US3263814A

US3263814A - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: US3263814A
Application number: US338903A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bochan John
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1964-01-20
Filing date: 1964-01-20
Publication date: 1966-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 1983-08-02

Description

g- 1966 I J. BOCHAN I 3,263,814

WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, 1364 LL INVENTOR L ms ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,263,814 WASHING MACHINE John Bochan, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 338,903 3 Claims. (Cl. 210366) This invention relates to vertical axis washing machines and more particularly, to a lightweight, portable washing machine.

Automatic clothes washing machines have become very successful; however, several problems have been encountered in attemping to adapt automatic clothes washing machines to a lightweight, portable appliance for use by homemakers having only a limited working area. The conventional suspension systems used in the large vertical axis clothes washing machines are too bulky and too heavy to be readily used in a portable machine. If the size and weight of the conventional suspension systems is reduced in order to construct a portable machine which is of an acceptable size and weight, the suspension systems become inadequate and unbalanced loads within the machine caused by the rotating parts of the machine and the load of clothes result in walking of the machine, and damage to the machine and surrounding objects may occur.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an improved lightweight portable washing machine which provides both an oscillatory cleaning action and a centrifugal extraction action without subjecting the machine to excessive unbalanced forces.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved washing machine suspension system for use in a lightweight portable washing machine,-which prevents unbalanced forces created by the rotating parts of the machine from being transmitted to the casing of the machine to the extent that walking of the machine and damage to the machine or the surrounding objects may occur. 7

A further more specific object of this invention is to provide a lightweight, portable washing machine in which the moving parts are entirely suspended from above in such a manner that easy access to the interior of the machine is provided while walking of the machine and damage to the machine and surrounding objects caused by excessive unbalanced forces within the machine are prevented.

In carrying out the invention, in one form thereof, a washing machine is provided with an outer tub, and a basket is formed within this tub. The basket is suspended within the tub by means of a vertical shaft which extends upwardly from the base of the basket to the top of the cabinet. A supporting means is attached to a member which extends across an opening in the upper surface of the tub. The supporting means, in its preferred form, includes a slidable intermediate member provided with an annular upper surface formed as a portion of a sphere, and a movable member formed as a portion of a sphere and fitting against the upper surface of the intermediate member. The vertical shaft is attached to the movable member for supporting the basket. Within the basket the vertical shaft is surrounded by a spaced vertical sleeve to provide a compartment for mounting the driving means of the washer. The upper surface of the sleeve is preferably adapted to contact the lower surface of the supporting means to damp oscillations of the basket.

The features of this invention which are believed to I be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation together with further "ice objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and partly in cross-section to show details, of a washing machine in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the washing machine of FIGURE 1 with the cover removed for purposes of illustration.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is shown therein a vertical axis washing machine having a clothes basket 1 formed with a number of perforations 2. The top of clothes basket 1 is formed as an inwardly extending (flange 3 defining a loading and unloading opening 4. Enclosing the basket 1 is a tub 5 which includes a bottom 6, vertically extending walls 7, and a cover 8 tiltable on a hinge 9. In the closed position the cover 8 covers an opening 10 provided to afford access to the interior of basket 1 so that clothes may be inserted into and removed from the basket when the cover 8 is pivoted to an open position. The bottom 6 slants to a lowest point 11 which has an opening 11a connected to a drain conduit 12 for draining the fluid from the tub 5 and basket '1. The tub 5 is formed with a number of depending feet such as 13 and 14 for mounting the machine on a horizontal surface 15. In order to supply water to the tub 5 and basket 1, a supply conduit 16 is inserted in an opening 17 in the tub 5 and is adapted to be connected to a conventional water outlet.

A housing 18 is mounted in the center of the opening 10 by means of a member or arm 19 which extends across the opening (as best seen in FIGURE 2). The cover 8 is formed with an opening in its center in order to fit around the housing when in the closed position. The housing 18 includes a horizontal lower wall 20 provided with a central opening 21. An intermediate member 22 is slidably mounted on the wall 20 about the central opening and is provided with an annular lower surface 23 which contacts the upper surface 24 of horizontal wall 20. The intermediate member also includes an annular upper surface 25 formed as a portion of a sphere. Nested within the surface 25 and supported thereby is a movable member 26 having a lower surface 27 formed as a portion of a sphere. The movable member 2.6 is biased to a central position by a number of springs 28 which are connected to the movable member and to the housing 18.

