Balancer for an automatic washer
US5345792A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 28, 1992 |
| Grant date | Sep 13, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 28, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/2109
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A dynamic balancer for a laundry apparatus having a rotatable drum for receiving a clothes load. The rotatable drum has a horizontal geometric axis and is rotatably supported to rotate about its horizontal geometric axis. The rotatable drum includes a generally cylindrical outer wall defining the horizontal geometric axis, a first disk and a second disk. The first disk is provided for forming a first end wall of the drum and includes a balancing means including a plurality of concentric annular chambers. The second disk is provided for forming a second end wall of the drum, opposite the first end wall, and also includes a balancing means including a plurality of concentric annular chambers. The annular concentric chambers are partially filled with fluid for balancing the rotatable drum. In operation, the rotatable drum is subject to an out-of-balance mass as a result of uneven distribution of the clothes load within the drum. The out-of-balance mass creates a spinning axis distinct from the horizontal geometric axis causing vibration during rotation. The balancing of this vibration occurs as the fluid within the chambers, under the influence of centrifugal forces occurring during u…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.