Washing machine

Details Washing machine Washing machine

1999-04-21

2001-03-20

Coe, Phililp R. (Department: 1746)

Textiles: fluid treating apparatus

Machines

Combined

Reexamination Certificate

active

06202452

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a construction of a washing machine that cleanses, rinses and dehydrates clothes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A structure of a conventional washing machine is described with reference to FIG.
11
and FIG.
12
.
FIG. 11
is a cross sectional view of the conventional washing machine, and
FIG. 12
is a cross sectional view of an essential part of the same machine.
In
FIG. 11
, a body
101
of a washing machine has a water tub
103
supported by suspension
102
. In water tub
103
, a cleansing basket
104
doubling as a spin dryer (hereinafter referred to as basket
104
) is installed rotatably. Basket
104
has a top opening, through which articles to be cleansed are loaded. On a bottom section of basket
104
, an agitator
105
(pulsator) is equipped rotatably. Basket
104
has numerous small holes in a sidewall thereof.
In
FIG. 12
, basket
104
is fixed to a dryer shaft
107
journaled by a bearing
106
disposed at a lower part of water tub
103
. Agitator
105
is fixed at a first end of a washing shaft
109
journaled by a bearing
108
within the dryer shaft
107
. A second end of washing shaft
109
is coupled to a first end of an input shaft
111
of a speed reduction mechanism
110
. Pulley
112
is mounted to a second end of input shaft
111
of the speed reduction mechanism
110
.
The second end of input shaft
111
shows a circle in its cross sectional view, and is sided by shaving to form a quadrilateral so that a mounting hole of pulley
112
can mate with the shaved second end, and pulley
112
is fixed to shaft
111
. Pulley
112
is coupled to a motor
114
shown in
FIG. 11
via a belt
113
. Motor
114
drives shaft
111
via pulley
112
. Shaft
111
has a clutch
115
for switching the transmission of the driving force of motor
114
either to washing shaft
109
or to dryer shaft
107
.
Clutch
115
comprises the following elements:
(a) a clutch boss
116
having a hole mating with the shaved second end of shaft
111
;
(b) a clutch spring
117
; and
(c) a sleeve
118
for transmitting the force of a clutch driver
119
for driving the clutch. A first end of spring
117
winds around clutch boss
116
and a second thereof winds around dryer shaft
107
.
Clutch driver
119
comprises the following elements:
(a) a clutch claw
120
;
(b) a clutch lever
121
;
(c) a clutch switcher (not shown) including, e.g. a geared motor for rotating clutch lever
121
; and
(d) a clutch lever spring
122
.
An operation of the conventional washing machine constructed above is hereinafter described.
First, laundry is loaded into basket
104
, then a given quantity of water is supplied from a water tap (not shown). When the given quantity of water is filled into basket
104
, washing is initiated. At this moment, spring
122
urges clutch claw
120
of clutch driver
119
to be engaged with sleeve
118
, and loosens spring
117
. This produces slipping between spring
117
and clutch boss
116
.
The rotating force of motor
114
not only drives pulley
112
via belt
113
, but also drives shaft
111
of the speed reduction mechanism. Shaft
111
then drives washing shaft
109
via speed reduction mechanism
110
, and further drives agitator
105
fixed to washing shaft
109
. Motor
114
is switched in its driving direction at given time intervals, which also switches the rotating direction of agitator
105
. The laundry thus starts being cleansed.
Then, the water is discharged from basket
104
when the cleansing step is finished, and then spin-drying is begun. At this moment, a clutch switcher rotates clutch lever
121
, whereby claw
120
is removed from sleeve
118
, and spring
117
winds around boss
116
.
Under this condition, the driving force of motor
114
travels to pulley
112
via belt
113
and drives shaft
111
. The motor further drives dryer shaft
107
via clutch boss
116
and spring
117
. Basket
104
fixed to dryer shaft
107
is then spun, which dehydrates the laundry. The water is discharged through the numerous small holes punched in the sidewall of the basket
104
.
As such, clutch
115
controls the driving of agitator
105
or basket
104
so that the respective steps of cleansing, rinsing and dehydrating can be performed.
In this conventional construction, however, motor
114
is coupled to the driving mechanism via belt
113
, which requires a lot of components and increases cost. Further, motor
114
is eccentric relative to the rotational axis of basket
104
, and the rotating force of the motor
114
is transferred via belt
113
to the basket
104
, whereby it is difficult to balance water tub
103
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the problems discussed above and aims to provide a washing machine comprising the following elements:
(a) a dryer shaft for spinning the basket doubling as a washing basket and a spin-drying basket;
(b) a washing shaft for spinning an agitator disposed in the basket, and disposed on the same axial line of the dryer shaft;
(c) a motor for driving the dryer shaft and the washing shaft;
(d) a speed reduction mechanism for reducing a driving speed of the motor, and then rotating the washing shaft;
(e) a clutch for switching the transmission of the motor driving force either to the dryer shaft or to the washing shaft.
The speed reduction mechanism is axially aligned with the motor, and the clutch is disposed within a motor bracket, which motor bracket is one of elements of the motor. A clutch driver for driving the clutch is driven from outside the motor bracket.
The above construction of the washing machine of the present invention requires fewer components and restrains unbalance of the water tub during the dehydration step. Further, if the water in water tub somehow overflows from the tub, the water is prevented from entering the motor. If a user mistakenly places his/her hand near the clutch, the fingers are prevented from entering the motor. The safety of the washing machine is thus improved.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2485621 (1949-10-01), McNairy
patent: 2485622 (1949-10-01), Bariffi
patent: 4232536 (1980-11-01), Koseki et al.
patent: 4969341 (1990-11-01), Burk et al.
patent: 5778703 (1998-07-01), Imai et al.
patent: 4-256796 (1992-09-01), None
patent: 9-122385 (1997-05-01), None

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