GB2179963A

GB2179963A - Spider for clothes washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2179963A
Application number: GB08620685A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Luciano Lorenzetti
Original assignee: Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Current assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Priority date: 1985-09-05
Filing date: 1986-08-27
Publication date: 1987-03-18
Also published as: GB8620685D0; IT8534057V0; GB2179963B; DE8623916U1; IT209166Z2

Abstract

The tub (3) of a washing machine has a support spider (7) to support the rotational drum (11) via drive shaft (10) in an aperture (9) of the spider. The tub is provided with a circular rim portion (13) projecting outwardly from its rear wall. The spider has a plurality of radial arms (8), the free ends of which are bent over at right angles to provide respective portions (12) capable of being connected to said circular rim portion by means of bolts and nuts or like means, wherein each of said bolts (14) and the associated nut (15) can be fitted into corresponding laterally open grooves (16, 17) of said portion (12) and said circular rim portion (13), said nut (15) further being housed in a corresponding seat (18) in said portion (12), which is so shaped as to prevent rotary movement of said nut (15) when said bolt (14) is screwed or unscrewed with respect to the nut. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Spider for clothes washing machine The invention relates to a support spider for the drum for a clothes washing machine, which is capable of being easily fitted to the washing tub of such a machine.

As is known, in present clothes washing machines, the support spided for the drum can be fitted against the rear wall of the washing tub and fixed to a circular rim portion which projects externally from the rear wall.

The spider is further provided with a series of arms which are equally angularly spaced from each other and the free ends of which are bent over at rightangles with respect to the arms in such a way that the ends of the arms can come to lie beside and be connected to corresponding metal brackets fixed along the circular rim portion, by means of respective screwthreaded bolts which are screwed through corresponding screwthreaded holes in the brackets and the respective ends of the arms.

However, the provision of the screwthreaded holes in the arms of the spider requires the construction of particular moulds and makes it necessary to carry out a series of complicated working operations for the production of the spider.

It would therefore be desirable, and this is the aim of the present invention, to produce the above-mentioned spider in a manner which is structurally simpler than the present spiders, also making it possible to achieve an efficient connection in regard to the spider to the tub of a clothes washing machine.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a support spider for supporting the drum for a clothes washing machine having a washing tub which is to be supported in the casing of the machine and provided with a circular rim portion projecting outwardly from the rear wall of the tub, said spider having a plurality of radial arms capable of being applied to said rear wall, the free ends thereof being bent over at right angles with respect to said arms in such a way as to provide respective portions capable of being connected to said circular rim portion by means of respective bolts and nuts or like means, wherein each of said bolts and the associated nut can be fitted into corresponding laterally open grooves of said portion and said circular rim portion, said nut further being housed in a corresponding seat in said portion, which is so shaped as to prevent rotary movement of said nut when said bolt is screwed or unscrewed with respect to the nut.

The features of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following description set out solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view from the rear of a washing tub of a clothes washing machine provided with the spider according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a side view of the tub and the spider shown in Fig. 1, partly in section along line A-A.

Referring to Fig. 1, shown therein in diagrammatic form is the rear wall of a conventional washing tub 3 which is supported in the casing 4 of a clothes washing machine by means of suspension springs 5 and dampers 6 respectively connected to the upper part and the lower part of the tub.

The clothes washing machine is further provided with a diecast spider 7 comprising a series of flat radial arms 8 which are equally angularly spaced from each other and which can be fitted against the rear wall of the tub 3 and which are provided with a central apertured hub 9 for supporting the shaft 10 for driving the drum 11 of the machine in rotation. In particular, the free end of each arm 8 is bent over at right angles with respect to the arm itself, in such a way as to provide a portion 12 with an external configuration in the form of a sector of a circle, corresponding to that of the circular rim portion 13 provided on the rear wall of the tub 3 and projecting outwardly from said wall.

Referring also now the Fig. 2, it will be seen that the portion 12 of each arm 8 is connected to the corresponding part of the circular rim portion 13 by means of an associated bolt 14 and nut 15 or similar devices, which are previously fitted into corresponding laterally open grooves 16 and 17 which are respectively provided in the portion 12 and the circular rim portion 13.

The nut 15 is also housed in a corresponding seat 18 in the portion 12 (see Fig. 2), the seat being of such a size as to prevent the nut from rotating when the bolt is screwed or unscrewed with respect to the nut.

In that way, the spider 7 can be quickly and easily connected to the tub 3, eliminating the metal brackets which at the present time are fixed to the tub in order to make that connection.

In addition, by virtue of the fact that each arm of the spider is provided with an associated groove which is open laterally for the above-mentioned purposes, rather than the screwthreaded hole which was previously provided for fitting the arm to the tub, it is possible to produce the spider in question by using die-casting moulds of a much simpler type and with production phases which are much less complicated, than those required at the present time.

