Dynamic balancer in a laundry treating appliance

• US 9,394,643 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Malheiros, George W., Oney, Richard V., Thalls, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADHLAKHA, RITA P
• Application Number:
  US14/029,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20150075229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/08 Control circuits or arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/225 Damping vibrations by displacing, supplying or ejecting a material, e.g. liquid, into or from counterbalancing pockets
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/245 Damping vibrations by displacing, supplying or ejecting a material, e.g. liquid, into or from counterbalancing pockets
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/1485 the rotation being unlimited with respect to driving means with a fluid connection between inertia member and rotating driving means F16F15/167
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/363 using rolling bodies, e.g. balls free to move in a circumferential direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2128 Damping using swinging masses, e.g., pendulum type, etc.

Abstract

A dynamic balancer device for a laundry treating appliance includes, among other things, a first raceway piece having an L-shaped cross section defining a first annular channel and a second raceway piece having an L-shaped cross section defining a second annular channel. The first raceway piece is attached to the second raceway piece with the first annular channel facing the second annular channel to define a raceway. The dynamic balancer device also includes a mass disposed in the annular raceway and movable therein.

Claims

1. A dynamic balancer device for a laundry treating appliance including a rotatable drum for receiving a laundry load comprising:

a first raceway piece having an L-shaped cross section formed by two walls defining a first annular channel wherein one of the two walls has a first abutment extending laterally therefrom,

a second raceway piece having an L-shaped cross section formed by two walls defining a second annular channel wherein one of the two walls has a second abutment extending laterally therefrom,

wherein the first raceway piece is attached to the second raceway piece so that first and second raceway pieces do not move relative to each other, with the first annular channel facing the second annular channel to define an annular raceway and with the first abutment engaging a wall of the second raceway piece and the second abutment engaging a wall of the first raceway piece with each of the first and second annular channels respectively defining two walls of the annular raceway, and the first and second abutments extending inwardly of the annular raceway, and

a mass disposed in the annular raceway and movable therein.

2. The dynamic balancer of claim 1 wherein the first and second raceway pieces are each formed of one of plastic, steel, or aluminum.

3. The dynamic balancer of claim 1 wherein the first and second raceway pieces are attached by snap fit engagement.

4. The dynamic balancer of claim 1 wherein the second annular channel defines an outer wall of the raceway which is configured to abut a wall of the rotatable drum.

5. The dynamic balancer of claim 1 wherein the mass includes at least one of balls, viscous fluid, or water.

6. The dynamic balancer of claim 1 further comprising at least one other annular raceway disposed radially interior to the annular raceway.

7. The dynamic balancer of claim 6 wherein the mass disposed in the annular raceway is of a first type and a second mass disposed in the at least one other interior raceway and movable therein is of a second type different from the first type.

8. The dynamic balancer of claim 1 wherein the second raceway piece is configured to be received in nested relationship in a support ring secured to the rotatable drum.

9. The dynamic balancer of claim 8 wherein the support ring is formed of metal.

10. The dynamic balancer of claim 8 wherein the support ring includes a plurality of aligning channels to align the second raceway piece in nested relationship.

11. The dynamic balancer of claim 8 wherein the support ring has an interior axially extending flange and the first raceway piece has an axial slot that covers the axially extending flange.

12. A laundry treating appliance comprising:

a rotatable drum for receiving a laundry load wherein the rotatable drum has an annular wall at one end thereof, and

a dynamic balancer device disposed adjacent to the annular wall and including a first raceway piece having an L-shaped cross section formed by two walls defining a first annular channel wherein one of the two walls has a first abutment extending laterally therefrom,

a second raceway piece having an L-shaped cross section formed by two walls defining a second annular channel, wherein one of the two walls has a second abutment extending laterally therefrom,

wherein the first raceway piece is attached to the second raceway piece so that first and second raceway pieces do not move relative to each other, with the first annular channel facing the second annular channel to define an annular raceway and with the first abutment engaging a wall of the second raceway piece and the second abutment engaging a wall of the first raceway piece with each of the first and second annular channels respectively defining two walls of the annular raceway, and the first and second abutments extending inwardly of the annular raceway, and

a mass disposed in the raceway and movable therein.

13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 wherein the rotatable drum is disposed on one of a horizontal or a vertical axis.

14. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 wherein the second annular channel defines an outer wall of the raceway which is configured to abut an annular wall of the rotatable drum.

15. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 wherein the mass includes at least one of balls, viscous fluid, or water.

16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 wherein the dynamic balancer device includes at least one other annular raceway disposed radially interior to the annular raceway.

17. The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein the mass disposed in the annular raceway is of a first type and a second mass disposed in the at least one other raceway is of a second type different from the first type.

18. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12 further comprising a support ring for secure attachment to the rotatable drum and configured to receive the second raceway piece in nested relationship.

19. The dynamic balancer of claim 18 wherein the support ring is formed of metal.

20. The dynamic balancer of claim 18 wherein the support ring includes a plurality of aligning channels to align the second raceway piece in nested relationship.