US2643538A

US2643538A - Washing machine provided with resilient vibration control door sealing means

Info

Publication number: US2643538A
Application number: US32116A
Authority: US
Inventors: William C Bruckman; Morton A Kreitchman; Walter J Olson
Original assignee: Standard Telephone and Cables PLC
Current assignee: STC PLC; Federal Telephone and Radio Corp
Priority date: 1948-06-10
Filing date: 1948-06-10
Publication date: 1953-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1970-06-30

Description

J1me 1953 w. c. BRUCKMAN ET AL 2,643,538

DED WITH RESILIENT WASHING MACHINE VI VIBRATION CONT DOOR SEALING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1948 INVENTORS WILL/AM c. B/PUCKM/M/ IWOETO/V A. lmf/rcmww WALTER .Z 0450 June 30, 1953 w. c. BRUCKMAN ET AL 2,543,538

WASHING MACHINE PROVIDED WITH RESILIENT VIBRATION CONTROL DOOR SEALING MEANS Filed June 10, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AT GENE) Patented June 30, 1953 'WASHING MACHINE PROVIDED WITH RE.-

SILIE'NT VIBRATION CONTROL DOOR SEALING MEANS William C. Bruckman, Bergenfi'eld, Morton A. K'reitchman, Irvington, and- Walter J; Olson, Bloomfield, N. J., assignors to Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, N ew York,,N. Y., a corporationiofiDelaware Application June 10, 1948', Serial No. 32, 116

-2'Claims. l

The present invention relates to washing, machines of the type having a laundry container adapted to be rotated at washing and centrifugal fluid extraction speeds, and more particularly to a flexible tubular connector connecting the tub opening with the door opening of the cabinet of the washing machine.

A typical washing machine to which this invention is applicable comprises a tub, laundry container or basket, avmotor and a speed change transmission assembled as a unitary structure and supported by balls,lsprings or other vibration dampening supports to permit at least alimited movement during washing speed,fluid' extraction speed or both. While. such means of mounting the tub may minimize transmission to the cabinet of vibratory forces from the tub-b'asket-transmission unit, provision must also be made in the structural arrangement of the tubular connection sometimes provided between the door. opening of the cabinet and the tub in order to avoid undesirable transmission of vibratory forces through the connection to the cabinet. In certain washing and centrifugal machines heretofore proposed an accordion-like sleeve has been. used between the cabinet door opening and the tub. Such a corrugated sleeve is objectionable, however, because it transmits, Without sufficient cushioning, vibratory forces that occur in planes perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve and furthermore where the connector is disposed at an angle to the vertical, the corrugations trap and retain water, suds and dirt.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide for machines of this character, a flexible tubular connector that overcomes the disadvantages of the corrugated accordion-like sleeves heretofore proposed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible tubular connector which is flexible in directions both axially thereof and in planes perpendicular to its axis; and to provide the connector with a door seal extension engageable by the door so that water and suds splashed against the door during operation of the machine will be effectively drained back into the tub.

The above-mentioned and other objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood, by reference to the following description of several embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view in elevation with certain parts removed of one form of machine embodying a flexible connector in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows an actual transverse gyratory'path of an ec'centrically loaded tub and basket combination as the rotary speed of the basket increases from a stand-still condition through the critical range of speed of the mass to a high steady water extraction speed;

Fig; 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the flexible connector shown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar sectional views of modified forms of the flexible connector.

Referring particularly to Fig; 1, a washing machine is shown supported in the cabinet in accordance with the disclosure of a copending application ofW. C. Bruckman and M. A. Kreitchman, Serial No. 12,983, filed March 4, 1948, and assigned to the assignee of this application, the machine comprising a water supporting tub I, approximately frusto-conical in shape, and a perforated basket 2 of similar shape insid and closely spaced with respect to the tub. A cent'rallylocatedbearing 3 carried by the tub 1 Supports the basket spindle 4. A motor 5 drives the basket through a variable speed transmission 6, two speeds being sufficient for the usual washing and spinning operations; Solenoid-operated valves for admitting water to and draining water from the tub are provided, and when energized sequentially with the speed changing means of the transmission 6, also solenoid-operated, may automatically soak, wash, drain, rinse and spin a charge of clothing or other fabrics the desired number of times and in the desired order to provide complete laundry service. The basket, tub, motor, transmission, and smaller elements are assembled as a unitary structure and are so mounted within a cabinet I as to permit a freedom of movement without objectionably vibrating the cabinet.

The cabinet 1 disclosed in detail in the copending application of M. A. Kreitchman and W. J.