The basket 1 is suspended from the movable member 26 by means of a vertically extending shaft 29 which is connected at its upper end to the central portion of movable member 26 and extend downwardly therefrom and is connected at its lower end to the center of basket 1. A hollow cylindrical sleeve 30 is mounted within the basket 1 and extends upwardly around the shaft 29 to a point above the opening 4. The upper end of the sleeve 30 is formed into an outwardly extending flange 31 which is spaced slightly from the bottom of horizontal wall 20 and formed to come into rubbing engagement with wall 20 when the basket 1 tilts excessively. The sleeve 30 is radially spaced from the shaft 29 to provide a chamber to receive a motor and transmission assembly (not shown) which may be energized from a suitable source of power (not shown) through wire 31a.

A number of spaced vanes 32 are formed around the inside of the basket 1. The motor and transmission assembly is of the conventional type used in washing machines and is so constructed that rotation of the motor in one direction causes the basket 1 to oscillate for cleaning clothes within the basket and rotation of the motor in the other direction causes the basket to spin in order to centrifuge fluid from the clothes.

When the basket oscillates to clean the clothes and spins to centrifuge the liquid from the clothes it is free to tilt in any direction as the movable member 26 slides on the intermediate member 22 and the intermediate member slides on the horizontal wall 20. The springs 28 tend to ret-ain'the movable member '26, the intermediate member 22, and the basket 1 to the central or non-tilted position. Also, the center of gravity of the basket structure is below the movable member 26 and intermediate member 22; therefore, the weight of the basket, the driving means and the clothes within the basket also tend to retain the basket in a central or non-tilted position. This tilting movement is damped by the the friction which is provided by the contact between the pair of

surfaces

23 and 24 and between the pair of

surfaces

25 and 27. The amount of friction which is provided between the

surfaces

23 and 24 and between the

surfaces

25 and 27 is controlled by .the composition of the surfaces. While materials having widely different coefficients of friction may be employed depending on the amount of damping required, in the particular embodiment shown the

surfaces

23 and 25 are formed of nylon, which has a relatively low coeflicient of friction, because low critical speeds are provided by this type of system The upper surface 24 of horizontal wall 20 could be coated rather than surface 23 and the lower surface 27 of movable member 26 could be coated rather than the upper surface 25, or, alternatively all of the

surfaces

23, 24, 25, and 27 could be coated.

I As a basket 1 spins to centrifuge liquid from the clothes, the damping afforded by the friction between surfaces 2 3, 24, 25, and 27, taken together with the tendency of the basket 1 to retain a non-tilted position because of the springs 28 and the center of gravity of the basket are normally suflicient to prevent excessive tilting of the basket. However, to control the situation if excessive unbalance of the basket is present (due to a very nonsymmetric distribution of the clothes within the basket), the lower surface of horizontal wall 20 is provided with a coating of damping material 33 and the upper surface of flange 31 of the sleeve 30 is provided with a coating of damping material 34. If the basket 1 tilts beyond the acceptable limit, the damping coatings 33 and 34 come into contact and effectively limit the speed of rotation of the basket and the amount of tilting. As with the

surfaces

23 and 25 the particular damping material used may vary from the very high coefficient of friction to a very low coefficient of friction, depending upon the damping required or desired.

This system provides for tilting of the basket in all directions. Additionally, since the basket and driving means are suspended entirely from 'above by means of the vertically extending shaft 29, the center of gravity of the mechanism is always below the movable member and the basket tends to return to a central or non-tilted position.

If it is desired to use less water in the washing operation, the basket 1 can be made imperforate except for a single row of openings adjacent the flange 3 (this being a well known alternative basket structure) and the supply conduit 16 could be positioned to discharge directly into the basket. With such an arrangement, only the basket would be filled with water to any desired level. When the basket spins the centrifugal force would cause the water to flow out through the single row of openings into the tub from which it would drain through the drain conduit 12.

' Thus, while in accordance with the patent statutes, what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of this invention has been described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the invention and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications as are within the true spirit and scope ofthis invention.

i What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vertical axis washing machine comprising: (a) an outer tub,

(I) said outer tub having an opening in the top thereof for access to .the interior of said tub,

(2) a member extending across said opening,

(b) support means mounted on said member,

( 1) said support means including a horizontal wall,

(2) said support means also including an intermediate having a flat lower surface slidably contacting the upper surface of saidhorizontal wall,

(3) said intermediate member also having an annular upper surface formed as a portion of a sphere,

(4) said support means also including a movable member having a lower surface formed as -a portion of a sphere,

(5) said lower surface of said movable member slidably contacting said upper surface of said intermediate member,

(0) a clothes basket having a top opening,

(1) said basket including a central shaft extending through said basket top opening,

(2) said shaft being connected to said movable member for suspending said basket within said outer tub from said support means,

(3) said basket also including a sleeve coxial with and spaced from said shaft,

(4) said sleeve having anupper surface arranged for rubbing engagement with the lower surface of said horizontal wall after a predetermined tilting movement of said basket to thereby limit tilting movement of said basket,

(d) said support means providing the sole support for said basket.

