Patent ID: 11970811
Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Field: Other consumer goods (Other fields)
Classification: CPC D | IPC D

Claim 18:
19. A hub for an overmolded basket base assembly of a laundry appliance, comprising:
a central core defining an opening along an axis configured to receive torque from a drive shaft; and
a disc, extending radially outwardly from the central core about the axis, the disc configured to be overmolded in polymeric material that forms an overmolded plastic base, the disc including a plurality of posts arranged around the central core and extending upward from a top surface of the disc to form an array to align the hub when applying the torque to the hub, the plurality of posts configured to interface with die casting guns in a production line,
the disc further defining apertures arranged circumferentially about the central core, through which the polymeric material of the overmolded plastic base flows during overmolding of the polymeric material, wherein the apertures include a first set of apertures between each of the posts and a second set of apertures are placed between the posts and the central core,
the disc further comprising a vertical wall extending downward from a bottom face of the disc about its circumference and radial reinforcing ribs extending downward from the bottom face of the disc and radially outward from the exterior of the core to the interior of the vertical wall to increase strength of the hub, the radial reinforcing ribs defining open-bottomed chambers between the exterior of the central core, the interior of the vertical wall, and the bottom face of the disc, each of the apertures being defined in the surface of the disc open to a respective one of the open-bottomed chambers to provide for flow of the polymeric material during the overmolding.