 3, a socket 56 with a central hole 59 is located on the
support
brace 42. As illustrated, the socket 56 is substantially spherical shaped and
concave. The
socket further includes a lower cylindrical flange 58 to assist in aligning
the flexible
mounting element 44 within the socket 56. The flange 58 cooperates with an
outer rim 60
of the flexible mounting element 44. At a lower portion of the outer rim 60 an
attachment
62 is provided to connect the mounting element 44 to the support brace 42. As
illustrated,
a lip attachment 62 is shown that permits a "snap-fit" between the flexible
mounting
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element 44 and the support brace 42. The snap-fit occurs when the attachment
lip 62 is
fitted adjacent the flange 58 and pushed through central hole 59, allowing the
attachment
lip 62 to be released outwardly. The snap-fit feature may have a high
insertion/retention
force by utilizing the weight of the suspended laundry unit 18 to help seat
the flexible
mounting element 44 during assembly. Other attachments 62 may include a twist-
lock,
helix, adhesive, tongue and groove, over-molding into the socket, and/or other
structure
that attaches the flexible mounting element to either the support brace 42 or
upper frame
40.
As seen in Figure 4, once seated, the flexible mounting element 44 eliminates
a
bearing/wear surface that is typical of a rigid ball and socket type mounting
element.
Wearing and abrasion at this interface can affect performance of the washing
machine or
provide an interface through which vibration is transferred to the frame 40.
The described
attachment of the flexible mounting element 44 to the support brace 42 creates
an interface
that is not susceptible to wearing of the socket 56.
As seen in Figure 5, the flange 58 may have a lower horizontal surface 64 that
engages the lip 62 to hinder an upward vertical force from disengaging the
flexible
mounting element 44 from the support brace 42.
As seen in Figures 5-8, the flexible mounting element 44 has an inner hollow
shaft
68 extending downward from a main body 70 of the flexible mounting element 44.
The
inner hollow shaft 68 and the main body 70 has formed therein a common rod
passageway
72. A gap 74 is provided between the outer rim 60 and the inner hollow shaft
68.
As seen in Figure 7, in low displacement situations such as one that occurs
when a
well balanced load is operated at a high spin, no dampening is needed and
therefore shaft
68 gripping the rod 22 moves toward the outer rim 60 closing the gap 74 but
with little
damping force. In these situations the seating surface 54 does not move within
the socket
56 thus avoiding wearing at this interface.
As seen in Figure 8, a non-linear restoring force can be provided where there
is a
larger displacement of the suspended laundry assembly 18 such as passing
through critical
speeds. In this situation, the horizontal gap 74 is closed by the rod 22
pivoting the shaft 68
of the flexible member 44 until it contacts rim 60 which generates a
significantly higher,
thus non-linear, restoring force by the body 70 against the upper portion 38
of rod 22.
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The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred
embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and
additions
may be made which are within the intended scope of the invention. From the
foregoing,
it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its
stated objectives.
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