Olson, Serial No. 28,473, filed May 21, 1948, and assigned to assignee of this application, comprises a main body portion 8 and a front removable portion 9'. The body portion comprises :a rear panel l0, two side panels II and I2, and a top panel 13. The removable front portion 9 comprises a front panel having upper and lower substantially vertical portions l4 and IS with an intermediate portion l6 inclined therebetween. The intermediate portion I6 is provided with opening IT and a cover l8 whereby clothes may be introduced and removed from the basket, the door being supported when open in a horizontal position by hinges l9.

In this machine the tub is mounted on balls so that the tub may have a free movement within limits during the washing and fluid extraction operations. As shown in Fig. 1, the tub together with the driving mechanism for the basket contained on the tub are mounted on three balls, 20, 2| and 22 carried on bearing surfaces disposed substantiall in a common plane. Each bearing surface over which a ball may roll is defined by an annular abutment 23 which is engaged by the ball should the tub be caused to gyrate or nutate beyond a predetermined amount. The balls being of rubber or a rubber substitute such as Butyl provide considerable snubbing resistance to the slippage of the tub across the balls when the balls are stopped by abutments 23. This condition, however, only occurs for a very short length of time during acceleration and deceleration of the basket when bringing the speed of the basket up to and down from the fluid extraction speed, and then only when passing through a critical range of speed determined by the tub-basket mass. The tub is normally centered upon the balls by two

springs

24 and 25 which are suspended from the rear upper corners of the cabinet and two smaller springs, such as the one indicated at 26, Fig. 1, connected to the front removable cabinet portion 9.

During the washing operation and also the fluid extraction operation, and during acceleration and deceleration of the basket, except for a short period of the acceleration and deceleration when the rotation of the basket passes through the critical range of speed of the mass, the gyratory movement of the tub is free running. This free running movement of the tub will, of course, transmit some force to the guid-- ing springs and ball supports but only of a minor quantity which does not result in any noticeable cabinet vibration. During the nutations that occur in passing through the critical range of speed greater forces will be applied to the abutments engaged by the balls. In order to properly support the tub and to withstand forces resulting from nutations of the tub, the cabinet when properly designed with a bracing structure in support the balls will absorb the vibratory forces during nutation of the tub without any appreciable cabinet vibration. In fact, the vibratory forces are so well absorbed by this construction that the top of the cabinet is remarkably steady throughout the washing and fluid extraction operations.

The behavior of the machine thus described may be demonstrated by attaching a pencil or stylus to the tub with the point bearing on a flat piece of paper held parallel to the plane of the balls. Fig 2 shows such a recording, the clothes containing basket for this particular recording was loaded with an eccentric weight the worst that might be expected from clothes tightly packed in one small area at one side of the basket and the motor started. The pencil point as shown in Fig. 2 moves slowly about the starting or steady slow speed point 21, to suddenly swing into wide irregular excursions 28 as the critical range of speed is reached and to then settle into a small high speed steady state path 29 concentric with the starting or slow speed point 21. This recording illustrates the vibratory movement of the tub in a plane perpendicular to the tub axis. If the eccentric load is such as to locate the center of gravity of the load above or below the plane containing the there may also be a slight nutation axially of the tub. This type of movement, however, is greatly minimized in the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 because of a theoretical suspension feature of the tub mass from an imaginary point on the axis of the tub. Other washing or centrifugal machines supported by different principles may, of course, have much more and a greater variety of vibratory movements.

In accordance with the present invention we provide the cabinet and tub with a flexible connector 30 so constructed and arranged that the movement of the tub whether of a gyratory character about the axis of the tub opening or of a nutating character axially of the tub or numerous variations or combinations of these movements are substantially completely absorbed by the connector without any apparent transmission therethrough to the cabinet. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3, for example, the flexible connector comprises a cylindrical section 3| extending from the door opening 32 of the cabinet to adjacent the opening 33 of the tub. Preferably the section 3| extends slightly within the tub opening 33 and then extends lat erally to the tub opening which preferably is larger than the door opening of the cabinet. The laterally extending portion 34 flares in a reverse direction from the inner end 35 of the tubular section 3! in overlying relation thereto. A further section 36 extends laterally from the rear portion of the flared section 34 to the tub opening where it is secured or clamped to the rim of the tub by any suitable means, such for example, as steel spring ring 31. The outer extremity of the cylindrical section 3| is provided with an inwardly offset portion 38 adapted to be received onto the rim of the door opening 32 and finally a flexible annular projection 39 disposed inwardly and axially outwardly at an acute angle to the cylindrical section. The annular portion 39 is engaged and flexed by the door when closed thereby reducing the angular position thereof. This engagement insures a watertight seal with the door and causes any water or suds splashed onto the door to be drained back into the tub. The offset portion 38 is clamped to the rim of the cabinet door opening by an annular steel ring 40 which is flexed to a small size sufficient to be received in the opening and then released into clamping engagement with the portion 38.

