APPLIANCE HAVING A HOUSING DAMPENING PORTION AND METHOD

• US 20120169194A1
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Qi, Weigang, Rockwell, Anthony L., Maderic, Jason K., Siwicki, Andrew J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,845,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/228
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/20 Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/001 Arrangements for transporting, moving, or setting washing machines; Protective arrangements for use during transport transport in general B65

Abstract

Various embodiments of apparatuses and methods relating to appliances are provided. In one embodiment, an appliance having a housing, one or more moveable components inside the housing, a drive assembly, and a dampening portion is provided. The housing includes, for example, at least one side wall and the dampening member is disposed at least partially between the drive assembly and the at least one side wall. The dampening portion includes, for example, a resilient material having at least one surface extending at least partially along the side wall and the drive assembly. The dampening member is configured to limit movement of the drive assembly during shipping and handling to prevent damage to the appliance. The dampening member stays with the appliance after shipping and handling to enhance performance of the appliance, protect the moveable component, or both.

Claims

1. An appliance comprising:

a housing comprising at least one side wall;

at least one moveable component inside the housing;

a drive assembly connected to the at least one moveable component;

a dampening member disposed at least partially within the housing and in physical communication with the at least one side wall, the dampening member comprising a resilient material having at least one outer surface and at least one inner surface, the at least one inner surface proximate to, but spaced apart from, the drive assembly.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the dampening member is provided in the appliance to prevent damage to the appliance during shipping and handling of the appliance by limiting an amount of movement of the drive assembly with respect to the housing such that the at least one moveable component is prevented from moving with respect to the housing to an extent where the at least one moveable component hits said at least one sidewall.

3. The appliance of claim 2 wherein a gap between the drive assembly and the inner surface of the dampening member define the limit to said amount of movement.

4. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the appliance is a washing machine and the at least one moveable component comprises a drive assembly attached to a tub and wherein the dampening member is configured to limit said amount of movement by engaging the drive assembly to prevent the tub from hitting the sidewall.

5. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the appliance is a clothes washing machine and wherein the at least one movable component comprises a drive assembly connected to a tub of the washing machine.

6. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage the drive assembly when the appliance is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane, wherein engaging the drive assembly with the dampening member prevents the tub from hitting said at least one sidewall.

7. The appliance of claim 2 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage the drive assembly when the appliance is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane, wherein engaging the drive assembly with the dampening member prevents the drive assembly from hitting another internal component of the appliance.

8. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the resilient material comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a polyester, a polyester olefin blend, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, a polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene blend, a polybutylene terephthalate and polypropylene blend and combinations thereof.

9. A clothes washing machine comprising:

a housing comprising at least one side wall;

a tub suspended in the housing;

a drive assembly connected to the tub;

a dampening member disposed at least partially within the housing below the tub and in physical communication with the at least one side wall, the dampening member comprising a resilient material having at least one outer surface and at least one inner surface, the at least one inner surface proximate to, but spaced apart from, the drive assembly.

10. The clothes washing machine of claim 9 wherein the dampening member is provided in the washing machine to prevent damage to the washing machine during shipping and handling of the washing machine by limiting an amount of movement of the drive assembly with respect to the housing such that the tub is prevented from moving with respect to the housing to an extent where the tub hits said at least one sidewall.

11. The appliance of claim 9 wherein a gap between the drive assembly and the inner surface of the dampening member define the limit to said amount of movement.

12. The clothes washing machine of claim 10 wherein the dampening member is configured to limit said amount of movement by engaging the drive assembly to prevent the tub from hitting the sidewall.

13. The clothes washing machine of claim 9 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage the drive assembly when the washing machine is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane, wherein engaging the drive assembly with the dampening member prevents the tub from hitting said at least one sidewall.

14. The clothes washing machine of claim 9 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage the drive assembly when the clothes washing machine is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane, wherein engaging the drive assembly with the dampening member prevents the drive assembly from hitting another internal component of the washing machine.

15. The clothes washing machine of claim 9, wherein the resilient material comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a polyester, a polyester olefin blend, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, a polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene blend, a polybutylene terephthalate and polypropylene blend and combinations thereof.

16. The clothes washing machine of claim 9 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage an outer housing of the drive assembly that is fixed relative to the tub.

17. The clothes washing machine of claim 9 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage an external rotor of the drive assembly that spins relative to the tub during operation of the washing machine.

18. A clothes washing machine comprising:

a housing comprising at least one side wall;

a tub suspended in the housing;

a drive assembly connected to the tub;

a dampening member disposed at least partially within the housing below the tub and in physical communication with the at least one side wall, the dampening member comprising a resilient material having at least one outer surface and at least one inner surface, the at least one inner surface proximate to, but spaced apart from, the drive assembly;

wherein a space between the drive assembly and said inner surface of the dampening member is selected to limit an amount of movement of the drive assembly with respect to the housing such that the tub is prevented from moving with respect to the housing to an extent where the tub hits said at least one sidewall.

19. The clothes washing machine of claim 18 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage the drive assembly when the washing machine is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane, wherein engaging the drive assembly with the dampening member prevents the tub from hitting said at least one sidewall.

20. The clothes washing machine of claim 18 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage an outer housing of the drive assembly that is fixed relative to the tub.

21. The clothes washing machine of claim 18 wherein the dampening member is configured to engage an external rotor of the drive assembly that spins relative to the tub during operation of the washing machine.

22. The clothes washing machine of claim 18, wherein the resilient material comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a polyester, a polyester olefin blend, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, a polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene blend, a polybutylene terephthalate and polypropylene blend and combinations thereof.