Multi-component isolation damping system for a laundry washing machine
| Title: | Multi-component isolation damping system for a laundry washing machine |
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| Patent Number: | 7,454,928 |
| Publication Date: | November 25, 2008 |
| Appl. No: | 10/914321 |
| Application Filed: | August 09, 2004 |
| Abstract: | A suspension system for use in a laundry washing machine to suspend a tub assembly from a base portion of a cabinet. The suspension system includes a support frame interconnected to an outer tub of the tub assembly and a plurality of isolation damper units for resiliently coupling the support frame to the base portion of the cabinet. The isolation damper units function to allow limited lateral movement of the tub assembly relative to the cabinet while also providing a “return to center” feature. The isolation damper units are further operable to inhibit rotation of the outer tub relative to the cabinet. Finally, the isolation damper units function to absorb the vibration transmitted through the tub assembly to the support frame so as to minimize transmission of such vibration to the cabinet. |
| Inventors: | Houser, Marvin Joseph (Quincy, IL, US); Knopp, Joseph A. (Batavia, IL, US); Bedard, Gerard (Manchester, NH, US) |
| Assignees: | Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership (Plymouth, MI, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A washing machine comprising: a cabinet having a base; a tub; a support frame connected to said tub; and a plurality of isolation damper units for resiliently coupling said support frame to said base of said cabinet, each of said isolation damper units having a casing adapted for connection to said cabinet base, an attachment component having a first segment adapted for connection to said support frame and a second segment extending into said casing, and an isolator retained in said casing and having an aperture engaging said second segment of said attachment component, wherein said casing includes a first case segment adapted for connection to said cabinet base, a second case segment and an outer rim segment interconnecting said first and second case segments to define an internal chamber within said casing, and wherein said isolator is retained within said chamber such that its aperture generally surrounds said second segment of said attachment component, wherein said isolator has a first end surface engaging said first case segment, a second end surface engaging said second case segment and an outer surface engaging said rim segment, whereby said first and second case segments cooperate to exert an axially directed compressive load on said isolator while said rim segment exerts a radially-directed compressive load on said isolator, wherein said second segment of said attachment component includes a plurality of outwardly extending projections adapted to engage said aperture in said isolator, and wherein said isolator is made of a resilient material such that said projections exert a compressive load on said isolator. |
| Claim: | 2. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein said isolator of said isolation damper unit is made of an elastomeric material. |
| Claim: | 3. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein said isolator of said isolation damper unit is made from microcellular polyurethane. |
| Claim: | 4. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein said aperture has a plurality of lobes which engage said second segment of said attachment component. |
| Claim: | 5. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein said isolator damper unit further includes a second attachment component for connecting said casing to said base of said cabinet. |
| Claim: | 6. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein said rim segment of said casing is cylindrical and said outer surface of said isolator is cylindrical. |
| Claim: | 7. A washing machine comprising: a cabinet; a tub assembly located within said cabinet and including an outer tub and a spin basket supported for rotation within said outer tub; a support frame mounted to said outer tub; a drive assembly operable for driving said spin basket; and a plurality of isolation damping units coupling said support frame to said cabinet, said isolation damping units each having a resilient isolator that inhibits rotation of said outer tub relative to said cabinet and biases said outer tub to a centered position within said cabinet wherein each of said isolation damping units further includes a casing adapted for connection to a base portion of said cabinet, and an attachment component having a first segment attached to said support frame and a second segment extending into a chamber formed in said casing, and wherein said isolator is disposed in said chamber and has an aperture engaging said second segment of said attachment component, wherein said casing includes a first case segment adapted for connection to said cabinet base, a second case segment and an outer rim segment interconnecting said first and second case segments to define said chamber within said casing, and wherein said isolator is retained within said chamber such that its aperture generally surrounds said second segment of said attachment component, wherein said isolator has a first end surface engaging said first case segment, a second end surface engaging said second case segment and an outer surface engaging said rim segment, whereby said first and second case segments cooperate to exert an axially directed compressive load on said isolator while said rim segment exerts a radially-directed compressive load on said isolator, wherein said second segment of said attachment component is a cylindrical shank segment, wherein said aperture in said isolator includes a plurality of inwardly extending lobes which engage said shank segment, and wherein said isolator is made of a resilient material such that said shank segment exerts a compressive load on said lobes of said isolator. |
| Claim: | 8. The washing machine of claim 7 wherein said isolator of said isolation damper unit is made of an elastomeric material. |
| Claim: | 9. The washing machine of claim 7 wherein said isolator of said isolation damper unit is made from microcellular polyurethane. |
| Claim: | 10. The washing machine of claim 7 wherein said rim segment of said casing is cylindrical and said outer surface of said isolator is cylindrical. |
| Claim: | 11. The washing machine of claim 7 wherein said outer surface of said isolator includes a series of contoured portions maintained in contact with said rim segment of said casing. |
| Claim: | 12. The washing machine of claim 11 wherein said isolator damper units further include a second attachment component for connecting said casing to said base of said cabinet. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 68/231 |
| Patent References Cited: | 2969172 January 1961 Percy 3108465 October 1963 Bochan 3197983 August 1965 IImer 3277742 October 1966 Jacobsen 3285419 November 1966 Smith 3475928 November 1969 Wasemann 3744746 July 1973 Weir et al. 3952557 April 1976 Bochan 4250724 February 1981 Altnau 4468938 September 1984 McMillan 4475363 October 1984 Thomson 4502303 March 1985 Wasemann 4729458 March 1988 Bauer et al. 5377508 January 1995 Hair et al. 5946947 September 1999 Lee et al. 5950460 September 1999 Oh et al. 6220063 April 2001 Wunderlich et al. 6574997 June 2003 Mayer et al. 6695295 February 2004 Williams 4413069 October 1994 0117824 January 1984 200068488 November 2000 |
| Assistant Examiner: | Riggleman, Jason P. |
| Primary Examiner: | Barr, Michael |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Wangerow, Ronald W. Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C. |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.07454928 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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