The entire connector 30 is thin and made of a material which is flexible like rubber or rubber substitutes. The reversed flared

sections

34 and 36 being flexible have an accordion action in the plane transverse to the axis of the tub opening so as to absorb vibratory movements in that plane. This lateral extension also provides resilience for absorption of any movement of the tub axially of the tub opening, In practice it is found that this form of flexible connector absorbs satisfactorily all movements of the tub at its connection to the rim thereof and does not transmit any forces sufficient to produce noticeable vibration in the cabinet.

The connector 30 is provided with an opening 4| in the wall of the cylindrical section 3| for the introduction of water or other cleaning fluids from a nozzle 42 which may be carried by the cabinet. While a rectangular opening has been shown it will be understood, of course, that the opening may be varied in shape, configuration and location as may be desired. It is preferred that no connection be made between the nozzle center of percussion of the tub-basket mass 42 and the tub or the flexible connector.

In Fig. 4 a modification of the flexible connecalso comprises a cylindrical section 44 similar to section 3! of the connector shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The section 44 differs in that the wall of the outer portion thereof is of greater thickness so as to accommodate a right angle groove 45 to receive the rim 4B of cabinet .4? thus eliminating the steel ring 40 shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The outer extremity of the section 44 is provided with an enlarged bead portion 48 which is preferably hollow to form a cushion for the door, the portion contacting the door being serrated as indicated at 49 and provided with inwardly extending lip 5|! which insures a watertight seal for the door. The lateral section of the connector comprises a plurality of circumferentially disposed folds 5|, 52' and 53. The outer extremity of the lateral section is provided with a bead 54 which is received by the hooked. shaped rim 55 of the tub.

The diameter of the annular bead 54 of the form shown in Fig. 4 is normally made slightly smaller than the rim diameter of the tub so that it must be stretched to be received in the hooked flange 55. fold to that shown in the connector of Figs. 1 and 3. It will be understood, of course, that even more such folds may be provided if desired thus presenting an extended lateral section with a plurality of circumferentially disposed corrugations.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 the cylindrical section 56 thereof is substantially identical to the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lateral flared extension 51, however, is disposed at a slight angle 58 to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tubular section 56, the angular disposition of section 51 being in a reverse direction so as to slightly overlie the tubular section 56. In this embodiment it will be clear that the tubular section 56 being flexible will provide for absorption of movements in planes transverse to the axis thereof, while the lateral section 51 will absorb movements axially of the section 56. The reverse angle of the section 51 is preferred since it adds to the flexibleness of the folded portion 59.

While we have described above the principles of ourinvention in connection with specific apparatus it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a washing machine having a casing with a door opening therein, a tub in said casing having an opening spaced from said door opening, the opening in said tub being of greater diameter than said door opening and in substantial registry therewith, a laundry container in said tub, means to rotate said container at washing and fluid extraction speeds, the rotation of which tends to impart in said tub a vibratory move- This form of the invention adds one ment relative to said casing; the improvement comprising a tubular member disposed between the openings of said casing and tub, said member having a cylindrical section extending from said door opening into said tub opening substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said container and marginally inwardly of said tub opening, means to retain one end of said cylindrical section in fluid sealing engagement with the rim of said door opening, one end of said cylindrical section having an extension engageable by the door to seal the opening when the door is in closed position, the opposite end of said cylindrical section being reversed backwardly to extend a substantial distance and an angle of more than into a laterally flared second section, to lead into a third integral section reversed from said second section, means bondingly engaging the end of said third section to the rim of the said tub opening, said tubular member being of flexible material for minimization of vibratory forces through said member from said tub to said casing.

2. In a washing machine having a casing with a door opening therein, a tub in said casing having an opening of greater diameter than, and in substantial alignment with said door opening, a laundry container in said'tub, means to rotate said container, the rotation of which may tend to cause said tub at times to have a vibratory movement relative to said casing; the improvement comprising a tubular member connecting the openings of said casing and tub, said member having a cylindrical section extending from said door opening into the opening of said tub, and a second section extending laterally outwardly from said cylindrical section to the opening of said tub, the extremity of said cylindrical section adjacent said door opening having a flexible annular portion disposed inwardly toward the aXis of said cylindrical section and extending beyond said door opening for sealing engagement with the door of said casing when the door is closed, said member being of flexible material whereby transmission through said member of vibratory forces from said tub to said casing is greatly minimized.

WILLIAM C. BRUCKMAN. MORTON A. KREITCHMAN. WALTER J. OLSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 26, 1941 Number Number