1. A support spider for supporting the drum for a clothes washing machine having a washing tub which is to be supported in the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Spider for clothes washing machine The invention relates to a support spider for the drum for a clothes washing machine, which is capable of being easily fitted to the washing tub of such a machine. As is known, in present clothes washing machines, the support spided for the drum can be fitted against the rear wall of the washing tub and fixed to a circular rim portion which projects externally from the rear wall. The spider is further provided with a series of arms which are equally angularly spaced from each other and the free ends of which are bent over at rightangles with respect to the arms in such a way that the ends of the arms can come to lie beside and be connected to corresponding metal brackets fixed along the circular rim portion, by means of respective screwthreaded bolts which are screwed through corresponding screwthreaded holes in the brackets and the respective ends of the arms. However, the provision of the screwthreaded holes in the arms of the spider requires the construction of particular moulds and makes it necessary to carry out a series of complicated working operations for the production of the spider. It would therefore be desirable, and this is the aim of the present invention, to produce the above-mentioned spider in a manner which is structurally simpler than the present spiders, also making it possible to achieve an efficient connection in regard to the spider to the tub of a clothes washing machine. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a support spider for supporting the drum for a clothes washing machine having a washing tub which is to be supported in the casing of the machine and provided with a circular rim portion projecting outwardly from the rear wall of the tub, said spider having a plurality of radial arms capable of being applied to said rear wall, the free ends thereof being bent over at right angles with respect to said arms in such a way as to provide respective portions capable of being connected to said circular rim portion by means of respective bolts and nuts or like means, wherein each of said bolts and the associated nut can be fitted into corresponding laterally open grooves of said portion and said circular rim portion, said nut further being housed in a corresponding seat in said portion, which is so shaped as to prevent rotary movement of said nut when said bolt is screwed or unscrewed with respect to the nut. The features of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following description set out solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view from the rear of a washing tub of a clothes washing machine provided with the spider according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a side view of the tub and the spider shown in Fig. 1, partly in section along line A-A. Referring to Fig. 1, shown therein in diagrammatic form is the rear wall of a conventional washing tub 3 which is supported in the casing 4 of a clothes washing machine by means of suspension springs 5 and dampers 6 respectively connected to the upper part and the lower part of the tub. The clothes washing machine is further provided with a diecast spider 7 comprising a series of flat radial arms 8 which are equally angularly spaced from each other and which can be fitted against the rear wall of the tub 3 and which are provided with a central apertured hub 9 for supporting the shaft 10 for driving the drum 11 of the machine in rotation. In particular, the free end of each arm 8 is bent over at right angles with respect to the arm itself, in such a way as to provide a portion 12 with an external configuration in the form of a sector of a circle, corresponding to that of the circular rim portion 13 provided on the rear wall of the tub 3 and projecting outwardly from said wall. Referring also now the Fig. 2, it will be seen that the portion 12 of each arm 8 is connected to the corresponding part of the circular rim portion 13 by means of an associated bolt 14 and nut 15 or similar devices, which are previously fitted into corresponding laterally open grooves 16 and 17 which are respectively provided in the portion 12 and the circular rim portion 13. The nut 15 is also housed in a corresponding seat 18 in the portion 12 (see Fig. 2), the seat being of such a size as to prevent the nut from rotating when the bolt is screwed or unscrewed with respect to the nut. In that way, the spider 7 can be quickly and easily connected to the tub 3, eliminating the metal brackets which at the present time are fixed to the tub in order to make that connection. In addition, by virtue of the fact that each arm of the spider is provided with an associated groove which is open laterally for the above-mentioned purposes, rather than the screwthreaded hole which was previously provided for fitting the arm to the tub, it is possible to produce the spider in question by using die-casting moulds of a much simpler type and with production phases which are much less complicated, than those required at the present time. CLAIMS

1. A support spider for supporting the drum for a clothes washing machine having a washing tub which is to be supported in the casing of the machine and provided with a circular rim portion projecting outwardly from the rear wall of the tub, said spider having a plurality of radial arms capable of being applied to said rear wall, the free ends thereof being bent over at right angles with respect to said arms in such a way as to provide respective portions capable of being connected to said circular rim portion by means of respective bolts and nuts or like means, wherein each of said bolts and the associated nut can be fitted into corresponding laterally open grooves of said portion and said circular rim portion, said nut further being housed in a corresponding seat in said portion, which is so shaped as to prevent rotary movement of said nut when said bolt is screwed or unscrewed with respect to the nut.

2. A spider constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

3. A washing machine having a washing drum supported therein by the spider of claim 1 or 2.