2. A vertical axis washing machine comprising:

(a) an outer tub,

(1) said outer tub having an opening in the top thereof for the access to the interior of said tub,

(2) a member extending across said opening,

(b) support means mounted on said member,

(1) said support means including a housing having a horizontal lower wall,

(2) said lower wall having a central opening therethrough,

(3) the lower surface of said wall having a coating of damping material thereon,

(4) said support means also including an intermediate member slidably mounted on said lower wall around said central opening,

(5) said intermediate member having a lower surface coated with a damping material and contacting the upper surface of said wall,

(6) said intermediate member also having an annular upper surface formed as a portion af a sphere and coated with a damping material,

(7) said support means also including a movable member disposed above said opening in said lower wall,

(8) said movable member having a lower surface formed as a portion of a sphere,

(9) said lower surface of said movable member contacting said being supported on said upper surface of said intermediate member,

(10) said support means further including a biasing means connecting said movable member to said housing to urge said movable member to a central position,

(c) a clothes basket having a top opening,

(2) said shaft being connected to said movable member for suspending said basket from said support means,

(3) said basket also including a sleeve coaxial with said spaced from said shaft,

(4) said sleeve having an upper surface coated with a damping material to contact said damping material on said lower surface of said lower wall,

(5) said last named surfaces being arranged for engagement after a predetermined tilting movement of said basket to thereby limit tilting movement of said basket.

(d) said support means providing the sole support for said basket.

3. A vertical axis washing machine comprising:

(a) an outer tub,

(1) said outer tub having an opening in the to thereof for access to the interior of said tub,

(2) a member extending across said opening,

(b) support means mounted on said member,

(1) said support means including a horizontal wall,

(2) said support means also including an intermediate member having a flat lower surface slidably contacting the upper surface of said horizontal wall,

(3) said intermediate member also having an upper surface formed as a portion of a sphere,

(4) said support means also including a movable member having a lower surface formed as a portion of a sphere,

(c) a clothes basket having a top opening,

(d) said basket including an upper surface,

(c) said basket upper surface and a lower surface of said horizontal wall being arranged for rubbing engagement after a predetermined tilting movement of said basket to thereby limit tilting movement of said basket.

(f) said support means providing the sole support for said basket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,782,264 11/1930 Green 210-366 2,539,533 1/1951 Douglas 68-23 X 3,026,700 3/1962 Bochan et a1. 6823 3,026,701 3/1962 Houser 68-23 3,078,035 2/1963 Bruenig 210366 X REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

I. DE CESARE, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A VERTICAL AXIS WASHING MACHINE COMPRISING: (A) AN OUTER TUB, (1) SAID OUTER TUB HAVING AN OPENING IN THE TOP THEREOF FOR ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID TUB, (2) A MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID OPENING, (B) SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID MEMBER, (1) SAID SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL WALL, (2) SAID SUPPORT MEANS ALSO INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE HAVING A FLAT LOWER SURFACE SLIDABLY CONTACTING THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID HORIZONTAL WALL, (3) SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER ALSO HAVING AN ANNULAR UPPER SURFACE FORMED AS A PORTION OF A SPHERE, (4) SAID SUPPORT MEANS ALSO INCLUDING A MOVABLE MEMBER HAVING A LOWER SURFACE FORMED AS A PORTION OF A SPHERE, (5) SAID LOWER SURFACE OF SAID MOVABLE MEMBER SLIDABLY CONTACTING SAID UPPER SURFACE OF SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER, (C) A CLOTHES BASKET HAVING A TOP OPENING, (1) SAID BASKET INCLUDING A CENTRAL SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BASKET TOP OPENING, (2) SAID SHAFT BEING CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE MEMBER FOR SUSPENDING SAID BASKET WITHIN SAID OUTER TUB FROM SAID SUPPORT MEANS, (3) SAID BASKET ALSO INCLUDING A SLEEVE COXIAL WITH AND SPACED FROM SAID SHAFT, (4) SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE ARRANGED FOR RUBBING ENGAGEMENT WITH A LOWER SURFACE OF SAID HORIZONTAL WALL AFTER A PREDETERMINED TILTING MOVEMENT OF SAID BASKET TO THEREBY LIMIT TILTING MOVEMENT OF SAID BASKET, (D) SAID SUPPORT MEANS PROVIDING THE SOLE SUPPORT FOR SAID BASKET.