Patent ID: 9518352
Filing Date: 2016-12-13
CPC Classification: B22F,B29C,B33Y,D06F,F16F,Y02P

Claim Text:
1. A unitary balance ring for a washing machine appliance, comprising: a tubular body defining an interior volume; first plurality of ribs positioned within the tubular body, each rib of the first plurality of ribs having a bottom edge that is positioned at a bottom surface of the interior volume, in contact with the bottom surface across an entire width of the interior volume; and a second plurality of ribs positioned within the tubular body, each rib of the second plurality of ribs having a bottom edge that is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the interior volume, wherein the bottom edge of each rib of the second plurality of ribs and the bottom surface of the interior volume define a gap along a vertical direction, the gap being at least an eighth of an inch.